Meet Lucy- the newest member of the Dixon Health team

Hello all!  I am the new Chiropractor Lucy Rodwell. I am delighted to be joining such a great team at Dixon Health and look forward being a contributor to this blog.

I was brought up just outside Devizes, where my parents still live, and I now live in Bath.  I started working with Dixon Health just before Christmas in both the Devizes and Bradford-on-Avon clinics.

In addition to my work with Dixon Health, I have done a post-graduate course and am practicing for some of the time as an animal chiropractor treating horses and dogs.  This was where my awareness and interest in chiropractic began at the age of 14, when I had a Chiropractor to see my horses.  I owe a lot to her for spending the time to explain chiropractic and the treatments, as well as how to go about training after A-levels.  At the time I remember trying to find a way of skipping out the ‘human training’, but I am now very grateful for the good advice.  The clinical skills we develop during the extensive ‘human’ chiropractic training are fundamental to the approach we take with four-legged patients.  Although my initial aim was to become a horse chiropractor, I would never now give up my human practice.  Despite the incredible effects of chiropractic on horses, the life changing effects chiropractic can have on a person’s life is something difficult to match.  Before qualifying I also saw first hand the difference Peter and other chiropractors at Dixon Health made to my family members when they were in pain.  

People are often bemused by the thought of chiropractic on a horse due to the sheer size of these animals.  I have to admit I was a little sceptical when I began the training, even though I already had experience of the amazing effects of chiropractic on people.  However, after treating horses for only a few weeks I was seeing the same results.  The animal course I attended was open to both human chiropractors as well as veterinarians.  It was a fascinating experience to observe ‘medically-minded’ vets, with little or no experience of chiropractic, learning about how chiropractic works.  Many had only signed up for the first of five modules to ‘see if they liked it’.  After the first module they were all amazed and signed up for the rest.  Many said that they have changed the way they look at treating a horse since completing the course.  They understand the huge impact of the nervous system on the musculoskeletal system and the changes that chiropractic can create.  This is very advantageous to have vets learning about chiropractic and practicing alongside us.

Equine chiropractic goes hand in hand with the treatment of riders as there is commonly a correlation between the horse and rider’s problems mechanically.  When I have been to yards where there is one rider who trains multiple horses, they usually have a similar pattern of compensations in the spine.  I have a particular interest in sports chiropractic having participated in many different sports during my life, including a range of equine sports.  However I also gain much satisfaction from helping the general public and seeing huge improvement in those wishing to seek pain relief care without the use of commonly used drugs, and surgeries which are not always necessary.  Of course there will always be a place for medicine and surgery for those who need it.  Chiropractic is not a substitute for medicine, however an increase in awareness of the effects of and indications for chiropractic treatment is vital for correct referral and reduction in unnecessary medical intervention which could be helped by conservative treatment.

A chiropractor… having a sale?!?

Thats right, here at Dixon Health, we are having a New Years sale. Starting Boxing Day, we are giving out a whole host of amazing deals on our chiropractic services including 20% off all chiropractic treatment, thats for all patients, new and existing, a 20% reduction in the fees you pay. On top of that, if you buy a block of ten treatments, you’ll only pay for 9, and you’ll still get 20% off on those 9. That works out as a saving of up to £170! Finally for new patients, we are offering the chance to bring a friend along to your first appointment, and only get charged for one of you. And guess what… you still get a 20% discount on that appointment, meaning you could pay as little as £16.80 for your first appointment, and that includes treatment for both of you!

So why are we giving our services away like this? Well we believe in making a positive change to your lifestyle in order to benefit your health and well being. The first step in that process has to be getting more active, and often the biggest barrier to this is pain. Equally as we do start to get more active, it often throws up niggles, which might end up putting you off carrying through with the positive changes you have made. We know how important a role chiropractic can play in keeping you healthy, as well as injury and pain free. Thats why throughout January we want to help as many people as we can to make a positive, and lasting change.

Through the use of specific Chiropractic adjustments, we can help you to keep moving well, stay well aligned, and optimise the condition and performance of your body. Through exercise and lifestyle advice we can also help you to make that change and improvement last. We want to offer these benefits to everyone, not just our new patients, so that everyone can start 2015 the right way… Healthy! Thats why we are offering the 20% discount to every patient who comes through the clinic.

Call 01225 862140 or 01380 729103 to book your appointment now.

Christmas is nearly here!

It comes around so quickly doesn’t it? Only yesterday it seems we were taking down the Christmas cards, packing away the decorations and throwing out the tree. Well, up they go again and on go the baubles. The season of festive cheer can be fraught with hazards, but don’t let that spoil your fun.

Whether you are planning a really quiet few days, or the most enormous blow-out, it will almost certainly be very different from your normal daily routine. Therein lies the biggest risk. We are not very good at change, so it is worth thinking about it. It is a simple mantra, but keeping active keeps us healthy. So at the risk of sounding boring, try to think about getting out for a walk, or something similar, every day. Long periods of sitting are about as stressful for our backs as anything and when that manifests as pain it is difficult to shift. Exercising is the best way to keep it working.

Every year over the Christmas period Chiropractors see people who have suffered in some way with their back. It is pretty easy to avoid a problem, but much more difficult to sort it out after the event. We have some very simple exercises that can help to keep your spine mobile, and so long as it is working well it should be comfortable. If it is uncomfortable, then it may not be too difficult to sort it out and much better to nip it in the bud.

If you have any worries about your back or neck, would like to talk about ways to avoid the Christmas crisis, or simply want to feel more flexible and comfortable over the Christmas period then give us a call. We are open all over the holiday, except for the bank holidays, and are very happy to give you some advice.

It may make all the difference.

Batheaston: 01225 852371

Bradford on Avon: 01225 862140

Devizes: 01380 729103

Half term- the perfect chance to assess your teen’s spinal health

In our practice, we have noticed gradually increasing numbers of school kids, particularly those aged between 13 and 18, coming in with complaints of back pain, particularly towards the end of the school day. Could this just be a nice way to get out of the last lesson? We think the problem runs a little deeper than that…

Dare I say it but…. When i was young! we would get home, and either sit in front of the telly, or go out and play. Now I’m not here to lament the demise of kids playing outside, because the obviously still do, but a huge number of them now have some sort of personal internet access. Whether this comes in the form of a smartphone, tablet, laptop or the good old desktop… they all seem to have something, and many of them will use it at least once a day, and often for long periods of the day. Now leaving aside debates about kids exposure to things on the internet, this is unhealthy on a whole different level…. a postural level! We all know the office work posture… rounded shoulders, hunched towards the screen, chin poking out. Now imagine all of those forces on a spine which is still growing, and is therefore highly susceptible to structural change in response to force. What this means is that repeatedly holding this posture causes the bones to adapt their shape accordingly. This can cause more serious problems in the future, but can also be very easily rectified to prevent issues in the future. Here is a quick case study of one of our patients which summarises a classic case of teenage back pain.

http://vimeo.com/thesounddoctor/review/98804927/3b0407a58f

As highlighted in the video, its not just the postural effects of using technology which causes pain, but also the increasingly heavy bags which children now carry around at school. Carrying a bag with two or three books in plus a laptop is never going to be easy for your back. On top of this is the fact that most kids don’t carry their bag correctly, either its a backpack carried over one shoulder, or the straps loosened to the point that the bag is bouncing around their knees rather than tight to their back. All of these cause excess asymmetric strain to be put on the spine and shoulders, and contributes to the pain.

Because we know that children shouldn’t suffer with back pain, and when they do it is important to correct it early to prevent more serious problems later in life, we offer all under 18s half price treatment fees. A short course of treatment and some simple advice on posture and lifestyle can stop the development of these problems in their tracks, so don’t wait, come in this half term and see how we can help. Call 01225 862140

My number one tip for preventing injury

The thoracic spine (the mid back) is region of the spine to which the rib cage attaches. It is naturally the least mobile area of the spine, in order to protect the fragile organs contained within the thorax- namely the heart and lungs. However for the majority of the population, it is even less mobile than it should be. The primary reason for this is that we all spend far too much time sitting, particularly working on the computer. The consequence of this is that the we tend to sit with a flexed posture and rounded shoulders, and more importantly we sit immobilised, often for hours at a time. This causes the development of stiffness, and particularly a loss of both extension (backwards bending) and rotation (twisting). Human beings are very good at compensation, and as such this loss of movement results in excess strain being put on other joints of the body, having potentially detrimental effects on the rest of the body.

Loss of extension

Extension is the backward bending of the back, and is a direct result of the seated posture whilst working at a desk or driving. With this fixed flexed posture, the first compensation we make is in order to keep our eyes pointing forwards. With the upper part of the back pointing forwards, this pushes the head forwards. In order not to look at the floor, we then jut out our chins. The forward migration of the head causes an increase in strain on the neck and particularly on the discs. As the chin juts out, it puts a lot of strain on the muscles and joints at the base of the skull; this is a very common cause of headaches.

The loss of extension can also affect the lower back. A prime example of this is when we reach for something overhead. When you reach overhead, without the movement of the thoracic spine, you over extend the lower back, pushing the tummy out, in order to increase your reach. If this is done repeatedly, it causes a steady increase of strain on the lumbar spine, which can weaken it and make it susceptible to injury.

Loss of rotation

The loss of rotation is often a cause of injury in the peripheral joints (those outside of the spine) this is particularly common in athletes. There are countless examples of this, but to demonstrate, I am going to take you through a case.

Firstly lets look at the case of tennis player with a shoulder injury on his dominant side. The picture below shows Roger Federer’s forehand- one of the best technical players the game has ever seen. If you look at his shoulders in the first and then the second picture, you can see that through the shot, his shoulders turn-this generates a lot of the power of the shot. If we were to reduce the amount of rotation in his thoracic spine, he would subconsciously try to compensate for that loss of movement- and subsequent loss of power- by trying to move his arm faster and further. This means that the pectorals and rotator cuffs have to work harder, and more strain is put on the joints of the shoulders and elbows. This is the case for backhands and serves as well. Amateur and professional players will play thousands of shots in both practice and matches, and as such this increase in strain is repeated over and over again. As such, in the event of one of these injuries, you may be able to treat the injured muscles and joints, but without correcting that loss of thoracic movement, the injury will reoccur. 

To find out how we can treat and help prevent these injuries and many others, call us on 01225 862140 or pop into one of our clinics for a free chat with a chiropractor.

What do chiropractors treat??

So, people generally know that we treat backs, necks and most things in between. But how many people actually know exactly what it is we do and why it works… our clinical experience suggests not many! I often ask new patients what they know about what I do, and the most common answer is usually something along the lines of “well you crack bones don’t you!”

Depending on the chiropractor you see you could get one of a hundred different explanations, but here is my attempt at explaining what we do, from the cause of your pain, to the treatment, all the way down to what actually makes that “clicking” sound.

So… What causes back and neck pain??

To fully understand this, we need to look at the anatomy of the spine:

This image shows two lumbar vertebrae, but the idea is very much the same throughout the spine. The “Facets” or “Facet joints” guide and control the movement of the spine, whilst the intervertebral disc is the “shock absorber” of the spine. The gap in the middle is where the nerve roots leave the spine, sending signals down the legs and arms. It is pressure or irritation of these nerve roots which causes Sciatica and arm pain coming from the neck.

“Normal” or mechanical low back and neck pain without referral of pain into the arms or legs is usually caused by irritation and/or stiffness of the facet joints (or the pelvic joints). In acute pain this is usually caused by over straining one of these joints, causing a slight displacement or misalignment of the joint. This causes irritation and inflamation of the joint capsule and the ligaments surrounding the joints, which in turn causes sharp pain whenever you try to move the affected joint. To protect against this pain and immobilise the joint, surrounding muscles go into spasm which causes further pain in the area.

In the case of chronic pain, stiffness can develop over years. The mechanism within the joint is fairly similar, however with prolonged stiffness, wear and tear can develop. This results in a narrowed joint space and a decrease in lubricating fluid within the joint.

And what can we do about it?

Chiropractors use a variety of techniques including stretching and soft tissue therapies as needed, however the primary technique we have at our disposal is joint manipulation, or the chiropractic adjustment. This involves a high speed, low amplitude thrust applied specifically to the joint or joints which are not moving. This frees up the movement within the joint without damaging the joint itself, taking the pressure off the affected structures and decreasing muscle spasm. It is usually not painful, and most patients feel more mobile and less in pain when they leave the clinic. Often the joint which is painful is not the core of the problem, rather a symptom of overuse and compensation due to a long term stiffness or dysfunction elsewhere in the spine or body. As such, by adjusting other levels of the body (for example the pelvis and feet) we can effectively decrease pain levels while simultaneously providing protection against further relapses of pain.

So whats all this “bone cracking” you’ve heard about?

A common accompaniment to the adjustment is a clicking or popping sound. This is not your bones cracking, but rather bubbles of gas releasing from the fluid in the joint. To explain this, we need another diagram:

As the joint gets opened up, the volume of the space between the joints increases. The articular capsule (or joint capsule) creates a sealed environment within the joint, so as the volume increases, the pressure rapidly decreases. The synovial fluid within the joint has gasses dissolved in it. Because fluids do not easily expand, this rapid decrease in pressure causes the gas within the joint fluid to quickly evaporate, creating a bubble. It is the formation of this bubble which causes the cracking sound (this is exactly the same as the process when people crack their knuckles). This process is certainly not harmful when performed by a chiropractor, and has strong therapeutic benefits.