The first thing you should do, if you are experiencing recurring pain, is to get it checked out professionally. If you have nothing seriously wrong, and the problem is mechanical (i.e. bones muscles and joints) a visit to the chiropractor will probably sort it out.

However, many people find that the pain may recur in the future. Why? There can be many reasons. Here are some of them:

1.       Repetitive stress at work.
2.       Poor posture.
3.       The tissues become weakened and prone to re-injury.
4.       Stress or anxiety cause ongoing muscle tension.
5.       Loss of tissue resilience due to ageing.

A combination of these and other factors often lead to tissue damage. It may take a course of treatment and rehabilitation exercises to heal, but it can be difficult to remove all the causes of the problem. For example. You may be putting a lot of stress on your shoulder because of your job as a builder. Or you may be sitting for hours on end over the computer. You cannot just quit your job so the strain on your body is going to continue.

I teach my patients exercises and tricks to help avoid the worst excesses of posture, but with the best will in the world… this might not be enough; For some people, the painful symptoms will return and there is nothing they can do about it.

Well, actually there is; You can reframe pain.

As I have said, if the pain is severe and ongoing, you need to see a professional. Let’s assume you have done this. You have had some treatment the pain has gone away. But now you feel it starting to come back. This can be frustrating and upsetting especially if you thought you had got on top of it.

Firstly, you need to stop the negative thoughts, let go of the frustration and upset, and think about what you can do. You must do this because negative thinking will make the pain feel worse. Remember the pain is not as bad as it was originally; it is just starting to return, don’t catastrophize; it is not going to be as bad as it was before because you are going to take control.

See the pain as a reminder to take special care of yourself. It is like the oil indicator light in your car; There is no need to panic if the light comes on; It comes on long before your engine has run out of oil. You have plenty of time to top it up.

By the time you have been through a course of treatment you will have learnt the main causes of your pain. So you know what to do. Have you been working too hard, are you under a lot of stress, have you been sitting round in poor posture? It is simple, change what you have been doing and the pain will go away. The original injury will not return.

This is the reframe then: Originally pain was your enemy; it ruled your life and it was unbearable. Now the pain is your friend. It is your warning light. You can say “thankyou” to your body for giving you this warning before injury comes. Do what you need to take the strain from your body, and the pain will go away.

Sciatica is a result of injury, irritation, or pressure to the sciatic nerve. It causes discomfort, numbness, weakness, and/or tingling in one or both legs. Sciatica is not a medical condition but a symptom of a medical problem, so it is important to get a diagnosis of the underlying problem before starting on treatment. We offer diagnosis and treatment for sciatica at our chiropractic clinics in Chester and North Wales. This article is a brief discussion of the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sciatica.

Symptoms

The sciatic nerve is the nerve that runs from the lower spine down to the back of the legs. It is  responsible for controlling the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg. It also supplies sensation to the back of thigh, part of the lower leg, as well as the sole of the foot. The symptoms of sciatica depend on its severity and people describe them as anything from a mild tingling sensation, through a a dull ache to a severe burning sensation.

The pain may radiate from the lower back down to the back of the thigh and the back of the leg. Some patients’ symptoms are severe enough to cause immobility. The symptoms often occur on one side and some patients feel a sharp pain in a part of the hip or the leg and numbness in other parts. The problem may also affect the calf or the sole and cause weakness to the affected leg.

Sciatic pain can be worse at night. The symptoms may be aggravated by certain activities such as sitting or standing; sneezing, coughing and/or laughing. Bending backwards may exacerbate the problem, especially if spinal stenosis has caused the sciatica. Bending forwards may aggravate it if it is caused by a disc herniation.

Treatment

Because sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, it is important to know the cause. Piriformis syndrome, disc prolapse, lumbar facet irritation, spinal stenosis, spinal tumour and prostate cancer can all cause sciatica. Most cases of sciatica are not anything serious, but it is important to rule out underlying pathology.

In the short term you can achieve pain relief by applying heat or ice to the painful area or taking over-the-counter pain relievers. It is important to keep moving and we do not recommend bed rest. Your GP may offer you stronger pain relief. If the pain does not subside then you should seek a consultation with a chiropractor. 

For a diagnosis, short term pain relief and a full rehabilitation programme to get to the root of the problem we recommend that you seek chiropractic help at one of our clinics in Chester or  North Wales.  

Discs are small, rubber-like, soft pads found in between the vertebrae that form the spinal column. These discs help keep the flexibility of the spine and serve as the spine’s shock absorbers. They can “burst” due to their softness and flexibility. When this happens to a disc it is called a prolapsed disc. The discs in the lower back (lumbar spine) and the neck (cervical spine) are made up of an inner jelly-like material called the nucleus. The nucleus is encircled by a thick cartilage called the annulus.

Causes of a Prolapsed Disc

A prolapsed disc is often described as a “slipped disc” a “herniated disc” or a “ruptured disc”. Spinal injury may cause a disc prolapse, but the most common cause is wear and tear, or disc degeneration. Disc degeneration starts as small cracks in the annulus or outer rings of the disc. Later, the gel-like nucleus pushes through the annulus, and puts pressure on the nerves, causing weakness, pain, and numbness in the legs.

Other Risk Factors

Discs have a high water content while we are young but as we grow older, the water content lessens, affecting their flexibility. This causes them to shrink while bringing the vertebrae closer together. Smoking, sudden careless lifting, pressure, and repetitive strenuous activities may contribute to disc prolapse. Obesity is another risk factor as the excess body weight adds strain to the spine.

Signs and Symptoms of Disc Prolapse

Neck

When the nerves in the neck are compressed people often experience shooting pain in the neck and the trapezius muscles. This can radiate down the arm and may also cause headaches. Other symptoms include weakness and/or tingling in the arms and burning sensations.

Lower Back

The most common symptom of a slipped disc in the lower back is sciatica. This is often experienced pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness tin the back of the legs. Any stress on the spinal nerves can cause sciatica.

It does not automatically mean that you have a ruptured disc just because your have back pain or sciatica. It is always better to see a chiropractor, especially if an injury or fall has caused your symptoms. Patients often seek help for a prolapsed disc at our chiropractic clinics in Chester and North Wales. There are chiropractic adjustments designed specifically for prolapsed discs.

If you experience bowel or bladder incontinence with severe neck or low back pain, you should seek urgent medical help.

Part 2: Diagnosis and Treatment

To confirm the diagnosis of a disc herniation, chiropractors start by asking for your full medical history. It is important to tell him or her if you are having pain in the neck, back, arm or leg. You should also tell your chiropractor if you have had a recent injury.

Your chiropractor will perform a physical examination to find out which nerve roots have been affected and to determine the severity of the prolapse. He/she will test your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation as well as checking for any signs of muscle wasting. Your chiropractor will also check your posture and palpate your spinal joints for areas of restriction.

We may order an x-ray as it can show evidence of changes in the spine and discs. We may also order other imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scan, and/or electromyography if the symptoms persist.

How Do you Treat a Prolapsed Disc?

Your chiropractor will decide how to treat you based on your lifestyle and symptoms. Chiropractic is a safe, non-surgical option. If we do not improve your symptoms we may consider referring your for surgical treatment.

Surgical Options

Surgery may be an option if you are experiencing a significant loss of function and pain. There are two main surgical options depending on the position and size of the disc prolapse; laminectomy and microdiscectomy, also called spinal decompression therapy.

Non-surgical Options

The following are some of the non-surgical treatment options that can help improve slipped disc symptoms. In most cases, non-surgical treatment is the first option, which is effective in not less than 90{b67a0f01f7b147b7e978da5adbadca47e09d0d78364efaa0732b6ae8d4f320dc} of patients.

• Muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), or analgesics can help to relieve the symptoms. For severe cases drugs such as amitriptyline are recommended.

• You should apply cold compresses several times a day, for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. After the spasms have settled we recommend that you use heat.

• Chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors perform low-force chiropractic adjustments especially designed for herniated discs. They also use a form of non-surgical spinal decompression therapy or traction.  Chiropractic treatment is one of the most effective and safest treatments for herniated discs.

If you want to fins out more about treatment options at our chiropractic clinics please call our clinic in Chester or North Wales.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is often associated with ageing. It is caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar area (lower back). The spine changes as we age and this leads to the degeneration of the intervertebral discs and facet joints. The ligaments also become thicker with age, which also contributes to the narrowing of the spinal canal. [1]

Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis include low back pain, increased pain with walking, as well as stiffness of the legs and thighs, pain, numbness, weakness or cramping of the legs, feet or buttocks. Patients usually achieve pain relief when they sit down.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Before surgical treatment is suggested, most clinicians start with conservative measures, such as epidural steroid injections, in treating lumbar spinal stenosis.[2] The use of these injections has increased over the years. However, a recent clinical trial showed evidence that epidural steroid injections are not effective, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study was conducted by Friedly JL et al. (A randomized trial of epidural glucocorticoid injections for spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med 2014 Jul 3; 371:11.).

A total of 400 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were enrolled in a double-blind randomised controlled trial. These patients were randomised to injections with lidocaine plus corticosteroid or lidocaine alone for six weeks.

According to the study, no significant difference was found in between the two groups after a six-week period. No difference was also found after a secondary analysis, comparing interlaminar and transforaminal injections.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Chiropractic Care

Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis can be improved with chiropractic care. Patients can achieve long-term pain relief and better quality of life with proper spinal adjustments as well as exercise and self-care techniques.

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[1]
[2] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/830500

A lot of women are self-confessed shoe lovers, and with the growing popularity of high heels in the fashion industry, with a lot of colours and styles and to choose from, more and more women have jumped into the bandwagon, as wearing high heels gives the illusion of taller height, and apparently makes them stand and walk with poise. That is if they are used to wearing them.

But did you know that those “killer heels” are actually killing your chances of staying pain-free for life? Wearing high heels can do a lot of damage to your feet, calves, knees, hips, back, and tendons. Habitual wearing of these shoes can cause permanent physiological damage.

How the Damage Starts

The moment you wear your stylish stilettos, you tend to elevate your heel and your entire weight is placed on the ball of your foot. This compromises your posture and stability as it throws your hips, shoulders, back, and spine in out of alignment. To compensate for the instability, you unknowingly arch your back and you tend to walk with shorter strides.

High Heels and Pain

The longer your back is bent, the more pressure you put on the nerves of your back. This can cause sciatica. It is a nerve entrapment condition which can cause numbness from the back down the feet.

Long-term use of high heels can also cause pressure to your Achilles tendon, causing it to tighten and shorten. Wearing high-heeled shoes on a daily basis can cause permanent damage to the tendon.

Other damages that develop with long-term use of high heels are ankle injuries, Haglund’s deformity (a bony enlargement at the back of the heels), metatarsalgia (pain in the balls of the feet), hammertoes (a condition where the toes become permanently bent), bunions, and Morton’s neuroma.

Whether you are a teenager or an adult, if you wear high-heeled shoes for an extended period of time, and on a daily basis, or if you have the type of job that requires you to wear high heels, you are at risk for these injuries, especially when you spend your entire day standing up or walking.

If you are already suffering from these injuries, chiropractic care will definitely be beneficial for you. Staying in style, for most women, is important but is it worth the health risk?

Sources:

High Heel Horrors
High Heels: Worth The Health Risk?
The Real Harm in High Heels