If you are the one who read my last column Three Easy Steps to Avoid Back Pain, then you’ll immediately observe two things about these week’s column. First, I’m continuing to use the formula of  “#” + “adjective” + the word “steps” as a means of titling my column. Second, you’ll observe that I have decided to keep this column short and sweet. (This is due more to a lack of time on my part than any stroke of genius that I may have had about realizing people weren't reading my long winded, self-deprecating articles about falling down stairs or riding in the back of a police car). So here it …

Morning stretches are a great way to warm up for the day and keep your back healthy. Flexibility is a key ingredient to overall spinal health. Keep in mind that stretches are to be performed slowly and mindfully. The goal is to gently wake up your spine - not shock it into submission. I prefer to stretch in a quiet area by myself. For some, this time may be the only time they have during the day to enjoy a moment of peace. These are three stretches that I give to a lot of my patients to prevent low back pain, sciatica, and vertebral disc injury. Knees to Chest: While lying on your back, bend …

I have been accused of making up good stories for good fodder, but I assure you that these are real life events. You can’t make this stuff up. This week is no exception. The below incident is a real life event that happened only last Saturday morning. So there I was: Standing in front of a police car on the side of the road in downtown Essex with both hands high in the air, legs spread apart and  being “patted down” by an officer for a weapon. My wife was standing next to the car and my kids were peering out the back. Traffic was driving by, but at an ever so slowly pace as the curious …

My friend and I had driven to New Hampshire to ski. After half a day, we were both tired, sore, and cold. I like skiing in powder, but when it gets to zero degrees due to the wind chill I start to get persnickety about being outside. That was why we were in the gondola line. We were looking for a reprieve from the weather. “This is the snow we’ve been waiting for,” the man said, bursting into the gondola behind us. I could barely see his face, hidden behind his goggles, ski helmet and icicle-caked beard. He looked like half-Woodstock participant, half-Santa Claus. “They call me the Igloo-man…

(No one got hurt during the making of this column, but one ego was badly bruised). On a recent Friday afternoon, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a middle-aged man, dressed in full sledding gear and large winter boots, made a small but drastic miscalculation while standing at the top of his second floor stairway. His boots were wet and the floor was polished. His right foot slipped downward off the first step which caused his left foot to kick out forward - high into the air - above his waist. His head flung backwards and for a brief moment, a very brief moment, he experienced complete freedom …

Last time we talked about the importance of having proper neck posture and how failure to do so can result in breathing disorders. This time, we are going to piggyback (pun intended) on this topic and visit a recent study that shows how having a hyperkyphosis (hunch back) may interfere with the longevity of life. Hyperhyphosis is an exaggerated or increased curve of the midback. This is often associated with the posture of the elderly or seen earlier in people with Scheuermann’s Disease. Unfortunately, this posture is becoming more common among all citizens due to poor postural habits created…

Last week I explained how Structure influences Function and one of the most common postural problems I see is in patients is when the head is placed too far forward of the shoulders. This is called forward head posture or FHP. FHP and can cause many unwanted health problems. It may be easy to see why FHP can cause increased stress on the upper back and shoulders, which may further manifest as headaches and nerve impingement (you can read my recent blog See-saw with an elephant for further explanation), but did you also know that forward head posture may diminish your ability to breathe? The …

My wife and I swore we would never do it. We just couldn't picture it. We weren't "that sorta folks" we told ourselves. But, last year we finally made the plunge. I was kicking and screaming the whole way, but after a lot of test drives and much deliberation we finally did it. We bought a minivan. Why? It functions so well at meeting our needs. Automatic doors. Easy access to the kids. Cargo room. Better miles per gallon than most SUV's. And it is comfortable to drive. The draw back - it looks like a minivan. The structure of a minivan is just not as appealing as other cars. A minivan is not …

If you happen to be one of the two people (and that's counting my wife) who have been reading this column, then you know I have tried to make this column about health topics and to give some kind of relevant advice. I'm not even saying that the advice has been good - just relevant. But this week, instead of boring you with scientific rhetoric, I have decided to tell you an embarrassing story about myself. To further lure you in, I've included a cute picture of some kids that has nothing to do with the story other than the fact that the cute kids are my daughters. To meet the health tip quota …

About once a week I have a different person coming into my office complaining about pain on the bottom of their feet. First, let me start by saying I feel their pain. Or in this case, I felt their pain - I use to have the same problem. Years of running without proper footwear caused mine. The good news is that this type of pain is usually very easy to diagnose and can often times be managed with proper treatment. The bad news is that the pain can become chronic and quite severe if not managed properly. I recall one patient telling me that he had not been able to play tennis with his wife for …

Question: Why does a chiropractor from Hamilton teach his patients about the daily routines of astronauts in outer-space? Answer: To help his patients protect themselves against the development and worsening of osteoarthritis. Ok, it is a little weird that I am that chiropractor and I am talking about myself in the third person, but it is a pretty catchy start to what might be considered by some to be a boring topic - arthritis. If you can stay with me here through the science mumbo-jumbo, I think you like like what you learn. So here it goes.. It is called Wolff's Law. Back towards the end …