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Chiropractic and High Blood Pressure

Chiropractic and High Blood Pressure

Chiropractic and High Blood Pressure According to Blood Pressure UK, approximately 16 million people in the UK have high blood pressure (hypertension).  This is significant as high blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart attack and failure.  So how do we maintain our blood pressure at a risk free level? The most commonly cited steps for helping lower high blood pressure are: Maintain an active lifestyle and regularly exercise Eat a natural, balanced diet with reduced levels of salt Reduce stress levels Maintain an ideal weight for your height and build Limit and avoid regular alcohol and caffeine consumption Stop smoking Medication These steps are well known and documented, however research is starting to suggest Chiropractic may help?! How can Chiropractic help high blood pressure A study conducted at The University of Chicago Hypertension Center has found a dramatic reduction in blood pressure following Chiropractic Adjustments.  After 8 weeks of Chiropractic Adjustments to their Atlas (top of their neck) vertebrae, 25 patients with high blood pressure saw a significant and sustained reduction in their blood pressure compared to the 25 similar people who had a sham procedure.  George Bakris M.D, the study leader stated “This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination”. 8 weeks after Chiropractic care the reduction in blood pressure was the same as taking two medications Another research group looked at the change in blood pressure after a similar Chiropractic Adjustment in the neck on young people who had normal blood pressure and found no change in their blood...
How do you want to age?

How do you want to age?

How do you want to age? What will your last 10 years look like?  Will you be quick enough to play with your grandchildren?  Strong enough to embrace every moment?  Will you grow old with vitality or will you succumb to old age? Your posture is a good indicator of how well you will age.  When you have good posture your nerves and body will be able to work and function the way they are supposed to.  However, with most of us now spending nine hours a day sitting down, our sedentary modern lifestyles are fast becoming a serious threat to our health.  These prolonged periods of inactivity not only increase our risk of obesity they also affect our body shape and posture, which can, in turn, lead to a whole range of health problems.  It is therefore no surprise that sitting has been blamed as the new smoking! Poor posture over time changes the shape of your spine and affects your health Modern technology sees many of us hunch over our smartphones and sitting slumped in front of a computer for hours.  It’s these commonly adopted positions that can lead to a loss of the essential cervical (neck) curvature.  Another change often seen is a thoracic hyperkyphosis, which is sometimes referred to as ‘Dowagers Hump’ – this is an exaggerated curve backwards of the middle of the back.  These changes in the shape of your spine can impair mobility and balance as we age and increase the risk of falls and fractures.  It is known that those with a hyperkyphotic posture have a 44% greater risk of mortality than those without.  The increased risk of death presented by a...
Most cyclists haven’t done this lifesaving safety check! It takes 10 seconds!

Most cyclists haven’t done this lifesaving safety check! It takes 10 seconds!

Most cyclists haven’t done this lifesaving safety check! Cyclists invest a lot to make sure they are seen by others on the road; flashing lights, high visibility jackets and the trusty bell.  This helps prevent a huge number of serious accidents.  However, it’s not only important for others to see you, you also need to look out for other road users too.  Cars have mirrors to see what’s behind them.  The only person I’ve seen with a mirror on their bike is my father-in-law.  Therefore, everyone else has to twist and look.  So what happens if you have a dodgy neck and you can’t see behind you? How do you test if you can safely see behind you? Do this simple test.  Step 1: Sit on your bike holding on to the handle bars as you would when you’re cycling.  Step 2: Turn to see if you can look directly behind you.  It should be easy to do and not cause any discomfort.  Make sure you do this in both directions, although you’ll mostly look over your right shoulder (in left-side driving countries) it’s important to be able to look both ways.  If you can do it then get out and enjoy cycling the city.  If you can’t, then we need to look into what is preventing you from turning fully and creating a dangerous ‘blind spot’ behind you. Where does rotation come from? Well most people can answer this, you turn your neck!  Your neck should be able to rotate your neck to around 90º (able to look directly over your shoulder), 45-50% of this coming from your atlantoaxial joint (right...
How to avoid winter colds by boosting your Immune System with Vitamin D and Chiropractic

How to avoid winter colds by boosting your Immune System with Vitamin D and Chiropractic

How to avoid winter colds by boosting your Immune System with Vitamin D and Chiropractic I went to my local GP surgery the other day and was shocked at the amount of adverts promoting the new flu shot.  There were banners, flags, huge roller banners, leaflets etc.  It appears the pharmaceutical company promoting/selling it has a bigger advertising budget than coca-cola!  I’m not writing this blog to talk about the shaky benefit of this vaccination, or to express my opinions on the recommendation in the UK for every child aged 2-16 to have the nasal spray.  I’m writing this blog to look at the alternatives to boosting your immune system to avoid the winter cold, influenza and more…  There are many facets to a healthy immune system.  I am going to write about 2, the function of your nervous system and vitamin D. The role your nervous system plays in immunity Chiropractic philosophy, which has been around since 1895, has long boasted that a better functioning nervous system equals a better functioning immune system.  Anecdotally, its be know for years, however now research is catching up and proving that very thing. Recently, a hospital in Toronto1 found that the nervous system played a role much larger than previously ‘known’.  They found that nerves send information from an area of infection to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) so it can co-ordinate the body’s response.  The information is hypothesised to be more in-depth than previously thought.  The nerves are thought to send danger warnings of not only where the infection is but also whether the infection is caused by...
Should I see a Chiropractor or have NHS outpatient treatment for my low back pain?

Should I see a Chiropractor or have NHS outpatient treatment for my low back pain?

Chiropractic treatment for low back pain When people get back pain most people take pain killers and if that doesn’t do the trick they go to see their GP.  The GP will generally do 1 of 3 things: Prescribe stronger pain killers and potentially time off work Refer you to see an NHS physiotherapist as well as no. 1 If things are really bad, refer you for an x-ray or MRI as well as an appointment with a neurosurgeon or similar Sometimes option 1 does the trick, however if not then you move on to option 2, etc.  So the question is, if the pain is hanging around for a while and you’ve been referred to the NHS physiotherapist or similar, should you wait the 6+ months or go and see a Chiropractor? What does research say you should do for low back pain? I’m a Chiropractor and therefore will have my own biased opinions.  So, I’m going to answer this question with research.  In my experience most patients are given a sheet of simple exercises when they see the NHS physiotherapist.  However, most people need a more ‘hands on’ approach and end up coming to see me.  For this blog I’m looking to compare the improvements from the physical, hands on treatment offered by the NHS with improvements from Chiropractic treatment. One specific study looked to compare the 2 different treatment types.  They split 741 patients, aged between 18-65 with low back pain, into 2 groups.  One group received Chiropractic treatment and the other ‘hospital outpatient treatment’, which consisted mainly of mobilisations, manipulation, traction and exercises.  The majority of the patients...
Sciatica and Chiropractic Care

Sciatica and Chiropractic Care

Sciatica and Chiropractic Care This article is going to focus on sciatica and Chiropractic care. First of all, what is sciatica? Your sciatic nerve is about the size of your thumb and runs all the way down the back of your leg. It begins by exiting from your lumbar spine, where it is called your lumbar plexus. The nerves of your lumbar plexus join together and travel along the back of your leg as the sciatic nerve, it then branches off  as different nerves as it travels past your knee. How do you know if you have a problem with your sciatic nerve? Do you experience burning or pain along the back of your thigh or cramping in the back of your leg? When I have sciatica and need a Chiropractic adjustment, it feels like a squirrel is chewing on the back of my leg and won’t stop! It is miserable and if you have had it, you would do anything to make it go away. Can Chiropractic care help with sciatica? So, how do you know if Chiropractic care is the right choice for your sciatica? Have you ever had lower back pain before the sciatica started? Have you had an injury to your back previously? Have you had Chiropractic or other care for spinal stiffness before, even if it was another region of your spine? Is your back stiff on a regular basis? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your spine is probably the problem causing your sciatica and you should be checked by a Chiropractor. If your spine does not move the way it was designed to...

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