February 2022 Health Newsletter

Sleeping well every night is one of the best things you can do to improve energy levels, help reach and maintain a healthy weight, age gracefully, and empower your body to heal and keep you pain-free. Chiropractors have methods to help you sleep great; however, that can get inadvertently sabotaged without you realizing it.

Here are three tips on how to promote the best night's sleep possible followed by how chiropractors can help you sleep well.

1. Creative the Optimal Sleep Environment

We all have an ideal sleep temperature, a Goldilocks zone on the thermostat that cues our body to realize it's time to rest up. Anything too hot or cold and our bodies grow restless, and we struggle to fall asleep. Your body temperature drops a couple of degrees before bed, cueing the release of melatonin. Without that temperature change, your body remains restless.

Lighting also matters. Make your room as dark as possible so as not to confuse your circadian rhythm. Set your cell phone face down so it lighting up during the night doesn’t disturb you, and use a blue light filter on devices to help avoid tricking your body into staying alert.

In addition to lighting and temperature, do your best to remove all distractions. No TV in the bedroom. Put your phone on silent or vibrate after a certain time and let your brain unplug from all the chatter. It can wait until tomorrow. Your brain needs time to acknowledge the fact that it’s time to sleep.

2. Practice Deep Breathing as You Drift Off

There are many breathing techniques out there that help your mind wind down, body relax, and ease you into sleep. Deep breathing cues your body to slow down, release tension and even slow your heart rate. There is an abundance of breathing techniques and guided videos that can help you breathe your way to a good night's sleep.

There's also a big perk to better breathing: weight loss/management. Approximately 85% of burned fat is expelled through your breath. That’s how your body gets rid of it. So when you get that deep, restful sleep, you’re helping your body get rid of unwanted fat.

3. Get Adjusted By Your Chiropractor

Another way to increase those zzz's is by taking care of your spine. Chiropractors are an excellent drug-free pain management resource and are essential to maintaining optimal spinal health. Whether it’s back pain, neck pain, joint pain, headaches or even some form of chronic pain, a chiropractor can evaluate and identify and treat the root cause of your pain.

Additionally, poor sleep ergonomics and less than ideal sleep equipment (old and/or inadequate mattresses and pillows) can lead to pain, discomfort and annoyances that interfere with good sleep. Most chiropractors are also happy to provide guidance on proper sleep ergonomics and suggest appropriate pillows and mattresses to help make your nights restful. 

When you're out of pain, your body finds it easier to relax. When you can relax, you'll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. That means less stress for you, more energy and more enjoyable days.


New research indicates chiropractic care coupled with exercise and pain management techniques is more successful at easing back-related leg pain than simply exercise and pain management techniques alone. Researchers at the University of Minnesota recruited 192 patients suffering from back pain with pain radiating into the legs - commonly referred to as sciatica. Patients received either therapeutic exercises and basic pain management advice, or, therapeutic exercises and basic pain management advice along with 12 weeks of chiropractic spinal manipulation. After 12 weeks, twice as many of the patients receiving the added chiropractic spinal manipulation experienced a 75 percent or greater reduction in leg pain as compared with those who did not receive chiropractic spinal manipulation; 37 percent as compared with 19 percent. After one year, patients who received the added chiropractic spinal manipulation still had higher scores for overall improvement and satisfaction.


Most are aware of the negative effects that excess bodyweight has on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. However according to the WHO (World Health Organization), obesity and excessive weight are also responsible for half a million cancer cases annually. In North America, the number of diagnosed obesity-related cancers for 2012 was estimated at approximately 111,000. Cancers associated with increased bodyweight or BMI over 25 (body mass index) affect the esophagus, colon, rectum, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, postmenopausal breast, ovary and endometrium. Fortunately the majority of us have control over our bodyweight with the decisions we make daily in regards to physical activity and dietary habits and choices.  Committing to regular and ongoing physical activity coupled with a healthy diet is the answer. Get up, get out, move around, watch what you eat and when you eat, and get and stay healthy!