Tag Archives: posture

This most vital nutrient deficiency, and how we’ve evolved without it.

This most vital nutrient deficiency, and how we’ve evolved without it.

Hey Warriors.
Happy Monday.  It is Monday right?!  It seems since quarantine the days are blurring together am I right?!I’m going to take a break this week from talking about things related to coronavirus, just because well I’m over it lol. I think from the way the world is going you are all sick of it too!  At least people are starting to wake up to our freedom.
My biggest worry is not this new “virus”. It is the huge impact this fiasco will have on the mindsets of our young people. They are being taught to be at war with germs. They are being taught that they have no control over their health. They are being taught that medications and vaccines are the answer to all diseases. They are being brainwashed and lied to, and that is very sad indeed.  I’ve devoted most of my career to studying microbes and their benefits.

I will say I’ve had a couple of patients who showed up with it, and through testing it is NOT acting like a virus, but a toxin.  If you’ve been with me awhile, I talk about all different ways we get exposed to toxins.
So keep this in mind when thinking about immunity.  It’s not just fighting infections, but actually how our body and cells recover from cellular toxins.

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This weekend I went with one of my mentors to help train a dentist on a case.  Most of the great functional dentists and orthodontists if they are doing airway and orthodontia correctly always work with an osteopath, which is awesome!  However, not many know all that us craniopaths do to combine osteopathy with chiropractic.  And luckily, my mentors have been doing this a long time, and have such great knowledge and ways of explaining things.

Okay okay.. the “case” is myself. haha.  I have struggled with airway and TMJ/neck issues for my entire life and it has been a long road to recovery.  However, what I’m finding is about 80% of my practice suffers with the exact same thing, and no 1 case is the same.
Although I have recovered significantly, there’s still some improvement that can be made in my case, and so working with other professionals is key to finding the right appliance, or orthodontic device to achieve the results we desire.

As an adult, fixing some of these issues, which I will explain in a minute is a long road, and frankly most adults are not willing to take the journey.  I get it.  It’s easy to just do things here and there or get a CPAP to cope with symptoms.  This is why it is CRITICAL and so NEEDED to educate about care for infants.  So much of what we chase as adults could have been fixed easily as a child.

However, I am determined to get more oxygen and to get more sound sleep without surgery or devices. Why?!
Well you might have guessed by now that the most vital nutrient deficiency is oxygen. 

There’s an extremely common pattern I see in about 80% of my patients, and this is oxygen deficiency. 
Testing patient after patient, the same pattern will come up.  So i’m going to give you some descriptions of this so that you can better decipher what is going on in your body and see it in those around you. 
Because of oxygen deficiency, we’ve basically evolved into certain postures that are “common” but not normal. 

Looking at the Body. 
First of all just looking at how a person stands in gravity will give us some big clues.
For instance these images below (which are not mine) show a great example of typical postures we see with airway issues. 

Take a look at how the head is positioned.  The ear should be directly in line with the shoulder, however, the ear in this case is quite forward in relationship to where her shoulder is.  Look at the back, rounding in her shoulders and upper back which usually creates mid back problems, and the lower back tends to bend or tilt more forward   This is the “classic” airway posture.  Leaning forward to get more oxygen when the airway is constricted.  You see SOOO many people with this. Yes technology has created forward head issues as well, but this is really a neurological issue for people with airway issues.  They actually feel uncomfortable sitting up straight and maintaining it because it cuts off their oxygen. So the brain will say, nope let’s put them back into that position.

         

If we look at a front view of a person with airway issues, this is what you will see. (again not my image)

This is a classic forward hand posture.  The arms and hands should be more aligned with the side of the body.  What happens with this person is that if you stand behind them and just give a little push behind them pushing forward, they won’t be able to resist against it. That person is always unstable.
What will then happen is all of the back muscles will tighten to keep them from falling forward all the time. So you’ll keep finding tight shoulders, tight hands, tight neck, tight back, everything behind them will try to counterbalance if the system is working properly (Usually Younger, healthier individuals). Older individuals don’t adapt well anymore, so they end up going more and more and more forward and have more health complications.

What we can do for these cases, is we can test and see if the bite and airway is the primary issue for these people by putting a little tongue depressor and having them bite on it.  If you try and push that person again and they stand their ground, this is where we need to refer and work with a functional dentist/orthodontist to help stabilize the bite and jaw.  If it doesn’t change, or maybe improves a little it is a mixed pattern of bite and airway issues.

These individuals with airway issues don’t stand in gravity well.  They will start to sway back and forth, or will feel like they can’t hold their weight, so they will look for a wall or something to lean on constantly.   Or they will start to get really fidgeting because they can’t hold their weight, and they know if they can’t hold their weight they will crash and fall.  

Why isn’t this person standing in gravity well?
If we take a person into the side thats tight, we call it side bending, this simulates where you are stepping sideways.  Every time that person steps sideways the body loses its ability to communicate and can’t get any messaging down, so they will recruit all the upper body muscles to help keep them upright.  This is why you will continuously see tight patterns and muscles.   Makes sense?!  It’s not that the person or muscle is weak, it’s that the body is trying to protect that area.

Generally, lying down these patients will feel much more comfortable, taking all that gravity away.  Except even lying, the person still has some tight muscles. Why? the person will hold that pattern because the brain says we “better hold that pattern because the body is unstable. “

What I find, is that when I treat the body and take away the cranial and body patterns, the person will feel amazing!  However, it won’t hold.  As soon as that person bite chews and swallows it will re-tighten, or they aren’t getting enough oxygen, the body will go right back into that pattern.
This is why we NEED great and amazing functional dentists, ENT and orthodontists to help us!  When we combine the structure with the mechanics, it is life changing for individuals. Remember that teeth are just an extension of bone, so we have to get the cranial mechanics working as they are changing the bite and teeth to make the ENTIRE body balanced.  That side bending I was just mentioning starts all the way in the head, so as they balance the bite and expand the palate (usually), we have to make sure those compensatory patterns are not keeping it in the improper pattern.   Basically, we have to retrain the brain, and keep balancing as they are changing the structure.

So what is it that the dentist, orthodontists, myofunctional therapists and ENT needs to do to fix the airway issues?
Well, thats not an easy answer because every person is different.  Some individuals have tongue ties and aren’t swallowing properly.  Some have enlarged tonsils and adenoids, others (most common) have a very narrow upper palate which causes narrowing of the sinuses and facial structure.  All of this most commonly is due to how we are born, or what traumas we’ve had physically to our head and body. 
Again,  Why treating children early on is key to reverse it!
AS we grow into these dysfunctional patterns it’s a lot harder and takes more time to basically UNDO what our body has done to compensate.  It’s not impossible, but it is definitely a longer route.

NOT ALL DENTISTS/ORTHODONTISTS know this !!!  IN reality, very very few are properly trained in airway and body mechanics. Also, most chiropractors have ZERO clue of this.  They just keep treating neck and back complaints 2-3 times a week forever.  NOT fixing the problem!

If we take if a step further into the importance of oxygen you KNOW that oxygen is vital.  WE have to have it for anything to keep us working.  So many individuals don’t even know they have sleep/airway issues, but have a lack of energy, or sinus issues, or digestion issues.  We always must start with structure and oxygen.  It’s the key to life!

Additionally, many with this COVID crisis aren’t doing well on ventilators (helping them to breathe), but others are doing great with just pure oxygen being given! You need oxygen for regeneration!

Here are some key factors to look at with airway cases and to ask yourself.

1. Chronic Neck or Back Pain
2. Tightness in the chest or arms
3. Frequent headaches
4. Of course, sleep apnea
5. Daytime drowsiness
6. Constant Allergies
7. Constant Mouth Infections/Immune System Issues
8. Swaying and Fidgety while standing
9. Always leaning to one side.
10. Clenching/Grinding TMJ
11. Mouth Breathing
12. Acid Reflux
13. Dark Circles Under Your Eyes
14. One side of the body feels more dominant, tighter.
*** why not both?  Well, if both sides are tight (weak), then you wouldn’t be able to walk.
15. Constantly need body work, or doesn’t hold.  Say “i always hold my stress here”

INFANTS
1. Not sleeping through the night
2. Allergies
3. Colic/reflux
4. Breastfeeding issues
5. Sleep issues
6. Attention Issues
7. Mood dys regulation
8. not hitting milestone

9. Aggressive

10. Mouth Breathing

These are just some warning signs.
The older you are, the more a person in reality doesn’t want to go through he entire process of undoing what has been done.  It is a longer process, but it IS worth it.   Keeping your body and oxygen flowing as much as possible is so key to vitality in life.We don’t just want to live, we want to THRIVE!

The tongue’s effect on your BRAIN

Happy Monday Tribe!

I hope you all had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend, although the weather wasn’t the best here!

Last week we went through some genetic variants that can impact your energy, if you missed that make sure you catch the recap here:

https://www.drrachelhamel.com/blog-post/the-genetic-variations-for-energy-who-doesnt-need-more-energy/

This week we are switching gears and talking about the effects of your TONGUE on your brain! 
I like to keep it interesting for you guys! You love it right?! Well, you really have no choice, although I DO LOVE RECOMMENDATIONS for topics:)

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Let me first talk about something that needs to be addressed first.
Being a brain doc I have done EXTENSIVE research in other fields.  Dentistry, chiropractic, osteopathy and others.  

There’s no medical person that can tell you they learn much of ANYTHING about the tongue.  Nothing about the fascia layers, that tissue going into the tongue. nothing really other than what the parts of it are called and the nerve that goes to it.

But in reality the tongue is VERY important and complex, and holds a big key as to how our cranial bones move, and our brain working….

The tongue is very dynamic when we look at it with the head.

It actually has a strong impact on the base of the head.  The fascial tissue around the brain (called the dura), does as well, but the tongue in general is more dynamic.

So far, what we have learned about the tongue is that when there is restriction in the tongues movement it has HUGE effects on the movement of the bones of the head.  If someone has what is called a “tongue tie”


(not my image)

as shown here, the tongue cannot actually reach up to the roof of the mouth effectively.
What does that mean?

Well, that means that the upper palate (where the upper teeth come from ), doesn’t have stimulation from the tongue to grow properly.  This means the palate will usually cause a narrowness in the face, sinuses, and usually airway problems.

So we need the tongue to lift up for airway, swallowing, and also posture. 

But, what’s also important is not only lifting the tongue, but the base of the tongue is also relevant to the movement of the cranial bones.  A tongue tie, is a fascial restriction.  Fascia is connected throughout our entire body, but the tongue is actually the strongest fascial layer in the body!
When someone is a mouth breather or a tongue thruster because the tongue is bound down, it also has a direct effect on the movement at the base of the skull which ALSO leads to a narrow palate.  

Let’s move down from the tongue….

Going down…

Going down the body, a tongue tie can also affect your hyoid bone.


(not my image)

The hyoid bone is a moveable bone going down your throat.
When there is a tongue tie, there is tension from the muscles and fascia above and below this bone.  This means that with tension, it can pull a person into a more forward posture, creating improper posture and improper airway.

But also!

That fascial tissue and pull goes ALL THE WAY down to the sternum. 
If you have a really tight sternum or chest,
its the fascial relationship of the tongue!

That’s because this tissue connects to the
–Bronchopericardiac membrane (lungs)
– phrenoparicardial ligament (diaphragm)


(not my image)

The tongue tension goes into the rest of the body, so you have to release the phrenopericaridal ligament, attaches the heart into the diaphragm, which will also pull that person into the forward posture. The diaphragm has a HUGE connection with posture.

The collarbone has two of the 3 axial layers of cervical fascia attached to the hyoid bone.  A lot will get pulled inferiorly and drag the whole system with them.  Not allowing the whole tongue to function properly.

Know someone that has a tight sternum and chest?  (they probably have a tongue tie)

So the fascial restrictions below the hyoid can also cause problems.

You have to look at the whole picture here.  Because the brain likes BALANCE.

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This is why it is so important. …..

In my practice I would get patients feeling better with their brain working better, less tension, better posture, better breathing.. But for some individuals things kept coming back.

What we learn is the tongue.
When patient had the issues of tongue dysfunction (tongue ties),  and had the tongue tie release done (just lasered that tissue off) those muscles and fascial tissue relaxed and had a lasting effect. 

The brain no longer has to keep going into those patterns because the restriction is off.  Pretty awesome right?!

BUT, I will say integration of the ENTIRE body is important.  You can’t just get a tongue tie release done without craniopathy care and body work and expect the same results.
(think about the whole line I just talked about)
Integration is key.  Because after all if the nerves getting to the tongue aren’t working, then a tongue tie release wont’ make much difference.  Fix the nerves first then do the release and soft tissue work.

HUGE:
Proper swallow- having that free end of the tongue helps flexion of the maxilla, the tongue is the scaffold from the growing bone, and the tongue will be able to lift to the palate.

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I know tongue tie release is becoming more common in infants with feeding issues, but it’s also JUST as common in adults that have chronic neck, breathing, jaw, swallowing and upper body tightness.

Getting cranial work done to get the brain to work better and getting a tongue tie release can be LIFE changing for many people, myself included. 

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotlight this week is clove oil!  This is the oil i use to numb the gums for any dental work and for tongue tie releases!Sourced from Madagascar, doTERRA Clove oil is harvested from unopened and dried flower buds of the evergreen tree, Eugenia caryophyllata. Though it is more commonly recognized as a ground household spice, Clove oil is a unique and powerful option that you can utilize even outside the kitchen. It is a popular choice for adding spice to a meal, administering a warming massage, freshening your breath, and more. Clove essential oil has many everyday uses—making it a helpful addition in any home.

Clove Oil Uses and Benefits

  1. Clove oil can be especially useful for dental hygiene. For years, Clove essential oil has been used in candies, gum, and dental preparations due to its ability to cleanse the mouth and help freshen breath. There are several ways to harness the cleansing and soothing benefits of Clove oil for the teeth, gums, and mouth at home. For example, place a single drop of Clove oil in two ounces of water and gargle for a soothing effect. You can also add one drop of Clove to your toothpaste, which will promote clean teeth and fresh breath. For an extra clean feeling, apply one drop of Clove oil to your teeth and gums after your six month appointment with your dentist.
  2. Because of its warm, spicy characteristics, Clove essential oil makes the perfect addition to your favorite autumn or holiday recipes. This essential oil pumpkin pie recipe harnesses the delicious, spicy flavor of Clove, Ginger, and Cinnamon essential oils to add a new twist to an old favorite. Whether you are getting ready to host a big holiday party, or you are looking for the perfect dessert for a crisp fall evening, this pumpkin pie recipe will soon become your go-to for the holiday season.
  3. Not only is the spicy, autumn flavor of Clove oil great for cooking, you can also enjoy the scent of Clove oil in your own homemade sugar scrub. Make your own skin exfoliating scrub at home by combining the fall scents of CassiaGinger, and Clove essential oil, and enjoy smooth, exfoliated skin. You’ll love this festive fall sugar scrub that smells like a crisp autumn day.
  4. Add Clove oil to your daily supplement regimen to help promote wellness. To experience the benefits that Clove oil has to offer, consider adding two or three drops of the oil to a doTERRA Veggie Capsule and take internally to support cardiovascular health.*
  5. Have you tried making your own potpourri using essential oils? Clove oil is a helpful addition to a homemade potpourri concoction, especially if you are trying to fill your home with the warm scents of autumn and winter. Use CinnamonCassiaVetiverWild OrangeGingerCardamom, Clove and your other favorite oils to add an aroma to this homemade potpourri and enjoy the warm, spicy, and herbal scents of fall.
  6. Make a sweet treat for your loved ones with this delicious gingerbread cookie recipe. Obviously you’ll need some Gingeressential oil, but you can amp up the taste of regular gingerbread cookies with some extra help from Cinnamon and Clove oils. These yummy gingerbread cookies are gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan, so they are perfect for any of your friends or family who have diet restrictions. Plus, they taste delicious!
  7. Because Clove oil brings a warming sensation to the skin, it is sometims used for massage therapy. Keep in mind, however, that Clove is known as a hot oil, and should always be diluted with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Or, if you want to enjoy the benefits of a calming, warm massage at home, you can also combine Clove essential oil with the doTERRA Hand and Body lotion.
  8. Experience the invigorating scent of Clove oil by diffusing it during the fall and winter seasons. For a stimulating diffuser blend, diffuse three drops of Clove, two drops of Cinnamon, and one drop of Wild Orange oil in the essential oil diffuser of your choice.

Plant Description
Clove oil comes from flower buds of an evergreen tree. Requiring a tropical, humid environment, the clove tree produces flower buds, and Clove oil is created out of the unopened or dried flower buds. Clove trees have been useful for centuries for cooking, perfumes, and other aromatic uses. Originally hailing from Southeast Asia, the clove tree, or Eugenia caryophyllata, can live up to 100 years and is a member of the myrtle family whose leaves, flowers, and buds are highly aromatic—making it useful for essential oil production.

 

Chemistry of Clove Oil
Main Chemical Component: Eugenol

The bud of a clove tree contains a significant amount of the active chemical component eugenol, which contributes to the energizing fragrance of Clove essential oil. Studies have shown that eugenol has the potential to assist the body in maintaining normal gastrointestinal motility, which is particularly helpful during times of stress when the digestive tract is not functioning properly.* Eugenol is also used in several dentistry applications, which is why the oil from clove buds is often noted for its benefits for oral care.

That is all for now.
Have a happy and healthy week.
Dr Hamel