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Growing Old: Tips for Managing the Burdens & Blessings of the Sandwich Generation

Three years ago, I turned 50. It is just a number. I don’t “feel” 50, yet my mind has a difficult time grasping that concept. It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from Chiropractic school (26 years ago), got married and now our children are young adults in high school and University. Soon they will be leaving home and going off to fulfill their dreams with lots of energy. Through all this, I think the most difficult part is watching my parents grow old.

Our parents’ generation worked hard, really hard. We grew up on a farm in the prairies. My Dad quit school in grade 8 to farm and my Mom was a country school teacher; she taught all 12 grades at once in the middle of nowhere. Who they are now is very different from when I was growing up. Time has taken its toll on their mind and body.  Work on the farm was 7 days a week which accounts for healthy internal organs, but it’s the osteoarthritis that becomes the debilitating factor creating relentless pain. For some reason, as with many other elderly people, dementia has entered their lives. At times, I don’t think it is as much of a problem for them as it is for me seeing them struggle with it. In truth, I wonder if it is God’s way of allowing the elderly to forget their aches and pains – the physical pain and the mental pain of seeing their friends and family members pass away.

Tips for Managing the Burdens & Blessings of the Sandwich Generation

So here I am now a part of the “Sandwich” generation looking after my kids and my parents. It is not easy, yet I can’t see it being any other way. It’s a calling I can’t ignore. Maybe because I am the eldest son or just simply that is how I am wired.

In doing this for the past 9 years, or longer as it is all blending together, I have realized that there are some fundamental things that help get through this.

Hobbies

People that have hobbies tend to get through the day better than those that don’t. My parents, in their 80’s, don’t have hobbies. Their whole life revolved around the farm. Their passion was the farm; they created their own world. Hobbies allow the mind to escape and balance stress. I have always said “in life have a hobby, if you don’t have a hobby then find one”.  For the people looking after their parents, make sure you are allowing yourself time to do your own hobby as it helps clear your mind to be a better person in making decisions and dealing with your parents on a daily basis.

Take a Break

It’s okay to take a break, holiday or time away from dealing with your aging parents GUILT FREE. Easier said than done. I struggle with it each and every single time, after I come back, I realize how much I needed to do that to preserve myself.

Talk to Others

Speak with others and ask for help. It is amazing how much I have learned when chatting with other people in the same situation. Little bits of information can make things much easier or open up possibilities that you would not have seen yourself.

Speak Up

Speak up and push back. When dealing with 3rd party people, whether government funded like CCAC or private Personal Support Worker (PSW) companies, make the situation work for you and most importantly for your parents. The focus is for the betterment of the elderly, not the CCAC coordinator, not the PSW, not the scheduler of the PSW company. If it is not working, find a different PSW and company if required. Be an advocate at the hospital and doctor’s office.

Take Care of Yourself

Look after yourself. You can’t be a spouse, parent and care giver without being healthy yourself.

Get Support

There is a new caregiver helpline through the Ontario Caregiver Organization 1-833-416-2273 to talk to someone for advice and support or visit their website at ontariocaregiver.ca

If you have questions about your overall health and wellness, you can call our clinic and speak to us or contact us.

– Dr. Darren Poncelet

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Back to School Backpack Safety

It’s that time of year again, kids are back to school, and that means it’s time to discuss backpack safety! They will be loading up with books, cell phones, iPods and whatever else kids find the need to carry in those bags that often appear that if you added one more item the kid carrying it would fall right over.

Backpack Safety: Pack it Light and Wear it Tight

According to the Ontario Chiropractic association, chiropractors are suggesting that students “pack it light and wear it right”. According to the OCA, backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can be dangerous to a child’s back, neck and shoulders. By the end of the teen years, more than 50% of youth experience at least one low back pain episode. This may be due in part to improper backpack use…

The following few suggestions should help you choose the right backpack for you or your children. And remember… if you see your child lying on their back like a turned-over tortoise, chances are that the pack is just too heavy! And kids, do not forget, using your backpack as a weapon (like hurling it at your little brother) can be hazardous to one’s health.

Step One: Choose Right

Choosing the right size backpack is the first step to safe backpack use!

Tip: Bring a family member or friend to help you measure your backpack properly. Choose a pack that has thick, wide straps – straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders interfering with circulation and nerves.

Step Two: Pack Right

The maximum weight of the loaded backpack should not exceed 15% of your body weight, so only pack what you need. Also, pack neatly so items are less likely to slide around and create discomfort.

Tip: If the backpack forces the wearer to move forward to carry, it’s overloaded. Choose a backpack with multiple compartments to evenly distribute weight.

Step Three: Lift Right

Face the pack, bend at the knees, use both hands and check the weight of the pack. Lift with the legs. Apply one shoulder strap and then the other.

Tip: Don’t sling the backpack onto one shoulder.

Step Four: Wear Right

Use both shoulder straps – snug, but not too tight.

Tip: When the backpack has a waist strap – use it. The waist strap helps distribute the weight evenly. Slinging the pack over one shoulder can strain muscles.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. My back and neck hurt after wearing my backpack. What should I do?

You should let your parents know about the pain you feel. Pain is a signal from your body telling you something is wrong. You should consult your family chiropractor or other health care practitioner immediately.

2. I have too many books to carry. What should I do?

Lighten your load by removing any unnecessary items. Carry a heavy book or two under your arm.

3. Do I have to wear both shoulder straps and the waist strap?

Yes, because the shoulder straps help you distribute the weight evenly between your shoulders and the waist strap helps to stabilize the load, preventing possible injury during movement.

If you have questions about your child’s backpack safety and/or back pain, you can call our clinic and speak to me.

–Dr. Darren Poncelet, B.Sc., D.C.

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Baseball Stretches to Prevent Injury

We’re amid summer, which means that multiple sports leagues are underway and baseball season is in full swing. While we appreciate that Newmarket is home to a fair share of athletes, we’ve seen far too many patients express the pain of what common baseball injuries, like a torn rotator cuff, cause.

To help ensure you’re in tip-top shape and never have to miss an upcoming game, follow this baseball warm-up full of stretches certain to keep you on the diamond playing all July and August long!

Warm-up:

A proper baseball warm-up consists of two parts:

  • Walk: First things first! Get your heart rate going and begin with a 5-minute walk, or soft jog. Jumping jacks count too!
  • Stretch: Set aside 15 minutes because, now that blood is flowing readily to your muscles, you’re ready to stretch and prepare your body for an active game ahead!

Hold each exercise for 30 seconds, then perform the same stretch on the opposite body part.

Stretch Your Quads Now or Ice Them Later

Quadriceps Stretch

  1. Stand beside a wall and grab one ankle behind your back.
  2. Pull slightly upward on your ankle, and from there relax your pelvis allowing your hip to sag.
  3. After that, squeeze your buttocks until you feel the stretch in your thigh, and voila!

Hip Flexor Stretch

  1. Perform a lunge position and take one deep step in front of the other.
  2. Drop one knee, and the knee in front should be at 90 degrees with your knee over your ankle.
  3. Pull up on the back of your ankle and exhale into the stretch!

Nothing’s Worse Than a Strained Calf

Calf Stretch

  1. Stand with your hands against a wall, stagger your feet and point your toes straight ahead.
  2. Keep your back leg straight and lean forward until you feel a tug in your calf.
  3. To feel a stretch in your lower calf and Achilles, move your back leg forward a step and slightly bend your knee!

Take a Seat, You’ve Got Stretching to Do

Figure “4” – Piriformis

  1. Start seated and cross your left ankle over your right knee as shown below.
  2. Bend forward at the hips keeping your back straight until a good stretch is felt in the buttock area (Piriformis).

This stretch is effective in minimizing symptoms of sciatica and can easily be performed while you wait to bat.

Pectoral Stretch

  1. Stand in a corner and place your hands, forearms and elbows against the wall at shoulder height.
  2. Move forward until a stretch is felt across your chest. Make sure to keep your feet still under body so that you don’t arch your low back.

Try this exercise in a doorway for added support!

Increase Flexibility with Foam Rolling

Aside from stretching, foam rolling is also key in growing your flexibility, can relieve muscle tension, and is especially important for you to incorporate into your warm-up if you play baseball. Grab a massage ball and apply pressure to commonly used muscles worked in baseball like your shoulders!

Shoulder Foam Rolling

  1. Shoulder rolling forward 30 seconds and backwards 30 seconds three times each way will help warm up and stretch your whole shoulder girdle.
  2. Raise your arm straight up and then over your head for 10 seconds three times; this will help you stretch the lower rotator muscles in your shoulder.

Lumbar Spine Stretch

  1. Lastly, don’t forget the king of all exercises, and one you likely first learned in grade school. Find some space and, without twisting your back, keep your back and legs straight and touch your toes.

If you twist your back or rotate left or right then this may irritate your lumbar spine joints, making you susceptible to a lower back injury. Keep your movement slow and steady and prepare yourself to swing stronger, throw faster and run like the wind!

To maintain optimal health, come in and see the professionals at M&Y Chiropractic & Wellness Centre. We specialize in chiropractic care and registered massage therapy for athletes of all calibers.

– Dr. Darren Poncelet

 

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10 Researched Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments

If you haven’t visited a chiropractor before, you might be missing out. 

Millions of people around the world have experienced the incredible benefits of chiropractic care.

One of the best things about chiropractic care is it’s a drug-free and surgery-free path to healing naturally.  People have reported chiropractic benefits help to improve:

  • Back Pain
  • Headaches
  • Ear Infections
  • Neck Pain
  • Arthritis and Joint Pain
  • Scoliosis
  • Asthma
  • Blood Pressure
  • Healthy Pregnancy
  • Organ Function
  • Surgery Prevention

Chiropractors pride themselves on taking a natural, drugless approach to helping their patients reach their health goals. Essentially, the basic principle upon which the entire profession is built is that the body has the amazing, innate ability to heal itself (under the right conditions) and it is the chiropractor’s job to help create an environment to facilitate this.

Because the nervous system controls every cell and organ in your body, chiropractors focus their attention on the health of your spine being properly aligned and, if there are shifts, helping the spine come back into alignment.

At the core of the numerous chiropractic miracle stories is a concept known as “vertebral subluxation”. When  chiropractors use this phrase, they refer to mechanical compression and irritation to spinal joints and nerves.

Why Get Chiropractic Adjustments?

Many things can lead to a vertebral subluxation. Some of the more common causes I’ve found are:

  • A vertebrae going out of place (“misalignment”) because of a slip or fall (ie. “macrotrauma”).
  • The entire spine misaligning globally due to poor posture.
  • Joint swelling caused by damage done to the intervertebral joint.
  • An inflammatory response caused by a poor diet, lack of pure water or psychological stress.
  • Osteoporosis or degenerative changes of the spine or intervertebral discs.
  • Trigger points and tight back muscles that pull the vertebrae out of place.

Importance of Posture

Far too many live their lives hunched over and with their necks stuck out like turtles. Doctors call this “forward head posture”, and studies prove that for every inch your head sticks out from a true center of gravity, your neck bears an extra 10 pounds of stress. Just think about how common and dangerous this can be for your health!

During posture evaluations, chiropractors regularly observe many of their patients carrying their head two to three inches forward, which is an extra 20-30 pounds of pressure on their neck!

Finding a good chiropractor isn’t only key to correcting the damage caused by years of poor posture or trauma—it’s also important for everyone wanting to take a proactive approach to his or her health care. But don’t just take my word for it. Here is some of the medical research and studies proving the therapeutic benefits of chiropractic.

1. Sciatica

The European Spine Journal published the findings from a clinical trial last year uncovering how chiropractic adjustments resulted in a 72 percent success rate in treating sciatica and related symptoms compared to the 20% success from physical therapy and 50% from corticosteroid injections.

2. Low Back Pain and Neck Pain

In a study published in the British Medical Journal 2003, 183 patients with neck pain were randomly allocated to manual therapy (spinal mobilization), physiotherapy (mainly exercise) or general practitioner care (counseling, education and drugs) in a 52-week study.

The clinical outcome measures showed that chiropractic adjustments resulted in faster recovery than physiotherapy and general practitioner care. Moreover, total costs of the chiropractic-treated patients were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.

Another study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients.

A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56% vs 13%) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse of much worse.

3. Headaches (Tension and Migraine)

Second only to back pain, headaches are one of the most common conditions regularly managed by chiropractors. At the time I conducted this research, over 230 peer-reviewed articles referenced chiropractic’s ability to help cure, prevent and ease the burden of headaches and migraines in people all across the globe! Compared to most medical treatments, few interventions can initiate headache relief like chiropractic adjustments can.

4. Colic and Ear Infections

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments greatly reduced colic symptoms.

Although very few randomized control trials have been conducted describing the clinical effects of chiropractic care on children, literally scores of case studies have been documented that describe how children suffering from otitis media (ear infections), acid reflux and colic have experienced complete to near complete resolution after just a few visits.

5. Neurological Conditions

Not only are MRI scans revealing that cerebral spinal fluid and blood flow are markedly increased after a chiropractic adjustment, researchers are observing that cerebellar invagination (when the cerebellum drops down below the skull line) is being reversed and brain plaquing (common in multiple sclerosis patients is disappearing!)

6. Blood Pressure

In 2007, George Bakris, the world expert on hypertension, published a study with a team of researchers in the Human Journal of Hypertension  proving that one upper cervical chiropractic adjustment had the same effect as two blood pressure-lowering drugs. Even more fascinating, the effects of just one adjustment lasted more than six months!

Compared to the placebo-treated patients, those who go the real procedure saw an average 14mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count) and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number).

7. Surgery Prevention

Chiropractic has long been heralded by natural health care providers as a natural method to prevent back surgery.

In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association just recently published its low back pain guidelines and suggested that people suffering from back pain first try chiropractic before resorting to surgery.

8. Frozen Shoulder

Last year a clinical trial was published describing how patients suffering from the debilitating condition frozen shoulder responded to chiropractic care.

Of the 50 patients: 16 resolved completely, 25 showed 75% to 90% improvement, eight showed 50% to 75% improvement and one showed 0% to 50% improvement

9. Scoliosis

Chiropractic adjustments for scoliosis coupled with muscular rehabilitation techniques may help prevent the progression of scoliosis. Organizations like the nonprofit Clear Institute founded by Dr. Dennis Woggan have set out to empower health care professionals with an effective chiropractic system to treat people with scoliosis.

They’ve perfected a model and discovered that it is possible to effectively treat the condition without the use of restrictive braces or dangerous surgeries. In many case studies, participants have seen a 10% to 30% decrease in their scoliosis curvatures.

10. Athletic Performance

Because it is so effective at pain-based and pathological conditions, one of the most overlooked aspects of chiropractic care is that it enhances personal and athletic performance. Studies have shown that it:

  • Reduces inflammatory cytokines
  • Boosts your immune system
  • Enhances pulmonary function
  • Decreases mental tension
  • Relieves muscle tension
  • And can naturally increase your energy level

Studies have even proved, objectively and subjectively, that chiropractic patients experience “overall increased bodily function”, which includes bowel regularity and mental clarity.

Basically, because it helps place your body in the position where it can heal itself, chiropractic adjustments can free your immune system up to focus on keeping you healthy, which enhances your ability to think, move and perform.

This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither the author nor publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All readers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition or supplement or lifestyle program. Note: References for this content can be found at draxe.com