Another Year, Another Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of year where we can see the family, take some time off and enjoy the summer. I’m not the only one who thinks that the most wonderful thing about an Aussie Christmas is a swim on Christmas Day.

As we all know, Christmas can take a toll on our bodies, affecting our spine and nervous system. Christmas is a mixed experience of over indulging in Christmas cheer as well as lugging heavy presents around – not to mention the stress of getting everything ready for the big day. Not suprising that Christmas is a stressful period on the body in many ways. Here are a few Christmas survival tips;

If you are planning on doing lots of physical things during the holidays like renovations or taming the garden, take it easy. Listen to your body for warning signs that indicate subluxations such as strains, reduced range of motion, stiffness pain and soreness.

Remember your posture and good lifting techniques while working around the house, garden and garage (bend your knees not your spine & be careful of any combined bending/twisting action).

Anxiety, stress and depression are very common during the festive season. Take time out for you and your family and enjoy. Whether this be a holiday, hobby or just potting around. This is all good for your health and wellbeing.

Get enough sleep. Plan for some mid-day naps or early nights to help you cope with the “silly season”

Watch the alcohol intake and don’t overdo it. Alcohol will dehydrate you and is a depressant which will have negative effects of tiredness. The same thing applies to too much food. Have a salad or just fruit for a few meals each week.

Keep moving, plan for some walks, swimming and gentle exercise. If you are looking forward to the annual game of golf, tennis of a surf, remember start slowly. If you haven’t done that activity for a while take it easy and don’t over do it.

Keep your spine adjusted and subluxation free. Have a Chiropractic treatment or enjoy a massage to make sure that you are well prepared for the Christmas season.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a joyful New Year
From all of us at Mona Vale Chiropractic Centre

Voodoo Floss Compression Bands

Chiropractic treatments often involve alot more than you may initially expect. I have found that a new technique from the USA called voodoo floss banding gives great results.
Voodoo Floss Banding involves using a compression band wrapped around joints and muscles to improve range of motion and decrease swelling. It is very effective for ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, shoulders and strained muscles that have reduced motion, stiffness and pain. The compression and movement creates a shearing effect which restores sliding-surface function to the underlying tissues. Once the band is released, blood flows into poorly saturated joints and tissues.
It is also great for acute injuries where swelling is involved. Swelling can put a lot of pressure on nerve endings, reduce the joints range of motion and cause acute pain. The compression pushes the swelling into the lymphatic system where it can be drained. A lot of relief is felt immediately after.
Mitchell Roberts – Chiropractor

Why Do Horses Suffer Back Pain?

Horses are a unique animal. They are very large and can weigh 400kgs or more. Horses are also able to stand all day and night . Their incredible anatomy has a mechanism called the “Stay Apparatus” which allows the horse to switch on its’ Triceps muscle in the forelimbs and stabilise itself permitting it to sleep while standing with minimal muscular Activity. In fact horses can have remarkably little muscular tension.

Horses however do suffer with back problems and this can lead to lameness and gait difficulties . A phrase often used is “Cold Backed” . As we can all imagine for a horse with a sore back having a saddle and a rider on it’s back can be particularly uncomfortable. Chiropractic can help.

Animal Chiropractors are trained to assess animals for spinal lesions and joint and muscle lesions and injuries. Chiropractors can adjust the horses joints and vertebrae, plus release muscle tightness and strains. The result can be very dramatic as when a horse is treated you can often see the improvement immediately. This can give the horse a huge relief, particularly if he has to carry a saddle and rider . Horses are always quick to Thank-you for their adjustment with a grateful lick and shake.
Neil Gregory – Certified Animal Chiropractor

Ilio-Tibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)

ITBS affects many people who exercise regularly and is very common in long distance runners. It occurs from the band compressing against the lower part of the femur (the bone just above the outside of the knee) As every body is unique, I have found that a co-ordinated approach with Chiropractic treatment and appropriate rehabilitation focussed exercise gives the best results. Consequently any treatment for ITBS should involve a multi-modal approach that looks at areas above and below the site of pain and not just the source of the pain.

Firstly, a biomechanical assessment of the lumbar spine, hips, knees and ankles is essential in determining the cause of ITBS. Muscle length and strength testing is performed to determine areas of tightness/weakness.

Chiropractic adjustments of the lumbar spine, hips and ankles can be used to ensure free movement is occurring at surrounding joints. Through releasing and strengthening certain muscles that act on the IT band, we can reduce the tension on the band. Stretching and home rehab exercises work in tandem with the treatment provided by the Chiropractor to help manage and prevent the injury from returning.

Mitchell Roberts – Chiropractor

Scenar helps heal scars

I have been treating the multiple scars that I have inherited from my recent wrist operations and have been amazed at how Scenar not only reduces the scars, but also softens the skin tissue surrounding the scar, increasing plasticity of the skin.

If you have unslightly and irritating scars you will know that with scars you usually get celloid formations (lumpy tissue around the scar) Scenar works on scars by stimulating blood flow and nerve supply to promote and speed up the healing process. Scenar improves your lymphatic flow which will always be benificially to your circulation and general health. A further benefit that patients have reported is a reduction or even total loss of the pain, numbness and sensitivity that is associated with scaring.

Neil Gregory – Chiropractor

The Sports Chiropractor

Sports chiropractors are experts at the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries. Most people seem to think that if you have a muscle problem or need rehabilitation on a sports injury you should see a massage therapist or a physiotherapist and that’s about it. Chiropractors have traditionally only been considered to treat the back however here’s an interesting fact you’re probably not aware of. Some chiropractors called sports chiropractors actually perform more muscle, joint and soft tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascia and muscles) therapy than any other practitioner. So what’s this mean? Well put simply it means sports chiropractors specialise in the treatment of all types of sports injuries to all regions of the body not just the back or spine.

Sports chiropractors will assess the way you move, the way you’re put together and the way you play your sport. If something is found to be wrong, mechanically unsound or inefficient then the sports chiropractor will treat and offer the best advice to help the issue.

So how do they treat the sports injury?

– Chiropractic therapies such as adjustments and manual methods such as mobilisations

– Muscle therapy

– Joint therapy

– Soft tissue therapy (ligaments, tendons and muscles)

– Prehabilitation (exercises to stop injury before it occurs)

– Rehabilitation (exercises to help injury after it happens)

– Strength and conditioning

– Sports specific recommendations

A number of Practitioners at Mona Vale Chiropractic Centre specialise in the treatment of sporting injuries. Chris Knee has years of experience in sports injuries and treatments. Chris is also a distinguished strength and conditioning specialist which allows recommendations to be made about your training technique and gives him the ability to prescribe the very best strengthening exercises for individuals who not only want to repair an injury but provide the muscles and joints with enhanced stability, endurance, strength and power so reoccurrence of the injury is less likely.

I tempted fate blogging about wrist problems

My last blog (a while ago) was about wrist problems – I must have tempted fate.  I had a major fall and broke my distal radius (near the wrist) in 3 places.

At the time I was studying Animal Chiropractic in the USA.  After emergency surgery, I 1-neil clinic 0913came back to Australia where I needed more surgery.

As you can see from the photo, I have external fixation rods and 3 plates to the radius.

Fortunately the team at Mona Vale Chiropractic Centre are on-hand (excuse the punn) to help the healing.

With major surgery like this you often get problems in other parts of your body.

Your movement is so restricted and affected by wearing things such as a sling and often you sleep badly, have extra tension and poor posture.

Chiropractic adjustments has helped stimulate my spinal nerves which has promoted healing. Having regular therapeutic massage has helped me to relax as well as improve movement in my wrist and shoulders.

I have also been treating myself with SCANAR which has dramaitcally improved the inflamation resulting from 2 major operations back to back.

You will be pleased to know that despite the accident I was able to complete my studies and am now a certified member of the International Veterinary Chiropractors Association. Hopefully I will be treating 2 legged and 4 legged patients very soon. Keep reading for updates on my treatment and healing.

One positive that has come from my accident is that the team at Mona Vale Chiropractic  have been forced to become experts in the treatment of chronic wrist problems.

Lots of Wrist Problems in April

It is funny how it is common to get a run of patients who have a similar problem needing treatment. This month I have seen a number of patients who have come to see me due to problems with their wrist. Both my son and my wife have sustanined a break to their scaphoid bone – this is a small bone in the wrist at the base of the thumb that has a limited blood supply and consequently is hard to heal. With a scaphoid break it is really important to get the hand immobilised quickly. Often surgery is required. My wife needed a pin and a bone graft and then a further operation to take the pin out as it did not heal. 5 years later I am helping to improve the range of movement she has but I don’t think she will ever do a handstand again! The lesson she learnt was the importance of lots of rest and total immobilisation for many months when the break first happened.

Patients I have seen recently all have an old wrist injury that continues to niggle and cause distress. SCANAR, Osteopathic soft tissue techniques, accupuncture and gentle adjusting have helped to improve the range of movement and reduce the pain. Don’t loose heart if you have an old wrist injury. We may not be able to make your wrist 100% perfect but we can definitely use techniques to reduce the pain and improve the range of movement.

Neil Gregory

The true story of a kidney stone that disappeared

For a number of years I have been treating patients using SCENAR, which was invented in Russia and initially used for medical treatment for those involved in the space program. This week I had an amazing result. I treated a patient for lower back and neck pain. The patient had been diagnosed with a kidney stone which he was told required surgery. The kidney stone was contributing to his back pain which prompted his visit to see me.

I treated him using Chiropractic manipulation and SCENAR. A week later he went back to his GP for a follow-up scan. He had been told this was required before finalisizing the surgery to remove the kidney stone. To everyone’s amazement the kidney stone had disappeared. When asked by the GP what he had done the previous week all he could think of was the SCENAR treatment.

This really reinforced to me how the body has an incredible ability to heal itself when we give it a bit of help.

Neil Gregory