Tag: chiropractor

So You Want to be a Chiropractor?

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ChiropractorSouthendIf you like the idea of improving the quality of people’s lives, you have good communication skills and a solid head for business, then a career as a chiropractor could be for you!

As a qualified chiropractor, you’ll use physical manipulation, massage and rehabilitative exercises to treat patients with a range of conditions. These may include:

  • back pain
  • shoulder pain
  • neck pain
  • arthritic pain
  • joint stiffness and discomfort
  • muscular aches
  • sports injuries

You’ll take a holistic approach to treating patients; evaluating the underlying causes of their condition and not just the symptoms. Chiropractic treatment is designed to encourage the body’s natural healing process and chiropractors are most well known for the hands-on technique they use to adjust imbalances in the skeletal system.

So let’s look at the concept of chiropractic treatment in a little more detail. (After all, you’ll need to know this if you’re thinking of training to become a chiropractor!).

In short, chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasises the body’s inherent power to heal itself. Focusing on the relationship between the body’s structure (mainly the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) chiropractic care deals with how that relationship affects the preservation of health.

As a chiropractor, you will be able to diagnose and aim to treat patients whose health problems are associated with the body’s muscular, nervous and skeletal systems. Chiropractors believe that problems or interference with these systems can negatively impact normal functioning, create pain and reduce resistance to disease. Chiropractors recognise that many factors – including exercise, diet and mental well-being – affect overall health and wellness.
What can you expect as a chiropractor?

There are few careers more rewarding than one in healthcare, but you should also be aware of what may be expected of you as a chiropractor. You may work alone, for example, or you may even begin your career by working from home. If you end up working at several practices (as many chiropractors do!), you may need to be prepared to travel regularly and work with different members of staff. Being a chiropractor is mentally and physically demanding too, so maintaining your own health and well-being is vitally important.

Here at Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic, we enjoy nothing more than using our skills to help people restore their health. Will you be the next to follow in our footsteps?

Is Your Medication Making You Ill?

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health living advice from our southend chiropractorPrescription drugs have many side effects and at Cliffs Chiropractic we know that medication from your GP or consultant can save your life or improve it, but it can also come with unwanted side effects. It’s important to remember that drugs are not necessarily safe and to be aware of the side-effects.

Your medical history is important to us and we need to know all the medication you are taking. Make sure you let your chiropractor know about the drugs you are on – read on to find out how we can help you.

Record numbers of people are suffering or dying as a result of prescription drug side effects. All medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, have some kind of undesirable and sometimes dangerous after effects, from muscle aches to death.

Prescription pills are Britain’s third biggest killer with psychiatric drugs reckoned to be the third biggest killer after heart disease and cancer. For instance, antipsychotics, commonly given to dementia patients to keep them quiet, raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Psychiatric drugs also make falls more likely, and breaking a hip can shorten life significantly, while some antidepressants are linked to a potentially deadly irregular heartbeat. More than one million people in the UK are addicted to sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs, according to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Involuntary Tranquiliser Addiction, even though for years official advice has been to not prescribe them for longer than four weeks.

At Cliffs Chiropractic we have recently had a big increase in patients suffering from the side effects of their drugs, they had symptoms such as heart arrhythmia, gastric reflux, nausea, headaches and they were all being given further drugs and even a pacemaker to cover up the symptoms.

The answer is not to stop taking your drugs, they may be very necessary. However, if you are experiencing symptoms do look up yourself if they could be a side effect of a drug you are taking. Read the leaflet that comes in the packet or Google it. GP’s are busy people and cannot remember the side effects of all drugs so take control yourself. Go and ask your GP and remind him about the possible effects of what you are taking.

Ask your chiropractor for advice he will be able to guide you and help you with a natural solution to the side effect. There are plenty of natural alternatives that are safe and may help relieve your symptoms.

Possibly the most common side effects of any prescription drug are gastric issues, such as nausea, constipation and diarrhoea, because most drugs go through the digestive system to be absorbed. Other common after effects include drowsiness, pain, dizziness and skin reactions.

There may be a simple solution such as always eating with your medication or sipping chamomile tea afterwards or taking a ginger capsule for nausea. Other solutions could include drinking more water to stay hydrated, eating more often and smaller meals.

Melanie Soomro says, “As a Medical Herbalist I can successfully treat many of these conditions naturally and my aim is always to reduce prescription drugs as much as possible (in conjunction with your GP). As the liver is the centre of detoxification for the body including dealing with the end products of drugs often a simple liver cleanse can do away with the side effects of these drugs. It is our aim to help the body function at its optimum and with the right herbs, supplements and lifestyle advice we can minimise the use of drugs”

If you would like advice please talk to Arif or Paz at your next appointment or book an appointment to see Melanie for an assessment and get your body functioning optimally.

 

Top Tips on Having a Great Relationship With Your Chiropractor

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People who have good relationships with their chiropractors tend to have better health outcomes. So here are three great bond-building tips from our Southend chiropractor:

1: Prepare for your appointment

Preparing for an appointment means more than getting there on time! In order to optimise the time you have with your chiropractor, plan in your mind what you want to achieve out of the visit. The worst thing is leaving an appointment and then remembering afterwards the things you wanted to mention. So plan ahead.

2: Share your concerns as well as your complaints

It may seem natural to simply tell your chiropractor about the symptoms you’re experiencing, but it is equally important to be open about your concerns too. Chiropractors are trained to address your worries as well as your symptoms, so be open and honest.

 3: Prioritise your problems

Make a list of all the issues you want to address and let your chiropractor know how many things are on it at the start of your appointment. Your chiropractor can then arrange as many appointments as needed to assess each of your problems.

A good chiropractor/ patient relationship requires good communication. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel or what you want to achieve out of your appointments. Your chiropractor will appreciate your effort and honesty.

Our Scary Car Accident Made Us Think …

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car accidentAfter a car accident in a taxi on our way to Gatwick Airport it made us think – do you know what you should do to help yourself following a car accident?

Fortunately we were all OK and managed to make our flight!

The protocol after our accident was ice, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture for all. It just goes to show even chiropractors are not immune from injury.

If you have an RTA here are the immediate recommendations:

1- Call your Chiro immediately if possible for phone advice.

2- If you have no contra indications, take an anti-inflammatory tablet such as Ibuprofen and take some arnica 30C homeopathic remedy.

3- Use ice on the affected area 15/15/15 minutes on/off/on.

4- Keep your nose and toes pointing the same way and tuck your chin in slightly.

5- Rest and recover, don’t try and carry on as normal. Have a cup of chamomile tea and use some Bach rescue remedy.

6– Make an emergency appointment as soon as possible no matter how you feel; chiropractors are best placed to assess you.

 

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Summer Walks in Leigh on Sea for a Healthy Spine

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back care advice from our chiropractor near leigh on seaThere are few things more enjoyable than a peaceful summer’s walk. Breathing in the tranquil fresh air and soaking up the vibrant blooming scenery with not so much as a single distraction is good for both the body and mind – especially if you suffer from back pain.

According to our chiropractor near Leigh on Sea, regular walking can reduce the likelihood or severity of additional episodes of back pain and can even enhance your ability to continue undertaking everyday activities.

Here are three ways that walking can help your back pain:

1: It can strengthen the muscles in your feet, legs, hips, and torso

Walking helps to condition the muscles that keep your body in the upright position, which will in turn increase the stability of your spine.

2: It can nourish your spinal structures

Walking encourages strong circulation which facilitates the delivery of essential nutrients to soft tissues.

3: It can help with flexibility and posture

Regular walking promotes a greater range of motion which helps to prevent the risk of future injuries.

Leigh on Sea offers some fantastic scenic walking paths that are suitable for beginners and more advanced walkers.

The Leigh on Sea rail station walk is a firm favourite amongst our patients and is suitable for those of you suffering from back pain. The scenic walk takes place along the coastal path between Leigh on Sea rail station and Benfleet station in Essex and provides a variety of stunning views on clear summer days. The path is completely flat with plenty of charming pubs, as well as the cockle sheds and a beach in pretty cobblestoned old fishing village on route.

For more advanced walkers, the Leigh on Sea castle walk provides wonderful views along the Thames and across to Canvey Island. This path involves a little road walking and some parts can be muddy or wet after heavy rain.

Who would have known that a simple summer stroll could bring so many health benefits to your spine? Start putting one foot in front of the other and you never know, you really could be “walking on sunshine” this summer!

How to Choose a Good Back Support

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Back support belts (often called back braces) are available in a variety of materials and designs, depending on the role in which they are intended to play. According to our Southend chiropractor, many people suffering from back pain find it difficult to choose the correct back support simply because of the large selection available.

But choosing the right back support doesn’t have to be a difficult decision.

Instead of feeling daunted by too much choice, consider what you need the support for. Will you be using it for sport, work or everyday chores? Next, think about what qualities you are looking for in a back support. Are you looking for comfort, compression, stability or flexibility? The answers you give to these questions will prompt you in the direction of the right back support for you. Your chiropractor can also advise what kind of support is suitable for your back condition and requirements.

School Kids : Protect Their Back Health

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back care advice for children from cliffschiropractorsouthendWith nearly 80% of people experiencing back pain at some point during their lives, it’s important that children look after their spines from a young age.

Our Southend chiropractor, who has extensive experience in treating children, shares simple tips on preventing childhood back pain…

1:Keep Your Children Active

Staying active helps to keep children a healthy weight and builds those all-important spine-supporting muscles. Sitting in class for long periods of time can put excessive pressure on a child’s spine which can put them at risk of developing back pain. It’s a good idea to suggest that your child performs some simple stretching and strengthening exercises in between classes. The Double Arm Doorway Stretch is a fun and effective exercise that your child can take in turns to do with their classmates. Here’s how it works:

Your child stands in a doorway and braces their hands on each side of the frame. Keeping their hands and arms at shoulder level, they engage their stomach muscles and straighten their back. Next they take one step forward and lean their upper body so that they feel a stretch inside their chest and shoulder muscles.

If your child feels embarrassed or self conscious, they can even do this exercise as they are chatting to their friends and no one will even notice they are doing anything more than leaning on a door!

2: Buy the Right Backpack

Although it may be the “cool” thing to do, wearing a back pack with one strap puts excessive pressure on one shoulder instead of distributing the load evenly across the two. Make sure your child wears their backpack across two shoulders and the straps are tight enough for the bag to fit closely to the body. Your child’s back pack should rest evenly on the middle of their back and not sag down.

3: Practice Good Posture

Sitting in class for long periods of time can cause many kids to slouch, which again, puts an excessive amount of pressure on the spine. Teach your child about the health benefits of proper posture and get them into the habit of sitting in the correct position. While in class, your child’s feet should be planted on the ground with their back straight. Rounding the spine or slouching is a common issue than often leads to long-term back pain.

By working together, we can protect the next generation’s spine health.

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