Vertigo (dizziness) refers to the sensation of rotatory movement, either of the individual or the environment, and having difficulty to orientate the body in relation to surrounding subjects. It can have many causes and in most cases it is a treatable condition. The treatment used obviously depends on the cause. Dizziness is a common condition seen in the Chiropractic office. Individuals with cervicogenic (coming from the neck) dizziness will usually present with neck pain and may also experience headaches. Neck pain may only occur with palpation (when touching certain areas of the neck); therefore, many people may not realize that… Read More →
High Heels
Leonardo Da Vinci was right when he called the human foot “a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” Each of your feet is made up of 26 major bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons. Your feet are designed to provide you with balance and strength. If we were meant to wear high heels, our feet would have been designed like this! Here are some tips if you really must wear high heels: • Minimise the length of time you spend wearing heels in general • Try not to stand for too long at any… Read More →
Cycling Injuries and Chiropractic
Cycling is great! You help save the planet, burn calories and save money! Unfortunately there are some downfalls… Musculoskeletal injuries and imbalances are common among cyclists due to body posture / position and repetitive use of certain muscles. Overstretching to reach the handlebars, backwards-sloping seats, wrong seat heights and soft tyres are just some of the factors that can contribute to neck and back pain in cyclists. According to the BCA, a staggering 73% of cyclists weren’t fitted for their bicycles last year* and one in five (22%) have experienced back or neck pain whilst or as a result of… Read More →
Back Pain and Gardening
Now that spring is finally here, you’re no doubt going to spend time planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. From when the gardening season begins in spring and until the end of the summer chiropractors have an influx of patients with back pain caused by over-zealous gardening. Gardening is surprisingly hard on the body, particularly your lower back. It’s an enjoyable activity for many, but it’s important to treat it like a workout and stretch your muscles beforehand. Consider some of these helpful tips to help you prevent back pain and other injuries when gardening. – Warm up… Read More →
What’s Your Posture Like?
Chances are you’re reading this while leaning over a desk. Your head is tilted forward; your shoulders are curved. If you’re on a laptop or mobile device, your shoulders are slumped and you’re looking down. Am I right? Over time this could eventually cause the natural curvature of the neck to reverse – called forward head posture or ‘text neck.’ Gadget addicts are coming down with ‘text neck’ in their droves. Increasing numbers of patients are suffering neck pain from spending too much time hunched over phones and computers. The rise of smartphones and tablet computers has fuelled the problem…. Read More →
Are You Sitting Too Much?
You’d have thought sitting down would be good for your back. Surely taking the pressure off when you’ve been walking about gives your body a bit of a rest? Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Sitting down for long periods has been shown to cause many physical problems, including back pain. This is particularly acute if you work in an office or are seated for the majority of the day. It’s alarming how long we sit without moving at all. A study for BUPA found only one in five workers left their desk during the day to get… Read More →
Chiropractic – Helping People With Arthritis
Arthritis is a painful and debilitating condition and can have a significant impact on the quality of life of individuals suffering from this disease. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine(i) reported that 63% of patients who visited a rheumatologist for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia conditions also sought some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Of these individuals 31% (almost half) chose Chiropractic care, making Chiropractic the most popular alternative used by this group of people. Importantly, 73% of these patients determined that Chiropractic care was helpful in controlling their chronic pain. An additional aspect of… Read More →
TMJ Syndrome / Jaw Pain
The Temporomandibular Joint If you place your fingers in front of either ear and open your jaw, you’ll feel changing shapes beneath your fingers. You are feeling the joint where the temporal bone of your skull attaches to your mandible (jaw)-the joint that is called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This fascinating joint connects your jaw to your head. Ligaments, cartilage, fascia, an articular disc, muscles, nerves and blood vessels run in, around and through the TMJ. Symptoms of TMJ Syndrome TMJ dysfunction or syndrome occurs when the joint is misaligned or malfunctioning in some way that subjects it… Read More →
Chiropractic for Fertility, Pregnancy and Post Birth
Did you know chiropractic has many benefits before, during and after pregnancy? BEFORE you become pregnant, your doctor of chiropractic can detect any imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that could contribute to pregnancy discomfort or possible neuromusculoskeletal problems after childbirth. Chiropractic may even help with infertility issues. The nerves that regulate and control your reproductive system exit from the spine. If there is any type of distortion or interference in those nerves that keeps them from working properly, infertility may result. A study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research looked at the effectiveness… Read More →
Do You Have a Splitting Headache?
If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten people suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. New research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. Chiropractic gives relief to many headache sufferers, not only in our practice but also in several studies. One study found that the majority of people who suffered from spinal misalignments had their headaches… Read More →