Author: seedoflifechiro

Breathing. Are you doing it right?

by seedoflifechiro, posted in Movement

Breathing is something that we all take for granted. We all probably think that we breathe properly… most of us would be wrong.

Go ahead. Stand in front of a mirror to do a self-assessment by following the steps below:

  • Look at your neck and upper chest. Are your collar bones very prominent? Can you see a muscle that wraps from your ear to your collarbone on each side standing out? Is your head in a forward position?
    • If so, these are signs of improper breathing patterns.
  • Now, take a deep breath and observe your body. Does your chest rise up? Does your belly stay flat or does it push outward? Do your ribs flare out at the bottom?
    • In normal breathing, the chest should not rise, but the upper ribs do expand forward a bit (like the handle on a pump). The lower ribs should flair outward (like a bucket handle). Your abdominal muscles should pull down on the diaphragm to accomplish this.
  • When you  breathe, can you breathe through your nose?

Most of us would fail at least one of these checks- I perform these checks in the office when I evaluate my patients. It is important to make sure that breathing is functioning optimally to ensure that the core muscles are supporting the spine. Below is one of my favorite videos that demonstrates an exercise to help improve respiration patterns (Thanks to Maximum Performance Chiropractic in California!). However, it is important to get assessed before beginning to work on your body’s patterns. Some corrections must be made in a particular order to be most effective. Also, some exercises may enhance a dysfunctional pattern.

Breathing has an impact on more than just your core. Your breathing sends signals to your brain about your body’s physical state. Think about being chased by a bear- you are going to go into fight or flight breathing and use your neck and shoulder muscles to breathe because this is panic. If you have ever had a panic attack you also know how this feels. When we correct breathing, we can help our bodies control our mental status. This is one reason natural birth methods focus intensely on the breath to help women cope with the pain of contractions.

Did you pass your self-assessment? Would you like a more thorough evaluation? Call or text Seed of Life to schedule your assessment!

 

Chiropractic as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

by seedoflifechiro, posted in Health

Chiropractic as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

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I often hear from patients that they are feeling good, so they don’t need to be checked. While I am happy to hear that they are not having pain, I always stress that it is important to have someone assess your movement and your spine a couple of times a year (minimum) to ensure that there is nothing just over the horizon.

Many people associate chiropractic care with low back pain, headaches, or neck pain. What they fail to realize is that many of these things (if not all) are preventable not inevitable. Many times the way that we move in daily life is not biomechanical.

What the heck does that mean? The curves in the spine begin to develop as soon as a baby starts to gain muscular control over their head and lift it up. Crawling and other developmental stages help to build your spine into the shape that it is as an adult. Basically, we are born with a C-shaped spine that develops into 3 distinct curves in the neck, mid back, and low back. Throughout this same process, we also build patterns into our brains that help our muscles support the skeleton in different motions.

Over time through minor and major falls, injuries, too much sitting, text neck, and so much more, our body builds compensation patterns to make up for what we cannot do perfectly. You can live for many years with a compensation pattern before another straw lands on the camel’s back and you have a major issue. This is why you will often hear, “I picked up a pencil and threw out my back!” Odds are it was not the pencil, but the lifting and bending pattern that had been present for many years.

As chiropractors, we are trained to analyze the body and pick out these patterns for correction. I am lucky to combine my chiropractic training with the training in biomechanics and rehabilitation learned in my Masters of Sport Science and Rehabilitation to help you to be as stable and balanced as possible.

This does, however, mean HOMEWORK. I was really happy to think I left homework behind me when I walked across that last stage to get my diploma… but then I learned that the most important homework is not what is on your desk or computer. It is the corrective exercises that are assigned to retrain your brain and your posture. Chiropractically, I can perform an adjustment to the spine or to a joint and normalize its motion; however, if you return to doing things exactly the way that you have always done them it will just go back out of balance.

My main goal is to have my patients not need me for pain relief but to get checked periodically to ensure that their home exercises are still appropriate, that their body is holding its balance, and that they are making progress.

Is there something you would like me to write about? Drop a comment on this page or on Facebook to suggest a future blog topic!

Meet Dr. Samelak!

by seedoflifechiro, posted in Uncategorized

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Most people are not born knowing what they want to do with their lives, and I am no exception. I always knew I wanted to help people and that I didn’t want to give shots or do surgery. I also knew I did not like teeth or eyeballs… so when chiropractic changed my life, I realized that I wanted to spend my life doing just that for others.

My sister and I grew up seeing a chiropractor, periodically, because my mom has scoliosis (a condition where her spine is improperly curved) and it can run in families. As a kid, I understood how the spine was very important because it is the house for your nervous system, but until I was injured playing water polo in high school I never realized what a gift it is to be able to help someone heal and return to what they love. Water polo is a rough sport, and I had a severe case of whiplash and a shoulder injury in my first season playing goalie. I was devastated when I couldn’t play, and because brushing my hair and turning my head were too much- swimming was out of the question. My mom took me to see our chiropractor who was able to get me back in the pool.

When I was able to return to play, I knew that I needed to be able to help other athletes like my chiropractor helped me. I decided to be a chiropractor.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Biology at Eastern Michigan University and entered a sister program with Logan College of Chiropractic that allowed me to do one year dual studies. Chiropractic school changed my world. For the first time, I was surrounded by people who, not only understood that the power that makes the body heals the body, but embraced it and came from all different backgrounds.

In addition to my classes, I worked as a tutor and aid in the anatomy lab. The in depth knowledge that I gained working with the human body helped to shape the type of doctor I have become. One of my favorite teachers, Dr. Montgomery, always said, “If you know anatomy, you know chiropractic.” He was right. I rely on the knowledge that I gained in the anatomy lab extensively in clinical practice.

I began my Masters studies in Sport Science and Rehabilitation concurrently with my Doctorate of Chiropractic. I completed my Masters in 2015 and have had the privelege to work with many athletes from different sports- from golf to swimming to hockey. Working with athletes is very rewarding because they have a drive and passion that is palpable.

I discovered in my last year of chiropractic school that prenatal care was my passion. One of my best friends was pregnant that last year, and I had the honor of taking care of her throughout her pregnancy. Working with her to balance her body as she advanced in pregnancy was an amazing experience as was being part of her delivery. As cliché as it is, my life took on a whole new meaning during her delivery. My whole focus shifted, and I knew that I wanted to focus on prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care. I took an additional certification in Webster Technique, a technique designed to balance the pelvis of a pregnant woman and help it adapt over the course of her pregnancy.

After graduation, my husband, Robin, and I moved back to Michigan where I became involved in the birth community in my area. Working with doulas, prenatal yoga instructors, and midwives to help improve the experience that women have throughout pregnancy and delivery became my passion. I was also incredibly lucky to adjust another chiropractor during her pregnancy and even at her delivery. Click here to read about it! Working with families, athletes, and prenatal care have made my time in practice so much fun and such a learning experience. It is an honor to touch so many people’s lives.

I spent four and a half years practicing at Correct Care Family Chiropractic in Livonia, MI before Robin and I decided to move to Seattle. I am so excited to begin my practice here, in Freemont, at Seed of Life Chiropractic and Wellness, LLC. I look forward to working with families and with the birth community here- sharing my passion with you all!