Blog Section

Do you think your back pain gets worse in winter?

Did you know… Those who suffer with chronic back pain might notice it gets worse during autumn and winter.

In fact… Although there’s not much scientific evidence that shows a link between chronic pain and humidity, temperature changes and wind speed, weather changes can affect those, who suffer with joint pain conditions, especially arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Did you know… The most commonly accepted reasoning is that with colder temperatures comes lower air pressure, that can cause joint tissues to expand—further worsening joints already prone to swelling and tenderness

If cold weather worsens your pain, you can prevent it yourself and combat it with these three simple steps:

1. Heat therapy

Including heat therapy in your daily routine can help to reduce stiffness and boost healing through increased blood circulation. Try applying a warm towel or a heating pad to your painful area for about 20 minutes for temporary pain relief. You can also go for over-the-counter heat wraps

2. Water therapy

If you like swimming, try to visit heated indoor pool with hot baths, Jacuzzis and saunas a few times a week for almost instant relief from your pain

3. Stay active

As tempting as it is to just stay on the sofa during winter evenings, it is crucial to keep your spine mobile and stay active. If your pain is too severe to go to the gym, try long walks with hiking poles or Pilates at home.

Pain is an unpleasant sensation that plays an important function in our lives.

When you suffer an acute injury, pain warns you to stop the activity that causes the injury and informs you to take care of the affected body part.

Chronic pain, on the other hand has no time limit, and often has no apparent cause and serves no apparent biological purpose. Some people, often older adults, suffer from chronic pain without any definable past injury or signs of body damage. Common chronic pain can be caused by headaches, the lower back, and arthritis and sometimes there is little evidence to explain such pain.  Emerging scientific evidence is demonstrating that the nerves in the spinal cord of patients with chronic pain can undergo structural changes.

Emotional and social issues often magnify the effects of chronic pain. People with chronic pain frequently report a wide range of limitations in family and social roles, like the inability to perform household or workplace chores, take care of children, or engage in social activities. In turn, spouses, children, and co-workers often have to take over these responsibilities. These changes often lead to depression, anxiety, resentment, and anger for the pain patient and can lead to stress and strain in family and other social relationships.

How is depression linked with chronic pain?

Depression is the most common emotion connected with chronic pain. It is found 3 to 4 times more in people with chronic pain than in the general population. The combination of chronic pain with depression is often associated with greater disability than either depression or chronic pain alone.

People with chronic pain and depression suffer vivid changes in their physical, mental, and social well-being — and in their quality of life. Such people often find it difficult to sleep, are easily agitated, cannot perform their normal activities of daily living, cannot concentrate, and are often unable to perform their duties at work and at home. These changes to quality of life starts a vicious cycle — pain leads to more depression, which leads to more chronic pain. In some cases, the depression occurs before the pain.

Signs and Symptoms

Some of the common signs and symptoms of chronic pain include:

• Pain beyond 6 months after an injury
• Pain from stimuli which are not normally painful (Allodynia)
• Increased pain from stimuli that are normally painful (Hyperpathia)
• Being overly sensitive to pain (Hypersensation)

Signs of major clinical depression will usually occur daily for 2 weeks or more, and often include many of the following:

• A feeling of sadness; feeling blue, hopeless, or irritable, often with crying spells
• Changes in appetite or weight (loss or gain) and/or sleep (too much or too little)
• Poor concentration or memory
• Feeling restless or exhausted
• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
• Feeling of worthlessness and/or guilt

What treatments are there for chronic pain and depression?

The first step in coping with chronic pain is to verify its cause, if possible. Addressing the problem will help the pain subside. In other cases, especially when the pain is chronic, you should try to keep the chronic pain from being the entire focus of your life.

• Stay active and do not avoid activities that cause pain simply because they cause pain. The amount and type of activity should be directed by your doctor, so that activities that might actually cause more harm are avoided.
• Distraction (redirecting your attention away from chronic pain), imagery and dissociation (detaching yourself from the chronic pain) can be useful.
• Relaxation training, hypnosis, yoga and meditation can help you cope with chronic pain. Cognitive therapy can also help patients recognise destructive patterns of emotion and behavior and help them modify or replace such behaviors and thoughts with more reasonable or supportive ones.

Involving your family and friends may be helpful with your recovery.

Most people experience headaches sporadically through their lives and are not too adversely affected by them. However, there is a severe type of headache called a migraine that can keep returning and be incredibly debilitating. It is estimated by the NHS that around one in every five women and around one in every 15 men are affected by migraines, which usually begin in early adulthood.

The exact cause of migraines is still somewhat unknown; the current understanding is that there is a temporary change in the chemicals and blood vessels of the brain.

A migraine is typically experienced as a severe headache, often with a throbbing pain in the front or sides of the head. Some people have other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound or smells. Migraines can last from a few hours to a few days.

There are different types of migraine. There are migraines with aura, which is where there are warning signs of the migraine in the form of visual disturbance such as seeing spots, lights or blurred lines. There are also migraines that occur without warning, and it is even possible to have a migraine aura without the accompanying headache.

There are also many different possible triggers for migraines. These can include, stress (and how stress is handled), food and drink triggers, sleep patterns, hormones and tension; especially in the neck.

In order to manage migraines in a regular sufferer, identification of a specific trigger is essential. Behavioural or lifestyle changes playing an important part in the treatment, such as avoidance of certain foods or maintenance of a regular sleep pattern. Chiropractic treatment also has the ability to alleviate some contributory factors or after effects including relieve of restriction in movement of the neck, muscle tension in the neck, upper back and shoulders and helping correct any postural issues that may influence the occurrence of both migraine and tension headaches.

If you’re one of the millions of people in the world who suffer from migraines, you have likely tried pain medication after pain medication in the hopes of alleviating the pain. If your prescription medications are not doing the trick, you may be glad to hear that chiropractic care can be a promising option to help relieve symptoms. 

While there is no definite cure to migraines – and the healthcare industry has struggled to even pinpoint the exact causes – chiropractic treatment is an exceptional option to decrease the negative effects of migraine headaches.

Migraine headaches vary for everyone, but can be extremely painful and sometimes debilitating. Often these headaches can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to noise, light, and smell. Research has shown that cervical trauma can increase the chances of experiencing migraine pain, since there are many nerves that transmit through the cervical region to and from the brain. If these vertebrae become displaced, severe migraine headaches can occur. 

Chiropractic treatment is gaining popularity as a way to treat symptoms since it  involves correcting the position of these injured cervical vertebrae, which in turn can then reduce or eliminate migraine headaches.

Chiropractic treatment is unlike any other migraine medication and works in unique ways. Some of the many ways in which chiropractic care can treat migraine symptoms, include:

• Decreasing irritation in the nerves that send pain signals to the brain
• Reducing common triggers for migraine headaches such as muscle tension
• Strengthening muscles that support the spine
• Restoring proper nervous system communication by ensuring alignment
• Helping the body to heal itself by being properly aligned

Chiropractic treatments not only act as a reactive treatment option, but as a proactive way to prevent future migraine symptoms.

However, migraine symptoms are different for everyone. It is important to find an individualized treatment option that works for you. This may incorporate a combination of treatment options, rather than solely relying on chiropractic care, such as massages, medication, nutrition and physical therapy.

Car accidents often cause whiplash which creates misalignments in the neck or back. Sometimes the pain is felt almost immediately, but it can also begin after adrenaline levels have stabilised.  Even if there is no immediate or subsequent pain, it is a good idea to have the alignment of your neck and back checked by a qualified healthcare practitioner.

If you experience dizziness, headaches, soreness, nausea or discomfort in your neck or in your back, you may have had whiplash. These symptoms do not always show up immediately, so if you begin treatment promptly, you can help save yourself from pain and discomfort. 

It is a natural response for your body to become inflamed after a car accident in response to muscle and ligament stretching and tears. If you are feeling sore and achy, inflammation may be to blame and chiropractic care could help realign the spinal column and release muscle tension, easing pain and discomfort.

It is not uncommon to avoid seeking medical care after a car accident when you are not experiencing intense pain, but you should know that minor injuries can lead to long-term chronic pain and other issues.

Massage has had positive results in surveys for many different conditions, from stress and aches and pains to pregnancy and headaches. However, it is still not entirely clear why these benefits occur. Most recent research suggests two of the greatest changes induced by massage therapy are an increase in blood flow and in lymphatic fluid circulation.

The lymphatic fluid is an important element of the immune system as it contains white cells; and the drainage system, which rids the body of unwanted by-products and toxins. Massage can increase the effectiveness of both systems by increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid.

Increased blood and lymph circulation will bring about reduction of swelling, faster healing, better delivery of nutrition to cells and the removal of cellular debris; it can also lower heart rate and blood pressure, increase volume of blood and enhance overall health.

Massage can not only be used as a form of treatment in acute and chronic sports injuries, but may also be used by athletes to maximize recovery and to help identify any soft tissue abnormalities, which left untreated, could lead to injury.

Sports injury massage should not be during the acute inflammatory response stage (straight after an injury). Once this period is over. massage is often a very effective form of pain relief by reducing the amount of pain producing chemicals in the effected tissues. Regular, professional massage has also been shown to increase the healing time for athletic injuries.

Massage also calls up the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins, into the brain and nervous system and often provides deep relaxation as it relieves muscle tension, spasm, and stiffness, which can all contribute to pain. Experts suggest that tense muscles are usually deprived of oxygen, because the tightness reduces blood circulation to the area. Massage improves blood circulation, bringing with it the oxygen and other forms of nourishment that muscles need. Muscles then relax and pain often decreases.

Due to Alex and Ruth taking some annual leave – the clinic will be running on shorter hours: Monday 17th October 2022 11:00hrs- 14:00hrs, Tuesday 18ths October 2022 12:00- 20:00hrs, Wednesday 19th October 2022 08:00hrs – 17:00hrs, Thursday 20th October 2022 08:00hrs – 17:00hrs, Friday 21st October 2022 08:00-12:oohrs, Saturday 22nd October 2022 Closed, Normal hours will resume Monday 24th October 2022

Some people are very flexible, while others aim to improve their flexibility through yoga classes and stretching exercises. However, have you ever considered that there is such as thing as too supple?

Hypermobility means that you can move some or all of your joints in a way that most people cannot, without pain. Joint hypermobility is what some people refer to as having “loose joints” or being “double-jointed”. The joints most commonly affected are the knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers.

Many people with hypermobility do not experience any problems. In fact, people such as dancers, gymnasts and musicians can actually benefit from the increased flexibility. However, there are times that you should seek medical advice and treatment for hypermobility.

People should seek treatment if they experience:

• Pain in the loose joint during or after movement

• Sudden changes in the appearance of the joint
• Changes in mobility, specifically in the joints
• Changes in the functioning of your arms and legs

Often additional symptoms are minimal and may only become apparent after minor trauma.

In addition to genetic factors, hypermobility can be caused by weak muscles supporting the joint.

Other causes of hypermobile joints can include trauma, developmental issues, and hormonal factors.

During pregnancy the female body increases production of the hormone oestrogen and produces the hormone relaxin. The function of these hormones is to increase ligament laxity enabling the female pelvis to accommodate the growing foetus and helps to open the birth canal during labour. It can also cause hypermobility of the lumbar spine and of the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis.

Treatment for hypermobility syndrome can include strengthening exercises that will stabilise the joint. It is also useful for people to develop an awareness of what the normal range of motion is for each joint in order to avoid hyperextension. However, those with related medical conditions or who are pregnant should seek the advise of their chiropractor to establish a safe exercise plan.

Many people cringe at the sound of knuckles, elbows and other joints cracking. For years, experts have debated whether or not this common cracking could cause joint problems.

It has recently been confirmed that this ‘popping’ is due to a small bubble forming between joints. The bubble forms when joints move apart, forming a kind of vacuum in the synovial fluid, a slippery substance that lubricates the joints.

People who can deliberately make joints like knuckles pop usually do so by pushing or pulling the joint in such a way as to make an air bubble appear with a sudden pop. This is called joint cavitation. Once the bubble is there the joint will not pop again until all the air has been reabsorbed.

However, there are other cracking noises and sensations that may of concern. Snapping and cracking noises can be caused by osteoarthritis as a consequence of the natural ageing process, or following a trauma or disease in the joint. In this case the cartilage which eases friction in the joint breaks down, so that movement causes painful friction and crunching noises.

Snapping noises and sensations, on the other hand, are likely to be caused by muscle or tendon moving across a bone. This happens when a tendon is slightly loose, and occurs most often in the hip, knee, ankle, wrist and shoulder. This could eventually lead to bursitis, or inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that allows muscle to move smoothly over bone.

So why does chiropractic treatment cause joints to pop? Chiropractic manipulation takes advantage of the phenomenon of cavitation to induce movement in stiff and painful joints and correct looseness in the neighbouring joints. This reduces the likelihood of accidental popping. In other words, by popping joints in the correct way, chiropractic relieves stiffness and makes neighbouring joints more stable.

Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout and infections — also can cause knee pain. Many types of minor knee pain respond well to self-care measures. Here are 5 ways to help soothe knee pain without surgery.

1. Chiropractic adjustments

Knee pain can be reduced with chiropractic adjustments. This method involves using the hands to adjust, massage or stimulate the knee. There are usually several angles of approach when it comes to treating knee pain this way. Some common synergetic treatments include using ice to reduce inflammation around the joint and some soft tissue massage to help improve the knee’s range of motion.

1. Weight loss

Knee pain is one of the most common complications of being overweight or obese. If you’re among the millions of people who experience knee pain, even a small amount of weight loss can help reduce pain and lower the risk of osteoarthritis (OA). Those extra pounds increase the stress on your knees, which in turn can cause chronic pain and lead to other complications such as OA.

1. CBD oil

People use CBD to help treat a variety of ailments, including pain. According to Healthline, CBD oil interacts with two receptors, called CB1 and CB2, which can help reduce pain and the effects of inflammation. CB2’s involvement in immune system could help explain why CBD oil may be helpful in people with inflammatory autoimmune forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis. Although there has not been a massive amount of studies on this subject, many health experts agree that CBD oil helps with pain management.

CBD can be taken as a liquid, a tincture, in capsules, or applied topically. You can take the capsules orally, add the liquid to foods or drinks, or apply creams with CBD to affected joints.

1. Physical therapy

You might feel like the last thing you should do is get on your feet and move your joint around. However, often physical therapy (PT) is what your doctor suggests to get your strength back and put you on the road to recovery.  This involves doing specific stretches and exercises under the guidance of a licensed physical therapist. These exercises may relieve tension or help strengthen specific areas to help relieve pain and make your body feel and move better.

Some things you might need are:

• Stretches and exercises
• Ice and heat
• Ultrasound massage
• Electrical nerve or muscle stimulation

1. Correct footwear

Good supportive shoes allow your foot to move more naturally as you walk, and help to maintain balance. Most importantly, picking the right shoes, whether it be trainers for running or heels for a party, is crucial for achieving proper foot and knee alignment, and correctly distributing stress through your knee joints during activity. Wearing improper footwear can change the stress placed on your knees, leading to injury and pain. Everyone’s feet are different, and therefore, choosing proper footwear is determined on an individual basis.

If you think your shoes may be the cause of your knee pain, don’t wait, because further complications can occur as a result.