If you missed Arif on BBC Essex talking to Ronnie Barbour then catch the interview here.
It’s seven minutes of pure information about your back and the pressure we put on it daily that affects the quality of our lives.
Try Arif’s breathing example and experience what a difference standing up straight makes to you.
Arif recently held two Back to Business workshops at the HMRC office. The sessions were information packed and highly interactive with the participants experiencing first hand the benefits of the programme.
If you spend hours working at your desk all day, you may very well be complaining of a stiff neck, aching shoulders or a bad back. If any of this sounds familiar, please take a look at these six simple exercises we at Cliffs Chiropractor Southend have developed to help support you. They’re really easy to do, especially in the confines of an office. If you can make this 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.
There’s no time like the present. Why not take a look?
We love this great video that has been created for World Spine Day. This year’s campaign, ‘Straighten Up and Move’ promotes the importance of physical activity for a healthy spine.
Watch the video, sing along and get moving:)
Here at Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic we totally support the campaign and our Back to Business exercise programme is designed to help people straighten up through a series of exercises to counteract everyday actions like using your mobile phone or sitting down at a desk for hours on end.
Arif says “We all need to be more aware of how we sit, stand and walk. It’s all too easy to slouch. I’m treating more and more back conditions than ever before and my patients are getting younger, under 30, and this is a direct result of our more sedentary lifestyles and our near-addiction to mobile devices. This is putting additional strain on the spine as we bend our necks to send and receive texts and emails, leading to early wear-and-tear on the upper spine and spinal degeneration. It’s even got a name – ‘text neck’.”
(The term ‘text neck’ was made famous in 2014 by Dr Kenneth Hansraj, Head of Spine Surgery Research at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine in 2014. His research revealed that constantly staring down at our mobile devices increases the effective pressure on the neck, from 27lbs at a 15-degree angle to 60lbs at 60 degrees, leading to early wear-and-tear on the upper spine and spinal degeneration. He said that this condition, which was reaching epidemic levels, could result in permanent spinal damage.)
Arif recommends that his simple exercises (there are only six) should be done every hour to alleviate stiffness, prevent back pain, develop better posture and improve energy levels. His intention is that they will become second nature, just like brushing your teeth, so it helps that each exercise has been given a memorable name: The Sway, the Squeeze, the Sit Down, the Cuppa, the Chin Tuck and the Thinker, and only takes seconds to perform.
You can watch the Back to Business videos here.
Tired of struggling with back pain? Feel like no matter what you try doing, those aches and pains just will not be gone and done with?
You are not alone!
Many of the patients who visit our Southend chiropractors do so after battling what has seemed a losing fight with back pain. But they do come out on top. Finally.
To be able to cure – or at the very least control – your back pain, the true cause of the problem has to be identified. In many cases of persistent back pain, the route cause of the problem hasn’t been established; and so the problem has never had a chance to be properly taken care of.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. To effectively manage or get rid of it, you must be absolutely clear of what’s causing it.
Don’t succumb to a life of pain just because nothing has worked for you yet. There are solutions available to most causes of back pain –finding the real cause of the problem is the first step towards a pain-free future.
You can read about some of patient stories who have been helped at Cliffs Chiropractic in Southend, many of whom had suffered back pain for many years before being treated by our experienced team of chiropractors.
October is Walk to School Month and our team of chiropractors in Southend are fully behind the scheme.
Walking frequently is one of the healthiest things you can do with your family. Amongst a host of others, some of the main benefits of regular walking include:
If you’re like many parents, the daily school run probably consists of chaos, stress and a desperate attempt to get to the school early enough to battle for a parking space. It’s probably not your favourite time of the day!
But consider the alternative… Calmness. Ease. Enjoying a conversation with your children as you share an early morning autumn stroll.
For some families, walking to school may seem impractical ( especially those who have work commitments), but if you are able to walk your children to school just a couple times a week, you and your little ones will benefit. You’ll probably save a bit on petrol costs too!
Our Southend chiropractor has a few more reasons why you may want to start walking the school run:
Children need an hour of physical activity every day – and a walk to and from school can make up a chunk of this minimum requirement. As the evenings draw in, walking to school is a fail-safe way to ensure your child gets some physical activity every day.
Many children who are physically active on the way to school are better able to focus in class. You may find that your child starts performing better in school after walking to school for a week or two.
Walking your child to and from school is the perfect time to teach them vital road safety skills. What better time to teach them such important skills than during the morning rush when they need them the most?
Sharing a walk with your child is a great way to embark on some good conversation and develop your relationship in a calm and relaxed environment.
When you walk your child to school, you’ll be playing your part in helping to reduce pollution and congestion around schools.
Why not make October a month to take up more walking with your family.
Do you regularly sit for prolonged periods of time?
Do you generally lead an inactive lifestyle?
If so, you could be putting yourself at risk of dying prematurely – even more at risk than those who smoke!
According to recent findings, a shocking 5.3 million premature deaths a year are linked to inactivity, compared to 5.1 million linked to smoking! These worrying figures from a recent study published in the Lancet to coincide with the Olympics.
In light of these revelations, our Southend chiropractor warns that while many people recognise that an inactive lifestyle can cause back pain, many are unaware of the most sinister risks it brings. Many of us – especially office workers – sit for more than eight hours a day, five days a week, and for the majority of us who do so, this level of inactivity is deemed as a necessity to carry out our work.
But this frequency of prolonged inactivity is now linked to serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It’s therefore crucially important that all office workers (particularly those of us who don’t engage in regular physical activity) make a focused effort to incorporate some form of exercise into our daily schedules. Just one hour of exercise a day can actually offset these health risks.
The results of the study revealed that people who sat down for eight hours a day, but still engaged in regular physical activity, had a significantly reduced chance of early death compared with people who sat for fewer hours a day, but do not exercise.
If a full hour’s physical activity every day seems unrealistic, our chiropractor recommends incorporating small fragments of manageable exercises into the day. Getting off the bus a stop sooner, for example, or climbing the stairs instead of riding in the lift can make a difference. Walking during lunch and tea breaks and parking the car further away from the office are also great ways to slot in some health-boosting exercise. The bottom line is that we should all be looking at ways to reduce the amount of time for which we are sedentary and increase our physical activity.
Increased activity doesn’t cost you anything, but inactivity could cost you your health, and according to this recent study, even your life.
Move more. Live more.
Ever wondered why back pain sometimes occurs in later life? Understanding the normal aging process of the spine is fundamental to keeping it strong and healthy. For many people, discovering how much the spine goes through during our lifespan can create a new found respect for just how precious it is!
Here our Southend chiropractor highlights the typical ways in which our spines change as we age:
As we age our bones tend to become less dense, making them weaker and more susceptible to breaks. This reduction in bone density is partly due to the fact that older bones contain less calcium (The amount of calcium decreases because the body absorbs less calcium from foods). Another factor is that vitamin D levels – which facilitate the way the body uses calcium – also slightly decreases. Typically, certain bones become weaker than others with the most affected being the spine, the ends of the thigh bones and the ends of the arm bones.
In women, loss of bone density can often speed up following the menopause. This is due to a reduction in the amount of estrogen being produced, which helps to prevent too much bone from being broken down during the body’s normal process of forming, breaking down, and re-forming bone.
Ever wondered why people get shorter as they get older? As we age, the spine’s vertebrae become less dense and the cushions of tissue (discs) between them lose fluid and become thinner, making the spine shorter.
Cartilage that lines the joints also tends to thin, usually because of the wear and tear of years of movement. In older people, the surfaces of a joint may not slide over each other as well as they used to, and the joint may be slightly more prone to injury. Damage to the cartilage as a result of lifelong use of joints or repeated injury can lead to osteoarthritis, (one of the most common disorders of later life).
Ligaments change too, usually becoming less elastic which can make joints feel stiff or tight. These tissues also tend to weaken as we age, hence why older people are often less flexible than younger generations.
The more you do to look after your spine in your younger years, the better able it will be to cope with the normal aging process.
At Cliffs, our chiropractors help people of all ages maintain a healthy spine. Our patients come to our award winning clinic from Southend and surrounding local areas including Leigh on Sea, Rayleigh, Hockley, Canvey Island and Hadleigh.
Arif was interviewed by Radio Essex on Thursday morning about ‘Text Neck’.
This new phenomenon is caused by gadget addicts looking down at their phones and tablets for long periods which results in postural changes that can lead to serious problems.
However, if you are at risk of suffering the consequence of ‘Text Neck’ all is not lost as Arif reveals how you can ease the pain.
The extra capability for playing games and browsing the internet on smartphones means that they are tending to be used for longer periods. And unlike laptops, tablet are often placed flat on the lap, meaning users crane their neck over to view the screen.
The average human head weighs between 10lb and 12lb and flexing the neck at an angle makes it harder to support, raising the odds of pain and stiffness which can radiate down the shoulders, arms and wrists. Headaches and even arthritis can develop.
Arif says, “‘Text Neck’ can lead to arthritic degeneration if left untreated and anyone experiencing pain should be checked. Some people work on a computer, play on their mobile phones on their breaks, drive home and work on their computer and their phone again in the evening and that’s really unhealthy. We are not built to be sitting down hunched over screens. However, that is exactly what people are doing with their necks. If people continue to put their necks into these positions, the body will gradually adapt to the stresses. Because the head and neck move forwards, it will eventually lead to a reversal of the natural curve of the neck.
Postural changes will then occur, which can lead to serious problems.”
Arif reveals how to ease texting pain.1) Take regular breaks from texting
2) Look straight ahead every few minutes; pull the chin back into the neck and hold that position for a few seconds.
3) Rotate your shoulders while keeping your arms by your sides
4) Sit up straight every time you text
5) Put the phone a little higher when texting.
The new school term will soon be here and our daily routines (and sanity levels) can return to what they were before all chaos broke loose for 6 weeks.
But as we send our children through the gates for another year of learning, we may have another issue to fret over. (And yes; we mean on top of all the other never-ending worries that come with being a parent.)
We’re talking about homework and our kids’ spines.
While overloaded bag packs are regularly scrutinised under the media spotlight, no one ever seems to mention the way in which our children actually work with the contents. According to our Southend chiropractor, many children adopt poor posture while studying or doing their homework, which holds the very real risk of leading to long-term back problems.
Here our experienced chiropractor shares effective and little known tips on ensuring your children protect their spines at homework time:
Ensure that your children do not bend their heads down to read. Just like “Text Neck”, regularly lowering the head to read can cause excessive strain on the cervical spine.
Help your children to reduce the risk of shoulder strain by checking that their elbows are not raised awkwardly as they type. Ideally, your children’s elbows should be rested on side rests or side arms so that the weight of the arms is off the shoulders.
Make sure your children’s lower spines are supported by investing in a good quality study chair.
Check that your children are not typing with their forearm below their armrests. If your children work from an armchair, place a pillow or attaché beneath their laptop/ tablet. This will allow them to use their armrests and type with level forearms
Ensure that your children stay hydrated during homework sessions. Keeping the body hydrated is an effective inflammation fighter, so keep the H20 coming in regularly supplies!
Your children should take breaks away from their workstation/ computer around every 20 minutes. Make sure your children get up, stretch and walk around during their breaks – remaining at their desks checking their social media updates will have the same impact on their spines if they were to study without a break!
You can have a positive impact on your children’s back health by educating them on these simple changes. Believe us; they’ll thank you for it in later life.
Summer is finally here but can your spine cope with all the fun and frolics that come with the hot weather?
Here our Southend chiropractor reveals three incredibly simple ways that you can keep your back fighting fit all summer long:
They maybe cool and convenient, but flip flops provide zero support for your feet, which is seriously bad news for your spine! This summer, whether you’re walking for exercise or just taking a casual stroll along the beach, choose shoes with a supportive base to help the spine and body stay in alignment. Ideally, the part of the shoe that fits the back of your heel should be snug to avoid the risk of rolling the foot to the outside or inside.
Although resting can create initial relief and comfort, the discs in your lower back are loaded 3-times more while sitting than standing. Sitting on the beach for hours on end may make for a blissful thought, but the reality is it is likely to cause or aggravate a painful back injury. Summer also brings many opportunities to socialise over a tropical tipple or two – a situation in which most of us have a tendency to slouch. Try and remember to maintain a good posture (no matter how much fun you’re having!) to reduce the risk of stressing your lumbar discs.
If you’re in an environment that’s likely to see you sitting for extended periods (such as the beach or in a beer garden), get up, stretch and walk around every 20 – 30 minutes. Remember that the spine is designed to move – and movement facilitates the delivery of healthy nutrients to the spine.
Summer may bring longer days and shorter nights but that doesn’t mean you should alter your sleeping pattern. During the night while you’re asleep, the hard working structures of your spine finally get the chance to rest and be revitalised. If you don’t regularly get enough quality sleep, you’re not the only one who will feel fatigued and run down– your spine will too!
Implement these three simple tips this summer and you’re spine may just be a whole lot brighter!
