Tag Archives: Sports massage

Gardening and Chiropractic

Calling all gardeners!

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It’s been an interesting few days, with storm Ciara bringing rain, wind and snow to the region. Hopefully once everything settles back down we can get back to normal and spring will be on the way!

Spring seems to be the time of year when the gardeners come out in force and many of them end up seeing someone like myself for those new found aches and pains, so to help avoid potential problems, here are a number of handy tips:

Don’t start with heavy-duty gardening. Warm up with the lighter jobs, like mowing the lawn, and then move on to something else. It is important to vary your activity every 30 minutes or so rather than be in one position for too long.

If you are laying a patio, keep the slab close to your body and bend through your knees and hips. It is sometimes better to bend one knee rather than two to pick up or move objects (also known as a ‘golfers lift’) as your supporting leg gives you a position of strength.

If you are planning a trip to the garden centre to buy heavy items such as bags of compost or pebbles – buy multiple small bags rather than one big bag. Smaller items are easier and safer to carry. If there is no other option, ask someone else to help carry it to the car and then when you get home, shovel out smaller quantities straight from the car and put it into smaller containers.

Do not ignore pain. It can be a warning sign and could indicate something more serious or damaging. If you start to ache then stop what you are doing, have a break and come back to it later once the pain has eased. If there is no improvement, have it checked out as soon as possible.

Most injuries that I see are typically avoidable and we specialise in helping you to recover and then manage them. Studies have shown that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation and mobilisation combined with appropriate exercises and education, is a very effective method in keeping back pain at bay.

We can help you to achieve better health. Why not come and see what our chiropractors and massage therapists 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)

Help your back pain with the Dying Bug

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If you suffer with a back injury or pain, it can be a real burden getting back to normal movement.

The Dying Bug track is a progression of exercises designed to help you learn to engage the spinal and pelvic muscles again, and give you the confidence to return to normal activities. Here, our Chiropractor Chris runs through some of the steps of the progression and explains why it is so important.

Subscribe for more content from Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness for more advice, exercises, and product reviews:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCes0…
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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.

Stafford massage review

Clinic holiday hours!

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Our lovely massage therapist Liesa and chiropractor Chris will be away on their holidays from this week and back on the 12th August.

But don’t worry – Matt our fantastic massage therapist and PT will still be here if you need a helping hand!

To book an appointment with Matt, call 01785 530911 or have a look at our online diary.

Family holiday

We hope you have a great summer and see you when we are back!

Best wishes,

Chris & Liesa
Pure Health Chiropractic & Wellness

Need help recovering? – Get £5 off Sports Massage

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Are you training hard for an event this year? Sports massage can help you recover faster and train harder, so to help you get that personal best, we are currently offering £5 off sports massages with Matt until the end of March 2019! Get yourself booked in now, and let us help you perform to your best!

Terms: Expires 31st March 2019. 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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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