Chiropractor St Albans, Hertford, Watford - Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain

We wish you Good Health in 2008

If YOU suffer from . . .

Arm and Hand Pain
Arthritis
Back Pain
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Foot Pain
Frozen Shoulder
Headaches
Infantile Colic
Leg Pain
Lumbago
Migraine
Muscular Tension
Neck Pain
RSI
Sciatica
Sports Injuries
Sprains
Tennis Elbow
TMJ Pain
Whiplash Injuries

. . . . Regardless of your age, whether it be 0 or 99 or somewhere in between…our chiropractors at The Bassett Chiropractic Clinics in Hertford, St Albans and Watford help people with these conditions - and more!

Chiropractic is a primary health-care profession that specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of conditions that are due to problems with the joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves of the body, particularly those of the spine.

Treatment consists of a wide range of manipulative techniques designed to improve the function of the joints, relieving pain and muscle spasm. Chiropractic does not involve the use of any drugs or surgery.

ASTHMA
Asthma affects 5% of the population, and studies show that the prevalence of this disorder is on the increase across Europe. Asthma is a potentially serious condition with an annual mortality in Britain of 2000. Despite the figures, the majority of UK citizens still do not fully understand the implications of asthma, and very few know how chiropractic treatment can help people with this potentially life-threatening condition.

Asthma is a disorder in which the muscles of the airways go into a state of spasm, so that the airtubes in the lungs become narrow, impeding the passage of air. This leads to coughing, respiratory distress and wheezing. Breathing out can become easier than breathing in so that the lungs cannot empty and become over-inflated.

Asthma affects so many people due to its many potential triggers, which include exercise, allergens such as house dust mites, seasonal pollen, animal fur, moulds, certain drugs, certain foods (e.g. dairy produce), infection, or even sudden changes in weather. However, malalignments in the spine can also play a major role in the frequency and gravity of asthma attacks.

HOW THE SPINE AFFECTS BREATHING
Each muscle in the body is linked to nerves that branch off from the spinal cord. The muscles we use to breathe all get their nerve supply from the same parts of the spine. If these areas of the spine are malaligned, the nerve supply ceases to function correctly and the muscles required to breathe could also be affected. This explains why unknown malalignments of the spine can exacerbate asthmatic attacks.

Many asthmatics witness improvement after chiropractic treatment. The chiropractor will make a detailed examination of the spine, which may include x-ray. He will then decide which malalignment of the spine requires manipulation in order to correct the problem.

Correcting the malalignment can halt the chain of events which lead to closing of the airways and asthma attacks, resulting in symptomatic relief and a reduction in frequency of attacks.

BACK PAIN
Whether you have recurring back pain or just an occasional bout, there's no doubt about it - back pain can be excruciating and frustrating.

When it happens to you, a maximum two or three days of bed rest usually works better than long term bed rest. Activity, increased gradually, actually causes pain to decrease!

Try not to remain totally still. If you can, walk around for a few minutes once every hour or try to do some gentle stretching exercises. While you are resting, lie on your stomach, at least some of the time. This position extends your back. (if this position worsens your pain, as it may for individuals with facet syndrome or spinal stenosis, STOP AND CONSULT YOUR CHIROPRACTOR) The rest of the time, find a neutral position on your side or on your back and place a couple of pillows under your knees. Avoid twisting and reaching for things; this can strain the back more.

Consult your chiropractor. We will be able to help you cope with the pain.

CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can be confused with the beginnings of multiple sclerosis and arthritis, so it is vital that people see a specialist in order to differentiate between the serious conditions.

The condition of carpal tunnel syndrome arises when swelling within the wrist region causes a major ligament in the wrist to compress one of the two sensory nerves, the median nerve, running through the wrist to the hand. The result is numbness and tingling in the fingers, sometimes even pain, in the half of the hand supplied by the nerve, the thumb side.

Come and see a chiropractor who will also check your neck for nerve irritation and check your elbow joint and wrist joints are functioning at their best.

COLIC

Infantile colic is the term commonly used to decribe persistent and most often violent crying for no apparent reason in otherwise healthy and thriving young infants. Colicky babies often bend their knees to their stomachs and arch their backsand heads backwards.

Chiropractors can be very successful in treating this condition.

DIZZINESS
Most children get a real thrill out of making themselves dizzy. They'll spin round and round as fast as possible and then collapse in a heap of laughter and giggles. However, when someone suddenly becomes dizzy for no apparent reason, it can be a very frightening and debilitating experience.

Dizziness is the third most common complaint in general practice, yet most people don't know why it happens. Our eyes, ears and nerve endings in our joints all combine to send signals to the brain telling us where our body is in space. If these signals are interrupted or the wrong signals are sent, then we can get dizzy. There are a number of different reasons why we can feel dizzy. Some of these include trauma to the head and/or neck, Multiple Sclerosis, Merniere's Disease, Cervicogenic Vertigo, Labyrinthitis (infection), drugs, tumours, and Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo.

BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo, especially in the elderly. By the age of 70, about 30 per cent of all elderly patients have experienced it at least once. The incidence of this condition is 64 per 100,000 but this increases by 38 per cent with each decade of life.

JOGGING
Over training causes 90% of jogging injuries. Whether you choose jogging to avoid the gym, increase fitness levels, improve stamina, or even if your thinking of training for this years London marathon, it is important to understand some of the injuries that can effect your ability.

There are two types of injury known as the acute trauma and the overuse injury. The acute trauma is sudden, such as a torn ligament or a broken bone. The most frequently encountered problem, however, is caused by overuse.

MOST COMMON INJURIES

SHIN SPLINTS - Result of faulty posture, poor shoes, fallen arches, insufficient warm-up, muscle fatigue, exercising on unyielding surfaces or poor funning mechanics. Pain on the front, inside and/or the outside surface of the shinbone or directly on the shinbone. Prevent with good shock absorbing shoes, heel toe landing for minimum impact and calf stretches.
ANKLE SPRAINS - Small Fractures occur due to excessive stress (overuse of the bone) or an increase in intensity or distance running. Cross-country running trail running and stepping in a pothole could potentially lead to a sprain. Pain especially in the foot and lower leg, more intense with weight bearing activity, X- rays can appear negative initially but fractures become visible up to two weeks after injury. Treat immediately with R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compression (gentle), Elevation.
RUNNERS KNEE - Softening the cartilage of the kneecap. Portions of the Cartilage may be under either too much or too little pressure. This may result in cartilage deterioration at the inner part of the kneecap. Usually also felt after sitting for a long period of time with the knees bent.

EFFECTIVE TRAINING
Working too hard and at high levels of intensity can cause a number of injuries. If you increase the mileage you are doing every week and the speed, you will add pressure to your body, which can result in a number of injuries and ultimately results in breakdown.
The most effective jogging training involves; one hard session followed by a light session, alternatively hard weeks followed by easy weeks. This will make your training much more effective and reduce your risk of injury.
No matter how hard you feel you need to train to reach your goals, it is important that you allow your body to rest and recuperate. However if you are trying to increase your stamina and ability, you can still increase mileage and speed by approximately 10% per week without risk of overstraining.

THIRD WEEK RULE
Every third week, you should reduce your training by a small amount. Instead of the intense four sessions per week, drop back to two or three sessions to give your body a chance to recover and strengthen itself. Instead allow at least two to three sessions per week to be non-running activities.

NUTRITION
Diet is one of the most important contributions to our health. What we eat keeps us healthy or makes us sick. Nutritional deficiencies are linked to many of today's chronic diseases such diabetes, heart disease,arthrtis and even cancer.

If you are concerned about your diet you can discuss this with your chiropractor.

PREGNANCY
The joy of preparing for a new baby is diminished for many women by persistent back pain, causing much stress and frustration due to the lack of relief available. Nearly half of all pregnant women complain of back pain.

Chiropractic is a good option for the relief ofback pain during pregnancy.

TENNIS ELBOW
Poor technique is often the cause of common tennis injuries. Tennis elbow is one the most common and the most painful.
It is usually associated with the inflammation of the forearm muscle and tissue surrounding the elbow joint and has ruined many players enjoyment of the game and, the execution of backhand shots with a weak wrist is often the trigger. Shoulder injuries are also common among tennis players. As with the elbow, poor technique is usually the underlying problem.
Serving incorrectly puts the shoulder under stress and can also cause lower back pain.
Players with any of these problems should see their chiropractor to get treatment.

Hydration:
Do not underestimate the importance of drinking water when playing tennis, you lose a lot more fluids than you realise because a lot of your perspiration simply evaporates. Water really is your best choice for hydration.
Most importantly, tennis is a positive activity that provides stress release and social interaction. Exercise of all kinds can improve people's moods but check with your chiropractor first to make sure tennis is the right exercise for you.