We often ask our patients to take a short walk after their adjustment, depending on the chiropractic technique we’ve used. We generally ask you to take short walks of about 5 minutes or so, to stabilise your spine.

Walking is a low impact type of exercise and, as such, is suitable if you have ongoing or recurrent episodes of lower back pain. Aerobic exercise can be great for reducing the incidence of low back pain but it’s too painful to perform when you’re actually suffering. Walking counts as good exercise but doesn’t aggravate the structures in your lower back.

For some back problems, even walking will aggravate or cause too much pain to be bearable. In this case, other low-impact exercise may be advisable, especially water therapy (such as jogging exercises in the pool or deep water aerobics). This is because the water supports your body, which reduces compression on your lower back. This allows for more pain free movement.

Walking helps to:

· improve your circulation, pump nutrients into your soft tissues and drain toxins.

· strengthen your muscles in your feet, legs, hips, and torso. It also increases the stability of the spine and conditions the muscles that keep the body in the upright position.

· improve your posture and flexibility. Walking, along with regular stretching, allows greater range of motion; helps prevent awkward movements and potential for future injury.

· strengthen bones and reduce bone density loss. Regular walking for exercise helps prevent osteoporosis and can help to reduce pain if you suffer from osteoarthritis.

· control weight, especially as one ages and metabolism slows.

· reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. It can also lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.

So now you know the benefits of walking. If you do a 2 mile walk every day for a week you’ll feel so much better (mind you – you will also be 14 miles from home!) As always, if you have a question, just call me on 01603 216430 and I will call you back or email me through our website norwichchiropractic.co.uk.

All the best

Neil

Do you do….?

I quite clearly don’t get chiropractic across well to some people. I take the blame myself, it’s not them. It has to be me. On an infrequent basis a patient will say to me ” I have this problem in my knee/hand/foot, do you do knees/hands/feet?”. Now, it would be easy for me to say “Of course we do!” and even be a bit indignant that they don’t know. But that would be foolish. It’s MY fault that they don’t. So this goes some way to starting to correct that lack of education on my part.

As chiropractors we’re trained to work with all the joints of the body and do extensive work with extremity joints as they’re known. It so happens that the joints in spine tend to develop more problems than those elsewhere and, because of the nervous systems involvement, are much more significant than extremities. As a result we get this reputation for “only doing backs”  well, we do a lot more than that.

Although most of our work IS on the spine this doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t know what to do with hands, feet, knees, elbows etc. There are a great many techniques at our disposal and we are well trained to be able to distinguish between the problems we can help and those that we can’t. You’d be surprised at the issues that chiropractic can help. Some rather irritating edicts from the advertising standards and our governing body prevent me from listing them , but give us a call, or better still, come in and see us. We’ll be straight with you and tell you if we can help. Because often the answer to “Do we do…?” is “Yes, we do!”

Till next time

Neil

This is a very quick post to say to all my dedicated readers that we’re launching our brand new website and logo in the very near future!

We’re really excited about it and are very proud of it. We’ve got video and lovely photographs and we’ll be adding more content to it on a regular basis. Stayed tuned for more as we get closer.

We’ll welcome your feedback once it goes ‘live’.

In the meantime here’s a little sneak peek of how it’ll look….

There are a huge number of research projects ongoing at any one time related to the plethora of conditions that we, as humans, can exhibit. As an avid reader of New Scientist I see a, still tiny, number of the intriguing tidbits that get leaked (deliberately) to the media. I’m always on the lookout for anything my patients may find of interest. Two in particular caught my eye recently, both related to the M.S./Parkinson’s group of “diseases”.
The latest (primarily about M.S.) concerns some findings that it may be due to impaired blood flow in the brain. The author of the original research found that by altering that blood flow and changing the iron levels in the brain he could reduce the MS symptoms significantly, albeit temporarily. Although his findings have not been reproduced it seems that there may be some useful research going on here… who knows maybe, in a few years time, science may be closer to an answer.
The other article (and the reason for the title of this piece) was about Parkinson’s and how it appears that it might be linked to an imbalance in bacteria in the gut which affects autoimmune conditions. The answer? A transplant. Of what? Gut contents, specifically faeces. Yes that’s right, you get someone else’s poo and have it transplanted into your gut. I know I had to read it twice too. But it does make a sort of sense. There is a lot of evidence that our gut bacteria have a lot to do with our immune systems and if they’re out of balance our immune systems may attack our own bodies. Change the gut bacteria and we may be able to recover! (What controls the gut bacteria though – your nervous system).
Science has truly whacky and weird answers sometimes. Who knows what will happen, but, even if these do prove to be beneficial, they are still only a way of dealing with the end result. But why does this happen?
All this goes to show me that it is vitally important that we try to make sure that our bodies function as well as possible. We can do that by feeding them properly, watering them well, resting and exercising them enough and so on AND making sure their nervous systems (that run the whole show) are clear of interference. That you do by getting your spine checked regularly by your chiropractor. It may not be weird or cutting edge anymore but it makes a difference…. A BIG one. See you soon.

I know I always seem to title these posts with a terrible schoolboy-humour/ tabloid-worthy headline but this one was so glaringly obvious I just couldn’t resist it! With winter approaching and colds and flu on the horizon I thought it’s time to talk feverishly (OK, I’ll stop with the puns now).
Fever…. what’s it’s for? I’ve asked people of all ages this over the years. In the end everyone comes down to “it’s your bodies defence against the bug” ( kids get this much quicker than adults!). So, if it’s your defence mechanism, why do we so often try to interfere with it? Well, there’s been an interesting article in New Scientist recently. It takes the tack that science has been looking at what happens when we use drugs to bring a fever down and maybe it’s not such a good idea to do this.
Well, duh!
Chiropractors have been saying this for quite literally years. Not just us either, Hippocrates was saying this 2400 years ago. Other natural health professionals have long maintained that your body knows best and its wise to let the body run its own immune system wherever possible. If there’s no interference to your nervous system then in the vast majority of cases your body will raise your temperature to kill off the bugs but leave you untouched. As with any process this can take time. During this time you may be uncomfortable but this is the price you may have to pay for your body fully protecting you!
Now clearly things can go wrong and your body could overheat to a dangerous extent. Lets be clear, these things do happen. But here’s a thought – what if it does that only when its not getting the right information! What if your body can fully regulate your fever when its getting all the right feedback, but if there’s any interference with that feedback (subluxation) then the control may be faulty and then you may indeed get too hot.
To be controversial for a moment, what if a lot of what we think are “problems” are just our bodies way of doing the best it can in the circumstances. For example there’s some evidence that a raised cholesterol level is just your bodies way of doing the best it can when there’s strain on the heart. There’s also a line of reasoning that says your blood pressure going up is the best approach your body has to dealing with a toxicity. Think about this for a moment – Why do we get these “illnesses”?
Is it bad luck or random chance? Clearly not.
Is it genetic? Much though medicine would love you to think that, there’s no evidence to support that in the majority of cases.
So why does it happen?
Is it possible that, just like plants, we need the right stuff to thrive and nothing else -and if we don’t do that the plant gets sick. What about us, if we eat junk, stress out, don’t exercise and so on – maybe we get sick just the same!
More of all those general principles in another post but for now let’s get back to fever.

I started out reading the article in New Scientist thinking about all the little children who suffer colds and bugs for longer than they should because someone doses them up with Calpol and the like, but I was appalled when I read about the difference in terms of deaths in hospital. I repeat, deaths.
There was a study carried out in the University of Miami in 2005 and they studied 82 critically ill people who either were given drugs at 38.5 degrees or only if they reached 40 degrees. Of the people given drugs at the lower temperature (standard treatment) 7 died. Of the other group (only given drugs if their temperature reached a higher level ) only 1 died. The trial was stopped on ethical grounds. It seemed the standard treatment was killing more people!
The message here seems to be let your body do what it knows best how to do. Medication is not the answer in the vast majority of cases. Your body is an amazing piece of bioengineering and will do the most astonishing things as long as it is not suffering from interference. It pays to make sure your body works at it’s best. Don’t mess it up with drugs (whether pushed or prescribed), give it the right rest, nutrition, hydration, exercise and so on and make sure you keep it clear of nerve interference by getting your spine checked by a chiropractor then, stand back and let it be amazing.
Till next time
Yours in health
Dr Neil

Every week one of my patients (usually a recent new patient) will express surprise at the fact that I have chiropractic care. Now… I blame myself. If I don’t TELL them then how would they be expected to know. However ,there’s a big ’BUT…’ that follows on from that.

You see, I tell everyone about how chiropractic helps their health overall. There’s evidence which reports that it can boost your immune system, that it keeps your nervous system free of interference (which has to be a good thing) and helps to keep you functioning physically at your best (to name but a few). I explain all this to our people at their report and at our health talk (every Tuesday evening at 7:15pm). So why on earth would I not want it?!

I’ve been under chiropractic care for 30 years now and I could probably count the number of days I’ve taken off ill in the last 25 years on the fingers of one hand. At 55 I’m no longer a spring chicken but my spine and nervous system work as well as they’ve ever done! Sure, once in a blue moon I’ll overdo it and get a symptom or two but an adjustment gets me back to as good as new. I get checked on a regular basis, just like I recommend to my patients, and I wouldn’t be without it.

So, of course I have chiropractic! You couldn’t pay me enough NOT to have it.

Yours in health

Dr Neil

Exercise the right way round.
Many people are just doing their exercise all the wrong way around. No I don’t mean that you need to sit the other way on the exercise bike! What so many people do, is that they exercise in the wrong order or the wrong way. Let’s look at what most do step by step and see what might need to change.

So many people will arrive at the gym and do a few stretches to warm up. Not a bad thing to do – though it’s important to remember that it’s not meant to be a ferocious pull on your hamstring/quads/ lats that stops just short of ripping your muscle in two! Be very careful when using leverage, such as putting your leg up on a rail to stretch hamstrings, very easy to overdo it. It should be gentle and progressive and held for at least 8 seconds (count it off, it’s longer than you might think). Remember it’s not a competition with that annoying guy from accounts; people have different flexibilities. Just let your body be your guide.

Then what the majority of people will do is go into their cardiovascular routine for half an hour or so. They’ll do their workout of bike/treadmill/ rower (in whatever order) and build up a sweat and get their heart rate up. Then they’ll go straight into the resistance work – the free weights or resistance machines. All sounds good I hear you say….BUT now they’ve worked out and got their heart rate up their body is in an Aerobic state and yet they’re doing weights, an Anaerobic activity.

In a nutshell (and without getting all technical and too biochemical) aerobic activity is sustained activity and burns either glycogen, the body’s short term energy store, or fat along with oxygen (hence the breathing hard).
By contrast, anaerobic exercise burns fuel without oxygen and generally produces more power and mass in muscles if done in short bursts.
The key here, is that once your body goes into an Aerobic state it takes a while to drop out of it! So… the key, if you’re doing your weights to build power and bulk, is to do that FIRST (after the stretches).

So to get the best from your routine, try this
1 Stretches
2 Weights and resistance work
3 Warmup
4 Cardiovascular training
5 Warmdown

If you cast your mind back to the weightlifting on TV, did the contestants come out already panting as though they’d just got off the treadmill? No, they knew for them it’s all about anaerobic function. So take a leaf out of their book. Do your weights in short bursts and before your cardiovascular work. You’ll get the most out of your work to build bulk and strength AND be more efficient into the bargain.

There’s some good reading on wikipedia on this if you’d like to know more.
Very soon we’ll look at the different types of, and benefits of, phased training such as interval and something called, I kid you not, Fartlek training (stop sniggering at the back there)

Til’ then have fun and keep up the good, aerobic or anaerobic, work.

yours in health
Dr Neil

Here’s a little update on the topic of the many ways to get subluxated.
Dental work. It’s great isn’t it? I know it may sound like I must be being sarcastic but, really, it is wonderful. Many, many years ago you’d have had to put up with pain and disease or had some butcher wrench your bad tooth out (no anaesthetic other than rum) with pliers! Now it’s all calming music, fishtanks and really effective painkillers – we are soooo lucky.
However it’s still a stress. No matter how good your dentist is, and mine is very good ( just in case he’s reading), you do experience some physical stress at times.
Take the other day. Sat in the chair for an hour or so having a couple of fillings done. I was thinking about all the pushing and pulling that goes on has to be met by resistance from you in order to hold your head still. That’s quite a lot of strain on your neck muscles (and you might be a bit stressed on top of that) plus all that work can put a great load on your cranial bones and the joints in your skull.

You probably come away feeling ok but… it can be one of the factors that accumulate to lead up to that time where your neck “goes” for no apparent reason. It’s just one of the little stresses that affect us and build up over time. Doesn’t it make sense to deal with those as you get them? One of the reasons we recommend regular checks. Just like getting your fillings done before they become painful, deal with the subluxations before they cause problems for you and your health.

Hello again and welcome. From here on, our site will be discussing some of the myriad health topics that crop up in the course of our daily practice. Besides talking about Chiropractic, we explore many other areas of natural health and wellbeing such as how to eat, think and move healthily so you perform at your best. I will include some of the latest thinking and news releases relating to our health. Some of this informatoion will be cutting edge and controversial (ooooh!). I think this is a good thing as it challenges our preconceptions and helps to stimulate beneficial changes – without which we would still be hunter/gatherers living in caves and moaning about this new-fangled “wheel” thing!

Back to my topic for today.

One of the most common things I hear from my patients early on in their care (and I know my colleagues hear this too) is this exact phrase:- “I feel better in myself”. Sometimes, people preface that with “I’m still in pain but…” or sometimes “Not only has the pain gone but…”. It’s the ‘in myself’ that intrigues me. Why that exactly? I have a theory.
It seems to coincide with when the person’s nervous system starts to become free of interference. So, it could be that this is the best phrase we can come up with when we do literally feel better in our “selves”. We start to feel more of what’s going on in our bodies, even if that means we’re more aware of the bits that aren’t working that well! It still feels better somehow. We don’t (and indeed can’t ) know for certain – it is just a theory (I think it’s a sound one though!)

So, who do you know who’s not “feeling good in themselves”? Who needs to get their spine checked? An older relative who’s putting up with twinges that could be helped, a stressed-out teenager or a child struggling with a poor immune system who’s constantly suffering from colds and bugs?

Get your body reconnected and you will actually feel better. So, you see, you don’t have to be in pain… just not properly connected.

Yours connectedly

Dr Neil

Yes, the bane of our lives and one of THE most common causes of the troubles we see. It’s not uncommon for people with physical jobs to think that they’d be much better off with a desk job. But I can assure you I’d much rather be in a physical job than being sat at a desk all day at Norwich United insurance (or Arriba as they’d now be called – if they were real).

Our bodies are designed to move. We’re still, at heart, hunter gatherers. We’ve not evolved a whole lot in the last 10,000 years. Back then, before cars, X-boxes and Starbuckses, we moved around… a lot! Our day consisted of running around hunting stuff, wandering around gathering stuff, sleep and…. not a lot else.

There was some other activity (we had to make other hunter gatherers for example!) but basically that was it. It was a very active lifestyle. It’s been estimated that we’d do at least an hour of vigorous aerobic activity every day and periods of “weight-lifting type” activity regularly each week. Nowadays we drive to work, sit all day, drive home and crash out on the sofa. To be fair most of my patients are different to this and walk the dog, cycle, do the garden and run regularly (not usually all the same person you understand).

The aim of this entry is not to be an all-encompassing treatise on working posture and sedentary ergonomics … rather a quick reminder about a couple of key points relating to activity:

1) Get up and move around regularly. Ideally, every 20 to 30 minutes go for a stroll for a few minutes. Even if you just get up and have a stretch standing in front of your desk, it’d help.
2) Drink lots of water. Yes, I know I bang on about it but it helps to keep you alert and means you have to get up to go to the loo regularly too! I won’t repeat myself too much here – see my other blog about water.
3) Meetings. If you have any control over how they’re run, make sure that those present get up and stretch every half-hour or so. You’ll get so much more out of them. It combats fatigue (and boredom). More alert people get more done. It really will help and don’t let anyone sit-out the stretch breaks.
The key is (as is so often the case) little and often. You’re much better off doing a bit of cardiovascular work every day, even taking the stairs rather than the lift, than you are doing nothing all week and then going berserk at the squash court for 45 minutes once a week. Just a few changes here can bring huge rewards in the long term.

Ok you’ve read for long enough now, up you get and have a stretch… go on .