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It is thought that the average person spends about 26 years of their life sleeping, roughly 9490 days or 227,760 hours. Having the right mattress is an important part of getting a good night’s sleep.

Why is sleep so important?

During childhood, sleep supports growth and development, but sleep continues to be important throughout our lives to support both physical and mental health. Here are a few reasons why sleep is important:

• When we sleep, our bodies release a of hormones. One example is the growth hormone, which helps your body to grow and repair itself. This includes repairing your muscles, organs, and cells. 
• Sleep lowers your pulse and blood pressure, allowing your heart and blood vessels to rest and recover. 
• Scientists think REM sleep helps your brain to clear information you don’t need. 
• Activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight or flight responses, decreases. This allows your body to relax. 

The importance of the right mattress 

A mattress should keep your spine aligned but allow your muscles to relax while you sleep. Pain, particularly back and neck pain, can be made worse by the wrong mattress.  It can also lead to headaches or fatigue. 

What to consider when buying a mattress:

Mattresses often have several layers, but the support system and comfort layer can help you choose the right mattress. 

• The support system is the spring or foam layer that supports your weight and provides spinal alignment. This is rated by firmness and choosing the right firmness depends on your body type. 

It is not the case that firmer mattresses are the best solution for pain. There are problems with mattresses that are too firm or too soft, as the mattress should support your spine’s natural curve.

• The comfort layer is above the support layer and is unique to your preferences. Latex and memory foam are two examples of comfort layers that are beneficial to preventing aches and pains. 

Replacing your mattress 

Even if you have found the perfect mattress, it is recommended that you replace your mattress every seven to ten years. Over time, mattresses lose the ability to support you, leading to waking up with aches and pains. Here are a few more signs that it’s time to treat yourself to a new mattress:

• Noisy springs. This indicates that the springs have worn down, which means they will not be providing the necessary support. 
• Signs of wear and tear. For example, the mattress is saggy, lumpy or you can feel the springs through the mattress. 
• Allergies or asthma symptoms have worsened. Mattresses collect lots of dust and allergens and, over time, this can make your symptoms worse. 
• Other beds feel more comfortable. If you regularly find it hard to fall asleep in your own bed, but find almost every other bed comfortable, this might indicate your mattress is to blame. 

Spring is in the air, and it is time to get outside and enjoy it! With warmer weather around the corner, there will be an increase in outdoor sport activities. The best way to take full advantage of this season is to keep your health in tip top shape as well. Here are a few ways in which chiropractic care can help you to stay on top of your health and prepare you for the season ahead.

• Regular chiropractic adjustments can help prevent injuries

No matter what type of outdoor activity you plan to take part in this spring, regular visits to your local chiropractor are helpful in reducing the risk of injury, ensuring you are not putting too much strain on your joints, and checking that your nervous system is functioning normally. Whether you are running, riding a bike, playing ball, gardening, or spending time outdoors with your kids, plan a visit to your doctor to learn the best practices to keep your muscles and joints healthy in order to reduce the risk of injury and pain.

• Chiropractic care can help reduce the stress of a busy spring season

With warmer weather comes busier spring schedules. Whether your calendar is booked because you are spending more time with your kids as they have time off from school, or dealing with a busier work schedule, stress seems to be inevitable as the seasons change. Regular chiropractic care is a great way to reduce and prevent stress that can negatively affect your joints and overall health.

The bottom line is that in order to assure you get the most out of the spring season, and stay on top of your health, you need to take care of yourself. 

For more information, contact your local chiropractic clinic, to learn how you can ‘spring’ into your best health and start your path to a healthier, happier, and pain-free lifestyle. 

Most of us are aware of the importance of calcium for our health, especially for our bones. However, magnesium is another vital mineral for our bones, as well as for our muscles and nerves, it can actually be more difficult to get enough of this mineral in our diet than to get enough calcium

The many roles of magnesium

1. Magnesium is needed for normal muscle and nerve function. Without
   magnesium, our muscle fibres wouldn’t be able to relax after they have contracted, and nerve impulses wouldn’t be able to travel around our body properly.
2. Magnesium is vital for strong bones and teeth too. If you’re trying to improve or maintain your bone strength, it’s essential to include lots of magnesium-rich foods as well as calcium-rich foods.
3. Magnesium is also necessary for our cells to convert the food we eat into usable energy, and also for healthy ‘psychological function’ – including mood and how we deal with stress.

For these reasons…

Symptoms of not getting enough magnesium may include: muscle cramping, tight or weak muscles, increased pain, and loss of bone strength, as well as lack of energy, low mood, greater susceptibility to stress, and even poor sleep or insomnia.

As chiropractors we regularly see patients with these symptoms – especially pain and muscle dysfunction, of course. If any of them ring true for you, you are likely to benefit from getting more magnesium into your diet.

Where can we find magnesium?

The main sources of magnesium in our diet are plant foods, particularly the following:

• Green leafy vegetables such as kale, chard and spinach
• Seeds and nuts – particularly pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds
• Whole grains – especially buckwheat and rye
• Beans and pulses.

How much magnesium do we need?

The general adult recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 375mg. Like any nutrient, our requirements can vary, and the amount of magnesium present in foods – even the foods mentioned above – can also vary. But as a general rule, we need to eat four to five servings of one of these foods a day to get enough of this mineral. (One serving is about 80 grams or one handful green leafy veg, or two tablespoons of seeds, for example.)

Remember…

Drinking milk or eating cheese to get your calcium is not enough on its own to maintain strong bones – make sure you get plenty of those plant foods too! Also, don’t forget that weight-bearing exercise is one of the most important things to maintain bone strength.

One of the most likely times women will get back pain is during pregnancy and for men and women it is when there is an infant in the house needing to be picked up and carried. Both these times are paradoxically when you would like your back to be functioning at it’s best.

Caring for an infant puts stress on your back. Initially, you may be lifting the 7 to 10 pound baby up to 20-30 times a day. By the time the child is a year old, you are lifting and carrying around 17 pounds. Two years later, you will be lifting a 25 to 30 pound child.

Here are some ways that new mothers and fathers can help reduce their risk of injury and back pain.

Safe lifting, the basics: Stand with your feet at least a foot apart, this will give you a stable base of support. Keep your back as straight as possible and bend your knees. Do not stretch your arms out straight to pick up the baby. Bring the baby close to your chest before lifting.

Lift using both arms and your thigh muscles, which are amongst the largest and strongest muscles in the body. To pick up a child from the floor, bend at your knees-not at your waist. Squat down, tighten your stomach muscles and lift with your legs. When carrying and moving a child, pivot with your feet until you are facing your destination then lower the child into the crib or onto the floor by bending at the knees, with a straight back.

Carrying: Hold your child in an upright position, directly against your chest. Carrying a child on one hip creates postural imbalances that can lead to low back pain over time. Consider using a ‘front pack’ to carry the baby when you are walking.

Exercise for women:   Begin exercising again soon after delivery to restore muscle tone to the abdominal and back muscles. While the baby is napping, take 10 minutes to do stretching exercises on the floor each day. This will help restore hip and back flexibility. Try to return to your normal weight within six weeks after giving birth. If you had a Caesarean-section (C-section) delivery, wait six weeks or until you get the permission of your obstetrician before you begin exercising.

Breast feeding: To avoid upper back pain from breastfeeding, bring the baby to your breast, rather than bending over the baby. While you are nursing, sit in an upright chair rather than a soft couch.

You might love going on road trips but be aware that you may be setting yourself up for future spinal problems.

With back pain being the number 2 reason why we visit our GPs and costing the NHS £1.3Million per day, it is not surprising to see that over 60% of drivers in this survey agreed with the statement ‘my car seat can make my back ache worse after a long trip’ and maybe more importantly, over 40% of drivers said that the car seat was the main cause of their backache.

According to a recent survey commissioned by AutoExpress magazine, a poor seating position in your car can lead to both back in neck problems while a slouched position can also compromise your safety.

Local Chiropractor from in explains; “a slouched position can alter the way you wear the seat belt, reducing its effectiveness while an uncomfortable car seat can also lead to driver distraction and loss of concentration.”

So how should your car seat be set up to protect your back and neck?

Top tips:

1. “Make sure that your car seat is not too far away from the pedals. When you fully depress the clutch your legs should remain slightly bent.”

2. “Make sure that your backrest is not tilted back too far. Your elbows should be slightly bent when you position your hands correctly on the steering wheel in the ‘10 to 2 position’.”

3. “Make sure that you increase the lumbar support as much as possible to support the natural arch in your back to avoid slouching. If you do not have a lumbar support built-in, you can use a portable, dedicated lumbar support cushion or roll up a towel and put it behind your back.”

4. “Make sure that the top of your headrest is above the top of your ears. If it is too low it can increase the risk of neck injuries in case of an accident.”

5. “Now, stretch yourself up and make your spine as tall as possible sitting in an ideal posture. Set the rearview mirror so you can just about see the traffic behind you. This will help to correct your posture every time you look in your rearview mirror, because if you slouch you will not be able to use the rearview mirror.”

6. “Make sure that your seatbelt is correctly positioned. If possible, adjust the height so it is not sitting on your neck and according to the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the belt should be worn as tight as possible, with no slack and the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach.”

7. “Why not call in to the clinic and speak to a chiropractor if you are concerned about your spinal health and get your car seat checked as part of our service.”

Whether you have a deadline to meet, an appointment to book, or simply remember to pick up bread on the way home, we are all guilty of succumbing to the pressures of a never-ending to-do list.

Our fast-paced and demanding lifestyles mean we tend to put the majority of our thoughts to the back of our minds. However, when we are not able to recognise the relevance or influence of individual thoughts they can filter into the physical body as muscle tension or inflammation, which is why I recommend the practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of yourself in the present moment, enabling you to identify how you feel inside and out. With this mind-body approach, you can clear your mind of negativity and unnecessary strains and ultimately, help against physical aches and pains.

It allows you to understand your pain and teaches you how to let go of any anxiety associated with it, as these thoughts can contribute to increased tension, forming a vicious cycle of increasing pain.

As well as stress and chronic pain, mindfulness can help combat anxiety, sleep, and eating disorders. Mindfulness increases positivity and energy levels which encourage healthier life decisions, improving your overall sense of wellbeing. So not only are you likely to make better food choices but you should be able to finally relax when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep too.

I recommend you simply take 10 minutes out of your day to practice mindfulness, by working on five basic tips.

1. Sit comfortably and relax
2. Focus on your breath
3. From your head to toes, bring awareness to each body part
4. Identify any sounds or smells and let them pass
5. Acknowledge and accept how you feel emotionally

Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone and is well-known for triggering the “fight or flight” response in our bodies when we are stressed. However, cortisol is also responsible for regulating a wide range of processes throughout the body.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands, which is then released into the blood and transported around the body.

What does cortisol do?

Almost all our cells contain receptors for cortisol, meaning it plays an important role in several things your body does. For example, cortisol:

• Manages how your body uses proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
• Regulates blood pressure
• Increases blood sugar
• Keeps inflammation down
• Controls your sleep/wake cycle
• Boosts energy

The short-term release of cortisol can give your body energy to fight or flee from a stressor, but it is possible for our cortisol levels to become unbalanced.

Too much stress

Usually, cortisol levels balance when the stress your body was reacting to passes. However, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, the hormone can have a negative impact on your body.

There are some health issues associated with high levels of cortisol over a prolonged period, including:

• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
• Mood irregularities

In women, this can impact periods causing them to become irregular, less frequent or stop altogether.

Cortisol levels have also been linked to conditions like anxiety or depression.

Managing cortisol levels

There are some lifestyle habits that can help you to manage cortisol levels.

1. Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep can be an effective way to reduce cortisol levels. Several things can be done to optimise your sleep, such as limiting caffeine intake, avoiding nicotine or alcohol, and implementing a regular sleep schedule.

2. Exercise

Exercise can increase or decrease cortisol, depending on the intensity. Intense exercise can increase cortisol levels afterwards, which will decrease a few hours later.

However, regular exercise can also help with managing stress and promoting good health, which may help lower cortisol levels.

3. Eating a nutritious diet

When trying to lower cortisol levels, it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet, paying attention to sugar intake. Fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and even dark chocolate are thought to be helpful for managing cortisol.

Similarly, it is important to ear on a regularly because low blood sugar can increase cortisol.

4. Staying hydrated

Dehydration has been linked to temporary increases in cortisol levels, meaning it is important to drink enough water throughout the day.

5. Breathe

Deep breathing is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with relaxation and lower cortisol levels. Meditation or yoga are just two examples of ways to practice deep breathing.

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. If you’re suffering from regular pain and think you might have a misaligned pelvis, it’s important for patients to visit a chiropractor.

Pelvic dysfunction often happen as a result of everyday awkward movements over time such as lifting heavy loads without care and sitting at a desk with bad posture as well as during pregnancy and childbirth or from injury.

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.

Many people cringe at the sound of knuckles, elbows and other joints cracking. The debate surrounding whether this common cracking could cause joint problems has recently been settled. It has been confirmed that the popping sound is a result of an unwanted vacuum within the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints, locking the joints together.  When the joints are adjusted, the vacuum draws in a small air bubble and the noise is this air bubble being rapidly drawn in by the vacuum. The release of the vacuum by the air bubble allows the joint to move more freely.

This phenomenon is known as joint cavitation. Once the bubble is present, the joint will not crack again until all the air has been reabsorbed and a new vacuum is created.  This targeted approach reduces the likelihood of unintended cracking. In other words, cracking the joints in a controlled manner relieves stiffness and enhances the stability of neighbouring joints.

It is important to note that there are other cracking noises and sensations that may require attention. Snapping and cracking noises can be a symptom of osteoarthritis, which occurs naturally with ageing or as a result of trauma or joint diseases. In these cases, the breakdown of cartilage in the joint leads to painful friction and crunching noises during movement.

On the other hand, snapping noises and sensations are also caused by the movement of muscles or tendons across bones. This typically happens when a tendon is slightly loose and is most commonly experienced in the hip, knee, ankle, wrist, and shoulder. If left untreated, this condition can potentially lead to bursitis, which is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that allows muscles to move smoothly over bones.

Understanding the reasons behind joint cracking and the potential consequences of certain cracking noises can help individuals make informed decisions about their joint health.

Chronic back pain has been called a modern epidemic- so how do we help prevent and manage it?

Back pain is the second most common reason to visit the GP, after skin conditions, and almost eight out of 10 of us will suffer from it at least once in our lives. It’s also the number one cause of sick leave – and sufferers are getting younger.  It rarely has a serious cause, usually being brought on by bad posture, awkward sleeping positions and other lifestyle habits.

Exercise is one of the best ways to help reduce back pain and keep it from returning. Most minor cases of back pain can be reduced with regular exercise and tailored workouts.  Stretching, strengthening, and conditioning exercises can result in stronger muscles that support the spine and your body’s weight. When your body’s skeleton is supported, you are less likely to suffer injury and back pain. 5 great exercises to beat back pain:

Pelvic Tilt

You need to take care of the core muscles that support your spine. There are many workouts for back pain that do this, and your doctor or therapist should be able to give you specific advice and training for your unique back pain condition.

A good example of a safe strengthening exercise is the pelvic tilt. To do this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach muscles until you can press the small of your back flat against the floor. Hold the press for about five seconds and repeat up to 10 times.

Stretches

Keeping your core muscles limber is as important as keeping them strong. Two good stretching exercises are the knee-to-chest and the hamstring stretch.

To do the knee-to-chest, lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee up to your chest and use your hands to pull the knee close while flattening out your back; then repeat with the other knee. The hamstring stretch is done from the same starting position. Pick up one leg with both hands placed behind your knee and then straighten your lower leg. These stretches should be held for about 20 seconds and repeated five times. Be sure to warm up before you stretch.

Stretches to avoid: One of the worst stretches for a person with back pain is bending over to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight. Even worse is bouncing while trying to touch your toes. Other bad workouts for back pain are ones that require you to bend or twist with any type of weight in your hand.

Water Workout

An aerobic exercise is any exercise that uses the big muscles of your body in a rhythmic and repetitive way. Aerobic exercise can get blood flowing to your back muscles, which can really help them recover from injury and increase their strength. Walking is a good low-impact aerobics choice for your back, but swimming may be an even better workout for back pain if you get backaches.

In general, swimming is an excellent form of low-impact aerobic conditioning that is easy on the back and spine, with swimming there is practically no impact on the spinal structures. The water supports the body, relieving stress on all joints in the body.

 Yoga and Pilates

Three all-around good workouts for back pain are Yoga, Pilates and working with an exercise ball. Yoga and Pilates are great because, as long as your teacher knows your limitations, they can be adapted safely for most people with back pain.

Yoga and Pilates are both fantastic mind-body workouts that can dramatically improve your overall fitness and wellbeing if a regular practice is put into place. In terms of flexibility, both workouts can improve overall flexibility as well as increasing spinal flexibility. Increasing spinal flexibility will really help to improve your fitness performance, in addition to helping prevent injuries.

Pilates focuses on spinal flexibility through articulation of the spine. It is excellent as a strengthening exercise and supporting your back. Pilates and Yoga stretches benefits include improving your posture, helping support the spinal column and alleviating back pain. However certain postures such as deep back bends and cobras can be a bit risky, especially if you suffer from any back pain.