The Bedford Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre

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. “Another 50 per cent had quite noticeable improvement. They either found that the frequency of the migraines was less, the length of time they had them was less or tha...

A frozen shoulder is a painful condition that reduces the movement of the shoulder causing pain and stiffness. It usually affects people between the age of 40-70 and it is more common for women, especially in postmenopausal women, than men. According to the NHS, studies have shown that approximately 1 in 20 people will suffer from frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis or shoulder contracture. It can be frustrating because you may look healthy on the outside but the pain inside is disturbing. These symptoms can disturb your ability to sleep, do normal and simple things such as picking up a spoon and it will make it difficult for you to do a lot of hobbies and exercise. To get the right treatment can be difficult because the cause of frozen shoulder is not always understood. Very often, clinicians will focus all efforts on the shoulder itself, however by following this approach means that trying to find the underlying cause becomes difficult. ...

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 challen...

Keep an eye on your spinal health News from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has revealed that over half the UK population is crooked. Don’t fret, we’re not accusing you of fiddling expenses or cooking any books, by crooked we mean out of alignment with poor posture and bad backs. The BCA say that in a survey of 5000 Brits the incidence of bad posture has risen to 56% of the UK population, up from 38%. Alarmed at the news we at  Men’s Health  sat up straight and phoned Tim Hutchful from The British Chiropractic Association, to find out how we can avoid joining the crooked crowd. Here’s his advice. Give your posture a sporting chance “Any unaccustomed exercise can put you at risk of back pain,” says Hutchful. You might only play a relaxed low-risk sport once a week but you still need to prepare yourself sufficiently – mentally and physically. “Warming up and warming down is essential to ensure that your joints and muscles don’t get a shock. Strong ab...

Let’s face it, most of us don’t take very good care of our spines. This lack of care can lead to physical discomfort and make us susceptible to future injuries and complications. Do your spine, and your overall health a favor and take the time to treat your spine to a few of these 11 indulgences: 1. Make exercise a lifestyle Exercise is essential when it comes to maintaining a healthy spine—and it can also aid in the rehabilitation of your injured spine. You don’t need to be an expert in physical fitness to indulge your spine with regular exercise. A simple exercise program that focuses on stretching and strengthening the back, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles can go a long way toward distributing nutrients into your spinal discs and soft tissues, accelerating your healing process, and keeping your discs, muscles, ligaments, and joints healthy. 2. Engage your mind If you suffer from chronic pain or discomfort associated with your spine, take the time to engage in mindful...

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...

Regular Chiropractic Care and Effective Exercise When we work on developing new skills in sports or activities we're counting on our nerve system to perform its critical functions of command and control. These functions are required for effective training of muscles, tendons, and joints, so that these musculoskeletal structures can advance in adaptability and performance. As your body's master system, your nerve system is responsible for coordinating all the physiological processes of all your body's other systems. The interrelations among these complex activities must be addressed instantaneously and accurately. Regular chiropractic care helps ensure that your nerve system is free of nerve interference and operating at peak capacity. As a result, regular chiropractic care helps us advance in our exercise and sports activities, gain new skills, and enjoy long-term health and well-being.

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...

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...

It’s that time of year! People dust the corners and break out the ladder for spring cleaning.  But many people are unaware of the potential risk of injury that may occur as the result of spring cleaning. You need to know that thousands of injuries occur every year with the use of simple gardening tools. Even more injuries occur as the result of handling a ladder improperly. So the key to avoid spring cleaning injuries is to know your LIMITS. It’s easy and tempting to take on more spring cleaning chores than your body can accommodate because you don’t feel the ‘pain’ immediately. So be sure to take breaks throughout. Another important idea is to stretch before spring cleaning.  Yes, S-T-R-E-T-C-H. A little stretching can go a long way to prevent injuring your back and neck. Here are some simple rules I want you to follow so you don’t injure your back. “Five Rules To Avoid Spring Cleaning Injuries… Inside Your Home.” Rule 1    Prepar...