Newsletter - September 2009

Exercise

In order to live a healthy life it is important to get regular exercise, keeping physically active can prevent illness. The government recommends that adults aim to do at least thirty minutes of activity on at least 5 days a week and that children do twice that amount. Also, physical exercise substantially reduces the risk of premature death. Exercise can be walking, running, jogging, skipping or dancing. Anything that increases your breathing rate, increases your heart rate to where you can feel your pulse and makes you feel warm. But remember, you should be able to talk without struggling to catch your breath.

Whatever you decide make sure you vary the activity so you don’t get bored and remember exercise releases chemicals called endorphins in the brain.  These strongly affect your mood and help to reduce anxiety, stress and depression.  So you should feel good afterwards!

 

Exercise using equipment.

To use exercise equipment you can either join a gym or buy home exercise equipment, you need to weigh up the options. Ask yourself if you enjoy exercising alone or with others? If you will use the equipment regularly and will the chosen equipment help you meet your goals? Have you considered cheaper alternatives to expensive items, for example buying a stand to convert your usual bike to a stationary unit or purchasing a set of weights? Do you know how to use the equipment properly and safely? Do you need to take medical advice because you have an existing condition such as low back pain, arthritis or heart disease?

Exercise using DVDs and Games.

There are many DVDs which guide you through workouts, yoga and exercise routines. Or you may prefer to try a dance video. Anything that gets you up and moving is worth a try. These days many of us are playing video games and now there are games which can help you to stay fit. The most famous is Wii Fit which works by making the player interact with the game by moving, instead of just sitting and using a console. There are a number of different activities including yoga, balance games, aerobics and strength training. You can even ski-jump or tightrope walk. Importantly, you can also learn more about your balance and the game helps you improve it which will help with your overall stability.

Remember - Chiropractic looks to correct spinal misalignments that cause imbalance in the body. Imbalances do not create misalingments, rather the other way round. That is why the Chiropractor looks at the way you stand, compares your leg lengths and adjusts your hips in order to rebalance your body. Have you booked your next maintenance appointment?

 

Chiropractic and General Health

As a patient of the Chiropractic Health Centres you will be aware that your Chiropractor works with your spine, this is because it holds and protects your spinal cord and your nervous system. Your spinal cord and nerves are vital to your wellbeing as they are the communication network between your brain and your body.

Your spine is amazing, it is designed to safely protect your spinal cord. Along with your brain, the spinal cord comprises your central nervous system. There are then all the other nerves and nerve cells which make up your peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system relays information from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body and then back again. Chiropractic is an essential way of maintaining this system to ensure your health and wellbeing.

The peripheral nervous system is vital in maintaining everything in your body from your temperature to your digestion (as mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter) and even the way you move. The nervous system maintains your energy levels, your blood pressure, breathing and heart rate, plus many other bodily functions that we just take for granted.

The peripheral nerves themselves are not protected by the spinal cord and this means they can be injured more easily. They leave the spinal cord through small openings in the vertebra and these vertebrae can become misaligned. When this happens or when there is damage to the surrounding tissue the body does not function properly and your health can suffer.

Our Chiropractors correct these problems and misalignments by adjusting the position of the vertebrae which enables your body to start to function properly.

Whilst our Chiropractors are here to help you when a problem has arisen they feel it is important that we all regularly maintain our bodies, particularly our spines, in order to ensure we optimize our health. This is why they suggest you come in for regular maintenance appointments even though you feel fully fit. Regular maintenance can prevent problems before they arise.

NOTE: Aspirin and some other anti-inflammatories, if not used according to the directions provided, can cause stomach problems including gastric bleeding.

Chiropractic offers many benefits to your health & digestive system

It is now well known that Chiropractic treatment helps obtain relief from neck pain, back pain and headache. It is less well known that it also offers other health benefits, particularly with the digestive system.

As mentioned earlier in this Newsletter, nerves from the spine have connection with our digestive system and these nerves can speed up or slow down the passage of food through our intestines whilst also effecting the amount of blood supply to our digestive organs. When these nerves are disturbed they frequently cause our back pain, but they can also effect our digestion.

Chiropractors find that when they treat somebody for pain between the shoulder blades, the patient’s problem with heartburn or indigestion often improves. However, patients rarely tell their Chiropractor about ailments apart from spinal and other pains. Remember to tell your Chiropractor about all your symptoms to enable them to have the complete picture and to help you accordingly.

Positive Thinking - Jan Brand.

Positive thinking can have a very powerful affect, it can bring inner peace, better health, improved relationships and happiness. Believe it or not, it is contagious. Other people pick up on your mood and their mood is affected. Here are some tips to help you to develop positive thoughts and in turn help to improve your life:

We are here to help

This practice can offer you support both for your body and for your mind and spirit. Our Chiropractors and our other therapists including acupuncturists, counsellors, masseurs, hypnotherapists, reflexologists and aromatherapists are all here to provide advice and support. Please don’t hesitate to ask any of us for guidance or help.

Don’t forget that we also have therapists who provide the following treatments:

Acupuncture - Aromatherapy – Chiropody – Personal Life Coaching - Counselling Homeopathy - Hypnotherapy - Indian Head Massage – Kinesiology - Metamorphic Massage Neuro Linguistic Programming [NLP] - Polarity Therapy - Reflexology Rehabilitation Exercises including Pilates - Rejuvanessance - Remedial Massage SCIO Quantum Healing -Restylane Wrinkle Reduction and Frown Line Treatment.