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Help! I’m a mom!

By Dr. Meyer

Every mother has said at one time or another, “I wish I had a few extra hands.” Being a good spouse, taking care of the kids, running a household, volunteering, and perhaps even working outside of the home is a balancing act that can be exhausting. Having a good support system of friends, family and community can make all the difference in the world and make your life a lot easier.

Yet one of the most important and overlooked support systems is the one that holds you upright, protects your central nerve system, moves you, and keeps you healthy. Of course this is your spine!

Lifting kids, chauffeuring duty, carrying laundry, unloading groceries, sitting at a computer, other work or life related stress, and all of the other daily physical activities in your life can take their toll on your spine and nerve system, especially when you find yourself rushing around with little time to exercise and sleep.

Many women begin to feel their spines wear down during pregnancy, when the weight gains and pelvic movements during this process cause pressure on the spine and nerve system and make them feel old before their time. Research has shown that chiropractic care during pregnancy will keep a woman’s pelvis properly aligned while the fetus grows, resulting in an easier birth process and a shorter labor.

Rapidly losing weight after the birth, holding your baby to breastfeed, and carrying an infant car seat in and out of the house can affect your spine post-partum. As babies grow into heavier children, mothers often find that lifting kids in and out of cars and carrying them up and down stairs accelerates the wear and tear on their bodies and keeps them from functioning at 100 percent.

To help alleviate the effects of these spinal strains you should lift with your legs instead of your back, maintain good posture even when holding children, tone your muscles through regular

exercise and get enough rest. Furthermore, you should keep your spine and nerve system healthy and in line with regular chiropractic care, rather than wait around for the inevitable severe episode of pain or health problems.

Chiropractic care is beneficial before, during and after pregnancy. In addition to keeping your spinal bones aligned, chiropractic care removes interference within your body’s nerve system, optimizing your immune system to help you avoid the flu and colds that so many mothers of school-age children contract. Chiropractic care benefits grandmothers too. Seniors are stronger, healthier and more active when they receive routine chiropractic adjustments because a nerve system free from interference strengthens all cells, tissues, organs, and systems in the body.

For millions of moms, chiropractic care provides the support system that keeps them healthy, balanced, straight and strong, so they can not only juggle activities and cope with the stress of daily life, but also thrive and express their full potential.

In 1994 Dr. Meyer graduated from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and has been proudly serving the Oakville community since. Passionate about the sanctity of birth and the evolution of children’s health, Dr. Meyer continued her studies and achieved Diplomat status with The Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice in 2005 (three year post graduate program).

A mother of four, Dr. Meyer has been able to witness firsthand how living the Chiropractic lifestyle leads to an incredibly optimal and vibrant state of health for the whole family. Dr. Meyer constantly explores different chiropractic techniques and skills that she believes will provide the most benefit to her patients. Patients are offered ongoing information and guidance to stretch the possibility of what wellness can be and how to achieve it. 

Dr. Meyer, a published author and researcher in pediatrics, continues to teach pediatrics, pre and post natal care, and technique to chiropractic students. Dr. Meyer has been a guest lecturer for the Midwifery program at McMaster University and continually lectures health and wellness topics to the community. www.drdianemeyer.com