Did you know that hydration’s role in maintaining brain function is crucial? Did you know that the brain is made up of about 75% water? We need water, and more specifically, electrolytes, for many more reasons than we may realise!
Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning. This includes maintenance of cells and generating action potentials in the nerves and muscles (1). Since our body does not produce electrolytes, we get them through our food and our fluids (1). Factors such as: total protein content and hormones can biochemically influence electrolyte levels (1). So, what are electrolytes? Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge throughout our body and allow it to perform important bodily functions, especially in the brain (2). The main electrolytes are: sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonates. Here is some information on some of the more “mainstream” electrolytes.
The importance of Hydration in your brain:
To ensure electrolyte levels are being maintained, it is important to maintain a balanced diet of whole foods, hydration, and supplementation (2). Keeping hydrated and having accurate electrolyte levels will not only improve how you feel physically but enhance your cognitive performance! References
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Although flat feet is a common deformity it is not to be ignored (Bresnahan, 2020). Every step on a deformed foot leads to excessive tissue strain and further joint damage (Bresnahan, 2020).
Foot and ankle specialists know that sooner or later, flat and misaligned feet will slowly lead to other pathologies within the foot and ankle and structures. We are told to take 10,000 steps a day, to keep healthy (Bresnahan, 2020). On a foot that is not working as it should, this can cause many problems. The stability and alignment of the foot is very important because the foot is the foundation to the upright body (Bresnahan, 2020). Failure to identify and treat foot and ankle instability and misalignment will lead to long-term tissue pathology (Bresnahan, 2020). For example tissue strain leads to pain, increased deformity, and eventually decreased activity level (Bresnahan, 2020). The body’s metabolic rate decreases as a result which leads to other health risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease (Bresnahan, 2020). Visible signs to look out for:
Flat feet can lead to:
What you can do:
Chiropractic. As chiropractors we deal with the alignment of bony structures to help the movement of these bones in order to remove any nerve interference from the central nervous system. Based on a study done by Niazi, 201,5 that has shown that when we as chiropractors adjust subluxations, we improve strength, we prevent fatigue and we change the way the brain drives our muscles. Pediatric flatfeet should not be ignored or downplayed. The sooner effective treatment is prescribed, the less damage will occur to other parts of the body. When possible, a more conservative corrective procedure should be performed prior to irreversible, joint destructive options. References: Bresnahan, P. J., & Juanto, M. A. (2020). Pediatric Flatfeet-A Disease Entity That Demands Greater Attention and Treatment. Frontiers in pediatrics, 8, 19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.00019Niazi, I. K., Türker, K. S., Flavel, S., Kinget, M., Duehr, J., & Haavik, H. (2015). Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation. Experimental brain research, 233(4),1165–1173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4193-5 Stress in today’s society is not getting any lower. We have previously talked about how chiropractic care can assist in the management of stress levels. (1-2) This time we want to expand on what we covered last time by also giving you a simple breathing exercise to assist in self-management of your stress levels.
A common way of measuring the body’s response to stress, as well as overall wellbeing, is heart rate variability (HRV). It is often assumed that heart rate should be rather constant, but is in fact, quite the opposite, a higher variability is associated with better health. Our HRV also will be impacted by mood and mental wellbeing, especially depression and anxiety have a large negative impact. (3-4) So, “How on earth does breathing help?” I hear you ask. Well, a study published this year has started to give us this answer. They found that by regulating your breathing with rhythmic breathing or 6 breaths per minute had positive impacts on HRV. By holding to 6 breaths per minute it is hypothesised that you can impact your autonomic nervous system, and gas exchange efficiency (how well you absorb oxygen from the air). (3-4) Another study from 2019 reported that using breathing techniques such as these helped in improving decision making as well as reducing stress levels. (5-6) A simple breathing exercise to realign the body and brain is this: 1. Slowly inhale through your nose to a count of 4. 2. Hold your breath for the count of 4. 3. Exhale slowly through your mouth to a count of 4 or more. Repeat this until you feel your heart rate slow down and your body begin to calm. It really can be that simple!
Rehabilitation of Back Pain Paediatric
There is a significant proportion of children and adolescents that experience thoracic spine pain and low back pain (1). It can decrease the overall quality of life, especially if it is unattended and progresses to be chronic (2). Do you or a loved one experience back pain? This is an important article that could make the world of difference to you. “In a systemic review it was reported that the annual prevalence of low back pain in children and adolescents is 33.6%” (1) Most spinal pain (neck and back pain) episodes for children and adolescents are relatively brief. However, 31% would have a recurrence of spinal pain over one year. Up to 25% have three or more episodes over one year, and approximately 13% reported to have episodes lasting five or more weeks (3,4). Spinal pain can limit physical activity for the younger population, whether it be at home, school, sports and all the extracurricular activities, which would lead to numerous long term consequences and reduced quality of life(5). There is a recent research article, where they did a mixed studies systematic review of rehabilitation of back pain in the paediatric population. A part of it looked at ten quantitative studies, which included 8 randomised clinical trials and 2 non-randomised clinical trials, and one qualitative study. Evidence was found that in adolescents with low back pain, spinal adjustments plus exercise may be associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing clinically important pain reduction versus exercise alone (6). Though more studies and research would be needed to further substantiate these findings, initial findings is quite positive. If you want to find out if chiropractic may help manage spinal pain for you or your loved ones, have a chat with one of our chiropractors to see how they can assist. “It’s important to manage and rehabilitate the body as soon as possible and not allow issues to become chronic” 1. Calvo-Munoz I, Gomez-Conesa A, Sanchez-Meca J. Prevalence of low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. BMC Pediatr. 2013;13:14. 2. Schopflocher D, Taenzer P, Jovey R. The prevalence of chronic pain in Canada. Pain Res Manag [Internet]. 2011 [cited 2019 Jan 31];16(6):445–50. 3. Dissing KB, Hestbaek L, Hartvigsen J, Williams C, Kamper S, Boyle E, et al. Spinal pain in Danish school children - how often and how long? The CHAMPS Study-DK. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017;18(1):67. 4. Santos VS, Leite MN, Camargo BIA, Saragiotto BT, Kamper SJ, Yamato TP. Three in Every 10 School-aged Children in Brazil Report Back Pain in Any Given Year: 12-Month Prospective Cohort Study of Prevalence, Incidence, and Prognosis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022;52(8):554–62. 5. Manansala, C., Passmore, S., Pohlman, K., Toth, A. and Olin, G., 2019. Change in young people's spine pain following chiropractic care at a publicly funded healthcare facility in Canada. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 35, pp.301-307. 6. Yu, H., Southerst, D., Wong, J.J., Verville, L., Connell, G., Ead, L., Mior, S., Hestbaek, L., Swain, M., Brunton, G. and Shearer, H.M., 2024. Rehabilitation of back pain in the pediatric population: a mixed studies systematic review. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 32(1), p.14. Breathing is a fundamental aspect of life, but how often do we consider the way we breathe? Nose breathing and mouth breathing can have distinct impacts on our overall health and well-being. Understanding the differences is important to optimizing our respiratory function, posture, and even sleep quality.
Nose Breathing: Nose breathing involves inhaling and exhaling through the nasal passages. The nose serves several essential functions in the breathing process.
Some of the health implications mouth breathing contributes to include:
References
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AuthorBlogs by the team at Sprouting Health Archives
November 2024
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