Upcoming Events (visit the events page for details):
October Reiki Circle: Sunday, October 18 7-9pm
"On Oct. 29, Saturn moves into one of its favorite signs, Libra. The days surrounding Halloween are when the veils between this world and the etheric realm are at their thinnest. You will be highly sensitized to this incoming energy, so do something good for your spirit at the end of October."
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Local professional astrologer and intuitive consultant, Mark Dodich
Welcome Dr. Jill Ghormley
A new member of Vital Health and Wellness, Dr. Ghormley comes to us with several years of experience in Naturopathic Medicine. A graduate of Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA, Dr. Ghormley is the first licensed deaf Naturopathic physician in the United States.
Dr. Ghormley utilizes an in-depth understanding of how the muscles hold themselves in relationship to the nervous system. She investigates how a patient’s brain communicates with their body and uses that insight to re-educate the brain and body to work in harmony. As a Naturopathic physician, she specializes in physical medicine, which encompasses pelvic floor rehabilitation, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, maxillofacial rehabilitation (TMJ, facial neuralgia, sinus congestion, Eustachian tube congestion). She achieves the use of physical medicine through visceral manipulation, spinal and extremities manipulation, hydrotherapy, physical therapy rehabilitation, applied kinesiology, acutonics, cranial osteopathy, muscle energy stretching – to name a few. Under the physical medicine umbrella, Dr. Ghormley does injection therapy, IV therapy, and minor surgery as well. She also works within the fields of neurology, gastroenterology, dermatology, musculoskeletal systems and environmental medicine. Dr. Ghormley did a year and half residency specializing in chiropractic and osteopathic techniques as well as naturopathic modalities.
You can find Dr. Ghormley, who is an avid athlete, out playing soccer, running, hiking, cycling, climbing, swimming in the Pacific Northwest – rain or shine!
Try out a New You
Michelle Garnier Winkler, Reiki Master
It’s time for change. As fall is here, we’re all getting older and evolution is being foisted upon us—ready or not. Well, it’s also Halloween, so let’s play with change by embracing its child-like spirit.
As an easy way to start, why not experiment with new ways of viewing yourself? Trying on clothes in a completely new style is liberating and surprising. You just may like what you see or perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of a new you that you’d like to become. You probably think you know what you look like. Have a friend take close-up photos of you: your smile, your hands and your eyes. Even those who are camera-shy, maybe especially these folks, will gain new appreciation of themselves. You might be able to acknowledge your beauty by looking at your parts more objectively. If you’re ready to throw caution to the wind, a new haircut or tweak in color will cause you to peer in the mirror a little longer. Testing your self-concepts by altering your appearance, or the way you look at yourself, is easy and powerful. Change can be fun.
Another playful avenue to easing into change is to do something you haven’t done in years. It likely won’t take long for you to remember the joy you felt all those years ago. Head over to your local playground and swing on the swings. If, as part of becoming a grown-up, you stopped playing music, pick up your dusty, old guitar and get reacquainted. Or fully commit to being a kid. Spend time raking up the lovely fall leaves and make a really big pile. Then jump in it! By going back in time, you’ll realize how you’ve changed and understand that change doesn’t have to be permanent, so there’s no pressure.
If neither of these approaches appeals to you, or if you’re ready for more, a next step is to try something you’ve always wanted to do. Gather up some of your friends for moral support and go to a rock climbing gym. Face your fears of being in front of a large group and audition for the local theater company. Maybe you’ve heard of Reiki and are intrigued? Come in for a session to give it a try. By doing things you’ve been wanting to do, you give yourself permission to change in an exhilarating and fulfilling way.
Introducing change into everyday life is a challenge to embrace. Yes, you have to cook dinner, but it doesn’t have to be mundane. Make a lovely meal for yourself, something you’d be proud to serve guests. If you’re on auto-pilot on your way to work each day, take a different route. Maybe it won’t be especially scenic or the most expedient path, but it will help you to get to know your neighborhood and might alter the way you view it. We all bathe regularly. Instead of rushing through it to get to the next task more quickly, enjoy the scent of your shampoo and give thanks to your body for carrying you throughout life. Another element is by bringing change into your daily existence can help you appreciate your life more.
Growth and change are inevitable parts of life. Opening up to it can make it an exciting process, instead of a struggle. By doing some simple experiments to make it fun, these changes will become familiar and less frightening.
Chronic Pain and the Often Overlooked Glut Muscles
Kevin Colling, D.C.
Most people look at the abdominal wall when they have chronic low back or pelvic problems. They do endless amounts of crunches and Pilates type movements to strengthen their core. While this does build strength, it doesn’t address an often overlooked group of muscles which includes the external rotators of the hip and the gluteus muscles. For ease, I’ll call them the butt muscles.
When the butt muscles are weak (inhibited) they can cause multiple problems for the musculoskeletal system. Let’s look at the gluteus maximus as an example. This muscle attaches to the outside of your upper leg to a thick band called the iliotibial band. Its other attachment is at the top of your pelvis and to the small pie shaped bone at the base of your spine that forms the foundation of your spine, called the sacrum. It crosses the sacroiliac joint and the hip joint. It’s nearly always involved in sacroiliac pain, lumbar spine pain and hip pain.
You can notice the gluteus maximus muscle working when you walk with a long stride. If you place your hands over the lower portion of your buttocks and walk with a short stride, you will feel very little muscle contraction. Now lengthen your stride and you will feel the muscle contract when you toe off and when your heel strikes the ground. This is actually a good way to keep the muscle strong. Walking in heels prevents long strides and contributes to inhibited butt muscles.
Getting out of a chair or car and climbing stairs are other common uses of the butt muscles. When they are weak, you have to lean forward to shift your weight more over your knees in order to get up.
Why is the strength in these muscles important?
When these muscles are weak there will be a slow lengthening of the sacroiliac ligaments which causes pain and pelvic imbalances that become chronic. If this occurs, there will usually be muscle tightness running up your back even up to the neck muscles.
What are the symptoms of weakness of the butt muscles?
1. Chronic pelvic problems
2. Chronic knee pain
3. Stiffness to the lower back
4. Restriction in neck rotation
5. Difficulty sitting for long periods of time
6. Difficulty getting out of a car or up from a low chair
What can you do about this?
First you have to have your pelvis, hip, foot and thoracic spine tested for any structural imbalance. Then the muscle needs to be tested for its proper function and corrected if it cannot contract properly. Once the muscle is able to function properly, simply walking with long strides may be enough to keep the muscle contracting properly. If this is not enough, then specific exercises can be prescribed to help allow for proper biomechanics of the butt muscles. Unfortunately, all of the machines at the gym don’t take into account the way the butt muscles actually function when walking and they often work the hamstring and low back muscles more than the buttock muscles which leads to further imbalance.
If you have chronic problems or know someone with this type of problem, please talk to me about it. Often treating this group of muscles helps with many problems at once, from the foot to the neck.
As always, your referral is my greatest compliment. Kevin Colling, D.C. 503-808-9145