Tag: back pain

Don’t Let Chronic Pain Ruin Your Relationships!

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back care advice from our chiropractor near leigh on seaFebruary is the month for love, but if you suffer with chronic back pain, your relationship may often seem more “cucumber sandwich for one” than “hot dinner date for two”! But your partnership doesn’t have to suffer at the hands of your back pain. Here, our Southend chiropractor shares a few simple tips that will help your relationship thrive through your back pain.

1: Be Open and Honest

If pain is currently part of your life, then the people in your life need to know about it. Staying silent and brushing your condition under the carpet will only cause your loved ones to feel helpless and even disconnected from you. In order to empathise with how you feel, people need to know how you feel. Many chronic pain patients end up feeling frustrated with their partner for seemingly not  understanding their level of pain, but this is often down to a lack of communication.

 2: Keep Plans When You Can

Feeling isolated from your social circle can bring a lot of negativity to you relationship. Try not to let your back pain keep you from socialising. Tell your friends about what activities you can and can’t do and make plans that you know you will be able to carry out.

3: Take on New Roles

Your back pain may make it difficult to perform certain chores that were once your responsibility. If this is the case for you, replace your previous responsibilities with more manageable ones. Let your partner bath the children while you take care of helping with homework, for example. Back pain may mean that you can’t always do all the things you once did, but it’s vitally important to your mental health that you remain a contributing member of your family.

4: Ask for Help

Don’t assume that people don’t care because they haven’t offered help; quite often people will avoid asking for fear of offending you. Give your partner the opportunity to feel closer to you by asking them for help. If you’re having trouble with a task, ask your partner to lend a hand.

Don’t let back pain define you or your relationship with you partner. It may currently be part of your life, but it certainly doesn’t have to control it.

Anti-inflammatory drugs not the answer to back pain

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Anti-inflammatory drugs also known as NSAID are commonly prescribed by GP’s and bought over the counter by patients for a wide range of aches and pains including lower back pain. They include Ibuprofen and Naproxen.

However, a new study reveals they have no significant effect on back pain.

Back pain affects four fifths of people at some point during their lives and is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The study shows that anti-inflammatory drugs only provide very limited short term relief, arguably of no clinical significance. When the side-effects of NSAIDS, which are very common, are considered it is clear these drugs do not provide the answer and are dangerous. Earlier research has also found paracetamol to be no more effective than a placebo.

Last year the America Heart Association warned ibroprofen can trigger heart failure; other commonly reported side-effects include bleeding from the stomach, vomiting and anaemia.

So please think twice before you next reach for an anti-inflammatory tablet. Instead try an ice pack (see our website for how to use one correctly), go for a gentle walk and avoid sitting and bending.

Alternatively try a curcumin and/or ginger tablet, both good herbal anti-inflammatories. Best of all ask your chiropractor for the best bespoke advice.

For all current patients, a chiropractic adjustment is likely to get you back to normal quickly. The longer you leave it, the longer it is going to take to get better.

Valentine’s Day Special: Why You Should Really Love Your Back!

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back care advice from our southend chiropractorWith health information more readily available than ever, you’d be hard pressed to go through life without knowing that looking after your spine is pretty important! But why is taking care of our beloved backs so crucial?

As it’s the month of romance, our Southend chiropractor shares five great reasons why loving your spine should be your number one priority this Valentine’s Day…

1: Your spinal cord enables you to bend and twist. If you injure your spine, your mobility can become limited. Wear and tear over time and bad posture may also leave you with difficulties with sitting up straight, bending over and walking. Our spines have more functional responsibility than we give them credit for. The simple fact is your spine needs TLC in order for it to work optimally.

2: Your nervous system runs electrical impulses up and down your spine, enabling you to feel sensation. When you damage your spinal cord, neural responses can become disrupted which can lead to decreased or altered sensations in parts of your body, such as pain, numbness or tingling.

3: Each time you eat or drink, food and fluid travels down your throat and into your oesophagus before reaching your stomach. Your oesophagus is parallel with your spine. If you injure your spine, it can press against your oesophagus and potentially obstruct or even puncture it.  To give you an idea of the extent of this damage; a punctured oesophagus would require surgery.

4:  Incorrect movements and bad posture can place unnecessary pressure on the spine. Overtime, this can lead to degenerative diseases, wear and tear and permanent damage to your spinal discs.

5: Not only can stress on your spine be extremely painful, but a spine that doesn’t function properly can cause your quality of life to deteriorate. Chronic back pain can lead to feelings of frustration, isolation and even depression. The spine plays such a critical role in your overall health – it’s really not worth neglecting it.

So there you have it; five great reasons to give your spine the care and attention it needs!

Love your spine and it will love you back; it’s as simple as that.  It is the month for love, after all!

Pain Free For the first time since the early 90s

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One of our patients, Geoffrey wanted to share his story with you.

Geoffrey is a a renowned classical guitarist although he is far too humble to describe himself as such. He has been teaching and performing since the late 70s.

He came as a patient to Cliffs looking for help as he suffered from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and had been in pain since the early 90s. Geoffrey has also undergone back surgery.

Watch Geoffrey’s very interesting story below:

 

 

Pupil posture … taking care of your back starts at school

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back care advice for children from our cliffs chiropractor southend Is school bad for your health? We all understand the importance of looking after our backs, especially as we get older, but should concern for our posture start even sooner…even at school age?

Arif certainly thinks so, “Over the past four years I’ve been treating more and more cases of back, neck and shoulder pain in children and teenagers and it all seems to start at school.”

“We need to take action to help them now or they will suffer in the long term.”

As a specialist paediatric chiropractor, based here at Cliffs Chiropractor Southend, Arif believes parents and carers need to understand the effect mobile devices, poor school seating and heavy rucksacks is having on the spine.

Read more on this subject in an article by Arif published in The Echo: Pupil Posture … Taking Care Of Your Back Starts At School.

 

 

Back Pain Striking Women in Their 20s!

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For most people, life as a twenty-something is a time to reap the freedom of being a healthy, young adult. It’s a time to achieve career dreams, post hashtag clad pictures of exciting worldly adventures or maybe settle down and start a family. But for a massive one fifth of women, it’s also a time when back pain begins.  A recent study conducted by the British Chiropractic Association has revealed that over a fifth of women aged just 28 have experienced, or currently suffer with daily back or neck pain. Men seem to fare slightly better, beginning their battle with back pain at 32.*

In light of these shocking statistics, our Southend chiropractor is urging youngsters to be mindful that back pain and age doesn’t necessarily come hand in hand. Look after your spines, folks, no matter how old (or young!) you are!

*https://chiropractic-uk.co.uk/

 

Back to Work. Tips on Staying Pain Free!

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back care advice from our southend chiropractorThe New Year is upon us and that means back to early morning wake up calls and back to the grind! But if you work in an office, getting through your January workload may be the least of your problems. According to our chiropractor in Southend, an office is one of the riskiest places for picking up a back injury. Hunching over a computer all day is a leading reason why 80% of people develop back pain at some point during their lives. But a few simple changes in the way you work can significantly reduce your risk of developing a painful back injury.

Here’s what to do when you return to the office this January (after sobbing by the water cooler for ten minutes, of course!):

1: Avoid leaning forward at your computer. Focus on aligning your head and neck directly above your shoulders.

2. Move your mouse closer to you. Ideally, your mouse should be right next to your keyboard to ensure you don’t overreach and twist when you’re clicking away.

3: Make sure your office chair has a good lumbar support for your lower back. You should also tilt the back of your chair so that it very slightly reclines.

4: As you work away at your desk, focus on breathing from your tummy. As you inhale, draw your naval towards your spine. This will help to engage the core muscles that support the upper body.

5: Make sure your torso is no more than about an arm’s length away from your computer screen. This should also be 2-3 inches above eye level.

6: While sitting at your desk, keep your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. Not only will this position help your spine, but it will also help to ease tension in your knees and ankles.

7: Try and keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle when you’re sitting at your desk. With your knees directly over your ankle, your spine will remain comfortably upright.

8: However heavy your workload, make sure you get up at least once an hour – even if it is just to go to the bathroom or to do some shoulder rolls. Moving around and changing position will help to boost your circulation and reduce pressure on your spine. The result? You’ll be more flexible and less stressed!

Our team of experienced chiropractors at Cliffs have developed a programme specifically to help you called Back to Business. There are six simple exercises you can incorporate into a daily routine which are really easy to do, especially in the confines of an office. If you can make them a part of your daily routine, you’ll be alleviating all those symptoms associated with lack of movement while improving your overall sense of wellbeing at the same time. We’ve created a series of videos for you to follow so be sure to check them out here.

Returning to work after December’s festivities can be painful enough without picking up a crippling back injury too! Follow these golden rules to keep your back safe at the office this year!

Last Minute Christmas Shopping Can Be a Jolly Old Pain!

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back care advice from our Southend chiropractor Did you know that back problems become more common over the festive season? According to our Southend chiropractor, people push all of their physical and emotional boundaries within a range of intensive behaviours at Christmastime. And last minute Christmas shopping is one of the most frequent culprits for back pain.

At some point or another, most of us have been guilty of leaving our gift buying until the very last minute. Even though every time we do it, we vow never to do it again, another year passes and we find ourselves on yet another Christmas Eve hurtling through the aisles quicker than Santa shoots down our chimneys. Then, when we’ve finally managed to tick off our shopping lists, we trek for what seems like 170 miles back to our cars with half of Toys R Us in tow! And finally to top off an already back-busting trip, we spend our journey home on standstill; gridlocked between the masses of other regretful people who have also left their shopping until the last minute.

It’s little wonder why our backs are prone to injuries at Christmastime!

Fortunately, our Southend chiropractor has some great tips to avoid straining your back while Christmas shopping:

  • Balance the weight of shopping bags evenly in each hand or use a shopping trolley.
  • When standing in long queues queues, shift your weight from foot to foot.
  • Walk with your stomach in and hips tucked slightly under. Use natural strides, allowing each foot to roll from heel to toe in a smooth motion.
  • Where sensible, wear flat shoes that provide ample support.
  • Don’t leave your Christmas shopping until the last minute! Make several small trips rather than one major over-loaded shopping spree.
  • Ask a shop assistant for help with any heavy or awkward items.
  • It can be difficult to find a parking space at Christmastime, so arrange for someone to drop you off or pick you up.
  • Allow yourself time to take frequent rest breaks.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Do your gift wrapping sitting down at a table rather than standing and bending over it or kneeling on the floor.
  • Keep an eye out for any icy or slippery surfaces.

Stay organised, stay healthy and have a fantastic Christmas!

Plan for a Pain-Free Christmas!

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back care advice from cliffs chiroprator southendChristmas is next month. Next month! If you’re like our chiropractors here in Southend, you’ll be well into the festive planning by now. But have you got your plans in place to ensure you have a pain-free Christmas?

Now over the next few weeks, you’ll see plenty of posts from us about keeping your back safe during those crazy Christmas shopping sprees and avoiding back ache while sat in those dreaded traffic jams. We know you’ll probably be thinking of these things already. But have you considered the less-obvious risks of damaging your back this Christmas, like the 25lb turkey you’ll be lifting in and out of the oven, the string of long, lazy days spent lounging on the sofa or the staggered stroll to the taxi after a few too many at the office party?

We love a jolly Christmas more than most, but all we’re asking is that you keep your back health in your mind this festive season. After all, we know more than anyone that it’s often the seemingly innocent things that are guilty of causing the worst pain.

A Great Invention For Parents Suffering From Back Pain!

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If you’re a parent who suffers from back pain, you will be all too aware of the gruelling task that is teaching your little one to ride a bike. Walking in a 90 degree angle (it’s not that much of an exaggeration!) while you fervently try to help your child steer, balance and pedal can feel like a back-breaking task. Literally.

Fortunately, there is equipment available to help protect your spine while teaching your child to ride a bicycle.

“Bicycle parent handles”, as they are known, are handles that can be attached to the back of a child’s back to enable parents to help steer, control and balance the bike from a comfortable height.

If you are thinking of teaching your child how to ride, our Southend chiropractor recommends that you invest in a tool such as this – whether you  currently suffer from back pain or not.

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