A Chiropractic Approach to Human Performance and Sport

Reading Chiropractors, Andy & Laura Green have completed a fantastic course on the most thorough, and functional approaches to human performance available to chiropractors.

Andy & Laura with Francis Obikwelu (see right)

Presented by Drs' Larry Bell and Mike Murray, both extremely experienced Canadian chiropractors, the course instructed us on a unique approach to treating difficult cases and top athletes. This hands-on seminar has given us some new tools to confidently assess and treat our patients by intergrating the latest techniques used by the world's best athletes.

Dr Larry Bell has been treating athletes internationally since 1988 and has treated athletes at five Olympic Games and fourteen World Championships, as well as many other international sports. Dr Mike Murray has worked with the Canadian national rowing team for 20 years and has been on the medical team at four Olympics with the rowers. Both of these passionate sports chiropractors continue to intergrate the latest knowledge to further the success of chiropractic in elite sport.
We were very fortunate to have Olympic 100m medallist Francis Obikwelu present at the seminar. Francis won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, finishing just one hundreth of a second behind Justin Gatlin. Francis has benefitted from ongoing chiropractic care for many years now and feels certain that his performance has been improved by treatment, as well as his career lengthened. It is always great to have the opportunity to speak to, and listen to world class athletes give their experiences of maximising performance, and recovering from injury.

Andy has always maintained a passion for sport, previously as an athlete and rowing coach, and now as a chiropractor. Having worked with professional footballers, elite rowers and many other sports people including, of course, many keen amateurs and weekend warriors, Andy is keen to continue developing and enhancing his knowledge. Having completed the International Chiropractic Sports Science Diploma (ICSSD) last year Andy continues to aspire to work with sportsmen and sportswomen of all sports and abilitites.  Following the correct advice with the most effective spinal rehabilitation techniques and effective back pain exercises.

Sport, Injury and Chiropractic: Empowering Athletes to maximal performance ....... naturally

Andy Green has recently completed the International Chiropractic Sports Science Diploma (ICSSD) whilst at a course in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ICSSD produces a chiropractor who is qualified to work at sporting events throughout the world.

The course was fantastic, incredibly thorough and eye opening. Taught by world class lecturers the course is set by the Federation Internationale de Chiropractique du Sport (FICS), who promote Sports Chiropractic around the world and have supplied Chiropractors for events all around the world.

Andy, a chiropractor in Reading, is a member of the British Chiropractic Sports Council (BCSC), and has very good experience of caring for sports people from a wide variety of sports and abilities. Andy's particular passion has been for Rowing, having competed upto the Commonwealth Rowing Regatta in 1994, World Under-23's and having won twice at Henley Royal Regatta. As a Rowing Coach Andy has produced World Junior Rowing Medallists and some senior athletes now in the full GB Rowing team.

As a Chiropractor Andy has treated GB Rowers, professional footballers, and international sports people from several other sports. Many other amateur sporting injuries have been treated, from elite amateur Ultra Marathon runners to weekend warriors! All are, of course, treated with the same care and treatment protocols as if they were budding Olympic champions.  Spinal rehabilitation and specific back pain exercises are crucial to the recovering athlete.

Now armed with the ICSSD Andy is hoping to be providing performance enhancing care for many more sports people. If you have any queries please get in touch and ask for our advice!

Posture And Your Health

A Chiropractor specialises in body mechanics, and places considerable emphasis on the body's structural, muscular and neurological components. Because there is a considerable emphasis on these aspects and how they relate to health, the focus is aimed at maintaining sound body mechanics and good posture.

Humans are one of a small group of animals who are bipeds (standing on two legs). While this posture gives humans the advantage of agility, leverage and mobility, it also creates certain structural stresses. The weight of the body provides a continuous pull of gravity which can cause postural imbalances in the feet. Because the human body is like a chain of interconnected links (weightbearing joints), improper movements at the lowest link (foot & ankle) can cause abnormal movement or twisting at other such links further up the chain, eg, the knee, hip, pelvis and spine. These abnormal movements often produce stress pain. So, even if your feet don't hurt they may be contributing pain in another part of your body. Flexible, custom made orthotics are designed to work with chiropractic care to help restore postural balance and relieve pain. The most obvious benefit of good posture is efficiency and comfort.

While people with good posture stand straighter and look better, there are advantages to correct posture that go way beyond appearance. The human body, like any other machine, to function properly is dependant on balance, rhythm, timing and coordinated action of all your components. Correct posture enables the body to function more eficiently.

Posture affects how people see you and how you see yourself. It reflects your personality, your confidence, your attitude, your ability......... and your health. There is a relationship between how you stand, sit, walk, and how you feel.

The effects of poor posture can be serious in terms of health, comfort and efficiency, causing fatigue. Many problems can be helped. If you or a member of your family have what appears to be a postural problem, you should seek the advice of a chiropractor. Unless there is an anatomical or pathological disturbance, the chance for correction or improvement are good.  Recovering from chronic low back pain can require a specific spinal rehabilitation programme, consisting of effective back pain exercises.

If not corrected poor posture could contribute to the accelerated degeneration of spinal and other joints and discs. Lack of energy and poor coordination are just two of the many symptoms of a body that is not functioning properly.

Poor posture may result from a variety of causes. From simple issues such as improper ergonomic computer work stations or chairs, to more complex problems with repetitive motion injuries, posture can still have an impact on your health.

What are the benefits of correct posture?

1. Improves your health
2. Improves your appearance
3. Improves your coordination
4. Increases your strength

5. Gives more stamina

6. Improves confidence
7. Improves balance and agility
8. Lowers chance of injury
9. Decreases the chance of pain!

If in doubt ask the opinion of your Reading chiropractor, or book in for an examination!

Do you suffer from Low Back Pain? Hip Pain? Knee Pain or Foot Pain?

Have you considered that the pain you are experiencing in your feet, ankles, knees, hips or lower back might be caused or aggravated by the way you walk?

Abnormal stresses and structural problems in your feet can cause pain throughout the entire body. For many people pain may start from the ground up. Even a small abnormality in foot function can have a major impact on joints higher up in the body causing pain and can even lead to arthritis.

Did you know:

1. The average person takes 8000 - 15000 steps per day
2. The average 73kg person will put over 500,000kg of pressure through their feet per day
3. The average person will walk over 4 miles per day and will walk over 4 times around the earth's circumference in their lifetime
4. There are 52 bones in the foot or 1/3 of all the bones in the body are found in the feet
5. 83% of the population will suffer from an acute episode of Foot or Foot related pain in their lifetime

Many foot problems can be resolved with the use of custom orthotics, It is important that the orthotics you wear are suitable for your feet because your feet are as individual as you are!

Careful examination of your foot alignment and shape can reveal faulty foot mechanics. In our clinic we use the latest precision digital foot scanning equipment to properly assess foot function. Where needed we can prescribe the most advanced orthotic for correction of foot problems while also taking into account the problems further up the skeleton which are caused by or aggravated by certain foot types.

We are experienced in treating the following foot problems:

Achilles Tendonitis, Calluses, Bunions, Shin Splints, Hammer Toe, Flat Feet, Atheltic injury, Hip Pain, Fallen Arches, Heel Spur, Metatarsal Pain and Foot Arthritis as well as Low Back Pain attributed to Foot Problems.

Please enquire at the clinic for your assessment!
Reflex Chiropractic Clinic in Caversham: 0118 946 2100

What is stopping you from seeing a Chiropractor?

We are all aware that there is an epidemic of back pain, neck pain and Headaches. Much of this is due to sedentary lifestyles, poor posture, stress and poor core strength.

Many people are aware that chiropractors are experts at dealing with this type of problem, but then never get round to making an appointment. Why?

They don't know what a chiropractor does!

We are all familiar with what happens when we go and see our GP. We are familiar with the surroundings, the process and the outcomes. we know that we will either get a prescription to relieve the symptoms, or we will be referred to another specialist.

What happens though when they go to the Chiropractor? Are they trained properly? Well chiropractors receive a minimum of four years full time training, while all working at Reflex Chiropractic have completed a five year full time Masters course. This is the same length of time as a degree in Medicine or Dentistry.

When you get to the Chiropractic clinic what will it be like? At Reflex Chiropractic all New Patients are booked for a 45 minute initial consultation. We listen to you and take a full history of what brings you to us. We then undergo a thorough series of orthopaedic and neurological exams. This is performed so that we can determine an accurate diagnosis. If we are unsure of the diagnosis we will refer you for further tests, or send you back your GP, or an appropriate specialist if we believe that chiropractic cannot help you.  We help people recover from chronic back pain by using specific spinal rehabilitation exercises to monitor the improvement .

Chiropractic can help all sorts of musculoskeletal problems. If in doubt contact us and ask for our advice. We'd be very happy to advise you and will try to answer all your questions. We feel it up to us to educate our patients about the benefits of chiropractic care and what are the most commonly treated conditions.

And remember, chiropractors treat more than just back pain!

Reflex Chiropractic is blogging!

One of the primary ways we can educate our patients if by sharing new and helpful information about chiropractic and other natural ways you can improve your health.

We'll keep sharing - just let us know what you'd like to learn about!