Category Archives: Sports massage

Spare your back with the “Hip Hinge”

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When it comes to low back pain, being able to move through the hips in a relaxed way is essential to help avoiding injury. Our Chiropractor, Chris explains why the “hip hinge” is so important in everyday activities, but also when riding your mountain bike!

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Let us help you to achieve better health. You can book an appointment with our chiropractor Chris or massage therapists Liesa or Matt, by calling 01785 530911 in Stafford, or 01952 825042 in Newport. Alternatively you can book using our online diary.

We look forward to seeing you.

Sleeping and your bed

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As a Chiropractor, I am often asked for advice on pillows, beds and mattresses and which ones can help to prevent back or neck pain. In truth, there is no single answer that suits all.

Research by the British Chiropractic Association in 2013 showed that of those experiencing back or neck pain, 30% said that their pain could be brought on by a night’s so-called ‘rest’. We all come in different weights, shapes and sizes, but have one thing in common: we spend more than a third of our lives in bed, so choosing the right bed, pillow or mattress is essential to help reduce the risk.

Which is better, a hard or soft mattress?

The best mattress is a ’supportive one‘. A 16 stone person sleeping on a mattress may not get the same support as a 10 stone person sleeping on the same mattress. If you are lying on your side, your spine should be parallel to the mattress and your spine should not sag (bed too soft) or bow (bed too hard). The longer you can spend lying on a mattress before you buy it, the more accurate this feeling will be.

Your pillow should be an extension of this i.e. your neck should be a continuation of the straight spine and not too high or too low. In clinic we sell the fantastic Complete Sleeprrr pillow and highly recommend it if you suffer neck problems and need a new pillow. For more information visit: Which Pillow Do We Recommend?

 

How do I know if my current bed/mattress needs replacing?

Are you and your partner getting comfortable nights sleep? If the answer is no, your bed may be the problem. Can you feel the springs through the mattress? If the answer is yes, it is definitely time to buy a new one. Is the bed more than 8 years old? If the answer is yes, consider purchasing a new one – beds wear out and may sag or lose support with time.

How do I minimise back or neck problems?

Try and adopt a sleeping position which creates less physical stress on the back. For example, lying on your side is better than lying on your front with your neck twisted to one side. Also try to avoid being in any one position for too long, and if your partner moves around a lot at night, try separate beds for a while as your partner’s movement could aggravate YOUR back condition!

Let us help you to achieve better health. You can book an appointment with our chiropractor Chris or massage therapists Liesa or Matt, by calling 01785 530911 in Stafford, or 01952 825042 in Newport. Alternatively you can book using our online diary.

We look forward to seeing you.

Straighten Up UK!

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Recent consumer research by the British Chiropractic Association has shown that people of all ages are experiencing higher levels of back pain and discomfort and much of this is related to poor movement or posture. In the Midlands particularly, incidences of back pain have increased 12% on 2017, and we are the most likely to develop back pain before the age of 30!

As a nation, we live busy and yet sedentary lifestyles. We are dashing about one minute, full of stress and time pressured, and then subjecting ourselves to long periods of sedentary behaviour by driving for long periods, playing computer games or watching television. This often leads to de-conditioning, fatigue and ultimately poor movement, stiffness and pain. Every year, back pain results in billions of pounds in losses to the nation due to lost days at work and sickness benefit payments; not to mention the significant impact this is having on a sufferer’s quality of life.

Chiropractors are keen to highlight this issue to show people in the UK ways in which they can help themselves towards a healthier lifestyle through education, advice and if necessary a treatment plan.

As part of this, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has introduced an exciting programme called Straighten Up UK, designed to improve posture and help prevent back pain by promoting balance, strength and flexibility in the spine. Chiropractors want to encourage adults and children alike to start using this set of simple, three minute straighten up exercises. They are designed to be done on a daily basis and become part of the daily routine, just like brushing your teeth.

The exercises can be adapted to suit individual capabilities (although please discuss with your GP, chiropractor or other healthcare practitioner first). There are kids’ and adults’ versions of the website and leaflets, so everyone can take part. Further information about chiropractic and the programme can be obtained by visiting www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk.

If you are struggling with back pain that won’t settle after more than a few days, it’s recommended that you see a qualified professional, such as a chiropractor, who can assess you and recommend a care plan to help get you moving again.

Let us help you to achieve better health. You can book an appointment with our chiropractor Chris or massage therapists Liesa or Matt, by calling 01785 530911 in Stafford, or 01952 825042 in Newport. Alternatively you can book using our online diary.

We look forward to seeing you.

Pure Health Chiropractic

Stafford Sports Massage

Get £10 off Stafford Sports Massage

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Do you have a sports injury you can’t shake, or feel tight after that event? Or just want some help recovering from training? Get yourself booked in now, and get back to your best!

To celebrate our new Sports Massage Therapist joining the team, we are having a special introductory offer of £10 off Sports Massage in Stafford with Matt until the end of September 2018.

Terms: Expires 30th September 2018. Valid for Sports Massage in Stafford with Matt Price (Sports Massage Therapist) only, usual price £35. We reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time.

Mountain biking is bad for your health! (cervicogenic headaches…)

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For some reason, I seem to be on a subconscious quest to experience a variety of injuries, perhaps in a bid to gain empathy for my clients. Having personal experience of pain certainly makes you a better clinician as it helps you appreciate what can often help, but to be honest; I’d rather not have to!

Over the years I’ve suffered with: disc prolapses; microdiscectomy surgery; wrist sprains; carpal tunnel syndrome; plantar fasciitis; knee sprains; shoulder sprains and most recently (after landing on my head falling off my mountain bike), neck pain and headache. Most of these injuries are fitness related and usually avoidable and recoverable, but who ever said exercise is good for you!? I guess it depends on what sort.

So, after my latest excursion head butting the ground, I am currently suffering with what is commonly known as “neck headache” or “cervicogenic” headache. I see quite a few clients with this problem, and now I know how it feels!

It’s important to note that headaches can be a sign of something more serious, so it’s important that you are examined by a qualified professional and if necessary referred for appropriate tests. Once confirmed though, cervicogenic headaches are generally regarded as secondary headaches arising from problems with the joints or muscles of the neck. Symptoms can include tenderness in the upper neck and base of skull; dizziness; nausea; neck stiffness; pain into the face or side of head; and blurred vision. The headache typically starts in your neck, and can sometimes mimic migraine symptoms.

The pain is often chronic and relentless and there can be a variety of causes including prolonged poor posture; joint or disc degeneration; inflammation of a neck joint or nerve; or a history of whiplash or trauma causing joint movement issues.

Fortunately it’s been shown that Chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, dry needling, and exercises can help to get on top of the problem. It’s a good job I’m in this business!

Why not see what chiropractic can do for you. You can book an appointment with our chiropractor Chris or massage therapist Liesa, by calling 01785 530911 in Stafford, or 01952 825042 in Newport. Alternatively you can book using our online diary.

We look forward to seeing you.

Congratulations to our massage therapist Liesa!

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After over two years of hard work, study and practice we are very proud to announce that our massage therapist Liesa has recently become a fully qualified NLSSM practitioner!

Congratulations to Liesa, who trained at the well respected NLSSM School of Sports Massage to obtain one of the highest standards of massage therapy training: a BTEC Level 5 Professional Diploma in Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy. After already gaining many hours of experience whilst training at our Stafford clinic, and enjoying seeing her regulars, Liesa looks forward to helping more people during her future career as a massage therapist!

As Liesa has now completed her massage training, she is now able to officially charge a fee for her services and so prices for appointments will be going up to £35 for an hours session (which is still excellent value!). She will, however, be honouring her appointments up until the end of March for those already booked in.

Stafford Massage Room

Appointments can be booked online or by calling us on 01785 530911.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you.

Chris Mallett
Principal Chiropractor, Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness (Stafford and Newport)

Yoga Pose Balance Chiropractic

Balance, coordination, spinal health and Chiropractic

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In this blog, our Stafford and Newport chiropractor talks about the importance of balance and coordination, and how it can be an indicator of spinal and nervous system health.

Balance and coordination are vital to our normal everyday movements and a good quality of life.  If one or both of these areas are compromised, it can profoundly affect our strength, mobility and overall wellbeing.

There can be many reasons that your balance and coordination can be adversely affected, and if you do find that you are suffering with balance problems or changes in your coordination, it’s important that you are assessed thoroughly by an appropriate healthcare professional to rule out potential underlying medical causes. However, in this article I’m going to discuss how changes in balance and coordination can be affected by your spinal biomechanics; or in other words: problems with your back or neck.

As a chiropractor, I see lots of clients with back and neck problems, and we are experts in assessing and treating spinal conditions. It’s very common in my experience for clients to become biomechanically unstable after an injury i.e. unable to tolerate movements in the neck or low back without sharp pain or re-injury. Why do you think this is? Why does the body struggle to contract and engage the spinal and neck stabilisers when the muscles are still there? The answer lies in the nervous system.

The spinal structures, including the joints and the surrounding small muscles, ligaments and tendons are constantly sending messages to the brain via mechanoreceptors (nerve endings) which sense pressure, movement and stretch. This feedback is sent to the brain, which then combines it with input from various other areas (including visual and inner ear) and decides how best to stabilise the area and control coordination of movement. This subconscious awareness of position, stabilisation and coordination occurs thousands of times per second, and is often known as proprioception.

It is thought that acute injury or long term movement dysfunction issues (such as osteoarthritis), can disrupt or override this feedback mechanism and lead to further instability, injury or damage. It’s not surprising that a lot of clients I see with acute or chronic spinal issues have terrible balance and coordination. Chiropractic techniques, combined with appropriate exercises for balance and strength have been shown in various studies to help with improving proprioception.

If you need help, then come and see what our chiropractors in Stafford and Newport can do for you.

We look forward to seeing you.

Chris Mallett
Principal Chiropractor, Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness (Stafford and Newport)

 

Yoga Image By Matthew Greenfield (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Win a free massager!

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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 £50 RRP.

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

✅ SHARE and LIKE either of our Facebook pages (see bottom of page) OR
✅ 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?

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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