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Read all about how to Live Well!

Here at Live Well Family Chiropractic, we embody all things wellness. We are passionate about sharing knowledge with our patients to help you live your most vibrant, joyful and healthful life. Follow our blog for the latest chiropractic news, along with recipes, natural remedies, exercise tips and more! 

The Dad Life… 

For so many dads, the busyness of work and family responsibilities has completely taken over their daily lives, and they long ago gave up on taking care of themselves. Their diet has switched to eating fast food at their desk or in the car during their commute, and they consume enough coffee to caffeinate a small village each and every day. 

All of the sugar and caffeine revs up an already hyped-up and stressed-out nervous system.  So over time, the average dad today is not just overweight and out of shape, but may be struggling with chronic health challenges like ADHD, anxiety, allergies, chronic headaches, sleep issues, and continual back and neck pain. 

After being wound up for so long, they then become worn out and exhausted, and while they often think about getting healthy and back in shape again… they’ve got no drive or energy left to actually get that done. Unfortunately, chiropractic care is the furthest thing from their minds.  

Honestly, even for those dads who do work out and try to eat healthy, the demands of the work and family life schedule can still stress their nervous systems to the max, leading to many of the same challenges. 

That was certainly the case for Chris, an incredible rockstar dad who was experiencing bad allergies, migraines, and constant sinus infections before seeking help in our office. He was always on antibiotics, and everything he tried just seemed like a temporary fix. 

He had watched as his wife and kids started chiropractic care and received amazing results, but just wasn’t sure it would work for him. Finally, the stress and tension reached a breaking point, and he made getting into the office for chiropractic care and neurologically-focused adjustments a priority. From there, everything changed in a matter of just a few weeks! 

With each and every adjustment, Chris could feel the pressure and fog lifting, he could move his neck and shoulders more, his allergies and sinuses finally cleared up, and he was finally feeling way more energy as the weeks went on, and chiropractic care became a regular part of his life! 

HOW DOES GETTING ADJUSTMENTS HELP BREAKTHROUGH THE STRESS? 

Unfortunately, far too many people have a limited view of what chiropractic care can do for their health, simply because most medical doctors and even many chiropractors keep their care focused on back and neck pain alone. They fail to understand the absolutely crucial and really quite simple connection between the spine and the nervous system. 


But just ask yourself this question – when you’ve got a nasty headache, tense neck and shoulders, and back pain, how well do you sleep? How’s your mental health and mood when you’re in constant pain? Do you feel like working out and playing with your kids when you’re chronically tense and exhausted? 


Everything in the body is intricately connected and controlled by one thing – the nervous system. The nervous system controls everything, from muscle tension and function to digestion, immune health, sleep, mood, mental + emotional health, focus, and so much more. 


And put simply, in today’s crazy world, the average dad’s nervous system is running on dial up internet while trying to keep up with a 5G fast-paced life. It’s just not sustainable. 


This is where Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care comes in, and serves as the greatest health hack of all time! We say health hack because when looking to help parents get healthy once again, we’ve got to remember one crucial element – they’re insanely busy and have limited time in their schedule. 


That’s the beauty of Neuro-Tonal Adjustments that our doctors use – they’re fast and easy. 


The majority of our patients get in and out of the office in under 10 minutes, yet get as much (or more) health benefit from one incredible adjustment as they would a workout, massage, and meditation session! It’s truly incredible how much change adjustments can make in a short amount of time, which in turn gives you more energy and better function so that you feel like working out, eating healthy, and getting a good night’s sleep! 


Dads that are under care will tell you – chiropractic care is the greatest health hack of all time. 


Once you start getting adjusted, the chart below shows the other kind of results you can expect with your mood, focus and concentration, emotional health, gut and immune, and so much more. 


Dads, if you’re absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed and don’t know where to start – start with Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care and build up from there! 




Perfect For Busy Parents 

Being a busy dad myself, I completely understand the need to figure out a health game plan that can fit in between all the demands of work and family life (aka driving your kids to 862 sports and activities per week). With our specialty in Pediatric + Family Care, we’ve worked especially hard to make sure your adjustments can fit within your busy schedule, and we get you real results in a short amount of time! 


Your first Consult and Exam appointment takes just 20-30 minutes and includes getting your INSiGHT Scans, which will show us exactly where all of your stress and tension is built up and stuck, and how truly worn out your nervous system is. 


Then from there, you’re off to the races! Each adjustment takes literally less than 5 minutes, and leaves you with decreased tension, more energy, improved gut and immune function, and so much more! 

Just Take the First Step

We always encourage our dads and every “wound up + worn out” parent to simply take things one step at a time. Start by getting adjusted, and don’t worry about anything else for the first month. Let your nervous system finally begin to relax, unwind, and recharge… and then take it from there. 


Once you start sleeping better and having more energy, now you can take that momentum and energy into the rest of your life and begin working out more, making better lifestyle choices, and rebuilding your health one step at a time! And guess what, we’ll be there to help guide you and provide support all along the way. 


There are countless benefits to Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care for stressed-out and worn-out dads and busy parents, and we can’t wait to walk you through them all and for you to experience them firsthand. 


Dads, getting adjusted and taking charge of your health has benefits that go far beyond just you. All sorts of studies show that when dads are physically active, keep their BMI and weight under control, and prioritize their health and well-being… so do their kids! 


You can make such an incredible impact on your health and the health of your entire family with just this one step. Give Live Well Family Chiropractic a call, Dad! 


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As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety can be an overwhelming and heartbreaking experience. You may feel helpless, especially when traditional medical approaches often resort to medication as the first line of treatment. However, at our practice, we want you to know that there is another way – a drug-free, holistic approach that focuses on the root cause of your child's anxiety: the nervous system.

The Prevalence of Childhood Anxiety

4.4 million children face anxiety, which can lead to difficulties in school, social interactions, and family life. These struggles can manifest in various ways, such as your child feeling nervous or tense, sensing danger when it may not be there, experiencing increased heart rate and rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, having difficulty concentrating, and even dealing with gastrointestinal problems.


It's important to understand that being nervous and sometimes anxious is a natural human response to perceived threats, triggering our nervous system's "fight, flight, or freeze" response. However, when these feelings become stuck and turn into chronic anxiety, it can significantly change the way your child perceives their daily life, making even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming and unmanageable.

The Nervous System's Role in Anxiety 

At the core of our approach to managing childhood anxiety is the understanding that the nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating emotions and stress responses. When the nervous system is out of balance, it can lead to a heightened stress response and an inability to access the "rest, digest, and regulate" state, which is essential for maintaining emotional well-being.


This imbalance is often caused by subluxation, which is the stress and tension that gets stuck within the nervous system. Subluxation buildup can start as early as stress during pregnancy, birth trauma, and early childhood experiences, setting the stage for anxiety later in life.


Another key player in the regulation of the nervous system is the vagus nerve, which is responsible for activating the "rest and relaxation" (parasympathetic) side of the nervous system. When the vagus nerve is not functioning properly, your child's body may struggle to access the "brake pedal" that helps them calm down and regulate their emotions.

Our Approach: Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care 

At Live Well Family Chiropractic, we specialize in Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care, which aims to address the root cause of your child's anxiety by focusing on the nervous system. Our team of Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractors uses INSiGHT scans to detect and measure the presence and severity of subluxation and dysautonomia, allowing us to create personalized care plans tailored to your child's unique needs.


Through precise chiropractic adjustments, we work to release stuck stress from the sympathetic nervous system, activate the vagus nerve, and restore balance to the nervous system as a whole. Our goal is to help your child's body know when it is safe and when to activate the "fight or flight" response, enabling them to access both sides of their nervous system and preventing them from getting "stuck" in a state of chronic anxiety.


We understand that the decision to explore drug-free options for your child's anxiety can be daunting, especially when medication is often presented as the only solution. 


However, we want you to know that there is hope and that a drug-free approach can be incredibly effective in helping your child manage their anxiety and reclaim their life.


By addressing the underlying neurological factors contributing to your child's anxiety, we can help them build a more resilient and balanced nervous system, equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life's challenges with confidence and ease.


So, if your child is struggling with anxiety and you feel like you've exhausted all options, we would love for you to take the first step toward healing by exploring Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care. Our team is here to support you every step of the way. If you have questions about our approach or are ready to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today! 



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The understanding and facts behind this topic are so clear and have been for so long, that it’s hard to believe every parent isn’t told the full truth about this all-too-common ‘Perfect Storm’ story. 

What am I talking about? I’m talking about the clear, and all too commonly seen path from childhood ear infections to lifelong asthma and immune challenges.

It starts with the way we birth and deliver babies in today’s traditional medical system. 


For thousands of years, kids were brought into this world WITHOUT the need for “intervention and induction” and also WITH the help of gravity. Was every birth perfect and non-complicated? Nope. But 30-40% or more of them didn’t end with anesthesia, surgical tools, and a baby being pulled out by their head and neck either.

I’m starting off talking about the birth process because it’s where the most common injury to the upper neck, brainstem, and cranial areas occurs. It’s the first “kink” that occurs, and it sets the stage for the rest of the path to develop. As you’ll see, one problem leads to another, and it just keeps going.

When there is physical strain, tension, pulling, and stress placed on the child’s head and neck during the birth process, it very commonly leads to something called a subluxation. I like to explain subluxation as having three parts – misalignment, fixation (“stuck”), and neurological interference/irritation. All three of those components are at play in this situation.

The greater the amount of intervention during the birth process (induction, forceps, vacuum, C-section, etc.), the greater the likelihood of a significant subluxation to the upper neck and brain stem area. Is it an ‘absolute’ situation? No, few things are… but in my 7 years of clinical experience, I can tell you it’s a very, very strong correlation.


How Childbirth Relates to Ear Infections

As we move forward, those three components of the subluxation lead to two main problems that cause and contribute to ear infections:


  1. Poor “plumbing” or drainage

  2. Lowered (weakened) neuro-immune function


When there is physical trauma to the neck in-utero, during birth, or from a fall early in life it creates that “kink” in close proximity to the “drain pipes” coming from the ears, sinuses, and head. Specifically, the top two vertebrae share a lot of nerve supply, muscles, and structures with the inner ear and sinuses.

If you “kink” those vertebrae you start to “clog” the drainage of the surrounding structures. In this case, that includes not just the ear, nose, and throat regions… but the lymphatics that drain the head and neck as well.

You see, pediatricians still today give the ‘explanation’ to parents that “early in life the Eustachian tubes are just more horizontal, and for some kids, that’s worse than others” and so on and so forth. Well, they are right… sort of. Those tubes are more horizontal early in life, but that’s because they were designed that way!


Gravity plays far less of a role in actually draining the fluid from our ears than does one other major factor – MOVEMENT.

You see, when those two ‘physical’ components of the subluxation occur, misalignment and fixation, not only does it “clog” up the actual physical space in the ears and sinuses and lymphatics… but it’s the FIXATION part that really messes things up. When those vertebrae get jammed and “stuck” from that early physical trauma, now they don’t move around as easily or as much… and therefore, they don’t do their job in helping move fluid out of the ear and sinuses.

So finally, the longer that fluid is allowed to sit in the inner ear, the greater the chance that “bad guys” like viruses (most of them) and bacteria set up shop, replicate, and cause an infection.

And on top of all that, because that region of the brainstem and spinal cord house and protect a very important “hard drive” and “operating system” for our immune system… when we have a subluxation there, we can have compromised neuro-immune function.

So if you have bad plumbing and poor immune function, you have ear infections.


The Role of Antibiotics


But alas, that’s why we have a Walgreens and CVS on every corner filled with antibiotics of all shapes, colors, and sizes right!? All a parent needs to do is go to their local pediatrician, urgent or immediate care, ER, or minute clinic and talk for a few minutes, grab the prescription, and head out. And all is good then, right?

Not so much.

We’ve had plenty of research since about the 1980s that first off, antibiotics don’t work very well for ear, sinus, and respiratory infections. And second, they don’t come without side effects. Not only are there short-term side effects such as stomach pain and diarrhea in a lot of kids, but the long-term ones are even worse.

Many studies have shown that if a child is given antibiotics early in life, especially within the first 12-24 months, it increases their risk of other long-standing inflammatory and autoimmune type issues like asthma later in life. 

But the problem doesn’t stop there with over prescribing antibiotics. Read an excerpt from another study that spells it out plain as day: 

“Antibiotics are not recommended for either diagnosis, as most of these infections are viral, but antibiotics are frequently prescribed to children with these diagnoses. Reducing unnecasssary antibiotic use is important: antibiotics are the leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits for pediatric adverse drug events and contribute to antibiotic resistance.” 

Even the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends a watch and wait approach. “Updated American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines address the diagnosis and management of uncomplicated acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 6 months to 12 years. The new recommendations, which offer more rigorous diagnostic criteria to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, were published online on February 25 and in the March issue of Pediatrics.”

So if they’re known to not work well, known to have short and long-term side effects, and known to contribute to what is now a major public health crisis (antibiotic-resistant strains or “superbugs”)… then why do they still get prescribed left and right by pediatricians and doctors of all sorts? Good question.

My guess is that since most pediatricians still lack the level of education and understanding in natural health remedies and neurologically-focused options such as chiropractic, but yet care deeply and want the child and parent to receive some relief… they turn to the only thing they have in their ‘tool kit’ and still provide antibiotics.

Before we wrap up this blog post, let’s circle back to the birth trauma and poor plumbing discussion. Is that the only negative health effect our kids may face after significant birth intervention or trauma? Unfortunately, no. That is just where things get started. 

In case history after case history we see the following Perfect Storm pathway play out: 

You can read more via all the links provided above, or by checking out our entire birth trauma article here

But before we finish up this blog post, let’s explore the neurophysiological connections to asthma and how the next level of medical treatment, ear tubes surgery, may be at play. 

While just like the guidelines for when to prescribe antibiotics are not necessarily set in stone, neither are the ones that help doctors know when to recommend ear tubes. Most of the time it looks something like this: 

  • 3 or more ear infections within 6 months 

  • 4-6 ear infections within 12 months 

We’ve certainly seen many case histories of patients who’ve well surpassed that mark, and we’ve also taken plenty of case histories of kids who’ve received two or even three different ear tubes surgeries over the years. That likely comes from the reality that while the ear tubes and surgery “force” an improved drainage system for a short time period, as the child grows and the root cause of the buildup and poor plumbing is still not addressed… the body pushes out the original tubes and goes right back to the same Perfect Storm it has always been stuck in. 

Just like ear infections and upper respiratory challenges are the #1 reason for a visit to the pediatrician, this is the most common surgery (myringotomy or tympanostomy) in kids and is performed over 700,000 times in the United States each year, costing $1.8 billion dollars. 

So Where Does All That Stuck, Virus-Filled Fluid Go Next?

Many parents report immediate relief from the eustachian tubes surgery, but sadly a few weeks or months later, they start to notice that at night especially their child appears to be talking and breathing a differently. Their voice changes a bit and they become a bit more hoarse, unclear, and labored in their breathing… seemingly having to “work harder” at it than before. 

This time the pediatrician isn’t as concerned with the ears, but now says that the tonsils and adenoids are “swollen” and the kiddo has a strep infection. But hey, don’t worry! This one is actually bacterial a lot of the time, so you guessed it! MORE ANTIBIOTICS!

Well, as time progresses the snoring gets worse, the sinuses and throat more jammed up, the breathing more labored, and the strep infections more frequent. So finally that same pediatrician says to go back to the ENT and see about having his tonsils and adenoids removed.

For most kids, this means the same doctor, same hospital, and same surgical routine. After previously drilling some holes in one body part, they just altogether take out a few more. 

Like building a coffee table you bought at IKEA, who needs all those extra body parts right? I’m sure they were just “extra” and not really needed for good, long term immune health. 

(Sorry for the satire, it’s heartbreaking when you know what’s really going on and know that parents are told the whole story and given ALL of their options.) 

So, back to the hospital. More surgery, more ice cream. And, more dispersal of the fluid into other places within the body. 

In my Iowa farmer terms, the fluid keeps moving “south” and starts to set up shop now in the lungs and upper airway. It’s simply the next stop on the anatomical map, and where the ear, nose, throat, and lymphatics were all supposed to be draining into naturally and easily this whole time before the birth trauma or other trauma set up that subluxation and “kink” in the plumbing system.


Asthma & Allergies Set in for the Long Haul


Essentially now this child becomes sick every single day of their life… Advair, Flovent, Singulair, etc.  They can’t run without challenges, they can’t go outside without challenges. Spring and fall are nightmares for them due to “allergies” as they’re now called.

Basically, what started out as a short-term, acute problem that could’ve been fixed for good with some improved plumbing and by restoring neuro-immune function is now a lifelong chronic illness and immune dysfunction. What was once a kid who struggled for a night or two with pain and discomfort, is now a kid who struggles every single day of their life.

It’s an absolute “Perfect Storm” all on its own. 


These kids don’t need more antibiotics and they don’t need more surgeries. They need more facts. They need more doctors and pediatricians who will tell them the actual truth that antibiotics are not only mostly ineffective for all these challenges, they’re dangerous. 

They need doctors who will tell them to seek out chiropractic care and all the natural health options for ear infections, before sending them down this perfect storm road of antibiotics, surgeries, allergies, and asthma. 

If you have a kiddo who is suffering, or if you know someone who does, please get them checked by a Pediatric Chiropractor to find out if they are subluxated. If there was extra stress during the pregnancy or intervention and trauma during the birth process, the chances are high that they indeed are. 


But that can mean good news for your family! Because that can mean a better chance of finding answers and relief through chiropractic care and natural health! 






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Live Well Family Chiropractic

144 Old Kingston Rd.

Ajax, ON, L1T 2Z9

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