Tag: southend chiropractor

Keep Your Back Safe at the Pool This Summer!

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Taking a refreshing dip in the pool is a great way to cool off from the scorching summer heat, but it can also be beneficial to your back.

Swimming is an enjoyable form of low-impact aerobic conditioning and it’s gentle on your back and spine. Unlike other forms of exercise, the buoyancy of the water supports your body’s weight as you swim and reduces the stress on your joints and spine.

But what are the best swimming strokes if you suffer from back pain?

According to our Southend chiropractor, anyone with back pain should look at ways to avoid sheer forces on the spine. For example, using a mask or snorkel will eliminate the need to arch your lower back while coming up for air or when rotating your head to breathe. Alternatively, working with a coach or trainer can teach you how to keep your shoulders in line with your hips while swimming.

Swimming can be an extremely effective way to manage your back pain. But it’s important to speak to your healthcare provider before “jumping in at the deep end” this summer.

Three things you should know about chronic pain

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It’s hard when someone you care about is in pain. But you can make life a lot easier for your loved one by gaining an understanding of what they’re going through. With that in mind, our Southend chiropractor shares three things you should know about chronic pain.

Pain is real

Never assume that your loved one is exaggerating their pain. Chronic pain is very real, even if there is no known cause. Remember that everyone with chronic pain wants nothing more than to live a pain-free life. So saying things like “It can’t be that bad” or “Stop thinking about it” is just going to fall on deaf ears.

Pain does not equal unhappiness

It is important to understand that your loved one can be happy and experience pain at the same time. Therefore you shouldn’t assume that someone has “healed” simply because they seem to be having a good time.

Pain is personal

Everyone experiences pain differently. It is very common for two people to have the same condition and one may complain of severe pain while the other displays no symptoms whatsoever.  This is especially true when it comes to back pain.  Listen to how the pain feels  for your loved one instead of assuming  that they must feel a certain way because of what you’ve heard from someone else or read in an article.

The more you know about your loved one’s chronic pain, the more you can empathise with them, and the more you can help as a result.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Dig Up a Back Problem This Spring!

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Gardening is one of the joys of life for many, but it can also be a real workout!  But having back pain shouldn’t mean you need to bury away your green fingers! You can still enjoy your hobby by following these three simple tips from our Southend chiropractor…

1: Warm Up

You wouldn’t do a session at the gym without warming up first, so don’t hit your gardening plans without preparing your body! Warm up your muscles by taking a brisk, five-minute walk and doing some gentle stretching exercises.

2: Lift carefully

It’s all too easy to incorrectly lift heavy pots, bushes, and full watering cans while gardening. Before you go lugging heavy items around, take a moment to perfect your lifting technique.  Begin by squatting (and not bending at the waist). Then use both of your hands to hold the object, keeping it close to your body. Slowly straighten your legs as you lift.

3: Use Supporting Tools

Depending on your level of back pain, getting down on the ground (and back up!) can be a real struggle! Instead of fighting a losing battle with gravity, consider investing in a heavy-duty kneeler. Many of these include raised handles that will allow you to use your arm strength to help you up and down. You can also buy kneelers that convert into chairs.

Happy gardening!

A New Attitude for Better Health!

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health living advice from our southend chiropractorThinking about making positive changes in 2017 but worried that your goals will turn into nothing more than New Year “could-have-beens”?

Our Southend chiropractor wants to reassure you that it is normal to face challenges and setbacks along the way. The problem is too many of us stunt our growth and stop ourselves from achieving our goals by having a fixed mindset. We hear an inner voice that tells us that our goals are impossible or that we do not have the determination or skills to make our dreams happen. And we listen to it.  But this kind of thinking is simply not true. We all want things, but to get them, we have to believe in our abilities. We have to change our thinking from “I can’t” to “I can and I will!” It is like the famous saying, “Whether you tell yourself you can, or you tell yourself you can’t, you’re right.”

Don’t be afraid to fail. So many people fail at something and decide that that is an end point. (How many people pack in their New Year healthy eating plan just because they slipped up and opted for a burger instead of a salad? How many people go back to smoking full-time after having one cigarette on a night out or during a moment of weakness?) The key to success is looking at your failures as a lesson and identifying what you can learn from them. Some of the most successful people of our time have also encountered the greatest failures. It’s not the falling over that matters (or how many times we fall), it’s the getting back up!

So the next time you consider giving up on getting what you want to achieve, don’t!

Put a list of your goals, dreams and desires somewhere that you will see them every day.  The fact that you have to see them all the time can be very encouraging, and it can give you that extra motivation that you need when things get tough. Just imagine the motivating power of looking at a section of your list and saying “I did that.” Now imagine if you could say to yourself, “I did all that!” And do you know what? It really is possible with the right frame of mind.

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!

Why Being a Plank is Great for Your Health!

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New Year’s resolutions are great ideas in theory. With the indulgent festive period over and done with, January always seems like a good a time to re-evaluate,  prioritise and make changes.

But in practice, many ambitious New Year goals evaporate into self-defeating thinking and disappointment. But that doesn’t mean that all New Year’s resolutions need to end in frustration and failure. The trick is setting the right goals.

According to our Southend chiropractor, holding a plank for just one minute every morning is a very manageable fitness goal that most people can stick to. Planks are one of the best exercises you can do as they work your core and your entire body. By doing this one-minute exercise every morning, you will remind yourself to stay active all day.

When starting out you will want to start by holding it for a short period of time e.g. 15 seconds and build the time up as you get stronger. The forearm plank is slightly easier than a standard plank and is a common way of performing a plank.

Baby steps lead to epic journeys.

Note: Please consult your GP if you have any concerns about taking any form of new exercise.

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