Catalyst Chiropractic News

Back Pain and Your Feet …. Can They Be Related?

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 05:15:26 GMT

Did you know the average person walks 177,000 kilometres in a lifetime? That is the same as 5 trips around the Earth!!!! So, it’s therefore pretty important to have our feet working properly right?!!

The human body is designed to have our pelvis, ribcage and head sitting in perfect alignment. Our feet are our entire body’s foundation, allowing for support, balance and movement.

Unfortunately, in today’s modern world, 99% of all people have feet that are pronated, or roll inwards. This is turn creates stress and imbalance to other parts of the body, and can lead to problems with our knees, hips, pelvis, lower back and even our neck.

ARE PRONATED FEET A PROBLEM?

When your feet are pronated, the soft tissues of the foot will stretch over time, causing fallen arches. This can sometimes lead to pain and discomfort in the sole of the foot, and inflammation known as plantar fasciitis. Furthermore, pronation means that your feet cannot perform optimally. This can result in pain, underperformance and injury.

In short, if your feet are not functioning properly, the alignment of your entire body will be distorted. Posture and spinal mobility will be affected and can lead to chronic lower back and neck pain.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

A simple physical assessment including a foot scan can detect problems with your feet that may be contributing to pain and dysfunction in other parts of your body. If you suspect you may have issues with your feet, or if you are interested in having your feet assessed, please contact us to book in for a foot scan assessment.

The best breakfast bread!

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 03:18:00 GMT

Thanks to Luke Hines. You will love this easy gluten and grain free paleo breakfast bread recipe from Luke Hines. I regularly create this and find it's a great, healthy option for people that love bread but who want to minimize carbs and/or if you are gluten intolerant. It tastes amazing with some smashed avocado and goats cheese.INGREDIENTS6 free-range eggs300g zucchini, grated (2-3 zucchinis)1 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour (130g)2 cups hazelnut or almond flour (200g)1/2 cup [...]

The dynamic growth experience

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 03:16:00 GMT

The Catalyst team working on growth Recently, our team attended the Australian Spinal research foundation 'dynamic growth experience' for a weekend of personal and professional growth in the development of science, art and philosophy of chiropractic.Their aim is to capture the DG energy and passion that we all know and love, with many amazing opportunities for learning, growing and connecting.Dynamic Growth is primarily a grass-roots movement, recognising the depth of knowledge leadershi [...]

You Are So Much Stronger Than You Have Been Led To Believe

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 04:37:00 GMT

In these uncertain times, it is critical to find the balance between adhering to the guidelines that have been advised by the government health authorities, whilst also remembering some undeniable TRUTHS about how your body works, and how this pertains to your health. Yes, it is common sense to maintain proper hygiene by washing your hands with warm soap and water or by using antibacterial sanitizer.

Yes, it is important to cough/sneeze into a tissue and discard, or failing that, into your elbow, then washing your hands etc.
Yes, it is recommended that you maintain social distancing of one and a half metres where at all possible...
Yes, if you are displaying any symptoms of fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and/or trouble breathing, AND you have been overseas recently, OR you have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus (or suspected of having it), then it is important that you inform your GP or get yourself to a hospital for testing, and self-quarantine until such time that you have been directed what to do by the medical experts.

But in addition to this, it is IMPERATIVE that you remember and instill into those around you that YOU ARE SO MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE.

If you have been following the news, reading the newspapers, listening to the commentary on radio, watching social media (God Forbid!!), then it would be easy for you to become immersed into the fear and panic that is driving the mass hysteria we are seeing globally.

However, what most of these 'news' sources fail to mention is that your body is built with all the parts it needs to navigate through the vast majority of challenges you will encounter during your life.
If it were just the case that germs make you sick, then the human species, in fact all life, probably would have been killed off a long time ago.

It may be true that 'germs' -viruses, bacteria and other pathogens- play a part in sickness and disease, but mostly, rather than being the cause of you getting sick, the reality is they are more opportunistic vectors in susceptible hosts.

What this means is that when your body is functioning correctly, and you are living a lifestyle supportive of
maintaining optimal health (through nutrition, hydration, adequate rest, reducing stress levels and getting enough fresh air and sunlight), your body is more than capable of staying well (or heal if you get sick).

Your job is to "live the lifestyle", as outlined above.

As your Chiropractor, our job is to keep the neurological connection between your brain and body as clear as
possible so that your body can function properly. This enables you to manage the challenges that you will inevitably face in your life and be as strong and healthy as you can be.

It is precisely for this reason that we advise you to maintain regular chiropractic adjustments ... AND this is critical for every member of your family- spouse, children, parents - everyone.

Chiropractic is not about curing anything-back pain, headaches, stomach ulcers, bedwetting, cancer, high blood pressure, coronavirus - it is about keeping your body working the best it can, as often as possible, so that you can respond to challenges, threats and stresses in the most efficient way possible, thus giving you the best chance of living your optimal life.

Healthy or Just Not Sick?

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Do you want to be healthy or just not sick? This is one of the first questions I ask my patients when they are considering starting Chiropractic care.

It is very important to establish someone’s health objectives and intended outcomes from the outset. For some patients, all they want is to ‘feel better’, in other words, to be ‘less sick’, whilst for others, they want to achieve greater levels of well-being, beyond the resolution of their aches and pains.

For some of you reading this, you might be thinking, ‘what is the difference between being healthy and just being ‘not sick’?

The answer to that is illustrated by asking the following questions and understanding the analogy raised:
Do you want to be happy or just not sad?
Would you like to be attractive or just not ugly?
Would you rather be rich or just not poor?

You see, in order to understand the difference between being healthy and being ‘not sick’, it is important to realise that there is a whole spectrum of degrees of health and sickness that inhabit the scale between 100% life (true wellness) and 0% health (death).

And your lifestyle choices move you along this continuum, either towards health and away from sickness, or towards sickness and away from health.

Living in the Western world, we have forgotten, or worse, ignore the rules on how to live congruently with nature, and how our genes have developed. The majority of us don’t eat healthy food anymore.

In fact, a lot of the stuff we eat these days isn’t really food at all! Our diets nowadays are composed largely of industrial products – things that are produced in a factory, made with a dizzying array of chemicals, sweeteners and additives, that come packaged in plastic, cardboard, foil or cans.

A healthy diet in an ideal world should be composed of foods you see growing from the earth, running on the land, or swimming in the sea.

Very few people exercise anywhere near the amount necessary to provide the body with what it requires to function optimally, and to sustain it in an environment which provides challenges and demands at every turn.

For example, it has been said that compared to our hunter-gatherer predecessors, our total energy expenditure ‘barely equals’ the resting metabolic rate of these people who had no choice but to roam on foot for up to 10 or 15 miles a day. [Cordain et al, 1998 Int. J. Sports Med. (19) 328-335]

So what has all this got to do with Chiropractic?
Isn’t a Chiropractor just a ‘back doctor’?
It has everything to do with Chiropractic, because being a Chiropractor I am interested in these aspects of your lifestyle - and more.

My purpose is primarily to facilitate you achieving greater levels of health and well-being, and not just helping you feel better from your aches and pains. The path towards expressing higher degrees of health and function is a process, and as such requires time and effort.

The lifestyle decisions you make today will be reflected in your health tomorrow.

Choose wisely!

How to Manage Stress

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:00:00 GMT

The school year can be daunting for some children and even for parents as well. The simplest things such as not having your best friend from last year in your class, to juggling all the different after school sports can lead to an individual becoming stressed without even realising.

Studies have show that there is a significant relationship between the amount of daily stress you experience and your general well being. Those experiencing higher levels of stress are more prone to health problems such as flu, sore throat, headaches, and backaches (1). Therefore it is important to manage stress levels to ensure that you and your child are getting the best out of yourselves!

The prevention of stress may be achieved by including the following lifestyle considerations:

1. Meditation:
Anyone can meditate and it only has to be for 5 minutes. Apps can be downloaded to help you such as: Smiling Mind and Insight Timer. These can help clear the mind and allow you to start fresh which can be very helpful if homework is becoming too difficult to concentrate on.

2. Indulge in physical activity:
If you're noticing you're feeling overwhelmed, take a brisk walk around the block to clear your mind. Encourage your children to reach the recommended 1 hour a day of moderate to high intensity of physical activity a day.

3. Manage your time:
Try planning out your day the night before and ensure you leave some time free to do some physical activity and meditation. This can help the new day not feel as daunting as it might be if not planned out well. This also allows the family to work together to achieve daily goals as everyone is aware of the tasks being completed by everyone.

4. Talk to someone:
Talk to them about your day, what you're stressed about and even everything else that is bothering you. This will help either distract you or even offload the stress that you are carrying around with you. Who you choose to talk to might even be able to provide you with advice on how to handle stressful situations. (2)

5. Get a chiropractic adjustment:
Research shows that a chiropractic adjustment can help with the relaxation of our sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for our stress. This highlights the importance of receiving your monthly check up with your chiropractor to help manage your stress levels and even your general wellbeing.
So over the next few weeks, why not try some of these techniques and find what suits your family the best.

Resources:
1. DeLongis, A., Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. The impact of daily stress on health and mood: Psychological and social resources as mediators. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(3), 486-495.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.3.486
2. Ogura, Takesh i , DC, PhD; Tashiro, Manabu, MD, PhD; Masud, Mehedi, MD, PhD; Watanuki, Shoichi; Shibuya, Katsuhiko, MS; et al. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine; Aliso Viejo Vol. 17, Iss. 6,

The technological age, digital devices and the effects on our health...

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Technology plays a vital role in our everyday lives.

We are now in an age where working on digital devices is part of earning our income, learning at school or studying at uni, even reading the news has gone digital. And don’t forget our addictions to social media. I am definitely guilty of over-scrolling in the search for a life changing article or a funny cat video! It’s the era we are in. But what are the impacts?

The laptop and iPad you’re on now or the phone you can’t put down, the Bluetooth signal that powers your headphones, even heaters and radio’s and the microwave in which you reheat your food can disrupt your body’s own energetic frequency. And the Wi-Fi that connects us to our devices emits a high rate of radio frequency that invisibly roams around us doing its job but creating electro magnetic fields that can disrupt our body’s own energy field and affect neurotransmitters in our brains.

EMF’s (electro magnetic frequencies) can block receptor sites for hormone activity creating a cascade of health implications if you are more susceptible. Stress, illness, poor diet and reduced immunity can play their part in susceptibility.

Sleep is one of the greatest impacts of the digital age. The blue light emitted from tablets and smartphones prevents our bodies from producing sufficient levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone, which enables us to fall asleep quickly and easily. This can cause sleep delays which can accumulate into a sleep deficit. We also know that sleeping with our phone in close proximity also compromises the quality of the sleep we have each night.

If we receive alerts and notifications on our device, it interrupts our sleep cycles. Instead of completing the five stages of sleep we cycle through 4-6 times each night, if we’re receiving notifications on our device it means we don’t complete a sleep cycle and the latter two stages of sleep are when memory consolidation occurs. Even if our phones are switched off but in eyesight, just glancing at our phone can trigger us to start thinking about emails and work issues, which can hyper-arouse the brain making it difficult to fall asleep again. The effects of sleep deprivation then become a problem.

Implementing a bedtime routine for your devices (ideally 90 minutes, but even 30-60 minutes before you fall asleep) will have a profound impact on the quality and quantity of sleep each night. Going screen-free will allow your body to produce the melatonin it needs to fall asleep and will help your brain to calm down before you try and enter the sleep state. Also, keep phones and all devices out of bedrooms. Buy an alarm clock if you use your phone as an alarm, preferably a battery operated version to reduce EMF’s.

Buying blue-light blocking glasses to use while watching tv at night and using a blue light filtering app on your phone or computer can reduce the impact of technology. Use noise cancelling headphones rather than ear plug types to reduce the need to listen at high volume.

Another impact my chiropractic colleagues would agree with is the ergonomics of using our devices, heads bent down stretching the neck into an awkward position, shallow breathing, thumbs being strained, eyesight affected…the list goes on. Adopt more ergonomic positioning for looking at hand held devices and computers, our chiropractors will be able to advise on this.

I recommend getting up every 20 minutes and walking away from the device and getting outside if possible, breathing deeply and observing the surroundings. Take a 2 minute break to recharge and escape the radio waves. Children will need some convincing to do this but it’s up to us to encourage them, maybe a healthy snack break and some family fun time outside, I vote to bring back the board game! Not the bored game!

You can also use a flower essence spray or drops to rebalance the energy and lessen the impact of technology, and bringing out your ‘inner hippy’ by burning sage ‘smudge sticks’ has had recent scientific backing at being able to cleanse and recharge our home and work environment.

If you feel you or your child are losing energy to technology give the above tips a try or come in and see me for a dietary overhaul to give your body the best chance at surviving in the high stress, fast paced wi-fi world we live in. ��

Is sciatic pain holding you back?

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:00:00 GMT

SCIATIC PAIN CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE, STOPPING YOU FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING IN SPORT, WORK AND FAMILY LIFE. CHIROPRACTIC CARE IS AN EXCELLENT NON-INVASIVE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO GETTING YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK.

WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is a burning or electrical shock type of painful sensation that begins in the buttock region and runs down the back of the thigh and sometimes can extend right down into the foot.

WHAT CAUSES IT?
Sciatica is caused by irritation to the Sciatic nerve. The Sciatic nerve is a collection of nerves that come together from various levels of the low back (or lumber spine) and form a larger nerve unit as they travel down the back of the lower limb. Anything that puts pressure on the nerve, or that effects the nutrition or excitability of the nerve, can cause or aggravate the symptoms of sciatica. Examples of this may include: muscle spasms close to the nerve route, spinal dysfunction (subluxations) or arthritis at the level where the nerve roots exit the spine or unusual enlargement or growths in or near these nerves as they travel through the body or some types of neurological disease.

WHAT ELSE COULD BE CAUSING MY SYMPTOMS?
Sometimes some people experience sciatic type symptoms in the presence of a healthy sciatic nerve. In this case there may be other problems going on in this region of the body that are causing similar pains down the buttock and back of the leg without actually irritating the sciatic nerve. Examples of this may include pelvic dysfunction and trigger points (bad localized spasms) in certain muscles.

HOW DOES IT EFFECT PEOPLE’S LIVES?
Sciatic pain can be both scary and debilitating. Some people may experience their pain in an ongoing unrelenting way. Whereas others may never know when they are about to experience a pain that may be strong enough to make their legs give way under them. Physical activities, certain postures and even for some women pregnancy or the onset of a menstrual cycle can stir up symptoms. This can result in many people making gradually more and more lifestyle changes to protect themselves from these challenging symptoms, not knowing that often they are leaving their condition to progress, their core strength to weaken and their spinal health to degenerate.

HOW CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP?
Chiropractors are highly trained in the diagnosis and management of Sciatica. During your initial consultation, the health and function of your spine (and in this case the Sciatic nerve) is assessed to determine the cause and prognosis of your condition. We then work with you to devise a care plan to help you return to full health and ability; or to help manage and minimize the impact of any degenerative changes that may have begun to take place. During this time we will focus a lot on maximizing your spinal health and function, as well as addressing muscular imbalances and aggravating factors or deficiencies in your life. The health of your nervous system flourishes under chiropractic care and it is important to care for the nerves to the legs and feet on their long journey from the brain, down the spine and out into the lower limbs.

Cranials, The Forgotten Joints

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:00:00 GMT

For many years, many health professionals and patients alike, have thought that the bones of the skull were fused together and were immovable.

Chiropractors however, have long known that not only are these bones capable of movement, but that jarring of their alignment and movement (called a cranial lesion or subluxation), can sometimes have a profound effect on how you feel and function.

The junctions between the skull and facial bones are not the same as the typical joints found elsewhere in the body. Where a typical joint is usually comprised of bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, fluid (called synovial fluid) and the tissue that makes the fluid (called synovium); the junctions in the skull (known as cranial sutures) are composed of the edges of the skull bones (usually a type called membranous bone), cartilage, nerves, blood vessels and the edges of the Dura Mater (which is the tough skin-like substance surrounding our brain and spinal cord). Because there is a big difference in the anatomy and structure of a cranial suture compared to other joints of the body, the function and movement that we can expect from this part of our musculoskeletal system will be inherently different.

Dr John Upledger (Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University), leading a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers were given the undertaking of testing the existence and influence of the craniosacral system. They studied fresh cadavers, using electron microscopes, radiowaves and cinematographic X-rays to prove that the cranial bones moved in conjuction with the spine as pressures in the body changed with inhalation and exhalation, as well as within the skull as different parts of the brain was active, and fluids were transported around.

It is therefore important to know that even though movement and malpositioning of the bones of the skull may be minute, the tissue that they house, is very sensitive. With the brain sitting inside the skull and many nerves exiting through tiny holes in the bones and gaps between bones, as well as the large veins that drain the brain sitting underneath the major sutures of the skull, the health and function of these tissues as well as the face and sinuses can be dramatically effected by problems that may arise in the biomechanics of the area.

Chiropractors will often review the function of the cranial and facial bones when a person presents with the following complaints:

Headaches
Migraines
Sinus problems
Visual disturbances
Sleeping complaints
Jaw complaints
Emotional regulation
Swallowing complaints
Breastfeeding and colic issues in babies
Post head injury
When other techniques for other parts of the body seem to not be working
Ear complaints
Tooth pain in the apparent absence of any oral pathology
Pain after the application of dental appliances such as mouth guards, braces and plates
A baby that has a flat surface to their skull because of continually sleeping in the one position

C hiropractic cranial care is extremely gentle and low force. In fact, the amount of pressure that you can comfortable tolerate putting on your eyeball, is the ideal pressure to be used when applying this technique. The use of this technique is suitable and may be helpful for all potential chiropractic patients including young babies and elderly people. If you have further questions about how chiropractic cranial technique might help you or your loved ones, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

How to survive Spring time with seasonal allergies

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:00:00 GMT

Spring is finally here!After a long, cold and dark winter, many of us Ballarat folk are welcoming the warmer weather.Yet unfortunately for some people, spring time also brings about the dreaded seasonal allergies…. WHAT ARE ALLERGIES? An allergy occurs when your immune system over reacts to substances in the environment that are usually harmless to most people. Your body r [...]