Compensation in physiological terms occurs when you challenge the body; compensation is the body's response to the challenge. 
When you compensate your body is not able to cope, handle or adapt to the challenge. In this case, your body recruits from different systems and parts of the body to manage but in the long run compensation weakens and damages the body. 

The route of compensation in the spine is:
Firstly muscles, then tendons and ligaments. 
Next occurs joint capsule and cartilage
Finally bone and nerve changes.
This is when spinal compensation affects other organs and systems in the body. 

For example - you sit poorly and for long periods in time. 
Firstly the muscles and tendons get stiff, tight and tense. Then the ligaments start to contact restricting range of movement. This impacts the joint capsule and cartilage. This forces the muscles and tendons into a protective spasm which compresses and compacts the joint and cartilage. After time this will damage the joint itself leading to arthritis, degeneration of bone and nerve irritation.
Nerve irritation decreases the signal to the respective part of the body leading to secondary organ and system issues.
As the compression progresses it damages the joint and cartilage further impacting stronger on the nerve and on the body. 

The sad reality is most people only take note when damage occurs. 

How far compensated are you?

Push-up challenge ...

South Africa - The World's Unhealthiest Country

https://www.vut-research.ac.za/south-africa-the-worlds-unhealthiest-cou…

A very interesting article; if this is true...we are in an interesting time. Please help me make an impact. Spread these posts to your friends and family members... especially those that are sick and tired of being sick and tired. 

https://www.aspirehappyness.co.za/breaking-bread

South Africa - The World's Unhealthiest Country

https://www.vut-research.ac.za/south-africa-the-worlds-unhealthiest-cou…

A very interesting article; if this is true...we are in an interesting time. Please help me make an impact. Spread these posts to your friends and family members... especially those that are sick and tired of being sick and tired. 

https://www.aspirehappyness.co.za/breaking-bread 

I have had a lot of patients with gastric issues. This is largely because of the rainfall we have had. 
If you struggling or know someone this is what to do: 
1) sip water non-stop
2) minimal food is acceptable but vegetables and fruits are good
3) rehydrate to get electrolytes in the system
4) do not stop the diarrhoea 
5) avoid spicy or complicated foods
6) we recommend Homeopathic and herbal products to support the digestive system and help it recover. Speak to Dr T to find out more.

5 and a half weeks until Christmas, are you physically ready for the end of the year? 

Many of us (including and especially me!) love to indulge ourselves in the festivities of the year end. 

I firmly believe in Oscar Wilde's quote "everything in moderation including moderation". So I allow myself that time of enjoyment and forgiving the rules. 

However, if I am not in a great physical state now, the festive season will certainly overload my system and makes January 2020 a bad start. For many that means you will be on the back foot for your new year's resolution of loosing weight...setting yourself up for failure.

Planning is the key to success...start now by detoxing and cleansing the body, commit to eating clean and keeping the body hydrated, eat fiber and be active 10 extra minutes everyday. From now until then! 

Let me know if you want to find out more about detoxing?

Should You Get A Flu Shot?

https://www.drbrownstein.com/should-you-get-the-flu-shot/?inf_contact_k…

Interesting article. Please realise I am neither for vaccinations nor against them...I am pro-choice. An article like directs me to do further reading to check if he is quoting true stats. I like that he gives his references and this forces me to do extra reading. 
Be proactive with your health and informed about your decisions.

I get this question all the time...is it bad to click your own neck and spine?

Simple Answer – yes

Detailed Answer – the clicking of parts of the body has the simple effect of releasing pressure of the joint and increasing potential of movement within the joint. This sounds great however if you continue to do this to the same joint (which happens when people click their own spines!) you will create hypermobility. That is a joint that moves more than what it should without the proper support and stability. This creates inflammation and eventually chronic damage to the joint and supporting tissues. AKA Arthritis! 

Included in this answer is the deeper impact on:
1)    The surrounding joints which have to compensate by restricting their movement more. This maintains and worsens the problem you are attempting to “fix” by clicking something. This is why the click only last 5minutes. 
2)    The neurological control and status of the body. When you click a joint you are giving the body a neurological stimulation. If you adjust the right part of the body (like a chiropractor does) you have a sustainable positive stimulation which promotes the healing of the body. If you click the wrong part of the body this intern stresses the nervous system of the body which causes more protection and furthers the damage and problems. 

Please help people stop this ugly habit!

Wonderful explanation of connectedness in health and physiology

The simplest nutrition program I have read about is from Michael Pollen's book "In the defence of food"
1) eat food - anything processes is not food
2) not too much - smaller portions, half or less portions
3) very often - the more often you eat the more you improve your metabolism. 
4) mostly plants - the best nutrition comes from plants. Make 2/3rds of your plate be plant based and raw.

Exam Time, help the young ones do well

Lunch of champions - pure rye bread, olive tamponade smeared on the bottom, sweetpotato mash with gems squash, chicken mince and micro-greens! Yum yum

Rules of correct exercising: 
1) you never loose form and correct posture
2) you never hold your breath; always move on the breath out
3) your last rep must challenge you
4) concentrate on how to stabilize your body before the movement and how to engage the correct muscles to do the movement
5) be able to exercise every day...if you are so sore the next few days you are not benefiting your exercise
6) keep track of how effectively you build - reps, sets and challenge level
7) every 6 to 12 weeks take a rest, cross train or change to something else. 
8) beat your personal best by one
9) do not train through an injury
10) make certain that what you do on your left you can do on your right

Train smartly

Massage Therapist is Open.

Had a patient today who asked about food additives and preservatives...here is a great article that discusses it: 

https://www.foodmatters.com/article/22-additives-an

This is a great movement series that covers the basics formations of how the spine moves and how the arms and legs connect to that movement. You will see that there are difficult sections and easy sections; practice with caution, awareness, and consciousness. Let me know which parts you struggle with...do not hurt yourself. Move with compassion.

Awareness is a critical body skill to have. It is the ability to discern what is beneficial and what is harmful to the body. 

Awareness is a conscious place where you are critically analysing the effect something has on the body. It is certainly not a belief something is good for you but rather as an effect of how the body responds. 

Awareness is a skill and therefore must be practiced; the more effective the skill works the greater the discernment and the more effective you are for your health. 

How aware are you?

The continuum of health: 
Optimal health > normal physiological > dis-ease > dysfunction > damage > decay.

Optimal health is the state where the body is adaptive and the person challenges the body correctly leading to greater and greater quality of life. The person is in full relationship with their own body's intelligence and has daily practices that sustains this. 

Normal physiology is where the person functions the way they are supposed to - age related. We say age related because normal aging has "normal" issues that occur. The line between normal physiology and dis-ease is quite slim. The person does not necessarily interact with their innate intelligence on a regular bases but rather hopes their health will remain. 

Dis-ease is the state where the body is slightly more sluggish, stiffer, lethargic, "starting to feel your age", small niggles and subacute symptoms occur. Mostly for just temporary points in time however the person certainly is compensating and does not have the quality of life they should however is often simply acceptant of it. 

Dysfunction occurs when body parts do not function correctly and this is the first major signs of issues. In some cases a sudden traumatic injury leads to this however for the majority the last straw that breaks the horses back...Many do not recognise this either but for most it is the 1st major episode of pain and symptoms that takes time to recover. However with properly directed care the pain disappears and the person believes they back to normal...normal dis-ease. 

People will fluctuate between dis-ease and dysfunction for many years building more and more damage. Damage can be reversible however damage will eventually become decay. 

Once you hit decay the damage is progressing at a strong rate and you are now in chronic degenerative conditions. The likely hood of being completely pain or symptom free at this point is slim. Management of quality life is the best conversation. 

Where are you?

A simple spinal stretch you can do everyday - this will release tension and long term prevent spinal compression and decay. 

Sit on your buttocks on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Flex your feet upwards so that you already stretching your calf muscles. Grab around your foot such that your fingers are in contact with the sole of your foot and not just holding onto the toes. 

If you cannot grab your toes, flex your knees until you can. 

Eitherway aim to put your forehead onto your knees and breathe easy. Hold for 5 seconds; repeat 5 times. 

Send me the picture of you trying!

Do something powerful; 40 push-ups on my 40th Birthday. A tradition I do every year...are you up for the Challenge?