Clinic News
Hopefully, you are all starting to make some precious plans to spend time with your friends and family over the forthcoming holiday period. It has been a year of uncertainty and caution and we hope you have all managed to negotiate the ever-changing rules and regulations. Masks are still mandatory in the clinic so please keep them on throughout your treatment as much as possible. We would also like to ask please, that you continue to respect other clinic users and give them space.
Many patients ask if we treat areas other than backs and necks, yes we do. We help patients with other joint pains principally shoulders, knees, feet etc. and even jaw dysfunction. Ask you chiropractic at the start of your session if you would like us to offer support in another area.
Ever felt like chronic pain is getting you down? Find out why and what you can do to help out below. For many of us, the pandemic gave us an opportunity to have more activity time and get fitter but for many others, it had completely the opposite effect. To this end and as a result, many of our older patients are finding that the inactivity has had a detrimental effect on their wellbeing by way of a loss of confidence in their balance and coordination. Unfortunately, as we get older it is much more difficult to regain muscle tone which is paramount for good balance and coordination. Find out what you can do to help yourself below.
Finally, let us help you beat the winter blues and exhaustion in this edition.
Throughout December the chiropractors will be taking some much-needed rest away from the clinic. Troy will be away between 14-20th December, Alex will be away from 18th December - 4th January and will be resuming her normal clinic hours from January i.e. will no longer be working with patients on Wednesdays in the clinic. Andrea will be on holiday from 23rd December to 4th January. This means the clinic will be closed on Saturday 18th December just for that day. Christmas opening hours can be viewed on the website: http://www.beestonchiropractic.co.uk/3240-2/
Chiropractors Aren’t Just for Backs
Chiropractors also frequently treat the hips, knees and feet.
Each foot is made up of 26 bones, and damage to any one of them, or related muscles, ligaments or cartilage, can result in problems with the foot that may need attention from a trained professional to prevent long term damage.
Here are some tips for keeping your feet in good condition:
- You should inspect and feel your feet daily for cracks, corns and ulcers
- Toenails should be cut straight across, not too close to the skin.
- Take extra care when walking barefoot.
- A well-fitting shoe should not require a long and painful breaking in period.
- Pay good attention to your feet; changes and/or pain in the feet and ankles could indicate a more serious foot ailment or circulatory problem, so if in doubt, check with your chiropractor.
Chronic Pain And Depression
Pain is an unpleasant sensation that plays an important function in our lives.
When you suffer an acute injury, pain warns you to stop the activity that causes the injury and informs you to take care of the affected body part.
Chronic pain, on the other hand has no time limit, and often has no apparent cause and serves no apparent biological purpose. Some people, often older adults, suffer from chronic pain without any definable past injury or signs of body damage. Common chronic pain can be caused by headaches, the lower back, and arthritis and sometimes there is little evidence to explain such pain. Emerging scientific evidence is demonstrating that the nerves in the spinal cord of patients with chronic pain can undergo structural changes.
Emotional and social issues often magnify the effects of chronic pain. People with chronic pain frequently report a wide range of limitations in family and social roles, like the inability to perform household or workplace chores, take care of children, or engage in social activities. In turn, spouses, children, and co-workers often have to take over these responsibilities. These changes often lead to depression, anxiety, resentment, and anger for the pain patient and can lead to stress and strain in family and other social relationships.
How is depression linked with chronic pain?
Depression is the most common emotion connected with chronic pain. It is found 3 to 4 times more in people with chronic pain than in the general population. The combination of chronic pain with depression is often associated with greater disability than either depression or chronic pain alone.
People with chronic pain and depression suffer vivid changes in their physical, mental, and social well-being — and in their quality of life. Such people often find it difficult to sleep, are easily agitated, cannot perform their normal activities of daily living, cannot concentrate, and are often unable to perform their duties at work and at home. These changes to quality of life starts a vicious cycle — pain leads to more depression, which leads to more chronic pain. In some cases, depression occurs before the pain.
Signs and Symptoms
Some of the common signs and symptoms of chronic pain include:
- Pain beyond 6 months after an injury
- Pain from stimuli that are not normally painful (Allodynia)
- Increased pain from stimuli that are normally painful (Hyperpathia)
- Being overly sensitive to pain (Hypersensation)
Signs of major clinical depression will usually occur daily for 2 weeks or more, and often include many of the following:
- A feeling of sadness; feeling blue, hopeless, or irritable, often with crying spells
- Changes in appetite or weight (loss or gain) and/or sleep (too much or too little)
- Poor concentration or memory
- Feeling restless or exhausted
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
- Feeling of worthlessness and/or guilt
What treatments are there for chronic pain and depression?
The first step in coping with chronic pain is to verify its cause, if possible. Addressing the problem will help the pain subside. In other cases, especially when the pain is chronic, you should try to keep the chronic pain from being the entire focus of your life.
- Stay active and do not avoid activities that cause pain simply because they cause pain. The amount and type of activity should be directed by your doctor, so that activities that might actually cause more harm are avoided.
- Distraction (redirecting your attention away from chronic pain), imagery and dissociation (detaching yourself from the chronic pain) can be useful.
- Relaxation training, hypnosis, yoga and meditation can help you cope with chronic pain. Cognitive therapy can also help patients recognise destructive patterns of emotion and behaviour and help them modify or replace such behaviours and thoughts with more reasonable or supportive ones.
Involving your family and friends may be helpful with your recovery.
Improving Balance and Coordination
Balance and coordination are often overlooked in fitness and should be trained as much as strength and endurance.
It is known that balance and coordination are controlled by several parts of the body, namely the eyes and the ears. These senses pass on the data it has gathered via the nerves to the muscles to appropriately move about gracefully. In older people though, these senses deteriorate and as a result, balance may worsen. Improving balance and coordination can benefit everyone, especially the elderly, to increase health and mobility.
There are many factors that may hamper one’s balance and coordination. The alignment of your neck, your spine, and your pelvis is one. Age and disease is another problem. For example, when your pelvis is misaligned, your body needs to compensate for that misalignment. Your neck may shift to one side to promote balance, but this, in turn, may cause you stiffness and neck pain.
Age and disease can also contribute to poor balance. With poor balance, the elderly are prone to slip and fall. It hinders mobility and lessens the overall quality of life. Diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis can also hamper balance and coordination.
Exercise improves flexibility and strength and, through these, balance and coordination. Nutrition is another important aspect of a healthy life. Important nutrients for balance and coordination include sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium as they are needed in regulating nerve impulses and muscle activity. Without them, you would experience painful cramps. Blueberries in particular are a superfood that contains many nutrients for improving balance and coordination. With the right exercise and nutrition, you will increase your chance of living a full healthy life.
How to Beat Winter Exhaustion?
The nights are still long, temperatures have plummeted and flu season is very much upon us. From shorter days with less sunlight, changes in hormones and potential nutritional deficiencies, there are so many factors that can contribute to feelings of exhaustion at this time of the year. But here are a few simple ways to put the spring back into your step!
Move more, yawn less
Regular low-intensity workouts help boost energy levels in people suffering from fatigue. In a study, subjects trying low-intensity exercise, like leisurely walking or bike riding, reported the biggest drop in feelings of fatigue compared to the group doing more intense exercise. You should keep moving and ensure you continue exercising regularly, as the endorphins released during activity will help give you a much-needed lift. Regular exercising should also help you achieve a better night’s sleep so you feel more energised in the morning.
Multiple studies have shown that regular exercise strengthens your immune system, so it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. When you exercise and get your blood pumping, immune cells circulate through your body more quickly, helping them to seek and destroy infections. This boost only lasts for a few hours, which is why it’s good to exercise consistently.
Let the light in
February is the worst month for sleep. Research found that it takes longer to nod off in February than any other month. This can certainly contribute to people reporting lower energy levels in February than any other month of the year. Aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same hour every day, so you get a good length of rest. Avoid sleeping too much at the weekends, because it might result in you actually feeling even more tired and sluggish.
Check your room temperature, too. If it is too high, it can make you feel like you didn’t get enough sleep, even when you have slept a proper amount of hours. And if it’s too cold you might wake up several times during the night. Sleep experts recommend bedroom temperatures to be between 20-22C degrees. Even if you are sleeping well, you may experience fatigue as a result of increased levels of melatonin, because of lack of exposure to sunlight. To help regulate your melatonin levels, spend as much time outdoors in daylight as you can – take a walk at lunchtime, or make sure the blinds are open if you sit near a window at work.
Boost from within
For most of us, the colder it gets, the more we crave carbs. It’s true that if we’re shivering, we burn more energy to keep warm, but as we spend most of our time in heated environments, most of us don’t need the extra calories. Comforting drinks and foods are often higher in fat, carbohydrates, and added sugars, and they can have a detrimental impact on energy levels, which can end up making you feel worse. Swap in healthier alternatives, like sweet potato, lentils, veggie soups and porridge. It’s also important to include a vitamin D supplement in your diet as our bodies are unable to create enough at this time of year. Food sources such as eggs, oily fish, spreads and fortified cereals are helpful to include in your diet, but a good quality vitamin D3 supplement is more effective. Nutritional deficiencies can cause low energy levels and exhaustion.
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.
