Walk This Way

A large new study has highlighted the fantastic health benefits of doing something very simple. Maybe it's just too easy as many of us seem to neglect it! The secret - take a brisk walk. Just a simple 20 minute walk every day can reduce the risk of early death by nearly one third. Interestingly, the study also reported that physical inactivity could be responsible for nearly twice as many deaths as having a high Body Mass Index (BMI) or being overweight.

So is it hard to walk for 20 minutes a day? The answer is that it shouldn't be. It has been estimated that the annual distance the average person in the UK walks, fell by 20% between 1976 (408 miles per year) and 2009 (314 miles). Modern life seems to have made us so busy doing sedentary things that we forget to move. 

Walking has many health benefits, from increasing bone density (meaning we are less like to get osteoporosis) to reducing the risk of getting a cold. It can also make us feel invigorated and alive and help us lose weight. A brisk walk each day is also great for our joints and muscles. Many back pain sufferers find a daily walk enormously beneficial for their backs. Some of my chiropractic patients deliberately get off the bus or train a stop or two early so that they get a good walk before arriving at work, and will do the same again on their way home. Others have opted to always use the stairs rather than get in the lift. Carys (my wife) swears by her treadmill desk which allows her to walk and work at the same time. A pedometer is a great way of keeping track of our daily steps. Some smart phones even have a built in pedometer. About 10,000 steps a day is considered to be what we should be aiming to achieve. There are many ways to be successful at walking more; it simply takes a little thought and planning. The greatest thing about walking as a form of exercise is that it is free. It can even reduce your transportation costs and your carbon footprint. Walking can be incorporated into many daily activities and now that spring has arrived it is likely to make us feel fantastic. 

I've sat at my computer long enough now, I'm off for a walk! It will be good for my back and so much more.

Seeing a chiropractor for back pain in pregnancy

Back pain in pregnancy is so common that many people feel it is just a normal part of being pregnant. The exact cause of low back pain during pregnancy is unclear, however it is widely thought that it is likely to be caused by postural and biomechanical changes associated with an enlarging uterus which causes an increase in the lumbar spinal curve. Hormone changes in pregnancy also cause a relaxation of the stabilising ligaments, particularly of the pelvis.

During a time of great anticipation and excitement as you prepare for your precious arrival, the last thing you need is nagging or debilitating back pain. As the use of painkilling medication is discouraged during pregnancy, many pregnant women suffering with back pain feel they have very few options available to help reduce their pain. Chiropractic is a safe and medication free means of treating back pain. Several recent studies have found statistically significant reductions in back pain in pregnant patients treated with chiropractic compared to those treated with routine obstetrical care. In a study published last year, the pregnant women who were treated by chiropractors experienced a reduction in their back pain by 30% within one week of treatment being started. This increased to an approximate 50% reduction in pain levels by 1 month after the first treatment. By 3 months after the treatment was started, patients reported a 75% reduction in pain.

I enjoy treating pregnant patients. It is always satisfying to help reduce people's pain without having to resort to the use of medication. It's one of the many things I love about being a chiropractor.

Want a quicker recovery from back pain? - See a chiropractor

For more than a decade, thousands of back pain sufferers from around Liverpool have been successfully treated in my Crosby chiropractic clinic. Visiting a chiropractor when back pain strikes is becoming an increasingly attractive option as the much reported NHS overload makes getting a doctor's appointment more difficult.

But why is visiting a chiropractor such a sensible option? Well, there are a few simple reasons. Here are two big ones - 

1. Chiropractors get great results - I see these fantastic results all the time, but it bears saying

again; Chiropractic treatment is a great way to get rid of your back pain. 

In a study just published in the medical journal 'Spine', more than a hundred adults were randomized into three groups. One group received chiropractic manipulation. The second group had mechanically assisted manipulation and the third group received usual medical care. Treatment was given over a 4 week period. At the end of this period, the group receiving chiropractic manipulation had a statistically significant reduction in both pain and disability compared to the other groups. This extra benefit in the chiropractic manipulation group was a massive 25% over the other 2 groups. 

2. Short waiting times - Phone today and you'll more often than not be offered an appointment today! 

So if you're looking for a way to get on the road to 'pain-free' then chiropractic may be the perfect solution.  Give the clinic a call today 0151 931 3153 for an appointment or to ask a question.

Christmas Chiropractic Appointments

The festive season is such a busy time for all of us. A time for being with family and friends. A time for parties, celebrations and having a good time; and hopefully a time for a little rest and relaxation too. Unfortunately, sometimes problems and injuries can still occur when we least want them.

I will be taking some time off with my family over Christmas and the New Year. If you are unfortunate enough to develop a problem over the festive period, I will have my phone calls (0151 931 3153) diverted to my mobile and may well be able to answer your call and offer advice. If I can't answer, you can leave a voice message and I will return your call.

I will also have several clinics during the Christmas and New Year weeks, so if you do have a problem, you shouldn't need to struggle for too long!

I hope that your have a wonderful Christmas and that 2015 is all that you want it to be.

Neil

Chiropractor Liverpool

If you wanted to see a chiropractor in the Liverpool area, what factors would influence your decision regarding who to see? I asked this question to some of my patients and social media users, and these are some of the points that they considered important.

Recommendation - This answer was by the far the most repeated response. Everyone it seems prefers to put their health in the hands of a person who has a track record of already having helped someone they know. Personal recommendation has formed the bedrock of my new patient list for many years. Over the past 2 years more than 60% of all new patients have come to see me on the recommendation of a friend or family member. This takes great trust on the part of the person offering the recommendation. I don't take this trust lightly and I will always do my best to reward this trust with my best efforts to help the individual that has been recommended. 

Qualification - Unfortunately not all chiropractors are equally qualified. My chiropractic education was undertaken at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, which adheres to strict international criteria for chiropractic education. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Sciences (Chiropractic) after 4 years of study and I also have a Master of Science Degree in Chiropractic. Additionally, I complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education each year in order to learn new ways to help my patients and to keep up to date with other developments in health care.

Experience - Having graduated in 2001, I have treated thousands of patients over many years. Early in my career I spent several years as the in-house chiropractor at a large sports and rackets club in Lancashire. There I got plenty of experience treating sports people, some of whom have risen to the very top of their chosen sport. For the majority of my career however I have worked in more general chiropractic practice, where I've treated people from all walks of life and of all ages; from the very young to the very, very old. With experience, treatment can readily be modified to cater for the diverse individuals that come through the door.

Location - Many of my patients travel quite some distance to see me, however the majority who look for a Liverpool chiropractor come from the local area. The clinic is situated in a great location in Crosby. There is free, unrestricted road-side parking right outside. There is also a regular local bus service (53) which stops right outside the front door. Additionally the train station (Blundellsands and Crosby) is only a short 5 minute walk away.

Appointment Availability - Throughout the week there are usually 'same-day' appointments available. The clinic is open from 7.30 on Monday and Thursday mornings and stays open until 8.30 on Wednesday evenings. I offer out of hours appointments enabling most patients to fit treatment around their busy work, social or family life.

First Impression - The first impression most people get when contacting the clinic will be of me answering the phone or greeting them in the waiting room. I hope this is a good experience for them! I like to deal with enquiries and each patient personally. This means that people get to ask the questions that they want to ask to the chiropractor directly. 

Online reviews - The internet has become an extremely useful place to find things out. Over the past year, around a quarter of my new patients have come to me as a result of performing an internet search. Frankly, this is one of the reasons that I write blog posts like this. There are a few places online where you can find reviews that people have left about their treatment here. Thanks for the kind words of those who have left reviews!

Informative Website - My website was renewed last year. If you feels that it is missing anything important then I'd be very happy to hear your view.

Prices and Special Offers - Despite being the longest established chiropractic clinic and probably the most experienced chiropractor in the area, initial consultation and treatment prices have been kept to a very affordable level for many years. Additionally I don't employ some of the rather dubious sales techniques that some chiropractors have been know to use. I aim for my patients to feel that they have received a great service, for a very fair price.

Thank you to all who took the time to respond to this little survey about what you would expect from a Liverpool Chiropractor. I have found it very interesting to hear your comments. Feel free to let me know if you think I've forgotten something important.

World Spine Day

Today - 16th October 2014 - is World Spine Day. It's a day when organisations who are interested in spinal health look to promote ways to enjoy a life with less back pain. If you've experienced back pain, you'll agree that this a truly worthy endeavour.

Spinal pain is common. Back pain, neck pain and disc problems are experienced by millions of people every day.

Recent research has found that 77% of people say they are currently experiencing back or neck pain or have done so in the past, while 24% say they suffer on a daily basis. 43% of people in pain state sleeping is a trigger and 44% say sitting causes them pain. On an average day, 82% of us spend up to 6 hours sitting in front of a computer screen; 49% spend between 2 and 6 hours watching TV; and 33% spend between 2 and 6 hours looking at a laptop or tablet.

Spinal disorders can have a profound impact on our daily lives. They can make basic daily activities such as getting up from a seat, walking or getting in or out of the car painful and difficult. They can often also interfere with our ability to take part in recreational, social and family activities. Work productivity is also often reduced in back pain sufferers. In the Global Burden of Disease Study, low back pain ranked highest in terms of disability and 6th in terms of overall burden on society.

The good news is that many of the triggers for back pain can be easily avoided. We know that people who work to maintain good posture and are more physically active are less likely to experience spinal pain. This is why the theme of this year's world spine day is 'straighten up and move'.

Here are some resources created for World Spine Day which you may find helpful:

Straighten Up And Move Posture pod
World Spine Day Brochure
Personal Activity Calendar
Stand Taller, Live Longer Poster
Just Start To Walk Resources
24 Hours of Strain Top Tips

If however you're already in pain, then myself and many thousands of chiropractors around the world will be more than happy to provide chiropractic treatment to help ease the pain and get you back up and moving again.

Let World Spine Day be your motivator to get things moving.

Chiropractic Helps Back Related Leg Pain

As a chiropractor at a clinic called 'Your Back Clinic', you might expect me to treat a lot of back pain. That certainly is the case. More than 50% of all the people who come to see me, do so because they are suffering from back pain, particularly pain in the lower back. Low back pain is often complicated by the existence of pain running down into the buttock, thigh, calf and even into the foot. This can be described as back related leg pain.

Commonly people with back related leg pain arrive in my treatment room reporting that they are suffering with "sciatica"; and many of them are. But back related leg pain doesn't necessarily have to be sciatica. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve gets pinched or compressed somewhere along its course at the bottom of the back or in the leg. Very often this is because of some damage to a disc. Some people call this a 'slipped disc', although discs don't really tend to slip; rather, they bulge or herniate, causing pressure on and inflammation of the nearby nerve root. Sciatica is not the only type of back related leg pain. Damaged or dysfunctional joints and muscles in the back can also refer pain into the legs. A thorough physical examination will usually be able to determine where the problem is, although occasionally special imaging tests are necessary and are ordered.

New research published this month, has found that chiropractic treatment and home exercise along with advice, is more effective than home exercise and advice alone in the treatment of back related leg pain. In a 4 year study of 192 sufferers, those whose treatment included chiropractic spinal manipulation were found to have a clinically important advantage at 12 week follow-up. Even after 12 months those treated by a chiropractor still recorded decreased medication use, and greater satisfaction and global improvement than those who only were given advice and home exercises.

Chiropractic care uses no drugs or surgery; rather it is a hands-on treatment approach which aims to restore normal function to joints, muscles and the nervous system through manipulation and rehabilitation. When the body is functioning well, it is better able to repair itself. You should then start to feel well and begin enjoying life to the full. And that's what it's all about!