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Posts Tagged ‘back pain’

Refer a Friend

There is no better way to say thank you then a recommendation

70% of people who come visit us at Dublin City Chiropractic come from word or mouth referrals!

That is previous and current patients who’ve had great results through our care & entrusted their close friends, family and colleagues, to us. Knowing that they will be taken care of with the same levels of professionalism & results that they themselves have experienced.

There is not greater compliment and whilst we endeavour to make every visit as valuable and impactful as ever, we always like to really go the extra mile with those, who we know you have specifically sent into us.

Lets face it once you’re back on your feet feeling better, you don’t really want to be listening to those around you complaining all the time about stiffness niggles & pain.

So to say thank you, we automatically credit the accounts of our referrers as our way of showing our thanks and appreciation. Meaning that next time you’re in clinic there will be a nice little reduction to your treatment price.

Not only that but also the person attending will receive a 50% reduction on their initial consultation, assessment, digital postural scan & treatment!

Disc Herniation – Chiropractic Treatment

Disc Bulge / Herniation, Sciatica & Back Pain!

Understand how your spine and discs are inclusive of each other. How we are helping more people then ever with their back and disc issues successfully.

By treating the spine and helping with spinal health a massive component of this is 1)keeping the spine and discs as healthy as possible 2)if there is already damage minimising that impact.

Short term to heal and feel better but longer term to support the health of your spine and discs long term.

We all know friends, family or colleagues who’ve had severe disc and nerve issues. Its one of the worst spinal conditions you can get and requires expert guidance and treatment, to avoid longer term pain and disability.

Book your first appointment today

My Chiropractic Journey

How I Moved & Opened My Own Chiropractic Clinic in Dublin

My Chiropractic Journey Started in my early teenage years with a sports injury, that wasn’t recovering, until I had a Chiropractic Treatment!

However I was always sure from an earlier age that my passions lay with helping and healing people in need!

From Studying & Graduating in Wales to moving to Dublin in 2010.

Learn about my journey to opening a clinic at the age of 24years old and how Ive gone on to help thousands of people get better over the last 10 years, including famous actors and professional sports people.

Book Online and make your appointment today

Sciatic a Chiropractic Guide

Learn about Sciatica, Low Back Pain & Chiropractic

Learn about Sciatica and Low Back Pain

Sciatica is one of the worst and most common symptoms we can see from the low back in clinic. It is an indication that things have become considerably progressed and aggravated in the lower back.

Its very important to understand Sciatica is only a symptom and not a diagnosis and there is a lot of causes of sciatica.

Proper assesement, diagnosis and a plan of treatment if crucial.

Imaging such as MRI is only to be considered in very few individual specific cases. Which often leads to complications and delays in accessing the necessary treatment at early stages, when management of the conditions is easier.

Important foundations to movement include breathing, bracing and bending. Book your next appointment here.

Shoulder Pain Stretches

5 Easy Daily Stretches to help with shoulder pain and mid back pain and tension

chiropractic shoulder stretches

As always these exercises should be done when prescribed during the correct phase of your chiropratic treatment.

Stretches should be slow and controlled not aggravating and forced. Its normal to feel a tension or light ache but stay away from sharpness and pain. For these exercises you’ll need a towel and a light weight.

  • Shoulder Rolls – Tall, clockwise and anticlockwise rotations through the shoulders shoulder blades, chest and mid back.
  • Shoulder Extension – With towel behind the back in two hands pull back and separate with the towel to create tension
  • Shoulder Towel Rotation – With the towel again behind the back, one hand going over the top and one going under to the low back gently pull the towel as high then as low as the shoulders will allow.
  • Shoulder Weight Rotation – With the head supported on your side, the arm should be resting at the waist with the elbow at 90degrees. Holding a light weight then let the arm rotate in and out
  • Scapular Press Ups – On the floor in either a conventional press up or modified on your knees. The aim is to lock the arms out and and move the body up and down using the shoulders and shoulder blades. This will be a much smaller movement then you’d expect. 3

For more information regarding the foundations of exercise please read, breathing, bending and bracing.

5 Amazing Low Back Stretches

Five Easy Daily Low Back Stretches, for Stiffness Aches or Pain!

Easy stretching exercises to be able to move and open the low back, hips and pelvis. For anyone experiencing stiffness aches or pain.

  • Cat Camel – Gentle smooth mobiliser, move to the top and bottom smoothly for 30-60seconds this can be repeated multiple times a day,
  • Lumbar Extension – Keep the hips and pelvis planted whilst lifting your chest, this may be a much smaller movement then shown in the video. The aim is to feel the low back tension when it reaches the pivot. Hold for 8-10seconds on each side and repeat 3x,
  • Glut Stretch -lying on your back, head resting, pull one knee up with both hands to the same shoulder once in this position try and pull the knee across to the other shoulder. Hold for 8-10seconds and repeat on each side 3x,
  • Lumbar Rotation – with both legs bent to 90degrees rotate to one side while rotating to the opposite side with upper body and arm. Hold for 8-10seconds and repeat on each side 3x,
  • Child Pose – Sitting deep onto the heals, gently fold at the waist and try to stretch both arms as far forward as possible, whilst sitting deep. hold for 10seconds and repeat 3x.

Click here for Neck Stretches or Mid Back Stretches

Learn how to breath, brace and pivot as your foundations to movement.

Low Back Pain Exercises

Fantastic Chiropractic Low Back Pain Exercises

In conjunction with your chiropractic treatment these are fantastic to help maintain a healthy spine!

The Cobra Back Extension – hold for 10seconds and repeat 3time, this can be done 2-4times a day
The Cat Camel Mobilisation – complete slowly move up and down for 30seconds, this can be repeated 2-3 x a day

These exercises are only to be done in conjunction with your chiropractic treatment and when advised by your chiropractor. Complete daily and each can be done frequently to be reduce tension and pain in the low back.

You’re in control of them so take them slow and easy.

Learn the foundations first how to breath, brace and hinge.

Hip Hinging & Lifting

How to lift and protect your lower back….

Avoid straining your low back!

An extremely common scenario is lifting or bending to pick something up, putting socks on, getting something from a cupboard then BOOOM a big excruciating back spasm.

Bending is the process of flexing through the lumbar spine, taking it away from its strong, healthier position, which in the low back we call a lordosis and is a tall soft inner arch.

Problems arise when your lumbar spine becomes unhealthy and dysfunctional, allowing the the perpendicular forces move against the longitudinal gravity and weight bearing structures creating a shearing movement error and subsequent inflammatory reaction.

How to bend correctly & support your low back

Its all about keeping support and height in the soft inner lumbar curve (lordosis). We’ve previously learnt how to breath and how to brace, good lifting technique requires these two elements.

safe spinal lifting

Bending should come through the legs hips and pelvis, creating a deep hinge at the hips which will protect the lower spine. A deep breath and abdominal bracing should be held through the movement

note- if its too heavy get assistance, avoid first thing in AM, make sure you’re feeling good and warmed up.

Exercise One;

  • Get a long hard stick like a broom, stick or mop,
  • Initially stand tall and straight,
  • Then hold the pole behind you centrally over your spine with a hand behind the head and the other hand down to wards your bottom,
  • Take a deep breath and brace the core,
  • Then Pivot through the hips whilst keeping the stick flat to your spine

You should be trying to use your pelvic and legs, sitting deep, to primarily drive this movement and not your low back.

Exercise Two

Repeat the hinge movement smoothly and safely as far as you’re able to pivot through pain free. Keep the back straight and put the movement through the buttocks and hamstrings. If you’ve very tight hamstrings don’t lock the knees, have a soft slight bend to them.

You can do three sets of 8-12 repetitions dependent on personal comfort levels.

Breathing & Chiropractic

Bad Back – Bad Breathing

chiropractic importance breathing
learn to breath

From the moment we are born until we take our last breath…..how much time do you take to think about breathing?

Pulmonary Oxygenation in your lungs is a key component of life, health & wellbeing. This should be done normally through diaphragmatic (belly) breathing. During this blood oxygenation, digestive organ stimulation, and normal blood flow & tissue nutrition is achieved.

Chiropractic patients with chronic pain, hyperalgesia, muscular tension, sitting ergonomics, postural disturbance, thoracic & rib issues classically costochondritis have common breathing pattern disturbances which utilise the upper chest and shoulders. Negatively effecting the diaphragmatic musculature and making accessory breathing muscles work harder – adding to tension in the shoulders, upper back, neck & jaw.

Chest breathing is also a key component of our flight or flight sympathetic stress response & a hallmark of hyperarousal. Which is why as times of peak stress we can hyperventilate and a sign often associated with panic or anxiety attacks.

We take diaphragmatic breathing into account during spinal rehabilitation as it a as it helps create healthier movement patterns, to develop normal movement & strength from. Which will help the process of healing, stress and wellbeing.

Breathing Exercise One;

Lying on the ground body relaxed pelvis and low back comfortably tucked back to the floor. Place your hands below your your rib cage and above your belly button (as shown below).

Aim to breath into your abdomen/stomach area. Advancement of this is to start tilting your pelvis back and forward whilst concentrating on your smooth even full breath. Practise breathing through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

normal breathing pattern

Exercise Two;

Abdominal Breathing Pattern Training

A continuation from the above exercise is to start following a set pattern to control the diaphragm, volume and rate of breathing. Its an extremely good when anxious or stressed to reduce sympathetic stress and bring you into a more parasympathetic state. The change this can create an incredible lowering of your heart rate..

Take your time with this the aim is to be controlled and relaxed. Even starting to do this 1 or 2 times a day for a few minutes can create physiological body changes.

When mastered, this can then be done in sitting, standing or normal day to day activities

Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth!

Remember we are breathing to mobilise the rib cage and reduce physical tension throughout the body, promoting mental/emotional relaxation, deeper sleep, improved energy levels, and decreased levels of stress.

Day to Day also try and practise nasal breathing as much as possible!

References

  1. Koelbaek-Johansen M, Graven-Nielsen T, Olesen AS, Arendt-Nielsen L. Generalised muscular hyperalgesia in chronic whiplash syndrome. Pain 1999; 83:229-234.
  2. Sterling M, Treleaven J, Edwards S, et al. Pressure pain thresholds in chronic whiplash associated disorder: Further evidence of altered central pain processing. J Musculoskeletal Pain 2002;10:69-81.
  3. Chaitow L. Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
  4. Upledger J. Craniosacral Therapy II: Beyond the Dura. Seattle, Wash.: Eastland Press, 1987.
  5. Farhi D. The Breathing Book. New York: Henry Holt, 1996.

Chiropractic – Yoga – Pilates

Now more then ever, everyone seems to be a health expert offering all sorts of varying advise, from your beauty blogger, personal trainer, massage therapist, physical therapist, office colleague, yoga and pilates instructor.

Its a minefield of misinformation and often confusing. Unfortunately this often leads to improper management of conditions which longer term can be detrimental.

Chiropractors are the leaders of Spinal health care, whos specific medical training gives an unrivaled level of education. With a minimum of 4/5years full time higher level masters educations. Ensuring world class standards in treatment.

This is the reason there isn’t many chiropractors, especially in Ireland, as the barrier to entry is of such a high standard and there being no training courses available in Ireland.

Comparatively training and education standards of your massage, physical therapists, yoga or pilates instructors is at a minimum a 12week part time course at a cost of under 2000euro. Which is why there’s been such an influx in these sectors over the years.

Its important to understand this difference as well as the limitations of this as it could be crucial to your short term comfort and long term spinal health.

Generally speaking;

Yoga = Stretch Exercise,

Pilates = Strengthen Exercise,

Massage/Physical Therapy = Muscular

None of these modalities will specifically fix your underlying spinal/back issue. Whilst they are recommended strategies to help exercise and maintain good spinal health. Opposed to the idea that they are in anyway changing a back problem.

If you’re thinking of making an appointment then please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@dublincitychiropractic.ie or make an appointment using our online booking system.

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