Are you Sleeping?

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Getting a restful night’s sleep is one of the most important ways to reduce stress and ensure optimal health.
Without adequate sleep, you may be more likely to experience weight gain, elevated blood pressure and decreased immune function. According to Harvard Medical School, sleep difficulties are common, affecting about 75 percent of people at least a few nights every week.1 In this Wellness Express newsletter, we will discuss the top things you can do to build a sleep sanctuary to promote healthy and restorative sleep.

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Improve Sleep Hygiene & Pre-Sleep Routine

Sleep hygiene encompasses the many different practices you can perform to experience normal, quality nighttime sleep and optimal daytime alertness.
The National Sleep Foundation states that the following practices can improve your sleep hygiene and overall health: Avoiding excessive daytime napping, avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine and food consumption too close to bedtime, getting sufficient exercise (especially in the morning) and eating your largest meal around midday. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine is another important aspect of sleep hygiene. Reading for only short periods before bed, banishing television sets, computers, smart phones, and other electronic devices from your bedroom, and avoiding emotionally charged conversations before turning in are helpful strategies to promote healthful sleep. Another important pre-sleep ritual you may find helpful and refreshing is foot washing. Washing your feet before bed feels great and helps keep your sheets clean.

Update Your Mattress and Pillows

If your mattress and pillows are getting on in age, consider updating them with newer versions. You spend about one-third of your life in bed, so choosing a healthy and comfortable mattress and pillow are among the most important long-term health investments you can make. Your chiropractor can council you on the most beneficial mattresses and pillows for your specific health situation. For optimal health, and to enhance the quality of your
sleep sanctuary, consider mattresses and pillows constructed from natural materials. Certain materials, such as natural latex and wool, do not off-gas (unlike petrochemical products) and are
resistant to dust mites.

Banish Streetlight & Noise

Banishing streetlight and noise is another important strategy in building your sleep sanctuary. Light-proof window coverings can help keep light out, but it is also important to find a way to allow natural light into your bedroom in the early morning – to help maintain a healthy sleep and wake cycle. Removing all sources of indoor light (blinking phones, continuously lit
alarm clocks, etc.) is important, too. A 2009 article published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives states that light pollution can disrupt your circadian rhythms and have
long-term adverse effects on your health.
Reducing your exposure to street noise when sleeping is also important.
According to a 2006 study published in the Croatian Medical
Journal, urban dwellers living in noisy areas have a greater risk for sleep disturbances than people living in quieter areas.  Also there may be an association between residential road traffic noise exposure and hypertension (high blood pressure) notes a 2007 study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Optimize Room Temperature

Find a room temperature that works well for you or you and your partner and select bedding that helps with thermoregulation. Certain sheets, such as bamboo sheets, are absorbent, breathable, and thermoregulating, due to the structure and the expanding and contracting nature of the fibers with varying temperatures.
Consider Room Design
Room design is a crucial part of building a comfortable and serene sleep sanctuary. Consider keeping your bedroom free of clutter, as clothes and nonessential bedroom items may distract you from resting. Use lamps for lighting instead of overhead lights.
Warm, dim light, which mimics nighttime, is best. Rugs and wall hangings can help soften your bedroom’s acoustics and soothing colors or patterns can help you achieve feng shui balance in your bedroom. Feng shui principles also suggest keeping the area underneath your bed open and clutter-free.

GMO Candy?

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The more we learn about where our food comes from, the more we’re learning about GMO foods. (genetically modified organisms)

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that GMO’s can’t be good for your body.

With Halloween tomorrow, we found this great graphic from The Give Project.

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We also found some basic information about GMO’s if you’re new to the term.   8 Reasons GMOs are BAD for you.

The Long & Short of Leg-Length Inequality

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Introduction

Leg-length inequality, also known as lower limb length discrepancy, is a condition in which the length of one of
your legs is different from the other (i.e., either shorter or longer). Leg length inequality may be classified as functional (i.e., involving muscles and posture) or anatomical (i.e., involving
bone or cartilage abnormalities).
Leg-length inequality may cause lower extremity and spine problems, including knee pain and low back pain, and it may be associated with lumbar spine scoliosis. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a leg-length inequality of approximately 1 2/3 inches or 4 cm in an average
adult may cause easily observable gait abnormalities.1 Your chiropractor can assess your lower limb length and make appropriate treatment recommendations for your unique situation

Anatomical Inequality

An anatomical leg-length inequality is a structural variation in lower limb length, which means that there is a true difference in the length of your leg bones or other leg structures. Causes of anatomical leg-length inequalities can be further subdivided into two categories; those that shorten a limb and those that lengthen a limb. Congenital growth deficiencies, infections that infiltrate your epiphysis (the end part of a long bone) and growth plate fractures, among other problems, can cause lower limb shortening. Lower limb lengthening may be caused by
rare conditions, such as hemihypertrophy, that encourage enlargement of one or more structures on one side of your body. A 2005 article published in the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy
states that some degree of anatomical leg-length inequality is present in almost every person, though the variation usually is small in most people.

Functional Inequality

A functional leg-length inequality occurs when your legs are the same length, but another condition or problem, such as pelvic tilting, creates the appearance of one leg being longer or shorter than the other.image_thumb (2)

 

 

 

 

 

Other possible causes of a functional leg-length inequality include excessive ankle pronation on one side, hip dislocation, and one-sided genu varum and valgum (bowleg and knock knee, respectively). A 2000 article published in the journal Gait & Posture notes that a functional leg-length inequality may also be caused by rigid or dynamic contracture (i.e., loss of normal joint movement due to injury or scarring in nearby supporting muscles and other structures) of one of your lower limb joints. Certain environmental factors may also contribute to a functional
leg-length inequality, including banked running surfaces (e.g., crowned roads) and excessive shoe sole wear and tear.

Assessing Leg-Length Inequality

Your chiropractor may be able to determine the degree of your leg-length inequality by visual inspection in combination with certain manual tests. In some cases, though, your chiropractor
may order a scanogram to better assess your precise leg length dimensions.
A scanogram is a radiographic (x-ray) technique in which images are taken of your hips, knees, and ankles in sequential order while you are standing to discover the underlying location or cause of your leg-length discrepancy or symptoms. According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, a full-length standing radiograph of the lower extremities may be an even better approach than a scanogram for assessing leg-length inequalities, as it allows for a more comprehensive evaluation while reducing radiation exposure.

How Chiropractic Can Help

Your chiropractor will treat your leg-length inequality using different techniques, depending on whether the discrepancy is caused by anatomical or functional factors. For an anatomical leg-length inequality, your chiropractor may suggest you wear a full-length (i.e., heel-to-toe) lift to compensate for the discrepancy. A full-length lift (or a built-up, full-length shoe sole) allows your foot to remain on a flat surface and helps reduce low back pain and other low back problems. For a functional leg-length inequality, your chiropractor may adjust your spinal and sacroiliac joints and perform soft tissue work to release any tight, shortened muscles.

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