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Chronic Back Pain?

February 26, 2019 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

Below I have linked a short video by Professor O’Sullivan, a back pain researcher, which I highly recommend watching. It contains some extremely useful information that I’m sure will increase your knowledge and provide you with a new view of your back pain. The presentation was intended for professionals and clinicians; as such, it contains a certain amount of technical language. However, I think you will easily be able to follow the main points.

The idea of weak core or that bones are out of place and need to be put back into alignment, spinal degeneration/arthritis (wear and tear) as causes of the low back is a very common and persuasive myth. Besides the fact these do not cause back pain, if you inform a person who has chronic back pain of this, it can increase their anxiety and fears. This can make the symptoms worse, increase feelings of vulnerability, and motivate people to invest unjustified faith in overly expensive treatment. Next time you go to a physiotherapist or chiropractor, remember this article, and I’m sure the things mentioned above will probably be repeated.

Of course, the overwhelming majority of back pain does stem from physical causes (see case study below); however, stress and anxiety can make matters worse. Unfortunately for the chronic back pain suffer, there is little understanding of the ways in which the muscles create chronic back pain, and there are no physiotherapy or chiropractic courses teaching students how to diagnose and treat the muscles to alleviate back pain. They generally rely on chiropractic adjustments, strengthening and stretching, which is another reason why so many therapies achieve such unsatisfactory results. Speaking from personal experience, when I trained as a chiropractor, virtually no time was spent on the muscular system in regards to how it sets up back pain and how to best approach the muscles.

The two photographs below show one of my patients who recently visited me with chronic back pain. The first photo (sorry that it’s rather blurry) was taken prior to the second treatment, and the second photo was taken post-third treatment. It is clear that the pain was being caused by physical problems, and after just three treatments, the pelvis and spine were more level, with the legs positioned correctly beneath the pelvis. While further treatment is necessary, this individual suffered from chronic back pain for more than a decade, which seriously distorted his posture, For this particular individual he had little life stress events, which had no bearing on his pain levels and if this were my focus he would of achieved the same minimal results he got from another chiropractor who supposedly “put his hip back in” or physiotherapist strengthening his core.

Most people need a holistic treatment that looks at the physical body as whole as well as potential life/stress events, without creating fear and vulnerability for a complete treatment, which can be difficult to find as there are very few ‘experts’ that have training in either one, yet alone both!

Rounded Shoulders? DON’T DO THIS!!!

February 11, 2019 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

Kieran Finnegan– Your Chiropractor Sydney CBD.

Over the years I have treated many people who have been given some bad advice in regards to posture and more specifically how to sit and/or stand to help correct rounded shoulders, although the therapist/professional may of been well intentioned, however; inevitably it made things worse.

People with rounded shoulders are often told to forcibly pull their shoulders blades back and down. This is actually a un-natural posture and it uses your postural muscles in a way they were simply not designed to do, i.e, in a constant and sustained contraction. What happens when the shoulder blades are pulled back and down is the upper trapezius is placed under a lengthened contraction, or more accurately referred to as an eccentric contraction, while simultaneously the lower trapeszius muscles are under a constant shortened contraction. Both of which are not useful but it is the eccentric contraction that tends to cause the most pain and tension.

If you can imagine the upper trapezius as an elastic band (red arrow) that runs from the of neck to the top of the shoulders. As the shoulders are being forcibly being pulled down the upper trapeszius is under constant tension as either ends of the muscle are being pulled away from each other. Similarly, if you were to pull the ends of an elastic band away from each other you will notice the tension actually increases dramatically. It then becomes a viscous cycle, as the longer and more frequent someone does this the more tension and pain is created and they more they will forcibly contract their muscles in an attempt to relieve the tension and pain.

A much better postural cue would be to stand tall, relaxed with a lengthened neck as if their is a helium balloon attached to the crown of your head and creating a very light traction and the shoulders rolled back slightly. This way the muscles are being used correctly, the spine is in better alignment and rather than causing tension and pain it will hopefully relieve some.

On a side note, when it comes to posture and sitting its not necessary ‘bad’ posture that is the problem, its the not moving and static postures. Get up and move around every 30-60 minutes, change from sitting to standing several times through out the day where possible, even changing from a regular desk chair to an exercise ball may also beneficial as well as going for a walk before, during or after work. In regards to treatment, you need to see someone who actually has training in treating the muscles, in my experience, chiropractors and physio therapists who actually have this are far and few between as its not covered in these course or programs and in my experience are often the ones who give bad advice like above.

Self Treatment Guide for Low Back Pain

February 6, 2019 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

If you suffer from ongoing or chronic low back pain, I’m sure many of you reading this will attest to the fact its very difficult finding a professional who can quickly and effectively solve your back pain, with the exercises and stretches often prescribed only achieving short term results. These techniques and tips I have in this article are a great way to treat your own back pain or supplement any treatment you may be getting for better results. I frequently recommend that they embark on a program of self-care or management by which they can treat and release there own muscles using self myofascial release (SMR) techniques. I often use the analogy of brushing your teeth, as you eat and drink throughout the day you need to brush your teeth to prevent damage and decay. Similarly, sitting or standing for long periods throughout the day, high-stress levels, previous injuries, poor posture, heavy or intense training and exercise will cause tension the build up and regular self-treatment is needed to prevent pain.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

April 26, 2017 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney, Sydney chiropractic, Waterloo chiropractor, Waterloo Massage, Waterloo Myotherapy No comments

As a Sydney & Waterloo chiropractor I often get asked how many treatments will be required to help with there back pain, a rough guideline I use to help determine this, is for every month you have been suffering from back pain it may take the same number of treatments to start to see considerable improvements. I.e one month may only require 1-2 treatments, 6 months, 6-7 treatments etc…

Over the years I have treated many people who sought help from other professionals; who even after 10 or more treatments with no ongoing results still continued getting treatment. Using the above guideline’s and the information below will help hopefully avoid.this happening to you.

Your Chiropractor Sydney CBD & Waterloo Chiropractor has listed some factors that he has found influence how responsive a person may be to treatment, your Sydney & Waterloo chiropractic clinic’s specialise’s in helping people suffering from back pain & injury.

Duration of complaint: it should be obvious the longer you have had the problem, more often than not it will require more treatment. For the average person the guideline above will apply, when I say “average” I am referring to people who may of only had the problems for 3-6 months, get a reasonable amount of exercise, average diet and stress levels.

Age:

As a person gets older and especially when they don’t get regular treatment on there muscles they can become very stiff and tense, mainly due to lacking good blood supply to the tissues over time and generally require more time & effort to bring about suppleness to the tissue’s as opposed to someone who may be in there late teens/early twenties.

Exercise:

When it comes to exercise it is really is important to exercise to your appropriate level of fitness and general health. Just like getting very little or no exercise can be a factor in back pain, doing too much high intense workouts such as pump class, spin class etc.. can be counter productive, especially if your muscles aren’t in the best condition or you suffer from pain or injury to begin with.

Also having poor technique or mobility can exacerbate or lead to an injury. I find swimming a great form of exercise as it low impact, full body resistance that also has a cardio element. If you prefer gym based training or higher intensity training having a exercise physiologist or personal trainer guide you through the appropriate exercises may be necessary.

Diet:

This is something that very rarely gets talked about and definitely not something I was taught at university while studying chiropractic. It wasn’t until I started learning myotherapy (SLM) I was introduced to this fact. Personally I find it can be hard to determine if someone has a bad diet based on the feel of there muscles as there a so many different factors, but I can generally feel if someone has a good diet, although the might have muscle imbalances & tightness they also have a supple feel to them & have a bit of ‘give’ and generally don’t require as much time and effort to correct. Diets high in fresh fruit & vegetable, nuts, grains, legumes, fish & low in processed foods such as processed sugars/fats, red meat etc… are generally helpful in making your body more responsive to treatment.

Stress:

Its not uncommon for people suffering from back pain, especially chronic back pain to also suffer from stress, anxiety & depression and if this is the case seeing the appropriate health professional may also be required. Also ‘day-to-day’ stress is another major factor especially when it come’s to upper back, neck and shoulders, it important to realise this and take the appropriate steps in managing it.

Your Sydney & Waterloo chiropractic clinic’s I take a wholistic approach when trying to help some with there back pain in order to get them feeling at there best in the least amount of time possible. Contact your Sydney & Waterloo chiropractor today for more information.

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Self Treatment For Neck Pain & Headaches

August 29, 2016 kieranf Chiropractic for Migraine & Headache, Chiropractor Sydney, Massage for neck Pain & Headache, Waterloo chiropractor No comments

Your Sydney CBD & Waterloo chiropractor enjoys working with those suffering chronic & acute neck pain, even when other therapies have failed. Neck pain is the fourthleading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30%. Most episodes of acute neck pain will resolve with or without treatment, but nearly 50% of individuals will continue to experience some degree of pain or frequent occurrences (1).

Which Exercise Is best for Back Pain? To Get Back Pain Relief

August 4, 2016 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney, Waterloo chiropractor, Waterloo Massage, Waterloo Myotherapy No comments

As a Sydney CBD & Waterloo chiropractor, I often get asked what is the best form of exercise for back pain & sciatica. The good news is, generally speaking they all work as equally well as each other. One study looked at two types of specific low back stability exercise’s versus general exercise prescribed by a physical therapist and found one was not superior over the other when reducing low back pain & were all equally effective.(Unsgaard-Tøndel 2010)

Heat or Cold Therapy for Back Pain?

June 2, 2016 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney, Sydney chiropractic, Waterloo chiropractor No comments

Over the years as a chiropractor, myotherapist (SLM) & massage therapist I have noticed some confusion when it comes to using ice or heat on an acute injury or pain. A lot of pain sufferers are unfortunately incorrectly guided by other professionals in this matter, which I think is partly due to a lack of understanding when it comes to treating the myofascial system (myo= muscle) (fascial= connective tissue) & what treatment works, what doesn’t & why. I have written this article to help you make a better, more informed decision, not only with ice/heat but acute back pain in general.

Sciatica & Disc Herniations: Each Case Can Be Extremely Different

May 19, 2016 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

I am not going to go into the specifics of how I treat sciatica and disc injuries, which is difficult as each case can be extremely different from one to another, however; if you would like an overview of my approach & why I combine chiropractic with myotherapy (SLM) please have a read of my homepage or the services I offer.

How To Sit For Spinal Health: Gokhale Method

June 9, 2015 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

As a chiropractor working in Sydney’s CBD, i treat alot of desk workers who find there backs get stiff, painful and tired from a long day spent at the desk. If your finding sitting is aggravating your back pain, a technique i recommend to try is called stretch-sitting as demonstrated in the video below by the creator Gokhale Method; Esther Gokhale. When most people try to sit with “good posture’ they usually force themselves to sit more upright with there shoulder’s pulled back, resulting in more tension in the muscles of the back and spine.

Which Posture Are You? ( Part 1) Types of Postural Distortions

April 25, 2015 kieranf Chiropractor Sydney No comments

How we stand, sit & move is key to having a strong, healthy and pain free back. There are several common types of postural distortions that may indicate muscle imbalances, which on its own; or more likely when combined with a lack of exercise, stress and even poor diet can be a major contributor to low back pain, sciatica, headaches, shoulder pain etc…

Over the years I have seen many weird & wonderful ways to ‘fix’ posture, some of which have merit but many that ignore the simple fact that it is the myofascial (muscles & fascia) system which hold you upright against gravity & need to be balanced & functioning adequately so they hold you in a balanced manner.

That’s why I combine chiropractic with myotherapy (SLM), SLM is a wholistic & corrective form of bodywork that restores length & function to your critical postural muscles so that your muscular system supports the chiropractic treatment of your spine & joints.