Chiropractic Awareness Week 13th – 19th April
Chiropractic Awareness Week 13th – 19th April
YOUR POSTURE COUNTS
New consumer research by the British Chiropractic Association shows that, in just two years, the incidence of poor posture appears to have risen at an alarming rate. Over half (56%) of the UK population currently believe they have a bad posture, compared to 38% in 2007, an increase of 16%.
It seems that slouching is really sweeping the nation and the BCA is urging the nation to take proactive steps to improve its posture, as the UK back pain figures have reached an all time high. 72% of those questioned said they had suffered from back pain at some point, while nearly a third of the population is currently suffering.
Those surveyed told the BCA that the main triggers for bad posture are:
Sitting for long periods, Using computers/laptops, Carrying heavy bags, Lack of exercise, Tiredness, Driving, Choice of bed/mattress, Type of shoes/clothing worn
The good news is that the nation wants to stand tall, 74% of Brits want to improve their posture.
At Peverell Chiropractic Clinic we have a set of Core exercises that actually CHANGE your posture, you will notice a difference after approximately 3 – 6 months. Below are some before and after pictures of one of our patients who had terrible posture. He was very thin and tall for his age and was constantly stooping.
The Importance of Posture to Physical Development
If you have good posture you’ll stand straighter and look better but advantages to correct posture go further than your appearance.
In 1930, the White House Conference on Child Health recognized the importance of spinal integrity in the physical development of the child. Doctors have, since then, stressed how important it is to health, agreeing with chiropractors emphasis of the importance of good body mechanics AND STRENGTHING THE MUSCLES SUPPORTING THE SPINE WITH CORE EXERCISES.
The human body is subject to rhythm, balance, timing and coordinated action of all its components. Having the right posture enables the body to work more efficiently, allowing proper development.
Can Posture Affect Mental Attitude?
Your image is affected by your posture, as other people see you as you see yourself. It reflects your personality, your confidence, your attitude, your ability and your health.
There is an interrelationship between how you stand, sit and walk and how you feel. Other people can also tell whether you’re a positive or negative person, a strong or weak person, a healthy or ill person.
Check your Posture
There are a lot of tests for evaluating your posture, many needing precise instruments and expert evaluation. However, you may wish to give yourself a preliminary self-test.
Test 1
Stand with your back to the wall. Place head, shoulder blades, calves and heels against the wall. Place your hands at your
sides. Flatten the hollow of your back by pressing the buttocks back against the wall. If the space at your back of your waist is greater than the thickness of your hand, your posture is not correct.
Test 2
Face a wall with your toes touching the wall. If your posture is correct, your chest will just touch the wall. If your head touches, your posture is fair. If your abdomen touches, your posture is poor.
Test 3
Face a full-length mirror and view your shoulders and hips. These areas should be level. If one shoulder is higher or one hip is lower, there is an imbalance in your posture which should be checked professionally.
If a postural problem is indicated as a result of the self-test, it would be wise to discuss it with your chiropractor. He will be able to determine if there is a health or developmental problem and recommend proper procedures. As a preliminary to treatment, the chiropractor will examine your spine and related tissues. You can depend upon his specialized knowledge to diagnose the problem, and offer corrective treatment and sound advice.
Poor posture can cause a lot of pain in both the upper and lower back
What Causes Poor Posture?
There are many reasons for poor posture, the most serious of which is a birth defect. Normally it’s a combination of several reasons that causes a person to have poor posture. Among the causes are the following:
1 Visual problems.
2 Emotional problems.
3 Excessive weight.
4 Foot problems or improper shoes.
5 Weak Muscles, muscle imbalance.
6 Improper nutrition.
7 Laziness.
8 Poor sleep support ( mattress )
9 Injury to muscles, ligaments, tendons or bones.
10 Negative mental and physical attitudes.
11 Occupational stress and position.
Many Postural Faults Can Be Helped
If you have poor posture it can be serious in terms of health, comfort and efficiency, causing fatigue. Most of the problems caused can be helped. If you have what seems to be a postural problem then you should seek advice from a chiropractor. Unless there is an anatomical ( structural deformity ) or pathological ( disease-caused ) disturbance, the chances for correction are excellent.
Out Core exercise program produces excellent results, after a few months of doing the correct core exercises your posture changes……you stand straighter and taller because your muscles are supporting your spine and organs the way they were intended.
If poor posture is not corrected, it can affect the health and well-being of the individual. Poor posture contributes to shallow breathing: a cramped chest cavity, faulty digestion, poor elimination, and poor venous return, each of which affects not only the functions of individual organs, but also the system. Tiredness and reduced coordination are just two of many symptoms of a body that is not functioning efficiently.
What Are The Benefits Of Correct Posture?
1. Improves your health.
2. Improves your appearance.
3. Improves your coordination.
4. Increases your strength.
5. Gives you more stamina.
6. Makes your clothes fit better.
7. Gives you better body balance and makes you more agile.
8. Reduces the possibility of injury.
9. Gives you confidence.
10. Helps in physical and mental development.
tags: core strength exercises posture and health, core strength exercises,
What is Kinesio tape?
Chiropractor Kevin Kelly is a certificated Kinesio taping practitioner.
Introduction
Dr. Kenzo Kase, founder of the Kinesio Taping method received his Doctorate of Chiropractic (D Chiro) from the National College of Chiropractics.
He runs a practice in the United States. Through Dr Kase”s clinical experience he found that joint pain resulted from the abnormality of muscles and myo-fascial tissues around the joint rather than from the joint itself.
With this understanding, he developed and introduced Kinesio Taping in the 70″s to correct abnormalities of muscles and myo-fascial tissues.
The consequent kinesiology taping practice should be regarded more as a “therapy” or “methodology” than a taping technique.
4 Major Functions and Effects of Kinesiology Taping
To normalise muscle functio
To improve lymphatic and blood flow
To reduce and manage pain
To correct the misalignment of joints and tissues
The Tape
The thickness of the tape is the same as that of the skin epidermis
The capacity of tape to stretch to 130 -140% is similar to elasticity of the skin
The high-quality, 100% cotton material is covered with a layer of acrylic glue
The combination of tape material and sine wave glue application allows the release of sweat and permits skin respiration
The tape is applied to the backing paper with approximately 25% stretch
Irritation of the skin has not been reported.
The tape can work for more than 4 or 5 days
Kinesiology Tape allows the normalisation of both over-stretched and over-contracted muscles; it also promotes the flow of lymphatic fluids and blood.
Differences:Traditional Athletic Taping vs Kinesiology
Traditional Athletic Taping Kinesiology Taping
Sports Taping is a mechanical methodology
Kinesiology Taping is a sensory methodology
Sports Taping is for functional immobilisation
Kinesiology Taping therapy offers potential of restoring full range of movement
Sports taping methods aim to protect muscles
Kinesiology Taping methods seek to normalise muscle function
Immobilisation created through sports taping therapy can inhibit blood circulation
Kinesiology Taping therapy can improve blood circulation.
Information provided by Levotape©
Peverell Chiropractic Clinic visiting Hasler Company at HMS Drake
The “MAN DOWN” campaign is on a mission to help wounded Royal Marines and their families. Peverell Chiropractic Clinic is proud to have been the first business to join the 57 Club supporting the MAN DOWN Club. Since the conflict in Afghanistan began through to the launch of the 57 CLUB, at that time 57 Royal Marines Commandos had lost their lives in action. It is the 57 Clubs intention to attract 57 businesses from in & around Plymouth who will support the MAN DOWN campaign which in turn is raising funds in aid of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund : Registered Charity No 1134205. Donated money goes to helping wounded Royal Marines Commandos and their families. Please browse through the MAN DOWN WEB SITE to find out all about us and how you and your business might join THE 57 CLUB.
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Left to right :- Colour Sergeant Larry Holmes RM. RSM Tony Jacka RM. Karl Soanes (Man Down Campaign Regional Coordinator for Portsmouth). Kevin Kelly Peverell Chiropractic Clinic in Plymouth. Chris Reilly from Signs Express Plymouth. Elena Kelly, Peverell Chiropractic Clinic in Plymouth. Ryan Barrett, Realistic Home Improvements Plymouth. Steve Courage, Courage Car Sales Plymouth. Front :- Neal Taynton-Young, Fireproof PR Plymouth
The MAN DOWN Campaign 57 CLUB members were invited to visit Hasler Company at HMS Drake in Plymouth on 4thOctober 2012. There they had a tour of the facility and listened to a presentation given by RSM Tony Jacka RM and Colour Sergeant Larry Holmes RM on the work being done with the 87 service personnel as they continue through their recovery process after injury in combat. This event certainly highlighted the importance and the value of the MAN DOWN Campaign to the wounded and their families.
Why Sugar Isn’t Sweet
Text version
1. Sugar can suppress the immune system. When you eat a big dose of sugar, like a bottle of Coke or a candy bar, you temporarily tamp down your immune system’s ability to respond to challenges. The effect lasts for several hours, so if you eat sweets several times a day, your immune system may be perpetually operating at a distinct disadvantage.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar promotes inflammation. Inflammation, which is part of the immune response, is not always a bad thing. But eating sugar foods can fuel excessive, inappropriate inflammation that serves no useful purpose and actually promotes aging and disease. In my show on foods that fight inflammation, I pointed out that cutting back on sugary foods will help you avoid excess inflammation.
4. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
6. If you want to slow down the aging process, you definitely want to do what you can to naturally enhance your body’s production of human growth hormone. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar is a good way to do that. Exercising, going longer between meals, and avoiding undue stress also help.
7. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
8. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
9. Sugar promotes glycation. Sugar molecules treat your body like a singles bar. Once they get into your bloodstream, they start looking around for things to hook up with, like attractive protein and fat molecules. The hook-up is known as “glycation” and like most hook-ups, the results aren’t pretty. These glycated molecules act like drunken sailors, careening around your body, breaking things and peeing where they shouldn’t. They produce toxic compounds called advanced glycation end products, or, AGEs. That is perhaps the most poetically-just acronym in biology, because AGEs essentially throw the aging process into fast-forward. And much of the damage done by AGEs is irreversible. If that doesn’t motivate you to walk away from the M&Ms, I don’t know what would.
10. Sugar raises insulin levels. An influx of sugar into your body will have a fairly predictable result: Your blood sugar levels will zoom up. Shortly after, your pancreas will release a bunch of insulin to help clear sugar from your blood into your cells. As blood sugar levels go down, insulin levels return to normal. But when you eat a lot of sugar, you’re constantly calling for insulin, and that can backfire in a couple of ways. Over time, it takes more and more insulin to get the job done. Eventually, your pancreas may just stop responding to the call. Congratulations, you’re now an insulin-dependent diabetic. And along the way, exposing your cells and organs to chronically high insulin levels accelerates the aging process.
Can’t exercise because of a sore throat? What to do
How to get rid of a sore throat
It’s that time of year when those niggling sore throats stop you from exercising here is some great advice to help speed up your recovery.
Manage the Environment
Step 1
Clean the home, starting with the sick room, to remove irritants such as mold, dust, pet hair and dander which can cause symptoms on their own or make symptoms caused by other conditions worse.
Step 2
Avoid introducing new irritants such as cigarette smoke, perfume and aerosol products by asking household members to refrain from using these items indoors.
Step 3
Keep the home—or at least the sick room—comfortably cool, and maintain air flow by opening a window or adding a fan, if necessary.
Step 4
Place a humidifier in the sick room. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the tiny droplets of water a humidifier introduces helps to moisturize airways and make it easier for a sick person to breathe.
Treat Dry Cough
Step 1
Offer an adult a lozenge or hard candy to suck. For children, consider ice chips or frozen treats—these are less likely to trigger choking—and supervise consumption.
Step 2
Try over-the-counter cough suppressants or antitussives. T
Step 3
Relieve pain due to try cough with ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Soothe Sore Throat
Step 1
Try a salt water gargle. The CDC recommends using a solution of 1 cup of warm water with 1 tsp. salt.
Step 2
Drink lots of fluids to lubricate irritated tissues and prevent dehydration. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, good choices include dilute juice, broth and clear sodas.
Step 3
Encourage the patient to rest. Symptoms often subside with sleep and rest plays an important role in the overall recovery.
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Posted in Health, News & Articles | 
Cough, Infection, Sore throat, Streptococcal pharyngitis, Throat | 
2 CommentsNeck pain and Chiropractic care.
Neck pain
Pain in the neck can be due to injury, a mechanical or muscular problem, a trapped nerve caused by a bulge in one of the discs between the vertebrae or from arthritis of the neck. It can range from mild discomfort to severe, burning pain.
What causes neck pain?
Many things can trigger neck pain. These include:
- trauma or injury
- worry and stress
- falling asleep in an awkward position
- prolonged use of a computer keyboard.
The underlying problem could be due to stress causing increased muscle spasm, hence reducing spinal flexibility, very 
occassionally a slipped disc, brittle bones (osteoporosis), deformed natural curvature of the spine (scoliosis) and, very rarely, structural damage due to tumours or infection. Finally, road traffic accidents involving whiplash injury may result in acute or chronic neck pain that takes several months to improve.
What does neck pain feel like?
- General pain located in the neck area, as well as stiffness in the neck muscles.
- The pain may radiate down to the shoulder or between the shoulder blades.
- It may also radiate out into the arm, the hand or up into the head, causing a one-sided or double-sided headache.
- The muscles in the neck are tense, sore and feel hard to the touch.
- Acute pain can give rise to abnormal neck posture in which the head is forced to turn to one side. This condition is known as torticollis.
- The pain at the base of the skull may be accompanied by a feeling of weakness in the shoulders and arms,
- There may be a prickly or tingling sensation in the arms and fingers.
Danger signals associated with neck pain
In some cases, neck pain may be a symptom of menegitis. In some cases, neck pain can be a symptom of head injury or disc trouble in the neck.
Your Chiropractor will be able to tell from his or her specialised examination exactly what is causing your neck pain.
What can you do yourself?
Remember that neck pain is rarely caused by a serious illness and will often disappear within a week. However, if you have had pains in the neck for a longer period, it may be advisable to consult a physical therapist such as a chiropractor.
Click to visit our downloads page to download an exercise sheet.
The following symptoms may indicate a more serious underlying problem than simple mechanical neck pain and require that you seek further advice from your GP:
- co-existing illness, such as unexplained weight loss
- actual tenderness or pain in the neck bones (vertebrae)
- the pain simply continues to get steadily worse despite treatment
- if one or both of your arms become affected, eg persistent numbness, weakness or clumsiness.
How does the chiropractor make a diagnosis?
In most cases, a neck problem can be diagnosed by carrying out a thorough examination that may include all or some of the following:
- testing the movement of the neck
- testing for trapped nerves
- examination of the muscles
- examination of the movement of the joints of the spine, neck and hands
How is neck pain treated?
Acute pain at the base of the skull may well disappear without treatment.
For short-term problems, manual treatment (chiropractic) and pain-relieving medicine are recommended.
With longer-term pain (ie three months or more) there’s the following choice of treatment:
- chiropractic treatment ideally with soft tissue therapy and exercise therapy
- intensive muscle training
- physiotherapy, including advice on posture and the use of a supportive pillow
- acupuncture provides relief for significant numbers of people with chronic neck and shoulder pain, although this is not routinely available on the NHS.
What medication is given?
Painkillers taken on a regular basis, eg paracetamol, are often sufficient alone. Medicine used in the treatment of mild muscle pain includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These are generally effective in those who can tolerate them. But they may cause side-effects in patients with a past medical history of indigestion or asthma and be unsuitable for certain patients with kidney impairment, heart failure and high blood pressure.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you think this might apply to you.
Stronger painkillers, such as codeine phosphate, may be used if NSAIDs are not working well or are unsuitable. Sometimes a muscle relaxant (eg diazepam) may be prescribed on a short term basis of up to 1 to 2 weeks depending on progress.
Exercise
People with weak neck muscles are more prone to neck problems, and in such cases an exercise programme to strengthen the neck is a good idea. A good chiropractor will advise on a suitable exercise programme tailored specifically for you.
Future prospects
This depends on the underlying cause of the pain. The prognosis is generally good, provided you remain active and obtain the correct treatment without delay.
Related articles
- Study comparing spinal manipulation, advice with exercises and medication for neck pain. (peverellchiropracticclinic.co.uk)
Back pain? Low back pain exercises
There are 2 main two main types of exercises you can do to help to relieve your Lower back pain and Sciatica.
(1) Core exercises to strengthen your core muscles.
(2) Mobility exercises to loosen up your spine by mobilising your joints and stretching and relaxing your muscles.
We are focusing on the mobility exercises we give to our patients in this article:
In conjunction with rest and regular weight bearing exercise (short walks) a specific lower back pain mobility exercise routine performed regularly will greatly enhance your recovery from lower back injury, reducing your lower back pain
and helping to prevent future problems by keeping your spine more supple and flexible.
Also doing these exercises every morning before you get out of bed will generally help to keep your spine mobile and loose. REMEMBER these exercises are tried and tested, we have given them to thousands of patients over the last twenty years, many of these patients religously do these exercises every morning because they have noticed a difference: they have less morning back pain and stiffness.
Primary Chiropractic treatment, ie spinal manipulative therapy is highly effective (hence Chiropractic’s popularity) however we can enhance our patient’s recovery by also providing advice, soft tissue therapy, mobility exercises and core exercises. A lot of chiropractors do use other modalities/treatments as an adjunct to their spinal manipulative therapy. At Peverell Chiropractic Clinic we have found that using a multi-factorial approach to treatment particularly with more serious and more chronic back pain cases does produce slightly better results.
These simple exercises have been designed to gently mobilize the spine aiding it’s return to normal function without
Click at the end of the article to download our clinic's A4 exercise sheet
putting undue stress on the joints and tissues.
If you have lower back pain and/or sciatica perform the exercises at least 4X per day (or as directed). Always do them before you get out of bed to mobilise your spine and loosen it up before you actually put any stress on it when standing
up and weight bearing, then do them every few hours through theday. After the first 2-3 days as the acute back pain diminishes spend more time on your feet, taking regular 5 – 10 minute walks, this will aid in returning your spinal joints and muscles back to normal function.
Perform the exercises in numerical order. Only do the exercises to about 70% of full motion so as not to overstretch the damaged tissues but to gradually restore normal function by: relaxing tight muscles, stretching and strengthening weak muscles, relieving joint inflammation and swelling, increasing bloodflow to aid healing, and reducing joint stiffness. Peverell Chiropractic Clinic 2012.
Do the exercises rhythmically and if any exercise causes discomfort DO NOT CONTINUE WITH IT until your injury has recovered more fully.
Click Here To Go to Downloads Area to download full size A4 version
Eating to reduce stress
The less stress we have ….the healthier we are. There’s evidence that too much pressure doesn’t just put you in a bad mood it can also affect our well-being. People who are under constant stress are more vulnerable to diseases ranging from coughs and colds to high blood pressure.
One solution is to eat stress-fighting foods. CLICK HERE to see a slideshow explaining a little about healthy foods.
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Cholesterol: How to reduce your Cholesterol levels
How’s your cholesterol? If you think that the Cholesterol reading you had a few years ago will suffice, think again Cholesterol levels increase with age. The NHS recommends that everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 years should be screened for 
high cholesterol once every five years to determine if any cardiovascular health risk is present. Also self testing kits can be used every year or so, these can be bought at most Chemists, these are fairly accurate … if they show any increases please visit your GP for a more accurate test.
Risk factor calculators are available online click here to use. A nurse or GP in your local surgery can use a “risk factor calculator,” which takes into account a number of factors, including your family history, age, sex, whether or not you are a smoker and blood pressure, as well as your cholesterol levels. The old maxim “you are what you eat” really does apply to Cholesterol, the more saturated fats you eat…the higher your levels go.
Stress also plays a major role in heart disease when we are stressed our body’s fight or flight mechanism kicks in…. fat is released into the blood stream so it can be quickly used by your muscles, of course if your not fighting or running it tends to eventually get deposited inside your arteries clogging them up.
11 Tips to reduce Cholesterol CLICK HERE
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