Wellbeing

Impact One, Impact Millions

It’s something that I think of daily: what we do today and the choices we make accumulate, and they not only effect ourselves but have the potential to impact the lives of millions in the future. 

When I’m at the office adjusting families it’s easy to see this principal at work.  I’m honoured to have such a rewarding occupation to really impact the lives of many people.  But I've found it’s easy to forget how big of an impact I can have when I’m at home mothering taking care of two kids.

In my opinion being a parent is the single most important job: you literally shape kids into the future leaders of the world.  Think about it: their aspirations, their confidence, positive self talk, how they handle stressful situations, and the love they have for themselves and for others…that all comes from us the parents. 

Let’s nurture our future little leaders into the great human beings that they are.  I'd like to share one simple thing I do that was inspired from Robin Sharma’s book ‘The Greatness Guide’.  Each night as part of our bedtime routine, we say a little mantra to the kids just so that the last thing they hear is inspiring and loving.  It’s four sentences: ‘mommy and daddy love you more than you’ll ever know’, ‘we will always be here for you as long as we live’, ‘you can be anything in the world that you want to be’, and ‘whatever you do, you do it well’.  Simple, yet profound.  My new favourite thing to hear: ‘me do it well’.  Melts my heart.

Want to know another thing I love to hear my kids say?  ‘My body will heal it’. 

Being a health care provider, one of the most important ideas to nurture in my kids is that their body is amazing and that health comes from within.   Anytime there is a scrape, or bump or bruise they know: their body will heal it.  They already have the big picture painted for them, the foundation, the principal: their body is a self healing, self regulating, intelligent organism.  They have confidence in the intelligence of the body, not doubt, and we always show love and trust in the process, not fear. 

Raising healthy happy kids is simple… it’s not easy, but it is simple.  It's about clearly defining your values and beliefs, and not only preaching but practicing them as well.  I am quite certain that in the future my kids won't reach for an Advil at the first sign of a fever, but they will honour that process and take care of their body when they have symptoms, as well as when they don't have symptoms with regular wellness chiropractic care, eating foods that their body was designed to eat, and getting proper movement and rest.

I do realize that soon both of my kids will be in school and it’s quite possible that teachers and friends may not share the same values and beliefs that I have, but the point is that I laid the foundation.  And at the end of the day, when issues come up, we’ll learn to talk through them, keep an open mind and make informed decisions.

Most importantly, never forget just how much of an impact on the world you can have by being an awesome parent.  You really do have the opportunity to impact millions! 

Impact one, impact millions.

…now if I could just get them to stay sitting for one meal that would be a miracle!...

Contact Dr. Kara at drkara.acg@bellnet.ca

Book your families first visit:  705.734.9520

Baby Wearing: A Chiropractic Perspective

Written by: Dr. Kara Hoffsuemmer

Whether at home, or on the move, many busy parents are choosing to wear their baby in a form of cloth carrier to keep them close and comforted.  Undoubtedly wearing your child is the best option for the baby, but is it the best option for the posture and spinal function of the parent?  Let’s take a close look at all the options from a chiropractic perspective.

I often say ‘structure dictates function’; the structure of the spine determines how well the nervous system can function.  If the structure (the spine) is compromised by a stress that the body can’t fully adapt to (the stress could be physical, chemical or emotional), then the body’s overall ability to be healthy is compromised.  In the case of carrying a baby we are talking about the stress of irregular repetitive postures.

Let’s take a look at the options out there to carry your baby:

1. The Stroller:  Definitely the most convenient and stress free option for the parent, but the greatest downfall with a stroller is the loss of parent to baby contact that is so important for a new babies physical, emotional, social and neurological development. 
2. The Car Seat:  Although this is the most widely used carrier for sake of convenience, I’m going to say that this is the worst option for mother and baby.  Getting the seat out of the car and carrying it around leads to torsion and twisting of the spine which can compromise the function of the nervous system and lead to injury.  Leave that car seat in the car! 
3. Baby Wearing:  Baby wearing means the infant is held close and tight to the parent by a form of cloth carrier.  There are many benefits of baby wearing for both the parents and the child.  Benefits to the baby are a healthy neurological and emotional development as well as varied baby positioning (since so often they spent too much time on their backs).  Benefits to the parent include emotional bonding with the child, as well as limiting unbalanced torsion and strain on the spine.

Baby Contact Importance

A baby spends nine months inside the mothers womb.  He/she is warm, cuddled tightly, hears their mothers voice constantly, and experiences constant motion.  Ahhhh, sheer bliss!  …And then they are born.  For so many babies their first experience out in the world is a complete 180 from what they are used to: cold room, bright lights, loud noises, and taken from mom right away for their first exam on a cold table.   If you were lucky enough to experience a warm water birth and were able to bring your baby to your chest for him/her to stay for at least 5 min allowing for him/her to naturally find their way to your breast, well, a big high five to you mama!

There is loads of research out there documenting the importance of the continued contact and motion, warmth, and physical contact.  Separating the infant into an apparatus where the baby cannot feel, smell and touch is stressful, and a stressful environment will impair neurological development. 

Best for Support

          Without any support, a baby gets heavy and can be awkward as you shift from side to side.  The great thing about most carriers is they take the burden off of your arms and positions the baby more in the center of your body distributing the weight of baby around your body to minimize the lateral forces.  Less torsion equals less stress on your spine and nervous system. 

Considerations for the Mother

          A very important consideration for the moms out there: the hormone relaxin that relaxes the pelvic ligaments and gets your body ready for delivery can be in your blood stream for up to 9 month post delivery.  So, postural adaptations like carrying around your baby, and constant sitting may adversely affect your spinal joints and your pelvis alignment.  Pay attention to your body and how it is feeling.  If you are placing undue stress on your spine it will eventually affect the function of your nervous system.  Regular chiropractic check-ups are a must during this period to reduce the stress on your spine and optimize your ability to adapt. 

Any Questions?

Contact Dr. Kara at drkara.acg@bellnet.ca

Call to Reserve your families first visit:

705.734.9520

As I was preparing for a recent speaking event I was deciding on a topic that the audience would be interested in… hmmmm, maybe how chiropractic helps with colic, or ear infections, or how it strengthens the immune system.  All very interesting and relevant topics but then I had a thought: am I really painting an accurate picture of chiropractic by relating it only to symptom relief? 

It’s true, our view of chiropractic in society is that it is just another ‘natural remedy’ for everything that is ‘wrong’ with us (or our children), but are we short-changing ourselves by viewing it this way and minimizing its true value?

One thing that a mentor of mine said that ultimately shifted my consciousness and forever changed my life was: “You can’t fight the darkness you have to turn on a light; you can’t fight disease, you have to turn on life”.  What does that mean?  So often in our society we give a lot of energy and attention to the ‘darkness’, or the ‘dysfunction, disease and symptoms’, instead of feeding the ‘light’ and nurturing health.  By our constant focus on the ‘darkness’, are we setting ourselves up for a mediocre life and mediocre health???

Ask yourself this question:  do you want to be rich or just not poor; do you want to be happy or just not sad; do you want to be healthy or just not sick? 

Let’s focus instead on the things that we want: exceptional health, an abundance of joy and love in your life, unbelievable wealth and personal fulfillment.  THESE are the entities, and the opposites are the non-entities: disease, darkness, sadness, lack or money…they only exist because of the absence of the entities (and because we give them attention). 

So, if you want to remove the darkness from a room, what would you do?  Turn on a light!  If you want to remove dis-ease from your body, what would you do?  Turn on Life!

That is what I do.  I am a human mechanic working with the amazing power of the nervous system to turn on life.  I’m not adjusting you because of what’s wrong with you, but instead, because of what’s right with you.  It’s not that I don’t care about your symptoms, sickness, or disease, but I am more concerned with returning your health not just back to mediocre, but to exceptional…and don’t we all deserve to be exceptional? 

"[T]he essence of life is the achievement of joy, *not* the escape from pain." - Ayn Rand

Any questions for Dr. Kara?  Connect via Keva website or

you can reach her at Anderson Chiropractic Group:

705.734.9520  x104

Drkara.acg@bellnet.ca

The rapidly developing nervous system of a newborn is subject to a myriad of stressors that can impact how the nerves get organized into functional units. These stressors can include the emotional state of the mother before the baby is born, labour and delivery, chemical stress from medications, and sensory stress from over or under stimulation.