Calderdale Chiropractic in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
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Does Arthritis have to be painful?

22/1/2015

3 Comments

 
There are many people who tell us 'Iʼve got arthritis thereʼs nothing you can do'.  We find this astonishing as we see thousands of patients with arthritis who now live without pain.

What is arthritis?

Literally it means joint inflammation and there can be many different types. The most common is osteoarthritis this is where the joint is degenerating, or showing signs of wear and tear.

Our body is like a piece of machinery.  Every one of the joints in the spine should move like a well oiled machine allowing messages to come from the brain down the spinal chord and out of the spinal nerves into the rest of the body.  However we sit and stand for long periods of time. 

Many people spend hours on computers or sit at work and when they get home, tired after a long day they relax on the sofa.

This more sedentary lifestyle means our joints get stiff and like any piece of machinery we start to rust, or wear.  This is when arthritis begins. Treating the joint with a chiropractic adjustment gets it moving providing lubrication or oil and just like a machine the body moves more easily.

All things come in stages

Wear and tear comes in 4 clear stages, each one is treatable but it would be better to be treated when ʻnormalʼ or ʻphase 1ʼ rather than wait until ʻphase 3ʼ.

1.
Side image of 2 spinal vertebra (back bone) with the shock absorber disc between.  There are 24 of these in the spine.
     
2.
This is usually felt as a reduced range of motion.  The disc or shock absorber in the spine loses water shrinking in height, leaving less room for the nerve.

     
3. 
The joint is practically fused together, reducing function.  This can lead to problems with the spine and within the body, as the organs and tissues these nerves control are affected.

4.      
The body grows bone spurs, trying to fuse and stabilise the two joints.  The nerve is thinning and becoming damaged.


How can Chiropractic help?

Arthritis can affect any joint, in many people this can cause extreme pain.  However arthritis itself does not have to be painful, even if it deforms the joint.  So what causes this pain?  All of the nerves in the body come out from the spine, if this is not functioning correctly the messages being sent by the nerves as they exit the spine become compromised.

Chiropractic restores the function of the spine which in turn improves the health and function of the nervous system.  Once the spine is moving correctly and the muscles are strengthened with core exercises, we find that the pain from the arthritis often goes away.

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3 Comments

Scoliosis...

16/1/2015

2 Comments

 
It’s one of those words isn’t it?  We hear it from time to time but what does it really mean?  And if it was that serious, a real problem, then we would all know about it wouldn’t we?
Well let us bring this problem sharply into your vision - right now.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the way he was due to a severe scoliosis.  That’s what a severe scoliosis can do to you.  Does it sound serious now?  Of course it is serious - the effects can be devastating.

Now the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a mythical figure, and of course the narrative is a tragic love story.  But be in no doubt, scoliosis is a condition to be taken seriously.  It often starts at a young age, more often in girls than boys but both can experience this condition.  And here’s the crunch.  If it is not corrected by the age of about 16 - that’s it, it is not changing.

But chiropractic care is one of the few approaches that can really make a difference, especially if spotted at a young age - the condition can be corrected.  If you leave it and just ‘keep an eye on it’ it can be too late.  And this is just a tragedy.

So, what is it exactly?

Well if you were to look at a normal healthy person, face on and you could see their spine then it should be standing straight upwards.  From the side view the spine is curved, from the front or back view it should be straight.

A Scoliosis is when the spine, when looked at from the front has a curve in it, in some cases more than one curve.  So it bends from side to side as well as front to back.  This causes the body to twist and the muscles go out of symmetry. The unfortunate person suffering from scoliosis often appears bent over with a hunch on their back.  This effect can be slight or severe depending on the extent of the scoliosis.

Quite apart from the postural appearance, a scoliosis can cause any number of related internal problems, as well as low self esteem and a lack of confidence.  So, if you are a parent can you spot it?  Simply take a good look at your child’s posture:

• Is one shoulder higher than the other?
• Do they seem slightly twisted in their posture?
• Do they seem slightly bent over rather than straight backed?
• Are they starting to form a hunch on their back, however small?


If you suspect that your child may be suffering from a scoliosis, Act and Act Now!  TODAY!   Procrastination is another day nearer to a potentially permanent problem.

Call our practice for an appointment and bring your child along for a thorough examination.  There is a good chance we can help.

Just one thing – you do not want a doctor to have to say to you, ‘I’m sorry, it’s too late for your child.’  A colleague of ours, a fantastic doctor, had this experience.  He said, ‘The mother cried when I had to tell her that, and I cried with her.’  It is such a sad story.

There is usually time just as long as you take action now.  Take a good look at your children.  Ask them questions, be inquisitive because everything will seem normal to them. 

They are our responsibility, let’s do our best to protect them from this awful condition...
2 Comments
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    Simon Gough

    Hi everyone, welcome to our blog.

    This blog section of our website will be updated regularly with a mixture of experiences we have had in the clinic and developments in the world of Chiropractic. There are often developments and advances which we hear about and are able to apply to help you, our clients, alongside more traditional treatments.

    If you haven't been along to the clinic then please feel free to contact me on 
    01422 836756
     or, alternatively, you can email me at

    info@calderdalechiropractic.co.uk

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