Whenever your run, walk or stand, your feet form the foundation of your body. Sometimes, though, the shape of your foot or an injury can affect the angle at which your foot strikes the ground. If severe enough, this can cause pain in the foot, as well as in the legs, low back and other areas of the body.

Because of the importance of the feet in our lives, stabilizing them is an important part of chiropractic care. If you have an imbalance in your feet, your chiropractor may suggest orthotics. These customized shoe inserts can reduce symptoms and improve your walking and running without the need for treatments like surgery.

How Orthotics Work

Orthotics change the angle at which the foot strikes the ground. They can also absorb some of the impact when you walk or run, improve your balance and shift pressure from sore parts of the foot.

One type of orthotics is used for people with soft tissue problems, such as diabetes. These shoe inserts can reduce the pressure on areas of the feet where ulcers (open sores) may occur. This may reduce the need for amputation.
The other type of orthotics is designed to improve how the foot strikes the ground. They basically work by bringing the ground up to the foot. These can also be used to treat conditions such as tendinitis and shin splints.

For example, people whose ankle rolls inward as they walk or run — pronation — may be given orthotics to keep their foot, ankle and leg in alignment. This can reduce pain in the feet, knees and hips. It may also reduce the wear and tear on the joints.

Fitting of Orthotics

Over-the-counter shoe inserts are available at pharmacies and sports or shoe stores. In some cases, these will work fine. For more serious foot conditions, a customized orthotic can work better. These are shaped specifically to fit your foot. They are also made of stronger materials and will last longer.

To fit your orthotics, your chiropractor will examine your feet and watch you walk. He or she will also ask you about symptoms that you might be having, such as pain in the foot or legs, and whether you have any health conditions.

If your chiropractor decides that orthotics are a good option for you, he or she will take a three-dimensional picture of your foot or use a mold to create a replica of your foot shape. These will be used to create an orthotic that is designed to improve your comfort and mobility.

If you are experiencing pain with your feet, legs or lower back, ask us whether orthotics might be a good fit for you.
We’d be glad to help you out:

Tel: (416) 477-1101
E-mail: reception@priclinic.com
Web: www.priclinic.com

No one can be blamed for wanting relief, especially when acid reflux makes it feel like molten lava is shooting up through your esophagus. Antacids can bring quick relief, but their long-term use can also bring lasting problems. It’s better to identify and address the underlying causes of acid reflux than simply to squelch the symptoms.

Acid reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach backwash into the esophagus. These contents can include stomach acid, bile, food, or sour liquid. Although the lining of the stomach is designed to handle such an acidic environment, the more delicate tissue of the esophagus is not. As a result, symptoms include indigestion, a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn), and tasting regurgitated food or liquid in the back of your mouth.

Many factors can cause acid reflux, including overeating, obesity, or the types of foods you eat. Spicy foods, fried foods, coffee, chocolate, and citrus are frequently cited as triggering acid reflux. When the reflux becomes constant, it’s worth exploring some of the common underlying conditions.

Possible underlying causes of acid reflux

H. pylori overgrowth: An H. pylori infection occurs in the stomach and is the most common chronic bacterial infection, affecting more than 50 percent of the world’s population. An H. pylori infection may promote acid reflux by decreasing stomach acid. Although acid reflux is associated with too much acidity, the truth is in many cases too little stomach acid causes acid reflux, which I’ll explain in the next paragraph.

Too little stomach acid: Sufficient stomach acid is necessary to break down dietary proteins, ensure absorption of vital nutrients and minerals, and protect the digestive tract from harmful bacteria. It’s believed that low stomach acid, or hypochlorhydria, results in improperly digested food lingering too long in the stomach. Eventually it backwashes into the esophagus, and although the contents are not acidic enough for the stomach, they are too acidic for the delicate esophageal tissue. Factors that cause too little stomach acid include an H. pylori infection, a nutrient-poor diet, stress, and antacid medications.

Acid reflux usually just one of many digestive symptoms

Acid reflux is often just one of many digestive symptoms that can result from poor digestion, food intolerances, chronic stress, gut infections, and other factors. In fact, one study showed that participants with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were nearly twice as likely as non IBS participants to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic, advanced form of acid reflux. Conversely, another study found a majority of participants with GERD also suffered from IBS.

Although antacids can bring temporarily relief, they may also worsen your acid reflux problem in the long run. Ultimately, antacids reduce stomach acid, hinder digestion, and inhibit nutrient absorption. In addition, antacids are shown to weaken bones and increase the risk of food poisoning.
For natural ways to relieve your acid reflux, please contact our office.
We look forward to helping you out.

Tel: (416) 477-1101
E-mail: reception@priclinic.com
Web: www.priclinic.com

Sciatica is a very common condition that affects many of us at some point in our life. Sciatic pain is typically a sharp electrical pain or dull ache that radiates down either one or both legs. The more swollen and irritated the nerve is, the further down the leg the pain goes.

Typically the pain is felt in the lower back, buttock and leg, though some only feel pain in their buttock and/or leg. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. It is made up of nerves from the 4-5th lumbar, and 1st-3rd sacral nerve roots. Nerves are normally able to handle compression and stretching that is part of day to day living without causing problems. Due to some traumatic event, or an unusual or prolonged activity, i.e. bending and twisting in the garden all weekend, or a long drive, the nerve can become swollen aka inflamed.

Sciatic pain is often associated with changes to the structure of the spine, i.e. degenerative changes such as degenerative disc disease, disc bulging and herniated discs, etc. Though it is important to understand that these degenerative changes are not always the cause, many of us have herniated discs and will never know it! The degenerative changes themselves are typically not enough to create the sciatic pain. It is the overdoing what are body can handle that causes the problem. The swelling is a signal for the brain to protect the area causing the back and/or leg to become painful and sensitiized. The swelling and sensiitization can then make movements and postures of the back and leg very uncomfortable.

Sciatic pain is usually worse with either sitting or walking/standing. Sometimes the pain is worse with both. Sciatic pain can come on very suddenly or can be gradual in nature. Sciatic pain maybe also present in signs of nerve compression like pins and needles, loss of feeling or loss of strength in the leg muscles.
Sciatic pain can typically be managed very well with a combination of manual and physical therapy, activity/posture modification, time and medication.

The manual and physical therapy first starts with a history taking to identify where the pain is, what has caused or is causing the problem, what you have found worsens or eases the pain, any other past medical history, medications, hobbies, sports, work, etc.

The physical exam would typically involve:

•Looking at your mobility to see if particular motions increase or decrease the pain.
•Testing the physical health of your nervous system.
•Palpation and mobility testing of the vertebrae.
•Testing movement and/or positions to determine which relieve or aggravate the leg pain.

Once the physical exam is completed treatment can be undertaken. There is good evidence that Manual Physical Therapy will get you better more quickly. Treatment can consist of:

•Manual therapy techniques directed at improving vertebral mobility to open the space or take pressure off the nerve.
•Exercises designed to improve mobility, open the space for nerve and/or reduce tension on the nerve.
•Education on pain management strategies, postures, sleeping position and activities to help reduce the pain.
•Physiotherapy modalities such as electrical stimulation, heat and ice to help with pain.
•Lumbar traction can be performed in a variety of positions to help reduce pain.

At home it is important to:

•Be patient and relax. There are lots of scary stories and words associated with sciatica i.e. ‘slipped discs’, ‘pinched nerves’, etc. Our body does an amazing job in dealing with the stress and strains we put it through. Our body and nervous system does well dealing with the natural wear and tear we go through as we age. Sometimes we over do it, then we need some treatment and need to let things settle down. The more stressed and anxious you are, the worse the pain will be. Deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation exercises can really help.
•Find and use the positions and postures your manual or physical therapist has suggested.
•Try to remain as active as the pain will allow. Some discomfort with moving around is normal. Research has proven that keeping active i.e. puttering around (stand a little, sit a little, walk a little) will allow you to get better quicker.
•Find and use sleeping positions that will help alleviate the pain.
•Use ice and/or heat. If the pain is less than 48 hours old use ice. Use heat if the pain has been present for more than 48 hours. Heat can be in the form of hot showers, an electric heating pad, a microwaveable pad or hot water bottle.
•If the pain is constant you may benefit from anti-inflammatory medication. If the pain is keeping you from sleeping you might consider a muscle relaxant. If the pain is unbearable then you might consider a pain reliever. It is best to discuss this with your physician.

If you have sciatic pain, we look forward to helping you out. Please contact us at:

Tel: (416) 477-1101
E-mail: reception@priclinic.com
Web: www.priclinic.com