The Bedford Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre

Low back pain might begin as acute due to an injury, but can become chronic. Managing pain appropriately at an early stage can help limit symptoms in both time and severity.   Pain is typically divided into three categories: acute, chronic, and neuropathic.  Common Symptoms of Lower Back Problems Specifically identifying and describing symptoms can help lead to a more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan. Low back pain is typically characterized by a combination of the following symptoms: Dull, aching pain. Pain that remains within the low back (axial pain) is usually described as dull and aching rather than burning, stinging, or sharp. This kind of pain can be accompanied by mild or severe muscle spasms, limited mobility, and aches in the hips and pelvis. Pain that travels to the buttocks, legs, and feet. Sometimes low back pain includes a sharp, stinging, tingling or numb sensation that moves down the thighs and into the low legs and feet, ...

If you have back pain, riding in the car for an hour or more can be a real challenge. If you have a long trip coming up, consider the following advice and see if it helps you out. 1. Get comfortable immediately Take the time to make sure you're comfortable from the moment you set off on your trip. The smallest irritant in the beginning of your trip can turn into raging pain later. Don't have your wallet, cell phone, or anything else in your back pocket, as that may throw your spine out of alignment. Reduce reaching for the steering wheel, which places more stress on the lumbar spine, neck, shoulder, and wrists. Instead, sit as close to the steering wheel as possible without compromising your safety. Sit up straight with your knees slightly higher than your hips, and keep your chin pulled in so that your head sits straight on top of your spine. Make sure that your back is aligned against the back of your seat. For most people, this means adding extra support to th...

Could driving be causing you back or neck pain? Travelling to work, shopping, ferrying the children around, getting to meetings, visiting friends and relatives; for many people driving is a routine activity, an essential part of daily life. And it’s a very comfortable and convenient way of travelling, especially in the winter, when the cold, wet weather sets in. But all this time spent sitting in a car seat is bad news for our backs because it causes 50% more pressure on the lumbar discs compared to standing up¹. In the interest of safety car manufacturers have adapted car seats, so that our knees are now higher than our hips. Unfortunately, this is a far from ideal sitting position, compromising what we (chiropractors) would recommend as ‘good posture’. On top of this, when we drive our legs move asymmetrically to use the pedals, causing us to twist and turn in order to be able to check what’s going on around us, and to stretch in order to change gears and steer the wheel....