Clinic news
We hope you have managed to survive the extraordinary temperatures this last month - I think we need some rain dancing now to refresh the gardens and top up the water table - the lawns are looking rather sad.
We are delighted to announce that 12 years old Sophie Dale is our winner for the young persons 30 trees for 30 years logo design competition - we are sure you will join us in congratulating her - She wins not only a set of all the promotional merchandise but the opportunity to help plant her very own tree in the chiropractic copse next autumn (2023)
Luke gets off to a flying start as he joins the team with a full diary of patients - Andrea and Alex take a bit of a breather as their diaries return to normality for a little while. We can confirm that Erin Wong will be joining the team full-time in October. Erin is graduating with Luke from the AECCUC this year. She will be popping home to visit her family in Malaysia while we wait for her visa to be processed.
We say hello to Natalie on front desk, who has been thrown in at the deep end as we say goodbye to Kim who leaves us to look after her family. We are sure you will join us in wishing Kim all the best for the future.
The school holidays come to a close all too quickly as we prepare for a new school year and resume work as a new academic year begins. Check out the articles this month on how to minimise postural sprain and strain, especially if 'Goldilocks has been sitting in your chair' while you've been off on holiday.
Always ask your chiropractor about the best posture for your working environment.
Alex takes a sneaky few days away next week to recharge leaving Andrea and Luke to support you.
Water
Just a friendly reminder that you should ensure you are drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and provide energy to the body. This is equal to about 2 litres 3 and a half pints.
Correct Posture At Your Computer Can Prevent Days off Work
Many working people spend their working day in front of a computer screen. Correct posture when you are spending a lot of time in front of a computer is extremely important, especially when you consider that for those with back pain and related conditions absence from work takes up an average of 13 days a year. Follow the do’s and don’ts below to ensure your posture is as correct as possible:
DO …
- Ensure your chair has adequate back support
- Use a desk of an appropriate height
- Take regular breaks to rest eyes, neck and shoulders
- Stand up and walk around at least once an hour
- Loosen neck and shoulders whilst sitting
- Relax wrists while typing
DON’T …
- Slouch
- Use a low table or desk
- Sit for too long at a time
- Tense your neck, shoulders or wrist
- Cross your legs
Bad posture habits start in childhood when we sit in front of the television, and at school desks, and they continue into adulthood, not only with computers, but when we are driving and slouching in chairs. Sitting and inactivity automatically worsens posture and in later life can cause osteoporosis and arthritis, making pain inevitable.
In order to achieve a correct natural posture you should flatten your back against a chair or wall, roll your shoulders back and down, and tuck in your chin whilst you glide your head backwards. Try to adopt this position every 20 minutes or so and eventually it should occur automatically, to improve your posture and prevent pain and longer term damage.
High heels and back pain
Sometimes the cause of back pain is obvious, for example, a sports injury.
However… Sometimes the culprit could be surprising, such as improper footwear, especially high heels.
Why do they cause damage? When women wear high heels their body will attempt to compensate for the uneven balance they cause by flexing or forward bending their hips and spine. Heels can cause people to mimic the way a person would walk on a ramp and thus increase the pressure placed on the balls of the feet and the knees.
Lower Back
The lower back is also pushed forward causing the hips and the spine to become misaligned. The changes to the posture cause a prolonged tensing of the calves, hips and back muscles. This results in excess muscle fatigue and strain at the end of the day. Over long periods of time this can cause serious problems for your leg muscles and spine health.
The Height of the Heel
The height of the heel can also determine the weight carries be the footwear. As the height of the heel increases, so does the pressure on the ball of the foot. Stilettoes can therefore cause the most damage to your posture and overall spine health. It is therefore advised to wear as lower a heel as possible when you can.
How to help your back:
If you do wear high heels take a few aspects into consideration to make sure you’re causing yourself as little damage as possible.
- Try and avoid wearing high heels for long periods of time
- If you have to commute each day it is wise to commute in flat shoes that cushion and support the natural arch of your foot and change into high heels when you get into the office
- If you do wear a lot of high-heeled shoes try and opt for ones with a lower, wider heel, preferably no higher than two inches, to reduce the amount of pressure being placed on your feet and calf muscles
- It can also be wise to buy shoes in the afternoon, when feet are at their largest, this will make sure your shoes will be to accommodate for the natural expansion of the feet throughout the day
Make Sure Not To Trip!
As your balance can be more unsteady when you wear high heels it increases the possibility of you tripping over and causing yourself an injury. In consideration of this, it is a good idea to opt for shoes with a leather insole to keep the foot from slipping and provide a steadier grip when you’re walking around
Mindfulness for our Wellbeing
Whether you have an important work meeting, an appointment to book, or an errand to run after work, everyone is susceptible to dealing with a long to do list. Living a fast-paced lifestyle often means neglecting some of our thoughts and pushing them to the back of our mind. However, when we do this, we are stressing ourselves out more than we realise, and this stress can often trickle back into our body physically. Muscle tension or inflammation can be caused by an overload of stress in our life.
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of yourself in the present moment, enabling you to identify how you feel inside and out. With this mind-body approach, you can clear your mind of negativity and unnecessary stresses and ultimately, help against physical aches and pains. Mindfulness also allows you to understand the pain you might be feeling and how to ease any anxiety associated with it. If constant stress is untreated, it can lead to increased tension, forming a continuous cycle of pain. As well as stress and chronic pain, mindfulness can help combat anxiety, sleep and eating disorders. Mindfulness can also increase our positivity and energy levels which overall encourages a healthy lifestyle.
Mindfulness has many benefits to your general wellbeing and your physical health. Next time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take 10 minutes out of your day to practice mindfulness with these five tips:
- Sit comfortably and relax
- Focus on your breath
- From your head to toes, bring awareness to each body part
- Identify any sounds or smells and let them pass
- Acknowledge and accept how you feel emotionally
Keeping Technology Healthy for Teens
Teenagers can be at risk from suffering back or neck pain due to sedentary lifestyles and the excessive use of technology.
Findings from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) show that 40% of 11 to 16 year olds in the UK have experienced back or neck pain. More than one in seven (15%) parents said their son’s or daughter’s pain is a result of using a laptop, tablet or computer.
The research revealed that almost three quarters (68%) of 11 to 16 year olds spend between one and four hours a day on a laptop, tablet or computer and 73% spend between one and six hours on the devices. More than a third (38%) of parents said their child spends between one and six hours a day on their mobile phone.
Chiropractors are now noticing a rise in the number of young people presenting with neck and back problems due to their lifestyle choices. Today, the BCA is encouraging parents to limit the time their children spend using technology and instead encourage more active pastimes over the Easter holidays.
Based on a two hour period, young people spend more time on games consoles (33%) than doing an activity like riding a bicycle (12%). When asked how much time their teenager spends on their bicycle, one in five (21%) parents admitted that they don’t have one.
Nearly half (46%) of parents questioned, acknowledged that their children don’t spend enough time exercising, despite NHS guidelines stating that children and young people between 5 and 18 years old need to do at least one hour of physical activity every day.
More people under the age of sixteen are being seen with back and neck pain, and technology is so often the cause. Young people are becoming increasingly sedentary which is damaging their posture. There is the tendency to sit in a hunched position when working on computers and laptops, putting a lot of strain on the neck.
Learning how to sit properly and keeping active will help to keep young people healthy and pain free. It’s important that parents seek help for their children from an expert as soon as any pain starts – if conditions are left untreated it could lead to chronic back and neck problems in later life.
The BCA offers the following top tips for parents to help their teenagers reduce the risks of back and neck pain:
- Get your kids moving: The fitter children are, the more their backs can withstand periods of sitting still. To increase fitness levels, your child should be more active which can be achieved by doing activities including walking to school, riding a bike or going for a run.
- Teach them how to sit: It’s important that children learn the correct way to sit when they’re using a computer. Teach them to keep their arms relaxed and close to their body and place arms on the desk when typing. Make sure the top of the screen is level with the eyebrows and the chair is titled slightly forward, allowing for the knees to be lower than the hips and the feet to be flat on the floor. Using a laptop or tablet away from a desk will encourage poor posture, so limit time spent in this way.
- Don’t sit still for too long: Make sure children take a break from the position they’re sitting in on a regular basis and stretch their arms, shrug their shoulders and move their fingers around – this helps to keep the muscles more relaxed.
- Lead by example: Maintaining good posture and promoting good back health is something that everyone should be doing, adults and children alike. If you make it a priority, it’s easier for your children to see the relevance.
- Seek medical advice: Seek professional advice if your child is experiencing pain which has lasted for more than a few days. If your child wants to be more active, check that there are no medical reasons why they should not exercise, particularly if they are not normally physically active.
We treat all conditions that affect any muscle or joint in your body, from your head to your little toe! One of the most common complaints that we treat is back pain and Chiropractic is recommended by the government authority, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for acute and chronic back pain. Some of the other conditions that we treat are neck and headache, shoulder pain, leg and hip pain, knee and foot pain, sciatica and arthritis. Our registered Chiropractors all have at least five years of training. Treatment costs can be covered through most health insurers. If you are in any doubt, we are always very happy to talk with you on the phone to see if your condition will respond well to Chiropractic treatment. Call the clinic now to arrange an appointment time that works for you. 0115 9225085 If you would like to opt-out of receiving these newsletters please follow the unsubscribe link below, email alex@beestonchiropractic.co.uk or let us know at your next appointment.
