Livingston Chiropractic
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What we Treat |
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Livingston Chiropractic. 01506 238384.
Bad Backs
The most common reason our patients first seek chiropractic care is because they are suffering from back pain. For some this has occurred recently, for others they have lived with discomfort for some time.
Chiropractic adjusting or manipulation helps to remove the interference in the spinal system and relieve the pain in a drug free way. This does not happen immediately, normally a series of treatments will be required, but most patients do begin to feel some improvement as soon as they have received their first adjustment.
Your whole body will be checked and if required treated, not just your back. Often back issues can be caused by problems elsewhere in the body, commonly the neck and shoulders.
As part of your treatment Astrid will give you some guidance on stretches and exercises you can do at home. A supple body is a pain free body and stretching and working your muscles will help with your recovery.
Ice packs are a great way to help with back pain. If you are suffering right now, maybe after some hard work in the garden or sporting activity, then our advice would be to ice the area where it hurts for 10 to 15 minutes twice per day. The ice will reduce the inflammation. If you don’t have an ice pack in the house then a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel will be just as effective.
Back Care Advice
Here are some suggestions as ways to prevent back troubles or reduce the severity of back pain if you are currently having problems.
- Carry out low-impact exercises for 30 minutes each day to help build muscle strength, some good examples are speed walking, swimming and cycling.
- Always stretch before exercise or other strenuous physical activity.
- Don’t slouch when standing or sitting. When standing, keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced.
- Make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you, both at home and work.
- Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position and height for the task. Keep your shoulders back. Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
- Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine. Always sleep on a firm surface.
- Don’t try to lift objects that are too heavy for you. Lift with your knees, pull in your stomach muscles, and keep your head down and in line with your straight back. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting.
- Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight, especially weight around the waistline that taxes lower back muscles. A diet with sufficient daily intake of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D helps to promote new bone growth.
- Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and can cause the spinal discs to degenerate. So, if you smoke please consider stopping.
The NHS has some general back pain advice on the following websites:
- Exercises for back pain prevention
- Top 10 back care tips
Chiropractors treat many other complaints, in addition to back related issues, and you can read about those on our What we Treat page.
