A special day!

Hi everyone

So I wanted to share with you a very special day in my life. Yesterday it was my daughter's birthday. Why is it special? because she turned 9 years old and she is my first born. Only one year away from double digits like everybody says. I can't believe that 9 years have passed since I became a mother for the first time. Where did the time go? I am still amazed at how my life has changed since the kids have come into my life. I still remember giving birth and seeing that little person for the first time. It was so special!! I had no experience, I did not know what I was doing! With her I have learned about baby behaviour, how to deal with the first fever the first sickness, the first bumps and bruises, the first smile and hug!

People always ask me how does chiropractic and lactation consultant relate to each other. How did you become interested in the LC work? I had terrible nursing issues myself. I remember crying and being in tears because it had gotten so painful. So I decided to figure things out and went to Chapter's. I came back with a many books( too many according to my husband!) read a lot of sites on the internet on breastfeeding. Then I was referred to this lady that was going to help me by my midwife. That is when I met my mentor, Carole Dobrich . With her help I solved my nursing issues and parented my children exactly the way I wanted to. If it was not for her I probably would have given up a long time ago. Thanks Carole I will never thank you enough!!! I developed such a passion for the science of breastfeeding that I then did the prerequisites and became a lactation consultant. When I graduated from chiropractic college, I never thought I would do anything else then chiropractic. Adding lactation to my practice has brought me exactly where I always dreamed to be in my practice. I treat moms babies and do family care. I feel so good when I help a new mom. I remember being in their shoes feeling completely hopeless when things were not working for me and how grateful I was when I got the right help.

Kids challenge you!! There are good days and bad days. I also know that I am not done with challenges by any means but I am out of the baby and toddler phase. The fun thing is that I still see babies everyday in my practice which is a lot of fun!

Thanks to my kids because not only have I grown as a person, I also have grown professionally. I would not be where I am today if they would not have come in my life.

Thanks Audrey I love you. Enjoy being 9 years old and don't grow up to fast!!

Valerie( maman)

Each patient is different!!!

Hi everyone

So today I wanted to talk about the fact that each patient is different. Why am I saying this is that a lot of people think that all chiropractors do is "crack" . I always like to take the time to explain to my patients that I am equipped with a lot of tools in my bag!! After the examination, I can determine with the patient which tool will be best to use for that person!! No I do not adjust everybody. Well actually I do but with different techniques! Some people I would only do some special muscle work others I would use a little tool or my table to help me adjust. On babies I do a special technique called craniosacral which is very soft touch. I want people to know that they can talk to me and actually tell me what they are comfortable with. Remember we have many techniques that can be used depending on age, case or problem. Not all of them require the famous sound!! So go see a chiropractor and discuss how you feel and find a technique that works for you. That is the beauty of our profession it is an art as well!!! Don't forget that you are unique and your care will be unique to you as well. My treatment will match your individual needs!!!

Valerie

Blocked ducts during breastfeeding

Hi everyone

I wanted to talk quickly about blocked ducts when mothers are breastfeeding. I am seeing quite a few mothers with this problem, so I wanted to mention what to do if you find one. Blocked ducts happen sometimes when the mother is very tired or there is a change of routine i.e. skipped a feed or baby started solid food or is drinking less. Another cause could simply be your bra. Bras with underwire should not be worn. They can press on the breast and create pressure. Moms will feel a lump in their breast that is tender and sore. The important thing to know is to make sure you are not having mastitis. With a blocked duct you have NO fever NO redness. It is very important to know the difference.

The simpler way to treat is to start soaking the breast in a bowl of hot water with a bit of epsom salt 5 minutes before the feed. Massage the breast while the baby is well latched to help the milk flow. If after doing all these techniques, it is still present you can get ultrasound therapy done. The ultrasound creates a deep heat which helps the blocked duct. I do ultrasound on the mothers breasts for 8minutes and she will feed the baby right away. Usually within one or two visits the blocked duct disappears and the mother is quite relieved. So pass on the information not everybody is aware that ultrasound can help with blocked duct!!!

If the mother is having repetitive blocked ducts, she can also take lecithin. It is a supplement which will change the viscosity of the milk and make it less sticky if you would like. Moms can take 1200mg 3-4 x per day.

With this information if you have a blocked duct try the heat, massage the lump and if does not go away try ultrasound. Hope you find this helpful if you know moms that are nursing pass on the information! Obviously if things get worse then consult your health professional right away.

Valerie

Enjoy Summer!

Hi everyone

Today I just wanted to tell everyone to take time and enjoy your summer!! Usually summer is a time where people have more energy, are out more, exercise more and feel better overall. The weather has been so nice in the last few days that I thought it would a good time to talk about a few healthy living habits. Even myself this summer I decided to get in better shape and started a running program. Exercise has been proven to help your physical and mental health so why don't you go out and go for a nice brisk walk for 30 min tonight? You should try to exercise 3-4 times a week and you will see the changes quickly. Also drink plenty of water. In the heat you must stay hydrated. Do not forget to carry a water bottle with you and drink, drink drink. Quit the bad habits such as smoking and sedentary lifestyles. Did you know that smoking actually increases your chances of having back pain. It is actually reported in the literature that smokers have more back pain. Make healthy food choices. In the summer it is so easy to get fresh vegetables and fruits, eat plenty of them. Get your spine checked regularly. Good spinal health goes along way to help you do all your activities.

Anyway all these are things I am sure you know but sometimes it is good to remind yourself !! So go out and enjoy summer!!

Douleurs à côté de l'omoplate!!!

Bonjour,

Aujourd'hui je veux parler de la même chose qu'en anglais car c'est un syndrome que je vois tellement souvent à la clinique et qui est très mal diagnostiqué. Seulement aujourd'hui 3 patients ce matin avaient ce problème. Le problème s'appelle syndrome costovertébral. Les patients se plaignent souvent de douleurs à côté de l'omoplate et non sur la colonne. Ils décrivent une douleur qui brûle, qui peut irradier jusqu'en avant. Elle peut aussi empêcher de respirer si elle devient aigu. Quand les gens éternuent et toussent la douleur est aggravée. Les patients peuvent même avoir de la difficulté à bouger le bras.


Qu'est-ce- qui cause le problème? Habituellement des mouvements de bras répétitifs, lever des choses lourdes i.e. enfants,valises etc... sont les causent les plus communes. Lorsque la mobilité du joint formé entre la vertèbre et la côte devient diminuer bien la douleur commence. Souvent les patients se font dire que les douleurs sont seulement les muscles en spasmes. Les muscles font parti du problème mais le joint costovertébral accentue le tout.

Ce qui m'impressionne souvent est que les patients parfois ont ces douleurs depuis très longtemps. Habituellement ce syndrome répond très bien à la manipulation vertébrale. Au début je travaille les muscles et ensuite j'ajuste la région. Les changements sont drastiques et le patient a beaucoup moins mal instantanément. Donc si vous souffrez de douleurs qui ressemblent à la description faite plus haut n'attendez plus et consultez!!!

À plus tard....
Valerie

Pain beside the shoulder blade!!

Hi everyone

So today I decided to talk about a classic thing I see so often in the clinic. What is funny is that I had 3 patients today show up with that exact pain. It is pain linked to ribs actually called costovertebral syndrome. What does that mean??? Patients usually describe pain beside the shoulder blade not exactly on the spine. It hurst if they move their arm or they just feel a burning nagging pain in that area. If it becomes very acute people can't breath and report a stabbing knife in their backs. It can also hurt when they are sneezing or coughing . It can also refer to the front of the thorax as well. Some even have difficulty moving their arm. Many times it is misdiagnosed as muscles spasms. I agree that we have alot of muscles in that area but when I touch the exact spot I am on the joint between the vertebra and the rib head. How do people injure themselves? Lifting something heavy such as kid, suitcases, or repetitive arm motion hanging in the air. Whenever we move our arms our rib also move and if they lose their normal motion then they start to create discomfort.

With this issue it is drastic the change once we have done the adjustment. I usually do some muscle work all around and then proceed to the chiropractic adjustment. People immediately report feeling better after the adjustment. I have patients now that know exactly when the rib is not moving well and is interfering and come in with the diagnosis before I even touch them.

I love treating this because some patients have been living with pain for years and a few visits it changes everything!!!

until next time

valerie

Chiropractic and headaches

Hi everyone

Today I wanted to talk about headaches. It is not uncommon for people to come to the clinic and tell me that they have headaches everyday and live with it. Most of them simply take medication or have tried different things and nothing seems to help. For many having a headache is a normal part of their life. Why I love chiropractic is that I have had many cases, it will change their life. They will go from having a headache everyday to hardly any and they are able to reduce all the medication that they take. But why?

I describe to my patients that there are different types of headaches. The one type that we can help is called cervicogenic headache. These types of headaches are so common and misdiagnosed. They are linked to tensions in the neck, jaw and face. The lack of motion of vertebras in the neck will create muscles tensions all around the neck, jaw and face. These headaches usually cause pain on both side of the head and start from the back and go in the front. It usually comes at the end of the day. Our goal as a chiropractor is to increase and restore proper mechanics in your neck to then allow all the tension in the muscles to release. So the frequency of the headaches diminishes dramatically. Obviously if you are allergic to read wine or cheese or you headache is linked to your cycle, we will not be able to help with these ones. The thing to remember is that many headaches are linked to the neck. Don't just blame stress! Stress causes muscle tension and the cycle starts up again....

So my patient had headaches everyday. He is a representative for a company and therefore drives a lot. He had al ot of pain in his neck. The headaches would go up from the neck to the head. He used to take many advil per week. So after a full examination, I diagnosed cervicogenic headache. Now after treating his upper back and neck for 6 visits his headaches have disappeared. He had not had headache in over 2 weeks and feels that even if he drives a lot for work he is not as tight in the shoulder area.

Imagine the life changing event that just happened. You go from having a headache everyday to almost none!!!


Valerie

Le retour des menstruations et l'allaitement

Bonjour à tous

Aujourd'hui, je vais faire mon blog en français pour essayer d'équilibrer un peu entre les deux langues!! Je voulais vous parler d'une situation qui c'est produite la semaine passée suite à un appel d'une de mes patientes. La maman m'a téléphoné parce que ses menstruations étaient revenues après 7 mois suivant l'accouchement et soudainement sa production de lait avait chuté et le bébé semblait très insatisfait et frustré. Ce phénomène est assez courant avec le changement hormonal qui se produit suivant le retour des menstruations. Le retour des menstruations dépend du nombre de tétées, de l'introduction des solides si le bébé fait ses nuits...etc. Ce qui est important de se souvenir est que si les menstruations sont de retour la maman a retrouvé sa fertilité!! Prochain sujet fertilité et allaitement!

Ce qui peut se produire suite au retour des menstruations est que la production semble diminuer durant quelques jours. Aussi le goût du lait peut changer légèrement. Parfois les bébés ne voudront pas boire aussi fréquemment à cause du goût. Mais au niveau nutritionnel, rien ne change. Le lait est aussi nutritif pour le bébé. Pour la production, les bébés semblent pouvoir compenser et demandent plus le sein durant cette période là. Voilà l'importance de ne pas restreindre le nombre de fois que le bébé va au sein par jour. Si la production ne semble pas vouloir redémarrer, des herbes peuvent aussi être utilisées, mais consulter la consultante en lactation pour plus de détails.

Pour ma patiente, tout c'est bien terminé. Nous avons reparti la production avec des herbes et avons remis le bébé au sein plus souvent pour stimuler la production. J'ai eu la confirmation que les choses étaient rentrées dans l'ordre et que maman et bébé étaient contents de nouveau!!!

à la prochaine

Valerie