Author: Dr David Palmer

By far the biggest problem I see in practice is poor posture. Almost every day I meet people who have bad posture, who aren’t even aware of it, and have no idea how much it is affecting their health.

So why should you be concerned about your posture?

Good posture is essential to good health, it’s as important as eating a healthy diet, exercising and getting enough sleep. Good posture means that your bones and joints are correctly aligned, so that no extra strain is placed on your muscles, discs, ligaments or nerves. It helps contribute to the normal functioning of your body and nervous system. Your nervous system controls everything, how quickly you heal, how well your body functions, and the pain you experience are all controlled by your nervous system.

How does poor posture happen?

Poor posture can develop suddenly after an accident, slip or fall, but for most people it’s due to an accumulation of bad habits throughout their lives. With the amount of time we spend hunched over our desks, computers, phones, or slouched on the couch, and in our cars, it’s no wonder poor posture is such a common problem.

How could poor posture be causing you pain?

When you have bad posture your muscles have to work extra hard just to hold you upright. These muscles become overworked and fatigued and with time they may spasm and become stiff, tight and painful.

Poor posture places extra strain on your discs and joints, and this “wear and tear” will eventually lead to permanent degenerative changes (Osteoarthrits)

So what can you do to have good posture?

The first step is to self-assess your posture, and become more aware of your daily postural habits. If you are unsure of your posture you can consult your Chiropractor for an evaluation.

At Align Corrective Chiropractic every patient receives a digital posture examination, and if you have poor posture we may take an X-ray of your spine as this will help determine the cause.

Our focus is in detecting and correcting the cause of poor posture, so that you can hold yourself upright, move better, feel better and function the way you are supposed to.

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Scoliosis is a condition I see fairly regularly in practice, and it can range from mild to life threatening. Ideally your spine should be straight when viewed from the front and have 3 gentle curves when viewed from the side. Scoliosis is a sideways bending of the spine, so instead of your spine looking straight it ends up C-shaped or S-shaped. Can Chiropractors improve scoliosis?

Causes of Scoliosis

Scoliosis has a number of causes, including trauma, congenital factors and neuro-muscular conditions such as cerebral palsy. By far the most common cause is Idiopathic, which means that we don’t know what causes it.

Idiopathic Scoliosis tends to occur far more commonly in females and often happens during a growth spurt around the age of puberty. You are more likely to have scoliosis if your close relatives also have it.

How do I know if I have Scoliosis?

People with scoliosis will often notice changes in their posture. Uneven hips and shoulders, bending or leaning to the side, or a noticeable rib hump when bending forward are common postural signs of scoliosis.

Your Chiropractor will be able to test you for scoliosis by assessing your posture and palpating your spine. If scoliosis is detected an X ray will be recommended to determine the severity, and degree of curvature.

How Can Scoliosis affect my health?

The most common complaints I hear from people with scoliosis are related to posture and pain. Scoliosis can dramatically alter your posture, which often causes younger people to feel insecure and unhappy.

Your spine functions best when it is aligned properly, scoliosis results in extra strain on the muscles, discs, joints and nerves, which can lead to muscle tightness, pain and a variety of other symptoms due to nerve interference. If left uncorrected the risk of spinal arthritis increases.

Severe scoliosis can place extra strain on your vital organs which can have serious consequences.

Chiropractic treatment to improve Scoliosis?

Treatment of scoliosis often depends on the cause, severity and the length of time you have had it. It also depends on your goals, do you just want to feel better or do you want to correct it?

If mild and caught early on, you may have great success correcting scoliosis with a program of corrective Chiropractic care. Specific Chiropractic adjustments, traction, exercises, stretches and muscle work are all part of a corrective program. The chance of a full correction tends to get less the older you are and the more severe your scoliosis is. Chiropractic is also a great way to relieve the pain and tightness associated with Scoliosis.

Bracing may be of benefit in some young patients with moderate scoliosis to prevent further curvature.

Surgical options are available, but should be a last resort if all other measures have failed. Surgeries can have serious side effects and can often lead to other problems such as arthritis, infection and nerve damage.

If you have Scoliosis or if you think you may have it, don’t leave it any longer. Visit your chiropractor for a full assessment as the earlier you address it the more chance you have of correcting it, in a safe natural way.

A “slipped disc” is an injury I see fairly often in practice. It tends to occur most commonly in the lower back, and can lead to severe low back pain. If the disc pinches the nerve it may result in pain, weakness, pins and needles, and numbness in the legs.

What is a slipped Disc?

Located between each pair of vertebrae is a disc which acts as a shock absorber. The disc prevents the vertebra from grinding against each other. It’s vitally important that these veterbra are aligned properly and moving efficiently. It is this movement that nourishes the disc by squeezing blood/nutrients and fluids through the disc.

If this normal motion does not occur, the disc can dry out, weaken and tear, allowing the soft inner portion to bulge out. This is known as a herniated disc, but also goes by the terms, disc bulge and slipped disc. This process can be worsened by poor posture, being overweight or trauma.

The disc may deteriorate over a period of years without causing any symptoms. until a simple movement like sneezing, turning over in bed, or picking up a heavy object causes the disc to bulge, placing pressure on the nerve root, and causing debilitating symptoms.

How do I know if I have a slipped disc?

At Align Corrective Chiropractic your Chiropractor will go through your medical history, conduct neurological and orthopaedic testing, as well as perform a digital posture assessment. A set of X-rays or an MRI may also be necessary to determine the cause of your symptoms. We have our own on site X-ray facility available.

Your Chiropractor will examine your whole spine, as it’s quite possible that a problem in one area of your spine is affecting another area. With this information your Chiropractor will let you know if Chiropractic care is an option for you.

Chiropractic treatment for a slipped disc.

By realigning the vertebra, your Chiropractor can help you regain normal motion to your spine and take the pressure off the nerves and discs, helping to relieve your symptoms. You may also benefit from traction and other forms of conservative therapy.

The goal of Corrective Chiropractic care is to regain the normal shape and alignment of your spine. Therefore allowing your spine to move and function properly, as well as preventing any further degenerative changes to the disc.

Many patients are able to avoid risky spinal surgery by following a plan of chiropractic care, provided that the damage to the disc is not too severe. It’s important to remember that these degenerative changes are progressive, and will worsen if you do not address and correct the underlying cause.

If you have lost control of your bladder and bowel you will need immediate medical attention. If your Chiropractor finds any signs of advanced neurological damage you will be referred appropriately for further testing and treatment.

How long until my life is back to normal?

Some patients may notice immediate improvement of their symptoms following a Chiropractic adjustment. Others may take weeks to months before they feel better. Slipped discs generally heal slowly. It’s important to remember that even though you may feel better in the short term you will still require corrective care as well as a rehabilitative program to correct the cause of your problem and strengthen your spine, to prevent it from happening again.

It’s far easier to take care of your spine before a slipped disc than trying to treat it afterwards. So make sure that you see a Chiropractor that can help you take care of your spine.

People often come to see me for a “simple” back or neck pain, expecting a “quick fix” and are quite shocked and upset to discover degenerative changes in their spines. Can Chiropractors slow degenerative changes?

These degenerative changes, also known as osteoarthritis, spondylosis or degenerative disc disease is a slow process which becomes increasingly more common as we age. It is the most common form of arthritis in the spine and can often occur without any noticeable symptoms (pain). X rays are a very useful tool for showing degenerative changes in the spine and it’s why I often recommend my patients have a set of X- rays taken before starting Chiropractic care.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a result of the protective cartilage of the joints and discs deteriorating and wearing away, often leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. With time the body produces extra bits of bone (osteophytes/bone spurs) in an effort to strengthen and support this weakened area. Unfortunately this extra bone can place pressure on the nerves which exit the spine, this will interfere with nerve function and can lead to nerve damage. Your nervous system controls everything, so pressure on these nerve can lead to all sorts of symptoms including pain, numbness and weakness in the muscles.

What causes it?

Osteoarthritis can be caused by a traumatic injury to the joint and by genetic conditions that affect cartilage, however the most common cause I see in practice, is due to a loss of the normal shape of the spine. The spine is designed to have a very specific shape and alignment in order to distribute weight evenly across the joints. Unfortunately these misaligned joints cannot move efficiently which leads to increased strain on the joint and ultimately degenerative changes.

This happens most commonly in the lower back and lower neck as these areas are designed for maximum movement and are more vulnerable to injury.

By far the most common postural problem I see is forward head posture, and is often a result of a straightening of the neck curve (loss of lordosis). I find this very often in people who spend a lot of time hunched in front of their computers, and in patients who have had whiplash. This commonly places more strain on the C5,C6 and C7 vertebrae, and these vertebrae are often the first to show signs of degeneration.

The X-ray below (left) is of a patient of mine who was involved in a car accident, resulting in a whiplash injury. The X ray below (right) shows a neck with a normal curve as demonstrated by the red line. You can quite clearly see the difference in alignment between the two neck X rays. The neck on the left has lost its normal curve, which has led to degenerative changes in the C3/C4 and C5/C6/C7 regions (yellow arrows). This patient was only 44 years old, and suffering with regular neck pain, headaches, and numbness into both her arms.

So what can you do about if you have degenerative changes?

First you will need to have a thorough Chiropractic examination, which should include a set of X-rays, to determine…

• If your spine is degenerating
• How much degeneration has already taken place
• The cause of your degenerative changes
• If you are a candidate for corrective Chiropractic care.

At Align Corrective Chiropractic we are trained in specialised techniques to correct abnormal spinal alignment. If you are a candidate for Corrective Chiropractic we may be able to help slow down any further degenerative changes.

Corrective care takes time and effort and is influenced by a number of factors such as your age, amount of degeneration and compliance to your Chiropractic care plan. The good news is, we can often still make significant improvements in patients who already have degenerative changes, however the more degeneration there is, the harder it is to treat, so please don’t leave it to get any worse. Give us a call on 031 562 9180 if you have degenerative changes in your spine.

Can chiropractors fix bad posture? Your posture is determined by the shape and alignment of your spine. Simply put, when your spine is aligned properly, you chances of good posture is greatly increased. Before we talk about fixing poor posture, let’s get a better idea of what good posture looks like.

How to test if you have good posture?

Stand in a relaxed, comfortable position in front of a mirror. Now imagine a line passing through the centre of your body. Ideally your spine should look straight, and your hips, shoulders and eye level should all be even. If your neck is tilted to the side, one of your shoulders is dropping, or if you have any other deviation from the normal, then your spine is misaligned.

You may need some help with this next part, so ask a friend to take a picture of you from the side. Again stand in a relaxed, comfortable position and imagine a line passing through the centre of your ankle upwards. Ideally the back of your knee, centre of your hips, centre of your shoulders and ear should all be on this straight line. The most common problem I see in practice is forward head posture. This is when your head moves in front of the shoulder. This usually indicates a loss of the normal neck curve. (cervical lordosis)

Why should you be concerned about bad posture?

Poor posture places extra pressure on the joints, discs, muscles and nerves. This can lead to pain, restricted mobility, muscle tightness and a variety of other symptoms due to nerve pressure. If left untreated bad posture will deteriorate and can cause permanent degenerative changes.

Your Durban Chiropractor has had extensive training on realigning the spine and correcting poor posture. We use X rays and digital posture photographs to determine the exact angles and measurements of your spine. We then devise a treatment plan based on these measurements to get your spine back into alignment and therefore fixing your poor posture.

Correcting poor posture/structural misalignments takes time and effort. It also requires a precise plan of chiropractic adjustments, home traction, and mirror image exercises. Making the time now to correct your posture, will improve the health of your spine and slow down the degenerative process. We focus on corrective Chiropractic care , so if you want to fix bad posture, give us a call on 031 562 9180

One of the biggest problems we face today is how good health is taken for granted. It’s often only when we become sick that we realise just how much poor health affects our lives. There is a common misconception that our health is something we can’t change, but we all have the ability to improve our health through making better lifestyle choices. Here are a few simple choices that you can make today to improve your health for tomorrow.

Eat better

The foods we eat are the building blocks our body uses to heal, replicate and build new cells. If you eat a variety of nutritious healthy foods, your body will have what it needs to function at its best. You can improve your diet by simply thinking about each and every meal before you eat it. Is it going to improve your health or make it worse? Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals, and cutting down on the amount of sugar and processed foods you consume are simple ways to improve your diet.

Drink more water

The average human body consists of 60% water, and we can only survive a few days without. It makes sense to drink enough water to stay hydrated. Choose water over soft drinks or coffee and make it a habit to drink water throughout the day.

Get more sleep

Every day we expose our bodies to numerous stresses, when we sleep our bodies heal and recover from these stresses. The average person does best with about 8 hours sleep per night. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep to function at your best throughout the day.

Exercise more

Regular exercise keeps you healthy and can help prevent numerous diseases. It’s always easier to stay motivated to exercise when you are doing something you enjoy with other people. Find an activity that you enjoy, join a club, invite some friends and then do it as often as you can. If you can’t find anything that you enjoy, then simply go for a brisk walk.

See your Chiropractor

Many people overlook the vital role that your nervous system plays in health. In fact your nervous system controls everything. How you feel, how you heal, how you function. Everything!

A Chiropractor will help keep your spine in alignment so that you put the least possible strain on the nervous system. This will also keep you moving well and improve your posture, both of which play a valuable part in good health.

Give Align Corrective Chiropractic a call today if you want to improve your health. 031 562 9180

What is Sciatica?

One of the most common conditions I get asked about is Sciatica. What is it, and can Chiropractors help?

If you have ever had a sharp pain run down your leg then it is likely that you have experienced Sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body; it begins in your lower back and runs through your bum, down your leg and into your feet. Sciatica is a result of this nerve being irritated. Symptoms can vary between pain, numbness or weakness anywhere from your lower back down your legs into your feet.

Causes of Sciatica

One of the most common causes of sciatica is when your lower back vertebrae are misaligned, putting extra pressure onto the nerve, which can lead to the nerve being irritated and even damaged. Other common causes include Lumbar disc herniation (slipped disc) and degenerative disc disease. Luckily your Durban Chiropractor can help with any of the above causes. There is also a chance that sciatica is caused by spinal tumors or infection, so it is always best to have a thorough examination to determine the cause of your Sciatica. An X-ray will show us where the joints are misaligned and if there are any degenerative changes. At Align Corrective Chiropractic we have our own on site digital X-Ray facilities.

How to treat Sciatica

A common approach to Sciatica is to take painkillers and anti-inflammatory’s.  This approach might help relieve your symptoms but will do nothing to realign your spine and take the pressure off your nerves. Your Chiropractor can help take the pressure off this nerve by keeping your lower back aligned properly and moving correctly. In many cases the longer your symptoms have been present the longer it takes to treat, so it is important to see your Chiropractor as soon as the symptoms begin. Give us a call on 031 562 9180 if you are battling with sciatica.

Relief Care

The goal of relief care is to reduce or remove symptoms in the short term. Many people initially consult chiropractors when they are in pain, and rightfully so, as chiropractic care has consistently been shown to be one of the best forms of care for low back pain and a number of other conditions.

Some people respond very quickly to chiropractic care and notice almost immediate results, for others the relief phase may take some time. Imagine your car had an oil leak – relief care would be the same as replacing the oil. It is a temporary fix, and sure it is going to help, but if that is all you do, it is just a matter of time before it starts leaking again.

Corrective Care

The goal of corrective care is much more than just removing symptoms, but rather to correct the cause of the symptoms. In many cases, aches and pains are caused because of changes in the shape and alignment of your spine which places more pressure and tension on your spine, joints, muscles and nerves.

In many cases, by following a schedule of adjustments, traction exercises and specific mirror image stretches you will be able to correct the misalignments in your spine and not only improve your posture, but improve your range of motion, flexibility and general well being. Correcting the cause of your symptoms helps to reduce the chance of relapses. Your Durban Chiropractor has a special interest in posture and correcting the cause of your problems.

Corrective care would be the equivalent of fixing the leak so that you do not have to keep replacing the oil.

Wellness Care

The goal of wellness care is to maintain optimal spinal structure and function of the spine and prevent any further damage to the spine. Some patients will continue to receive adjustments long after they are out of pain, because they understand that this will help to keep their spine aligned and moving properly.

This can be compared to sending your car in for a regular service.

Each phase of care is important and has its place, and the choice is always up to you. The next time you are in pain ask yourself, do the painkillers you take correct the problem or just relieve the symptoms?