by Charles Herbert | Mar 3, 2015 | Chiropractic |
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...
by Charles Herbert | Dec 10, 2014 | 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...
by Charles Herbert | Nov 18, 2014 | Chiropractic |
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...
by Matthew Poulter | Oct 24, 2014 | Chiropractic |
Chiropractic – helping people with arthritis Arthritis is a painful and debilitating condition and can have a significant impact on the quality of life of individuals suffering from this disease. As World Arthritis Day was on 12th October 2014 we wanted to highlight the benefits Chiropractic care for those suffering from this condition. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine1 reported that 63% of patients who visited a rheumatologist, for the conditions rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, also sought some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Of these individuals 31% (almost half) chose Chiropractic care, making Chiropractic the most popular alternative used by this group of people. Importantly, 73% of these patients determined that Chiropractic care was helpful in controlling their chronic pain. An additional aspect of this study was to determine why these arthritic patients chose CAM and the reasons they gave were: Because their prescribed medication wasn’t working to control their pain Because they heard it would help Because it is safe Because it helped someone they know Reducing the use of prescription medicines or over-the-counter medications such as NSAIDs for pain relief means fewer harmful side effects and addiction from long term use. The lifestyle changes associated with Chiropractic recommendations will also positively influence diet, exercise and overall health. The ability to control some symptoms through Chiropractic care not only reduces the financial burden on the NHS (arthritis cases are set to double by 2030!) but more importantly it improves the quality of life of those suffering from the disease and may in some cases delay the necessity to take early retirement. It’s important that people realise...
by Matthew Poulter | Sep 16, 2014 | Chiropractic |
With the children off school over the summer holidays, it was great to meet some of our existing patient’s kids. For many of them it was the first time they’d seen a chiropractor work their magic, and the popping and clicking captivated the majority. However, those children that were ‘old hat’ with what we do played on an iPhone or iPad. You didn’t have to be a chiropractor to notice the childrens posture when they were hunched over the phone playing Angry Birds or watching Peppa Pig! You can’t help but wonder the influence prolonged periods slouching over these devices will do to young malleable spines. We all say that we were much more active as kids compared to the current generation but I needed to have a look at some of the statistics. A recent study from this year took a sample of 461 parents with children between the ages of 11-16. 40% of these children had suffered from neck or back pain and, worryingly, 15% of parents said their child’s pain was directly resulting from using technology. Parents suggested a staggering 68% of children spent more than four hours on a laptop, tablet or phone. The NHS suggests a child should spend at least an hour a day doing rigorous activity. 48% of parents in this study suggested their children didn’t meet this. You can only hypothesise about the long-term affect of children leading more sedentary lives. I have seen the affect this has had on hundreds if not thousands of adults, many of which come in when their posture has changed, the shoulders have rounded, the mid back is hunched and the...
