In a world where technology has us feeling like we are more 'connected' than ever, some of you may be surprised that statistics confirm loneliness is reaching epidemic proportions globally, showing we are actually a society that is growing apart rather than together. This may also not surprise you, whether you realise how much more time you now spend connected to your devices than your family and friends or you wish your partner or children paid more attention to you than their phone, there are also many individuals who are just unable to be with family or loved ones during the festive season. Whether because of travel restrictions, relationship breakdowns or any other reason you may be spending more time alone than you would like this year and that can be upsetting and affect your health. People who lack connection ultimately tend to lack vitality. The festive season can be one filled with joy and love but can also be a time of intense emotions and expectations and can trigger loneliness. Many things have been unknown this year but one thing we do know and need to remember is that meaningful human connection and relationships are essential for us to remain happy and healthy but when that is not entirely possible or available, here are some tips to get you smiling this season! 1. Gratitude ~ This comes up a lot and may seem like the answer to almost everything and well, it can be! Practicing gratitude helps build emotional resistance, create stability, shift you to a positive mindset and can rewire your brain for enhanced health including better sleep, less stress and and overall better mood! Be happy for what you have and receive happiness in return, now that is the opposite of a vicious cycle! 2. Volunteer ~ helping others less fortunate than you can also help boost your self esteem and inspire a feeling of purpose in your life. The festive season is a wonderful opportunity to give love and support to others who need it, increasing their happiness and wellbeing as well as your own. 3. Bring people together ~ chances are you are not the only person in your area feeling lonely. You could decide to do something as simple as smiling or saying hello to everyone you pass in the street or you could get creative and arrange a small social gathering in your street, building or community for anyone who might not be having the festive season they had hoped for this year. 4. Self care ~ have a warm bath! The link between being cold and being lonely and between warmth and security is scientifically established so if you are feeling a little blue, have a warm bath or a cuppa tea on top of whatever self care routine you already know makes you feel good! 5. Cut back on social media ~ not only will this solve some of the relationship issues touched on previously, it is important to remember social media is just the highlights reel, it is not reality. Our reliance on social media has changed the way we spend our leisure time and can contribute to feeling isolated. Many of us cannot live without it but studies support the opinion that too much time on social media can negatively effect mental health so balance is key. 6. Talk about it ~ humans are hard-wired for connection! Cultivate this by forging new relationships, put effort into existing relationships that bring you joy and if your regular support network isn't enough there are always professionals you can turn to so you do not need to suffer in silence. 7. Get adjusted ~ if you would like to find out more about how Chiropractic care can support your health and well being please get in touch with us today at hello@livelovelifechiro.com

It's that time of year again, school's back and we want to make sure you and your little one/s are prepared not only to learn and develop but also to have a happy and healthy year ahead! While most parents and children have a checklist of stationary and supplies for starting the school year, we would like to provide a different 'checklist' to remind parents and children of the importance of building positive habits in school. We know getting your child to school can be stressful so below are some tips which can easily be incorporated into your everyday routine to limit the impact that common activities like sitting in a classroom, carrying a heavy bag and excessive screen time can have on the overall health and wellbeing of our future generations. Backpacks ~ have your child wear both shoulder straps, only pack essential items with heaviest items to the back of the bag and use the waist and chest bag straps. Food ~ pack a healthy and nutritious lunch and snacks with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit or better still teach your child to pack their own healthy options. Posture ~ remind your child to sit with their shoulders back and relaxed, with both feet on the floor and chair tucked in during class. Screen time ~ reduce and limit your child's screen time wherever possible. Two hours recreational screen time a day is plenty. Exercise ~ 60 minutes of exercise is essential every day, find something they enjoy doing and encourage them to have fun! Adjustments ~ a healthy spine and nervous system is essential to growth and development and ensuring your child remains as happy and healthy as possible. At LiveLoveLife we aim to support healthy growth and development in children and healthy spinal and brain function in everyone! If you have any concerns or are looking for more information about the health of your child or yourself please contact us at hello@livelovelifechiro.com.

Now that the craziness and unpredictability of the festive season is over it's time to get back into the swing of things and a solid morning routine is an important self-care practice that can set the tone for your entire day ahead, seems like a good place to start. As soon as you wake up, every decision you make dips into your brain’s willpower reserves. Research suggests our willpower is a limited resource so anything we can do to maintain those reserves should make our lives a little easier. When we automate our mornings, the habits we develop start to feel like second nature which can cut out some of the decision fatigue from constantly having to ask yourself, what do I need to do next? Experiment with what works for you, and remember that the key is consistency but here are some tips to get you started. 1. Make your bed ~ this can be your first 'accomplishment' of the day and while it is technically a chore, it is a deceptively simple way to make yourself feel good. Having a made bed can declutter your space (and mind), give you a small sense of pride which encourages completion of further tasks throughout the day, create good sleep hygiene (a freshly made bed to crawl into at the end of the day is sooooo enticing) and serve as a simple guidepost for other healthy habits. 2. Put the phone down (or better still, do not pick it up) ~ When you first wake you are typically quite calm and it is beneficial to maintain that as long as possible. When we check our phones first thing in the morning, we invite a flood of stimulation and potential stressors into our brain, things that demand our attention and shift our focus. Considering most of us are 'plugged in' for the majority of the day, why not try to delay the start time a little? 3. Hydrate ~ similar to making your bed, ensuring you have a glass or more of water in the morning (even better, some warm water with lemon) will get things started right! We all know the benefits of adequate fluid intake physiologically but adding this step to your morning routine is mentally stimulating you to stay hydrated all day without having to think too much about it, you will definitely not get to lunch time and realise you haven't had a drop of water yet. 4. Stretch your body ~ a full on workout or yoga routine is super beneficial in the morning and good for you if you can make it work, for those who are not morning people, you can at least enjoy a good stretch in the morning! Taking a few minutes to get your body moving in the morning will get your blood pumping and ensure that morning stiffness does not last all day. Click here for our short (7min) spinal stretch sequence. 5. Do something you enjoy ~ the word “routine” can have negative connotations and isn't appealing to everyone. Making time for something you enjoy can help you see the morning as your own unique segment of the day rather than just a prelude to work. When your alarm goes off instead of feeling dread you can look forward to what you are waking up to. Whether it is crafting, dancing around to pump-up music, playing with your pets, reading, trying a new breakfast recipe, meditating or whatever fun, grounding or creative activity you enjoy, carve out some space to do it first thing. Life should be enjoyed and every beautiful moment treasured so let's aim to make the most of every day this year by starting 2021 full of love and positive vibes! At LiveLoveLife we aim to support healthy spinal and brain function in everyone! If you have any concerns or are looking for more information about your health please contact us at hello@livelovelifechiro.com.

Is your posture really that important? Sure standing up straight can make you look good but there are many other reasons we should be paying attention to our posture. Good posture is a constant struggle for many of us these days, with the amount we sit in our cars or at our desk, to the exercise we do and even the way we sleep, maintaining proper posture all of the time is tough but working towards improving your posture is possible and totally worth it. Here’s why: Your digestion ~ poor posture can place extra pressure on your stomach and intestines making it more difficult for your body to digest your food. It may even effect your body’s ability to absorb the important nutrients you’re feeding it. Ultimately, this can lead to you feeling tired, under nourished or even suffering acid reflux. Your breathing ~ ever tried to take a good deep breath while slouching? It’s really tough as poor posture restricts the ability of your lungs and diaphragm to expand. Continued poor posture can cause your breath to become shallower over time, less oxygen = less energy as your body will be struggling to perform the most simple tasks required of it. Your aches and pains ~ slouching at our desks or in our cars or even on the couch can put a lot of strain on the muscles that support your spine. We spend a lot of time nowadays in what we call ‘forward head posture’ which just means your head is regularly sitting more forward than it should be. The more forward your head, the more force placed on your neck and shoulders so by the end of the day you may feel wiped out and achy all because of your posture, and don’t even get us started on the long term effects! Back to your looks ~ we all want to look our best and while good posture can help you to appear taller and slimmer, it also communicates a lot to people about you. Sitting and standing tall can promote confidence and impact the way others perceive you. If you need some help and useful tips to improve your posture, you should discuss it with us during your next visit or get in touch at hello@livelovelifechiro.com Every adjustment helps!

You adjust babies? Why would a baby need Chiropractic care? Is it safe for a baby to get adjusted? Does it help them? These are just some of the questions we hear in the studio regularly and the answers are all YES. There are so many reasons Chiropractic care may benefit a baby, just as much as it may benefit every human being. The main reason is that we all live our lives through our nervous system. The nervous system is how our brain controls every cell, tissue and organ in our body and how those structures are able to send messages back through your spine and into your brain. We like to call this your internal GPS. That is how your body functions, regulates, adapts and heals. If your spine is out of alignment or stiff and restricted in its movement, it can interfere with the way your brain is able to communicate with the rest of your body and not allow your nervous system to function at its optimal capacity. Chiropractors remove interference from your nervous system, switching on your internal GPS, allowing your body to become more efficient in its ability to regulate itself, ​to heal and regenerate, ​adapt to your environment and ​do ​the things you ask it to do everyday​. This is true for anyone with a spine, regardless of age! While it is definitely not necessary to wait until you have a problem to see a Chiropractor, some common issues that motivate a parent to seek help are colic, difficulty breastfeeding, head turning preference, flat spots on the skull and a traumatic birth (including c-section or use of forceps). Restricted spinal movement (particularly in the cervical spine or neck) is a very common presentation in a new baby in all of these scenarios and we often see these issues resolve easily following extremely gentle Chiropractic adjustments. Hallelujah. Chiropractors have a variety of techniques that are specifically suited to infants of all ages. These include applying gentle pressure and motion to the spine using a finger tip (about the amount of pressure you could comfortably put on your eyelid) and using an Activator instrument which makes a clicking noise and distributes a very light and fast impulse where necessary. We call our Activator little miss tickle and kids love it! One of the many incredible things about Chiropractic care and babies is that their tiny bodies respond so quickly. Without the layers of stress, years of poor posture and other trauma to work through, improvement is often seen much faster in babies than in adults. Chiropractic care is also an excellent foundational approach to overall health and wellness, as well as a conservative care option for many issues that parents deal with on a daily basis. Good news for both mum and bub. Dr Erin has completed post-graduate training in pregnancy and paediatric care and we help loads of new bubs at LiveLoveLife. If you would like us to check your baby please or get in touch at hello@livelovelifechiro.com

Creating a new life is possibly nature's greatest miracle. As a human being, bringing a new little human into the world is not only a true joy, it is also a transition period that deserves a huge dedication of time and energy. So how do we prepare for such a major change in life, with so many unknowns? The perinatal period extends slightly under 2 years, from conception right through to your newborn's first year of life, and is bound to be a busy time. These days you can google anything, like ‘preparing for a new baby’ and you will likely get a mulitude of checklists detailing supplies you need to purchase and things you should do. While being helpful (and necessary) we have some suggestions which you can incorporate into regular to-do lists that will help you dive a little deeper into your preparation for pregnancy and parenthood. Celebrate AND rally your support network ~ gender reveal parties and baby showers may be the 'norm' and while you can enjoy these events you can also use them as an opportunity to connect with your tribe about important issues. With your key trusted supports around you (a handful of family members, friends, neighbours, other parents - the people who have your back and lift you up, those you want and need when things get tough), you can have real conversations in a safe space where there is no need to hold back. Let them know your true concerns and what you anticipate you may need when your baby arrives. They are then better prepared to be there for you and help in a way that you need because they know what appropriate support looks like to you. Decorate AND develop a parenting plan ~ the nursery is such a loving space and might be something you and your partner decorate together. Perhaps while you are putting furniture together or waiting for paint to dry, you could brainstorm a list of things you might be worried about, things you feel you need time to chat about, how you plan to share the responsibilities, returning to work and parenting strategies. You can use this list to come up with an action plan which you can work through and add to as your situation evolves. When you begin on the same page and have a plan you are better equipped to support each other and put up a united front when faced with the unknown or if curve balls come your way. Medical checks AND mental health check ins ~ through your pregnancy you may feel like you are checked up on a lot. All that monitoring this and keeping an eye on that saves lives but it is important to remember your mental health too. The parts of your brain involved in your mental health have an immediate top-down impact on your physical health so learning how to really check in with your mental health is a proactive and protective way to prepare yourself for a positive future. It is easy and common to default to a happy exterior that does not match our internal state. It is ok to feel overwhelmed, worried, tired, and emotional but having the ability to recognise what is going on within and how to deal with it is vital. Along with typical antenatal classes, online resources are popping up all over the place, there are plentiful parenting group options and meet ups and if necessary mental health professionals that can provide you with support and tools which can be used for yours, and your babies, entire life. Shop for baby supplies AND health care options ~ do you need everything on the must-have baby list you googled? Probably not. But while you are shopping for bub online, you can also open a tab or two and read up on safe and effective health care options for you and your baby. This is possibly a time in your life when you will be most conscious of what options are available to you and how they work. Doing a bit of window shopping before you are in a situation when you need help can take some of the stress away, allow you to be better equipped to ask the right questions, chose who to turn to and ensure you feel confident you are making informed decisions should the need arise. Get adjusted AND get your baby checked ~ you can read more about that in our blog 'Why parents get their babies adjusted' by clicking here. If you are pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant or have just given birth and would like to know more about how your spinal and nervous system health can affect your overall health and wellbeing (or that of your little one) please get in touch with us at hello@livelovelifechiro.com Every adjustment helps!

We often talk about our LifeLoveLife 'ferraris' in the studio, our high performers that still come in for regular adjustments years after any initial complaints have resolved because they just know that being clear and connected is an integral part of being able to perform at their highest level. Here are details of our health secrets for high performance: 1. Meditation, Mindfulness & Breathwork ~ These practices can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, irritability and burnout; improve energy, vitality, focus, mood, productivity, attention span and satisfaction and encourage self compassion and self-awareness. Research shows that twenty minutes of meditation, when performed regularly and consistently, can have similar restorative effects as two hours of sleep. Jerry Seinfeld attributes much of his success to his 40 years of transcendental meditation practice. Ninety percent of the thoughts we have on a daily basis are the same thoughts we had the day before and that is literally like groundhog day! Meditation helps to clear out the clutter in your brain so you can start each day with a fresh page, allowing the dynamic thinking necessary for disruption and innovation. 2. Have a crystal clear vision that you can feel ~ cutting edge neuroscience suggests that the very action of marrying intention/vision with emotion is what signals our pineal gland to secrete the hormones that communicate the message of our emotion to our body. We can fool our body into thinking it has already experienced the benefits we reap when we actually achieve our goal. Visualise not just who you want to be but how you want to be. Visualise achieving your goal and have total belief this happens. Visualise what you can hear, see & feel when you achieve your goal. Think about Mohammed Ali “I am the greatest” - He visualised it, he believed it, he felt it and he was! The secret formula of high performers here is: Intention/Vision + Emotion = Action/Success. 3. Enhance your natural strengths and know your weaknesses ~ Get the most out of yourself rather than wasting time on things you aren’t so great at or passionate about. What have been the things in your life that have worked? Rather than trying to get better at everything, drill down on what you are already great at. Think about the successful and inspirational people in your life, the sports people, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs. They have most likely identified what their key strengths are and have put 100% of their focus and energy on them. Equally importantly, if you know your weaknesses, you can surround yourself with people who can ‘fill your gaps’. Provided they share your beliefs and passion, they will get the job you struggle with done with ease and you can create your dream team. As a guide, spend eighty percent of your energy and time on things that come naturally to you and twenty percent on learning new things that can complement your strengths. 4. Make creativity, discipline and productivity a daily ritual ~ Most of us have an idea which has the potential to create success but an idea isn’t enough. It is the execution of that idea that makes success possible and execution is only made possible with discipline and work. Nothing in life happens without consistency over time. High performers are not only 100% committed, they are efficient and effective at managing their time so they can focus on getting the work done. Our tips: only check emails during the first & last hour of the day rather than get lost in your inbox all day; write to-do lists each night; keep your phone in another room to avoid the distraction of constantly checking it; time block - map out the time you can realistically give each task and stick to it. Productivity Apps such as Trello, Slack and Doist can help get you started. 5. Have a desire to contribute to humanity ~ Richard Branson said “there is no point in starting a business unless you are going to make a dramatic difference to peoples lives”. Regardless of what area they have excelled in, high performers are all driven by a vision of contributing to humanity in a new and profound way, of leaving it inspired. Passion, desire and compassion are driving forces, not money. Having goals and working towards outcomes is important however agility and flexibility are key and being loosely attached to the outcome of how you will contribute to a better world means that you never actually fail, you only learn along the way and the result may be even better than you visualised. 6. Work to create a high performing body ~ You need to be a finely tuned machine to be your best. Usain Bolt said "As long as I'm in great shape, nobody beats me, for sure." There are 5 basic requirements for a healthy body and focusing on each will ensure high performance: Nutrition ~ ninety seven percent of our cells are replaced every seven years using building blocks from the food we consume. Minimally processed, whole foods will build better cells than big macs. Exercise ~ our bodies require movement. Aim for a good balance of strength, flexibility and cardio. Sleep ~ this is when our body regenerates and quality of sleep can be the difference between high performers and skating through life in sympathetic dominance. Healthy mental attitude ~ find balance between periods of extreme efficiency and rest/relaxation/play. A healthy spine and neurological connection ~ wheels out of alignment - old bomb - leaching energy and efficiency vs finely tuned performance machine. That’s what we do. Help people get more out of their life. If you would like to find out more about how your spinal health and neurological connection affects your performance please or get in touch at hello@livelovelifechiro.com

A well respected Chiropractor once said the best immune system is in the body, not in the lab (Dr C S Gonstead) and another very well known expert in the fields of neuroscience, epigenetics, and quantum physics (Dr Joe Dispenza, who started out as a Chiropractor) has done extensive work to demonstrate when people overcome negative emotional states, break out of redundant habits and change certain self-destructive, hardwired attitudes and beliefs, the cells of their immune system are able to get busy upregulating new, better genes! The University of Virginia’s School of Medicine researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery of a direct correlation between the brain and the immune system, finally providing evidence to show how our thoughts and feelings could affect our overall health. This finding has significant implications on the way we understand the interaction between our brain and immune system. The goal of these studies is to attempt to uncover if and how inflammation begins to create or is even entirely responsible for certain diseases. When our body is flooded by stress hormones for the majority of our waking life, we suffer increased inflammation which in turn compromises the function of our immune system. In some inflammatory conditions including atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, alzheimer's disease and autism the immune system is suppressed. With this immune suppression and increased inflammation a new disease can either be activated in the body or an existing disease can be exacerbated. On an everyday level, the suppression of our immune system caused by stress (including our thoughts and feelings) is leaving us more vulnerable to common coughs, colds, flus and the other dreaded C-word this winter. During Dr Joe Dispenza's workshops, he encourages positive emotions such as love, joy or gratitude and students use meditation to attain elevated states of being. This new, better way of thinking and feeling creates new brain chemistry and synaptic connections, encourages coherence and allows the body’s internal defense system to upregulate new genes and has resulted in miraculous healings of 'unhealable' conditions. Dr Joe has hypothesized for years that thoughts and feelings signal cells within the immune system to turn on healthy genes to make better proteins (healthy antibodies) and beneficial chemicals which balance and regulate the body and in turn reduce inflammation and now his extensive studies have been scientifically verified. So if you are concerned that with the weather cooling down you may be more susceptible to common ailments this winter, remember that your brain and body are connected and that the bridge between the two is your nervous system. So besides taking care of your physical body in the usual way (exercise, nutrition, sleep and Vitamin D) why not also use your nervous system?! We know that your nervous system is the master controller of your immune system so optimal spinal function will power up your nervous system and may help your immune system be at it's best. Try to focus on reducing stress and elevating your emotional state to activate your body's internal army. to support your body to do what it does naturally, protect itself! We are here to help, please get in touch at hello@livelovelifechiro.com if you are in need of a boost leading up to winter!

Do you ever look at a bear and think, wow that would be the life, to get to hibernate away the colder months and wake up refreshed and rejuvenated just in time for spring? Doesn't sound too bad! As winter approaches many of us find we want to sleep more, stay home and relax by the fire so should we be listening to our bodies during this time? These days our busy lifestyles often mean we behave as if seasonal changes are irrelevant, unnecessary and they mostly go unnoticed. Whilst modern societal norms make hibernating during winter or any time of the year basically impossible, our bodies do require cycles of activity and rest, daily and annually to function optimally. In winter, we produce hormones that make us sleepy and encourage us to take time to restore body, mind and soul so just like a bear, we have these natural urges to encourage us to work with rather than against the cycles of nature. Sleep basically fixes everything! Chiropractors are concerned with sleep because our nervous system needs rest to function optimally. While you are sleeping nerve cells communicate and reorganize and the brain is cleared of metabolic waste, supporting healthy brain function. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can alter or even halt the formation of different pathways in the brain that help us retain, process and even learn new information. Enough good quality sleep can have positive effects on your immune system, hormone balance, blood glucose regulation and likelihood of overcoming many diseases. When days are warm and long, our metabolisms and energy levels amp up and we are able to be more consistently productive. Now we demand that same high productivity all year round, forcing ourselves to operate at summer levels even in winter when our body is really craving more time curled up under the covers to rest and restore. It has been suggested that symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms have more in common with hibernation than with clinical depression so could SAD be a result of our need to constantly work at high speed, mostly indoors and disconnected from natures cycles? Perhaps a bit of hibernation could be beneficial. If we indulged our inclination to slow down in winter, slept more and demand less from ourselves we could use that time to be more inward and reflective, allowing space for personal growth as well as physical regeneration. Hibernation is a survival strategy bears use to get through foodless winters. Though humans do not hibernate, we could always try and use winter they way nature intended, to slow down as much as possible while still maintaining the activities necessary to keep the ball of life rolling. If you have any concerns about your nervous system function, sleep or overall wellbeing please or get in touch at hello@livelovelifechiro.com

Most people associate dancing with positive physical effects for the body but did you know that ballroom dancing, doing the foxtrot, break dancing, line dancing, any dance really, can also benefit your brain?! Relatively recently neuroscientists began to investigate the complex mental coordination required to dance. Imaging studies have identified which regions of the brain are activated by dance and how physical and expressive elements of dance alter brain function and this has allowed researchers to hypothesize that music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits and that is a winning combination for brain health. Studies have shown that dance (more so than other physical activities including swimming, cycling and tennis) can improve brain health and from 11 different types of physical activity, a participants’ risk of dementia was only lowered by dance, perhaps because it involves mental effort and (usually) some kind of social interaction. So while the benefits of the physical activity associated with dance are similar to those gained from physical exercise (including stress reduction and increased serotonin) there are also bonus benefits that range from memory improvement, strengthened and/or new neural connections and improved spatial recognition. Many of us have heard of Zumba as a fitness trend but this Latin-style dance workout is also known to improve mood, visual recognition, decision-making and other cognitive skills. Dance has been found to be therapeutic for patients with Parkinson’s disease (a motor-system disorder, which develop when the dopamine-producing cells in the brain are lost. The chemical dopamine is an essential component of the brain’s system for controlling movement and coordination. As Parkinson’s disease progresses, an increasing number of these cells die off, drastically reducing the amount of dopamine available to the brain. According to the foundation, the primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include bradykinesia (slowed movement), stiffness of the limbs and trunk, tremors, and impaired balance and coordination. It is these symptoms that dance may help alleviate. Tarsy says that dance can be considered a form of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS). In this technique, a series of fixed rhythms are presented to patients, and the patients are asked to move to the rhythms. Studies of the effects this technique has on patients with Parkinson’s or other movement disorders have found significant improvements in gait and upper extremity function among participants. Although there have been no side-by-side scientific comparisons of RAS with either music or dance, Tarsy says people with Parkinson’s “speak and walk better if they have a steady rhythmic cue.” Complementary moves At the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Peter Wayne, AM ’89, PhD ’92, an HMS assistant professor of medicine at the hospital, studies the clinical effects of mind-body and complementary/alternative medicine practices on patients with chronic health conditions. He has conducted clinical trials designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tai chi for patients with Parkinson’s and other balance disorders. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art once used for self-defense but now performed as exercise. Wayne considers tai chi to be a more ritualized, structured form of dance. “The focus of our work is to take advantage of traditional exercises in which it’s implicit that the mind and body are connected more efficiently,” says Wayne. “Tai chi is one such exercise that we focus on because of its benefits for both balance and mental function.” Research, he says, has shown that the increased susceptibility to falls that occurs among people who are aging or who are dealing with disorders such as Parkinson’s can be mitigated by the practice of tai chi; it improves their strength and flexibility as well as their cognitive performance. One such study appeared in 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In this study, a team of investigators led by a scientist at the Oregon Research Institute found that tai chi helped improve balance and prevent falls among people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. After six months, those who practiced tai chi twice weekly were physically stronger and had better balance compared with those who did either weight training or stretching. On average, the participants who did tai chi achieved balance measures that were two times better than those achieved by weightlifters and four times better than those participants who stretched. Those people who practiced tai chi also fell less and had slower rates of decline in overall motor control. Tarsy says there is evidence that such activities as dance and tai chi can stabilize the effects of Parkinson's disease and slow the degree to which everyday movement is affected. Get adjusted ~ if you would like to find out more about how Chiropractic care can support your health and well being please get in touch with us today at hello@livelovelifechiro.com

Waterbeds were something else, weren’t they? It’s still crazy to think there was actually a time where so many of us were sleeping on vinyl “mattresses” that were filled with gallons and gallons of water inside of our carpeted bedrooms. What’s crazier still is that… they were actually pretty durable. They made it through round after round of young kids playing on them and jumping off the headboard and otherwise hurling themselves right into the middle of the mattress unscathed. And, as a chiropractor - particularly a chiropractor who specializes in back pain chiropractic care in Paddington - I couldn’t help but think about how waterbeds can be compared to our spinal discs in more ways than one - specifically, the anatomy of a spinal disc. Bottom Line: The discs of the spine are some of the hardest working players in the body. In fact, they’re a great deal like the waterbed that serves as both an impromptu child’s trampoline and a place to get some much needed rest. Our spinal discs are tasked with standing up to the physical stress of our day to day activities, and are so important because together they allow our spine to move in all directions. Doing what we can to keep them healthy is crucially important to our spinal health, and to better understand how we can do just that it helps to understand the anatomy of a spinal disc. Why it Matters: Think of your spinal discs as the tiny but mighty cushions that sit between each pair of the 24 moveable bones (vertebrae) in your spine. In addition to cushioning the bones, each acts a small swivel that allows your body to tilt and rotate. Maintaining the health of our spinal discs is one of the best things we can do to help minimize our risk of living with chronic neck or back pain. And if you’ve been living around chronic neck or back pain and thinking about seeking back pain chiropractic care in Paddington, you’re in the right place! Let’s dive in for a closer look at the anatomy of a spinal disc. The Basic Anatomy of a Spinal Disc There are 23 discs to be exact - 6 in the neck, 12 in the mid-back, and 5 in the lower back. The average size of a spinal disc is about one inch in thickness and can vary in color from light yellow to dark brown. As we mentioned earlier, they allow the spine to be flexible and also serve as its “shock absorbers,” helping to cushion the bones of the spine and keep them from grinding together. When we break down the fundamental anatomy of a spinal disc, we know that each disc is made up of three core components: an outer layer, inner layer, and a pair of endplates that help hold the discs in place between each pair of vertebrae. The tough, fibrous outer layer is referred to as the annulus fibrosus, and the jelly-like inner layer, the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus pulposus helps to absorb shock and distribute pressure while the annulus fibrosus provides stability to the spine. The relationship between these two layers can be compared, again, to a waterbed. The tough outer layer contains and protects the softer inside layer, which is mostly made up of - you guessed it - water. And it's the high water content of each disc that helps keep them supple and moveable. However, as we get older, our spinal discs tend to gradually lose fluid, causing them to stiffen. That, in turn, can mean our discs become more prone to inflammation. Additionally - as you may have also guessed from knowing what you now know about the anatomy of a spinal disc - they can actually start to shrink which can lead to compression of the nerves running through the spine and some potentially painful symptoms. The importance of keeping our spinal discs healthy really can’t be overstated enough! Next Steps: The good news? There’s good news! Simple movement is actually one of the best ways to keep your spinal discs healthy. One thing we know from looking at the anatomy of a spinal disc is that they don't have a particularly good blood supply. Movement is how they bring in nutrients, and it’s those nutrients that help the discs stay healthy and push out waste that can contribute to the development of pain and inflammation. So, make it a point to move more each day however you can - there’s no wrong way to do it! And if your neck or back hurts, take 5 minutes for yourself, book an appointment, and let us know via an email at hello@livelovelifechiro.com. Our expert team specializes in back pain chiropractic care in Paddington, and, together, we'll help get your life back from pain! Science Source: Intervertebral Disc: Anatomy-Physiology-Pathophysiology-Treatment. Pain Practice. 2008.

A neighbor of mine once told me “Getting old is not for the faint of heart,” and that’s always stuck with me. After all, haven’t we all had one of those days where we wake up somehow having managed to injure ourselves in our sleep? Or, if you’re like an old classmate of mine (who shall remain nameless), maybe there was a time you ate a big meal and a couple of hours later ended up taking yourself to the emergency room because you had not yet learned what heartburn felt like. We’ve all been there. And, like it or not, back pain is more likely than not something we’re all going to have to learn to prepare for and manage. So, right here, right now, let’s start with lesson number one… Simple ways to prevent a herniated disc. Bottom Line: Absolutely no one wants to deal with back pain. Whether you’re living with pain today or looking to reduce your risk of injury and find ways to prevent a herniated disc in the future, you may be curious about how you can strengthen your spine. And as the go-to provider of non-surgical spinal disc treatment in Paddington, we’re here to tell you that you’ve come to the right place! When it comes to fortifying your spinal discs, it’s wise to start with the body’s core -- the set of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that support your spinal column and help your spinal discs move. Why it Matters: Your core needs to have a balance of strength and flexibility to perform at its best. A strong core allows your body to have the support it needs to move, bend, and twist without causing injuries, and a flexible core is crucial to allowing the body to move well and through a full range of motion. Together, these physical qualities help you keep your spinal discs healthy, just like movement-based care such as the adjustments we provide. So, our top 3 ways to prevent a herniated disc include: 1. Core exercises can help your back maintain a balance of strength and flexibility. 2. Movement of the spine promotes the delivery of nutrients to the spinal discs. 3. Spinal adjustments can improve your range of motion and help to decrease pain. Ways to Prevent a Herniated Disc at Home As noted in the list above, engaging in exercise to improve your core strength or to strengthen the abdominal, back extensor and rotator muscle groups can help you reduce your risk of spinal disc injury. And in our time providing non-surgical spinal disc treatment in Paddington, we’ve seen first-hand just how much of a difference incorporating and prioritizing core work can make in our patients’ spinal health. The stronger your core is, the less load your disc sees with activities of daily living, ultimately lessening the risk of herniation, which is why we compiled the following list of ways to prevent a herniated disc at home. We recommend the following exercises and stretches below and aiming for 10 repetitions of each and then repeating each 2-3 times a week. Planks 1. Start in a push up position, bend your arms, and support your body with your forearms. 2. Keep your hips, legs, and torso in a straight line while tightening your abdominal and glute muscles. 3. Draw your core muscles in at the level of your belly button and hold that position as long as you can. Bird Dogs 1. Get on all fours, making sure your spine is neutral (not arching up or down). 2. Then, engage your core muscles and slowly reach forward with your right arm as you extend your left leg behind you. 3. Hold for a breath and then slowly return your limbs to the starting position 4. Repeat the exercise on the other side. Glute Bridges 1. Lie on your back with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. 2. Engage the muscles of the deep core and move into a bridge position by lifting your bottom off the floor. Instead of forcing your belly up by arching your back, try to maintain the natural curve in your lower spine. 3. Lift your left foot off the floor and extend your left leg to maintain a straight line through your left heel. 4. Return your foot to the floor and repeat with your right leg. Dead Bugs 1. Begin lying on your back with both arms extended towards the ceiling. 2. Lift your legs off the floor to 90 degrees. 3. Exhale to bring your ribcage down and try to flatten your back onto the floor by rotating your pelvis upwards and bracing your core muscles (this is the starting position for this exercise that you need to hold throughout the movement). 4. Start the exercise by extending your left leg, straightening at the knee and hip and bringing the leg down to just above the floor (don’t let your lower back arch). 5. At the same time, lower your right arm back to just above the floor. 6. Keep your abdominal and gluteal muscles tightened and return your left leg and right arm to the starting position. 7. Repeat with your right leg and left arm. Back Extensions 1. Lie face down on a mat and place the hands on the floor or behind the head (more advanced). 2. Contract the abs and keep them contracted throughout the exercise. 3. Squeeze the back to lift the chest a few inches off the floor. 4. Lower and repeat. Knee-to-Chest Stretches 1. Lie on the back with both legs flat against the floor. 2. Lift the right leg, bending the knee toward the chest. 3. Use both hands to pull the right knee toward the chest. 4. Hold the right knee against the chest for several seconds. 5. Return to the starting position. 6. Repeat with the left leg and then return to the starting position. Kneeling Back Stretches 1. Begin the exercise on the hands and knees, positioning the knees hip-width apart, with the shoulders directly over the hands. 2. Round the back, pulling the belly button up toward the spine and tilting the lower back toward the floor. Hold the position for 5 seconds. 3. Rock gently backward, lowering the buttocks as close as possible to the heels. Ensure that the arms are stretched out in front. Hold the position for 5 seconds. 4. Rock gently back up to the starting position. Modified Seat Side Straddle 1. Sit on the floor with one leg extended to the side and the other leg bent. 2. Keep your back straight and bend from your hips toward the foot of your straight leg. Reach your hands toward your toes and hold for 5 seconds. 3. Slowly round your spine and bring your hands to your shin or ankle. 4. Bring your head down as close to your knee as possible. 5. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax for 30 seconds. 6. Repeat on the other side. Next Steps: It's been said that we don't get old and stiff, we get stiff then old. The fundamental takeaway from our list of ways to prevent a herniated disc is that It’s much easier to keep your spine moving than to get your spine moving, and our practice is here to help you stay active, healthy, and happy! If you’re ready to get serious about your spinal health or you’re looking for non-surgical spinal disc treatment in Paddington, reach out to us today( hello@livelovelifechiro.com) to schedule a visit whether it’s been awhile since your last adjustment or it’s time for your first. Our expert team will work with you to assess your movement and create a plan of action to keep you pain-free and at the top of your game for years to come. Our doors are open, and we’re here for you! Science Sources: Exercise and Physical Therapy for Treatment and Pain Management. Spine-Health. 2006. Exercise for Sciatica from a Herniated Disc. Spine-Health 2019