The Spinal Garage Wellness Centre

Thank you to all our wonderful patients and staff here at The Spinal Garage Wellness Centre for the generous gifts received for our Angel Tree drive! Our Angel Tree was a huge success this year, with over 50 gifts collected which will go to children with a family service community centre here in Kitchener-Waterloo.  These gifts will bring smiles and plenty of joy to the kids receiving these Christmas presents.

Thank you again for sharing the holiday spirit of giving.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Too many of us know the classic symptoms of the flu:  chiefly the body aches, congestion and high fevers that may continue irregularly for 3-4 days.  The flu causes  serious problems in those, like the elderly, who are weak and have a lowered resistance; especially if it develops into pneumonia.  Yet for most of us, the flu is little more than an annoying illness.  As with the common cold, the traditional medical approach is questionable at best.

An elevated body temperature is one of our body’s innate defence mechanisms, helping to increase the immune system and destroy infection.  Lowering a fever with aspirin or Tylenol, etc; reduces this defence against disease.  Also, the child runs the risk of Reye’s Syndrome or liver damage, respectively.  The flu vaccine still remains quite controversial with regards to its effectiveness and safety.

Chiropractic does not treat the common cold or flu.  It does, however, help raise your natural resistance to disease (the only true “cure”).  Natural resistance is the only reason why your cold or flu “goes away” rather than lasting for weeks or months.  Chiropractic can help raise your natural resistance to illness by removing a serious spinal interference to proper body function.

You see, Chiropractic is not just for a “pulled” back or a “kink” in your neck.  In fact, many families seeing Chiropractors for spinal pain finds a general improvements in their health that includes fewer and less severe colds and other respiratory problems.

Boost your immunity today by booking a spinal check-up with one of our chiropractors; Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa or Dr. Meredith Smith.

“Ever since a truck rolled over my neck and shoulder years ago, I had been plagues with severe migraines, headaches, dizziness, memory loss and back pains.  My migraines had become so relentless that they were causing a complete breakdown of my work and family lifestyle.  The only answer my family doctor had for me was pills – Tylenol 3, muscle relaxants, and other various nerve pills.  These medications helped me a little and took the pain away for a while, but really only covered up my symptoms without treating the cause of the problem.

After living with these problems for 6 years, I was urged by a family member to try Chiropractic.  I’m so glad I took their advice!  My migraines and headaches are getting better and the dizziness is starting to go away too.  I would highly recommend Chiropractic to others.  Natural Chiropractic care has a preventative approach that seems more sensible as it fixes the root of health problems instead of just masking symptoms.” — B.B.

“I first began coming to the Chiropractor because of my headaches, sore neck, shortness of breath, muscle spasms, numb hands, and allergies.  I was in extreme pain, had lack of strength and endurance, I had a miserable attitude and took a number of sick days off work.  The only answers I seemed to find were to take muscle relaxants, painkillers, aspirin, and every over-the-counter allergy medication imaginable.  After dealing with these problems for 10 years and after seeing a number of professionals for my pain, I decided there had to be some other way of fixing my health problems.

It’s amazing for me to say that due to Chiropractic, I have finally experienced pain relief!  I have stopped taking all medications and my health and wellness have improved drastically with lasting results! Try Chiropractic and see for yourself that being truly well is the best way to live.” — D.B

Book a spinal check up with one of our specialized chiropractors; Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa, or Dr. Meredith Smith.

It was once believe that the structures of the neck were not related to headaches, however, this is no longer the case.  Now there is a special term for those headaches that originate in the neck (cervical spine): the cervicogenic headache.  This has been validated in the research by such world renowned scients as Dr. Robert Maigne M.D., Dr. Nikolai Boduk M.D., Ph.D. and Dr. Howard Vernon D.C.

A study of 6,000 people who suffered from recurring headaches for 2 to 25 years, showed that cervical spine (neck) trauma (whiplash, falls), was the most important factor in the cause of headaches.  One dramatic study of childhood migraine sufferers found spinal corrective care to be especially effective.  Abnormalities in the cervical spine were visible in 97% of the x-ray motion studies of “muscle tension” and “migraine” headache sufferers.

Research has shown that 80 to 90% of all headaches are caused by problems in the spine – vertebral subluxations.

Neck damage can come about in a number of ways, often reaching back to the patient’s childhood.  Whiplash injuries, often from motor vehicle accidents or falls are a big cause.  But other times the problem arises from birth or a sports injury.  Certainly, all of these traumas can combine and accumulate in the body to create headache symptoms late in life.  For example, a child could suffer from a fall from the swings and then get cross-checked from behind in hockey and not realize that there was any lasting damage from them – until it causes severe problems many years later.

Chiropractors are the only health professionals who are trained to analyze and correct spinal nerve stress, also known as “vertebral subluxation”.  This very common and often painless condition weakens the body, causes fatigue and lowers vitality because it interferes with the brain’s ability to communicate with the body, coordinating tissue and organ function.  Vertebral subluxation can set the stage for sickness and disease.

Have your spine checked with one of our chiropractors ; Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa or Dr. Meredith Smith, for optimal spine health and to live a life free of headaches.

Waking in the middle of the night? Not getting a deep full restful sleep?

No matter what associated symptoms you go to your doctor with, a lack of restful sleep is a serious “red flag” that your health is in jeopardy.

Your sleep constitutes such a large part of your life that it simply must be very important.  Without satisfying your sleep, proper physical and mental function is virtually impossible.  Proper sleep regenerates us, heals us and balances us.

The most common causes of insomnia are emotional stress/fear, chronic body pains from past injuries or an overall poor lifestyle.  And because you need sleep to properly heal from these daily physical or mental stresses, this sets you up for a “downward-spirally vicious cycle”.

Usually we will try to solve this problem initially by taking over-the-counter sleep medications and/or changing our mattress.  Eventually you may have to seek stronger prescription medications for your lack of sleep, pain, or emotional stress.  But be careful because these drugs can come with major side effects – including chemical addiction, memory loss, mental confusion and stomach problems.  Further, you have to ask yourself are you getting to the root cause of your sleeping problem or are we just masking the symptoms?

If you are stressed and not getting a proper sleep, your body at night time is not repairing itself and your body is breaking down more than re-generating itself.  Therefore, your body’s healing cycle is out of balance!

One of the major causes of physical pain or mental stresses in your body leading to sleep problems is a “short-circuit” in your nervous system (in your spine) called Vertebral Subluxation.  Subluxations are misalignments particularly at the top part of your spine which cause a damaging, pinching of your nerves.  This gradual stressing  of your nervous system can interrupt your sleep pattern, rob you of energy and set up for a weakened immune system and diminished vitality.

If you are having problems sleeping, book an appointment with one of our chiropractor’s; Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa or Dr. Meredith Smith.

Cancer affects all of us.  In 2011, 178,000 people were diagnosed with cancer…75,000 died.  That’s 8 Canadians EVERY HOUR  dying from cancer alone.  Charities raise hundreds of millions of dollars to fight cancer.  Think of the people you know that have/had cancer.  Cancer is serious.  Yet very few with cancer have seen their own cancer cells under a microscope.  Not one has touched their cancer to see if it is real.  Very few have seen the research into chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and the other drugs cancer patients are often given.  Very few feel the pain of cancer until it is too late.

But if you or your kids had cancer:

Would you say “I can’t afford the caner treatment”?

Would you miss any oncologist’s visits?

Would you say “I need to see the cancer research”?

Would you say “I live too far to come for cancer treatment”?

Would you say “My medical doctor said oncologists are quacks”?

Would you say “My kids have hockey/soccer/dance/activity here, so I can’t make the cancer treatment”?

Would you say “I have to work at that cancer treatment workshop time, so I can’t make it”?

Would you say “My spouse doesn’t believe in cancer”?

Would you say “Cancer is not a priority now”?

Would you say “My kids are too young to need cancer treatment”?

Now what about CHIROPRACTIC?  SUBLUXATIONS affect all of us.  Subluxations damage the nervous system.  A damaged nervous system weakens the immune system.  A weakened immune system leads to cancer.

If you believe cancer is serious, do YOU believe subluxations are serious?

Subluxations ARE SERIOUS.  Now, what if you or your child have subluxations:

Would you say “I can’t afford the care”?

Would you miss any Chiropractic visits?

Would you say “I need to see the research”?

Would you say “I live too far to come for Chiropractic care”?

What would you say to your medical doctor who said “Chiropractors are quacks”?  Would you say “My kids have hockey/soccer/dance., etc. activity here, so I can’t make my Chiropractic adjustment”?

Would you say ” I don’t believe in Chiropractic”?

Would you say “Chiropractic is not a priority now”?

Would you say “My kids are too young to need Chiropractic”?

Chiropractic is not massage, is not acupuncture, is not physiotherapy, is not medicine without a license.  In fact, chiropractic is not even medicine with a license.  Chiropractic does not cure back pain, asthma, ear infections, or cancer.  In fact, Chiropractic doesn’t cure anything.

Chiropractic adjustments restore life to your body by reducing subluxations and allowing your God given ability to heal to flow from above – down, from the inside – out.  The difference between your oncologist and your Chiropractor is your Chiropractor believes in your body’s ability to HEAL cancer.  Your Chiropractor believes in your body’s ability to function, heal, and recreate better free of subluxations, free of drugs.

So what do you BELIEVE about Chiropractic?  If you ask me what I believe…I believe that the only difference between subluxations and cancer is TIME.

Book your adjustment or spinal check-up with either Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa, or Dr. Meredith Smith to give your body a chance to heal and boost your immunity.

There are now “superbugs” primarily caused by the over-use and abuse of antibiotic drugs and are resistant to every antibiotic known to medicine.  Your only defence against them is a strong immune system that can handle these bugs on a daily basis.

Further, some antibiotics prevent white blood cells (immune cells) from attacking and killing bacteria.  Antibiotics destroy most beneficial and disease-protomoting bacteria and in doing so, temporarily stop production of the body’s immune stimulating proteins.

Fact: You cannot “catch” a cold and you cannot “give” someone the flu.  The cold and flu “bugs” are a threat to us only if the immune system and/or nervous system is stressed.  This is why everyone in your household does not get a cold or flu at the same time.

Fact: Chiropractic spinal adjustments reduce vertebral subluxations (nerve stress ) and can boost your immune function by 200%.

Strengthen your immune system and prevent your body from catching the cold or flu by getting adjusted with either Dr. Alan O’Connor, Dr. Matthew Posa or Dr. Meredith Smith.