August Newsletter

Summer is unfortunately nearly over, at the end of the month the children are back to school. For most people this means pencils, notebook paper and mountains of textbooks. But sending your child to start, or return to school requires some homework from the parents.

Here at Bedford Chiropractic Clinic, I endeavour to be both your chiropractor and educator.

So here are some tips for a healthy start Back-To-School:

Backpacks:

An over-stuffed, incorrectly packed or worn backpack can result in a serious injury and affect young developing spines. How heavy is heavy? Even a backpack weighing 15 percent of a student’s body weight is too heavy to maintain a standing posture. This will cause undue stress on their young spines and can cause vertebral subluxations leading to postural changes and even scoliosis. Many of the current bags children are using may be fashionable, but unless they allow for even distribution across the back, they can cause pain.
School can be a challenging time for children, so ensuring they are as comfortable as possible is important to their physical and mental development.

According to an international study, daily backpack carrying is a frequent cause of discomfort for school children. School backpacks were felt to be heavy by 79.1% of children, to cause fatigue by 65.7%, and to cause back pain by 46.1%

Chiropractic care has been proven to be effective, and can restore correct function and relieve pain symptoms associated with the carrying of heavy backpacks.

Chiropractic possesses an excellent safety record, and through their five year university training, chiropractors are the spinal health experts.

Tips for carrying of heavy backpacks

• • Backpacks should be ideally no heavier than 10% of a student's weight when packed.
  • Make sure the backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized - no wider than the student's chest
  • Put comfort and fit at the top of the priority list, rather than good looks
  • Choose a backpack with broad, padded shoulder straps
  • Use both shoulder straps - never sling the pack over one shoulder
  • Use waist straps attached - they are there for a good reason
  • Don't wear the backpack any lower than the hollow of the lower back
  • Don't overload the backpack - use school lockers and plan homework well in advance
  • Place all heavy items at the base of the pack, close to the spine, for a better distribution of the weight

National Allotment Week

14^th – 21^st August

Mind Your Posture: Gardening – don’t overdo it with the trowel

As a nation, we love our gardens and spend a considerable amount of time and money on them. As we rush to get those jobs in the garden done, there is a risk that gardeners may injure themselves. What everyone wants is to be fit and healthy enough to actually enjoy sitting in their garden and enjoy the fruits of their labours come summer time, so here are some helpful tips from the British Chiropractic Association.

Clothes
o Don’t wear clothes that are tight or could constrict your movement.

Warm Up
o Gardening is like any other exercise; you need to warm up first. Don’t go straight into heavy garden work; start off with lighter jobs as this will lessen the chance of muscle strain.

Using a ladder
o When using a ladder or steps, make sure you are always facing it, keeping your shoulders, hips and knees pointing in the same direction.

o Rather than leaning or reaching, move the ladder or step regularly to keep up with where you are.

o Any kind of ladder must be firmly and safely planted in position and, if possible, have someone else there to keep an eye on things.

Clever pruning 

• Get as close as possible to the things you are pruning and avoid overstretching to reach the area you are dealing with. 
• Invest in some long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach.  Take a break  Vary your activity by spending no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and make sure you take regular breaks.
   
• Be clever with the paving 
• If laying a patio, keep the slab close to your body and bend your knees; it is sometimes better to bend one knee rather two, as your supporting leg gives you a position of strength.  
• If using railway sleepers, two people will probably be needed. 

• Plan ahead 
• If you are planning a trip to the local DIY store to buy heavy items such as cement or gravel, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry. 
• If you do buy heavy items, use a trolley and if on your own, ask an assistant at the store to help you. 
• if buying things like compost, sand or gravel in bulkier amounts, shovel the contents of the large bags straight into smaller containers or wheelbarrow from the back of the car. 
• Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back. 
• If having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again. 
• A specialist garden trolley might be worth investing in to move these sorts of materials around, especially if you have lots of patio pots to move around as well.

There’s Nothing Better Than Homemade Veggie Soup

What You'll Need

1 tablespoon olive oil (or another cooking oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil)

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

2 cups mixed chopped vegetables, your choice (try cauliflower, zucchini, or green beans)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

8 cups water and 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon OR 8 cups vegetable broth

1 14-ounce can tomatoes Heat oil in a large soup or stock pot.

How to Make It

Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, the carrots, and the celery. Heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until onions are soft. Add the rest of the vegetables and heat for just another minute or two.
Add salt, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano, stirring to coat the vegetables well.
Add bay leaf, water or vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. If using bouillon cubes, add and stir to make sure they dissolve.
Add the tomatoes, stir, and allow your vegetable soup to simmer until all the vegetables are cooked, about 8-12 minutes.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Remove the bay leaf and serve your homemade vegetable soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if you're not eating vegan, and some crusty bread or crackers.