So Age is Robbing Your Strength? What to do next….

It’s a common refrain that as you get older, things just don’t work the same. 

Many just take it as a fact of life. Inevitable even. But have you ever wondered what is really going on as you get older? Well let’s just look at your muscles for starters. 

It has been studied that after the age of 30, you will lose between 3-8% of your muscle mass each decade after. That’s not even the worst part, it has also been observed that the decline will accelerate for a person after the age of 60. That means as you get older, if you do not actively try to improve your strength, you will naturally get weaker. 

The scientific term is called Sarcopenia. This is the bodily process that occurs in everybody. 

This is where muscle fibers in our bodies start to shrink, decrease in number and regenerate more slowly when injured. Studies also show that the very nature of our muscle fibers change. They become more fibrous and evolve to become more like connective tissue and less like the vibrant, red muscle fibers we commonly associate with healthy tissue. 

So you may be asking yourself, why does this matter? Well here’s just a small sample of reasons how this might affect your health:

1. Difficulty Performing Daily Tasks

   This can show up as having difficulties going up and down stairs or walking as long/far as you used to. Perhaps, you may have more difficulties lifting things, like pets or children like you used to.

2. You Look Smaller

   As sarcopenia progresses with time, you may physically appear smaller. 

This is often why people look skinnier as they age. They are physically getting smaller as the accumulated loss of muscle mass occurs over time.

3. Loss of Vitality/ Energy

   Your muscles are important warehouses of energy and metabolism for your entire body. For example in men, muscles are integral to the production and regulation of the hormon, Testosterone. Testosterone levels are very much related to a man’s energy levels and overall sense of vitality

4. Balance and Fall Prevention

      - As everyone ages, balance can decline and falls become more of a 

        concern. What’s important to note here is that loss of muscles may not be 

        the direct cause of poor balance and falls but indirect. Meaning that the very 

        things you would do to maintain or improve muscle mass as you age are 

        the very things that can help your balance and protect you during a fall. 

This is the exact reason that we commonly discuss diet and exercise with our patients in the clinic. Almost everyone is interested in knowing how to age healthily. Maybe they have experienced it themselves or seen the affects of aging in their loved ones. 

The moral of the story is this process is natural and will occur in everyone. But it doesn’t mean it has to affect everyone the same. Just understanding the issue and making small steps like exercising more can go a long way to improving your health. No matter how old you are. 

Just a thought. 

Yours in health. 

Peakform Team

PS - If you need help with an issue or perhaps you feel like it’s time for a ‘tune up’. Our team is ready to help. Give us a call!

Will AI Replace Your Family Doctor?

Let me tell you about the odd week I had in clinic a couple weeks ago. 

I came across an article that stated that Chat GPT successfully passed all 3 parts of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). It did so with a 60% pass rate and with no prior prompting or training. This is the exam that all Medical school graduates must pass before they can become licensed to practice medicine. 

Then that same day, I had a patient come to my clinic saying that he had checked his symptoms with Chat GPT to get an idea of what the issue could be. Amazing!

With the internet readily available, I’m aware there are many family doctors that have misgivings about their patients going to “Dr. Google” before in person visits. But now with the introduction of AI and it’s rapid advancement, where does medicine and health care go from here?

We are truly living in unprecedented times. 

Unfortunately, along with this is our current situation of a family doctor shortage in BC. I hear every week a patient asking if I am aware of a family doctor who might be accepting new patients?  Sadly the answer is currently no.

So what’s next for AI in health care and where does Chiropractic fit in? 

Personally, when I speak to patients about these topics, the general sense is that people prefer to interact with people. Full stop. Patients want more than just information and data, they want and seek context. They want a broader picture of not just their issue but they also want more. 

What are their options? What other things can/should they try? How will the issue affect their life? They want to hear stories of patients in similar situations and how they navigated their treatments. In short they want the connections and perspective you can only really get with another person. As I said earlier, facts are great but context is the secret ingredient that brings it all together. 

In addition, the manual nature of Chiropractic, Massage Therapy and Acupuncture all lends itself to interactions with another person. So at least for now, I see the care we offer as a marriage of technology with ‘old school’ techniques. 

I suppose only time will tell how much more AI will influence and be integrated into health care. Nevertheless, stay tuned and I will keep you informed of technological changes and how it might affect you and your loved ones. 

Yours in health!

Peakform Team. 

PS - If you have any health issues or concerns, don't hesitate to contact our clinics.

Our award winning team in Vancouver and Burnaby are ready to help!

Want Better Sleep?......Don't Do This.

The Shortest Day of the year is nearly upon us. A lot less sunlight and more darkness. Perfect recipe for better sleep right? Wrong.

A lot of patients struggle with getting a restful sleep. Ideally, for most people we are talking from 7-9 hours a night. (Even better if that sleep is uninterrupted). But the sad reality is many people are challenged with sleep. Another often overlooked issue is many people are challenged with S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Often SAD is considered a mild form of depression and most commonly related to increased darkness and less sunlight. Especially in the winter months.

A lot of times in the clinic I speak to patients about their sleep. We often talk about simple strategies that can help them get better, restful sleep. Or looked another way, I ask them to STOP doing certain things. For example;

1) Avoid Screens an hour before your desired sleep time.

• Try to give your brain and senses a chance to wind down. Stay away from unnecessary stimulation so you can actually fall asleep.

2) Try to avoid a random Bedtime routine.

• People are creatures of habit. Sometimes getting a bedtime routine can help a lot.

• For instance, going to bed at the same time every night. Perhaps is reading a book or journaling for 15 minutes before sleep. Maybe a quick 10 min yoga routine before you tuck in for the night. You get the picture.

3) Don't leave it to chance. Call for backup!

• What I mean here is perhaps you might want to consider trying some natural supplements to help get better sleep.

• Many people have heard of Melantonin but have you considered Magnesium?

• Magnesium can also help aid in your sleep as well. But be warned, there are different forms of Magnesium readily available out there but the one most helpful for sleep is Magnesium-Glycinate.

So if you are one of the many that struggle with poor sleep, especially during the winter months, I hope this post helps you.

Let us know if the above tips help you. Especially the Magnesium. Remember there are different forms of Magnesium available out there but if you are looking to particularly improve your sleep, make sure you look for Magnesium-Glycinate.

Wishing you better sleep!

Yours in health,

Team Peakform.

PS - If you are struggling with aches, pains or other health issues, feel free to contact the best Chiropractors and Integrated Health team around. We're here to help!