The Bedford Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre

Running is both great for the body and hard on the body. It conditions the muscles and joints and it gives you a good aerobic workout, which keeps your heart healthy and weight within a healthy range. But the relentless impact of your feet against the ground can put you at risk for injuries, particularly in your lower limbs and back. Through a sudden, acute injury—but much more often through repetitive wear and tear—the joints, muscles, and other soft tissues of the back can become damaged or strained. This is especially true for distance runners. The good news is running-related back pain is treatable—many times with a full recovery. Also, you can take steps to prevent back pain from running before it starts. Suiting up A running shoe is not just a running shoe. There are several factors that can help determine what the right shoe for you should be, including: The height of your arches Your pronation style (in other words, how your foot hits the ground and rolls through each ...

Whether it's a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or strained muscles, it can take some time to diagnose and treat the causes of back pain. And all the while, you're trying to navigate health insurance, work and family life, and everyday stressors—all while dealing with your back pain. This blog is written to highlight a few fairly simple things you can do to help achieve some level of comfort and pain relief. 5 simple tips to help keep your spine as healthy as possible: 1. Let your spine really rest while sleeping. While you're lying down, all the structures in your spine that have worked hard all day finally have an opportunity to relax and be rejuvenated. To make the most of this time, you need a mattress and pillows that allow your spine to rest in a supported and comfortable way. Your choice of mattress and pillow is largely based on personal preference, your preferred sleep positions, and your specific back or neck problem. As long as you're choosing a ...

A Bulging DISC is when one of your spinal discs is bulging which can cause symptoms such as back pain, leg or arm pain, numbness, tingling and weakness as it influences your nervous system. Patients that have been diagnosed with Bulging DISC may think that there is not much that they can do about it and they are stuck with this major problem, however that is incorrect. With the correct information and the correct treatment, a lot can be done to help you reduce the pain. There are many common misconceptions that people have about Bulging DISC which results them in believing false information, however this post will provide you with the true and correct information to help you: FALSE: Bulging DISC symptoms will ‘disappear’ if you have plenty of rest. TRUTH: If you leave your Bulging DISC untreated then the problem can lead to permanent nerve damage and a life-long pain, therefore if you are suffering from any back pain, buttock pain or leg pain then it is important that...

The knees experience pressure equal to approximately 3 times the body's weight when walking and approximately 5 times the body's weight when running. In other words, a person who weighs 150lbs puts about 750lbs of pressure on the knee when landing each running stride. Not surprisingly, the knee is the most frequently injured joint in runners and non-runners alike. Runner's knee: patellofemoral pain syndrome When people say they have "runner's knee," they are typically referring to patellofemoral pain syndrome. "Patella" means kneecap and "femur" means thighbone, so patellofemoral pain is pain that originates between the kneecap and thighbone. The pain is felt at the front of the knee, either under or around the edges of the kneecap. The root of patellofemoral pain can vary and may be difficult to identify. For example, the kneecap may not glide well along the groove in the femur (thighbone), or relatively weak hip muscles may ca...

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, ...

Summer is a time for swimming, travel, and get-togethers with family and friends. The last thing you want is for your back pain to throw a wrench into everything. Try these 6 suggestions to enjoy the great outdoors without the hassles: 1. Warm up first.  If you haven't been active lately, it's best to start gradually. Do some slow stretches or take a short walk before joining that basketball game or digging up those overgrown bushes you've been meaning to get to.  2. Make a splash.  Water's buoyancy is a boon for your back. It not only eases lower back compression, it allows greater range of motion without the risk of falling. Warm water has the added benefit of relieving stiffness and relaxing tight muscles, which can aggravate back pain. 3. Skip the flip-flops.  Flip-flops and flats offer little support, putting stress on your back. Sandals can be a better way to keep cool. Look for styles that hold your feet securely—no slipping from side to s...

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...

Did you get hurt during your workout?  It’s time to grab the heating pad… or the ice pack… or both—who even knows! There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to using heat or cold to help treat common exercise injuries like strains, sprains, pulled muscles, shin splits, knee injuries and tenderness. Let’s put an end to it once and for all! Here’s your temperature care breakdown, so you know when it’s time to sing a song of fire or one of ice. Ice, Ice, Baby As a general rule, always choose ice for injuries and inflammation. Cold restricts blood flow and reduces inflammation and swelling. Whenever there’s bleeding in underlying tissue—think sprains, strains or bruising—ice treatment is the way to go. You can use cold therapy in two ways: immediate or rehabilitation. Immediate treatment: helps prevent the injured area from becoming stiff by reducing tissue fluid. Rehabilitation: aims to restore normal function to an affected area by reducing pain and spasms, ...

Ibuprofen WARNING: Regular usage for just ONE week 'increases heart attack risk' EXPERTS have advised people to try and avoid regularly taking ibuprofen after research showed just a week on the painkiller was enough to increase the risk of a heart attack by half. A major new analysis has unmasked the health hazard in the common anti-inflammatory drugs with evidence suggesting the danger exists even after one day. The scientists say the over the counter and prescription pills including ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib and naproxen should now be used with care and at the lowest possible dose. Heart attack risk increases with age and is made worse by raised cholesterol . So the experts say older people especially now need to carefully weigh up the need to take anti-inflammatories with their GP. The latest strong note of caution over the group of medicines known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [ NSAIDs ] has been urged following analysis of the health reco...

The majority of episodes of acute lower back pain are caused by damage to the muscles and/or ligaments in the low back. While a muscle strain doesn’t sound like a serious injury, the resulting lower back pain can be surprisingly severe and is the cause of many emergency room visits each year. Lower Back Strain Low back pain from muscle strain can be surprisingly severe. There are two common types of lower back strain: A muscle strain happens when the muscle is over-stretched or torn, resulting in damage to the muscle fibers (also called a pulled muscle). A lumbar sprain happens when ligaments are stretched too far or torn. Ligaments are very tough, fibrous connecting tissues that connect bones together. For practical purposes, it doesn’t matter if it is a muscle strain or a ligament sprain that is causing the pain, since the treatment and prognosis for both are the same. When the muscles or ligaments in the low back are strained or torn, the area around the muscles wil...

If you suffer from chronic sciatica, you are intimately familiar with the annoyance of constant flare-ups of symptoms like leg pain or numbness in your foot. Sciatica treatment plans typically need to be tailored to the medical issue causing your symptoms. Of course, no single remedy works for everyone—but these 3 simple items may help you find relief from your pesky symptoms: 1. Cold Packs Regardless of how long you have suffered from sciatica symptoms, they can still strike with little to no warning. The application of cold therapy can provide quick relief by numbing your tissues and reducing inflammation. However, if you’re in your car—or perhaps enjoying a day out with friends—you may not have quick access to ice cubes or a frozen gel pack. This is why it is a good idea to purchase disposable ice packs. These packs are activated by a chemical reaction, so they can be carried with you anywhere. Furthermore, they are small enough to fit in your purse or glove compartmen...

Stress Stress is a reality of modern living. Especially in Western Society, where longer hours are being worked and the media is constantly overloading our senses with the latest tragedy, it’s easy to see why many people experience anxiety levels ranging from mild to gut wrenching. The good news is that chiropractic care is useful for helping individuals manage their stress levels. Read on to see how visiting a chiropractor might just be what you need to add more relaxation to your life. First, it’s important to understand how the body reacts to stress. There are three basic “channels” through which we perceive stress: environment, body, and emotions. Environmental stress is rather self-explanatory; let’s say you are walking down a quiet road and you hear a loud bang nearby, similar to an explosion. That is an environmental stressor. Pollution would be another example of environmental stress. Stress through the body includes illness, lack of sleep or poor nutrition....

Get fit without getting injured The gym; an intimidating testosterone-filled place full of bodybuilders and fitness freaks in lycra. For some, this can already be the ‘nope’ point. I mean, who wants to rock up to a building full of sweaty gym rats?! Once you have gotten over this hurdle, and accepted that your health and fitness comes first, then you can focus on your own mission and get down to work. First, depending on your goals, it’s always a good idea to record your progress in a notebook or phone app. Shedding that extra pound or maybe even lifting an extra rep all adds up in the long run. Evidence of where you started, and proof of your progress, can keep you going through the tough times. So, you’ve got your mind on a goal, your target destination. You’re underway and loving the new body you’re getting. But how do you keep progressing whilst limiting injury? Did you know that the most common gym injury is caused by bad form (wrong or poor technique). Fo...

Your Wellness Profile All of us have had health-related issues at some time or other. Whether it's low back pain, headaches, asthma, gastritis, an ankle sprain, or a rotator cuff injury, we've all had a health problem that ultimately needed treatment. Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and various types of cancer are especially difficult and usually require interacting with multiple specialists over many years. However, regardless of our health history, it's worthwhile for all of us to stop for a bit, sit down quietly, and take stock of our current health status. As we carefully assess our current situation and where we'd like to be, telling the truth to ourselves is very important. Remarkably, engaging in the process of such an honest overview may create an opening for a new appreciation of the personal importance of health. It's likely that we will notice some dissatisfaction with our current health circumstances and may experience ...

Rejuvenation Versus Resignation With the new year and arrival of Spring; we should consider making the commitment to regular chiropractic care at the top of our resolutions list. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments that are sources of nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps keep the nerve system in peak condition. With a well-tuned nerve system, the rest of our physiological systems such as the cardiorespiratory, digestive, and immune systems are enabled to function at top capacity. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps to optimize all our physiological functions so that we can enjoy long-term health. This is the time of the year when our recently made resolutions are put to the test. Were they holiday-fueled imaginings or meaningful expressions of our heart's true desires? Are our resolutions sturdy things that will help us carry out our goals and plans for the rest of the year or are they flimsy constructs composed of hopes rather than sub...

You may be sitting, standing, walking, or even running in a way that puts uneven stress on your body, which over time, results in pain. Also, poor posture can cause soft tissue damage, another cause of pain. By correcting your posture and bio-mechanics, we greatly reduce the chance of pain returning in the future!... You only have to look at a spine to see how its various curves may affect the pressure areas on discs, facette joints, spinal nerves, ligaments and muscles. Correct and incorrect posture can alter those curves and result in different stresses by changing the center of gravity. Posture and biomechanical imbalances Posture starts at the head and works its way down or on the other hand starts at the feet and works its way up. Even in books looking at the progress of homo sapiens (homo erectus) in evolution, man is portrayed as somewhat hunchbacked. The head protrudes forward on the neck, the shoulders are rounded, the stomach protrudes forward with a sway back, and...