All posts by Alex Newton

Sitting for a prolonged time causes hip flexors to tighten. This tightness could cause you back pain and your spine to become misaligned.

Your hip flexors are an important muscle group. If they are tight, your spine can become more unstable and painfully misaligned and pressure is added to your lower back as your muscles try to realign your spine.

Prolonged sitting is one of the biggest reasons for short hip flexors and they can tighten up if your core muscles are not working well. Tightness of the hip flexors will make your back arch more and put pressure on the spinal joints. It will also inhibit the core muscles of the stomach that support your spine, making it unstable and vulnerable to injury.

Tight hip flexors can result in a lot of pain and discomfort and it can even make the simplest everyday tasks challenging. Performing simple exercises and stretches every day will help to release tight hip flexors and improve your athletic performance. Here are two effective exercises and stretches to help loosen up your hip flexors and improve your mobility.

Pulse Lunges

• Assume a lunge position and make tiny pulsing movements to activate your hip flexors
• Repeat for 30 seconds on each leg for three sets

Reverse lunges with knee charge

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart
• Take a step backwards with your right foot and lower into a deep lunge position
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and drive your right knee upwards, until your knee is parallel to the ground
• Repeat this movement for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg

Hip Flexor Stretch

• Lie down on your back on your bed
• Shuffle to the edge so your left leg starts to hang over the side
• Bend the right leg and lift it so you can take hold of your right knee
• Bring it up towards your chest as far as you can and let the left leg fall down as far as you can
• Relax into this position and hold for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times on each side.

If you have an underlying knee or hip injury these may be difficult, so ask your chiropractor on how to perform something similar and effective for your condition.

Stretches and exercises that have been designed to relax, lengthen and strengthen your hip flexors are one important part in helping you protect your joints and improve your mobility. Improved mobility will ultimately prevent injuries from occurring.

Many patients who suffer from knee, back or shoulder pain for example can attribute these issues to a pelvic dysfunction. While pelvic dysfunction is not life threatening it can be life limiting so find out how you can make small changes that may make a large difference. 

Pelvic dysfunction often happens as a result of everyday awkward movements over time such as lifting heavy loads without care, sitting at a desk with bad posture, limping on a lower limb injury, falling on your knees or bottom, as well as during pregnancy and childbirth.

The pelvis acts as a transmitter of forces between the legs and the spine. Many important muscle groups attach to the pelvis, the thigh muscles from below and the muscles of the trunk from above. If the pelvic joints (sacroiliac joints and pubic symphysis) are not moving correctly this can cause an imbalance resulting in pain in many different places. It could be looked at as a core stabilizer, supporting the spine, legs and wide range of muscles, so when the pelvis is not working properly (hip is tilted out of position) it can cause pain, weakness and tightness that can travel through the hip and pelvis up into the shoulders and neck, it also commonly can cause referred pain down into the legs.

There are three distinct areas that may be affected as a result of Pelvic Dysfunction these include the hips, which can become achy, painful and inflamed, the lower back which due to impairment of stability and function of (hyperextension) of the muscles in the abdomen and lower back which can cause spinal joint (facet joint) injuries and finally, the knee and ankle which can be put under a lot of strain if weight is shifted to one side to compensate for the pelvic dysfunction.

You can do a simple test at home to help you look for obvious signs of pelvic dysfunction: stand barefoot in front of a mirror with your back straight but relaxed. Imagine a vertical line going straight down the middle of your body and a second line near your shoulders that is perfectly perpendicular to the first line. If your hips are out of alignment, your pelvis will appear diagonal rather than parallel to the second line meaning you have a lateral pelvic tilt. This could be a sign of pelvic dysfunction.

With the easing of lockdown spring has arrived and with it the added need for us to take extra care of our necks, backs and spines to avoid pain and injury…

If the arrival of sunshine has caused you to pack away your winter jumpers and, instead, pull out your racket, shin pads or helmet for a bout of summer activities, remember to take note of these simple steps to ensure you steer clear of any unwanted pain and discomfort.

RUNNERS can avoid injury by regular stretching of the tendons and wearing good shoes with shock-absorbing features.

RACKET-SPORTS PLAYERS should be wary of playing through the pain of Tennis Elbow. Tennis Elbow is in fact an overuse injury, caused by repetitive movements at the wrist forcing the thumb outwards and the palm upwards. Continuing to play will only exacerbate the problem.

GOLFERS are particularly prone to lower back injuries. Graphite clubs and soft spiked shoes will help absorb the shock which can bring on back injury. Your chiropractor can suggest appropriate warm-ups and exercises, and help you work on an alternative swing.

GARDENERS commonly suffer from aches and pains, but they can avoid lower back trouble by kneeling on one leg rather than bending from the hips, keeping the back hollow whilst digging, and varying tasks throughout the day to avoid repetition injury.

DIY, like gardening, is often far-removed from everyday activities. When the sun is shining many will want to get out in the garden and get on with the long list of DIY jobs that have piled up over the winter months. Enthusiasts often injure their back by in habitual exertion, so when lifting, take the weight on bent legs, keeping the back straight.

If you’re following the trends in exercise and fitness, you’ve probably heard the phrase “core strength” or “core stability.” These terms refer to the muscles of your abdominals (stomach) and back and their ability to support your spine and keep your body stable and balanced, helping to prevent back pain.

The core muscles lie deep within the trunk of the body. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. They stabilise these areas to create a firm foundation for co-ordinated movement of the legs and arms.

Core stability is also needed in everyday life, helping to keep you fit and to prevent injury when you are lugging those heavy shopping bags or doing the ironing. Rises in back pain incidence have been linked to the sedentary lifestyle that many of us lead. How about neck and shoulder pain? Time spent hunched over the desk instead of getting out and about can mean that we don’t pay enough attention to posture, and the muscles of those crucial “corset” muscles.

To strengthen your core stability:

• Start by lying on your back with knees bent.
• Your lumbar spine should be neither arched up nor flattened against the floor, but aligned normally with a small gap between the floor and your lower back. This is the “neutral” lumbar position you should learn to achieve.
• Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach muscles.
• Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is going back towards the floor.
• Hold the contraction for 10 seconds and stay relaxed, allowing yourself to breathe in and out as you hold the tension in your lower stomach area.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Bear in mind the following points:

• Do not let the whole stomach tense up or your upper abdominals bulge outwards, as this means you have cheated by using the large rectus abdominus muscle (the six-pack).
• Do not brace too hard; just a gentle contraction is enough. Remember it’s endurance not max strength your are trying to improve.
• Do not tilt your pelvis nor flatten your back, as this means you have lost the neutral position you are trying to learn to stabilise
• Do not hold your breath, as this means you are not relaxed. You must learn to breathe normally and maintain the co-contraction.
• Use your fingers for biofeedback on either side of your lower abdomen to feel the tension.

Once you have mastered the abdominal hollowing lying on your back, practise it lying on your front, four-point kneeling, sitting and standing. In each position get your lumbar spine into neutral before you perform the hollowing movement. If you feel any pain or discomfort while doing these exercises, then stop immediately and seek medical advice before continuing.

Could standing work desks be the answer to unwanted back pain?

Recent workplace trends show that many employers are now opting for standing work areas, rather than the more conventional seated desks, in a bid to prevent their workers suffering from back pain and to help increase their productivity in the office.

But are these innovative standing workspaces really the way forward to a healthy back, free from pain and discomfort?  Here are three things to bear in mind if your work place decides that standing, rather than sitting, is best way forward:

1. Standing tall

Sitting and bending forward (as you tend to do in an office seat) can put twice as much load on your spine as standing does so standing desks could well be a better option for the office.

1. Take a break

While standing, however, it is important to remember that you should still take regular breaks as you would when sitting at a desk. Being stuck in one position, even if it is in a ‘good posture’, is not advisable.

1. The best of both

A desk set up that allows you to stand as well as sit is the most ideal situation, as this gives you the option to change position regularly. The more adjustable your desk set-up is, the more likely you are to find a position that suits you.

The primary factors that can cause or worsen pain include poor posture, injury, too little (or too much) activity, and specific conditions such as arthritis. However, what you eat can also help to manage or relieve pain, or even prevent it injury in the first place.

Here are some of our top nutrition tips for managing pain.

1. Ditch the processed foods

Processed foods generally refers to most things that come in a packet with a list of ingredients: from biscuits to ready meals to breakfast cereals. They often contain little in the way of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. They may worsen inflammation and pain because they contain higher levels of unhealthy fats – in particular, processed omega-6 fats and ‘trans’ fats, which have pro-inflammatory properties. They often contain quickly absorbed sugars or refined carbohydrates too, which may exacerbate inflammation when consumed in excess.

In contrast, ‘real’ foods are as close as possible to how they are found in nature. They can include whole vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fish, eggs and meat (whole cuts, not ‘deli’ or processed meats). These foods naturally contain higher levels of nutrients that can help reduce inflammation and pain, such as those we’re going to look at in more detail below.

1. Eat magnesium-rich foods

One of the nutrients that may help to manage pain and inflammation is magnesium. Magnesium helps our muscles to work normally, including helping them to relax, which in turn helps to avoid or relieve muscle tension that can contribute to pain. This mineral is also important for the nerves.

Magnesium is found primarily in whole unprocessed plant foods – especially green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, seeds and nuts, and whole grains including rye and buckwheat.

1. Include oily fish

Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring and anchovies are high in omega-3 fats. These fats have anti-inflammatory properties and therefore may help to manage pain. The specific omega-3s in fish (EPA and DHA) can be more beneficial than the types of omega-3 found in seeds such as flax seeds.

Aim to eat a serving of oily fish around three times a week. These can include tinned sardines and salmon as long as they do not contain added vegetable oils (olive oil is fine). Note that ‘omega-3 fish fingers’ are not a good source of omega-3 fats – stick to the real thing!

1. Get plenty of vitamin C

You may know vitamin C for its role in the immune system. But in fact the primary role of vitamin C is in making collagen – a protein that forms the basic structure of most of the body’s tissues, including the bones, joints and muscles. If your body can’t make collagen properly, these tissues will lose strength and function, contributing to not only day-to-day pain but also potentially painful conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Eating a variety of vegetables and fruit is the best way to get enough vitamin C. Although ‘five-a-day’ is the well-known recommendation, we should be aiming for at least seven portions a day, primarily of vegetables, in order to get good amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants. Some of the best sources of vitamin C include peppers, kale, broccoli, kiwi fruits, Brussels sprouts, watercress and red cabbage. If you can, get your veg and fruit from a local producer (e.g. a farmer’s market) as it can lose its vitamin C when it’s stored or transported for long periods of time.

1. Include anti-inflammatory spices

The spices ginger and turmeric in particular can have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Use fresh ginger and powdered turmeric in your cooking whenever you can, make fresh ginger tea with a grated thumb-sized piece of ginger. If you have a good vegetable juicer you can even make fresh ginger juice to sip on – but watch out, it’s strong!

1. Try avoiding nightshades

The ‘nightshade’ or solanaceae vegetables may worsen inflammation and pain for some people. These are aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes), and peppers – including chillis and all types of chilli powder (cayenne, paprika etc.). If you’ve implemented the other changes for at least three months and not noticed a significant improvement in your pain, then try eliminating the nightshade vegetables.

1. Consider eliminating gluten

Gluten is a protein that’s found primarily in wheat, barley and rye. The most severe reaction to gluten is coeliac disease, where the sufferer has to avoid gluten for the rest of their life. But some people who do not have coeliac disease may also react to gluten in a less severe way, which can contribute to inflammation in the body. If you’re cutting out gluten it can be best to work with a nutrition practitioner (e.g. a nutritional therapist) for support to make sure you’re not missing out on any nutrients.

Most children get a real thrill out of making themselves dizzy. They’ll spin round and round as fast as possible and then collapse in a heap of laughter and giggles. However, when someone suddenly becomes dizzy for no apparent reason, it can be a very frightening and debilitating experience.

Dizziness is the third most common complaint in general practice, yet most people don’t know why it happens. Our eyes, ears and nerve endings in our joints all combine to send signals to the brain telling us where our body is in space. If these signals are interrupted or the wrong signals are sent, then we can get dizzy. There are a number of different reasons why we can feel dizzy. Some of these include more serious trauma to the head and/or neck.

People are sometimes confused between dizziness and vertigo. Dizziness can be described as a feeling of light-headedness, whereas with vertigo, you either feel as if the room is spinning or you yourself are spinning.  By the age of 70, about 30 per cent of people have experienced vertigo it at least once.  If you think that you have experienced vertigo, then it is best to seek medical advice.

Correcting poor posture habits is essential to spine health.  To avoid long-term health issues, it is best to start to develop good habits. 

Your sleeping posture is more important than you may think. If you sleep on your side, place a flat pillow between your legs and knees to help keep your spine straight and aligned. 

Always use a supportive pillow under your head to properly align and support your shoulders and skull. Sleeping on your side or back is almost always better than sleeping on your stomach.

Driving posture is also very important. Move your seat up so that you can depress both foot pedals all the way to the ground with your knees remaining bent. Your back should remain against the seat. Recline the back of the seat very little, by only about 5 degrees.

If there is a height adjustment, raise the seat so that your hips align with your knees. If an adjustment isn’t available, consider buying a cushion. Your head should never reach the ceiling and cause you to slouch. The top of your headrest should match the top of your skull. If possible, tilt the headrest forward so that it’s no more than 4 inches from your head.

When it comes to a standing posture, stand with your heels, hips, and shoulders aligned. Do not shrug your shoulders forward, roll them back slightly and allow your arms to naturally hang at your sides. Make sure you keep your feet shoulder-width apart.

These are all ways you can straighten your back naturally. Give them a try and see if you notice a difference.

There are many symptoms that can signal problems with your spine. It is important to monitor these symptoms to ensure you are maintaining a healthy spine.

Headaches, backaches and sore spots in your muscles or joints are all signals from your body telling you that something is not working right. Feeling fatigued can also mean that there is misalignment of the spine. This can cause interference in the brain and body communication and can lead to fatigue.

Having to crack your neck, back or other joints frequently is also a sign of an unhealthy spine. Abnormal movement of the spine can cause stiffness.  Subluxations decrease spinal mobility and create stiffness. 

Jaw clicking is another sign of an unhealthy spine. Your jaw can be affected by misalignments in your neck. This causes a clicking sound when opening and closing the mouth.

Lower back pain can be excruciating, especially while trying to get a good night’s rest.  It may seem impossible, but there are some sleeping tips that can help.

Be sure to have a pillow that supports both the head and the neck. Finding the right pillow is crucial in keeping your spine in complete alignment throughout the night. Make sure the pillow is sturdy enough that your neck is aligned with the rest of your spine, both while sleeping on your back or side. Be sure the space beneath your neck is completely filled to support its curve. Double check that the pillow is firm enough to support this alignment throughout your sleep.

Sleeping in the fetal position with knees drawn towards the chest at 90 degrees, is a good sleeping position. Sleeping on your side also helps keep the neck in line with your spine. Keeping a pillow between your knees also helps to stabilise the hips. If you prefer to sleep on your back, be sure to properly align your body from head to toe and prop your knees up with a small pillow.

You can also take a reclined position by keeping one leg straight and the other one bent at the knee. This slight incline helps to relieve disc problems. A shallow pillow also helps to reduce backpressure.