Tag Archive for: chiropractor

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Award Winning Clinic and Chiropractors – That’s Us!!!

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It’s exciting times for the Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic!  On 30th January 2013 we will be awarded the prestigious Patient Partnership Quality Mark (PPQM) 2013 – 2015 by the College of Chiropractor’s, who were themselves recently awarded Chartered status by the Queen.

The College of Chiropractor’s states: “The College of Chiropractors believes that chiropractic services should be centred on the users of those services. The College supports the delivery of services that are flexible and responsive to the needs of patients, acknowledging them as partners in their own care.” (Tim Jay DC FCC, President)

The award recognises the achievement of outstanding levels of care and service provided to patients, in areas including cleanliness and safety, communication and patient education, privacy, accessibility and record keeping.  More information will follow and of course pictures, after the 30th January ceremony!

In addition to the PPQM award, one of the Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic’s Chiropractors, Danny Adams, will be presented with an award identifying him as Outstanding PRT Chiropractor of the Year on the College of Chiropractor’s postgraduate Training Scheme, under Mentor and Clinic Director, Simon Rose.

Congratulations also to Danny (who has been busy!) for recently achieving his International Chiropractic Sports Science Diploma, awarded by the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic.  This post doctoral qualification ensures extremely high standards of theoretical and practical competency in treating sports injuries and qualifies him to participate in major national and international events such as the Olympic Games.

More information will follow soon about all of the above.

 

 

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We Now Stock Biofreeze Sprays!

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We love Biofreeze pain relieving gel here at the Longlevens Chiro Clinic, and we sell lots of it too!  We have have now started to stock Biofreeze 4oz sprays which will be great for your handbag or sportsbag.  It’s very easy and practical to use wherever you are – home, work or on the sports field.  Pop in when you are passing if you would like to purchase one.

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Sacro-Iliac, also known as SI, Joint pain

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The Sacro-Iliac joint is a common cause of lower back pain due to the large amount of force it has to cope with, patients often get this joint confused with the hip as it is quite low and slightly to the side of the spine (wider in women).


This joint connects the spine to the pelvis and takes on a lot of force during motions involving the legs and torso. The joint essentially is a wedge of bone (The Sacrum) at the base of the spine fitting into wedge shaped region (between the ‘Ilia’, pleural of the ilium which is one of three parts of the pelvis) at the pelvis hence the name Sacro-iliac. Because this joint takes on so much force it requires a lot of stabilising, hence there are many ligaments connecting the sacrum to the surrounding structures. These ligaments are prone to injury, if the muscles around the joint, above or below are not working efficiently to support the spine then the S.I joint’s ligaments and cartilage are prone to increased forces and therefore damage.

Front view:

Rear view:

Pain that originally starts in this region often spreads across the whole of the lower back, this is because inflammation is a very clever but also very crude system. When the inflammatory process starts, it essentially dumps inflammatory chemicals on a region. What it often does however is go a bit too far, this can actually damage healthy cells, giving the feeling of pain in a general region. The S.I. joint can also refer pain to various other regions, this is because where the pain fibers from the S.I joint enter the spine, fibers often cross with fibers that innervate other regions of skin of the body, therefore producing pain at the region also. When this occurs, it is known as an S.I. joint Syndrome as all three components of pain, restriction and pain referral are involved to make up the ‘syndrome’.
Purely using an Ice pack regularly for 10-15 minutes every 2 hours for a week will make a massive difference and should localise the pain back to the joint where it originated. To clear out the rest and to prevent recurrence, a Chiropractor may be needed to get the joints moving properly and the muscles loosened and functioning correctly once more. There is only around 2-4 millimeters of movement at the joint therefore a Chiropractor will help regain as much movement as possible. This will get rid of the pain completely and with the correct assessment and treatment of your bio-mechanics and function it will prevent the problem from recurring in the future.

There are more serious conditions that can affect this joint such as various arthropathies, (there are many types of arthritis) though a well trained Chiropractor should be able to determine the exact cause of the pain from your history and assessment.

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What Makes a Good Chiropractor and a bad Chiropractor?

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Thanks Danny for an excellent blog! Please read on…

As a practicing Chiropractor I have made 2 brief lists of things to be aware of when visiting a Chiropractor for the first time. The lists are also good to see how your current Chiropractor compares.

All professions have good and bad practitioners, as you can imagine people’s abilities to treat differ just as a persons abilities at sport can differ. Some people are naturals, some take time to improve and others well… the less said the better. There can also be differences in how one practitioner views a patient as a human being similar to how people in general life have different views on individuals in the human race. One practitioner may run a clinic with a patients health in mind whilst a minority would put the business overwhelmingly first and see patients as number rather than a person.

Here are some bad things that from my experience I would recommend to watch out for when you go to see a Chiropractor:

  1. Treatment times less than 15 minutes long.
  2. Offering of a full spinal x-ray on consultation rather than an x-ray of a specific area, an x-ray is only required in 10% of patients and is often not necessary straight away.
  3. A “spinal scan” that miraculously highlights areas of the spine that need “correcting” or “re-aligning”. A spine with graph like projections coming out to the sides may be seen on the print out of one of these.
  4. Being told you have a “subluxation” or “subluxations”. This is an old Chiropractic term that is in the process of being phased out in the UK due to its misuse by a minority of the profession and the confusion it causes to the public. I do not have a problem with the term when it is used correctly (rarely), however it has been abused and used as a scare tactic by a minority of individuals.
  5. Treatment ‘pre-payment packages’ or ‘set number of treatments’, for example: “buy 10 treatments for the price of 9!” or “book all 20 treatments now and save 10%” or “you need 22 treatments for this problem” These are sales tactic, no practitioner can per-determine the number of treatments required for an injury as everyone heals at different rates. I tell my patients that it will take anywhere from 4-16 treatments. Post treatment the patients then usually books in the next 1 or 2 to ensure they get the times they want for the next session. I find on average 6 treatments is sufficient for most simple spinal problems with occasional management options to prevent injury in the future.
  6. Not doing any soft tissue work. Chiropractors that only manipulate and mobilise joints are considered lazy and their treatment outcomes will be less effective as a result. A good practitioner will do soft tissue work whether it be with or without manipulation or mobilisation or they provide some one else such as a masseuse to do it for them.
  7. Not providing home exercises or rehab. Again considered lazy as home exercises are great for the patient to maintain the benefits felt in clinic and to get involved with their treatment plan.

Here are some good things I would recommend to watch out for in a good clinic:

  1. Treatment times 15 minutes or longer.
  2. Recommendation by a trusted friend, family or colleague.
  3. A clean, open friendly practice environment centered around the patient.
  4. Soft tissue work before/after treatment with or without manipulation or mobilisations as manipulation and mobilisation are not always used whereas some form of soft tissue almost always has a use even in very acute patients.
  5. Prescribed exercises or stretches at the end of the consultation, checked regularly and progressed in following treatments.
  6. Accessible staff by phone and e-mail in case of complications.
  7. Chiropractors registered with the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), the BCA is considered the “original and best” association to be a member of, they are currently leading the profession and are striving to further Chiropractic in co-ordination with the best chiropractic international and encourages the profession to better itself based on high quality research and interaction with other professions.
  8. A PPQM (Patient Partnership Quality Mark) or a CMQM (Clinic Management Quality Mark) these are a sign that clinics have met high standards set by the “College of Chiropractors” in the UK. The clinic I am currently working in does not have these yet as the clinic is relatively new. Though we are in the process of applying for both of these for the first time, they are very long application forms!!. You can see if your clinic has these awards as they will be up on Bronze plaques in the clinic.
  9. Look for the membership certificates for the associations and awards I have mentioned. If you cannot see them out on display, then ask to see if they have them.

I have to say, as you might expect, that the clinic I work at here in Longlevens, Gloucester is a very good clinic but hey! What do you expect me to say?!?! We advocate good practice within the profession and try to lead by example. Some practices put the business before the patient, this is wrong, the patient experience and treatment outcome should always comes first.

The standard of Chiropractic practice is constantly improving as the governing body clamps down hard on practitioners not adhering to the strict guidelines that are updated and handed out regularly.

A great piece of news I saw recently was that the The College of Chiropractors (a group dedicated to educating and furthering the profession) recently released a document. This document suggests guidelines of good practice for Chiropractors to follow regarding what is considered best practice during the management of a patient that has presented with an episode of acute lower back pain (back pain with an onset within 6 weeks). Though they are not strict rules to follow I feel this is a big step toward the profession locking down an identity as to what the public should expect from the Chiropractic profession. Feel free to read the document as it will give you a good idea of what to expect and what you should expect when consulting a good Chiropractor if you or those you know suffer from Acute lower back pain. It is available here: Chiropractic Quality Standard for the management of Acute Low Back Pain

If you have any questions regarding this topic please comment or feel free to e-mail me on danny@longlevenschiro.com

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How Can I Avoid Back Pain This Spring?

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Winter is gone, spring is here!, the time for new life, flowers blooming, the smell of fresh-cut grass and for those unlucky few… time for back pain, unless you listen close!

The main activities we find that cause back pain at this time of year are Gardening, Spring cleaning and DIY. You know the usual chores, “the garden is overgrown and needs a good looking after”, “the gutters are full up with leaves left from last autumn”, “the attic, shed and garage all need a good sort out”. Classic situations that can lead to back pain, in this post I am going to give you some really helpful tips to help you prevent injury.

Tip 1.- Be sensible and know your limits! I am sorry to sound like a nag but this is definitely one for those of you that have suffered from previous episodes of back pain or have had previous operations that may limit your ability. Start any job by first thinking ‘is it really worth causing all that pain and potential loss of earnings for the sake of doing something a much fitter, possibly more experienced and capable person could do?’. Remember, assess the job that needs doing and make a sensible decision about it, it is your body, look after it, ask yourself, ‘is it capable?’ and ‘is it really worth the risk?’

Tip 2.- Co-Contraction. Sounds funny doesn’t it?, don’t worry, its sooo simple! and sooo effective! Co-contraction is simply tucking in or contracting the lower part of you belly by just 10-20%, your belly button should tuck in a little when you do this. Holding this contraction will cause a belt of support around your waist and spine, its like those belts weight lifters use but its built-in!, great hey?. Hold this whenever you are attempting to bend over or pick up anything (i.e lifting boxes, mowing the lawn, using the vacuum cleaner, climbing a ladder, pretty much all the time if you can!). It is great, the best part is, that if you keep doing this for 2 weeks constantly it becomes automatic. So what I tell my patients is “co-contract, co-contract, co-contract!!”, the more you think about using it now, the less you will have to in the future.

Tip 3.- Bend from your hips, not from your back! I know, I know, someone has told you something similar already but its time to mop up the nonsense and explain exactly how and why everyone needs to do this. If you need to lean forward (i.e mowing grass or working at a workbench) or bend down (picking up a box or some leaves) then use your hips and knees to lean forward or get lower and keep your back as straight as possible, remember to co-contract!! :D . You have been blessed with hips and knees, so use them!, your back is not designed to lift loads while flexed, your hips and knees are. Another way you can get lower is opening up your stance so your legs are further apart and then bend from your hips. Also, try keeping your head up once you have a good grip as this helps you keep your back straight. Look at you body, have you ever wondered why your bum is so big? (sorry to those offended :-P  ), it is designed to keep your top half upright and help you and your hips in lifting weight. Bending from the hips will take off a huge amount of strain from your back which will lead to an increase in back support and decrease the risk of getting back pain.

One last piece of advice, your spine is weakest when it is flexed and rotated, so please, remember not to bend and twist your back this spring! enjoy the sun everybody.

I hope this has helped you understand a bit more about your body and Chiropractic, If you have any questions on this topic send me an e-mail at danny@longlevenschiro.com  To view more of my blogs visit www.chirobeans.wordpress.com

If you live in Gloucester or surrounding areas and are interested my Chiropractic services and what I can do to help you, then book an appointment to see Danny at the Longlevens Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic on 01452 309372

Tag Archive for: chiropractor

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Can anyone call themselves a chiropractor? No.  It is illegal for anyone in the UK to use the title ‘chiropractor’ or to imply that they are a chiropractor unless they are registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC).By law, the GCC check those who apply for registration to make sure that they have a chiropractic qualification, are of good character and are physically and mentally fit. They also set and monitor standards of education and training, set standards of practice and conduct and deal with any complaints about the conduct or practice of chiropractors. 2. Do I have to have an x-ray? Your chiropractor will only recommend that an x-ray be taken if there is a valid clinical reason for doing so.  Like all health professionals, chiropractors must comply with the legislation that governs the use of x-rays – the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000. 3. What is Chiropractic Treatment? Chiropractors are concerned with the framework of bones and muscles that support the body (the ‘musculoskeletal system’).  Some problems of the musculoskeletal system can be caused by accidents, stress, lack of exercise, poor posture, illness and everyday wear and tear.  These problems may cause pressure on the nerves in…

Tag Archive for: chiropractor

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