Newsletter - November 2009

In this month's issue . . .

• Chiropractic Care and Blood Pressure
• Frozen Shoulder and how Chiropractic can help.
• Athletes can benefit from Chiropractic care.
• Don’t worry about making mistakes

Chiropractic Care and Blood Pressure

Everybody has to have blood pressure. Without it, blood can't circulate through the body and their vital organs can't get the oxygen and food that they need to function properly. So it's important to know about blood pressure. When the heart beats, it pumps blood to the arteries and creates pressure in them. This blood pressure results from two things. The first is the force that is created as blood pumps into the arteries and through the circulatory system. The second force is created as the arteries resist the blood flow.

If you're healthy, your arteries are muscular and elastic. Normally, your heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute. Blood pressure increases with each heartbeat and decreases when your heart relaxes between beats. Your blood pressure can change, depending on your posture, exercise or if you are sleeping. It should normally be less than 120/80 mm for an adult. What do blood pressure numbers indicate? The higher number represents the pressure when the heart is beating. The lower number represents the pressure when the heart is resting between beats.

High blood pressure adds to the workload for your heart and arteries. Your heart must pump harder, and the arteries carry blood that's moving under greater pressure. If high blood pressure continues for a long time, your heart and arteries may not work as well as they should and your other organs may also be affected. There is increased risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and heart attack. When high blood pressure exists alongside obesity, smoking, high cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases.

Within limits, the lower your blood pressure reading is, the better. In most people, it isn't too low until it produces symptoms like lightheadedness or fainting. However, if you have unusually low blood pressure it is best that it is checked by your GP.

How Chiropractic Care can help - It is well known that the brain communicates with the other organs in our bodies. In order to control our blood pressure it communicates with our heart and our arteries by using our sensory nerves which are located in the heart and arteries to carry information to the brain and back again. These nerves run through the spine, however, if there is a misalignment of the vertebrae which protect the very fragile nerves it can often cause a change in those vital nerves and the information received can be affected.

Chiropractic adjustment can correct and restore this communication system thus reducing blood pressure which in turn can prevent the need for prescription drugs.

Frozen Shoulder and how Chiropractic can help.

This condition can be called Frozen Shoulder or Adhesive Capsulitis. Adhesive Capsulitis can affect almost any joint in the body. Most joints of the body are surrounded by a watertight bag or sack called a capsule that protects the joint with fluid. Inflamation of the capsule can lead to a condition called “capsulitis”. Long-term inflammation of the capsule can cause scar-tissue in and around the joint. This scarring is called Adhesive Capsulitis and in the case of the shoulder joint it causes a condition where the shoulder becomes very stiff and limited in its movement. Frozen Shoulder is often quite serious and recovery can take a long period of time.

Problems with the shoulder can be caused by many things:- a fall onto an outstretched arm, a severe pulling of the arm, weightlifting, repetitive throwing and even swimming. They can also be caused by working with a computer and driving.

Helping to return the shoulder to full movement in order for it to function correctly requires work on the joint and on the muscles. Joints are best corrected with chiropractic adjustments. The muscles need therapy that will reduce the scar-tissue within the joint and surrounding capsule.

Chiropractic Adjustment provides carefully directed and controlled pressure to restore joints to their normal motion and position. It also helps to reduce the strain on the surrounding muscles which have been compensating for the joint that hasn’t been working properly. Physiotherapy following Chiropractic Adjustment can also be beneficial – ask your Chiropractor whether it would be appropriate in your case, as he/she will be happy to refer you to a physiotherapist.

Athletes can benefit from Chiropractic care.

Many professional and top amateur athletes use Chiropractors regularly and have them as part of their support team. Top athletes don’t wait until there is a problem, they look after their bodies and have regular maintenance checks from their Chiropractors.

A recent American study found that athletes who underwent regular chiropractic care enjoyed a 10 percent improvement in their overall performance time and results compared to athletes who were not under chiropractic care. “You obviously can’t compete at your fullest if you’re not in alignment. Chiropractic is essential for me and my training routine,” said World and Olympic Decathlon Champion, Dan O’Brien.

“Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using chiropractors very extensively in order to stay healthy and fit. I found it was better to go to a chiropractor before you get injured. We are a perfect team – the world of fitness and the world of chiropractors” Arnold Schwarzenegger.