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?

Patients often ask me if they should self adjust or “crack” their own back, and while this may bring some short term relief it rarely has the effect a proper Chiropractic adjustment will have.

A chiropractic adjustment is so much more than just “cracking” your back. It is a very specific manoeuvre with just the right amount of speed and force in the right direction to either place the vertebra in the right position or to restore proper motion to the joint.

Your Durban Chiropractor will perform a detailed exam to determine exactly which joints are out of position properly before they adjust you. These tests will also help the Chiropractor decide if an adjustment is the right thing for you.

The problem with “cracking” your own spine (self adjusting) is that you have no idea which joint you are moving and which joints aren’t moving. Chiropractors are trained to use specific contacts to ensure that only the segment that needs adjusting is adjusted.

Another thing to remember is that a vertebra can be misaligned in a number of different ways. In fact a vertebra can move in 16 different directions, so it is important to know in which direction it has moved before adjusting it. If you don’t know which direction your vertebra has moved in, and you try “crack” it yourself, you could quite possibly be moving it further out of position.

I find that one of the biggest problems with the self adjust or “cracking” your own back is that it becomes a habit. Every time a joint “cracks” it causes a release of endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good. Unfortunately endorphins only last in the blood stream a short while, so when the effects wear off you feel like you need to “crack” your back again.

If you are constantly “cracking” your back, over time these joints will start to move easier and become “loose” and to compensate other joints will tighten up and become stuck which just causes more of a problem. Your Chiropractor will be able to adjust these vertebrae into a proper position, to make sure they are all aligned and moving properly, therefore fixing the problem.

So should you be adjusting your own back?

No. No one should adjust their own spine; even Chiropractors get adjusted by other chiropractors. Clicking your own spine is certainly not going to fix the problem and it may even make it worse.

Most people know Chiropractors can help with common conditions like low back pain, neck pain and headaches, but what about other conditions like sinus or digestive troubles?

The nervous system controls everything; it controls how you function, how you heal, and what you feel. Everything that happens in the body begins as a nerve impulse in the brain, which travels down the spinal cord, and out through the peripheral nerves (between the vertebrae) to control every part of the body.

So what happens when two vertebrae become misaligned or when the spine loses its normal shape and puts extra strain or pressure on the nerves? The nerve becomes irritated, and while this often causes pain, only about 10% of the nervous system is involved with sensation. In fact the other 90% of the nervous system controls your muscles and organs and keeps your body functioning properly. So doesn’t it make sense that a spinal misalignment can not only cause you pain, but could also be causing other problems?

As a Chiropractor I do not claim to treat any illness or disease, I quite simply locate where the spine is misaligned or not moving properly and help correct it. For example the nerves from the upper neck supply the head and sinuses. If a patient is battling with headaches or sinus troubles, I will often find that their first two neck vertebrae will be misaligned. By adjusting these joints and taking the pressure off these nerves, patients will often notice an improvement with their headache or sinus symptoms. Again I am not treating their sinuses, but rather addressing the structural issue in their neck that may be aggravating their sinus troubles.

Many patients have reported improvements in energy levels, sleeping patterns, digestive troubles and many other issues whilst under Chiropractic care. I have even had a patient report that his hearing improved after his first adjustment.

So can Chiropractic help with back and neck pains? Absolutely. Can Chiropractic help you with other problems such as sinus and digestive troubles? Possibly, provided the problem is caused by a spinal misalignment. As always it’s best to consult your Chiropractor for a thorough assessment to determine if your spine is causing you any other problems.

In a previous post we discussed what to expect at your first Chiropractic visit and now it is time for your first adjustment. Your Chiropractor should have already discussed their findings with you and how you can best be helped with Chiropractic care.

So what to expect?

There are many different chiropractic techniques, ranging from gentle touch to using specialised equipment. Treatment may vary greatly depending on the Chiropractor and their personal preferences but in most cases a typical treatment will include Chiropractic adjustments. If you are nervous about your first adjustment, just let your Chiropractor know. They will do their best to re-assure you and tailor the adjustment to suit you.

Your Chiropractor will have found areas of your spine that are misaligned or not moving correctly, and these are the areas that they will adjust. An adjustment is often a quick thrust to the spine to put the joints into a better position and get them moving properly.

Your Chiropractor will often adjust an area that is already sore, so some adjustments may cause a moment of discomfort, but generally won’t cause you any pain. You will often hear a “click” during an adjustment and this is due to gas bubbles in the joint fluid being released. No need to worry as this is perfectly normal.

The effects of an adjustment are varied, and range from some patients feeling immediate relief, to feeling very relaxed or even sleepy. Some people will experience a mild ache afterwards and this is due to the muscles working a little harder to keep everything in the right place. This usually wears off within a day at two and can be compared to the ache you feel after exercising for the first time.

Chiropractic adjustments can have an effect on the nervous system so you may notice changes in other areas. I have had many patients report improvements with their sinus and digestive issues following an adjustment.

So how will you respond to your first adjustment? Well you won’t know until you give it a try.

Have you ever had to stop walking to remove a pebble from your shoe that was irritating your foot? It wouldn’t make sense to just carry on and take painkillers or muscle relaxants for this irritation when removing the pebble would resolve the problem for good.

So why is it, that so many people constantly take medications for their headaches, back pain, fatigue and many other issues, instead of removing the problem from its source?

It seems that many of life’s problems are approached in this manner; we can either patch it or fix it. Although they may sound similar they are two very different options. Patching the problem is often a quick fix; we try to find something that will help the problem now, without much thought for the future and as a result the problem tends to keep coming back.

Fixing the problem is a long term solution; it not only involves helping the problem now, but also ensuring that it doesn’t keep happening.

Your choice in Chiropractic care is no different. When you are in pain, Chiropractic can offer you two choices, to either patch the problem or to fix it. I personally, love to help patients get out of pain, but I find it far more rewarding helping people fix their problem, and watching their health improve over the long term.

I see people all day who come in with the mindset, “I just want to feel better” and it’s my goal to help them focus on their health long term. In many cases Chiropractic can help them feel better relatively quickly, but unless they are committed to fixing the problem, it’s going to keep coming back.

In Chiropractic cases, the source of the patient’s problem is from a joint being out of position that puts pressure on a nerve, or a joint being stuck and not moving properly, which puts strain on the muscle. If you experience headaches, there is a good chance that a misalignment in your neck is adding to your misery, rather than a lack of Painkillers in your diet. Once the pressure is removed from the nerve, or the joint starts moving properly again, patients will get relief. However, with time the vertebra tends to go back to the position it is used to, resulting in pain again.

This is why I believe corrective Chiropractic care is so important. Through chiropractic adjustments, home traction, and specific postural exercises you can realign your spine to its normal shape and curvature thereby taking pressure off the nerves, joints and muscles to allow your spine and nervous system to function healthily.

If you never remove the pebble from your shoe, what do you think will happen to your foot after a few months of walking? If you never address the cause of your headaches, back pain or fatigue, what do you think will happen in a few years from now?

The decision to patch or fix the problem is always yours. Whether you want short term relief or a long term solution that will benefit you the rest of your life, your Durban Chiropractor can help you.

Patients who are starting Chiropractic care often want to know how long it will take before they feel better. Unfortunately there is not a single, simple answer that will be true for everyone.

Many factors can influence how quickly a patient will heal. I have seen some patients experience instant relief after one adjustment, whereas others take weeks to months before they notice a significant improvement. In general most patients tend to notice some relief within the first few Chiropractic adjustments.

Many factors can influence how quickly a patient will heal. I have seen some patients experience instant relief after one adjustment, whereas others take weeks to months before they notice a significant improvement. In general most patients tend to notice some relief within the first few Chiropractic adjustments.

Here are just a few factors that can influence the healing process.

• AGE – younger people tend to respond the quickest to therapy. From middle age onwards the body’s capacity to heal tends to diminish.
• LENGTH OF TIME – a person who has had a problem/pain for many years will tend to heal slower and may notice gradual improvements with time. People who have only had pain for a few days tend to notice big improvements within a short time. If you have any pain, it is best to have it assessed as soon as possible, as ignoring it, will often allow the problem to get worse.
• LIFESTYLE – People who have a healthy lifestyle, who exercise regularly and eat healthy foods tend to heal quicker. Exercise keeps the joints and muscles moving well, and promotes blood flow which aides in healing. Good nutritious foods give the body the building blocks it needs in order to heal.
• AGGRAVATING FACTORS – If you have a neck problem but spend all day, every day hunched over a desk you will take longer to respond to care. Patients who remove any aggravating factors tend to respond better.
• COMPLIANCE – If your Chiropractor gives you any exercises or stretches or any advice…Follow it.  Patients who follow their Chiropractors suggestions generally tend to respond quicker.

Perhaps the most important factor is, “what do you hope to achieve with Chiropractic care?” If you only want to feel better, this can often be achieved in a short space of time. If you are looking to fix the problem that is causing the pain, this can often take a lot longer. In most cases if you do not fix the underlying cause of the pain, the pain will inevitably return. Chiropractors will often recommend adjustments or specific postural exercises even when you aren’t in pain. This ensures that you spine stays in the correct position and the joints keep moving properly so that your problem can be fixed.

There are many factors that play a role in how quickly you will respond to Chiropractic Care. Whether you are looking for short term pain relief or to fix the problem long term, Chiropractic can help you.

It’s often said that a change is as good as a holiday and with that in mind, Back to Health Chiropractic will soon be changing premises. Not only are we excited about this change in location, but the host of other changes that comes with it.

• Digital booking system
• Paperless office
• Automatic appointment reminders
• Instant access to your medical aid and available funds

The above are just some of the changes that will make visiting your Durban Chiropractor simpler and more efficient.

The change that we are the most excited about…

We will soon have our own, on site, X-ray facility, making it easier and more cost effective to have your spine X-rayed, if you should need it.

The new premises are located in the heart of Durban North, at DHS old boys club. It is a quiet, peaceful environment with plenty of available parking. There will also be a gym, beauty salon, restaurant and many other health practitioners working as a team, to help you with all your needs. Everything has fallen into place very suddenly so we will keep you updated with any more exciting changes.

Everything has fallen into place very suddenly so we will keep you updated with any more exciting changes.

I remember feeling both nervous and excited the first time I saw a Chiropractor. I went in not knowing what to expect but I left knowing that I had made the right choice. A good Chiropractor should take the time to explain everything, give you your options and put you at ease.

Your first visit is often the longest, as the Chiropractor will want to take the time necessary to find out exactly what is bothering you and how best to serve you. A typical first visit will start with a detailed medical history.

Where does it hurt? How long have you had this problem? Can you think of anything that may have caused this pain? Is there any time of the day when it feels better or worse? These are just a few common questions your Chiropractor will ask you to get a complete understanding of what is causing your pain.

Your Doctor should then perform a series of tests to examine your spine. These may include orthopaedic tests, to determine how your joints and muscles are functioning. Neurological tests to show how your nervous system is functioning, and postural tests to determine what part of your spine is under the most strain.

These tests are all very important and will give your doctor a very good idea of what your problem is. If necessary your Chiropractor will take a set of X-rays, or refer you for further testing. X rays are very useful as they can show broken bones or if there is disease in the spine. They also show the shape and alignment of your spine and if you have any degenerative changes due to a misalignment.

Align Corrective Chiropractic makes use of  digital posture assessment and digital X-Rays of the spine. These are both very useful in indicating any postural/structural problems.

Once your Chiropractor has all the information they need, they should go through their findings with you, discuss your options and recommend a treatment plan for you to get the best possible results.

Your Chiropractor will then give you your first adjustment and hopefully you too will leave knowing that you made the right choice.