by admin | Jun 21, 2012 | Common Ailments
Neck pain is a very common complaint – amongst both men and women, from the young to the older, active to sedentary. Quite often the cause of neck pain can be so obscure, people don’t realise which activities they are doing may in fact be exacerbating their problem. At Better Health Chiropractic we focus not only on reducing your pain, but also identifying any factors in your lifestyle that may be aggravating your symptoms.
Neck Pain Symptoms
Neck Pain can arise from many different causes but the symptoms can be easily described as a pain in the neck. The pain can be sharp, dull, or throbbing; it may also cause tightness in the joints and muscles. Occasionally people may report pain travelling into their shoulders and arms, or even upwards to cause a headache.
Neck Pain Diagnosis
Because neck pain can be caused by so many different factors, your chiropractor will perform a full history and evaluation of your symptoms to determine the cause. It may be necessary to take x- rays to fully confirm a diagnosis.
Neck Pain Causes
Of the many causes of neck pain some of the most common are:
Facet joint inflammation
Muscular strain
Cervical Disc Bulge
Degenerative Joint Disease/Arthritis
More serious causes are also possible making it important to discuss this type of pain with your chiropractor.
At Better Health Chiropractic, we have found that a number of lifestyle issues are the deeper cause to these neck related pains. With the high use of laptop computers, tablet PCs and smart phones, we are seeing an increase in the presentation of neck pains in our practice.
Neck Pain Treatments
There are a number of treatments available to neck pain sufferers. These range from mobilisation and adjustments, massage, exercises and stretches. Each has a different goal and effect. We recommend you discuss these with your chiropractor before you commence any treatment so that you may achieve the best short term and long term benefits.
by admin | Jun 21, 2012 | Common Ailments
For back pain of mechanical origin, research over the past 20 years has consistently shown Chiropractic spinal treatments, without the use of drugs or surgery, to be up to twice as effective as medicine and physiotherapy
85% of people suffer back pain at some stage in their life. Injury may occur from acute trauma such as a car accident or fall. In many instances, it is the result of months or years of accumulated stress from poor posture, work habits, lack of fitness and flexibility, and faulty body mechanics.
A spinal problem is commonly blamed on muscles, however more often it irritates nerves. Therefore, pain, numbness, pins and needles or weakness may be felt anywhere in the body, eg legs. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office.
As long as it is healthy and functioning correctly, the low back can withstand tremendous forces without injury. However, if the low back is out of alignment or has weakened supporting muscles, then something as simple as taking a bag of groceries out of the boot of their car, picking something up off the floor, or even simply bending down to pat the cat can cause a low back injury.
Until recently, researchers believed that back pain would heal on its own. We have learned, however, that this is not true. Recent studies showed that when back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily, but will most likely return. It is important to take low back pain seriously and seek professional Chiropractic care. This is especially true with pain that recurs over and over again.
Treating Low Back Pain With Chiropractic
On visiting Better Health Chiropractic, your Chiropractor will first take a history of your condition. An examination will then be performed to assess your low back pain condition. If Chiropractic treatment is considered appropriate, a course of treatments will be recommended to promote back pain relief. Advice will also be given about ongoing spinal care, exercise, and lifestyle habits to prevent future problems.
Chiropractic treatment for low back pain may include stretching, strengthening or massage of tight muscles, mobilizations, and spinal adjustments to restore normal motion and position of your bones and joints.
Prevention
Prevention is the key to decreasing the stress on your spine, by having good habits.
Posture: Good balance is the primary objective, with the body relaxed when standing, sitting, lying or walking. When working change positions regularly. Take stretch breaks and ensure that your work area suits your needs.
Exercise: Regular exercise and stretching is essential for flexibility and strength.
Lifting: Use your legs to lift. Keep your back straight with the weight close to your body and have your feet well apart. Do not twist when lifting.
Maintain optimal body weight: Being overweight increases strain on your spine, and changes your centre of gravity, therefore your body working more inefficiently.
Sleeping: Use a good quality and supportive mattress and pillow. Do not sleep on your stomach. Better Health Chiropractic is affiliated with the mattress and pillow manufacturer Back To Sleep and a direct referral can be made if you are in need purchasing a new bed.
by admin | Jun 21, 2012 | Common Ailments
Sports Chiropractic is a great way to assist sports people to better performance as well as aiding recovery from injuries. By assisting the body towards better alignment, joints and muscles function at their best.
As Chiropractors, we not only look to provide therapy to assist healing at the site of an injury, but to assess and correct the underlying structural misalignments within the body that resulted in the injury. By doing this, we can achieve a more complete resolution of your injury and avoid reoccurrence.
Tennis/ Golf
Repetitive and prolonged strain on the forearm muscles while playing tennis, golf, or other like activities will lead to Tennis or Golfers Elbow. Ineffective technique along with poor levels of general fitness and conditioning will also contribute.
A scar can develop at the tendon which will cause pain and inflammation each time the muscle is used. At this point the patient complains that s/he cannot even pick up a cup of coffee or open a door without pain.
Adjusting and mobilising the elbow joint will help to restore proper function.
Also, since the full golf swing rotates the spine with a lot of force and little control, almost every serious golfer will suffer from back problems.
Running
Up to 70% of runners develop injuries every year. Most injuries result either from doing something wrong, or because there is a structural imbalance in the body.
Ankle sprains are the most common injuries for athletes. And if not properly treated and rehabilitated, ankle sprains can leave behind weakness and instability in the joint long after the initial swelling disappears.
Acute treatment should start as quickly as possible after the injury has occurred. The objective of the acute treatment is primarily to prevent additional injury and reduce bleeding as much as possible. Effective acute treatment will limit swelling, the formation of scar tissue and the number of complications which can arise.
Sports Chiropractic is a great way to assist sports people to better performance as well as aiding recovery from injuries. Many successful sports stars use chiropractic to not only avoid injuries but achieve better performance. From Tiger Woods to Lleyton Hewitt, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Michael Jordan, and the St. George rugby league team, sports people around the world are achieving more through chiropractic care.
By assisting the body towards better alignment, joints and muscles function at their best. Chiropractic differs from Physiotherapy as we not only look to provide therapy to assist healing at the site of an injury but to assess and correct the underlying structural misalignments within the body that resulted in the injury. By doing this, we can achieve a more complete resolution of your injury and avoid reoccurrence.
