April 2025

It has been a very busy month in the clinic this month.

We would firstly like to say a huge thank you to all our patients for your patience this month. Unfortunately Erin had a family bereavement which required her to urgently return to Malaysia for 2 weeks. Sophie was also away at this time which meant Alex was left on her own for a few days. We are so grateful that you have all been so understanding regarding your appointments as it took a few days for Sophie to return to cover.

Erin will be returning to work on April 7th and we are very excited for her return!

The chiropractors have been working hard on completing their CPD (continuous professional development) requirements.

We all hope you have a wonderful Easter!

Mattresses

It is thought that the average person spends about 26 years of their life sleeping, roughly 9490 days or 227,760 hours. Having the right mattress is an important part of getting a good night’s sleep.

Why is sleep so important?

During childhood, sleep supports growth and development, but sleep continues to be important throughout our lives to support both physical and mental health. Here are a few reasons why sleep is important:

When we sleep, our bodies release a of hormones. One example is the growth hormone, which helps your body to grow and repair itself. This includes repairing your muscles, organs, and cells.
Sleep lowers your pulse and blood pressure, allowing your heart and blood vessels to rest and recover.
Scientists think REM sleep helps your brain to clear information you don’t need.
Activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight or flight responses, decreases. This allows your body to relax.

The importance of the right mattress

A mattress should keep your spine aligned but allow your muscles to relax while you sleep. Pain, particularly back and neck pain, can be made worse by the wrong mattress. It can also lead to headaches or fatigue.

What to consider when buying a mattress:

Mattresses often have several layers, but the support system and comfort layer can help you choose the right mattress.

The support system is the spring or foam layer that supports your weight and provides spinal alignment. This is rated by firmness and choosing the right firmness depends on your body type.

It is not the case that firmer mattresses are the best solution for pain. There are problems with mattresses that are too firm or too soft, as the mattress should support your spine’s natural curve.

The comfort layer is above the support layer and is unique to your preferences. Latex and memory foam are two examples of comfort layers that are beneficial to preventing aches and pains.

Replacing your mattress

Even if you have found the perfect mattress, it is recommended that you replace your mattress every seven to ten years. Over time, mattresses lose the ability to support you, leading to waking up with aches and pains. Here are a few more signs that it’s time to treat yourself to a new mattress:

Noisy springs. This indicates that the springs have worn down, which means they will not be providing the necessary support.
Signs of wear and tear. For example, the mattress is saggy, lumpy or you can feel the springs through the mattress.
Allergies or asthma symptoms have worsened. Mattresses collect lots of dust and allergens and, over time, this can make your symptoms worse.
Other beds feel more comfortable. If you regularly find it hard to fall asleep in your own bed, but find almost every other bed comfortable, this might indicate your mattress is to blame.

Spring into Health with Chiropractic Care

Spring is in the air, and it is time to get outside and enjoy it! With warmer weather around the corner, there will be an increase in outdoor sport activities. The best way to take full advantage of this season is to keep your health in tip top shape as well. Here are a few ways in which chiropractic care can help you to stay on top of your health and prepare you for the season ahead.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can help prevent injuries

No matter what type of outdoor activity you plan to take part in this spring, regular visits to your local chiropractor are helpful in reducing the risk of injury, ensuring you are not putting too much strain on your joints, and checking that your nervous system is functioning normally. Whether you are running, riding a bike, playing ball, gardening, or spending time outdoors with your kids, plan a visit to your doctor to learn the best practices to keep your muscles and joints healthy in order to reduce the risk of injury and pain.

Chiropractic care can help reduce the stress of a busy spring season

With warmer weather comes busier spring schedules. Whether your calendar is booked because you are spending more time with your kids as they have time off from school, or dealing with a busier work schedule, stress seems to be inevitable as the seasons change. Regular chiropractic care is a great way to reduce and prevent stress that can negatively affect your joints and overall health.

The bottom line is that in order to assure you get the most out of the spring season, and stay on top of your health, you need to take care of yourself.

For more information, contact your local chiropractic clinic, to learn how you can ‘spring’ into your best health and start your path to a healthier, happier, and pain-free lifestyle.

Are you getting enough magnesium?

Most of us are aware of the importance of calcium for our health, especially for our bones. However, magnesium is another vital mineral for our bones, as well as for our muscles and nerves, it can actually be more difficult to get enough of this mineral in our diet than to get enough calcium

The many roles of magnesium

Magnesium is needed for normal muscle and nerve function. Without
magnesium, our muscle fibres wouldn’t be able to relax after they have contracted, and nerve impulses wouldn’t be able to travel around our body properly.
Magnesium is vital for strong bones and teeth too. If you’re trying to improve or maintain your bone strength, it’s essential to include lots of magnesium-rich foods as well as calcium-rich foods.
Magnesium is also necessary for our cells to convert the food we eat into usable energy, and also for healthy ‘psychological function’ – including mood and how we deal with stress.

For these reasons…

Symptoms of not getting enough magnesium may include: muscle cramping, tight or weak muscles, increased pain, and loss of bone strength, as well as lack of energy, low mood, greater susceptibility to stress, and even poor sleep or insomnia.

As chiropractors we regularly see patients with these symptoms – especially pain and muscle dysfunction, of course. If any of them ring true for you, you are likely to benefit from getting more magnesium into your diet.

Where can we find magnesium?

The main sources of magnesium in our diet are plant foods, particularly the following:

Green leafy vegetables such as kale, chard and spinach
Seeds and nuts – particularly pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds
Whole grains – especially buckwheat and rye
Beans and pulses.

How much magnesium do we need?

The general adult recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 375mg. Like any nutrient, our requirements can vary, and the amount of magnesium present in foods – even the foods mentioned above – can also vary. But as a general rule, we need to eat four to five servings of one of these foods a day to get enough of this mineral. (One serving is about 80 grams or one handful green leafy veg, or two tablespoons of seeds, for example.)

Remember…

Drinking milk or eating cheese to get your calcium is not enough on its own to maintain strong bones – make sure you get plenty of those plant foods too! Also, don’t forget that weight-bearing exercise is one of the most important things to maintain bone strength.