7 Signs You Need Acupuncture This Spring

acupunctureWritten by Sara Calabro

Spring is here! Yes! Except for the fact that many people don’t feel so hot this time of year.

The flu is—knock on wood—mostly behind us.  Allergies have not quite exploded yet. So, why do so many of us feel off in the early days of spring?

You can kindly thank your Liver!

In acupuncture theory, humans are viewed as microcosms of the natural world that surrounds them. Seasons—particularly the transitional periods, when we move from one season to the next—factor significantly into how we feel.

Each season is linked with an organ system in the body, and spring’s system is Liver. This means that the Liver, as it adjusts to taking over the seasonal reigns, is especially vulnerable.

When the Liver is vulnerable, the functions throughout the body for which the Liver is responsible have a tendency to get out of whack.

Eventually, spring can become a time when the Liver and its associated functions thrive. However, during this transitional period, when the Liver is still finding its footing, certain symptoms commonly show up. Acupuncture improves these symptoms by restoring balance to the Liver system.

Here are seven signs that your Liver may need some acupuncture love:

You feel extra tense

In acupuncture, Liver is the system that’s responsible for smooth flow throughout the body. When the Liver is not functioning optimally, things like emotional stress, rigid posture, shallow breathing, and jaw clenching may become exacerbated.

You have headaches and other aches and pains

When things aren’t flowing smoothly, we start to experience what acupuncturists think of as stagnation-type symptoms. These include pain, and specifically pain that feels like pressure, tightness or restriction. Tension headaches and menstrual cramps are commonly worse this time of year.

Your muscles are really stiff

The Liver and its associated system, Gallbladder, nourish the body’s connective tissue, tendons and ligaments. You may notice increased stiffness, tension or tightness in your muscles and joints in the coming weeks.

You feel irritable and frustrated

Are you feeling more annoyed than charmed by the springtime sound of chirping birds? The emotional symptoms associated with Liver imbalances mimic the physical stagnation that happens. You may notice yourself feeling extra irritable or frustrated, perhaps more easily annoyed. There’s an emotional stuckness that can take hold in spring.

Your fuse is shorter than usual

All organ systems in acupuncture have an associated emotion. Liver’s emotion is anger. A healthy dose of anger helps complete a balanced emotional profile. However, when the Liver isn’t appropriately keeping things in check, there is a tendency for anger to rise up. Along with feeling irritable, you may have a harder time than usual controlling your anger.

Your digestion is messed up

Healthy digestion is heavily dependent on consistent and smooth movement throughout the whole body. When the Liver fails to maintain flow, digestive disturbances can easily occur. There’s also the whole brain-gut connection. When emotional stress is higher than usual, digestive function naturally declines.

To read the complete article – click here.

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What is Laser Therapy?

klaserLaser therapy is a non-invasive medical treatment that uses a specific type of light that is turned into very specific wavelengths. Laser stands for: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

This type of laser therapy utilizes red infrared light on areas of injury or wounds in order to mend the soft tissue and give relief from acute and chronic pain.

Photons (a particle that carries energy proportional to the radiation frequency) of light energy are absorbed by the injured cells, and transformed into biochemical energy within those cells. This converted energy increases the production of new proteins needed for cellular repair.

Lasers modalities are classified according to their power output:

  • Class 3b—maximum of 500 milliwatts/0.5 watts
  • Class 4—anything over 500 milliwatts/0.5 watts

Power is a crucial factor when it comes to laser therapy. Power is measured in watts. A higher-powered laser is a brighter light, and  can produce more energy per unit of time. When it comes to doing laser therapy treatment, a higher-powered laser (Class 4) provides the benefit of having a brighter light, which penetrates deeper into the tissues, which enables the practitioner to treat deep-seated pain conditions.

The Class IV K-Laser used at Diversified health utilizes these three infrared wavelengths, allowing for deep penetration into the body.

  • 800 nanometers penetrates the deepest
  • 905 nanometers most efficiently targets the hemoglobin molecule
  • 970 nanometers most efficiently stimulates micro-circulation in the tissues

Some conditions that may typically be treated by laser therapy include:

  • Acute injuries, such as strains, sprains, knee and neck pain and shoulder injuries
  • Repetitive-use injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis
  • Traumatic injuries, such as post-motor vehicle accident with cervical back strain/sprain
  • Chronic issues such as frozen shoulder, arthritis and fibromyalgia pain

Laser therapy treatments help the body to stimulates the production of ATP (a molecule that carries energy), and the cells use this energy to bring in nutrition and remove toxins. It also stimulates formation of collagen which is needed to repair injured tissue, and decreases pain by stimulating nerve cells, which block pain caused by inflammation.

Laser light increases the formation of blood vessels and increases circulation, while also increases the effectiveness of the lymphatic system by reduce swelling and bruising.

If you have any questions about how the Class IV K-Laser can help your injury or condition, please contact the clinic at 250-382-0018.

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Prebiotics and Probiotics

www.marksdailyapple.comResearch shows the “gut” does more than just process food and fluids.  We have zillions of microorganisms living and thriving in our bodies which help defend against infections. To make sure your immune system can cope with the stresses of everyday life you need a healthy level of probiotics and prebiotics in your body.

After the age of 2, your gut flora becomes static. The bacteria that has been living within you from birth is now part of your genetic make-up and cannot be changed. There are over 10,000 unique species of good bacteria in our digestive system. Each of us has a unique number of bacteria that are as distinctive as a fingerprint.

What is a probiotic – The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Probiotics are found in fermented foods such as yogurts (with live, active cultures), sauerkraut, and pickles. Fermentation is the process of adding yeast to a food to change its structure, by breaking down sugars and starches.

Foods containing high amounts of probiotic include:

  • Yogurt (with live cultures)
  • Kimchi (a spicy fermented cabbage)
  • Dark chocolate
  • Pickles
  • Some soft cheeses (such as Gouda)
  • Sourdough bread
  • Fruits such as bananas and tomatoes
  • Vegetables like artichokes, green beans, leeks
  • Whole-grain breads
  • Honey

Most probiotics are destroyed by our stomach acid. Only a fraction, about 1% makes it to the intestines to grow. So a good rule of thumb is to choose a probiotic with the largest number of different organisms and the largest number of total organisms (bacteria or CFUs, probiotics are measured in CFU’s – colony forming units)

  • 10 different organisms, 40 Billion CFU
  • 10 different organisms, 200 Billion CFU
  • 8 different organisms, 450 billion bacteria
  • 8 different organisms, 900 billion bacteria

One of the most popular ways to introduce probiotics to your diet is by eating yogurt. It’s the live bacteria in the food you eat that make it full of healthy probiotics. Since heat destroys the bacteria, make sure the label on the yogurt says live or active cultures. Most yogurts are pasteurized, which kills the bacteria. Those yogurts with live cultures add them back in after the pasteurization process.

What is a prebiotic – Prebiotics are “the food” for probiotics. Taking prebiotics helps probiotics work more efficiently and stimulate the growth of bacteria. Prebiotics are found in fruits, vegetables, such as garlic, leeks, onions, and bananas.

How are these bacteria identified? The genus is the first word in a bacterium’s name; it’s the large group to which the bacteria belongs. The species is the type of individual bacteria. Some bacteria have several strains, or differentiations of the species, and this is identified by the last part of the name. Here are a couple examples of common bacteria:

  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus can be found in many yogurts and soft cheeses. It helps to convert lactose and other sugars into lactic acid.
  • Streptococcus thermophilus is a friendly bacteria are also used to make yogurts and cheeses.
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus helps convert lactose into lactic acid
  • Bifidobacteria is a family of bacteria that help prevent and treat various gastrointestinal disorders and infections.

Our health depends on factors such as what we eat and drink, how much stress is in our daily lives, and how much activity and exercise we get; taking prebiotics and probiotics will help keep our intestines healthy and help maintain our immune system.

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New Treatment Uses Electricity To Ease Pain

etoims10Written by: Art Carey, for The Inquirer

Crawford Hill is a mountaineer and rock climber who enjoys outdoor exercise. For the last three years, pain in his lower back has curtailed such pleasures. In fact, when he walks on level ground, he must stop and stretch every quarter-mile, and when he walks uphill, the pain brings him to a halt.

Seeking relief, Hill had back surgery last year and has tried stretching, physical therapy, epidurals, chiropractic, acupuncture, Feldenkrais, and cranial-sacral bodywork.  All to no avail.

Then his wife brought home a flier about a new treatment that uses electricity to reduce pain and awaken dormant muscles and nerves.

The technique is called eToims, which stands for electrical twitch-obtaining intramuscular stimulation (the T is capitalized because the “twitch” is the heart of the method). It is the brainchild of Jennifer Chu, a retired University of Pennsylvania physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and former director of the electro-diagnostic lab. She is now an emeritus associate professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Penn.

During her 31 years at Penn, Chu, 66, a physician as well as a professor, was always seeking ways to improve the diagnosis and care of patients suffering from neuromuscular pain. When she gave electromyography or EMG diagnostic tests, some patients experienced pain relief when she inadvertently hit acupuncture meridian points. So Chu studied and became licensed in acupuncture, but eventually became frustrated by hit-or-miss results that couldn’t be explained scientifically.

In 1990, Chu learned from a Canadian pain specialist that she could obtain superior results by aiming needles at tender muscles rather than acupuncture meridian points. She began using thicker EMG needles to probe those tender spots, and when manipulation of the needles caused her to develop repetitive stress injury, she invented, in 1995, a gun with an oscillating needle that made the method more efficient.

With the gun, which penetrates muscle with a needle three times in two seconds, she noticed that when she hit the right spot, the muscle twitched, and twitching led to pain relief. The problem with this mechanical technique was that it was uncomfortable, and achieving pain relief required plenty of luck as well as extensive knowledge of anatomy.

Chu kept experimenting. “To treat neuromuscular pain with mechanical stimulation is not sufficient,” she realized. “You need electrical stimulation because that’s how the nervous system works.”

Twitch or trigger points are at nerve and muscle meeting points. The “points” are “a zone of neuromuscular junctions called motor endplates,” Chu says, “and one has to find the spot within the zone that will twitch the best.”

Chu realized that surface electrical current could also be used to stimulate nerve-muscle junctions. But the conventional nerve-stimulation probe, whose electrodes are only 1 1/4 inches apart, deliver an electrical current that is too focused and often painful.

More experimentation led to the invention of the eToims stimulator and probe. Its electrodes are six inches apart, and the broad tips, two inches in diameter, are covered with a special fabric that absorbs water for conductivity. The treatment is noninvasive and painless, Chu says, and can provide pain relief for a broad range of ailments, from aching necks and tension headaches to tennis elbows and herniated discs.

The stimulation technology is patented, and Chu has published two papers about it in peer-reviewed journals. It differs from other electrical-stimulation methods such as TENS, which reaches only shallow muscles and blocks signals to the brain, Chu says; eToims can target individual muscles or groups of muscles, deep or shallow, with adjustable electrical current, from one to five seconds, facilitating regeneration of injured nerves and muscles, Chu says, by contracting, elongating, and opening the muscles.

Stanley Schwartz, 67, an emeritus Penn associate professor of medicine, sought eToims treatment after a red-eye flight last year that caused much neck, shoulder, and high back pain. After about 20 treatments, he experienced improvement, both immediately and over time. He suggests the electrical stimulation may “release endorphins in the nerve roots or spinal fluid.” Schwartz, who has a private practice in Ardmore, recommends eToims to his diabetes patients as well as to patients who complain of musculoskeletal pain.

The other day, I watched as Chu treated Hill, 62, a former Episcopal Academy biology teacher and wrestling coach who now runs an adventure travel business. As he lay on a therapy table, she applied the probe to his quadriceps muscles, and later to his gluteal muscles and hamstrings. When she moved the probe over certain spots, his muscles began twitching and contracting like a freshly caught mackerel jumping and flipping on the bottom of a rowboat.

“Nirvana” is how Hill described the feeling, “phenomenally pleasurable.”

Hill’s back problem, Chu said, stems from major muscles in the region that are tight, knotted, spasmodic, and hence ischemic – lacking blood flow. As a result, they are “asleep” and “frozen,” forcing Hill’s lower back to compensate when he walks and moves.

After more than a dozen sessions with Chu at her Ardmore treatment center he has more flexibility and can walk more comfortably, he says.

“Back pain doesn’t have to be a part of aging,” Hill says. “It’s a work in progress, but in measurable ways that it hasn’t been before.”

For more information visit: www.etoims.com.

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What is TENS?

tensTENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A TENS machine works by sending electrical pulses across the surface of the skin and along the nerve strands. It is a modality that can be safely used on multiple conditions.

TENS therapy can be used to treat muscle, joint, or bone problems.  Some of these conditions include:  bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, sports injuries, neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain.

When the body is injured, it responds to pain by “muscle guarding”. Muscle guarding is a protective response –  the bodies natural defense in attempting to immobilize the painful area by tightening the muscles. Muscle guarding impairs circulation in the injured and surrounding area; but can be treated through induced relaxation of the muscle.   TENS therapy can help break this pain cycle and aid in the normal healing process.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation uses low-voltage electrical current for pain relief.  The electricity from the electrodes stimulates the nerves in an affected area and sends signals to the brain that block the  normal pain signals. TENS unit aims to stimulate the sensory nerves, and by so doing, activate specific natural pain relief mechanisms.

When the TENS modality is switched on, the patient will experience a mild, pins and needles or tingling sensation where ever the TENS pad has been placed on the body. This electrical stimulation of the nerves may also help the body to produce natural painkillers called endorphins, which help block the perception of pain.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation sends a painless electrical current to specific nerves. The mild electrical current generates heat to relieve stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve pain.

The TENS modality is used by both Physiotherapist and Chiropractors and is usually used in a combination of treatments such as manual manipulation, cryo & thermal therapy and topical analgesic ointments.

If you should have any questions about TENS, please call our clinic at 250-382-0018 to discuss if this treatment is right for you.

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Why Go To A Physiotherapist?

iStock_000003913066Medium.jpg.1371742377.MVCACHE_LOREZIMAGE.0Why go to a physiotherapist? A physiotherapist is a health care professional that provides physical rehabilitation and pain relief to people with osteoarthritis, repetitive strain injury, whiplash and sports injuries. As primary health care professionals, physiotherapists combine knowledge of how the body works with clinical skills to diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.   A physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, and movement.

Physiotherapists are university trained medical professionals and primary care practitioners. This means that you do not need a doctor’s referral to see s physiotherapist.

If you have ever suffered from back pain, knee pain, neck strains, wrist and elbow pain, ankle or foot injuries and have used over-the-counter anti inflammatory, ointments, or ice, remember; if your pain persists more than one or two days, or if the injury is serious and affects your ability to perform day-to-day actions, you need to see a physiotherapist.

On your first visit  to a physiotherapist, the initial visit will take approximately 45 minutes. During this time the physiotherapist will talk with you about your medical history, including any medical conditions, ask about past and current injuries. The physiotherapist will then do a physical assessment and bio- mechanical exam to assess your movement and problem areas.  All of this information will help to determine the cause of your pain and dysfunction, and will help treat the injury most effectively and efficiently.  Subsequent visits can be approximately 30 minutes.

Types of therapies that physiotherapist use:

  • Cold laser therapy – Laser light therapy works by penetrating the laser light deeply into the skin, which stimulates cellular activity, helps to reduce inflammation, repairs tissue and accelerate the healing process.
  • eToims – is a surface electrical stimulation device that targets deep muscles to relieve myofascial pain and discomfort.
  • Ultrasound –  high-frequency sound waves are used to treat deep tissue injuries by stimulating blood circulation and cell activity, with the aim of reducing pain and spasms, as well as speeding up healing.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – device is used to deliver an electric current to the affected area, with the aim of relieving pain.
  • Manual therapy is a technique where a physiotherapist uses their hands to manipulate, mobilize and massage the body tissues.
  • Shockwave therapy – These high-energy mechanical pulses stimulate the breakdown of scar tissue and fibroblasts in the targeted area thus improving blood circulation and triggers an inflammatory response that promotes and stimulates healing.
  • Trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and/or intramuscular therapy (IMT)and uses dry needles to stimulate trigger points, diagnose and treat neuromuscular pain and functional movement deficits.

Please contact us at 250-382-0018 to find out if physiotherapy is right for you.

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Do You Suffer From Sitting Fatigue?

sittingDid you know that workplace stretching can improve flexibility and stop sitting fatigue in it’s tracks? Daily workplace stretching reduces pain, increases your circulation and strengthens your muscles.  So, if you are stuck behind a desk for any length of time, try incorporating these quick and easy stretches and exercises into your daily work schedule to stop the fatigue that is caused by too much sitting.

Stretches for Legs and Feet:

  • Stand in front of your desk; raise your heels off the floor and slowly lower them back down to the floor. This  stretch will help strengthen and lengthen your calf muscles.
  • Rotate your ankles in both directions for five seconds. Do three sets of five reps in each direction.
  • While sitting in your chair, lift your foot about 8 – 10 centimeters off of the floor; keeping your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position for as long as you are comfortable. Then, bring your knee up – giving your knee a big hug by pulling it toward your chest and hold for a few moments to feel the stretch. Alternate sides. This stretch will help keep your hips flexible, and will help to alleviate back pain.
  •  While sitting in your chair, extend your leg until it is level with your hip. Hold for 10-30 seconds then relax. Alternate sides. Leg extensions will help strengthen your core and help increase circulation.
  • To get relief from tight hamstring muscles, push your chair away from your desk and place one leg up on the edge of the desk. Flex your foot (toes pointed to the ceiling) and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and grasp your toes or knees and hold for several seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Seated knee raises target the quadriceps (or upper leg) muscles. Sit in your chair with your feet flat and your back straight against the back of the chair. Using leg strength only, extend your right leg straight. Hold your leg straight for 5 seconds and then lower your foot back down so it’s flat on the floor. Alternate your legs for 5 to 8 repetitions on each side.

Stretches for Arms and Hands:

  • Pump both of your arms over your head for 20 – 30 seconds. This is a great way to improve your circulation and increase your heart rate.
  • Raise your shoulder to your ear; hold and then relax. Repeat, alternating shoulders. Shoulder raises are a great way to release tension.
  • Stretch your arm out in front with  your palm facing the ceiling; and with your other hand, grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.  This wrist stretch helps to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • To relax tense hand muscles, start by making a fist, then spreading and wiggling your fingers on each hand for about 30 seconds, several times a day.

Stretches for your Core:

  • Sit straight in your chair and place your left arm behind your left hip, then twist to the left and hold.  Alternate sides, and then try crossing your legs and alternate twists toward the back of the chair.
  • Sit on the edge of your chair, stretch your arms out in front of you; keeping your back straight and contract your abdominal muscles.  This is a great abdominal stretch. Repeat 4 to 5 times.
  • Try the seated bicycle pedal. Sit in your chair, scooting down to the edge of the seat and support your upper body on the chair’s armrests. Then pretend you’re riding a bicycle, bringing each knee near the chest, keeping the abdominal muscles contracted.

Stability/Exercise Ball:

One of the best and easiest  changes you can make to your work station is to incorporate a stability ball.

  • Exercise or stability balls will forces proper spine alignment.
  • A stability ball causes to you to change your position often to balance, which will improve your balance, as well as strengthen your core muscles.
  • Sitting on a stability ball will keep the blood flowing and will increase your circulation and give you more energy throughout the day.
Remember that active sitting will strengthen your abdominal and back muscles, improve your balance, and increases core stability.
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Are Your Vitamins Working?

multivitamin-tabletsVitamins can be a hot topic. Some folks are pro vitamins while others feel they are a waste of money. One of the questions people always ask, is how do I know if my vitamins are working?

To really know if your vitamins are making a difference to your health, you would need to complete blood work before you started your regime of vitamins and then follow up several weeks later and compare the results.

But there are  a few things you can do right now.

First, is your body absorbing the vitamin?   Take this home test to find out.  Fill a glass with a cup of vinegar, drop your vitamin into the glass and wait for 30 minutes. If your vitamin has dissolved that’s a good indication that your stomach acids would work the same and the vitamin would be absorbed  easily into your body.  If the vitamin is still whole and sitting at the bottom of the glass, you might want to consider switching vitamin brands.

Second, vitamins don’t last forever, so remember to keep them in a dark, cool, dry place and keep an eye on the expiration date.

Thirdly, never take a new vitamin supplement without talking to your doctor or health care practitioner first. Here are some questions you should be asking:

  • How would this supplement help me, and how much should I take?
  • What does the research say about its benefits & what are the side effects?
  • Can I take it along with my other medications?
  • What are the best brands of this supplement in terms of quality, and how well they work?

Fourthly, you may also want to know whether your vitamins are natural or synthetic.

Look for products that contain the words “100 percent plant-based” or “100 percent animal-based” on the product’s label. Manufactures are allowed to use the term “natural” if at least 10 percent of the product comes from natural food sources.

If the product’s label does not contain a list of natural food sources, then the product is synthetic. Look for food sources such as yeast, fish, vegetable and citrus.

A synthetic salt is added to supplements to increase the stability of the vitamin or mineral. Look for these terms on the label: acetate, bitartrate, chloride, gluconate, hydrochloride, nitrate and succinate.

Here is list of common synthetic vitamins:

  • Vitamin A: Acetate and Palmitate
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B12: Cobalamin
  • Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
  • Vitamin D: Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol
  • Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate

If you are getting the recommended amount of nutrients by eating a variety of fruit, vegetables, cereals, dairy, and protein, there might be no additional benefit from taking a vitamin.  Remember that unless your health-care provider  or doctor tells you that you need more than 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of a particular nutrient, you probably shouldn’t exceed that limit.

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Physiotherapy Can Help Your Back Pain

Lower-Back-Pain-Treatment-NewmarketAccording to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, four out of five Canadians experience at least one episode of low back pain at some point in their life.

Physiotherapists focus on exercise, mechanics and posture, through customized treatments that work to increase your flexibility, strength, and endurance. Physiotherapists are effective in  helping to reduce acute and chronic pain.  There are three main types of back pain.

Localized pain is felt in the lower back and is restricted to a particular area on the body.

Radiating pain occurs when there is pain in the back and pain down the leg or foot, and is a sign that the nerve or nerve root is under pressure from either an injury or inflammation.

Referred pain is felt not only at the injured site, but also on different body areas, which is due to the fact that nerve signals from several areas of the body share the same nerve pathway leading to the spinal cord and brain.

Physiotherapists are skilled in manual therapy using precise hands-on techniques to relieve stiffness and improve movement of the joints and muscles. They incorporate movement exercises (Active physical therapy)that help restore motion and decrease radiating or referred pain; as well as progressive strengthening exercises that focus on increasing muscle strength, and function, while helping to increase core stability and endurance.

The physiotherapist may also use Passive physical therapy (modalities) including heat, ultrasound, eToims, Shockwave therapy, spinal decompression, class IV K-Laser therapy and trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS).

Health Link BC offers some helpful information on the different types of exercises you should try, depending on your symptoms:

Exercises to try if your back pain is eased by standing or lying down:

 Alternate arm and leg / Backward bend / Hip flexor stretch / Press-up / Relax and rest

Exercises to try if your back pain is eased by sitting down:

 Double knee-to-chest / Piriformis stretch / Single knee-to-chest

Exercises to try when no position eases your back pain:

Cat-camel / Curl-ups /Front plank /Hamstring stretch / Pelvic tilt / Walking

As with any medical advise, please contact your health care practitioner before starting any treatment or exercise regime.

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How To Have A Better Nights Sleep

sleepSleep plays an important role in your physical and mental health, so keeping a consist sleep schedule is important to your body’s circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and other important bodily functions.  Even a few hours difference or delay from your regular bed time once or twice a week can  be disruptive and cause various sleep disorders, such as insomnia.   Try these tips to ensure a good nights sleep.

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day – A consistent schedule will set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep.

Eliminate sleeping in – The more your sleep schedule differs, the more your internal clock is disrupted.

Napping –  Naps should be kept to 20 to 30 minutes in length.  If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, eliminate naps altogether.

Temperature of the room – The optimum temperature is a slightly cool room (around 18° or 20° C).  To mask noise, try using earplugs or some type of white noise machine.

Pillow type – Make sure the pillow has the correct support for you and the type of sleeper you are: side/back/stomach.

Spend time outdoors – During the day, spend as much time as you can outside, and get as much natural light as possible. For those dark days of winter, try a light therapy box. This modality simulates sunshine and can be useful when there’s limited daylight.  (Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep cycle).

During the night –  limit your exposure to the “blue light” emitted by electronics within 2 hours of your bedtime.   Try using devices with smaller screens, and turn the brightness level down.

Regular exercise – Studies show that people who exercise on a regular basis sleep better. Remember to finish workouts at least 4 hours before your bedtime.

Massage – Insomnia is associated with a lack of serotonin, and a massage will help to increases serotonin levels.

Healthy eating – Be mindful of what you put in your body in the hours leading up to your bedtime. Avoid alcohol and caffeine several hours before bed, and avoid drinking any liquids 2 hours before your bedtime to eliminate frequent bathroom trips during the night. Also, the bigger the meal and the later you eat can can keep you up. Try to eat the evening meal no later than 7:00pm and avoid heavy, rich foods.  Fatty or spicy foods  can cause indigestion and other stomach issues.

“Sleep is the best meditation” – Dalai Lama
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