As we draw close to the end of another year, many people had goals and resolutions related to their health that they wanted to achieve this year.  For most people this meant getting more active. However, for many people their exercise programs have taken a back seat to the ever increasing demands of life. Don’t feel bad if you have slacked on your exercise program this year, almost nobody gets the amount of exercise our bodies really need. Every day we wake up, get in our cars, drive to work, most of us sit at a desk or work in awkward positions for hours on end, get in our cars, drive home, sit down for dinner, then proceed to rest on the couch and perhaps watch TV or converse with family. Unfortunately this does not allow much room for exercise unless we take deliberate action to drive to the gym and work out. But let’s be honest, most of us don’t even have time to do that.  The demands of everyday life take up all of our time and we are left with little time to take care of ourselves.  Unfortunately, this is one of the top reasons we all suffer with pain, usually at one point in our life or another.  Our bodies just are not getting the amount of activity they need. You see, before the days of desk jobs, people’s daily jobs and activities involved getting active because they did not have the modern conveniences of shopping at a store for food or turning on a machine to clean their clothes.  These are the types of things that used to be done by hand and involved physical activity. So, we all know that physical activity is important and now we know why no one really does it.  So what’s the solution? The solution is to incorporate physical activity into your everyday routine.  This requires some creative thinking and maybe some help from your Chiropractor or Physiotherapist, but let me give you a few examples. One thing to do is a couple of minutes of stretching when you rise from bed and before your lay your head down at night.  Bend over, touch your toes, arch your back, twist from side to side, bend your head from side to side and twist your neck back and forth a few times.  You can even do this kind of thing while making the trek to the coffee machine.  Your can also stretch your arms above your head and reach to the roof. Another suggestion is to hang a bar from a doorway you walk through all the time and every time you pass under it, hang there for a few seconds, or at least grab the bar and pull up a little bit.  Perhaps you can even work your way up to doing pull ups.  There are a few companies that sell pull up bars for your doorway. One final suggestion is to stand while [...]

This a very busy time of year for everyone, and many people are running around trying to get those last minute Christmas gifts for their special loved ones. But have you ever been left wondering, “why does my back hurt after shopping?” Some people spend hours at the mall going store to store trying to find that perfect gift. Then, when they get home, they might notice an ache in their back that can sometimes become quite severe. I see this type of thing in my office all of the time. People ask me, “why does my back hurt when all I did was go shopping?” While this seems like an insignificant task, it actually places A LOT OF STRESS on the spine. The bottom line is that our bodies are not meant to stroll around on concrete floors for hours on end. They were meant for fast-paced walking across uneven ground. This type of activity activates muscles and requires various joints to work the way they are supposed to. This leads to less stress on the spine and usually no pain or back problems. So what are you supposed to do now that your back is sore from shopping? The best cure is prevention. Next year, I would recommend doing smaller shopping trips to one or two stores at a time, that way you can walk briskly and not have to spend too much time on those concrete floors. However, my best recommendation is to do what I do. Shop online, stay at home, avoid the crowds and exercise. This way you save time, money and avoid that nagging back pain that could ruin your holiday. This can also be a very stressful time of year for people and avoiding crowds can greatly reduce that. Stress leads to pain and pain leads to a lousy Christmas. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort this time of year, it is never too late to seek the help of a physiotherapist or chiropractor. They will meet with you and help you find a solution to your pain so that it does not interfere with your holiday plans. Merry Christmas Everyone! Dr. Spenser Dougley

Hello, this is your Brantford Chiropractor, Dr. Spenser Dougley, and I would like to teach you a few things before you visit a Chiropractor for the first time.  Many people are worried or concerned about seeing a Chiropractor so I have designed a guide that can ease your worries as you figure out which Chiropractor is right for you.  If you have any further questions about my guide, then please do not hesitate to email me at dr.spenser@brantwellnessandrehab.com.  I would love to help you find the right Chiropractor! The following are 6 things you need to know BEFORE seeing a Chiropractor: 1.  Chiropractors are required to examine you before treating you. All Chiropractors are required to do a full and complete exam of your spine and other areas of complaint before treating you.  This includes a detailed history, where the Chiropractor will ask questions about your pain or problem.  After the history a physical exam should be done that will include procedures and tests designed to figure out where your pain is coming from.  Bending forwards, backwards, side to side, raising your leg while you lie down and pushing on your spine are all examples of tests that a Chiropractor might perform.  The initial exam should take about 30minutes. After the exam is complete the Chiropractor should present to you what he or she has found and be able to tell you where your pain is coming from. 2. Some chiropractors will give incentives for signing up for long term care plans. After your initial exam appointment the Chiropractor should present to you a reasonable treatment plan to help you recover.  At this point some Chiropractors offer you incentives for signing up for long term care plans that include discounts on care if you sign up for a year and pay per month.  Be very cautious when presented with something like this.  The prudent Chiropractor will examine you along the way and make recommendations for further care if necessary at that point.  It is very difficult to determine how much care someone will need that far down the road and you should only be presented with a care plan that includes the first 4-6 weeks, after which the Chiropractor should be re-evaluating you. This of course depends on the nature of your condition. 3.  Some Chiropractors only spend 3-5 minutes with each patient. Depending on their technique, some Chiropractors might only spend 3-5 minutes with each patient. This would allow enough time to adjust someone’s spine but does not leave enough time to talk to the patient about what has changed, or whether or not they have any new complaints or injuries that need to be addressed.  Usually these offices have open floor plans or adjusting areas where you can see and hear the Chiropractor with another patient.  Some people are okay with this but it does not allow for much privacy. 4.  There are many different techniques that Chiropractors use. Every Chiropractor practices slightly differently.  [...]

Back pain is something that most of us experience at some point in our life.  It is one of the most common types of pain that people present with at their doctors office and one of the leading causes of time off work. In order to treat back pain effectively it is important to first understand what is causing it.  This article will discuss the most common causes of back pain so that you can understand the causes of this common condition.  It is important that if you plan to seek care for your low back pain, that whoever is treating you, diagnoses the problem first, otherwise the treatment might not be effective.   Disc Herniation  Disc herniations (aka disc bulges and slipped discs) are one of the most common causes of lower back pain and sciatica (pain down the leg).  They are caused when the jelly like substance inside of the disc squishes out and pinches a nearby nerve.  When it hits the nerve, it can cause local back pain, sciatica, or numbness and tingling.  Because the disc material is jelly like, it can move around, meaning that the disc herniation may or may not be pressing on the nerve causing pain.  In fact, many people without back pain have disc herniations in their spine.  Sometimes one small movement or injury can aggravate a disc herniation that has been there for a while and it begins pressing on the nearby nerve causing back pain.   Disc herniations usually cause acute sharp pain that is aggravated by certain movements.  Lifting and sitting usually aggravate this condition as those activities increase compression forces on the spine.  Lying down or standing are usually relieving and medication doesn't relieve the pain very much because it is a pinched nerve that is causing the discomfort.   Arthritis  Arthritis or disc degeneration in the spine happens as we age.  However, there are many things that we can do to prevent the advancement of arthritis in our spines, including exercise, regular chiropractic care and a clean diet.  But most of us have some level of degeneration in our spines and when it is present it can cause pain that is usually achy in nature and relieved by heat and exercise.   This common cause of arthritis is easily diagnosed by a simple X-Ray.  It will show where the arthritis is, what level it is at and if there are any bone spurs or stenosis present.   If you have been diagnosed with arthritis by your doctor and told that there is nothing that can be done, don't settle for that answer.  There is plenty that can be done to manage the pain and prevent the arthritis from getting worse as you continue to age.  You just need to find a good chiropractor or physiotherapist who will listen to your concerns and help manage the problem.   Dysfunction  Another common cause of low back pain is simply dysfunction of the joints and muscles in [...]