Have you been told that you have a pinched nerve in the neck? Are you not sure what to do about it? Well carry on reading.

This post will give you a better idea of what a pinched nerve in the neck is, how it affects you and what you can do to fix it.

What is a pinched nerve in the neck?

A pinched nerve in the neck, otherwise known as a radiculopathy, occurs when a nerve from the neck gets compressed or irritated. I see this happen most commonly at the C5/C6/C7 region of the neck. These nerves supply the muscles of your neck, shoulder and arm. Any damage to these nerves can cause a variety of symptoms into the upper back, shoulder and arm regions.

How can a pinched nerve in your neck affect you?

Some people experience a sharp shooting pain down the arm, others may have a deep, nagging pain or even a burning sensation. Many people won’t experience any pain but may have numbness, tingling, pins and needles or weakness of the arm. Many of our patients battle to find a comfortable position and have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. The longer your nerves are pinched, the more serious damage is likely to occur, and the worse your symptoms can become. Whatever you experience, it is a cause of concern and can become very debilitating.

What causes pinching of the nerves in your neck?

There are a few causes of a pinched nerve that I see commonly in practice. The most common is misalignment of the structures of the neck. The neck has an ideal C-shaped curve (Cervical Lordosis). This ideal curve is often lost due to trauma, poor posture and bad habits. This places more strain on the discs and joints, which leads to wear and tear (degenerative changes) known as arthritis or spondylosis. This also leads to flattening of the discs, extra bone growth, often referred to as bony spurs, and narrowing of the canals that the nerves travel through. All of these changes can result in increased pressure or pinching of the nerves.

The above X-Ray on the left shows an ideal neck curve (Green Curve). The above X-Ray on the right shows a neck that has lost its ideal curve with severe degenerative changes at the C5/C6/C7 vertebrae. This is most likely where a pinched nerve would occur.

How do we assess a pinched nerve?

At Align Corrective Chiropractic we perform a variety of neurological and orthopaedic tests to determine how well your nerves are functioning. These may include reflexes, sensory tests and strength tests. We also take a good look at your posture and use X-Rays to measure the shape of your spine, determine how healthy your spine is and assess if you have any degenerative changes.

How do we fix a pinched nerve in the neck?

The common approach for a pinched nerve in the neck is to take strong painkillers. Lyrica is a common drug prescribed for nerve pain, but it has a long list of serious long-term side effects and only offers short term relief. These medications may make you feel better, but don’t do anything to improve your posture or the shape and alignment of your neck. It’s very common to hear a patient report that their pain returns as soon as they stop taking their medication.

We take a very different approach. Firstly, we need to determine if the alignment of your neck is “pinching” the nerve. If it is, then we can develop a specific Corrective Care program for you to improve your alignment, take the pressure off your nerves and get you feeling better.

The before and after X-Rays above show the corrective changes that are possible when following a specific Corrective Care program.

If you have a pinched nerve in your neck and want a better approach than relying on harmful medication, then please give us a call or Whatsapp us on 031 562 9180.

Have you ever had chronic pain? Pain that just won’t go away. You thought you had treated it successfully only for it to return?

We actually see this quite a lot in practice. While there are a number of causes for chronic pain, it could be because the goal of treatment was to relieve the pain and not to correct the cause of the pain.

At Align Corrective Chiropractic one of our big goals is to give our patients a long-term solution for their chronic pain. This is why we focus on Corrective Chiropractic Care.

We find that many of our patients’ on-going problems are due to the shape and alignment of their spinal structures. Their spines may have become misaligned due to various traumas. Car accidents, whiplash, sports injuries, slips and falls are very common physical traumas for many of our patients. For others it’s the repetitive day-to-day trauma of sitting at a desk, sleeping in awkward positions or bad postural habits that create the underlying problem. These factors increase strain on the spine, which leads to weakness and eventually dysfunction.  It’s often only at this point that the patient notices a problem – pain. Some people will live with this pain unnecessarily for years before doing something about it.

The difference between Corrective Care and Relief Care for Chronic Pain

Many of our patients initially book a consult with us because of pain. Pain that is preventing them from living the life they want to live. They have had enough of it, and they just want to feel better.

Relief care is focused on relieving this pain, which is very often a short-term approach. We call this the “Quick Fix”.

Imagine you wake up with a headache, so you take a painkiller, or go for treatment, or use an ice pack, and it helps. You feel great afterwards.

If your goal is purely relief from the headache, then you have achieved your goal. But what if you wake up the next morning with another headache, and then the next day and so on? What if you continue to have chronic, debilitating headaches?
How long do you keep taking painkillers for, before you look for the cause of the headaches?

In this example the “Quick Fixes” are not actually fixing the problem but they are offering short term relief. Many people stop at this point of relief and get stuck in a cycle of trying all sorts of different treatments when the pain returns, only to relieve the pain temporarily, but never really addressing the cause.

From a Corrective perspective we want to take it a step further and determine why you are waking up with headaches.

Neck problems are often the underlying cause of headaches, so we would begin with assessing your spine. Through various tests, posture assessments and spinal X-rays we may discover that your upper neck is misaligned and that you have lost the ideal neck curve. This is creating strain and tension at the top of your neck and base of the skull, which is being aggravated by your sleeping posture and flat pillow and causing you to wake up with a headache.

Now that we know what is causing your problem, we can focus on correcting it.

How do we fix it?

Firstly, we would want to reduce the strain and tension in your neck and reduce those headaches. We would also want to address your lifestyle choices and sleeping habits that may be aggravating the problem. However, the real long-term benefits come when we focus on the underlying cause – changing the shape of your neck.

Below are two Before and After Neck X-rays of our patients following a short Corrective Chiropractic Program.

We often find that as a patient’s spinal alignment improves, so does their pain, but not only their pain. Many of our patient’s start to feel more energetic, sleep better, move better, their posture improves and they notice an overall improvement in their quality of life.

That is one of our major goals at Align Corrective Chiropractic. To help our patients improve their quality of lives. If you have chronic pain or feel like your quality of life could be better without the current pain you are experiencing, then please give us a call on 031 5629180 or email us at reception@alignchiropractic.co.za

It seems that nowadays just about everyone suffers with back pain, but did you know that there are many common causes of back pain that are quite easily preventable?

At Align Corrective Chiropractic we help people with back pain every single day.

We are strong believers that preventing back problems from developing in the first place, is a far better approach than treating the symptoms of a back problem. This post will outline a few, very common causes of back pain and what you can do to minimise them.

1. Sitting Too Much Is One Of The Most Common Causes Of Back Pain

Most people sit way too much. For a lot of people, a typical day looks something like this: They get out of bed and sit for breakfast, they sit on their commute to work, and then they sit at their desk the whole day. After a long day of sitting, they come home to sit on the couch. Prolonged sitting results in a lack of movement, placing an enormous amount of extra strain on the spine, which can cause back pain.

TIP – Be conscious of the amount of time that you spend sitting and take measures to minimise it. I recommend that you should try avoid sitting for longer than 20 minutes at a time. Set a timer at your desk/couch, and make sure you stand up and move every 20 min. Stand whilst you eat breakfast. Learn a few basic stretches that you can do at your desk.
You want to interrupt your time spent sitting by changing your posture and including movement.

2. Sitting Position

It’s no secret, sitting slouched or hunched over your desk/computer/book/food/phone is going to strain your spine. It’s far better to sit in an upright, relaxed posture. I have had a few patients recently notice that their neck hurt after some reading in bed. Turns out they were half lying, half sitting on multiple pillows, pushing their head forward for hours at a time. No wonder their necks were hurting!

TIP – This may mean changing the height of your monitor, using a support for your lower back or sitting in a more appropriate chair whilst reading.
You want to be more aware of the postures that you are in.

3. Sleeping Position

Many people wake up feeling stiff and sore. Sometimes it’s because of an existing spinal problem or an inappropriate bed or pillow, but for many people, it’s down to their sleeping position.

TIP – If sleeping on your side, make sure your pillow is the correct height to keep your neck in a supported position, and place a small cushion between your knees.
You want to keep your spine as neutral as possible whilst sleeping.

4. Lifting

I can’t tell you how many people hurt their backs gardening. Often due to crouched postures, strenuous activity and incorrect lifting.  Moving that awkward, heavy pot to the other side of the garden is just not worth hurting your back.

TIP – If you have to lift something heavy, squat down and lift by straightening your legs, make sure you keep your back straight and don’t twist whilst lifting.
You want to be aware of your posture and your weight limits whilst you lift.

What should you do if you have back pain?

Even though these above factors are common causes of back pain, they are often just the final straw that triggers off or aggravates a more serious underlying spinal condition. There are many other causes of back pain that shouldn’t be ignored.

If you are battling with any spinal problem, such as headaches, neck pain, lower back pain or nerve compression you should have them appropriately assessed. Many of our patients’ spinal problems are due to poor posture or structural misalignment. Having these issues properly assessed and addressed is exactly what we do at Align Corrective Chiropractic. This could improve your symptoms and have a dramatic impact on your quality of life.

If you want a healthier spine, give us a call on 031 5629180 or email us on reception@alignchiropractic.co.za to find out more. Click here if you would like to book a new patient consult.

Many of our patients report having problems with their sleeping, so in this post I will share my 3 Best Sleeping Tips from a Chiropractor’s perspective.

There are a lot of tips out there on getting a good night’s sleep, which can all be beneficial, but I find that the following sleeping tips are often overlooked.

1. Determining Why You are Not Sleeping Well.

Ok, so this sounds fairly obvious, but you would be surprised how many people know they don’t sleep well, but haven’t actually given any thought as to why they aren’t sleeping. So, the first step in getting a better night’s sleep is determining what’s keeping you from sleeping.

Is it because you are stressed, are there noises/lights/external events that are keeping you awake?

For a lot of our new patients it’s because they have pain. Pain that prevents them from falling asleep or wakes them up from sleep. These are the kind of patients whose sleep patterns usually improve dramatically after starting Chiropractic Care. Once we have assessed them and determined what’s causing their pain, we can put them on a plan to fix it. Once their pain subsides, they often notice their sleep improves.

A lot of our patients also notice that their sleep patterns improve after a Chiropractic adjustment, due to the relaxing effect that an adjustment can have.

2. Choosing a Good Mattress.

Again, this might seem obvious, but people often overlook their mattress. A good mattress is essential in getting a good night’s sleep. It is possible that a mattress that is too soft, of low quality or does not offer enough support, will impact your sleeping patterns.

If your mattress is showing signs of wear or tear, or visibly sags, then it is probably time to invest in a new one. If you want to find out more about choosing the best bed for you then please click here and read our previous blog post. We can help you choose a bed that is ideal for you.

3. Choosing a Good Sleeping Position.

It’s easiest to fall asleep when your spine is in a neutral, well supported position. The positions that some people get into when they are trying to fall asleep is incredible. As a Chiropractor I always discourage sleeping on your stomach. This position places your neck in a twisted position, which can cause discomfort and affect your sleeping.

The best position to sleep in is either on your side or on your back, whichever you feel more comfortable and supported in.

A tip I often recommend is to have your partner look at the position you usually sleep in and determine if your spine looks neutral or twisted. If it looks twisted, then this can be improved, and usually quite simply. I will delve into this in more detail in an upcoming blog post.

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do if you want to heal well, have lots of energy and stay healthy. It is essential to maintaining a good quality of life.

Try these simple sleeping tips above if you are battling with getting a good night’s sleep. If you are battling with pain, need a new bed, or just need some advice on sleeping positions, then give us a call on 031 562 9180 or email us on reception@alignchiropractic.co.za

Choosing the Best Bed for You

There comes a point in everyone’s life when you have no other choice but to buy a new bed. Ideally you want to choose the best bed for you. This process is not always an easy one. With so many different brands on the market, all making marvelous claims, how do you know which is the best bed for you? Here are 5 things to think about when choosing your new bed.

 1. Knowing When to Replace Your Bed is Important

The first step that many people take, after waking up with aches or pains, is to blame their bed and look for a replacement. They spend their money on a new bed, only to find that they still wake up with the same aches and pains. These issues could be due to an underlying spinal condition, injury, or even quite simply due to the position they are sleeping in. If you are waking up with pains, you should have those assessed first before rushing off and buying a new bed. After a few visits with the Chiropractor, you may just find that your pains subside.

It is important to note, if your bed is over 7 years old, visibly sags in places or shows signs of wear and tear, then it probably is a good idea to look for a new one.

A great test to determine whether your bed is the problem… 

Go away for the weekend and spend a few nights sleeping on a different bed. If you wake up without the aches or pains, then it’s a good sign that your bed is part of the problem.

 2. Not All Beds are Created Equal

Now that you know your bed is the problem, it’s time to choose a new one. In a very general sense, beds are priced based on the quality of materials that they are constructed from. If you are considering a cheap bed, there’s a very good chance that it has been produced from cheap, low quality materials. This is not going to give you the same comfort, support and longevity as a higher quality bed.

Many brands will have a bottom of the range and a top of the range, so buying a specific brand does not necessarily mean that you are buying a good bed. People often say, “But I bought a (insert Brand Name here), it must be a good bed!”. It’s very difficult to judge the quality of a bed based on name alone, and not knowing what’s on the inside. In general, great beds are made with high quality materials, and as a result, come at a premium. As you spend on average a third of your life in bed, it makes sense to get the best quality bed that you can afford.

 3. Which Type of Bed Do I Get?

A young, 130kg man with a back problem is going to require something vastly different to an elderly, slim woman with arthritis. What is best for you? Should you get a foam mattress? What about a spring and foam combination mattress? Have you even considered a water or an air mattress?

In general, I find most people do best with a combination spring and foam mattress. These types of beds tend to offer good support, comfort and longevity.

  4. Avoid Marketing Gimmicks

The bed industry is full of marketing gimmicks. Beds delivered in a box, “one-size fits all”, and “made from bamboo” are some of the common “features” doing the rounds. Manufacturers will often make comments like, their bed has the “perfect posture layer” or a special “back pain zone”. These are often just marketing terms that don’t actually mean anything. The most important factor when choosing a bed is the quality of the materials it is produced from.

  5. Testing Your Bed

The standard approach, when trying out new beds, is to walk into a bed showroom, lie on a few different beds for a few minutes each and then choose the one that feels the best. Research shows that *“the customary showroom ‘test drive’ in fact often leads consumers to suboptimal mattress selection”.

By following the above approach, you are actually less likely to choose the best bed for you. Your other option, is to take the salesman’s advice. It doesn’t take much knowledge of the human body or sleep science, to become a bed salesman. Unfortunately recommendations are often based on commission and clearing old stock. The truth is, there may be a bed in the show room that is perfect for you, the difficulty lies in correctly choosing that bed.

So How Do You Choose the Best Bed for You?

In reality, the best way to determine which is the best bed for you, is to undergo a variety of sleep tests whilst sleeping on a variety of different beds. Unfortunately, this is not feasible.

We recommend speaking to someone who understands the bed industry, your body and your unique needs to determine which is the best bed for you.

At Align Corrective Chiropractic we understand that choosing a new bed is not easy but is an important decision that you want to get right. We have developed relationships with leading bed manufacturers to make custom beds for our patients, based on their needs. If you require any help when choosing the best bed for you, please give us a call on 031 562 9180 or email info@alignchiropractic.co.za

Lower Back Pain Treatment

Lower back pain treatment is one of the most common reasons why someone might choose to see a Chiropractor. At Align Corrective Chiropractic we help people with lower back pain treatment every single day. It is estimated that over 80% of the population will have lower back pain at some point in their life. What causes it? Why is it so common? And what can you do about it, are some of the questions I aim to answer in this post.

If you are battling with lower back pain, you are not alone. Even though it is very common, lower back pain can be debilitating and can have a massive impact on your quality of life. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be.  There is actually quite a lot we can do to help if you have lower back pain.

Who Needs Lower Back Pain Treatment?

Our patients with lower back pain often report having had it for many years. I am often shocked by how long someone has lived with a problem, before deciding to do something about it. The mistake that many people make is that they ignore or cover up the pain and hope that it will go away. The problem with this approach is the longer you leave the underlying problem unresolved, the worse it tends to get. So the pain keeps coming back, it starts happening more frequently, it gets more intense and takes longer to resolve, until eventually it starts impacting even the most basic daily activities.  This is usually when people finally realise that there is a problem and start taking action.

Why wait until it gets this bad? If you are having lower back pains, it is always better to address the problem early on. So my advice is, don’t delay having your lower back pain assessed.

A Very Common, But Overlooked Cause For Lower Back Pain

There are so many contributing factors as to why you might have lower back pain. Lack of exercise, trauma, carrying extra weight, stress, the amount of time spent sitting, standing and lifting as well as certain diseases are all very commonly associated with lower back pain. However, one of the most common causes of lower back pain is often overlooked… STRUCTURE. How your spinal and pelvic structures are aligned can often play a significant role in lower back pain. This is specifically what we assess and correct at Align Corrective Chiropractic.

In this example, the patient’s lower back/pelvis X-ray on the left (BEFORE) has a significant misalignment, there is also an anatomical leg length inequality. This creates an imbalance which could cause the muscles to overwork, resulting in weakness and strain. The research shows that this can be a significant cause of chronic low back pain. Now, what do you think will happen if your focus is on treating the symptoms (strained muscles) and not correcting the underlying structural cause of your lower back pain? That’s right, your symptoms will just keep coming back. This is why we place such a big focus on Corrective Care. Following a course of Corrective Care Treatment, you can see the alignment in the X-ray on the right (AFTER) has improved significantly – so did the patient’s pain, flexibility and posture.

If you are looking for lower back pain treatment, give us a call on 031 5629180. We will assess your structure thoroughly and design a specific treatment plan to correct your problems.

When to See a Chiropractor for Neck Pain

A question that comes up quite frequently at our practice is, “Should I see a Chiropractor for neck pain?”. In general, pain is a sign that something is not quite right. We tend to mask it temporarily with painkillers and hope it goes away. Most of the time it does, but invariably it comes back and usually a whole lot worse.

In this blog, I will explain why this happens, and how you can put an end to it.

I am a firm believer in taking a proactive approach towards health. If something is hurting, find the reason for it, and fix the problem.

Neck pain is one of the most common conditions I see in practice. Unfortunately, our modern-day habits of sitting at our desks, hunched over laptops and staring down at our phones is taking its toll. New terms such as tech neck and text neck have been coined because of the prevalence of poor posture and neck injuries, related to our overuse of technology.

When Should You See a Chiropractor for Neck Pain?

There are a few types of patients looking for neck pain relief that I see fairly frequently. If you fall into one of these categories, then a Chiropractor would be a great choice for you:

THE OFFICE WORKER – The most common scenario I see in practice are the patients that spend all day hunched at their desks. The typical office worker. Their neck and shoulders start to ache at the beginning of the day and worsen as the day progresses. They often have a hunched forward posture.

THE LONG TERM SUFFERER – This is the person who has battled for years with a neck problem. It tends to come and go. They will have moments where life is great and then something will happen to trigger it and they are in pain again. This might be a stressful period or a longer/busier than normal day at work. No matter what they try, they will get relief for a while but it always comes back.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED – This is the person who goes to bed feeling great and wakes up unable to move. It could be triggered by a new activity, fall or even a sneeze. Something has happened to cause the neck to lock up, become stiff and sore.

The Common Underlying Cause for Neck Pain That is Often Missed.

There is often a common underlying cause for the above scenarios, which is unfortunately often overlooked – Structural Misalignment.

Very simply, in order to function optimally our necks should have a C-shaped curve from the side (Cervical Lordosis) and look straight from the front.  There are many reasons why you may lose this ideal shape, and they all result in more strain on the structures of the neck. This strain leads to weakness, which makes your neck more prone to injury. It can also lead to much more serious consequences long-term, such as degenerative changes.

After looking at thousands of neck X-rays, it is clear that this is a very common problem, but most people do not even know that they have it.

So, you might have a normal day at your desk, or a stressful moment or fall asleep in an awkward position, but because your neck is structurally misaligned, it cannot handle this strain and ends up hurting. We either tend to ignore the pain and hope it goes away, or try a variety of “quick fixes” to reduce the pain. This approach does not fix the underlying cause, so often the same scenario repeats itself over and over again.

At Align Corrective Chiropractic in Durban, we focus on structural correction. We use X-rays along with a number of examinations to determine exactly where your problem is originating from. We then design a program specifically for you to correct it. So to answer the question “When should I see a Chiropractor for neck pain?” Ideally before you have neck pain.

If you are looking for neck pain treatment in Durban, then give us a call on 031 562 9180.

My First Chiropractic Consultation

The other day I was thinking back to my first Chiropractic consultation and adjustment. This instantly made me giggle a bit – to think of the sheer terror with which I entered Dr Palmer’s office.

I Was Terrified

Now, I must mention that at this point of my first Chiropractic consultation, I was already dating Dr Palmer. We had met through a mutual friend, so my trust in him was substantial – nevertheless I was terrified. What if he breaks my back? What if he breaks my neck? Could I die?

I laugh now at these naive thoughts but at the time they were very real.

A Sense of Relief

Actually, my first Chiropractic consultation was quite funny, and not terrifying at all. When Dr Palmer tried to adjust my neck, I swiftly proceeded to jump off the Chiro table – this went on for a while until he eventually convinced me that I had nothing to fear.

Eventually I reasoned with myself – he’s a professional, he knows what he’s doing. The first neck adjustment was done… and wow! I felt great and there was no pain. Dr Palmer continued to adjust my neck, upper and lower back, and I couldn’t believe it! The adjustments were so gentle, and I instantly felt a sense of relief – especially in my neck and shoulders.

Click here to watch a video of me having my neck adjusted.

Commitment to a Corrective Chiropractic Care Program

The reason why I wanted to tell you about my first Chiropractic consultation, is that this memory made me realise that we sometimes forget that our new patients may be just as scared and apprehensive about getting adjusted as I was.

The fear that I had almost prevented me from seeing a Chiropractor, and to be honest, if I hadn’t known Dr Palmer personally, I probably wouldn’t have booked an appointment.

This is a scary thought, as I had been suffering with severe migraines for about two years, and the Corrective Chiropractic program that Dr Palmer put me on, has relieved these migraines – I no longer suffer with that pain on a weekly basis! In fact, I haven’t had a migraine since I went for my first Chiropractic consultation and committed to a Corrective Chiropractic Care program.

Diagnose the Cause of Your Pain, and Don’t Simply Treat the Symptoms

I encourage you – if you have been considering seeing a Chiropractor, or if you don’t fully understand what a Chiropractor does, give us a call on 031 562 9180.

Dr Palmer works from his practice – Align Corrective Chiropractic in Glenashley, Durban North. He has on-site X-rays and makes use of a method of practice that is the most researched method in Chiropractic. He aims to diagnose the cause of your pain, and not simply treat the symptoms (and this is where I had been going wrong).

You are welcome to ask for me personally if you would like to chat more about my first Chiropractic consultation and my treatment experience.

I hope that my first Chiropractic consultation experience and honesty leads you to consider Chiropractic in finding relief for your symptoms, especially if you have been struggling for years with the same pain.

We look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions.

Leigh Palmer
Practice Manager at Align Corrective Chiropractic

031 562 9180
reception@alignchiropractic.co.za
https://alignchiropractic.co.za

What to Expect After Your Chiropractic Adjustments?

Many of our patients are quite surprised by how gentle their first Chiropractic adjustments are; the bigger surprise comes when they experience just how effective the adjustments can be. It’s interesting to note that not everyone responds in the same way. Each individual comes with a different history and unique circumstances, so responses may vary. In general, there are three ways that you may respond to your first Chiropractic adjustment.

Instant Relief Following  Chiropractic Adjustments:

A lot of our patients will notice an improvement after their first adjustment. This might range from a mild improvement to complete relief. I have had patients report feeling 100% better after their first Chiropractic adjustment. One of my favourite patient memories, when I practiced in the UK, is of an elderly lady who had a 10-year history of severe lower back pain and pain down her leg when walking. She required the assistance of a cane, and tried to avoid walking as much as she could. This pain had a massive impact on her independence and quality of life.  About an hour after her first adjustment we found her outside walking briskly around the car park. She explained that for the first time, in as long as she could remember, she was able to walk without pain and wanted to make the most of it.

No Immediate Change After Chiropractic Adjustments:

I have also seen many patients that required a few adjustments before they began to feel an improvement. Sometimes we are dealing with problems and joint dysfunction that has been building up for many years. There may be degenerative changes, poor posture and all sorts of other complex issues. I have on many, many occasions seen patients who have felt no different for two or three visits and then suddenly, on their next visit, experience massive relief. The takeaway point here is to not give up hope. Some of these people were battling with pain for many years. I always explain to my patients that healing takes time and sometimes you just have to have a bit of patience.

A Little Stiff, Sore or Achy after Chiropractic Adjustments:

This happens more rarely, but it is quite possible to feel a bit stiff, sore or achy after an adjustment, before it feels better. Sometimes even in an area that wasn’t sore before. We are making changes that your body is not used to, and by changing one area of your spine it can have a knock-on effect in other areas. This is similar to the ache you may feel a day or two after starting a new gym program. Thankfully, it’s usually followed by feeling great.

How Will You Respond to your Chiropractic Adjustments?

There really is no way to know how you will respond without giving it a try. It’s important to remember that pain relief is just one of the many positive effects of a Chiropractic adjustment. Many patients also note improvements in posture, energy, sleeping habits and a range of other positive health effects.

The most important point is that true healing and structural correction takes time. Hopefully your Chiropractor has managed to find the cause of your problem, and has developed an appropriate plan to help you fix it.

If you are looking for a Durban Chiropractor based in Glenashley who takes a thorough, structural approach to finding the cause of your pain, then give Align Corrective Chiropractic a call on 031 5629180.

How to Treat Migraines Naturally

I believe the first step to treat migraines naturally is to discover whether you have any migraine triggers. If you have ever had a migraine, you will know that they can be completely disruptive. They can steal the joy from life’s best moments.  Avoiding these triggers is often a simple way to reduce the number of headaches that you get.

A migraine trigger is anything that might set off a migraine and they can be different for everyone. Common triggers include certain foods and drinks, but there are also environmental factors that may trigger a migraine. Bright flashing lights, very loud noises, a particularly stressful day may just be what triggers your migraine.

WATCH HERE FOR 5 COMMON MIGRAINE TRIGGERS.

How to Discover Your Migraine Triggers

If your migraines are random or infrequent, then you might have trouble remembering the circumstances that led to it. It may seem like there is no common trigger. What I have found to be very helpful in discovering migraine triggers, is to keep a migraine journal. This will often reveal patterns that might help you discover your migraine triggers. Once you know what triggers your migraine, you can take effective measures to avoid these triggers and reduce your migraines.

WATCH HERE TO DISCOVER HOW TO PINPOINT YOUR TRIGGERS. 

A Cause of Migraines That is Often Missed

Reducing your triggers can make a massive difference to your quality of life, but unfortunately it is not a fix. There is still the underlying problem causing the migraine. I have found for many, many of our patients that the underlying cause is related to misalignment of the structures of the neck.

Necks function best when they have a C-shaped Curve (Cervical Lordosis). Our day to day posture, bad habits and traumas such as whiplash are all very common reasons why we may lose this normal alignment. A loss of this normal alignment places more strain and tension on the structures of the neck. Over time this leads to dysfunction and degeneration.

If your neck is misaligned and causing your migraines, then we are often able to fix the migraines by realigning the neck. There are other reasons and causes for why you might be getting migraines, but I believe having your neck alignment properly assessed is the best place to start when looking to treat migraines naturally.

The above X-ray, on the left, is of a patient with an ideal neck alignment that does not suffer with migraines. The neck X-ray on the right is of a patient who suffered with migraines for years. Notice the difference in shape of the necks, the migraine sufferer has lost the normal C-shaped Curve of the neck.

How to Treat Your Migraines Naturally

With a program of specific Corrective Adjustments, Exercise and Traction we were able to help this patient get her neck curve back. As her curve improved, so did her migraines and her quality of life.

Taking these simple steps of discovering your migraine triggers, avoiding them and having your neck properly assessed, may help you treat your migraines naturally. They may just go away completely.

If you would like to find out if your neck is causing your migraines, then please give us a call on 031 562 9180