Congratulations Mama! Your long-awaited baby is finally here. Welcome to the fourth trimester. This is a time of transition. For the past 40 or so weeks you grew and nurtured your little one inside, and then birthed them into this bright new world. Whether this is your first, third, fifth, or more, baby, it is always a time of newness. You are meeting this little human that you created and they are meeting you, outside of the womb. You are likely feeling a lot of things – elated, exhausted, so in love, possibly sore and weak, the list goes on.

​This fourth trimester, the three months following birth, are such a special time for you and your baby. It is time to slow down and honor your and your baby’s needs. You need time to rest and heal. Huge hormonal shifts happened. Mentally and physically you have been changed. You may love being a mother. You may feel reluctant to be a mother. It is important to know that all feelings are normal. Crying, laughing, smiling, yawning – by you, the mom, is totally normal. Do you have a village around you to help? You are not meant to do this alone. You are not meant to be alone. Do not be afraid to seek out help and support. 
Hopefully you saw a chiropractor during your pregnancy to support your growing belly and growing baby and for ease of delivery. Seeing a chiropractor postpartum physically ensures your hips return to a place of balance and ease. Mentally the adjustments ensure the brain-body connection is without interference, allowing your brain to process information. Chemically your body is being supported through the hormonal transitions as you move from pregnancy to postpartum. Most of all, your chiropractor is there to listen to you. 
Welcome to Motherhood! We are happy to be here to support you and your baby during this time!

Peace Love and Wellness,
Dr. Morgan

I chatted with Rachel Hauser, owner of Healthy Self. She is a massage therapist, craniosacral therapist, and student of homeopathy. We discuss the road she has taken in her business and how she is pivoting her practice, thanks to the "pause" given to her by COVID-19. Bodywork is meant to free us and give us the potential to be our most vital, healthy selves. You can find Rachel at her website, Vital Healthy Self, or her new project, Maintain Forward Movement on Facebook and Instagram @maintainforwardmvmt.

Ever feel like you’re doing all of the right things, but somehow you’re still exhausted? Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Your adrenal glands are responsible for creating your stress hormones, such as cortisol, metabolism regulation, preventing inflammation, and your energy levels. 

Stress hormones are needed during times of stress, specifically situations that put you into fight-or-flight. The cortisol levels will be increased in your body, which is good for short periods of time, so that you can “fight” or “flee” from whatever the situation is. However, if the situation goes on for an extended period of time, that increased level of cortisol in your body will begin to have deleterious effects. Your adrenal glands will end up becoming fatigued. 

There are three stages of adrenal fatigue: wired and tired, stressed and tired, and full burnout. When “wired and tired”, cortisol levels are increased not only in the morning (which is normal), they are increased in the evening. This causes difficulty sleeping and a “wired” feeling in the evening. When “stressed and tired”, cortisol is high in the morning and then decreases after lunch, which can lead to a feeling of brain fog and exhaustion in the afternoon. A second wind of energy may come in the evening, often in the middle of the night causing difficulty in falling back asleep. The third stage is full burnout, with you feeling exhausted all of the time, no matter how much rest you get. Cortisol levels are completely disrupted, and can lead to other health issues involving your thyroid, gut, and immune system.

Symptoms (and keep in mind these are wide ranging and applicable to a variety of conditions): needing a stimulant like caffeine in the morning, tiredness when you wake up, no matter how much sleep you get, difficulty falling asleep or waking up, reduced ability to handle stress or feeling stressed more often, decreased sex drive, blood sugar or digestive problems, reduced memory or ability to concentrate, dizziness when standing up too quickly, thyroid problems, cravings of salt and sugar, get sick frequently, body aches, depression, and irritability.
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So what do I do to help myself recover and become more resilient? The good news is that there isn’t anything beyond common sense things to help your adrenals recover. Eat high quality food - lots of leafy green veggies and those fruits/veggies high in Vitamin C. Foods high in Vitamin B. Eat a protein meal first thing in the morning. Get 8 solid hours of sleep a night. Modulate your screen time at night before going to bed. Move your body daily (not necessarily in a workout, but movement of some kind). Herbs like ashwaganda, minerals like magnesiusm, or adaptogens can be beneficial to help with your adrenal gland function (disclaimer: please check with your health care provider to be sure these are safe for you if you have current health conditions occurring). Recognize when you’re being triggered to reach for caffeine, sugar, or salt, and replace it with a healthier response, like getting up and moving around. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to myself or Dr. Liz! We are here to support and empower you on your health journey.

Peace, Love, and Wellness,
Dr. Morgan
Resources: https://wellnessmama.com/55210/adrenal-fatigue-remedies/

There are so many different types of magnesium, it's easy to get overwhelmed when you go to the store. Here's a simple breakdown of why magnesium is so important, the benefits of magnesium, and our favorite supplements and topicals. 

Magnesium is necessary for HUNDREDS of bodily functions including turning food into energy, creating proteins, creating and repairing DNA & RNA, contraction and relaxation of muscles, and nervous system regulation. Magnesium occurs naturally in a bevy of foods! Leafy greens, seafood, and nuts are all high in magnesium. But, are we eating all we should be of these nutritious foods? Sometimes we need a little boost and that's where supplements come in!

Here's the short list of our favorite benefits from taking magnesium supplements:

• Magnesium fights depression
• Magnesium has anti-inflammatory benefits
• Magnesium can lower insulin resistance, and help prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes 
• Magnesium plays a major part in the healthy function of the nervous system

Sounds good, right? Let's talk about routes of administration. We have topical (epsom salt baths, magnesium spray, and float tanks) and oral (pills, powders, and liquids). Transdermal magnesium absorption is best for muscle aches and general relaxation. Oral magnesium provides systemic benefits- but be warned!! A high dose can have a laxative effect. When you first start taking magnesium, start out with a quarter or half dose and work up to the full dose to avoid upsetting the digestive system ;)

Our favorite oral magnesium supplement is MagSoothe. This product combines three types of magnesium for maximum benefits. For topical absorption, you can simply and inexpensively fill the tub with epsom salts. If you are looking for a product that moves with you check out a Magnesium Spray to spray and go!

If you have questions or are unsure about which is best for you, feel free to reach out! We are always here and want to help you on your journey to become a healthier happier human!!

Salutogenesis: a healthcare approach focusing on factors that support human health and wellbeing, rather than on factors that cause disease.
The salutogenic model is concerned with the relationship between health, stress, and coping. Your body is incredibly intelligent in knowing what it needs to do to keep you alive and thriving, it just needs no interference. Chiropractic falls under the salutogenic model as the philosophy behind the adjustment is focusing on clearing the nervous system of any interference, allowing for a better expression of life. 
We all experience stress on a daily basis, but our resiliency to the stress is what matters. If we want to live a vital, healthy lifestyle, we need to have higher resilience. Decreased resiliency often leads to a breakdown in function in our bodies and can ultimately lead to symptoms. We want to stay on the other side of the spectrum of health, and continually support our bodies physically, mentally, and emotionally. When we focus on the ability of the body to heal as opposed to thinking outside intervention is needed (ex. drugs or surgery), we allow for the innate expression of health to happen.
The chiropractic adjustment is facilitating that innate expression to happen, facilitating healing happening within your body. The magic happens between the adjustments, as your body integrates the change in information between your brain and body. YOU are the healer of your own self.
When we are caught in the vicious cycle of symptoms that only resolve short term, we miss out on the potential to have a thriving expression of health. You are capable of so much more, if only you would allow your own body to do the work without interference.
The salutogenic model is not focused on removing symptoms, it is focused on expanding life expression. The salutogenic model is about the bigger picture of health. Chiropractic care is about the bigger picture of health.
Get adjusted, be resilient, and THRIVE, my friends!

Peace, Love, and Wellness,
Dr. Morgan

Miri Disney-Faller is the owner of Back on Track Physical Therapy here in Missoula. She specializes in vertigo, neck and back pain, and headaches. We have a conversation about her work, the importance of being proactive with our health, feeling empowered in health, and her new project, Humans4Humanity!