How much sleep do you need?

As you know, we recommend our healthy choice mattresses in our clinic, as we recognise sleep as essential for normal daily functions 

BUT, are you the 1 in 3 adults that are NOT getting enough sleep?

The centre for disease control and prevention recommends between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night.

What are signs that you might not be getting enough sleep ?

1- You are distracted. This is because the brain is looking for distractions to keep you awake. 
2- You're anxious. Studies have found people can be 30% more anxious when they are sleep deprived. 
3- You're angrier. A 2018 study found that people where more likely to get angry and lose their temper over minor disturbances 
4- You're less patient with workmates. a 2017 study found that the pre fontal cortex is affected in sleep deprivation and leads to a loss of self control 
​5- You take bigger risks. This can include driving and gambling according to research 

​#sunburychiropractor #bundoorachiropractor #healthwisechiropractic #drjohnghali #drjuliansimpson #painrelief #liveinspired #wellnessblogger #wellpreneur #mindbodysoul #mindbodygram #mindbodyspirit #raiseyourvibrations #holisiticliving #healthyhappylife #wellnessjourney #nourishyourself #treatyourself #sunbury #bundoora #inspirationdaily 

Want to live longer? Its all about the Telomeres!
Not moving much at work? a study has found that going from a sedentary lifestyle to walking 20-30 minutes per day can cut pre mature death by up to 30% 

Just 25 minutes of brisk walking a day can add as much as seven years to your life ?

Now you might be asking, but Dr Julian... how? Well its all about the telomeres. Exercise lengthens your tellers with are structures at the end of your chromosomes that regulate cellular paging. 

If your telomeres get shorter, your risk of premature death increases. 

Cause I'm HAPPPY! And so can you with exercise:) 

A 2018 study reviewed over 500 000 people from a wide range of ages and from different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. 

It found that there was a strong link from exercise to being happier. 

Too hard pile? I challenge you as the study found that as little as 10 minutes a week was linked to being happier.  Of course those that worked out 30 minutes a day showed the greatest benefit. 

The exercise involved aerobic exercise and stretching/balancing exercises. 

Another study of over a million men and woman found that those who has the lowest level of fitness had a 76% increase in the likelihood that they would be diagnosed with depression. 

Another 2018 study found that people who did weight training had fewer symptoms of depression. The frequency and the amount of weight training did not matter. 

#sunburychiropractor #bundoorachiropractor #healthwisechiropractic #drjohnghali #drjuliansimpson #painrelief #liveinspired #wellnessblogger #wellpreneur #mindbodysoul #mindbodygram #mindbodyspirit #raiseyourvibrations #holisiticliving #healthyhappylife #wellnessjourney #nourishyourself #treatyourself #sunbury #bundoora #inspirationdaily 

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​There is no denying that technology has transformed the way we live, but we are spending more and more time glued to our mobile devices.
Australians spend 10 hours and 24 minutes on average engaging with their mobile devices every day.1 Within five minutes of waking up in the morning 35% of us check our phones, and 70% use phones during mealtimes with family and friends.2 This excessive reliance on digital devices is taking a toll on our bodies.
Looking down hunched over mobile devices puts excessive strain on the neck which can cause neck pain. This is a very common complaint – in fact, the chance that you will have neck pain at some point in your lifetime is nearly 50%
More and more Australians are suffering from ‘Text Neck’ – this refers to neck pain and damage from looking down at mobile devices for prolonged periods. Staring down at your phone can put immense pressure on your neck and spine.
There is no need to shun all technology. Changing a few habits can make a gig difference in improving your spinal health and overall wellbeing. Here are some tips to help avoid text neck and other spinal health issues resulting from poor posture and excessive use of mobile devices:

• Change the way you hold your phone – bring the screen to eye level so your head is not slouched forward. This way you don’t have to be in a forward-head posture for long periods of time.
• Take regular breaks from mobile devices. For example, don’t check your phone while commuting.
• Get social with family or friends. Have a ‘no phone policy’ during dinner. You’ll enjoy your meal even more without the distraction!

Can Health Wise Chiropractic Help?
Stretching can help alleviate neck pain an discomfort caused by text neck. 

Depending on your circumstances, your chiropractor may suggest a variety of techniques to help improve range of motion and function and will develop a program of care that may combine more than one type of treatment, depending on your needs. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, a care plan may include mobilisation, massage, rehabilitative exercise, as well as dietary and lifestyle advice.


#sunburychiropractor #bundoorachiropractor #healthwisechiropractic #drjohnghali #drjuliansimpson #painrelief #liveinspired #wellnessblogger #wellpreneur #mindbodysoul #mindbodygram #mindbodyspirit #raiseyourvibrations #holisiticliving #healthyhappylife #wellnessjourney #nourishyourself #treatyourself #sunbury #bundoora #inspirationdaily 
#textneck #neckpain

[1] ‘Australian consumers spending more than 10 hours of every day on their digital devices’, 2016, Ernst & Young, www.ey.com
[2] Mobile Consumer Survey 2017: The Australian Cut, Deloitte, https://www2.deloitte.com/au/mobile-consumer-survey

Do you have
- Unremitting and constant pain 
- Widespread pain 
- Is the pain unresponsive to anti inflammatories like Nurofen
- Night pain and or disturbed sleep 

Research shows that patients presenting with low back pain and whiplash disorders can develop into chronic widespread pain nearly 1 in 4 times. 

Risk factors can be 
-Age 
-Longer duration of pain
-Anxiety and depression 

Chiropractic therapy, can it help?
Manual therapists aim to decrease muscle tension and increase joint range of motion to relieve the musculoskeletal pain 

As chronic low back pain is associated with altered spinal and cortical pain processing, Some studies are finding that chiropractic adjustments to the spine has temporal activation of antinoceiceptive pathways.  It can also reduce the widespread hypoalgesic effects. 

Exercise has shown to trigger peripheral and central processes like the pituitary and hypothalamus to enable analgesic effects. 

References 

Nijs J, Malfliet A, Ickmans K, Treatment of central sensitisation in patients with 'unexplained' chronic pain: an update. Expert Opinion on Pharmacology 2014: 15 (12): 1671-83
Sluka KA Et al A joint Mobilisation reduces hyperalgesia associated with chronic muscle and joint inflammation in rates . Journal of pain 2006 (8) 602-7
Bender T Et al The effect of physical therapy on beta endorphin levels. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2007: 100 (4): 371-82 

No doubt you have heard me in practice talking about inflammation, usually in regards to your muscles and joints. This article is about Acute (good) inflammation and Chronic (bad) inflammation and how it affects us

Acute inflammation involves 
- Enhanced Immune function- white blood cells are related and neutralise and remove invading organisms 
- Pain- chemicals can stimulate nerve endings so you know there is dysfunction and to avoid certain areas 
- Redness and Heat- blood vessels dilate to enhance healing 
- Sweeling and immobility- damaged cells release chemicals like histamine, bradykinin and prostogladins which allows blood vessels to leak fluid into tissue( thats how the swelling occurs)
- Phagocytosis- these can remove germs and damaged cells , and when phagocytes die pus will from a collection of the dead tissue and the lymphatic system takes care of the rest. 

Chronic Inflammation involves 
​- Arteries- injures the lining of the arteries. When the body tries to heal the injuries, more and more tissue is laid down and can lead to atherosclerosis.  This can reduce blow flow to heart and brain. 
- Brain- chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can lead to emotional depression and plaque(amyloid) and nuerofibrillary tangles (tau) in the brain. 
- Joints- Chronic inflammation can lead to arthritis. 
- Pancreas- Chronic inflammation can lead to insulin resistance. 

Thomas Edison once famously said the chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.

Some interesting facts about the brain are
It weighs approximately 3 pounds 
has one hundred thousand miles of blood vessels 
contains MORE connections than there are stars in the milky way
is the fattest organ in the body 

In this post, we draw from the book Grain Brain, to talk about the importance of nutrients and brain function 

To start, lets inform you that glucose is the major source of energy for most cells. The body can manufacture glucose from fat or proteins.

Insulin is essential for cellular metabolism. It moves glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells. Once it is deposited there, it can be used as fuel

IF we have too much processed foods, (too much glucose) our cells adapt and cells desensitise themselves to insulin, then insulin resistance occurs. This leads to cells ignoring the insulin and fail to retrieve glucose from the blood. The pancreas is then forced to produce more insulin and people then develop type 2 diabetes. 

This can lead to high blood sugar and leads to toxic levels in the bloodstream leading to blindness, infections, nerve damage, heart disease and Alzheimers. From a chiropractic point of view, inflammation runs rampant in the body leading to a lot of muscle problems 

Researchers here in Australia have also shown that people who have high blood sugar are at a much greater risk of brain shrinkage. Specifically, the loss of brain volume was in regions involved in memory and cognitive skills.

 A new study looking at the life expectancy of men and woman from the Netherlands has just come out with some interesting results!

The study was conducted from 1986 and involved men and woman with the ages from 50's to 60's and of those 16.7% of men lived to 90 and 34.4% of woman lived to 90 

The woman that did get to 90, where statistically taller, weighted less and have put on less weight than others researched. 

Woman who where more than 175cm in height were 31% were more likely to each 90 than woman less than 160cm in height.

With men, no associated of height was noted. 

However, with men, men who did more than 90minutes of exercise were 39% more likely to each 90 versus men who did 30 minutes of exercise or ess. 

With exercise in men, for every 30 minutes of exercise, there is a 5% increase change of reaching 90. 

For woman, it was a bit different. It is recommended that they get 60 minutes of exercise a day

What is it good for?
-It can promote calcium and phosphorous absorption and increases calcium deposition in your bones. It is also great for proper thyroid function 

Where are good sources?
- Cod liver oil, salmon, sardines, egg yolk and there is some small amounts in green leafy vegetables.

What are the signs you may be deficient? 
- You may have weekend bones so is essential for healthy living! 
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​​If you want more information. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Bundoora Today!

Health Wise Chiropractic Sunbury- Shop 3/21 Dornoch Drive Sunbury 3429 
​Health Wise Chiropractic Bundoora- Office 1 12/16 Mcleans Road Bundoora 3083 ​​​
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Now that we have discussed what dry needling is and what muscles it is used for in our previous posts, we can now talk about some common questions my patients have. 

What is the difference between acupuncture and dry needling?

Basically, both use the same needles, however the chiropractors use the needles to use on muscles and their trigger points. Acupuncture use the needles to help with ailments. 

Is it painful?
Most patients actually don't feel the insertion of the needles, unless it is a really acute painful trigger point. Some may feel a twitch which is like an electrical shock. You may feel sometimes in the arm numbers after the infraspinatus muscle has been worked on and re activated, which is a good thing!

Will i be sore after?
Just like you may get sore after a gym work out, same with dry needling. When we activate the muscles sometimes post treatment soreness can last for a couple of hours. 

Can i go to gym after treatment?
Absolutely, work the muscles and don't sit down for long periods.Keeping the body moving is essential 

Is Dry Needling safe?
Based on current research, Dry needling and Acupuncture are sage. The needles are safe and are single use and are disposed of after use. The likelihood of bleeding or bruising is extremely low. 

​​If you want more information. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Bundoora Today!

Health Wise Chiropractic Sunbury- Shop 3/21 Dornoch Drive Sunbury 3429 
​Health Wise Chiropractic Bundoora- Office 1 12/16 Mcleans Road Bundoora 3083 ​​​
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Based on 21 research articles here are some of the recommendations: 

For Migraine:
- Spinal Manipulation is recommended for aptistn with episodic or chronic migraine with or without aura(Visual symptoms)
- Weekly massage is recommended with reducing episodic migraine. 
- There is insufficient data to say yes or no to exercise alone for the treatment of migraines. 

For Tension Type Headaches. 
- For patients with over 6 months of symptoms, Chiropractic adjustments to the spine are effective. 
- The treatment cycle is usually 2 times a week for 6 weeks for a reduction of symptoms. 

Cervicogenic Headache
- Based on a treatment regime of 2 times a week for 3 weeks, chiropractic adjustments are effective. 
- Deep flexor muscles in the neck also need to be exercises, based on doing the exercise twice a day for 6 weeks. 

If you would like to know the difference in these types of headaches, please refer to our other health blogs 

​​If you want more information. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Bundoora Today!

Health Wise Chiropractic Sunbury- Shop 3/21 Dornoch Drive Sunbury 3429 
​Health Wise Chiropractic Bundoora- Office 1 12/16 Mcleans Road Bundoora 3083 ​​