Cervical spine facet joint lock
Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck? There may be more to it than just a dodgy pillow or mattress. You could have experienced a cervical spine facet joint lock. Now, its formal name is a ‘zygapophyseal joint’ — but who on earth thought that was a good idea?! Luckily we are sticking to the simpler term in this blog! Keep reading to find out what it is...
The chiropractic adjustment
Are you experiencing frequent headaches, neck or back pain? You may need an adjustment! Adjustments have amazing benefits for not only your spine but your whole well-being. It may seem a bit daunting at first but don’t worry, we’ve got your back — pun intended! What is a chiropractic adjustment? Chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulation is the process of applying a controlled and specific amount of force in a precise direction to...
Lumbar disc prolapse
A lumbar disc prolapse (often referred to as a slipped disc… although the disk does not actually slip anywhere) is the most common cause of lower back pain there is. And when you consider that up to 80% of people will experience lower back pain at some point in their life, that’s a lot of potential lumbar disc issues out there. Let’s take a look at what might cause a disc...
The art of breathing
Breathing probably sounds like something you’ve got well and truly covered, but you’d be surprised how many people are doing it wrong! Most of the time, we are breathing too fast and too shallow. The most efficient way to breathe is through diaphragmatic breathing, or “belly breathing”. This brings more air into your lungs and also strengthens your diaphragm to improve your breathing long term. What is diaphragmatic breathing? Diaphragmatic breathing brings air...
Why is posture so important?
You know when your mother and your teachers drove you crazy by always telling you to sit up straight? Well, sorry to be the one to tell you, but they were right. Having good posture has a whole host of benefits, and there are plenty of issues that can occur if your posture goes wrong! So here is the lowdown on why it matters, and what you can do to...
Why choose chiropractic?
If you have an injury or persistent pain, how do you know which type of treatment you should choose? Well, of course we’re going to suggest chiropractic care is the one for you… That’s our job! But why should you choose chiropractic over, say, physiotherapy or osteopathy? Or even massage or acupuncture? There are a few unique elements to chiropractic treatment that we feel make it best placed to tackle...
What do chiropractors treat?
Many people think that chiropractic care is all about the spine. While we certainly have a particular interest in spinal alignment, chiropractors treat a wide range of conditions and can help with many areas of your health and wellbeing. We treat our patients holistically, so we take your entire physical, emotional and social wellbeing into account, no matter what you come to see us for. What is chiropractic care? The word “chiropractic”...
Concussion: signs, symptoms and solutions
If you play or watch sport regularly, especially contact sports like rugby, you have probably heard about concussions. It can cause serious effects, but these aren’t always immediately recognisable. So how can you tell if you, or someone close to you, has a concussion, and what can you do about it? What is a concussion? A concussion is a brain injury caused by trauma to the head. When the brain moves suddenly...
The nervous system
Your nervous system is a highly complex network that transmits signals all around your body. It’s central to how we interact with the world — enabling us to move, experience sensations and interpret and remember information. This is possibly the most impressive system in your body, and one of the most important — so how does it work? What is the nervous system? The nervous system can be viewed as three parts: Central...
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury
If you regularly play sport, you may be aware of your medial collateral ligament (MCL). This ligament is one of the most common parts of the knee to be injured, usually as a result of force to the body or a fall. What is the medial collateral ligament? The MCL runs along the inner edge of your knee and helps connect your shin bone (tibia) to your thigh bone (femur). This...