back pain Archives - Page 2 of 19 - Cliffs Chiropractor Southend

Are You Up Up And Away This Summer?

Posted on 4th July 20182nd March 2020

It’s summer time and while the weather here in the UK is sensational at the moment, many people will be hopping on an airplane for their summer breaks searching for what is usually elusive sunshine!

Taking a break can be a very good thing and our chiropractors recommend it, however, it can lead to us doing things we wouldn’t normally do, which can increase the risk of injury. Picking up heavy luggage, twisting the back pushing a luggage trolley and sitting awkwardly in a confined space for long periods are just some examples of things we wouldn’t do on a daily basis which can all lead to back pain.

Our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic in Southend want your summer holidays to be a time to relax, enjoy and have fun and not be ruined by a bad back. With this in mind they have put together some simple things you can do to protect your back when flying and it all starts with some preparation:

Prepare wisely:

Use lightweight cases, preferably with wheels, to minimise the weight you have to carry. It’s best to choose a case with wheels that allow you to push the case in front of you than having to twist your body to pull it.
Depending on your airlines rules, it is best to use two lighter evenly balanced cases than one heavy one.
Pack as lightly as possible. Most of us are guilty of packing way to many clothes and accessories for our time away.
Make your luggage stand out from the crowd so that you don’t have to lift too much luggage off the carousel mistakenly! A simple way to do this is to tie coloured ribbon to the handle.
Get a good night’s sleep before heading off to the airport. Tiredness can lead to mishaps!

At the airport:

Avoid using a luggage trolley if possible, especially if your luggage has wheels. Trolleys so often have a life of their own and can result in a lot of effort and body contortions to keep then going in the direction you want.

On the plane:

Take care lifting and removing any luggage into and out of the overhead containers.
Avoid stiffness during the flight by doing some simple exercises in your seat. Shoulder shrugs, foot circles and buttock clenches are good exercises to do.
If it is convenient then stand up and take a walk around the plane.
Stay hydrated. Flying is dehydrating on the body so drink plenty of water or juices. Avoid drinking alcohol as this will add to the dehydration.

After the flight:

Get walking as soon as possible after you get off your flight. This will help get your joints moving. Avoid using travelators or walking along the travelators.
Take care lifting your luggage off the carousel.
Don’t forget to avoid using a luggage trolley if possible.

As much as we love to see our patients we really do want to help you avoid back pain and a trip to the clinic. Follow these simple steps to help avoid back pain if you’re flying this summer and do have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Summer Festivals – Have Fun And Keep Your Back Safe

Posted on 19th June 20182nd March 2020

Summer is here and the Summer Festival season is well underway. We Brits can’t seem to get enough of them – there are all sorts organised across the country. Whatever your interests are there’s a festival out there somewhere for you. From arts, music, literature, food and so much more, getting out and experiencing the fun of a festival is a great way to spend a day (or more).

Here in Sounthend we have festivals happening over the summer. This year the Southend Festival is on from 1st July through to the 15th August and is inspired by events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It’s a six week programme of cultural events in venues around Southend. The events combine art, comedy, music,literature and pride.

Whatever Festival you are intending to go to this year there are some things you will inevitably find yourself doing such as standing for long periods, sitting (or sleeping) on hard surfaces or carrying bags around. One or all of these can put pressure on your back.

Our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic in Southend want you to have a fun time whilst keeping your back safe. With this in mind they have put together their advice to help you keep your back safe.

Clothing: Wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing. You’ll thanks us after all the walking and standing you’ll do!

Carrying: A rucksack offers the best option for carrying provided you wear it appropriately. Slinging it over one shoulder isn’t going to help your back. However, if you wear it over both shoulders and adjust the straps so that the rucksack sits against your back with the weight inside evenly distributed, it will help keep your back safer. If you are using traditional carrying bags and have a heavy load, it is better for your back to split the weight evenly across two bags and carry one in each hand rather than carry all the load in one heavy bag.

Standing: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Standing this way will help support your back and hips.

Drinking: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Not wanting to dampen the spirit but do remember that alcohol will cause dehydration.

Camping: If you’re planning to camp at the event then invest in a good quality camping mat and inflatable pillow.

Have lots of fun and follow our chiropractors’ advice to keep your back safe.

Will Your Back Love You After A Summer Of Sport

Posted on 12th June 20182nd March 2020

If you haven’t heard, the football World cup kicks off on 14th June and goes through to 15th July – yes a month of football coverage on TV. And that’s only a small fraction of sport that will be played out in living rooms and other venues across the UK this summer.

If you’re a sports fan the chances are this summer you may well be clocking up some serious hours in front of the telly cheering on your favourite team or sports star. However, our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic in Southend want to make sure you stay safe and don’t cause your back too many problems.

Many people are unaware that sitting for prolonged periods of time can trigger back pain. To help you keep your back safe our chiropractors have put together some tips for you to follow.

Sit right back in the chair or sofa so that your back is fully against the back of the chair or sofa. Check your posture from time to time and if you find you’re slouching or slumping then readjust your position.
Stand up and move around at least every 20 minutes. During a break in play, say at half time, do a few simple stretches.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Sorry but alcohol doesn’t count!

Follow this advice and keep your back safe this summer.

Get On Your Bike For Bike Week

Posted on 5th June 20182nd March 2020

June 9th sees the start of Bike Week and annual event organised by Cycling UK to promote cycling. The aim is to demonstrate how cycling can be incorporated into our daily lives in addition to the many benefits of cycling.

Cycling is great way to get active. It has many benefits ranging from health, social and environmental ones.

As chiropractors we encourage people to get get active and take exercise. It is so important for a healthy spine. Unfortunately many people don’t realise how important it can also be to their recovery from back pain. It’s not uncommon for our chiropractors to treat patients who believed that resting would have helped ease their back pain.

Cycle offers many benefits which include:

helping improve the health of your heart and immune system
helping you manage your weight
reducing stress, anxiety and improving mental health
helping you sleep better
improving your fitness

If cycling is for you then we couldn’t live in a better place than Southend. Cycle Southend are set up to help Southend residents in all things bike! Their website is jam packed full of information from learn to ride tips, bike maps and suggested routes, groups to join on rides and even bike friendly cafes for those welcome pit stops – you can find it all on this website.

Our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic Southend have put together some tips to help you keep our back safe if you do get on your bike.

Make sure you adjust the bike to suit your body before setting off. You should be able to reach the handlebars without overreaching or putting strain on your back, neck, shoulders or wrists.
Ideally the seat should be sloping forward or flat. Adjust the height so that your able to sit on the seat with your legs almost straight. When the pedal is in the most downward position your leg should be slightly bent at the knee.
Start slowly and build up your intensity. Don’t overdo it on your first ride out – you’ll either injury yourself or put yourself off going again! Remember not all exercise is the same – even if you do some other form of exercise regularly, cycling may use different muscles groups.
Allow time to warm up before setting of and cooling down at the end of the ride.
Wear appropriate clothing that will be comfortable and not restrict your movement. You may want to consider some suitable padded clothing for cycling!
Change your position from time to time when cycling.

Why not get out there and have a go you may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

If you haven’t take any exercise for a while or you are suffering pain or discomfort then you should seek advice from your chiropractor or health care professional before getting started.

Our experienced team of chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic are here to help and advise you.

How Richard Powered Through To Success

Posted on 30th May 20182nd March 2020

Being strong means knowing when to back off. Despite being super fit, back problems threatened to derail strong man hopeful Richard Ellis’ dreams of competing. Last year the 30-year-old from Westcliff was persuaded by his friends to enter the Strong Man competition.

However, a few weeks prior to the competition, disaster struck, which is when Richard decided to to seek help. Having asked around and heard positive reviews he came to see Paz at Cliffs.

An article about Richard’s experience and how Paz helped him achieve a personal goal of competing in the Strong Man competition appeared recently in The Echo and The Gazette which you can read here.

Since achieving his goal of competing in a Strong Man competition, Richard has turned his attention to jiu jitsu, a martial art and combat sport system. He has also set up an IT business, Relltek, with his brother. We wish him and his brother all the best with their new venture. There’s no stopping Richard!

You may remember that last year we featured an item about Richard in one of our Newsletters after receiving a Thank You note from him. You can read what Richard said and also watch a video of him in action in the competition here. It really is impressive:)

Back pain ‘cures’ we wouldn’t recommend

Posted on 15th May 20182nd March 2020

Suffering back pain can be challenging. It’s surprising how much of what we do involves our spine. The slightest movement can be excruciating. Therefore, it comes as no great surprise that some people suffering back pain will take up some of the strangest suggestions for ‘curing’ it.

Members of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) have shared some of the strangest ‘cures’ back pain sufferers have tried. These include using WD40, drinking ones own urine and hanging off door frames.

Whilst we can only describe some of these as wacky, one common belief that many people have is that they should rest a bad back. Consumer research carried out by the BCA revealed that 50% of people believed this to be the case. This percentage increased to 64% in the 16 – 24 years old age group.

It may seem like a good idea to rest when you’re suffering back pain, however, in most cases this is the last thing we would recommend. It is important to keep moving and take moderate exercise even with back pain.

It is also important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Chiropractic offers a safe, effective and drug free treatment for back pain. With at least four out of five adults experiencing back pain at some point in their lives, low back pain is one of the most common conditions our team of experienced chiropractors treat at Cliffs Chiropractic in Southend.

If you are suffering back pain why not give us a call on 01702 430 430.

Research reveals the state of backs across Britain

Posted on 8th May 20182nd March 2020

The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has revealed the results of consumer research undertaken to ascertain the state of backs across Britain. The research has highlighted the significant differences in the number of people experiencing back or neck pain across different regions of the country.

The numbers are quite significant between some regions, for example, 57% of people in Northern Ireland responded to say that they currently have back or neck pain whilst in the South East this number was 40%. That’s a 17% difference. By comparison the national average was found to be 44%. This research highlights yet again the increase in back and neck pain with the national average rising by 12% since 2017.

As far as frequency of back or neck pain is concerned, the Scots suffer the most with a third experiencing back or neck pain on a daily basis. Londoners on the hand suffer the least with only 17% suffering.

The top trigger reported for back and neck pain for all regions was lifting and carrying. Sitting still for long periods followed this.

The research also highlights the fact that back and neck pain are affecting people at a younger age, however, it also interesting to note again the variation in rates across the regions. In the Midlands, 70% of people responded to have experienced back or neck pain by the age of 30. In the East of England this number was 48%.

As chiropractors we cannot stress enough that prevention is better than cure. Keeping your back in good health is so important and it doesn’t need to be difficult. Keeping active and incorporating physical activity into your daily routine is key.

Our Back to Business programme has some simple exercises that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you.

Acute, chronic and general low back pain responds well to chiropractic treatment. Official government guidelines from the NICE and guidelines from the Royal College of General Practitioners suggest the early referral for manipulative treatment, such as chiropractic is the most effective way of dealing with acute and chronic low back pain.

If you are suffering back or neck pain, our experienced team of chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic in Southend are here to help you. Call us on 01702 430 430 to arrange an appointment.

Yeah … It’s National Gardening Week

Posted on 1st May 20182nd March 2020

We love our gardens in the UK. Now the weather is warming up gardeners will be flocking to Garden Centers all over the country to stock up on plants, compost and other assorted accessories and equipment to get their gardens in tip top shape.

On 30th April, National Gardening Week starts. This year the focus is on encouraging gardeners to share their love of gardening. At Cliffs Chiropractic, our chiropractors think that gardening is a great activity for people of all ages and encourage people to get outdoors and indulge in a spot of gardening. However, we do want everyone to stay safe and healthy doing so.

Unfortunately gardening can result in all types of injuries and strains. It can be particularly onerous on backs, muscles and joints. With this in mind the British Chiropractic Association has put together a 3 minute video with advice for keeping your back, muscles and joints safe whilst gardening.

Our chiropractors recommend you take 3 minutes before heading out to the garden as it could save you a trip to the Clinic!

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer back pain, muscle or joint strain then our chiropractors are here to help you. Call us on 01702 430 430 and one of our team will make an appointment for you to visit us.

How Long Are You Sitting For Every Day?

Posted on 24th April 20182nd March 2020

Do you know how long you spend sitting every day? 4 hours? 6 hours? 8hours? Or could it be more? Well if you are like the average Brtish person you will be spending 8.9 hours a day sitting? Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? But the number of hours you sit for soon adds up when you include the time you spend sitting when eating, commuting, working and relaxing. There’s a useful calculator on the Get Britain Standing website which helps you calculate the number of hours you spending sitting.

Why do we care how long you are sitting for? Well the answer is simple – your health. There is an increasing body of research evidence that shows the damaging consequences on our health of sitting for prolonged periods of time. Unfortunately our modern lifestyles seem to have us sitting for longer and longer periods.

As chiropractors at our busy clinic in Southend over the years we have been treating an increasing number of patients with back and neck problems associated with modern day living.

You back works hard to support you every day whether it is standing up or sitting down. It’s time now for you to give your back a little more support and that means doing some specific exercises. Arif Soomro, one of experienced chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic has developed a campaign called Back To Business which is a series of movements which are fun, easy and can be done in seconds. They don’t look weird and their very effective.

If done regularly these movements will help you counteract neck stiffness, alleviate back ache and strengthen your spine. They will also help you stand taller and straighter and they also have the great side effects of making you feel more energetic and to look younger too!

If you do nothing else at least do three of these exercises every day. We recommend the Squeeze, the Sway and the Cuppa. When you do them regularly they’ll become second nature.

You’ll find all the exercises on the Back To Business page on our website – here

If you are suffering back pain, neck pain or shoulder pain then our chiropractors are here to help you. Why not call us today on 01702 430430 to book an appointment.

Heading to The Golf Course – Keep Your Back Safe

Posted on 17th April 20182nd March 2020

As the days get longer and the weather improves, golfers will be spending more time out on the golf course!

As chiropractors we encourage everyone to stay active and if golf is your thing then go for it. However, we want you to stay safe and be able to enjoy playing for as long as possible.

Our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic in Southend have put together some tips to keep you safe:

Keep it light: Golf bags are notoriously heavy and awkward to carry so invest in a light weight bag. Check that you’re not carrying around unwanted objects that add to the weight. In addition to finding a light weight bag find one that has dual harness straps over your shoulders – this will help keep the weight evenly distributed.

Warm Up and Warm Down: Not warming up before teeing off can too often result in muscle strains and injuries. Take a few minutes before heading off to do some simple stretches – focus on your hamstrings, quads, chest and shoulders. Repeat at the end of your round before heading to the bar!

Take care with your trolley: Pull trolleys inevitably mean twisting your back awkwardly – so be mindful if you are using one. Using a power or electric caddy may be a safer option.

If you are suffering a pain or injury then why not book an appointment with one of our chiropractors. Not only will they be able to help ease your symptoms you may just improve your golf game just like one of our patients did – here’s what Keith said:

“I was suffering from severe neck trauma after sharply turning my head. This affected my golf which I play three times a week ,noticing a significant reduction in turn and distance when hitting the ball. Now not only am I totally free of pain but I can achieve the golf I was playing 10 yrs ago when I was a 12 handicap. I am now on 16 handicap but expect to see this come down after a few weeks treatment from Arif!”

Tag: back pain