Coastal Wellness

04/14/2015

03/05/2015

Posture and your child.

“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree” William Garner Sutherland (1873 – 1954) Founder of Cranial Osteopathy

A growing body of evidence shows that poor posture in childhood can lead to a lifetime of chronic pain, fatigue, and low self­ esteem. Children naturally imitate the behaviour of adults around them. If you care about your posture, so will your children. But that isn’t the only reason to take care of your own posture, you will be a more energetic and pain­-free parent as a result.

“School age children spend a growing amount of their free time watching TV or playing with hand­held devices. Many people have unsupportive furniture in their living rooms, leaving children mould their spines to the shape of the sofa and reinforcing their bad habits. In most cases, kids often hunch over when they are executing a task, walking, or even seated. This is compounded by sitting all day and carrying weighty backpacks at school. With time, the adverse effects add up to severe problems later in life.

Good posture is when your child’s back has the least amount of strain placed on it through keeping bones and joints aligned properly, allowing muscles to be used properly as well. Good posture naturally happens when the upper body’s muscles are balanced in strength and used uniformly. Bad posture can result in stress on the spine at certain levels. For instance the slouched position can put a lot of unnecessary loading on the middle back spinal region, which can lead to jutting forward of the head and jaw. This then leads to headaches and the inability to concentrate. This slumped posture can also effect the efficiency of breathing and gut motility. Poor posture also can put strain on the low back, as poor posture goes hand in hand with poor lifting and carrying techniques.

Correct posture is more than just sitting and standing upright. It means that the bones in your spine and associated muscles and fascia are properly aligned so that your body can function at its full potential. With your spine in correct position, the muscles can function as they were designed. Osteopathic care can correct poor posture by fixing musculoskeletal misalignments.

A body that is properly aligned can then move and function as a unit as nature intended. Postural exercises can re­train your muscles to help hold you in proper position. Good posture allows your nervous system to function correctly which results in more energy, increased strength and endurance, improved sleep, and better overall health and sports performance.

Besides musculoskeletal adjustments, an osteopath can address your lifestyle ergonomics and give you specific stretches and exercises. By taking care of your posture, you are taking care of your health. Remember to tell your family and children about their posture. The younger you are when you start, the easier the change will be and you are likely to prevent problems in the future

http://www.osteogoodhealth.com/posture-and-your-child/

Call to book an initial assessment and treatment. Make an appointment today!
604-368-8799

01/28/2015

Headaches and Osteopathy

Headaches are a major medical complaint and Osteopathy can help!
Common causes of headaches:
- Usually originating from the neck
- Neck injury such as whiplash from a car accident
- Stress
- Poor posture due to our jobs
- Eyestrain, sinus congestion, neck injury such as whiplash from a
car accident
- Jaw misalignment

Mechanism causing headaches:
- Increase in the muscular tension at the base of the skull with
pain locally or referred to the forehead and eye area
- The tightened muscles and joint restrictions of the neck that are
usually due to poor posture, injury or stress reduce mobility and
irritate the nerve and blood vessels

How can Osteopathy help?
- An osteopath has the skills and knowledge to assess your
complaint and decide the most effective course of action
- They assess structural changes that may lead to immobility and
dysfunction
- A thorough physical examination is done via observation and
palpation to form a diagnosis
- Improve joint mobility
- Reduce muscular tension
- Reduce nerve irritation
- Improve blood supply and drainage to and from the neck and
head

An Osteopathic Practitioner will help prevent future headaches with advice on posture, exercises and stretching.
Come in to book an initial assessment and treatment. Make an appointment today!
604-368-8799

09/16/2014

An Osteopathic Manual Practitioner works to realign the musculoskeletal system, investigating why there is a problem in the boney framework and how it can be related to the physical problem.

Come in for a FREE 15 minute consult or book an initial assessment and treatment. Make an appointment today!
604-368-8799

09/09/2014

Something as simple as sitting on your wallet can be causing you low back pain!

09/09/2014

Welcome to our page! The clinic is conveniently located in Vancouver on West 10th Avenue, between Alma Street and Highbury Street, on the north side. We are easily accessible by foot, bike, bus and car. Patients from all areas of the Lower Mainland such as Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Burnaby and Surrey are treated. If you are looking for an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy makes extensive use of manual diagnosis and treatment guided by the osteopath’s hands and principles. Osteopathy emphasizes on the interrelationship between structure and function of the body. Osteopaths use manual therapy and they find health, rather than focus on disease. Osteopathic treatment works to restore proper body mechanics, nerve impulses and the circulation of body fluids. Fundamental principles of Osteopathy are:
- The body is a complete unit (mind, body and spirit)
- Structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) are interrelated
on all levels
- The body is self healing and self regulating

What is an Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT)?
Osteopathic Manual Therapists study the human body and imbalances in the human structure that contribute to or are directly related to the development and/or maintenance of disease. The role of manual osteopaths is to encourage this self-healing capacity through manual treatment. The human body is self-regulating and self-healing and will strive for health if given a chance. This occurs by removing obstructions that interfere with the proper nutrition and drainage of the body’s tissue.

Who can benefit from Osteopathic Manual Treatment?
Osteopathic manual treatment relies on restoring and stabilizing proper mechanics, posture, and neuro-physiological balance. It co-ordinates and integrates various parts, regions, and systems of the body. Osteopathic manual therapy helps with just about everything and anyone from infants to the elderly can benefit. This is because treatments are gentle, non-invasive and there are no high velocity low amplitude movements.
These are just some of the common conditions that can be treated:
- headaches/ migraines
- back pain
- digestive problems
- circulatory problems
- and much more….
An Osteopathic manual practitioner’s goal is to realign the musculoskeletal system and search for the physical cause, which is creating the problems and effects. If you are looking for an Osteopathic manual practitioner, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Your First Visit
- Your first visit will consist of a complete health history where the
practitioner will listen to your specific complaints, previous
injuries and any additional factors involved.
- Than a full physical assessment will be performed through the
use of palpation techniques and physical testing to determine
where the dysfunction(s) lie.
- After the assessment, the practitioner will discuss their findings
and begin a treatment plan, which is most suitable for you and
your lesion.

What results can I expect and how many visits will it take before I see results?
Patients typically notice improvements within a short time frame, usually within 4 to 6 visits. In many cases, only a few visits are required for complete restoration of function. In others, a more prolonged approach is needed, perhaps 10-15 visits. And in a few, chronic palliative care is required

09/08/2014

What is Osteopathy?