As we continue into fall, we notice an increase in COVID and colds in our community. With this in mind we ask that you please reschedule your appointment if you feel under the weather, or wear a mask if you are just getting over a cold. Our staff and doctors are continuing to wear masks in our clinic, as we want to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe. We are lucky to be able to see so many patients every day – but this also puts us at a hig her risk of catching something without a mask on! 

In very exciting news, the one year office anniversaries of both Myranda Leclerc (November 19) and Louise Calnan (November 5). We are so lucky to have such wonderful additions to our team that have fit into our clinic environment so well. Like our other staff, both Myranda and Louise go above and beyond in so many ways to make our office a wonderful place for patients and team.

Last month, our staff worked with the Rotary Club of Cobourg to plant 100 trees in the James Cockburn (Rotary) Park. Along with about 75 volunteers, our team helped in this initiative which was part of the Rotary Club’s 100th Anniversary Celebrations. This 100 year anniversary was initially planned for 2021, but was delayed due to COVID.

Both the little and big humans of our office celebrated halloween at the end of the month, and we thought that we’d share a few photo highlights.

Why Can’t I Fall Asleep? 

Have you ever wondered why we sleep, and why we get sleepy? A good night’s rest is critical in how your body recovers, so when you are injured or just not feeling your best, optimizing your sleep is important in healing. Sleep is a process in which your body recovers- If you feel fatigued throughout the day and sleep a typical amount, it doesn’t mean that you need more sleep, it often means that you’re excessively stressing your body by other means. 

Here are a few ideas to help you to fall asleep at the right time- trouble falling asleep is a common issue that our patients discuss with us. Let us know how this impacts your body’s healing, and how you overall feel. 

Light & your circadian rhythm 

A big part of your eye’s job is to tell your body what time of day it is by viewing light. Viewing natural sunlight for 2-10 minutes within 30 minutes of waking up can kick-start your body’s chemical system to wake you up, and actually help you to fall asleep in about 14-16 hours. Viewing a sunset is another signal to your brain that it is time to fall asleep. Light can have a negative impact too – blue light from devices such as phones or computers can wake your body up, and impact your sleep. Blue light glasses can help to combat this or you can change your device settings to limit the blue light emission. 

Feeling tired- drink a coffee! Maybe?

To understand how caffeine works in your body, you must first understand how energy is created, stored and moved within your body. The “energy currency” in your body is called ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. It is an adenosine molecule with 3 phosphate molecules attached to it, and your body’s energy is stored in the bonds that hold these molecules together. As you use energy, and those bonds are broken, there is free adenosine floating around in your brain, which your brain takes as a stimulus to become sleepy. This is your body’s way of telling your brain that it needs time to rebuild its energy stores. Caffeine works on your body system by blocking the detection of free adenosine, thus telling your body that you’re not tired. 

When the effects of caffeine wear off, you can experience the post coffee “crash” where the adenosine that was being ignored is suddenly detected. The timing of your caffeine intake as well as the amount that you ingest is what can be either helpful or harmful. Delaying coffee for 60-90 minutes after waking can be helpful to avoid the afternoon crash, and having your last coffee 8-10 hours before you want to fall asleep is considered best practice. Even if you don’t feel the effects of late caffeine intake on your sleep, your sleep cycles will likely still be disrupted.

Your body makes its OWN melatonin – you might not need extra!

We often hear of melatonin as a supplement that people use to sleep, but did you know that it is actually a naturally occurring hormone in your body? It helps your body with the timing of sleep, but does not induce sleep itself. Melatonin is triggered by darkness, so dimming the lights in your house can be helpful to help your brain time your sleep better. Recent studies noted that melatonin only increased sleep by 4 minutes and sleep efficiency by about 2%. Trust your body to make the amount of melatonin that it needs!

As sleep is one of the most important factors in health and recovery, we will be discussing sleep again next month, focusing on improving the quality of the sleep that you are getting.

October is an important month in the chiropractic world, as it is Spinal Health Month! World Spine Day is officially celebrated on October 16th, but we like to celebrate for the entirety of the month. Other exciting celebrations include Carleigh’s birthday on October 18th.

If your schedule and appointment times need to change, please remember to call our office early to reschedule your appointment. Please do not reply to our appointment reminder emails, as we do not receive those responses. Always remember to walk around to the front of the plexiglass barrier to rebook your appointment.

Thanks for your monetary help for “Hike, Bike and Bark for Hospice”. That fundraiser for Ed’s House raised $61,000, and we were able to make a good contribution, with our participation and your donations.  Thank you!  We participated in the “Walk a Mile in her Shoes” to support the Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre, although virtually as we had a few conflicting schedules. We did a group walk together on Tuesday, September 27th… Myranda brought in a few pairs of her  red heels for us to test out (all size 6!!!) so we squished our toes in to take a few steps and a few photos. Thank you again to our amazing community for your donations. 

On October 15th, the whole office staff and doctors will be helping to plant 100 Trees with local Rotarians as they celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Cobourg.   We will not be looking for donations for this project.  Rotary is a great service organization with whom both Drs. Hubbel and Johnston are very involved. 

Office News:  Julie has been attending funerals and weddings, Carleigh has stressed over her son starting school, Louise has a teenage son… (enough said), Myranda keeps busy with family and her family business as well as full time with our office. Karen leads her usual busy life, so no more about that! Carolyn is with us part time and we are happy to have her here.   

Two of our doctors recently had a procedure review by the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.  This is designed to ensure everything possible is being done to provide the best and safest chiropractic care for every patient.  All our procedures are in order and with only a couple of suggestions will make our records even better. One thing is a consent form to update with your signature, mostly for Dr Hubbel’s long-time patients. Watch for it!

Dr Leguard was off to the maritimes for a weekend visit with some friends and this necessitated her being out of the office for a long weekend.  Dr Johnston never knows what to do with her spare time: after her husband and two girls at home, office almost every day, being a Rotary board member, helping with the local baseball organization, all while participating in several local fund-raising activities with the office staff.  Dr Hubbel still shows up Tuesdays and Thursdays to care for many patients who have been with us for many years, and fills the remainder of his time with home and family.   

Back to school also means the beginning of contact sports for many. We agree that sports and activity are very important in your child’s development; however, the risk of concussion can be high in many sport settings. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussion is important to appropriately identify concussions, and Rowan’s Law helps Ontarians to do that. 

Rowan’s Law legislation was passed by the Ontario Government in 2018, and  is named in memory of Rowan Stringer. In 2013 and at age 17, Stringer died of Second Impact Syndrome, as a result of suffering multiple concussion playing rugby three times in six days. The legislation is designed to create a safer environment for competitive amateur athletes, children and youth to play sport by helping people to know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion, and what to do if a concussion happens. 

What is a concussion? 

A concussion is an injury to your brain that occurs when the brain moves and is bumped within the skull. This type of force on the brain can cause chemical and physical changes to your brain, and it needs time and altered stimulation to heal. 

How can concussions happen?

Any blow to the head, face or neck may cause a concussion. A blow to the body from an incident like a car accident may also cause a concussion if its force causes the brain to move. A concussion is a serious injury. While the effects are typically short-term, they can lead to long-lasting symptoms and long-term effects – especially if left untreated.

What are the symptoms of a concussion? 

75-90%of concussions are mild in nature. They often occur without a loss of consciousness or obvious neurological signs. Concussion symptoms can affect the way you think, your emotions, your sleep and your body, including but not limited to: dizziness, headache, nausea, balance issues, low energy, sadness, feeling “foggy, can’t sleep enough, or sleeping too much. One of the biggest challenges in minimizing the impact of concussions is to recognize and assess them in a timely manner, as the vast variation in symptoms can make it challenging for the patient to realize that they have a concussion. 

What can my favourite chiropractor do to help?

Although in Ontario, chiropractors aren’t technically allowed to diagnose a concussion, we are able to assess and diagnose post-concussion symptoms. After a suspected concussion, we will check to see how your neurological system is functioning, as well as checking your spine, neck and skull bones after impact. We can also help you to get a further referral, if needed. 

In our office, we do not provide concussion baseline testing for young athletes; however, we can help your young athlete get to a practitioner who does this before their sports season begins.

September is here! With the summer coming to an end, and school beginning again we know that everyone is very busy. If your schedule and appointment times need to change, please remember to call our office early to modify your appointment. Please do not reply to our appointment reminder emails, as we do not receive those responses. 

You may notice the donation jar at our front desk that says “Hike, Bike and Bark for Hospice”. As you may already know, our team is participating in this fundraiser for the Northumberland Hospice (Ed’s House), which is done virtually and concludes on September 10th, 2022. If you are interested and able to support our team, we would greatly appreciate it! 

Two big anniversaries this month: Dr Johnston has been here for seven years and she has signed on for the next 52 years.  Karen has been with us for THIRTY YEARS, and we are hoping she signs on for another ten, at least!

In the Johnston-Tannahill household, backpack use has been a hot topic, as Alexandria, Dr. Johnston’s eldest daughter is starting junior kindergarten this year. Teaching your child how to use their backpack properly is key- it will help them to avoid injury and set good habits for life. Below are a few tips for proper backpack use:

1. WEIGHT – a heavy, uneven load can result in poor posture or affect the alignment of your spine. 
2. BACKPACK CHOICE – a backpack with two wide, adjustable, padded shoulder straps and a padded back are the best choice. Bonus points for plenty of pockets and a hip or waist strap to use for longer carries and heavier loads. 
3. PACKING – an even distribution of weight, as well as ensuring that the pack only contains what your child needs for the day is important. The pack shouldn’t weigh more than 10-15% of your child’s body weight.
4. PUTTING IT ON – often, kids swing the backpack up onto their body to put it on. Put the pack on a flat surface, at waist height. Slip the pack on one shoulder at a time. 
5. WEARING IT – make sure that your child uses both shoulder straps and is adjusted to fit snugly to their body. You should be able to slide your hand between the backpack and your child’s back. 

More than 50 per cent of young people experience at least one episode of low back pain by their teenage years. Research indicates one cause is improper use of backpacks, so get ahead of this statistic with these tips!    As chiropractors, we are here to check your child’s spine and we are happy to check their backpack!

Did you know that your tongue is one of the most important muscles in your body? Not only does it help you eat and speak, it is also very important in the function and development of your skull, neck and jaw. 

The tongue is made up of 8 muscles, with each of these attaching to different parts of your skull, palate, neck and jaw. In our office, we always check the tongue and mouth of babies and children as correcting tongue function early is key. If a tongue does not function well, it can lead to a smaller jaw in comparison to the skull, an imbalance in the palate of the mouth, poor breastfeeding and problems during speech development. Please be sure your baby gets checked by one of us.

Even as an adult, symptoms such as jaw pain, snoring, headaches, and speech issues can all be related to tongue function. As an adult or teen, if you have had a recent dental surgery or braces, your chiropractor should be checking your tongue as it adapts to the changes in your mouth. 

What are We Looking For? 

1. We look for a physical “tongue tie”, which is when the frenulum (the part of the tongue that attaches to the floor of your mouth) to see if it is too long and restricting the motion of the tongue. This is checked by dentists and pediatricians in most children too. 
2. We next look for a functional “tongue tie”, which means that the tongue is not restricted anatomically,  but the 8 muscles that make up the tongue do not work synchronously together, or the frenulum is too tight. This can be treated in our office and with at-home stretching. 
3. The palate, or roof of your mouth is the next thing we will check. We are looking for symmetry and ridges, which tell us about how the tongue is moving. We treat this often in children especially, with adjustments and home exercises. 
4. Everything around it—your jaw, cervical spine, and front of your neck. These areas are all closely related to how your tongue works also. 

Keep your Tongue in Tip Top Shape

1. Try to stick your tongue straight out, then move it from side to side. You should be able to move your tongue symmetrically from side to side. 
2. Try to touch the tip of your tongue to the tip of your nose. Most people can’t do this (so you get big bragging rights if you can!), but even the motion of this is good practice for your tongue. 
3. This is a fun one for kids—after eating something messy (think ice cream all over your face), get your child to try to lick the food from around their lips with only their tongue. From a manners perspective, don’t let it become a habit, but it is great for their neurological development! 
4. DO YOU have issues with snoring, headaches or jaw pain?  Does your baby or child have issues with breathing, latching, or eating? Ask us more about the tongue!

Happy August! Since we had so much fun in our Mud Run, our staff has decided that participation in local, active, fundraisers is something we love to do as a team. Our two upcoming events include Cornerstone’s “Walk a Mile” on October 1st, and Ed’s House’s “Hike, Bike and Bark for Hospice” concluding on September 10th. If you would like to sponsor our team, or If you know of any other community events that you think we would love, please let us know. We will have a handy contribution jar available for your support….if you wish.

As the summer continues, our staff’s summer vacation continues. So again, you may see a few people covering different roles throughout the next few months. We expect no disruptions in your care as our amazing team is very adaptable.

Dr. Johnston’s girls are enjoying summer with a few highlights including time at the cottage, blueberry picking, and a trip to Thunder Bay. Alexandria is set to start JK this fall. Carleigh’s kids are having fun this summer too, with Roger having a blast at day camp. Karen is thriving in her great-grandma duties. Dr. Hubbel is keeping everyone in line, as per usual. We are also very excited to welcome one of our beloved team members, Carolyn, back into the office in a more regular capacity. 

Seventy-five percent of Canadians will experience foot health problems of varying degrees of severity at one time or another in their lives. More importantly (to us at least!), your feet are the base of support for your entire body, and persistent foot issues can cause problems further up the chain in your body, in your knees, hips and spine. 

Most of us gravitate towards sandals in the summer, which is okay. However, it is important to make better choices in terms of the TYPE of sandals that you wear. A few tips to make better sandal choices… 

1. Buy sandals that are made of high-quality, soft leather. Leather minimizes the potential for blisters and other types of irritation, which can further change how you step and walk as you compensate to avoid the pain.  
2. When you are shopping for sandals, bend the sandal from end to end, ensuring it bends at the ball of the foot. Shoes of any kind should never fold in half (*cough cough*, *cheap flip-flops*).
3. Flip-flops are appropriate to wear around the pool to protect your feet from plantar warts and other fungus. However, flip flops are NOT ideal to wear for outdoor work (safety risk), walking long distances (lack of support), or playing sports (So. Many. Injuries!) and definitely not driving!
4. When shopping for shoes, it’s best to try them on later in the day, when your feet are tired and slightly swollen. Make sure that you try the shoe on both feet, as most people have one foot that is larger than the other. This way, you won’t buy shoes that are too small! 
5. Any sandal with a footbed that bends at the ball of the foot and has arch support is a better choice than a flat sandal. Your feet are amazing feats of biomechanical engineering, so if you can give them a base of support that allows them to do their job, your body will feel much better.

July is here! With the return of Cobourg’s Waterfront Festival for the first time in three years, and the sun shining, we know that everyone is in for a busy month. Of note, Dr. Leguard’s one-year office anniversary is July 6th.  

Our June 25th Mud Run adventure went very well, with our group finishing the race, sticking together and having a blast the entire time. As many of you may have guessed, Myranda certainly got the muddiest, Dr. Johnston swore the most, Julie complained the least, and Karen surprised us all with her strength. Carleigh awarded herself “biggest complainer” although we all know that’s not true! Louise and Dr. Leguard had the most team spirit… and Dr. Leguard didn’t get a sunburn! She definitely put on extra sunscreen in order to prove our patients wrong though, ha! Dr. Hubbel attended the race as our official team coach and photographer with his wife Joan. A very successful day, and the “Good Palpations” team will certainly be entering again next year.

As we are constantly working to improve our office and make your visit with us the most enjoyable as it can be, a few points should be addressed. We would like to remind patients to please pay and rebook at the front desk after their time with the doctors, as well calling the front desk team early with any appointment changes. With these two simple reminders, the flow in our office will significantly improve.

You may also notice our beautiful floral arrangements arriving monthly… Those are courtesy of Quinn’s Blooms and Greeneries, as a six-month subscription we bid on at Cornerstone’s International Women’s day silent auction.  

As a final note, each of our staff members (with the exception of the littlest fish, Dr. Leguard) are taking some vacation time this summer, so you may see a few people covering different roles throughout the next few months. We expect no disruptions in your care as our amazing team is very adaptable.

A Successful Waterfront Weekend

Dr. Johnston had a very busy weekend at the Waterfront Festival, as she worked with the Rotary Club of Cobourg to organize all the vendors for the Rotary tents. She spent 45 hours at the festival on the July 1st weekend, but it was well worth it because it was a huge success, and the Rotary Club raised a lot of money for our community! How does she do it all!? 

Drs. Johnston and Leguard found our sponsorship sign in the Rotary tents, and had to pose for a pic. Notice Dr. J in her official gear and walkie talkie and Dr. L with her shopping bags. Ha! 

Warm Weather = Water = Life Jackets!

Living in a beach town and close to cottage country, people in our community are usually very comfortable near or in water. This can be a good thing, but sometimes confidence makes us complacent in terms of making safe choices. 

Why should I wear a life jacket? 

A Canadian approved standard lifejacket, when worn properly, is designed to turn an unconscious person from face down to face up in the water, allowing them to breathe. Even if you know that you are a good swimmer, if there is a risk that you could fall, hit your head, or get into an accident participating in whichever activity you are doing near the water, wearing a life jacket would be a good idea.

How can I pick a lifejacket for me (an adult)?

The standard lifejacket is keyhole style and comes in two sizes – one for people who weigh over 40 kg (90 lbs), and one for people who weigh less than 40 kg (90 lbs). These are mostly seen on cruise ships and not at cottages. They are very functional, but not as comfortable.

Personal flotation devices (PDFs) can also be worn, depending on the activity. They are less bulky and more comfortable than a standard lifejacket, but are not appropriate for all activities, as they are less inflatable and have limited ability to turn an unconscious body face up.

Inflatable PDFs automatically inflate when immersed in water, or are inflated by the wearer using either an oral (blow-up) or manual inflation device (like pulling a cord).  They are only appropriate if the wearer is 16 years or older and weighs more than 36 kilograms. These pose different risks, as many times, the wearer is not able to inflate the PDF if they are unconscious or otherwise compromised in the water.

How can I pick a lifejacket for my kids? 

It is important for children to use life jackets and PDFs that are specifically designed for a human of their size. Important things to look for when finding a life jacket include: Canadian approval labels detailing the appropriate chest size or weight, a large collar (with a grab strap) for extra protection and support to the child’s head, and a jacket in bright colours (yellow, orange or red are best). In Canada, there are no approved flotation devices for children weighing 20 pounds and under. Transport Canada recommends that you wait until your child reaches 20 lbs. before you go boating with them.

Final thoughts 

We all know, wearing a life jacket can seem cumbersome and unnecessary, and we often gravitate towards life jackets that are less bulky and more comfortable. Weigh your risks when choosing a life jacket, and always ask yourself “would the life jacket I pick be able to turn me upright and keep me floating if something were to happen?”  If the  answer is yes, you are choosing wisely.  If the answer is no, maybe you will get a second chance!