Durham Family Chiropractic

Our team

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What’s the Crack? by Dr Stuart Bennett

As chiropractors we are often asked this question. We are apparently infamous for cracking backs and necks.

Stuart Bennet chiropractor explains –  What is a crack or a pop? Because quite simply,

We don’t crack bones,

We do adjust joints

The joints we adjust are usually synovial (two bones or more with a joint capsule), which basically contain fluid. This fluid helps to protect your joints acting as a shock absorber.

This fluid absorbs gases from the body,(mostly CO2 and Nitrogen) and when we adjust a joint, we stretch that joint capsule and a small amount of the gas is released and makes a ‘popping’ sound (just like opening a bottle of pop).

Sometimes this popping sound is loud, sometimes quiet and sometimes no sound is made at all.

So here is the secret

  • The crack has nothing to do with what we as chiropractors do.
  • We adjust to increase mobility, stimulate the neurology and realign the spine.
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Are there health benefits to eating chocolate?

 We often hear about the negative effect chocolate can have on our bodies, but we don’t often hear about the health benefits that chocolate has. Of course, chocolate can be bad for you if you eat it in large amounts, but chocolate in moderation can have its benefits.

Chocolate can:

  • Lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure: ‘’Chocolate may support cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and improving blood pressure.” This is because it reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which is also known as bad cholesterol.
  • Improve blood flow to the brain: ‘’Scientists at Harvard Medical School have suggested that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day could help keep the brain healthy and reduce memory decline in older people.’’ This is because chocolate can reduce or prevent damage to the nerve pathways in the brain and studies are being done to see the effects of this in reducing diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke: Studies have shown that eating chocolate can reduce the risks of developing heart disease and stroke

[Read more…] about Are there health benefits to eating chocolate?

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Essential Vitamin D

Did you know that Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles?

 We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors.

According to the NHS, a lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

During the spring and summer months, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. However, in the UK, the winter sunlight doesn’t contain enough UVB radiation for our skin to be able to make vitamin D. During these months, we rely on getting our vitamin D from food sources and supplements. Using sunbeds is not a recommended way of making vitamin D.

[Read more…] about Essential Vitamin D

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Why Getting Adjusted makes Perfect Sense

Every year we tend to plan ahead and set goals for our future. One’s health and wellbeing is often top of these lists.

The United chiropractic Association offer a list of reasons why getting an chiropractic adjustment is good for you and therefore a perfect choice for you to consider adding to your personal goals Each statement is supported by peer reviewed articles which back up the benefits of regular chiropractic care.

[Read more…] about Why Getting Adjusted makes Perfect Sense

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Gift of Giving

Gift giving is an act that can show just how thankful you are for the life that you have. The receiver will truly feel your gratitude when you give gifts for elevating happiness and wellbeing.

Giving gifts to loved ones for special occasions is an ancient tradition. Whether it has its roots in religion or ritual, we all love to give and receive. Many of us know of those who truly need something, and there is nothing quite as gratifying as giving them this.

Here at Durham Family Chiropractic we pride ourselves in supporting local communities and especially those helping others with in the North East. In the past we have raised funds for the following charitable organisations: St Cuthbert’s Hospice, Durham; The British Legion Poppy Appeal; Macmillan Coffee Morning; Gift for Granny Campaign; The Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal; and PROPS and The Durham Foodbank.

[Read more…] about Gift of Giving

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Sitting, Sleeping and Standing by Neil Thomas DC

The way you are Sitting, Sleeping and Standing could be Causing you Chronic Pain and Recurrent Injury.

The way we sit, sleep and stand can greatly influence our spinal health. Everything we do day to day can result in excess stress to our body’s, leading to or maintaining spinal dysfunction. It is very common to hear patients say that their back ‘went’ or they experienced excruciating pain after getting up from their sofa or chair, or that their back pain is aggravated by sitting. Many patients may say that standing helps but when they sit their pain gets much worse; of course, the opposite can also be true.

The rules are referred to as SSS (Sitting, Sleeping, and Standing) and they need to be followed exactly during treatment and beyond so that improvement is not hindered. These three rules will be explained to you and demonstrated at your first visit so that you will leave feeling confident when following the recommendations. During treatment, following these three rules is the only thing that you need to do to make sure that you are keeping the stress on your body to a minimum and are improving as expected. Many people are stuck in bad habits when it comes to the way they sit, sleep and stand and sometimes it can be difficult to break these habits; it is, therefore, important to address these barriers to recovery. [Read more…] about Sitting, Sleeping and Standing by Neil Thomas DC