If you've ever asked yourself what does a chiropractor do exactly, how effective is the treatment and whether it's right for you, then we hope this blog post can offer some answers..
While chiropractors are widely known for treating back and neck pain, they also treat bone and soft tissue conditions. Our clinic specialises in many different treatments, including spinal manipulation and mobilisations (which is a more passive form of manipulation), acupuncture, K-Taping, recommending exercises, stretches as well as postural and lifestyle advice.
A common myth is that all a chiropractor does is crack your back or bones. While chiropractic care is centered around spinal manipulation, practitioners also study how the spine and its structures are related to the body's function. More information about chiropractic can be found here.
Chiropractors often receive additional training and certification in a wide variety of specialties, including nutrition, sports medicine, acupuncture and rehabilitation.
We treat many different patients presenting with a variety of different conditions here at the clinic. Many of our patients are maintenance appointments, who are experiencing little to no pain, but choose to receive monthly treatments to prevent back or neck issues. Chiropractic is a suitable treatment for people of all ages, from babies and children to elderly adults. Chiropractic care can also be used to help heal pain in the foot, elbow, shoulder and neck.
But some of our patients visit us after an injury or to treat more serious conditions.
This includes:
Additionally, some of our patients visit us as part of their workplace health insurance schemes as they are entitled to free chiropractic care. We also see insurance patients who have been involved in car accidents and need a check-up or treatment.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, chiropractic therapy is the type most commonly used for back pain. In the US, an estimated 74% of people with back pain have used chiropractic care as a method of treatment.
Results of a 2010 review suggest that spinal manipulation may be useful for treating back pain, migraine headaches, whiplash, as well as other conditions affecting the upper and lower extremities.
A 2018 review that included 17 years of studies involving spinal manipulation and mobilisation investigated the effects of these treatments on chronic lower back pain, and the authors concluded that chiropractic is a viable option for managing pain.
Like all forms of treatment, chiropractic care will not be beneficial to all injuries. Sessions should be tailored to a person's needs and performed by a licensed chiropractor. Here at Andy Davies Chiropractic Clinic, we work with you to develop a treatment plan tailored to your complaint that fits in with your lifestyle. We are committed to only providing chiropractic care should you actually require it.
Understandably, one of the most common questions regarding chiropractic treatments are concerns of safety. During your initial chiropractic consultation, you should be made aware of the possible side effects of spinal manipulation, which can include:
There have been occasional reports of long-term danger related to chiropractic care. According to the American Chiropractic Association, most discomfort and soreness subsides within 24 hours of spinal manipulation. The World Health Organization (WHO) state that chiropractic manipulation may be unsafe for people with certain health conditions. These conditions include:
If you believe you may be unsuitable for chiropractic treatment, please let us know during your Initial Consultation. This way you can be assessed thoroughly in line with your pre-existing health conditions to determine if you are a candidate for safe chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractic treatment is a drug-free and non-invasive form of pain management. It can be an effective treatment for musculoskeletal problems and it is generally considered safe for most people.
Have you been suffering with back or neck pain that just doesn't seem to be going away on its own? Don't suffer in silence. New patients can now book in through our online booking system. If you'd like to book your Initial Assessment with us, please book online.
If you have any questions that we haven’t covered here, please feel free to give us a call on 02921 159 435 or email us at andy@thecardiffchiroprator.com to speak to a licensed chiropractor about your concerns.
We can also be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Stay up-to-date with important clinic announcements and be the first to know about our monthly discounts and rewards schemes. We also provide free postural and lifestyle advice which are specifically designed to help you protect your spine and general health.
Acupuncture and dry needling treatments both use thin, stainless steel needles. For both practices, needles are inserted into the skin to treat pain. But that is where the similarities end.
One practice has been used for thousands of years as an alternative treatment and has some solid research of effectiveness. The other’s been adopted in the last couple of decades.
One is designed to relieve pain, discomfort, or issues by opening up a person’s energy flow or chi. The other is designed to stimulate trigger points, or muscles that are irritable.
Knowing the differences can help you decide which type of treatment is right for you...
Dry needling (sometimes referred to as intramuscular stimulation) is a modern treatment designed to ease muscular pain and its popularity is growing. During a dry needling treatment, several filiform needles are inserted into your skin. Filiform needles are fine, short, stainless steel needles that don’t inject fluid into the body, hence the term ‘dry needling’.
These needles are placed in trigger points in your muscle or tissue. These points are areas of knotted or hard muscle. The needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms. The needles remain in your skin for a short period of time, before they are safely removed.
Dry needling may provide relief for some muscular pain and stiffness. Additionally, patients report an easing of the trigger points which can improve flexibility and increase range of motion. This method is often used to treat sports injuries, muscle pain and fibromyalgia pain.
You can find more information about dry needling on our website.
Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment that dates back hundreds, if not thousands of years. It originated in Asia and is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. The fundamental belief of acupuncture is that illness is the result of blocked or interrupted ‘chi’. In ancient Chinese belief, chi is a life force that provides your body with healing energy. Acupuncture seeks to remove blockages in order to return your energy flow to a state of balance.
Acupuncture is used to treats hundreds of conditions and symptoms, including:
Some people have even found success using acupuncture to treat addiction and chemical dependency!
If you’re unsure whether acupuncture or dry needling is the right treatment option for you, the choice may come down to a matter of preference. To summarise:
Currently, acupuncture is better supported by medical research and practitioners are regulated in training and practice. If you prefer a well-established alternative treatment option from a highly-trained chiropractor, then acupuncture may be the most beneficial option for you.
Dry needling on the other hand, is rather new, so research remains limited. Existing research documents very few side effects and the treatment has the potential to relieve pain. If you’re willing to try something that’s less established but promising results, you might find dry needling a better treatment option for you.
If you’re unsure, please get in touch to book an appointment and Andy can go through your acupuncture Cardiff based options and advise which treatment is likely to see the best results for your condition. To book, please give us a call on: 02921 159 435.
You're taking your dog for a walk. It's a beautiful sunny day. You're texting a friend about your upcoming trip to...
Suddenly — faster than you can say, "squirrel!" — your dog takes off.
You may not realise how common dog walking injuries are, but here at the clinic we see disgruntled dog lovers regularly.
Walking your furry little friend is a great way to maintain a healthy daily exercise routine. In fact, regular walking can even help with chronic low back pain. Owning a dog ensures you go for regular walks which strengthens the small of your back where the spin curves in. For all its benefits, walking a dog can have at least one major health disadvantage – back problems.
Even if you have no history of spinal issues, the daily grind of walking the dog can lead to serious issues if done incorrectly. When your back remains stiff, it absorbs the force of your dog pulling on the lead which can lead to lower back problems over time. Younger dogs in particular are full of energy and are more likely to pull you along. However, any dog, if not properly trained, can cause similar problems.
One of the best ways to avoid lower back pain is to bend your knees while walking. This way, your knees and not your back will absorb the force of your dog tugging. Use your core to stand straight and walk at a steady pace, using your body to turn the dog.
Try to wear sensible footwear that cushion your steps and avoid picking up your dog when possible. Footwear should provide comfort and adequate padding that supports your heels (i.e. avoid flip flops).
You can greatly minimise the risk of injury by improving your lead technique. Here are a few points to remember:
Do not go to the point of exhaustion, but rather gradually increase the distance every couple of days. Take frequent breaks if you need to; it gives your dog a break too. Treat walking just as you would any other physical exercise. Make sure you stretch before and after to avoid pulling a muscle!
When picking up after your dog, bend with your knees and use your leg muscles to squat down. Focus on using your core for stability.
Vary the terrain that you walk on. Take your dog down to the beach, explore the forests and fields and all the grass you can find. All of this variation will help to strengthen your ankles and be a welcome break for your lower body from the unforgiving tarmac.
Most importantly, pay attention. This makes sense for your physical and mental health. Getting outside for a bit of fresh air with your furry friend is a great time to switch off and focus on the present moment. Paying attention to your dog also means you’re ready for any tugs at the lead that could lead to a potential injury. That means the following:
These are generally caused in two ways. Firstly, by the dog pulling on the lead too much. Having a dog pull you along rather than walking alongside you causes your arm to be pulled forwards, often at an awkward angle. This irritates the muscles and joints of the arm, shoulder and neck and can damage the soft tissues and joints in these areas.
Solution: Change up your lead! There are different types of leads that can help stop dogs pulling or you can read this post which has a number of ways to change your dogs behaviour to stop them pulling on the lead.
The second thing that irritates the neck and shoulders is by throwing balls and sticks for your dog. If this is done repeatedly with poor technique, you might end up with rotator cuff problems in the shoulder or pain and stiffness in the neck. Both of these injuries can lead to pain and lack of movement in the neck or shoulder.
Solution: Use a tennis ball thrower. This helps to reduce the stress on the arm and shoulder during the throwing action.
You might be someone without enough time in the day to fit everything in, so why not turn your dog walk into an exercise routine? You can even add stretching and strengthening exercises into your routine, like lunges or a round of push-ups against a park bench. Be sure to let your dog have some off lead exercise time too!
I hope these tips help you to prevent injury when walking your dog, as they have helped me. If the niggles just won’t go away however, or if you do have any aches or pains following a dog walking incident then make sure you have them examined. Pop into the clinic and or give us a ring to book an appointment at Andy Davies Chiropractic Clinic and we will do our best to help you.
Pharmacists provide an important service for our local communities, and their health and well being is key to ensuring drugs are prescribed correctly and safely.
Over the last year I have treated a number of different pharmacists, varying in gender, age, height, time in the job and the common factor between all of these patients? They all needed my help!
I conduct a detailed investigation into the reason why every single one of my patients has visited the clinic and the more pressing matters of poor habits they pick up on a daily basis. Many arise from our workplace, and pharmacies are no exception.
The main factor that every pharmacist has expressed in my company is a concern over the intensity of a working day with limited breaks, if any, and the stress that can be placed on the spine as a whole.
Regular breaks in any job is vital in allowing the spine to have a chance at recovery or to stretch it out, promote healthy mobility within the joints, muscles and ligaments. Taking a break is important and beneficial for your mental health too!
The computer screens that the pharmacist must use are predominantly on a standard or lower than normal desk and due to the nature of the business the professional will usually lean over towards the desk to type in the relevant information, for hours on end. I have been told on occasions that stools are not allowed so that they are able to sit for five minutes during the day to work at the desk... which I find strange!!!
The workstation or desk is usually far too low to be flexed at the lumbar spine all day long, potentially causing strain and stress on the spine in multiple areas. Most of us may get away with this on the odd day in a week, but to carry out this negative posture and strain maybe 48 out 52 weeks in a year is tough going! And I’m sure most of can admit to ignoring aches and pains most days until one day an episode properly kicks us up the butt!
These are my thoughts based around what I’ve been told by the patients I have previously treated and the general information I have learned over the last few years. Every time a patient enters the clinic, I aim to help them achieve their goals, whether that is increased mobility or eliminate the pain they experience in daily life. I like to say to my patients that we can educate, successfully fix the complaint and improve the patient’s lifestyle, however where their workplace is concerned, we have a slightly bigger barrier to overcome as jobs can differ so greatly. Many of my pharmacist patients are regular maintenance patients as the changes that need to be made at their workplace in order to eliminate the cause of their back pain are simply not happening…
The general stress caused on the spine in a normal day of work for a pharmacist can at time be greater than other professions, but we can treat this! I can educate my patients on better ways to stand and hold themselves, as well as various treatments, stretches and exercises to improve posture and overall spinal health. Despite all of this, it is still an uphill battle every day and the negative work factors are extremely powerful in the case of pharmacists.
If you’re reading this and find any of the above relates to you and you would like to learn more about ways to help your spine when in work, please check out our website for more details and book your first consultation.
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If you are finding that back and neck pain is keeping you awake at night, the way you sleep might be contributing to it. Here are some helpful tips to encourage a better night’s sleep...
Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck, and spine to maintain a neutral position. You’re not forcing any extra curves into your back, and is ideal for fighting acid reflux. If the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus so acid or food can’t come back up.
Side-sleeping is great for overall health—it reduces snoring and keeps your spine elongated. If you suffer from acid reflux, this is the next best thing to sleeping on your back.
If you're suffering from uncomfortable back or neck pain, you could be sleeping in a position which is detrimental to your spine and overall health. The following positions are to be avoided.
When you snooze with your knees pulled up high and chin tucked into your chest, you may feel it in the morning, especially if you have an arthritic back or joints. This curved position also restricts diaphragmatic breathing.
Sleeping on your stomach makes it difficult to maintain a neutral position with your spine. It puts pressure on joints and muscles, which can irritate nerves and lead to pain, numbness, and tingling. Think about the soreness you’d feel if you kept your neck turned to one side for 15 minutes during the day. In this position you have your head to one side for hours at a time. You won’t necessarily feel it the next day, but you may soon start to ache.
Swear you don’t move at all at night?
Think again. While you generally spend the most time in the position you fall asleep in, even those who barely have to make their beds in the morning move 2 to 4 times an hour, which may add up to 20 or more tosses and turns a night!
Here are some helpful tips to get a better night's sleep and help your spine.
Do you respect your Spine like you do your teeth? Do you brush your teeth every day? Maybe once, maybe twice per day? Either way you are aware that your teeth require cleaning on a regular basis, otherwise they may discolour, build up tartar, fall out, need a filling and so on. It’s not just brushing them that keeps them healthy though, you must watch what you eat and drink, whether you smoke or even chew gum. These are external factors that we as individuals control and if pointed out, we must address. If someone went to the dentist and presented with generally good, healthy teeth then the dentist would advise they keep brushing well and look after what they have. If by the time they visit in six months for a check up and they are discoloured, needing work then the individual has clearly neglected them. On the other hand, if a patient presented with a fairly bad set of teeth and was required to have a scale and polish along with an extraction or further treatment then they would be advised and treated accordingly. So, this person comes back three months later and has actually brushed twice a day for this time and they are still in one hell of a mess!! The patient says to the dentist . .Well I’ve brushed like you said and you still need to take out three teeth!! What’s going on? It turns out the patient has been drinking four cans of fizzy drinks per day, multiple bars of chocolate and sweets on a daily basis and smokes 15 cigarettes a day. This scenario shows the importance of the patient understanding what happens to the body and treatment doesn’t simply fix everything. You as the patient must take responsibility between treatments or appointments and lead a healthy lifestyle in more ways than one. Treatments are very effective and can aid in recovery but you must understand what the body requires to function at a healthy and sensible level. In my professional opinion the teeth and spine are the most common areas with regards to pain complaints that we see across the nation and the world for that matter. Both require attention on a daily basis, both require regular checkups or treatment, nutritional education and how you live your life every second is vital to their function. If you neglect one or more of these points then you increase the risk of problems in the given region. The spine depends on mobility, function, free moving joints, relaxed muscles, free flowing nervous system. Without these, the spine will not be happy and let you know about it!! That’s why you are probably sat here now reading this..... People generally don’t just wake up with back pain or tooth ache, there is usually a logical reason for why this has presented. If we can be more aware of these factors then we can all live a longer and healthier life and enjoy the good things! Take care of yourself, educate yourself and respect the body you have been given . . . . . EVERYDAY!!!
Babies can be heavy and difficult to lift from newborn until years old, thus causing stress and tension on our neck, back, shoulders and wrists. The sheer number of times you are required to lift or move your child in one day is staggering and that is why it is essential that these movements are carried out in the safest and most sensible way possible . . . . . .every time! Cot/bed Try and get your baby as close to you as possible, support the neck with one hand and the lower back with the other and then SLOWLY lift until your back is straight. Avoid sharp, abrupt lifting as this can easily damage your back. Floor/Stroller Get onto your one knee and as close to the baby as possible, support the neck and lower back, slowly bring the baby close to your chest. Again, slowly push off with you placed or supporting leg and extend to a standing position. Avoid bending down at the waist and lifting quickly. Feeding Avoid rushing whilst feeding as a starting point. Try not to lean over from a position that is obviously a little too far away from the baby. Always sit on a chair as close to the baby as possible and feed from this position. Bottle/Breastfeeding Typically carried out leaning forward, no support under the baby and in any chair you are close to. This causes stress on the neck, back, shoulder, wrist and elbow. Lean against the back of a comfortable the chair, with your neck in line and not slouched forward. This will reduce the stress placed on your spine which is vital as feeding can last for some time. Also, place a pillow under the baby so the shoulder, wrist and elbow are now supported. These may seem very obvious when reading the tips, although we often forget to do the basics on a daily basis!!!
As a society we generally sit down way too much! Whether it is due to our job, hobby, relaxing time or even sleeping, we all sit down more than we should. Unfortunately, the implications of leading a sedentary lifestyle in and out of work can lead to more serious outcomes if not addressed asap. If you are a typical 'office worker' and work 35-40 hours per week and sit at the desk all day then you will generally not get up much in your normal day, apart from lunch and toilet breaks. If done over a prolonged period of time , then this can lead to physical symptoms and sometimes more serious conditions.
Before we talk about a condition known most commonly as a 'slipped Disc', it is important to know where and what it actually is.
The discs lie between the vertebra in the spinal column, which span from the base of your skull down to the small of your back. The discs are gelatinous in nature and consist of an inner (nucleus pulposus) and outer layer (Annulus Fibrosis). They act as shock absorbers to the spine, enabling the body to carry out normal everyday activities with function and ease.
When a disc is herniated, prolapsed or 'slipped' then this basically means that the inner layer has been compromised. When the back is placed under extreme pressure or force, the gel-like layer can protrude outwards and tear. Depending on the severity of the tear and the cause, the gel then leaks out and can press on a nerve at that level of the spine. This dictates the area by which the person will feel the symptoms. The lowest disc being the L5/S1 is the most commonly damaged region and accounts for approximately 95% of disc herniations. The lower the disc, the more pressure is placed upon it, hence why the L5/S1 is the most commonly affected.
A typical example of a patient presenting to the clinic with a slipped disc, would be:
33 year old female office worker that works 40 hours per week sat at a desk with a generally bad posture. Whilst doing a kettle bell class in the evening she bent down to pick up the kettle bell and felt her back go. Pain was a severe 8/10 and now refers from the lower back on the right, down into the gluteal muscles, hamstring and into the toes. Bending forward brings on the pain and daily activities are a struggle.
This is a typical presentation of a herniated disc. There may also be weakness in the lower limb muscles, sensation changes, numbness and sometimes people may complain of changes in their bowel and bladder movements.
The main causes for a disc complaint in the lower back are age, trauma, posture, obesity and smoking, with the most common age group between 20-40. Although extreme or heavy pressure on the spine usually causes a damaged disc, it can also be caused something innocuous, such as bending down to pick a pen up. If the spine has been damaged through constant postural problems or previous trauma then the disc may simply be waiting to tear no matter what the cause.
Chiropractors are well trained diagnostic musculoskeletal specialists. They focus on diagnosis, treatment and management of the most common conditions that we suffer from everyday. With regards to the disc injury, the Chiropractor would take a full history of the presenting complaint, examine the patient thoroughly and explain their findings. Following this, treatment may be provided straight away or additional advice such as ice or exercises may be given. Over the period of a given number of treatments the Chiropractor would use their expertise in spinal manipulation to ease the pain and restriction in the spine , thus reducing the inflammation around the injured region.
Every Chiropractor has a slightly different approach to a patient and may use varied manual techniques when treating a condition, but there is one constant . . . . . . we are here to help, diagnose, treat, manage and advise. Be proactive and treat the spine before you treat the pain!
If you’ve ever asked yourself what does a chiropractor do exactly, how effective is the treatment and whether it’s right for you, then we hope this blog post can offer some answers.. What does a chiropractor do? While chiropractors are widely known for treating back and neck pain, they also treat bone and soft tissue […]
Acupuncture and dry needling treatments both use thin, stainless steel needles. For both practices, needles are inserted into the skin to treat pain. But that is where the similarities end. One practice has been used for thousands of years as an alternative treatment and has some solid research of effectiveness. The other’s been adopted in […]
You’re taking your dog for a walk. It’s a beautiful sunny day. You’re texting a friend about your upcoming trip to… Suddenly — faster than you can say, “squirrel!” — your dog takes off. You may not realise how common dog walking injuries are, but here at the clinic we see disgruntled dog lovers regularly. […]
Pharmacists provide an important service for our local communities, and their health and well being is key to ensuring drugs are prescribed correctly and safely. Over the last year I have treated a number of different pharmacists, varying in gender, age, height, time in the job and the common factor between all of these patients? […]
Here are some of the amazing benefits of receiving chiropractic treatment… You might be thinking that you don’t need chiropractic care because you are not experiencing pain in your back or neck. But you don’t need to be in pain to get adjusted. Pain is the body’s way of indicating there is a problem, but […]
If you are finding that back and neck pain is keeping you awake at night, the way you sleep might be contributing to it. Here are some helpful tips to encourage a better night’s sleep… The best: Sleeping on your back Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux. Sleeping on your back […]
Do you respect your Spine like you do your teeth? Do you brush your teeth every day? Maybe once, maybe twice per day? Either way you are aware that your teeth require cleaning on a regular basis, otherwise they may discolour, build up tartar, fall out, need a filling and so on. It’s not just […]
Babies can be heavy and difficult to lift from newborn until years old, thus causing stress and tension on our neck, back, shoulders and wrists. The sheer number of times you are required to lift or move your child in one day is staggering and that is why it is essential that these movements are […]
As a society we generally sit down way too much! Whether it is due to our job, hobby, relaxing time or even sleeping, we all sit down more than we should. Unfortunately, the implications of leading a sedentary lifestyle in and out of work can lead to more serious outcomes if not addressed asap. If […]
Before we talk about a condition known most commonly as a ‘slipped Disc’, it is important to know where and what it actually is. The discs lie between the vertebra in the spinal column, which span from the base of your skull down to the small of your back. The discs are gelatinous in nature […]
The primary healthcare practitioner uses manual therapies such as manipulation of the spine and extremity joints, soft tissue work, acupuncture, stretching and strengthening exercises, rehabilitation and postural and lifestyle advice.
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