Thank you!

Hi everyone

So summer is really busy with the family and outside activities. I came in today on wednesday for a few hours in the afternoon. I had a new patient on my schedule. One very important question is to ask how did the patient find me. I do it for stats at the end of the year to help me with my marketing and assess what works and what does not work. Is it an MD referring? friends? yellow pages ? internet?. I have to be honest and say that obviously there is nothing more exciting for me when I ask that question to get the answer "from a patient". Today my new patient was a referral from a patient. WOW that makes me feel good!!!

I am not sure if you realize that this is the biggest gift you can give to your chiropractor. This is a sign of confidence, satisfaction in your care and trust. I feel very honoured that you trust me in the care of your friends or family.

This is one thing we do not say very often but today I wanted to take the time and say

THANK YOU to all my patients for your referrals. I truly appreciate it. So when you send somebody remember that this is the most precious gift you can give to me.

Have a great week!! Remember to talk about chiropractic to your friends and family and I will be glad to help them out.

Thanks again

Valerie

One more reason why I love being a chiropractor!

Hi everybody!

So obviously there are many reasons why I love being a chiropractor! Love helping people, meeting patients, the freedom of being my own boss, could go on and on. Yesterday, I had one of these great moments in my practice and I wanted to share it with you.

In my practice, I treat a lot of children and babies as you must know but I also get some referrals from an MD for work related injuries. These cases are quite challenging, as they are complex most of the time. The patients usually have tried many therapies before they give chiropractic a try.

A few weeks ago, I had a case of a gentlemen who came in suffering of lower back pain, hip pain and upper back pain. He had been off work for a year and was actually now walking with a cane. He had so much pain from his hip and leg that he could only walk with the help of that cane. I will not go in to all the details of the exam and relevant clinical things but I can tell you that after reviewing his case, in my opinion, there were no reason why he would not respond. So we had a discussion about what I was going to do which included muscle work and adjustments. He was instructed to combine ice to all the other things he was already doing. He was so incapacitated that he was having trouble taking care of his little girl who is 11 months old.

So we started treatment last week. I did 3 visits on him last week. They were going well!! For sure, he was a bit sore but he was seeing a change so he was encouraged. When he came back this week Tuesday, I was bent changing my head rest paper when he came in to the room. When I looked up, I asked him "so how are you feeling after the week end? " He replied " LOOK NO MORE CANE" he had been walking with a cane for over 3 -4 months!! WOW !!

I was so happy!! He said he was so encouraged and happy that he had told his wife over the week end that all he wanted to do was give me a hug!! YEAH!! We exchanged a hug and continued with the treatment. He is not out of the loop yet but at least on the right way!

These moments are just so special. Chiropractic has changed his life. Originally when he came in, he was so discouraged and most probably now for the first time he was smiling and encouraged!! Wow it is a great feeling!!!

This made my day and I told all my friends!! For moments like these, I will continue to practice. It happens quite often but some are more powerful then others! I love being a chiropractor. At 14, when I said I wanted to be a chiropractor, I do not think I realized fully what it meant but now I know.

When you have passion for your work it shows ! Do something you love and you will see the days will just fly by without you noticing.

I hope you enjoyed the post and if you have great stories like that please share them with me! I would love the hear them.

Valerie

Postpartum Depression!! not to be ignored!

Hi everyone

This week I had the pleasure of attending the Grande Conference of the Association of Lactation of Quebec. Going to conferences is always so stimulating and fun. You not only get to meet colleagues but you get to listen to great speakers!!

The first day monday was on postpartum depression and the new paradigm. We had the pleasure of listening to an amazing speaker, Kathleen-Kendall Tackett. I learned so much on the subject. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the key elements.

Post-partum depression is sometimes not always talked about because of the stigma attached to it. Many mothers go untreated just because they do not get the appropriate help and first of all diagnoses. Breastfeeding also gets blamed easily with postpartum depression. Certain cultures say that 10-20% of mothers get postpartum depression but some people think that the numbers can actually be as high as 40-50%.

The old paradigm thought that the drop in estrogen and progesterone were some of the triggers for postpartum depression. Other risk factors identified were stress, pain, lack of sleep, inflammation, psychosocial trauma and a history of depression and anxiety.

The new paradigm and the latest research identified that the inflammation is actually the main trigger in postpartum depression and depression. Inflammation underlies all the other risk factors. It was found that the more inflammation you have in your plasma, the more depressed you may be. Normally, we can manage stress but when our system balance does not work you can not handle it and you start secreting some inflammatory components. You then add all the other possible triggers and your chances of having postpartum depression becomes very high!

The pro-inflammatory cytokines rise in the last trimester of pregnancy therefore mothers are at higher risk of depression in the last trimester. Moms that are showing signs of depression during pregnancy should be treated! It was shown that depression and anxiety increase the risk of preterm birth.

Breastfeeding is known to reduce these inflammatory cytokines because it has a calming effect on mothers and reduces stress and the stress response. It is key to help moms preserve their breastfeeding during these difficult period. Depression does change the way moms interact with their baby. It was also shown that depressed breastfeeding mothers touched, stroked and looked at babies more than depressed non-breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding is therefore good for mom and baby!!!

However if mom is experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and nipple pain, they were at higher risk of getting postpartum depression (38% versus 14%). This makes sense as it increases stress and inflammation therefore more at risk! So it is key to help mothers get out of breastfeeding pain and problems as quickly as possible. When the pain is gone ( i.e. inflammation is reduced ), the mood usually returns to normal.

She talked about the various treatment options for mothers . The traditional treatments such as antidepressants are sometimes necessary for a short course to get the mothers back on track. It should be noted that there is no contraindication to nursing with most of the antidepressants prescribed. Some alternative options such as omega 3 supplementation have been shown in many studies to help relieve depression. St- John's wort is also an herb used to treat mild to moderate depression. It is important to mention to moms that there are alternatives when they decide which way to go when it comes to treating depression.

This was a quick summary but you can find a lot more information on her web sites. I am also including the abstract of her article that talks about it. If you would like the full article email me and I will forward it to you guys.

http://www.kathleenkendall-tackett.com/

http://www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com/

http://www.uppitysciencechick.com/

I hope you will pay attention to mothers around you and see if they are suffering from depression. Don't be shy to get help if you are worried!!

Valerie

International Breastfeeding Journal

Review Open Access

A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of

inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory

treatments protect maternal mental health

Kathleen Kendall-Tackett*

Address: Family Research Laboratory, 126 Horton Social Science Center, 20 College Road, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New

Hampshire, 03824, USA

Email: Kathleen Kendall-Tackett* - kkendallt@aol.com

* Corresponding author

Abstract

Background: Research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has revealed that depression

is associated with inflammation manifested by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines.

Discussion: The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for

depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical

and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important

shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that

underlies all the others. Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical

risk factors increase the risk of depression. This is true for depression in general and for

postpartum depression in particular. Puerperal women are especially vulnerable to these effects

because their levels of proinflammatory cytokines significantly increase during the last trimester of

pregnancy – a time when they are also at high risk for depression. Moreover, common experiences

of new motherhood, such as sleep disturbance, postpartum pain, and past or current psychological

trauma, act as stressors that cause proinflammatory cytokine levels to rise. Breastfeeding has a

protective effect on maternal mental health because it attenuates stress and modulates the

inflammatory response. However, breastfeeding difficulties, such as nipple pain, can increase the

risk of depression and must be addressed promptly.

Conclusion: PNI research suggests two goals for the prevention and treatment of postpartum

depression: reducing maternal stress and reducing inflammation. Breastfeeding and exercise reduce

maternal stress and are protective of maternal mood. In addition, most current treatments for

depression are anti-inflammatory. These include long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, cognitive therapy,

St. John's wort, and conventional antidepressants.

What is scoliosis?

hi everyone

I wanted to talk today about scoliosis because I had a 15 year old patient come in with that exact problem. Scoliosis of the spine is when the spine decides to curve sideways. It can happen to about 12% of the population! It usually will happen to young girls between the ages of 10-12 and in young boys between the ages of 11-13. The ratio is usually 8 girls to 1 boy. There are usually no known causes of scoliosis which is why it is called "idiopathic". It can be linked to many health issues as the vertebras turn sideways and can cause compression of the nerves and organs.

It is very important and I encourage all of my patients to bring me their little girls and boys at this age at least to do a simple screen of scoliosis. If it is detected early it can be monitored and helped by certain therapies.

At home you can at least look at a few things to tell you if your kids may have scoliosis

1- Look for a difference in shoulder height

2- Asymmetry in 3D of the shoulder blade

3-Hips are uneven

4- When your child bends down do you see a bump on one side of the back

If you suspect something call your chiropractor. The faster it is taken care of the better the chances will be that we can prevent progression with proper intervention. There is this great new product that is being used right now. It is called SpineCor. It is a flexible brace that will help correct the spine. There are many studies now that have shown it's efficacy!

Scoliosis can have consequences during your child's life.It takes two minutes to verify so feel free to call and bring me your kids to check if they have an issue or not.

Valerie Lavigne

La scoliose

LLES JEUNES COURBENT L’ÉCHINE

Votre enfant a-t-il toujours de la difficulté à se tenir droit? Ses épaules sont inégales, une bretelle de son sac à dos ne tient jamais en place ou encore vous devez toujours couper une jambe de son pantalon plus courte que l’autre? Il souffre peut- être d’une scoliose! Savez-vous que la scoliose peut affecter jusqu’à 12 % de la population de jeunes et de moins jeunes? Les chiropraticiens sont bien familiers avec cette réalité.

La scoliose

La scoliose est une déformation progressive en 3D de la colonne vertébrale. Au fur et à mesure de la croissance, elle entraîne une spirale dans la colonne. La scoliose est préjudiciable à la croissance de l’enfant, car elle rend son dos vulnérable contre la gravité. La colonne vertébrale s’affaisse de plus en plus ce qui a pour effet de nuire considérablement au système nerveux en écrasant les nerfs qui sortent entre chacune des vertèbres.

La déformation et l’écrasement de la colonne vont aussi entraîner l’affaissement de la cage thoracique et comprimer les organes vitaux tels le cœur et les poumons. Cet affaissement peut affecter la santé globale de l’enfant. La difformité spinale et l’affaissement de la cage thoracique provoquent souvent une bosse dans le dos (on se rappelle le bossu de Notre-Dame). En plus de tous les problèmes de santé occasionnés par la scoliose, les enfants atteints souffrent souvent d’un manque d’estime de soi. L’esthétique corporelle est essentielle à la construction de l’image de soi chez les adolescents.

Les causes

On ignore toujours ce qui peut causer la scoliose, bien que plusieurs chercheurs aient trouvé des pistes intéressantes. Toutefois, on remarque que cette condition a une incidence familiale très importante. Du point de vue chiropratique, l’examen attentifs de radiographies peut mettre en évidence des causes biomécaniques. En effet, une inégalité importante de la longueur des jambes, une malformation sacro-iliaque et vertébrale et un traumatisme important de la zone vertébrale L5-L3 peuvent être responsables d’une partie des causes associées à la scoliose. Informez-vous auprès de votre chiropraticien.

Le dépistage

Vous pouvez dépister une scoliose chez votre enfant en examinant attentivement sa posture. Voici quelques signes :

1- Hauteur inégale des épaules

2- Asymétrie en 3D des omoplates

3- Angles de taille asymétriques

4- Espace asymétrique entre les bras et le bassin

5- Hauteur inégale des hanches

6- Bosse dans le dos lorsque l’enfant se penche

Si vous reconnaissez un ou plusieurs de ces signes, vous avez peut-être détecté une difformité de la posture ou encore une scoliose. Il est important de consulter votre chiropraticien afin d’établir un diagnostic précis. Il pourra établir les risques de progression de l’état de la colonne de votre enfant et vous guidera à travers les étapes à suivre.

Selon la Société de la Recherche sur la Scoliose (SRS), plus le patient est jeune lors du diagnostic, plus les chances de voir la scoliose progresser sont importantes. Les jeunes filles sont plus souvent et plus sévèrement touchées que les garçons (8 filles pour 1 garçon). Plus la courbe est importante, moins la colonne vertébrale résistera à la gravité et plus elle risquera de s’effondrer1.

La période la plus à risque pour la scoliose est de 10-12 ans chez la jeune fille et de 11-13 ans chez le garçon. Si on dépiste une scoliose, il faut donc agir avant les premiers signes de puberté!Les traitements

Les causes

Plus on dépiste le problème rapidement, plus efficace l’intervention sera et meilleures seront les chances de réduire ou corriger la déviation pour ainsi éviter la chirurgie. Le port d’un corset peut être très efficace pour régler le problème. Effectivement, un corset flexible s’avère être une orthèse de choix puisqu’elle induit un mouvement correcteur dans la colonne vertébrale pour provoquer une rééducation neuromusculaire. Il n’est pas facile de trouver un corset adapté à votre enfant. Vous pouvez consulter le www.spinecorporation.com pour obtenir plus de renseignements sur le port du corset.

Finalement, si vous remarquez des déviations de la colonne chez votre enfant, n’attendez donc pas avant de consulter votre chiropraticien. N’oubliez pas, une colonne vertébrale en santé reflète un corps en santé. dépistage

1 Stephens Richards B, Bernstein RM, D’Amato CR, et Thompson GH. Standardization of Criteria for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Brace Studies: SRS Comittee on Bracing and Nonoperative Management. SPINE 2005; 30 (18);2068-2075

Ecrit par L'association des chiropraticiens du Québec

Gardening without hurting!!

Hi everybody

Even though it seems like we will never see the end of this rain, the long week end is approaching and the gardening season. Here are a few tips that can help you make sure you do not overdue it.

-Stretch upper back and arms before starting

-Make sure to bend your knees, do no bend at the waist when planting.

-When you pick up something heavy bring the weight close to you and bend your knees to lift

-Take breaks

-Make sure to drink and stay hydrated

-If you feel pain stop and ice for 10 min

Hope these few tricks will help your gardening season go a little smoothly!!!

Valerie

Bébé sur le ventre- trucs et conseils

Bonjour tout le monde

Aujourd'hui je tenais à discuter de l'importance de mettre bébé sur le ventre durant ces périodes d'éveil! Beaucoup de nouveaux parents hésitent à mettre le bébé sur le ventre pour plusieurs raisons. Principalement car le bébé pleure souvent et ne semble pas aimer la position. Pourtant mettre bébé sur le ventre est très important pour son développement. En mettant bébé sur le ventre, nous allons l'aider à commencer à utiliser ses muscles du haut dos et aussi aider le développement de la courbe cervicale. Le bébé commencera aussi à recruter ses muscles abdominaux. Cette position lui favorisera aussi le début de la marche à quatre pattes.

Tout le monde sait que la position recommandée pour dormir est sur le dos. Avec cette campagne, nous avons de beaucoup diminué les problèmes de mort subite du nourrisson. Le problème par contre est que maintenant les bébé semblent être constamment sur le dos : dans le banc d'auto, pour dormir, dans la balançoire etc.... Le crâne des bébés étant très souple quand une pression est constamment exercée sur les os du crâne, ils peuvent changer de forme et aplatir. Ce phénomène s'appelle la plagiocéphalie. Nous avons remarqué une grande augmentation de plagiocéphalie depuis la campagne de bébé sur le dos. Mais les avantages pour la mort subite du nourrisson sont trop importants donc maintenant nous devons éduquer les parents à mettre bébé sur le ventre durant les périodes d'éveil dès les premiers jours de vie de l'enfant!

Alors quelques trucs simples qui peuvent faire une grande différence. Vous pouvez mettre bébé sur le ventre accoté sur un coussin d'allaitement afin d'aider à relever le haut du dos un peu. Mettre aussi des jouets ou un miroir devant le bébé afin de le stimuler. Maman peut aussi aller se coucher devant afin de le garder intéressé.

Je vous invite à aller visionner un vidéo qui a été diffusé à la télévision au canal famille. Une de mes consœurs expliquent très bien les avantages et trucs.Bon visionnement!

merci Dr. Malenfant.

http://vtele.ca/videos/famille-2-0/bebe-sur-le-ventre-trucs-et-conseils_27014.php

A bientôt

Valerie

New study on maintenance care

Hi everyone

I hope you enjoyed Easter! Spring is in the air. Many of my patients asked me in the last few weeks what is preventive care or maintenance care. So I thought I would quickly explain the 3 different stages of care that patients got through. What is also interesting is that a study was published in 2011 stating that "SMT ( spinal manipulative therapy) is effective for the treatment of chronic non-specific LBP. To obtain long-term benefit, this study suggests maintenance spinal manipulation after the initial intensive manipulative therapy" It was published in Spine in 2011. The authors were Senna and Machaly.

When patients usually come to see us they are in a lot of pain. My first goal is to help them get out of pain as quickly as possible.

So the first phase of care is usually called the intensive phase. The goal here is to actually control your inflammation naturally. The time spent here really depends how quickly your body will control the swelling or inflammation and the muscle spasms. It usually also varies on how long the injury has been present.

The second phase is called the corrective phase. During this phase the patients usually have less pain. The goal of this phase is to improve the function, restore the vertebral motion, allow soft tissue reconstruction and to strengthen muscles and ligaments. Usually the visit frequency are reduced and also the adjustments are supported by exercises.

The third phase is called wellness or maintenance care. These visits are regular check- ups to make sure your spine is as healthy as it can be. It also allows the chiropractor to detect problems before they become more serious. Many of my patients find great benefits in getting regular chiropractic care. I like to compare this to going to the dentist to see if you have cavities or changing the oil in your car. I like to tease people that if I were to put them in cotton balls after the corrective phase and they would not move ever again then they would stay good. But that is not the case look how often you use your back when you work, play with your kids, work on your garden etc... I think you see what I mean. Now with this study coming out it actually gives us more information that people will feel better if they continues some treatments. The frequency is established between the chiropractor and the patient. It depends alot on your daily activities and how much you abuse your body!

So think about it. Do you think spinal health care could be included in your normal routine?Most of the time, it is just a question of making a point of booking the appointment.

I hope I have clarified a bit more the different stages and that you will consider maintenance care. Your spine and nervous system will be very thankful.

Valerie

World Federation Of Chiropractic 2011 Rio de janeiro

Hi everybody

So I am back and really excited to share with you some of my photos of my trip to the World Federation of Chiropractic Congress in Brazil. It was quite an adventure and a super experience. I met chiropractors from all around the world. It is so motivating to meet new people and exchange with them.

So we left Montreal on friday night and flew all night ouf!! It is far...So overall the trip was great except with the first 2 days where for some reason we had made it to Rio but our luggage had decided to stay in Miami!!! Yes no luggage for 48 hours so we ended visiting Leblon shopping centre on our first day!! Once we got basics,we finally made it to Ipanema beach. It was SO crowded we could hardly could find a path to the beach. Brazil is the classic beach culture !!! Soccer, volleyball and like my husband would say beautiful women!!! So for the first part of the trip we stayed in Ipanema which I would compare to Plateau montreal it is hip and full of people, a very happening spot. We had some great dinners! The language was a bit of a challenge. I tried to mix in a bit a spanish, french and english. We had some good laughs because a few times we were not quite certain what we had ordered or what was going to show up on our plate!!!

We visited the Hippie market on sunday and Santa Theresa a well known favela. It was very nice to see and allowed me to pick up a few gifts for the kids!

We also toured around Copacabana beach. A bit more touristic but a place worth seeing. The beaches are all beautiful and well kept up.

After our first few days we moved over to another area not too far to the hotel where was the congress. There were over 800 delegates from all over the world. I attended a 12 hour course in pediatrics which is always very interesting for me to apply with the kids that I see in my practice.

I met a very nice chiropractor from Brazil her name was Dr. Francielle Borilli. In Brazil chiropractic is starting. They have two schools but they are still fighting to get legislation passed with the government.

The congress started thursday morning with a brazilian show. So I went to some very interesting talks and updates on some of the research. I went to an extremity adjustment seminar. It was fun to learn other ways to adjust different regions of the body. There were alot of representative from my school CMCC. I had the chance to meet a few classmates and also profs that I had not seen in a long time. The congress finished with the gala and then it was time to go back home.

So in summary the experience was very positive and I always come back very refreshed and excited to get back in the clinic and start treating my patients again!!!

The next congress in 2013 will be in South Africa in Durben. Will see if we make it there or not! We have two years to think about it!!!

I hope you enjoy the photos posted on my facebook page

Valerie

Chiropractic and sports

Hi everyone

So I just found out that an important player for the Montreal Canadiens uses chiropractic as a part of his routine. Can you guess who? Well it is Michael Cammelleri. He was on french Tv describing how he uses chiropractic before the games and after to help him perform better. As mentioned before chiropractic helps to normalize your mechanics and remove any irritation that may affect your nervous system and muscular system. People do not know but many athletes use chiropractic as part of their regular care. Last year at the olympics, chiropractors were actually part of the medical team. What great milestone for our profession!!! So if it is good for people like Tiger Woods, Arnold Swarzenegger, Lance Armstrong, Emit Smith, Micheal Jordan, Joe Montana, Brett Butler Bruni Surin it should be good for you as well. You do not need to be an olympic level athlete to need care. We are all athletes at different levels. Just look at moms I would day they run a marathon everyday with a heavy basket to carry that for sure will have an impact on their spine. Think of that next time you are at the gym and you lift your weighs. How healthy is your spine?

So why wait start taking care of your spine and nervous system.

So think of chiropractic the next time Cammelleri scores a goal!!!!

La chiropratique et le sport: un duo gagnat!

Je tenais à partager avec vous cet article que l'Association des Chiropraticiens du Québec a publié. Saviez vous que des athlètes comme Tiger Woods, Arnold Swarzenegger, Lance Armstrong, Emit Smith, Micheal Jordan, Joe Montana, Brett Butler, et bien d’autres utilisent la chiropratique régulièrement. Maintenant nous avons même un joueur des Canadiens qui a partagé avec vous les bienfaits de la chiropratique pour améliorer ses performances! N'hésitez pas à consulter nous sommes tous des athlètes à différents niveaux donc pourquoi attendre!

Vous avez été nombreux à réagir à l’émission Nos Canadiens, diffusée sur les ondes de V, le 25 février dernier. On y observait le réputé hockeyeur du CH, Micheal Cammalleri, vanter les effets bénéfiques de traitements lui étant administrés par son chiropraticien. Réflexion sur une discipline qui prend de l’expansion à une vitesse olympienne : la chiropratique sportive.

Après chaque entraînement et avant chaque match, le célèbre numéro 13 du Canadien de Montréal se fait un devoir de préparer adéquatement son corps à l’effort. Pour cela, il profite de l’expertise du Dr Micheal Prebeg, chiropraticien ontarien, qui l’observe sous toutes ses coutures et qui s’assure que son organisme soit dans un état de performance optimal : «Je cherche tout ce qui ne réagit pas normalement afin de régénérer et d’améliorer la machine. (…) Comme une voiture Ferrari en Formule 1, Mike tire beaucoup d’avantages de ces mises au point fréquentes. Toutes les voitures de course vont au puits pour des ajustements.» Et un bon huilage, pour Cammalleri, passe nécessairement par un traitement chiropratique.

PRÉVENTION, TRAITEMENT, PERFORMANCE

Le Dr Prebeg fait partie des nombreux chiropraticiens qui deviennent des professionnels de la santé de premier contact dans le monde du sport d’élite. Leur travail est orienté vers l’amélioration et l’optimisation des capacités de l’athlète. Leur mandat est clair : prévention, traitement et accompagnement à la performance.

Lorsqu’une blessure sportive survient, le chiropraticien établit un diagnostic précis et détermine un plan de traitement. Suite aux analyses radiologiques et autres tests préalables requis, il utilise la manipulation articulaire (ajustement) dans le but de rétablir la fonction articulaire, diminuer les tensions musculaires et redonner la fonction optimale aux différentes structures et aux systèmes du corps de l’athlète.

Ce qu’on appelle «l’ajustement» est le type de soin le plus utilisé, en chiropratique. Il consiste en une application de force contrôlée et de faible amplitude sur une zone donnée du corps. Par le biais de différentes techniques, le chiropraticien administre également des soins de tissus mous aux muscles, aux tendons, aux ligaments et aux fascias. Grâce à des modalités de soutien (glace, chaleur, électrothérapie, thérapie manuelle complémentaire) à des exercices de réhabilitation et à différents conseils, il accompagne l’athlète dans ses exploits sportifs et dans la réussite de sa carrière. Lorsque nécessaire, il peut aussi référer et ainsi faire bénéficier l’athlète de soins multidisciplinaires.

UNE DISCIPLINE QUI A SA PLACE

À titre bénévole au tournoi de hockey de votre enfant, en passant par les Jeux de Québec, les ligues professionnelles et les Jeux olympiques, les docteurs en chiropratique sont très impliqués auprès des sportifs. Le sport de haut niveau intègre d’ailleurs fréquemment des chiropraticiens à l’intérieur d’équipes de soutien multidisciplinaires.

À l’heure actuelle, pas moins de 80% des équipes professionnelles ont recours à des soins chiropratiques. En 2008, vingt-quatre équipes sur trente possédaient leur chiropraticien désigné dans la Ligue nationale de hockey. Dans le monde du baseball professionnel, la proportion grimpait à vingt-huit équipes sur trente la même année, et à trente et une équipes sur trente-deux dans la Ligue nationale de football.

Au niveau olympique, la croissance de cette tendance a été fulgurante, ces dernières décennies. En 1980, un seul chiropraticien figurait sur l’équipe médicale officielle d’un seul pays. En 2008, à Pékin, on comptait huit chiropraticiens actifs à l’intérieur des différentes équipes sportives pour le Canada uniquement. Leur présence fut également très marquée lors des derniers Jeux d’hiver à Vancouver.

LES ATHLÈTES EN HERBE

La chiropratique sportive aide aussi les sportifs amateurs, pour qui l’activité physique joue un rôle primordial dans le quotidien, et qui ne sont pas non plus à l’abri des blessures neuro-musculo-squelettiques. N’hésitez pas, vous non plus, à demander conseil à votre docteur en chiropratique. Il n’est pas nécessaire d’être une machine pour se donner le droit à un arrêt au puits de ravitaillement.

Sources:

Association des chiropraticiens du Québec : www.chiropratique.com

Conseil chiropratique des sciences du sport du Québec : www.ccssq.ca

Conseil du sport de haut niveau de Québec : La chiropratique au service de l’athlète,www.cshnq.org.

Canal V, Nos Canadiens, émission du 25 février 2011

Massage and Chiropractic !!!!

Hi everyone

I wanted to talk about a topic that comes up alot in the clinic. Massage and chiropractic how do they work together? Can you do one and the other? I usually start by explaining to patients how I see health. I like to compare their health to a pie where each pieces of the pie need to be looked at. That can be described as wellness care. This does incorporate good nutrition, exercise, good sleeping habits.

If you remember chiropractic works on the motion or mechanics of your spine and your nervous system. There are two things that influence that motion or mechanics, the vertebras and the muscles. Remember that most back muscles have an insertion point on the vertebra. So if the muscles get tight they will restrict the motion in your vertebra and vice versa. If your vertebra are not moving well your brain will tell the muscles to become tight to make sure you don't use them as much. It is therefore key to take care of these aspects equally as they influence each other. So from experience I have noticed that patients that go for a massage before their adjustments are much more relax and their adjustment is much easier.

So YES massage is a great compliment to chiropractic !!! It should not replace it however because the massage can not restore the motion in the vertebra only the adjustment can do that.Here are some other benefits of massage:

• Massage improves the circulation of oxygen-carrying blood to the extremities and helps eliminate wastes from the body
  
  
• Massage relaxes you, relieves stress and anxiety, and supports feelings of general well-being
  
  
• Massage works with your chiropractic care to retrain muscles that support your spine
  
  
• Massage helps in managing the pain associated with certain physical conditions, such as arthritis and sciatica

The clinic is lucky to have to great massage therapists available for you during the week so feel free to call and book an appointment with either Gosia Buk or Joanne Harrison. Both are very experienced in working with chiropractors and will be very happy to help you!!

So start taking care of yourself!!

Valerie

LA SÉCURITÉ DES ENFANTS EN VOITURE

Bonjour

Je trouvais important de partager avec vous cette capsule santé publiée par l'Association des Chiropraticiens du Québec. Je vois beaucoup de sièges d'auto dans ma clinique qui ne sont pas toujours appropriés pour l'âge du bébé. Les accidents sont vites arrivés! Assurez-vous que votre siège d'auto est bien installé!

Donc bonne lecture et n'hésitez pas si vous avez des questions!

Valérie

La sécurité des enfants en voiture

Les statistiques le démontrent : pas moins de 1250 enfants âgés de moins de neuf ans sont impliqués dans des accidents de la route, à chaque année[1]. On estime que les deux tiers des enfants ne sont pas installés de façon sécuritaire dans un véhicule.

Bon nombre de chiropraticiens rencontrent régulièrement des enfants qui souffrent de douleurs neuro-musculo-squelettiques reliées à cette réalité. Voici quelques conseils qui pourraient leur éviter le pire.

La sécurité avant tout

Le choc de l’impact causé par un accident de voiture est souvent la source de nombreux problèmes neuro-musculo-squelettiques. Parmi ceux-ci, les docteurs en chiropratique observent le plus fréquemment des blessures crâniennes, des lacérations faciales ainsi que des fractures. Suite à l’impact, le mouvement du corps peut se restreindre et les vertèbres se retrouvent désalignées. Il s’agit d’un complexe de subluxation vertébrale (CSV).

Même dans le cas d’un accident mineur, votre enfant peut souffrir d’un CSV. Les symptômes ne sont pas toujours immédiats, et il n’est pas nécessaire qu’il ait mal pour qu’un désalignement de vertèbres survienne. La douleur peut prendre des semaines, des mois, voire des années avant de se manifester véritablement. Si le problème n’est pas rapidement corrigé par un chiropraticien, votre enfant pourrait en subir les contrecoups pendant toute sa vie.

Le mouvement d’hyperextension et d’hyperflexion du cou entraîné par le choc de l’accident provoque souvent un « coup de lapin » ou un « whiplash » chez ses victimes. Cette condition a pour conséquence de blesser les ligaments et les muscles, ce qui entraîne des douleurs vives dans la nuque et des maux de tête.

Choisir le bon siège

Si votre enfant mesure moins de 63 centimètres en position assise, la loi vous oblige à l’installer dans un siège adapté à son poids et à sa taille. Mesurez sa taille depuis les fesses jusqu’à la tête. Faites-vous un devoir de consulter le manuel du fabricant avant d’installer le siège. Chaque siège a ses particularités qu’il vous faut respecter à la lettre.

Le siège de nouveau-né

Il est normalement destiné aux enfants de moins de 20 livres, et toujours installé à l’arrière. De cette façon, vous l’éloignez des parois latérales. Orientez-le face vers l’arrière : en cas de collision, son cou et sa cage thoracique absorberont mieux l’impact. Assurez-vous également que la tête du bébé ne dépasse pas le haut du dossier. Il sera ainsi protégé contre des blessures supplémentaires au cou et à la tête, si un arrêt brusque survient.

Le siège d’appoint

Beaucoup de parents omettent d’utiliser un siège d’appoint, quand cela est pourtant essentiel. Si votre enfant est devenu trop grand pour s’asseoir dans un siège d’enfant, vous devrez l’utiliser. Il convient aux enfants qui pèsent 40 livres et plus, et permet d’ajuster la ceinture à la hauteur de la clavicule et de la hanche. Assurez-vous également que la ceinture ne soit jamais glissée derrière son dos.

Jusqu’à quel âge?

Ce n’est pas l’âge de l’enfant qui déterminera le moment où le siège d’appoint n’est plus requis, mais plutôt son poids et sa grandeur. Référez-vous aux indications du fabricant pour le savoir, et assurez-vous que votre tout-petit ne dépasse pas la limite recommandée.

Faire preuve de vigilance

1. Coussins gonflables

Gardez en tête que, lorsqu’il se déploie, le coussin gonflable explose littéralement. Et si sa présence diminue les blessures chez les enfants attachés de 9 à 12 ans, on ne peut en dire autant chez les plus jeunes. L’impact du déploiement du coussin gonflable peut entraîner de sévères dommages à la tête et à la colonne cervicale.

2. Banquette avant

Le plus simple et le plus prudent est de faire de la banquette avant une zone interdite pour votre enfant, en tout temps. Assis sur le siège avant d’un véhicule, les enfants de moins de 63 centimètres risquent des blessures sévères ou même le décès en cas de collision. Surtout s’il y a présence d’un coussin gonflable sur le côté passager de la voiture. Nul besoin de devoir traverser le pays d’est en ouest pour user de vigilance dans vos déplacements. Le plus souvent, les accidents surviennent à moins de 10 kilomètres de la maison. Voyez-y de près, et informez-vous auprès de votre spécialiste de la chiropratique!

Sources :

Association des chiropraticiens du Québec

Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec

[1] Statistique obtenue par la Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec

Car safety for kids!

Hi everybody

I had a patient who came to the clinic today with her 9 month old baby. She came because she injured herself trying to put the baby car seat in her car. These baby car seat are very difficult on mom's backs. The reason is quite simple because even without a baby they are heavy and then when you add a baby they are heavier. Some parents are not all aware as to when they need to change car seats. So this is what happened today. The little guy was 9 months old and his feet were almost past the car seat. When I asked how what was the babies weight she could not answer ? She did not know if her car seat was good until 20lbs or more. This is little guy must have been very close to the limit! So do you know when to change the car seat? It is very important to read the instructions of the car seat you purchase! Some of the baby car seats usually have a maximum weight of 20lbs so check the weight of your child. Also kids should be rear facing as long as possible. I always refer to the web site of the SAAQ for information. Look for some clinics that are offered by your local police to make sure your car seats are well installed in your car.

I am copying some text from the web site from the SAAQ that I thought might make you realize that accidents can happen anywhere and have huge consequences if your child is not restrained properly!

"According to an SAAQ 2007 survey, 2 out of 3 children are not safe when riding in a vehicle. Approximately 83% of children are in a seat that is suited to their height and weight, but seats are used correctly, that is, the child car seat is properly anchored on the seat of the vehicle and the child is properly restrained in the seat, in only 41% of cases.

Even today, 1.4% of children are not restrained in either a child car seat or with a seat belt. Children are sometimes even seated on a parent's lap or stand on the back seat.

At 50 km/h, the weight of objects in movement is multiplied by 35. In an impact, a 9 kg child can become a 315 kg projectile that can collide with the dashboard or be ejected from the vehicle."

So on that note make sure your kids are well restrained next time you simply go to the depanneur and don't forget that they grow up and that you need to change and update your car seats !

Drive safely !!!

valerie

Great parenting workshop!

Hi everybody

Do you ever trouble parenting your kids. Do you feel like you just get frustrated because nobody seems to listen to each other and understand what is happening. Well last winter I attended this great workshop given by a friend of mine based on the book "talk so your kids will listen" . It was so helpful!! It allowed me to get some tools that are not only reward base or bribery base to make my kids listen to me! So I will give the information if you feel like attending a workshop I am sharing the information.

If you decide to attend I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I am sure you will not regret it!

Valerie

To all Montreal Families - a chance to add some skills to your parenting toolbox!
Workshop: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen (and Listen So Kids Will Talk!)
Start Date: Wednesday, Feb 9th for 6 weeks
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Contact: Tanja Knutson - 514-245-4464
Covers: Learning empathy, encouraging cooperation, nurturing confidence, alternatives to punishment, cultivating virtues.

Nursing in public!

Hi everybody

I hope you are getting back in your routine following the holidays! We sure are!! School is busy and the ski season is in full swing. So I do not know if you heard on the news about this controversy last week. There was a situation where a mom was nursing her baby in a baby clothing store in Montreal and she was told that she could not nurse her baby there. Amazing that in 2011 people are still told not to feed there baby in a public place or are sent to the bathroom. Would you eat in a bathroom?? Anyway the mother got angry and blogged about it and it got picked up by the news. The store finally sent her an official apology letter and the mother accepted the apology. Some nursing moms have also decided to organize a Nurse-In on January 19th at 1pm. So if you are a nursing mother feel free to join them on this day!

Here is the official invitation:

Attend the Nurse-In at 1pm January 19th, 2011 to support mothers and children's rights. Share this info with everyone you know. Remember that not breastfeeding increases health care costs and therefore our taxes.

Orchestra – Montréal Complexe Les Ailes
677, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montreal, QC

So here is my question to all of you. Did you nurse in public? Did anything ever happened to you that you felt like you had to go somewhere else to nurse your baby?

I can tell you that I was never embarrassed to nurse my babies. I have nursed them on airplane, in shopping malls, at the park, at the beach etc... If my babies needed to be comforted or fed I never had a moment of hesitation. I can assure you that I was discreet and not exposing everything to everybody but I was never stopped. It is such a primal thing when your baby is crying you need to respond now. Don't forget I had twins!!! so if someone was making heads turn while nursing it was me!

I think in 2011 people should not be embarrassed to nurse in public and should be supported. We have come along way where moms had to go to another room to feed their baby and be excluded from everything. Let 's make sure we do not go back in time!!!

So let me know what you think !

Have a great week end

Valerie

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year !

So it has been a while since I wrote but the holidays preparation got me really busy. The good news is now we are in a new year full of great ideas and plans. I am just finishing my first week back from the holidays. The clinic is cleaned up, the papers are filed and patients are slowly making there way back!

A new year allows us to meditate and think about what we want to achieve in this new year. It is always classic people make resolutions that they can't hold more then a few weeks. Have you noticed that the gyms are always full of people the first few weeks after the holidays! So I encourage you to think about your resolutions and make some that you can hold.

Have you ever thought about making a resolution regarding your spinal health. Why don't you give it a year and take care of your spine regularly and see how much better you will feel! On top of spinal health let's try the classics eat better, make sure you sleep well and exercise! 2011 will be the year where you take care of yourself. Set aside 15 min per day to meditate or take a break from the chaos!

So these resolutions are also mine this year. The spinal health I am already well organized in that matter but I promise myself this year to take care of me first! Wow that is hard for a mother but I will try. I will exercise regularly, meditate every day and take breaks. No major projects just living everyday well and be happy! Happy with myself and my family.

So what other resolutions do you have for 2011 ? Feel free to share them with me.

Make 2011 be a good year to everyone

Valerie