The Mind/Body Connection: Treat Both for Total Wellness

Our minds and bodies are so interconnected that sometimes symptoms of our psychological issues show up in our bodies and vice versa. For this reason, it is important to listen to what our bodies are telling us, and to address both physical and psychological self-care when working toward comprehensive wellness and health.

Joyce Marter, LCPC, Psychotherapist & Co-Owner of Urban Balance recalls, “After the birth of our daughter, I said to my husband that I needed more support. The next day, my back went out!” To her, this was glaring evidence that how she was feeling emotionally, and in her relationship, was manifesting as pain symptoms in her body. This is the type of thing seen often at Urban Balance when providing counseling and therapy to individuals, couples and families. Clients report physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems, back aches or chronic pain that may be associated with stress, anxiety, depression or relationship issues.

Urban Balance (www.urbanbalance.org) provides counseling and support to help people reduce their physical complaints that may be exacerbated by emotional issues. Some believe that feelings are waves of energy we store in the body. If those feelings are not being managed effectively, they can cause physical symptoms. Therefore, in individual and couples sessions, UB helps clients by:

• Encouraging regular self-care routines through nutrition, sleep & exercise
• Using cognitive-behavioral therapy to promote positive thinking, which strengthens the immune system and increases overall health
• Teaching stress management & relaxation techniques
• Providing assertiveness training & communication skills
• Practicing anger management & conflict resolution
• Promoting the creation & maintenance of a positive support network

Due to the interconnection of the bio-psycho-social aspects of each person, the physicians at Serenity Health & Wellness and the experts at Urban Balance recognize the importance of utilizing a team of experts in which to refer patients in hopes of optimizing each patient’s health and success.

You're Pregnant! Now what?

Hopefully now that you have prepared your body as well as your mind, you have now become pregnant. Your pregnancy is going along smoothly, your are feeling well, excited about the arrival of the baby. But what can you do if your doctor tells you past your 28th week of pregnancy that your baby is breech? First thing is to not panic; there are options that can be attempted (hopefully with success) to avoid a cesarean section.

One methodology that has been known to assist in ensuring the normal head down position of the baby is Webster technique. All pregnant women, once they discover they are pregnant, should be under the care of a competent chiropractic physician certified in Webster technique. Sacral misalignment can cause tightening and torsion of specific pelvic musculature and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus which prevents the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth.

Webster technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nervous system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, thus allowing for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. In expectant mothers presenting breech, there has been a high reported success rate of the baby turning to the normal vertex (or head down) position. In our office, Webster technique has been successfully used in women whose babies present transverse (lying sideways), posterior (sunny side up) as well as with twins. Any position of the baby other than the suggested position of the baby lying on the right side with the back of the head facing the pubic bone (ROA) may indicate the presence of sacral misalignment and therefore intra-uterine constraint. At no time should this technique be interpreted as an obstetric, "breech turning" technique, known as ECV or external cephalic version.

When an expectant mother comes in for chiropractic care during pregnancy, a thorough history will be taken to ensure the best possible care and safety for both the mother and the baby. Once that is accomplished, and mom has taken a bathroom break, the examination will take place including Webster technique and analysis. So that you understand what will happen during Webster technique and analysis, allow me to give you a bit of a synopsis.

First, mom gets to lie face down on the table. Yes I said face down, the position you have not been able to achieve for possibly some time now, and yes it feels like heaven all by itself. The table has a special piece that drops down to accommodate the growing baby inside of you. We also have special pillows with abdominal and breast cut outs if needed to alleviate any pressure on your abdomen or breasts. As you lie comfortably on the table, the doctor will analyze which side of the sacrum might need to be mobilized. The mobilization or adjustment is given in the same position by the aid of a toggle piece, known as a drop piece, built within the table. This piece provides speed with very low force as the progesterone and relaxin of pregnancy make adjusting mom-to-be very easy.

Then mommy turns over to lie in a semi-reclined position on her back to check the round ligaments located on each side of the body serving to support the uterus. The tighter ligament will gently be released using light pressure. We even show mom how to find it and rub it at home if it helps alleviate any discomfort. Once the ligaments and sacrum are balanced, we usually encourage regular chiropractic care to help maintain this state of balance, leading to a healthier pregnancy and hopefully an easier birth.