Your Posture may be Causing that Pain in Your Jaw

In General Health, Treatments, Uncategorized by Dr JoyApril 7, 2015Leave a Comment

Have jaw pain that doesn’t seem to go away? Maybe it’s time to take a look at your posture.

Based on muscular anatomy, placement of the head has a major influence on the position of the mandible (or jawbone). Here’s how.

A) Forward head posture tensions the muscle and pulls the jawbone out of position

A forward head is a combination of a flexed upper back and lower

B) A malpositioned scapula can further pull the jaw out of ideal position.

neck. This posture stretches certain muscles in the neck (such as infrahyoid, sternohyoid and omohyoid) which creates a (inferior and posterior) pull on the structures in the neck and jaw. Certain structures in the neck also attach to the shoulder blade (or scapula) and thus malposition of the shoulder blade, also heavily involved in poor posture, puts additional stress on the jaw and temperomandibular joint (TMJ).

Altering the resting position of the mandible changes how the joint articulates (connects) with the skull. The joint dysfunction may compress the tissue in the joint, creating pain, clicking, inflammation and muscle spasm.

Conventional treatments of jaw pain include:

Adjustments to the involved joint to restore proper movement and mechanics to the joint. This may be done with manual techniques as well as instrument assisted (with the Activator).
Soft tissue techniques to reduce muscle pain, tension and spasm to the afflicted neck and jaw muscles.
Strengthening weak muscles to restore proper muscle coordination and function.

Additional treatments to consider:

Adjustments to neck and low to upper back to restore proper joint motion and neurological input and patterning.
Soft tissue techniques to involved muscles in the back to restore proper function.
Assessing and correcting abnormal scapulothoracic posture (the way the shoulder blades are positioned on the upper back).
Thorough analysis and correction of the posture of the neck and trunk as a whole.

Has your jaw pain been limiting you and it just doesn’t seem to go away despite different treatments and therapists? Maybe it’s time to take another approach. Book your free consultation with me today.

Look forward to working with you.

Best in health,

Dr. Joy

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Damage at 0 km/hr – Why Sitting is Killing You

This is a dense infographic so I’ll just let it speak for itself.

THE TAKEAWAYS.

Sitting too much leads to:

Poor posture
Achy and painful muscles and joints
Poor digestion
Less energy
Decreased cognition and memory
Decreased strength in muscles
Disc damage and sciatica

It’s time to get up and move! Sitting is our modern day epidemic. Research shows it is actually equally damaging to smoking (Yes. You read that correctly).

Get up every 20 minutes for 1 minute. Set a timer if you have to. Go for a walk to the water cooler or bathroom. Do a few stretches and get some mobility in those joints. Your body will thank you later.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your health, look no further. At Yorkdale Wellness, we focus on your health on many different levels. From a neurological standpoint we look at how your brainwaves are allowing your body to adapt, respond and recover from stressful situations. From a physical standpoint we look at how your posture is damaging your joints, weakening your muscles and causing multiple overlying dysfunctions throughout your body. From there we aim to improve your overall health with brain based treatments, strengthening and rehabilitation of muscles and re-patterning neuromuscular dysfunctions. Contact me today for your FREE consultation.

Looking forward to working with your brain.

Best in health,

Massage Benefits

Benefits of Massage Therapy

There are tremendous benefits to be achieved through regular massage therapy treatments. Whether you need to have a moment of relaxation, to reduce muscle tension or attain relief from chronic or acute pain, a massage treatment by an RMT can enhance your overall sense of emotional and physical well-being.

Below is a list of the benefits of massage therapy:

Pain relief of musculoskeletal conditionsImproves posture by strengthening and stretching specific muscles during treatmentBalances the nervous system; relieves stress and aids in relaxationDecreases muscle tension and stiffness; daily activities are once again enjoyable when your body movements are easedPromotes faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligamentsIncreases joint range of motion and aids in fluid movement within the jointsReduces pain and swellingImproves circulation of blood and increases movement of lymph fluids; strengthens the immune system

What to expect during your first session:

BEFORE THE MASSAGE:
In the days before your massage, drink plenty of water. Try not to eat directly before the massage. Give yourself enough time to arrive on time and relaxed. If you are rushing and arrive stressed, it will take longer to get into a relaxed state.

HEALTH HISTORY
Try to arrive 5-10 minutes before your first appointment to fill out our health history form. Generally, a health history will ask you about: medical conditions, areas of concerns, your level of pain or discomfort, and contact information.

ASSESSMENT
Our RMT's will ask you questions to better design a session that meets your needs and goals. There will be a physical assessment to asses areas of increased tone, pain, discomfort and restriction.

DURING THE MASSAGE
Our RMT's will tell you how to lay on the massage table, they will give you time to get undressed and come back when you are ready. During the massage, they will guide you through a breathing exercise to increase your relaxation and let your muscles relax so they can be better treated.

Hug for Your Health, Love for Your Health

In Brain Health, General Health, Motivation and Success by Dr Joy/March 5, 2015/Leave a Comment/

I guess you could argue that this isn't really a health or wellness topic or post. I beg to differ. I can promise you that if we spent more time loving and less time being caught up in all the other crazy things in this world (stress, hate, rascism, war, etc) we would all be much healthier.

The Basics on Intermittent Fasting

I jumped on the intermittent fasting (IF) bandwagon 2 years ago when I read Jason Ferruggia’s Renegade Diet. Before that I followed the conventional 6 small meals a day, every 3 hours just like I had been indoctrinated for many years prior. After being on IF for 2 years I’m never going back. Here’s why:

3 Effective Treatments of Plantar Fasciitis

In Exercise, General Health, Treatments by Dr Joy/March 24, 2015/Leave a Comment/

foot pain
•Do you suffer from heel pain?
•Do you have trouble walking the first few steps early morning?
•Do you see you shoes wearing out on the heel side faster than normal?
•Do you find it difficult to stand for longer time?
•Do you sprain you ankle very frequently?
•Does your child fall frequently while playing sports at the school?

The root cause of the heel pain (plantar fasciitis) is the faulty alignment of the foot and the ankle complex.

archFaulty alignment can also lead to development of bunions, hard skin over the great toe, mid-foot pain (mostly between 2nd and 3rd toes), and so on.... This can alter the mechanics of the joints above like the knee, hip and even the spine. Most people with knee joint arthritis (majority with inner knee pain) is secondary to flat feet or poor arch support.

Why do people get back pain when they wear high heels and stand or walk for longer durations? It's because the foot and the footwear play a huge role in aligning the body form bottom to top!

There is a solution!

The first step is to correct the foot and ankle alignment (treat the root cause)

How?

Kinesiotaping to create a arch.

taping for plantar fasciitisKinesiotaping allows one to get the natural feel of the arch and it stimulates the small muscles of the feet and the calves to function better while supporting the arches. It also helps to train the brain to get used to the feeling of having a arch support and thereby enabling the whole process of Orthotic fitting in a much efficient way.

The next step is to get CUSTOM MADE ORTHOTICS fitted in a
orthotic on footproper footwear.

Now that you have the orthotics, you need to know how to wear them and allow the body to get used to it. Many people don't know how to wear them and they discard the orthotics due to the initial discomfort. Firstly, the kinesiotape will make the process smoother. Secondly, you must wear the orthotics only for a few hours in the beginning gradually increasing the time and frequency over a period of 3 to 4 weeks. You can also use ice packs in the beginning to reduce any soreness if any.

And the last step is to EXERCISE the muscles. An orthotic is a passive support and it has to be complimented with active exercises to maintain the alignment for longer duration.

Simple exercises like calf stretches, curling toes, walking barefoot on a beach can make the overall process of foot re-alignment a huge success!

towel grabbingbarefoot walkingcalf stretch

Call us to book your appointment today and get your FREE gait analysis and foot assessment.

Our chiropractor, Dr. Joy will assess you to find out if orthotics are right for you.

Brij, our Physiotherapist will do the kinesiotaping and the exercises.

**We will do 1 free re-assessment at 4 weeks from the fitting to find out if the orthotics and exercises are helping you and advice on any modifications if necessary.

Best in health,

Brij

Avocado Brownies – Yes. That is a Thing and it’s AWESOME!

avocado-brownies

Check out these WICKED Avocado Brownies by Precision Nutrition. Truthfully the ingredients are a bit hard to find (I had to make a trip to the grocery store to pick up a few of these things) but well worth it.

If you don’t already, follow Precision Nutrition. Now. The founder, John Berardi is the man.

Nutrition is one of the most important things when it comes to positively impacting your health. If you want to get started on your health gains, don’t wait. Give me a call or email to book your first appointment today.