Weekly patient success story
About 2 months ago Mrs M who had been suffering with lower back pain for 20 years was walking along Frederick street when she saw capital chiropractic. The pain in her lower back had been getting progressively worse for a few months and had progressed into a deep dull ache and shooting pain into her right leg. Mrs M had never thought of chiropractic but decided to book an initial consultation with our receptionist team that day. During the initial consultation with one of our chiropractors it was also discovered that Mrs M also had a long history of neck pain and tension headaches (approximately twice a week). At this stage Mrs M was unaware that chiropractors could help with headaches. Due to her advanced history radiographs were taken of Mrs M’s lower back which revealed advanced degenerative changes within the spine. Her chiropractor subsequently started working on her lower back and neck with chiropractic adjustments to great effect. Currently Mrs M is two thirds through her treatment programme and now has no lower back or leg pain, very infrequent headaches and a full range of movement in her neck. Currently her chiropractor is working on stabilizing and rehabilitating her spine to ensure the problems she experienced previously don’t return. Mr M has been amazed at how quickly the results have been achieved with her chiropractor and slightly frustrated she didn’t start chiropractic years ago when her pain started. Chiropractic is excellent for helping back pain but also lots of other conditions, if you are unsure if a chiropractor can help you then please don’t think twice about calling and speaking to one of our chiropractors in Edinburgh who will be happy to discuss anything with you prior to making an appointment.
Weekly patient success story
Each week we will now be posting short success stories of some of the most interesting cases that present to us at Capital chiropractic. Here is the the story of Mrs C from Fife.
Mrs C attended Capital Chiropractic in Edinburgh with a long term history of right elbow pain. She was initially persuaded to come and see a chiropractor after her recent visit to California to see her son who lives there. Whilst there she went to see his chiropractor but was only able to have one treatment due to returning to Edinburgh shortly after. However during this one session with the chiropractor she noticed a big difference. Mrs C was advised to come to Capital chiropractic for treatment by her sons chiropractor who kindly did some online research of chiropractors in Edinburgh and believed we would be best able to help.
Mrs C suffers from a debilitating inflammatory condition known as psoriatic arthritis which particularly effects her right elbow and right wrist joints. She has been on strong rheumatic medication for many years which have significant side effects and under the care of a NHS rheumatic physiotherapist who monitors her medication and inflammation around the joints but does not do any physical treatments.
Mr C was at the point of loosing complete use of her right arm and her elbow was the size of a tennis ball due to the inflammation being so bad. Mrs C already had x-rays with her, these were taken by her chiropractor in California and after her initial assessment with us she started a course of chiropractic treatment at Capital chiropractic. Within only a few sessions Mrs C now has no pain, has complete use of her arm again, the swelling has reduced in her elbow by approximately 75% and she is so happy that just this week she has been able to put up her Christmas tree and wrap all her gifts for her grand children, something that was almost impossible a year ago. Her rheumatic NHS physio therapist has been so amazed at the difference that they subsequently asked us how we have managed to have so much success in such a short period of time. Mrs C is now half way through her treatment programme and we hope to continue to help her even more.
Massage,Dry needling and Cupping
At Capital chiropractic our massage therapists often use dry needling and cupping for patients that suffer from chronic muscular injuries or acute spasms. Although the majority of back/neck pain that we see starts with the spinal joints/nerves, soft tissues can often become a secondary complaint and cause their own symptoms.
Chronic back pain- Patients that have long term chronic spinal/postural pain often develop hypertonic (tight) muscles along with trigger points (knots) within the muscles. These trigger points can often cause pain, stiffness, headaches and tightness. Along with the chiropractors who aim to address the primary spinal complaint working on soft tissues can help enormously in preventing problems from returning as well as giving great pain relief.
Acute back pain- Acute patients are those who have had back/neck pain for 6 weeks or less. In these patients pain can often be very intense which can cause severe muscle spasms. The role of dry needling, cupping and massage in this type of patient is to increase mobility, relieve pain and relax the soft tissues to allow the chiropractor to treat the patient more effectively.
Dry needling- This involves inserting a very small needle for a short period of time into the area of the muscle that is affected, similar to acupuncture, although not exactly the same. This in turn helps to relax the muscle by stimulating nerve and muscle fibres. It’s usually painless and can be very effective.
Cupping- Although used for many years and originating in China as a way of healing back pain, cupping became a lot more popular after Michael Phelps displayed his cupping ‘marks’, at the 2016 Olympics on his way to becoming the greatest Olympian of all time. The process involves applying small cups to the back and applying suction through them to allow increased blood flow and circulation to the effected area. Again cupping is usually painless as are the cupping bruises that remain for a few days afterwards.
If you would like to know more or book in for either treatments then please speak with your chiropractor or the reception team at Capital Chiropractic, currently Fernanda offers both services and Sergei just cupping.
Chiropractors and the nhs
A big question that we often get asked as chiropractors is “why isn’t chiropractic available on the NHS”. Although chiropractic is available in a few areas of the UK on the NHS it’s extremely limited and like most things the NHS budgets simply don’t allow for this. The other main reason being that we are a rapidly growing profession in the UK and there are still very few chiropractors in comparison to the population. There are approximately 3400 chiropractors here compared with a population of 68 million making chiropractic impossible to offer on the NHS. By comparison…
USA- 68,000 chiropractors (330 million people)
Canada - 7000 chiropractors (38 million people)
Australia - 5500 chiropractors (25 million people)
Denmark - 700 chiropractors (5.5 million people)
Here’s what Barrack Obama had to say on chiropractic health care during his presidency!!
The spinal effects of gaming and how chiropractors can help!
Gaming has now become one of the number one pastimes throughout the world. There are now over 3 billion people gaming regularly with the average age being 35 years old and the average gamer spending 5-20 hours per week gaming, however what effect is this having on people’s spine.
When people game they naturally become engrossed in the game without paying attention to their posture. When this happens the natural position of the spine is to lean forward and hunch over with the upper thoracic spine and neck. The average head weighs 5 kilos and when the head is protruded in a forward direction all of the neck and upper back muscles have to contract to hold it in place.
The effects of this are large amounts of tension throughout the upper back and neck muscles. Over time these muscles can change length, become hypertonic and develop trigger points (knots) within the muscles. This change in posture will also cause large additional stress throughout the joints of the neck and what we often see here at Capital Chiropractic is the C shaped curve that is designed to take the weight of the head reduce or even start to protrude forwards into a D shaped curve.
Untreated spines are more likely to cause symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, upper back pain, referred pain into the arms, shoulder pain and migraines. Chiropractors can help alleviate these symptoms and also recommend exercises and many things you can do at home for prevention. Below we have a few chiropractic tips that you can do immediately to start helping.
Take regular breaks from gaming- At Capital chiropractic we recommend that you don’t spend any longer than 1 hour at a time gaming and have at least 1 hour break in between.
Try to stand when gaming rather than sitting- Standing helps prevent your upper back and neck protruding forward which in turn helps relieve stress to the joints and muscles in this area.
Try to keep your shoulder blades squeezed gently in towards the spine and your chin tucked in. This naturally contracts the muscles that stop the head and shoulders moving forwards.
Blue light blockers can be used to help reduce the strain on eyes.
GET ADJUSTED regularly. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment can help enormously with upper back and neck pain as well as working with rehab and the posture of the spine.
Chiropractic and pregnancy
Pregnant women often see a chiropractor for aches and pains caused by their changing bodies, such as back pain, sciatica and pelvic pain. The changes in a woman’s body throughout gestation put added stress to the sacroiliac joints, sacrum, lumbar spine and nerves. Structural adaptation in the gravid patient is a contributory source of low back pain throughout pregnancy. Changing load distributions within the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints are also a factor in back pain. Although the female sacrum has enough depth to enable foetal carriage, the displaced weight gain of 10-15 kg increases the stress to the sacroiliac joints. This results in an increase in the woman’s lumbar lordosis. As the fetus develops during the pregnancy, this weight is projected forward. Therefore, the lumbar lordosis is increased, placing extra stress on the intervertebral disks and facet joints.
One of the most important times for women to see a chiropractor is during pregnancy. In fact, maintaining chiropractic care during pregnancy can help the body adapt to its temporarily altered state. The results and benefits can be:
- A more comfortable pregnancy and postpartum healing.
- Shorter labour times.
- An improved immune system during pregnancy.
- Reduced severity and duration of morning sickness and nausea.
- Reduced risk of C section and needing forceps during labour.
Chiropractic care during the winter
Why does spinal health decline during the winter season?
- Winter is characterised by mostly wet and cold days. Joints often feel stiffer due to the cold and people often find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Here at Capital chiropractic, we help many patients visiting the clinic to receive treatment or prevent: injuries, acute and chronic conditions over the winter months.
How can Chiropractic care help you enjoy the winter months?
- Due to harsh weather, stiffness and severity of pain of musculoskeletal origin often increase. In fact, the movement of fluids inside the joints become more restricted, as consequence muscles are also more restricted and reluctant to stretch. Chiropractic care helps ensure muscles and joints in the body are loose and flexible, hence reducing pain and improving body function.
Why are colds and dry coughs more common during the winter months?
- Winter has shorter days and longer nights. As a result, sunlight exposure is much reduced. Sunlight exposure plays a central role in providing natural vitamin D, which powers our immune system. During the winter months, the lack of natural vitamin D weakens our immune system.
- According to the most recent scientific evidence, colds and flu epidemics are almost always followed by drops in humidity, weakening our immune system. These are most common during the winter months.
Can Chiropractic care help reduce colds and dry coughs?
- Communication within the human body happens through the nervous system. This communication is between the CNS (Central Nervous System - brain and spinal cord), PNS (Peripheral Nervous System - 12 cranial nerves and 31 spinal nerves) and all the cells, tissues, organs, glands and organs of the body. Hence, spinal misalignments create interferences in the nervous system that can directly affect the communication between the brain and the immune system (thymus/adenoids, lymph nodes, spleen, appendix, lymphatic vessels and bone marrow). Correcting these misalignments with chiropractic adjustments restores effective and healthy communication to the immune system, which helps fight against germs, bacteria and viruses that can cause colds and dry coughs.
Driving Ergonomics
Driving can sometimes be stressful both mentally and physically. On one hand, traffic and road rage can contribute negatively to your mood. On the other hand, it’s not just the external factors that can make your daily car journey or road trip less pleasurable. In fact, the way you sit in the car and your posture while driving can contribute to neck, shoulder and back pain.
Give yourself one minute to take a look at these tips before the next time you get in the car.
Try adjusting your seat to a biomechanically advantageous position for your spine. The least amount of pressure on your low back joints and discs occurs when the seat is reclined about 30 degrees.
Make sure that you are not sitting too high or too low compared to the steering wheel.
Bring your head back, touching the headrest and bring your shoulders back. While driving try thinking about lengthening your spine.
Your arms should be as relaxed as possible, slightly bending the elbows. Consider utilising the armrests on either side.
Try positioning your hands on the wheel at 4 and 8, as this hand position may be put less stress on your neck and shoulders.
Bend your knees slightly.
Find the time to take regular breaks during long car drives. Preferably, according to the scientific literature, you should avoid driving for more than 2 hours without taking a brief break to stretch.
The benefits of a Standing Desk
When sitting down for long periods of time our bodies naturally settle into a neutral position with an arched or slouched back. These positions can strain joints, muscles and tendons and cause back pain. Furthermore, many studies have concluded that prolonged sitting increases the likelihood of weight gain, high blood sugar and low energy levels.
It is becoming more and more common nowadays to utilise a standing desk. This has been shown by many studies to not only burn more calories and increase productivity but also to reduce back pain. In fact, according to a study published in 2018, patients who utilised a sit-stand desk experienced a 50 percent decrease in back pain in comparison to patients in the control group that did not utilise sit-stand desk.
When utilising a standing desk remember that your head should be slightly back, your hips should face straight ahead and your spine should have an S shaped curve. You should be able to rest your wrists flat on the desk with your elbows at a 90 degree angle, and your computer monitor should be below or at eye level.
Because the body takes time to adjust, it is advised to begin standing for 30 minutes a day, then work up to blocks of one hour or two over several days until you feel comfortable standing for longer periods of time. Additionally, when utilising a standing desk it is recommended to take regular short walk breaks throughout the day.
If you have any questions regarding standing desks please feel free to ask one of the chiropractors at Capital Chiropractic for any advice!!
Sciatica
Could you be suffering from Sciatica?
Do you suffer from pain in the lower back that runs down to the buttock, leg and even into the feet? Does
the pain feel sharp, shooting or burning? Do you sometimes notice tingling, numbness or even
weakness? It may be that you are suffering from Sciatica.
What is sciatica?
True Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down to your feet becomes
irritated or compressed. The most common causes of sciatica include:
A herniated disc where the soft tissue disc between the joints of the spine starts to push out and
affect the nerve
Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the space in between the joints of the spine where the nerves run
through
Misalignment/spondylolisthesis of a spinal bone that moves out of its normal position putting
pressure on the nerve
Other conditions can cause sciatic like symptoms such as:
pain referring from the muscles in the lower back/buttock such as the piriformis muscle
irritation of the joints in the lower back.
Risk factors for Sciatica include
Sitting for prolonged periods
Occupations that involve heavy lifting/twisting
Age can cause age related changes such as stenosis and disc degeneration
Being overweight
Treatment
The first thing is to discover the cause of your symptoms as this will guide the treatment recommended.
A physical exam involving muscle, reflex and orthopaedic testing can reveal what may be causing your
symptoms. If needed, imaging such as an X-ray or MRI may be utilised to see exactly what is going on
within the spine and surrounding tissues. Treatment may include:
-Spinal adjustment
-Stretching/strengthening exercises
-Ice
Prognosis
This will depend on age, severity and how long you have been experiencing symptoms. It is
important to get sciatica under control to prevent chronic sciatic pain. If you are experiencing the
symptoms described above and they haven’t improved or are getting worse with time then get in touch for advice and an assessment.