Blog

At our Bournemouth Chiropractic Clinic, we seem to be seeing quite a few patients suffering from wrist pain. This is nearly always job related unless injured by some direct trauma. It isn’t just office workers using a computer that suffer wrist pain. Many tradesmen find they have wrist problems such as flooring contractors, electricians, carpenters, plasterers or road diggers. Even pregnancy can lead to wrist pain. If it is job related there are exercises that you can do to help alleviate the pain, and you can try our 5 point plan, but if that brings you no relief, then check in to see us for a free check- up and we can tell you what’s wrong and specifically what you can do about it.

• Stretch your wrist before using your computer or before doing the job you usually do.  Massage your wrists where you feel the pain (you can’t make it worse) and stretch all of your joints, fingers and hand to increase the blood flow which will help to decrease the pain.
• Check the position of your elbows when you type. On a normal keyboard you will find that your hands will bend outwards and your elbows will point away from the body, causing more tension on the wrist.  Have a go at typing with your elbows held close to your body.
• Take a break if your wrists hurt.  I know you have a deadline to make, but even 5 minutes away from what you are doing will help stretch your hand and fingers again.  When you take a toilet break and wash your hands get into the habit of stretching again.
• Check your position.  What is your position at the desk or at your job outside.  Can you change it?  It should not be overlooked that wrist pain may not just be caused by the wrist.  Your wrist is attached to your elbow (commonly the cause) which is further attached to your neck.  So your body position is important.  Check how you are sitting or standing or bending over your equipment.  Be your own detective.
• Do you need a wrist support?   If you are doing something very repetitive and the pain scale is high adding a wrist support will help to alleviate the pain.  If you find no relief from using a wrist support then the problem may not be at your wrist.  It could be at your elbow or neck – get one of our chiropractors to advise you on that, free of charge.  Oh and try not to wear it for prolonged periods and take it off at night.

Wrist pain believe it or not may be caused by your elbow, neck or shoulder. It depends what your posture is like and what extra load you have put on your individual joints. Why not book an appointment at our Bournemouth Chiropractic Clinic for a FREE 15 minute consultation and find out if it’s a biomechanical reason causing your wrist pain. You have nothing to lose!

If you have pain!
It is well known that Chiropractors treat back and neck pain, which is what most people come to see us about initially. Sometimes people have sciatica which means the pain is now extending down their leg, which can be quite painful, often referred to as a “pinched nerve or trapped nerve”.
Chiropractors are successful in treating migraine, and tension headaches if the cause is from tense neck muscles.

If you have a pain in your joint, wherever it is on your body, then Bournemouth Chiropractic Clinic is a good place to start. We are highly trained and complete a 4-5 year Degree Course so we have a clear understanding of anatomy and physiology of the body, as well as diagnosis and treatment. We treat a wide range of conditions by either spinal manipulation, massage or a combination of both. Part of your treatment programme may include rehabilitation, exercises at the Clinic or at home, and dietary advice.

We owe everything to the “Palmer “family, three generations of them.  Daniel David Palmer was usually referred to as “DD”. His son, Bartlett Joshua Palmer was referred to as “BJ”. His wife was called Mabel Health Palmer. BJ and Mabel’s son, David D Palmer often called “Dave”.

Our founder was born on March 7th 1845 and died on October 20 1913.  DD performed his first, now famous, adjustment to the spine in 1895 relieving one man of his deafness and another one of heart trouble.  He then began to train others in America, and the Palmer School and Cure was founded in 1897.

BJ was his son and born on September 14th 1882. He set up the Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1906.  His contribution included extensive research and finding improved methods of spinal adjusting and analysis.  He was instrumental in setting the standards for chiropractic education and gaining an appreciation of chiropractic worldwide

OUR FIRST LADY CHIROPRACTOR was born in 1881.  She was BJ’s wife and studied to become a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1905.  She was a recognised authority on anatomy and an instructor at the chiropractic school for more than 30 years.  

Born on January 12, 1906, the grandson of the founder and assumed the presidency of Palmer in 1961.  Part of the accreditation process was to change the corporate name of the Palmer School of Chiropractic to Palmer College of Chiropractic, which is a major Chiropractic College today.

1. Posture

Your mother did know best when she told you to sit up straight! Poor posture can make your low back pain worse especially if you are sitting or standing for long periods of the day in poor form.

Sitting  – If you are sitting whether it be in front of the TV or at a desk at work ensure you are sitting up straight and not slouching forwards. Ensure your body is supported by the back of the chair and keep your feet flat on the floor. Avoid crossing your legs or slumping with your low back.

A good way to ensure you are sitting in the correct posture is using a lumbar support especially if you are desk-based or rolling up a towel or using a small pillow and putting it between your low back and your seat.

Standing – Standing incorrectly can cause back pain too! Common posture mistakes when standing are sticking your bottom or tucking the pelvis in.

The British Chiropractic Association recommends imagining a plumb line hanging straight from your ear, through the shoulder and to your hip, knee and ankle. The gravity line should pass through the ear, shoulder and hip in a nice straight line. Correct posture can be maintained by standing like this in a relaxed way whilst gently contracting the core muscles

2. Sleeping

Many people complain about low back pain whilst sleeping or waking up with back pain. Sleeping in a bad position can cause low back pain. It is important to ensure you sleep in the best position for your low back.

Don’t

Sleep on your stomach. If you do, try and break the habit! This position puts your spine into hyperextension and unnecessary strain when sleeping.

These two positions can help:

Sleep on your side. This keeps the spine all in a straight line and alignment. Place a pillow between your knees to keep your pelvis in a neutral position. This will minimise compression or twisting forces on the sacroiliac joints which are a common source of low back pain.

Sleep on your back bending knees – Lying on your back avoids any twisting and is the best position to keep your back and neck straight and aligned. Pillows can be put under your knees to keep them bent in the night. This allows the spinal joints in the low back to be slightly flexed, taking the pressure off your low back.

3. Back Strain or Sprain

This can occur by lifting something heavy, twisting or a sudden movement. The acute pain can be caused due to this movement straining the muscles in the low back or spraining the ligaments surrounding the spinal joints.

This can be avoided by moving mindfully. Lift carefully using your legs rather than your back, ensuring you bend your knees. Avoid twisting and always carry load close to your body.

Regular applications of ice to a back strain or sprain will help to reduce pain and inflammation from a flare up or injury . An appointment with your chiropractor is advised to assess the cause of the pain and ease things off quickly.

4. Mechanical Back Pain

This is also known as simple back pain and is not due to any underlying cause and there is no nerve irritation.

Muscles, joints and ligaments are all involved and often is due to a build-up of lifestyle posture and habits putting pressure on areas of your back.

Poor posture, sitting for long periods and stress can all contribute to low back pain.

Taking your chiropractors advice on posture alignment and corrections, keeping mobile and relaxation techniques can help reduce this pain.

5. Sciatica

Sciatica is low back pain that travels to the buttock, leg and foot. This can be caused by a nerve root being compressed in the lower back. This can be accompanied by tingling, pins and needles, numbness and weakness.

There are many causes for this condition including:

• A lumbar herniated disc – (the soft pads in your spine that act as shock absorbers and provide flexibility). If a disc herniates and leaks its inner material this can aggravate a nerve and trigger low back pain and  leg pain.
• Degenerative disc disease – low back pain and leg pain can stem from a degenerated disc in the spine.
• Spondylolisthesis – this occurs when one vertebral body (the solid blocks of bone that make up your spine) slips forward on top of another which can cause local irritation to the surrounding structure and nerves due to instability.
•  Spinal Stenosis –  More likely with age there is narrowing of the spinal canal which can produce these symptoms.
•  Piriformis Syndrome – The piriformis is a muscle that lies deep to our buttock muscles and can irritate the sciatic nerve which runs under the muscle if tightened.
•  Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction – Irritation of the sacroiliac joint (the main weightbearing joints of the pelvis) can also irritate the L5 nerve which lies on top of the joint.

Some of these conditions also cause local back pain with no leg symptoms, or leg symptoms with no back pain, or both.

Your chiropractor can assess the cause of your back and/or leg pain and provide manual treatment and stabilisation exercises and stretches to help control and reduce these symptoms.

6. Wear and Tear
As we get older wear and tear may contribute to back pain also called osteoarthritis or degeneration. The discs in the spine can narrow with age which can cause stiffness and pain.

Gentle weightbearing exercise, chiropractic treatment and maintaining a healthy weight helps keep joints mobile and functioning properly and can help reduce joint pain.

7. Sedentary Lifestyle
Don’t rest an achy back. Your back is designed for movement! Lying still is one of the worst things you can do for low back pain. It is important to get up and slowly start moving again to keep your low back mobile. For every hour that you are sitting you should be getting up and walking 5-10 minutes.

Exercise is highly recommended to relieve low back pain in particular Pilates, yoga, swimming and walking. The fitter you are, the less likely you are to injure your back.

It is very rare for low back to be due to a serious underlying course, but by having a full examination your chiropractor will be able to diagnose the cause and is qualified to advise a suitable treatment plan or refer for further consultation or imaging if necessary.

For more information on low back pain and how we can help you contact our Bournemouth Chiropractic Clinic Today

Sources

The British Chiropractic Association https://chiropractic-uk.co.uk/

Spine Health www.spine-health.com

Despite its complexity, our heart is basically a pump. If it gets clogged, it doesn’t work as efficiently, eventually causing it to break down. Whilst parts of your water boiler can be easily replaced, the same can’t be said for your heart, which needs constant maintenance to stay healthy. Fortunately, our body is well-adapted to do that itself. We just need to give it a fighting chance. Although heart disease has many causes, the most common is arterial hardening, which is caused by fatty deposits in our blood vessels. If untreated, it can lead to hypertension, loss of circulation and even cardiac arrest, as sections of the heart become starved of blood. Here’s six foods that can clean out your arteries, and keep deadly heart disease at bay.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Found in many oily fish, nuts and seeds, omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your cognitive health, as well as promoting a strong heart. Besides increasing the amount of HDL (A.K.A good) cholesterol, which helps reduce the “bad” kind, omega-3’s prevent blood clotting and inflammation, which can both contribute to clogged arteries. Good dietary sources are fish, walnuts, chia seeds and cod liver oil capsules.

2. Garlic

Although garlic isn’t great for your breath, and therefore inadvisable before a date, it releases a compound called allicin when crushed and digested, which can lower your risk of heart disease significantly. Allicin interferes with the production of cholesterol, as well as slowing the oxidation of LDL. Combined, this is the perfect recipe for clean and healthy arteries.

3. Niacin

Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is commonly found in chicken, organ meats and leafy greens, which is instrumental in cardiovascular health. It increases your levels of HDL cholesterol and it removes the dangerous low-density versions, by transporting it to the liver for removal.

4. Pomegranate

Known for being fiddly to eat, this seedy fruit is rich in antioxidants called phytochemicals, which protect your arterial walls from damage. It also increases the production of nitric oxide, which despite sounding scary, actually helps dilate vessels and improves blood flow, reducing the risk of clots and fatty build-up.

5. Turmeric

This exotic spice can really add some punch to your meals. However, its benefits don’t stop there. Turmeric is one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatories, due to a compound called curcumin. This not only reduces arterial inflammation, but also fatty deposits known as plaque, by as much as 26%! That’s pretty impressive for a pinch of spice.

6. Vitamin C

Citrus fruits such as oranges and many vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C, which are necessary for healthy connective tissues. Besides keeping your arteries maintained, vitamin C boosts your immunity, reducing inflammation and the risk of plaque. In fact, eating just one orange daily can reduce blood pressure significantly.

If you have pain!
It is well known that Chiropractors treat back and neck pain, which is what most people come to see us about initially. Sometimes people have sciatica which means the pain is now extending down their leg, which can be quite painful, often referred to as a “pinched nerve or trapped nerve”.
Chiropractors are successful in treating migraine, and tension headaches if the cause is from tense neck muscles.

If you have a pain in your joint, wherever it is on your body, then Bournemouth Chiropractic Clinic is a good place to start. We are highly trained and complete a 4-5 year Degree Course so we have a clear understanding of anatomy and physiology of the body, as well as diagnosis and treatment. We treat a wide range of conditions by either spinal manipulation, massage or a combination of both. Part of your treatment programme may include rehabilitation, exercises at the Clinic or at home, and dietary advice.