When was the last time you were pain free? Do you put up with the pain on a daily basis? Why do you suffer from mechanical aches and pains, when most of them could be sorted out?

Most of us have so many things “to do” everyday, that we forget our self. We put up with the aches that the body gives us, as we are “too busy” or “I will sort it tomorrow” or ” I have no time now “! I am sure you recognize these statements.

But why not SORT IT NOW? You owe it to your body to look after it. It does all it’s daily functions without complaining, so when you get a pain somewhere, it is the body’s was of telling you to “give me a bit of TLC”!

Chiropractic can get rid of most aches in the body in a very short space of time. As a Chiropractor, I deal with back pain, head aches, trapped nerves and sciatica on a daily basis. You name it, I have probably dealt with it over the 17 years I have been in practice.

So give yourself the joy of being PAIN FREE, and discover how GREAT you can feel. Discover how much more you can do on a daily basis, when you do not suffer from aches and pains.

The healing art of CHIROPRACTIC can get rid of aches and pains, without surgery or painkillers. You owe it to your self.

I consider myself very lucky to have a great job, where I can make a difference to some one’s life. Even better if you get a little thank you note, hence I will share it with you….

Subject: Fwd: Thank You

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.

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.

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.

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.

You will often hear me tell you to use an icepack. The icepack is great for a low back pain, local to the small of the back. 5 minutes every hour if the pain is really intense. The icepack is like a painkiller, an anti-inflammatory to get rid of the swelling in the joint, that is adding to your pain. Most people think the hot-pack is a must. Actually the heat is best applied to the muscles, not to the joints.

The cold weather we have been “enjoying” lately is totally different to using an icepack. The cold weather will make you tense up hence you hunch your shoulders. And you tense in the muscles. Plus you can not control the cold weather. The icepack is something you use actively to help reduce the inflammation in the area.

So if used correctly the icepack is a great tool to help you get rid of pain. The cold weather is super, if you wrap up warm and go for a walk in the crisp air.

I was asked today to treat a 45 year old female who had a full hysterectomy only 4 days ago. She is a long standing patient, who actually have 5 children, so I ended up going to her house to treat her.

4 days ago she had a full hysterectomy (done “internally”, hence no scar on the stomach), a scheduled operation due to long-standing problems. The op went very well and she was back home after 2 days. I agreed to treat her today as her back was very sore plus she had some “bowel pain” that would not ease with traditional painkillers.

She had a gentle session of chiropractic treatment, geared to her discomfort levels. Almost immediately her lower back pain eased, and 10 minutes later she described how her stomach/bowel pain was markedly less. We also had a good chat about general exercises with especially the ankles to avoid any chance of clots in the calf’s.

So even when you have had major surgery very recently, there are various chiropractic techniques, that can help ease the mechanical pain you may have post-op. It is allways worth asking. Dont just suffer in silence.

As you know the Wii is a great games console for all ages. BUT in the last 3 days I have seen 2 patients who managed to overdo it and give them self some real pain.

First, a gentleman who is normally an avid golfer. He spent 3 hours on sunday playing golf on the Wii. And then wondered why his back was killing him, monday morning. As I explained to him, on the golf-course you walk between hitting the ball. On the Wii you stand still and hit the ball almost every 30 seconds! So the advice to him, was walking around the front room between the strokes.

The second patient was a 30 year old female who was wondering why her right shoulder was a mess this morning. I eventually dragged the info out of her, that she had spent 2 hours on the Wii playing tennis! Again, great exercise but nothing like a real tennis game.

So enjoy the Wii, but do it sensibly. As I always say, “little and often”