The Bedford Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre

Doctor, This white paper discusses the significance of the study published in the 2013 Public Library of Science One Journal titled “Investigating the Autonomic Nervous System Response to Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Recent statistics reveal that one out of every sixty-eight children suffer with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is defined as a complex developmental disorder that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others. It is a neurological disorder, which affects the function of the brain. Science and research behind the neurological influence of a chiropractic adjustment explains why and how children and adults with autism can be helped. This research looked at autonomic nervous system function in children with autism The objectives of this study were to:  ▪ Examine whether anxiety causes significant measurable changes in indicators of the autonomic nervous system in an autism spectrum disorder(ASD...

Local chiropractor urges routine spinal checks for children Bedford chiropractor Dr Surinder Sandhu is backing calls from a national organisation that parents should consider regular spinal check-ups for their infants and children. The United Chiropractic Association (UCA), which has 600 members in the UK and abroad, says the check-ups should be thought of in exactly the same way as dental checks. The UCA is highlighting the health benefits to children as part of its 2017 Spinal Awareness Week on 15-19 May.  The campaign – Checking Future Adults … Today! – points to research where parents reported unexpected improvements in their child’s health after having chiropractic care. UCA executive board member Dr Jonathan Clarke says despite it being shown that spinal check-ups can contribute towards children maintaining a healthy body, most parents don’t know about the benefits: “It’s an awareness issue,” he said. “Parents will get their kids’ teeth, eyes and hearing checked ...

Do you suffer from headaches or migraines? For those of you who have visited us here, you would recognise this question, regardless of the reason you came in to see us. It has been estimated that 10 million people in the UK suffer from headaches on a regular basis (nhs.uk). So unsurprisingly here at the clinic we see a lot of patients suffering headaches, whether it being their main complaint or something that we have uncovered during the case history. Quite often they can describe these as ‘normal’ headaches.  There is no such thing as a ‘normal’ headache. Some of you may ask, ‘What do headaches have to do with your spine?’ Well there are hundreds of types of headaches but some of the most common are tension headaches, migraines and cervicogenic headaches, all of which can be influenced by spinal health and posture. Tension Headaches Those who suffer with tension headaches, often describe a feeling of band like pressure across the forehead and temples. They can also des...

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...

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....

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...

The Therapeutic Science Of Adult Coloring Books: How This Childhood Pastime Helps Adults Relieve Stress Colouring used to be reserved for children and the occasional adult who got to babysit them, but recently, the activity has found a different demographic. What started as a niche hobby has now turned into an international trend, as adult coloring books find themselves on more and more bestsellers’ lists throughout the world. However, while this trend may be a fun way to pass the time, it’s the books’ therapeutic properties that really have them flying off shelves. Adult coloring is both beautiful and relaxing.  Maxime De Ruyck CC BY 2.0 The Healing Power Of Art Art may not be able to cure disease, but it can surely make coping with it a lot better. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words, such as when they’re...

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...

Scoliosis: What You Need to Know Scoliosis (pronounced sko-lee-o-sis) is a three-dimensional deformity that occurs when the spine becomes abnormally rotated and curved sideways. Most often this deformity has no known cause, in which case it is called idiopathic scoliosis. Common Early Signs of Scoliosis Clothes fit awkwardly or hang unevenly.  A parent, friend, or even the person with scoliosis might notice that a shirt or blouse appears uneven, which could be cause for further investigation. Sideways curvature observed while in bathing suit or changing.  For instance, a parent could first notice the sideways curvature in an adolescent’s back while at the pool or beach. Oftentimes scoliosis is first suspected when someone notices something slightly off and comments. Some examples could include: Even if a newly discovered asymmetry appears minor, it should be checked by a doctor because scoliosis is easier to treat when caught early. “Can a chiropractor fix ...

Proof that chiropractic treatment helps migraine sufferers Seventy-two per cent of migraine sufferers in a clinical trial experienced either ‘substantial’ or ‘noticeable’ improvement after a period of chiropractic treatment, defying historical skepticism of chiropractics by some medical practitioners. The randomised clinical trial was undertaken by Dr Peter Tuchin, a chiropractor for the past 20 years, as part of his recently-completed PhD thesis at  Macquarie University . “Around 22 per cent [of patients] had substantial reduction – which means that more than 60 percent of their symptoms reduced during the course of the treatment,” Tuchin says. “What makes this a really strong result is that this was a really chronic group – the average length of time they’d had migraines was 18 years. To get a change of that sort of magnitude in a really chronic group was quite amazing. RELATED STORIES Penicillin allergy testing: an interview with Dr. Eric Macy Headache and mig...