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...
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...
Hip flexor spasm: causes, symptoms and treatment
Hip flexor pain is one of those conditions that affects both people who are very physically active and people who participate in minimal physical activity. If you’re experiencing hip pain and wondering if you might have over or underdone it, read on to learn about the common causes and symptoms of hip flexor spasms, and what can be done about them. What causes hip flexor spasms? The group of muscles that allow...
Recovering from a forearm fracture
Forearm fractures are among the most common types of broken bones and can be some of the most complex. Surgery will often be needed to repair the damage before the rehabilitation process can begin. It can be a long road to recovery, but a chiropractor can help. Read on to find out how! Types of forearm fracture There are two bones in your forearm - the radius and the ulna. The radius is...
Shoulder pain: treating a subacromial impingement
One very common cause of shoulder pain is subacromial impingement. This is a complicated name for an injury that occurs often (in approximately one in five people). It happens when a tendon in the shoulder rubs or catches on nearby bone. This affects the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that allow you to rotate, raise and lower your arm. Which means that pain in this...
What is torticollis (wry neck)?
Have you ever twisted your head sharply and felt the searing pain of your neck freezing in an unnatural position? Then you’ve got an idea of what we’re talking about here. Torticollis, also known as wry neck, is an extreme twisted neck which won’t seem to go away. Jarring pain may be similar, however it does not last. Wry neck (torticollis) usually causes the top of the head to tilt...