The Devon Clinic

Blog

  • Back Pain and how to reduce it

    Chiropractor Torquay – Help with back pain

    Common causes of back pain:

    Quite often back pain can be caused by minor sprains, strains or injuries, or a pinched or irritated nerve. Back pain can also be set off by everyday activities at home or at work, or they can develop gradually, over time. Avoid bending awkwardly or for long periods, lifting heavy objects, slouching in chairs, twisting awkwardly, overstretching, driving or sitting in a hunched position or for long periods without taking a break or overusing the muscles.

    Back pain relief alternatives:

    Chiropractor TorquayChiropractor Torquay use a range of techniques which emphasises particularly on the manipulation of the spine to treat disorders of the bones, muscles and joints. Your chiropractor may choose to a treatment plan which involves manipulating the joints, using a controlled, sudden force to improve range and quality of motion to restore the function and prevention of injury in addition to back pain relief. Chiropractic care is generally considered a safe, effective treatment for acute low back pain.

     

     

    Chiropractor TorquayAcupuncture has proven to relieve chronic lower back pain effectively as many people have found it to be very helpful. Acupuncture treatment involves inserting very thin needles to various depths into strategic points on your body. Stimulating these strategic points of your body is said to correct the imbalance of qi and improve the flow of energy, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Some people believe that the effects come from stimulating the central nervous system which triggers the release of chemicals throughout the body through muscles, spinal cord, and brain. The chemicals then alter the experience of pain-causing relief for lower back pain.

     

    Chiropractor TorquayMassage therapy is seen as an aid for lower back pain and an effective adjunct to lower back treatments as it has proven to lessen and reduce lower back pain. Massage improves blood circulation, which aids in the recovery of muscle soreness from physical activity. In addition, massage relaxes muscles for an improved range of motion. Massage causes an increase in endorphin levels. The increase in endorphin levels is actually one of the greatest benefits of massage therapy. Endorphins are the chemicals the body produces that make you feel good, which is very effective in managing chronic pain and reducing it.

     

    Chiropractor TorquayBowen Technique A treatment consists of a series of gentle rolling moves with frequent pauses between moves giving the body time to benefit from each set. Practitioners treat the body as a whole or can target a specific problem, as they are able to pinpoint stress buildup in muscle groups and then release it.

  • Not All Allergies Can Be Diagnosed With The Skin Prick Test

    The Skin Prick test has been in use for years but how good is it?

     

    A recent study by Southampton Children’s Hospital has cautioned that tests to detect food allergies in Allergieschildren could be missing many potentially life-threatening conditions. Experts have warned that for every child diagnosed with an allergy via blood or skin prick test another goes undiagnosed.

    A specialist paediatric dietician Dr Kate Grimshaw at the Hospital said that not all allergies can be detected by measuring levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody which is linked to allergic reactions. Her advice comes as new research into cow’s milk allergy found that for every UK child who had a cow’s milk reaction due to IgE in their blood there was a child who had a reaction who did not. The same advice could relate to adults as well as children.

    asthmaOur allergy nurse Marlene has a Diploma in Allergy and has long advocated that to properly diagnose an allergy the testing by IgE pinprick or by a diagnostic machine is insufficient to arrive at a clear result. Just as important as the taking of family history notes & discussion of all symptoms presenting themselves with the patient.

     

  • Do you know how to do a simple test for Candida?

    Candida is a form of yeast, some of it lives in your mouth and intestines. It helps with your digestive process and helps absorb nutrients, but when there’s too much that gets into the bloodstream, it releases toxins into your body, and too much of it can cause symptoms such as thrush.

    So how can you tell if you have it?

    Candida Spit Test
    1. Place a transparent glass filled with tap water beside your bed before you go to sleep.
    2. In the morning, before you eat or drink anything, or brush your teeth, spit into the glass of water.
    3. Leave it to stand for 20 – 30 minutes
    4. Return to the glass and observe whether the spittle is still floating, has grown fine hair-like tendrils, or has sunk to the bottom of the glass.
    5. If it has sunk to the bottom of the glass, you are probably free of Candida overgrowth in the gut.
    6. If the spittle is still floating, and/or has grown fine hair-like tendrils, the likelihood is that a yeast
    overgrowth exists.

    The best way to get tested and to get some of the good bacteria back into your gut is to have a proper Allergy Testing, which our allergy tester will be able to ascertain if you have too much candida in your body and what to do about it.

    If you want to book an allergy test just give us a call on 01803 500300

  • Can Acupuncture Help You Sleep Well?

    Can acupuncture really help?

    After the birth of her youngest child, Gemma struggled through her days on just two hours’ sleep a night. She would worry about going to bed because she knew she would lie there for hours. During the night, unable to sleep, she would regularly leave her bed and take to the sofa where she would drop off in the early hours. She said “I’d fall asleep around 5am and then was up again at 7am.” insomniaThe mother of three soon had to try and find ways to cope with minimal rest whilst still taking care of her family.

    Gemma later found out she was suffering from insomnia but found prescribed tablets from her doctor didn’t work in the long term as things would get back to normal. Gemma carried on suffering with insomnia for 5 years. However, she had always found ways to manage and care for her children, now aged 11, 9 and 5 learning to live off whatever sleep she could grab.

    Gemma was later on diagnosed with viral meningitis. She was treated for six days in hospital, but was left with severe pain in her back. It was then when she was recommended to visit an acupuncturist to see if the treatment could ease the problem. On the day of her appointment, Gemma couldn’t help but apologise as she felt so tired on arrival as she had barely slept at all. The Acupuncturist said it was common for people to see him tired or exhausted and treats people with a variety of problems and reassured Gemma that he was able to help and proceeded with the treatment.

    Treatment of Acupuncture is undertaken with the holistic aim of restoring all the body systems to a state of balance. This is achieved by assessment to determine the source of the imbalance and involves placing fine needles with precision into certain points of the body. This assists the body’s ability to return to its natural balanced state of health.

    Within 48 hours of that first treatment, Gemma noticed a difference and, after a total of just three visits, found she was able to sleep in her bed for 8 hours without disruptions. She said “The first time I slept through the night was amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I woke up. It’s fantastic.”

    Find out more about Acupuncture and see how it could help you.

    [accua-form fid=”1″]