Getting a good night's sleep...

We all know that a good night sleep does wonders for our health, but sleep can be elusive at times when we need it most. There are many times when we might need sleep, such as before an event like a triathlon or a big test. Others may find that they miss out on a few minutes every night, leading to overall sleep deprivation.

Picture fromhttp://konniehill.blogspot.com/2011/04/sleep.html 

I have complied a few tips for these common sleep ailments.

Pre-event sleep problems
Getting sleep is very important before any competition. Sometimes nerves can affect your sleep, I like to refer to this as the Christmas morning effect. You are so excited about getting up in the morning, it is hard to fall asleep. One of the biggest things to remember before a big event is to get plenty of sleep the night BEFORE the the night before the event, as strange as it sounds. This will lessen the effects of poor sleep the night before your event and ensure you have stores of energy. Another tip is to eat something that is easy to digest for dinner, a bowl of pasta  and vegetables with turkey cutlets would be just about perfect. Avoid caffeinated drinks after noon. Another important tip is not to try to force it, sleep is a passive act most of the time and 'trying' to sleep often fails, so relax and let it happen. If you have the resources, why not get a massage or see an acupuncturist to help you to calm down before your big day.


Sleep Deprivation problems
Long term lack of sleep is a big problem, and affects many aspects of day to day life. Aside from the well known mood alterations, lack of sleep can contribute to poor healing, increase the likelihood of illness, and may play a role in depression. Your brain literally doesn't function the same when you have sleep deprivation. Here are some tips for getting a good night's sleep:
- Pay attention to your sleep position. According to Mercola, The ideal position for sleep is on your back without a pillow or a very thin pillow. If you have pain in the neck or back in this position why not see your chiropractor to help solve this problem so that you can get to sleep.
- Avoid consuming alcohol. There is a common myth that alcohol will help you sleep, and while it may help you to fall asleep, studies have shown that it actually it may cause you to wake more often and earlier than if you didn't drink.
- Pay attention to your light exposure. Many people sleep better in the dark, however there have been studies that show that increasing your exposure to sunlight during the day can intensify the affect of the dark in the evening. So take a walk during lunch and get some sun on your body.
- Use some natural supplements. Two natural substances have been well documented to help the efficacy of sleep, L-Tryptophan and Valerian. Both of these have been shown to help people fall and stay asleep, without the side-effects of prescription sleep medications. Remember when using natural supplements, the effects will take a while to show themselves. For example Valerian root may take a few weeks to really show it's effectiveness.
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Varying the time you go to bed and rise from day to day may actually confuse your body. If you want to try to get more sleep on the weekend try napping in the mid-morning instead of sleeping in and it will play less havoc with your body's daily rhythms.
- Know when to seek help. This is important in any health problem, because not paying attention to your symptoms and avoiding professional help may actually make your problem worse. If you have tried many of the previous suggestions and nothing seems to help you should strongly consider seeing a sleep specialist. Especially if you have the following symptoms:

• Persistent daytime sleepiness or fatigue
• Loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Frequent morning headaches
• Crawling sensations in your legs or arms at night
• Inability to move while falling asleep or waking up
• Physically acting out dreams during sleep
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times 

As always these suggestions are not comprehensive and should be discussed with your doctor.

In health-

Dr. Bramble

What is chiropractic and who should I see...

What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a branch of healthcare that is focused on diagnosing you using neurological and orthopedic tests, and manually treating the joints of the body using controlled quick shallow impulses. Many people associate chiropractors with back health, though there is more to chiropractic than just back health as we are knowledgeable about much more than the spine. The reason we have a spine is the same reason we have a skull, to protect our nervous system. The motion of your spine directly influences the ability of your nervous system to relay information from the body to the brain and vice versa. The controlled impulses of a chiropractor, often called ‘adjustments’, help the spine to function optimally and thereby help the nervous system to work optimally.

Each chiropractor may have a variation of what they focus on. Some chiropractors focus on wellness, promoting a healthy nervous system by keeping the spine’s motion up. Others are more concerned with injury recovery and increased performance. I enjoy working with people to overcome injuries and enjoy working with arm, leg and foot issues.

Okay, I want be adjusted, how do I know which chiropractor to go to?

This is a great question. I have always believed that the choice of doctor to go to is nearly as important as going to see them in the first place. When choosing any healthcare provider (be they personal trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor, medical doctor, or dentist) I would advise you to pick one that makes you feel listened to, informed and that you trust. Read about them online, call with questions or schedule a consultation to meet with the doctor before you choose who to see.

I was lucky as a child to see a pediatrician, Charles Fuchs, M.D., who always informed me of what he found, what he recommended, and nearly as importantly, why he recommended what he did. This empowerment of my own health, is what has always lead my healthcare choices, and eventually to my career. I never left his office feeling confused or forced into a treatment I didn’t agree with even as a young child.

When choosing whose hands to put your body in, make sure you do a little research first. Any reputable doctor should be able to answer any of your question, you should feel free to decline any proposed treatment, and they should have other options should you decline the proposed treatment. I encourage my patients to ask questions and to take control of their healthcare. Because of this openness I was able to address the mild plantar fasciitis of a patient who originally came in for neck pain.

Chiropractic shouldn’t be painful, unless you want that pain. Yes it is manual care, and there may be moments of discomfort, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you experience pain, let your doctor know, and they should have options for you to decrease or eliminate the pain.

If you have any questions about who to see, you can email me or call me at The Off-Season 978-688-6181

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Dr. Adam Bramble, D.C.

Chiropractic trumps medication for neck pain!!

The Annals of internal medicine recently published a study which came to the conclusion that people with acute or sub-acute neck pain have better outcomes with chiropractic adjustments than with medication. Another treatment that helped was at home exercises. ABC news had an informative short segment about this study, you can watch the video here.

Image from fun2wap.com

What does this mean? Medications do not affect the underlying cause of the pain. Chiropractic and home exercise not only help you to feel better they help to protect your neck from further injury. Many neck pains are caused by issues with the neck muscles or with joints of the neck. These issues are not going to be affected with medication.

The take home message, if you have neck pain, rather than reaching for a pill go see a chiropractor, and get some home exercises, you'll feel better sooner and for longer.

A good reason for your whole family to start the new year with more exercise

A recent study has shown that children's performance in the classroom may be linked to how active they are. This study looked at 14 previous papers and the data gathered from over 12,000 kids. We have known for a long while that the more active a child is the more healthy they are, but now we are shown a link between physical fitness and mental performance. For any parent looking for a way to increase their child's performance in school this is low cost way to help.

Picture from carechildhealth.com

This is where you might ask "But how do I get my kids to exercise?". Some may point to the increase in video games, TV and other pressures of our modern life makes it difficult to get kids to exercise. However, the task of getting kids to exercise may be easier to do than you think. According to a 2007 study parents who exercise are likely to have kids who exercise. So the combined point, showing your family that being active is one of your priorities will help them get motivated to be active as well.

Keeping your New Year's resolution to exercise more may be a way to help you children in school and feel good about yourself at the same time.

If you live in the North Andover area, why not check out Beta O Fitness now at Off-Season Sports to get a start on your new exercise plan. For any aches and pains that may happen with your new exercise routine, why not see a Chiropractor.