Durham Family Chiropractic

Posture

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Correct your sitting posture-The Do’s and Don’ts! by Dr Neil Thomas

Sitting is something that we do every day, either as part of our job, commuting or after a long day of work when relaxing on the sofa. The way we sit can however lead to long-term spinal health problems.

Let’s first take a look at the science behind sitting and then discuss how to do it properly. Nachemson and Elfstrom (1970) studied what happens to the intervertebral discs (IVDs) during different seating positions. The pressure that occurs within your IVDs when you sit (especially between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae) is at its least when the spine and hips are at 100 and 110 degrees. Sitting with your hips at 80 or 90 degrees results in IVD pressure increasing upwards of nearly 200%. The diagram below demonstrates IVD pressure when sitting in various positions according to the study done by Nachemson and Elfstrom.

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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

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Chiropractic for Equestrians by Guest blogger, Caitlin

Horse Riders seem to have that canny ability to put their horse’s needs above their own. I know many horse riders who will have the osteopath or chiropractor out to their horse on a regular basis, but when it comes to their own aches and pains, they are strangely reluctant.

I have received regular chiropractic treatment over the years and have found that this has really benefited my riding position, as well has helping with pain and injury after riding altercations….yes, horses can be dangerous and you can get hurt when you and your horse have a difference in opinion!  I think that my chiropractor Stuart Bennett must just shake his head when I walk in after another riding accident, smelling of horse and generally filthy!!

Let me tell you a bit more about my background, I first sat on a pony when I was 18 months old and that was where my love affair with all things horses began. I have now been riding for about sixteen years and have regularly competed in Pony Club Area and Championship events over the last few years. I have also worked as a groom for a couple of event yards and currently work as a groom and volunteer as a show rider at Kynren, in Bishop Auckland, whilst I finish my college course. I have two horses of my own, purchasing Max, my Irish Sports Horse recently with my hard earned wages. He is my little project and I am hoping to compete him at BE100 by the end of summer. All in all, I get to muck out up to 20 horses a day and ride 6 to 8 so, hopefully my personal opinion and experience counts for something.

It makes logical sense to me that if you are unable to sit correctly on your horse due to pain or muscle tension, then you are going to be constantly stressing your horse’s back which will only cause them to have problems as well. All riding requires a good upright posture, with shoulders back and no slouching. You need to maintain nice soft arms in order to have good soft contact. If you have a load of tension through your shoulders, this is simply not going to happen! [Read more…] about Chiropractic for Equestrians by Guest blogger, Caitlin

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Are you suffering from hip-pocket syndrome? By Neil Thomas DC

As a chiropractor I am used to seeing people with back problems on a daily basis due to injury, repetitive spinal stress or poor core stability but did you know that a simple thing like wearing your wallet in your back pocket could be the cause of your pain.

80% of people will suffer from an episode of back pain at some point in their lives and a lot of these are easily preventable.

Many men carry a wallet in their back pocket, some for many decades without a thought as to how this may be affecting their spinal health. Wallets can be filled with essential items such as credit cards, driver’s license, cash, receipts and other useful or even useless bits and pieces which can result in quite a chunky piece of pocket-wear.

Imagine this chunky wedge nestled in your back pocket every day while you are sitting on a chair or in your car; one side of your pelvis is now higher than the other instead of being even. The wallet will not only affect your spine but also the tissues and structures underneath the wallet. If you are new to wearing a wallet in your back pocket then you may notice it is slightly uncomfortable at first but then after a while you stop noticing it.  Your body has an amazing ability to adapt and compensate for imbalances and believe me, it will have to do some compensating for that chunky wedge! Let’s talk about why. [Read more…] about Are you suffering from hip-pocket syndrome? By Neil Thomas DC

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The real effects of flip flops on your body.

 

During these summer months most of us ladies love to get our feet into those flip flops. We love to let our feet breathe and show off our painted toes.  Well that all sounds wonderful, and who am I to spoil that, particularly as I love to wear them too!

However it is a growing concern that heel pain is growing among young people ages 15 to 25 years. Some experts and parents cite wearing flip flops daily as the main cause. Flip flop wearers take short strides and turn their ankles inward. Long term ankle and hip problems are a cause for concern. [Read more…] about The real effects of flip flops on your body.

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Spinal Awareness Week 2018: Why a healthy spine means a healthy body

This May, we are taking part in a national campaign to make people more aware about the importance of a having a healthy spine.

The Alliance of UK Chiropractors’ (AUKC) 2018 Spinal Awareness Week takes place on 14-20 May. The AUKC brings together the United Chiropractic Association (UCA), McTimoney Chiropractic Association (MCA) and the Scottish Chiropractic Association (SCA).

We are one of the practices delighted to be supporting the campaign. Here’s why …

The spine is key to our overall health, not just the back and neck, because it houses and protects the central nervous system that connects the body to the brain. As our colleague Donald Francis, a member of the UCA and an executive board member of the SCA, explains: “Chiropractors look predominantly at the spine because that’s our chassis onto which we bolt everything else.

“We find the bits in it that aren’t working as well as they can, and with our hands or specific tools, safely and gently mobilise them, in what we call an adjustment. So, by adjusting the spine, we enable the basic chassis to function better.

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