Christmas Opening Hours

Over the festive period our opening hours will be:

 

Stafford

– Up to and including Friday 22nd December open as normal.

– Closed Saturday 23rd December until 1st January 2018

 

Newport

– Up to and including Saturday 23rd December open as normal.

– Closed Sunday 24th December until 1st January 2018

 

Both clinics open as normal from Tuesday 2nd January.

 

We wish all our customers a joyous Christmas break and a Happy New Year!

Win a free massager!

WIN A HOME MASSAGER!

IT’S CHRISTMAS COMPETITION TIME! Pure Health Chiropractic Stafford and Newport are giving one of our lucky clients the chance to win a Dr Graeme Professional Strength General Purpose Massager worth around ÂŁ50 RRP.

To enter the competition to win a FREE massager, all you have to do between 24th November 2017 and the closing date is:

âś… SHARE and LIKE either of our Facebook pages (see bottom of page) OR
âś… REVIEW our services on one of our Google+ pages (only 5 star reviews will count!)

Competition closes noon 12pm Friday 15th December 2017 with winner being announced on our website, Facebook, and Google pages the following Monday 18th December 2017. Pick up only from our Stafford or Newport clinics.

For more information about the massager, plese visit http://www.drgraeme.com/GP_mass.php

Good luck!

Is your sacro-iliac joint causing pain?

Is your Sacro-Iliac joint causing your back, hip or leg pain?

In this blog, our Stafford and Newport chiropractor talks about the Sacro-Iliac joint. But, what on earth is a sacro-iliac joint I hear you ask?

Well, the clue is in the name to a certain degree – it’s the joint that connects the sacrum at the base of the spine, to the ilium of the pelvis (hence sacro-iliac). It is essential in effectively distributing forces from the spine to the hips and lower limbs (and vice versa), but it can also be an often overlooked pain source in lower back injuries.

The sacro-iliac joint (or SIJ for short) is normally a fantastically strong and stable joint, and can tolerate amazing amounts of downward force to create stability when we lift or move. This stability is largely generated by well-controlled contraction of the surrounding muscles and tissue creating “closure” of the joint. Problems arise when this balance isn’t adequate, the joint is not sufficiently stable, and tissues or cartilage become damaged as a result. This can be acute (sudden) or could be chronic (long term and recurring), but in all cases it tends to hurt quite a lot.

Pain originating from the sacro-iliac joint is often confusing as it can be mistaken for injuries to other structures. For example, acute SIJ pain can often refer to the buttocks and down the back of the leg mimicking sciatica or disc symptoms. It could also refer to the groin and anterior thigh, mimicking hip arthritis. Or it could simply radiate to the spine, mimicking a facet joint issue.

Often with long term and recurrent problems, repeated flare-ups are caused by either too much movement (hypermobility) or too little movement (hypomobility) of the joint. Both can respond well to rehab and/or chiropractic adjustments and it is important to determine possible faulty muscle activation around the pelvis, and improve these as necessary.

In all cases, it is vital to get checked out by a qualified and experienced spinal professional such as a chiropractor. We will assess and treat not only the painful symptoms, but also look to address the underlying causes. Remember: Good spinal function is essential for movement; Good movement is essential for health; Chiropractic helps to maintain good spinal function.

If you need help, then come and see what chiropractic and massage can do for you. We look forward to seeing you.

Chris Mallett
Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness – Stafford and Newport

Featured image by RadsWiki (RadsWiki) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Stafford Chiropractor Chris and massage therapist Liesa run the Stafford 10k

Chiropractor Chris runs the Stafford 10k!

First of all – a big thank you to everyone who helped our Stafford and Newport chiropractor Chris and massage therapist Liesa raise money for Spinal Research!

A few months ago, it seemed to like a good idea to sign up with a few of my friends and colleagues in running the Stafford 10k. “It’s not that far”, I thought to myself. As I ran the final stages through the town centre with a ferocious “stitch” to the point of having to walk, I realised that maybe I should’ve done a bit more training, and also not eaten so many jelly babies half way round!

Once I’d recovered, it turned out I hadn’t done too badly. A 55-minute 10k with not really much training was pretty good for me. With the guys from the gym also doing well and (more importantly) enjoying it, we’d managed to raise a decent amount for charity and had fun too. Well done to everyone who took part!

I’d avoided doing much running in the 12 months leading up this event. This was partly due to injuring my knee in April; partly because I’m not a keen runner; but mainly because I’d developed a lot of calf and heel pain when trying to run any sort of distance since doing the half marathon in 2016. I’m not a natural runner and if you’re anything like me at running, then you will tend to “plod” rather than “glide” along. For me, this created a lot of tension in my feet, legs, pelvis and lower back and often led to shin splints, with accompanying back and heel pain.

There was a good reason for this, and it’s the same reason a lot of amateur athletes get pain and restriction: I was terrible at post-exercise stretching! Much like everyone else, as I became fitter, I also became complacent about warming down and stretching after training.

As we age, unfortunately our bodies don’t recover or regenerate as quickly as they used to. It’s absolutely vital that we warm down and stretch adequately to ensure that we don’t develop myofascial restrictions which can easily lead to changed movement, restricted mobility, and painful conditions. I now do this after every workout (finally listening to my own advice!), and have noticed a huge improvement in my ability to run pain free.

If you want help too, then why not see what chiropractic and massage can do for you. We look forward to seeing you.

Chris Mallett
Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness – Stafford and Newport

Our Chiropractor rides the Alps!

I’m pleased to report that I managed to survive a week of mountain biking in the French Alps relatively unscathed despite one high speed crash and a few scrapes and bangs on the head.

My knee performed well, although a bit achy, and after 175 miles of downhill (and even some uphill), I came home feeling like I needed another holiday!

The area we were in (around Briançon in south-east France) was hosting part of the Tour de France this year, which provided the inspiration to hire a road bike for a day with some friends. I’d never ridden a road bike before (the lycra look and the UK roads put me off!), but this was France and the Alps are amazing, so we decided to ride up the Col du Galibier, one of the highest mountain passes on the tour. Overall, it was an awesome experience, and although I didn’t find the climb too bad, holding my head up on the 45 mph descent was agony! I can now fully understand why I see cyclists with painful necks as chiropractic patients!

Stafford and Newport Chiropractor

Recently, back in the Stafford and Newport chiropractic clinics, I’ve seen a few clients who seem surprised when I say that I can look at their foot, knee, ankle, hip or shoulder problems as well as their back pain, neck pain or headaches. Many people think that chiropractors only treat backs, but that’s simply not the case. Chiropractors are well trained in recognising, treating and giving advice and rehab plans for many different neuromusculoskeletal (nerve, muscle and joint) conditions. The main difference between chiropractors and other therapists, is that we also look to identify and address any spinal joint dysfunction i.e. movement issues in the small joints of the spine. Without a stable and well-functioning spine and torso, your peripheral movement, strength and coordination will almost certainly be compromised too.

Good spinal function is essential for movement; Good movement is essential for health; Chiropractic helps to maintain good spinal function.

Whatever your injury or movement problems, we will work tirelessly to help you to get back to your optimum and stay that way. See what chiropractic can do for you – I am available in Newport on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and also in Stafford on Wednesdays and Fridays. I look forward to seeing you.

Chris Mallett
Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness – Stafford and Newport