WARNING, you may find the following a bit controversial. I do not mean to upset anyone, but I am just highlighting a possible connection between back pain and the “superwoman” of today. So if you have a weak constitution, or get easily offended, you may choose to stop now and come back later!!

Over the years I have seen a number of cases of low back pain suffered by ladies who have been married for many years to, dare I say, “non-house-trained” husbands. Husbands of the generation who expect that the wife does EVERYTHING for them.

Now, I am not in any way, shape or form, saying that the wife is “putting on” the back pain. But, the mechanical pain, is a way for the wife to get a bit of time-out, to recover, to regain some strength.

The pain is very real, often caused by something relatively minor, and it needs proper chiropractic treatment. An aspect the husband will find very frustrating, as he expects her to be better instantly.

So, to you Husbands who may recognize yourself from this little piece. Give her a hug, some help and let her get better in her own time.

To you wife’s, who will be nodding in unison. Tell him you would like another cup of tea, and a bit of peace.

I often see patients who come in with an undefined hip/lower back pain. The first question they almost always ask is “Do I need a new hip? Is it time for a hip-replacement?”. Most of them I can re-assure and say “No” to.

Over the 16 years of being in practice I have gained a lot of knowledge regarding hip joints and when they need to be replaced. A few simple orthopedic tests can often give the answer more of less instantly.

The lower back can give you a pain down into the “bum” area, before it radiates into the thigh. It will often be at the back of the thigh or towards the actual hip itself.

A worn out hip joint is commonly associated with groin pain. A deep nagging pain into the groin especially when you walk. You may feel like you tilt to one side, as the affected leg will seem shorter.

So ASK if you suffer any of these pains. I can quickly give you a very good idea of the state of your hips. I will also be the first one to send you on to the GP if I suspect that it needs further investigations.

In today’s busy world it does not have to be an injury that will put you out of action. STRESS can do it! Yes, that feeling, when you are just about to lose your temper because you have so many things to do. A pain so nasty you have to stop the hectic life and just “be still” for a few days.

Nonsense I can hear you say.”Stress is a mental thing. That does not give me a physical pain”. “YES IT CAN” would be my answer. Any mental stress you may be feeling will aggravate what ever weakness you may have in the skeletal system, hence you get a REAL physical pain.

A real life example:

Mr. C called the office yesterday for an urgent app. He is a school teacher. Over the weekend he had started with some chest pain and pain in the left arm. It became gradually more severe to the point, where his wife called the ambulance sunday afternoon, and off he went to Arrow Park Hospital! They did a complete check on him, and ruled out a heart attack, so he was out of hospital again monday morning. He then called me!

I checked him over and told him his neck and upper back was very tight and tense. Immediately after the treatment, the numbness of his left arm eased off and the chest pain was gone by the time he left the Clinic. Another happy customer!

So, think about how stress can affect you. And do call if you have a pain, you are not sure about. I will be the first one to send you to the GP, if there is ANYTHING I am not sure about.

In the meantime: CHILL and enjoy life.

Ms 54 year old came in this week. “I am absolutely fine” she tells me, “just did not want to miss my regular MOT check-up”. Well done you, was my answer.

Together we had a look over her file. She came originally in 2001 with a severe pain in the lower back and recurrent headaches. This had been on and off for years.

It took 8 appointments in 2001 and early 2002 to get her pain free. In 2003 she had 3 appointments just to keep a check on the spine. Since 2004 she has come in every 6 month, for what is called an MOT check.

This is an appointment where I can check the whole spine and treat what ever is not in perfect balance. She has stuck to this routine since 2004 and has had NO RECURRANCE of the original pain.

“So even though I feel fine, there is no way I would miss these MOT appointments”. And I can only agree with her. In my experience, the patients who stick to the recommended treatment plan, tend to be pain free for a very long time.

And at the end of the day, what price can you put on being pain free, in good health? Surely that is priceless.

The skeleton had an evening out on Feb 12th. I was invited to speak at Chester and Ellesmere Port Business Forum, so I took my trusted friend with me. The topic was Chiropractic and what we can do for your aches and pains.

Amanda Daniels aka KOOGAR http://www.koogar.co.uk, the best web designer in this area, was talking about BRANDING. How just making a few changes to for example a business card can have a huge impact on how your business is being perceived public.

Koogar also happens to be the lady who has designed the website for CHIROMOOS, the logo and the new business cards. So a pretty important person!

Amanda is the lady on the left, holding the new cards.

Great evening. Everyone there was impressed by the skeleton! I find him to be a great prop at talks, because it helps for people to visualize how they look on the inside.

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Sciatica is the word often used for really strong pain down the back of your thigh. It usually starts at your buttocks and goes down the back of the leg, often to the knee, and in severe cases all the way to your heel bone.

The actual sciatic nerve is the main nerve that goes from your lower back down into the back of your leg, all the way to your foot. You have a similar nerve on the front of the thigh called the femoral nerve.

Sciatica can be caused by a slipped disc in your lower back, or an irritation of the joints in your lower back. In more unusual cases it is the muscles in your “bum” that goes into spasm, hence irritating the sciatic nerve.

What ever the cause is, a chiropractor can give you the diagnosis and most importantly help you get better. Studies have shown, that chiropractic is a very effective way to treat sciatica. So go ahead, ask if you are the one suffering. No reason to suffer in silence.

It has nothing to do with the current cold-spell that we are “enjoying.”

It is officially called ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS and is actually very common. It starts as a tightness in the shoulder, when you move your shoulder in a specific direction. It almost like you can do most things with the shoulder, just not this one direction! Sounds familiar?

Chiropractic treatment is really effective for a frozen shoulder, as the condition is often combined with some tightness of the neck itself. So by gently manipulating the neck and doing some specific movement of the shoulder, you can get better quicker. Compared to you just taking anti-inflammatories.

If you recognize your self from this or know someone who is suffering, you can mention Chiropractic to them. You never know, I will probably be able to get them better.

As a personal note to last nights OPEN EVENING, I was reminded why I became a Chiropractor. And why I fell very lucky to have a profession that feels more like a lifestyle, than a tedious chore.

I had severe period problems as a teenager, to the point of missing school 2-3 days per month. Someone suggested Chiropractic to my mom, who was open to anything that would get me out of pain. I hated painkillers, even at that age!

Anyways, I was treated by this lovely female Chiropractor called Bodil Andersen who works in Sonderborg in Denmark. She explained that the reason for the pain, was an imbalance in the lower back, she would “sort it out”, and I would be pain free! Sounded like MAGIC to a 14 year old. 4 months later I was pain free ( still pain free to the present day). So I was hooked on this therapy that could get rid of pain, naturally.

I have now been a qualified Chiropractor since 1992, and love every minute of it. No two days are ever the same. You get the priviledge to deal with people on a very personal level, and help them get their life back. And in most cases, the outcome is life-changing.

That is why I love Chiropractic, and feel it is a life-style more than a job.

PS: Bodil Andersen is still working in Sonderborg. I try to chat with her at least once a year when I am in Denmark.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who braved the elements last night. What a great evening.

Lynn Williams (having battled her way off a snowy mountain in North Wales) started the evening with the lecture on Positive Parenting. We all learned that maybe bad behaviour is a reaction from especially a teenager, who can not express him/her self in other ways.

Olivia Stefanino, then follow with an introduction to the PEAR process. A very powerful way to release a lot of negative aggression you are storing for no good reason. Check out www.pearprocess.co.uk for more details.

Marie-Claire  finished the evening with a superb talk about how you can feel better by “clearing the clutter both physically and mentally”. Look at www.marieclairecarlyle.com for more details.

The whole audience was buzzing at the end of the evening, and we all felt enlightened with the quality of speakers. Plus the top food, as provided by Romey.

Watch this space for the next OPEN EVENING on April 23′rd 2009.