Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back pain, bca, chiropractor, Exercises, Pelvic floor exercises, SPD
After having a child it is common to suffer with back pain over the following few years as there is a lot of carrying and picking up involved which is not great for the back.
The back needs to be strengthened to help with this and below are a few exercises to try:
This first exercise is a great position to lie in especially when the back is bad just lie in this position for around 15 minutes at a time at least once a day.
This second exercise is also quite gentle – whilst lying on your back push evenly with your hands against the wall whilst gently raising one leg up and then the other one.
This is the plank exercise but whilst in this position rock forwards more onto your hands and then backwards towards your heels. Try 10 seconds at first progressing to 30 seconds if you can.
With this final exercise start with just lifting off one arm and then one leg separately and once this becomes easier then try one arm and the opposite leg hold for 15 seconds and then change sides.
All these exercises should be done carefully and if any cause pain then don’t do them and consult your local chiropractor or doctor for advice.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back pain, bca, chiropractor, inspire a generation, Olympics, sitting, taking up sport
After all the rain it was so nice to see the sun especially for the Olympics. 
It really was a magical two weeks that had the nation hooked. As a Chiropractor the main thing I noticed was an increase in back stiffness which may well have been due to prolonged sitting. I must admit it was hard to tear myself away from the TV except from when I was going to the events!
I really hope these games have inspired people to take up sport as it can help the body and the mind so much.
The key is to find a sport you can enjoy all through your life as then there is more incentive to keep it up. From a chiropractic point of view people who are active recover far quicker from injuries and are less likely to be overweight putting less stress on their joints.
If you are in pain it is worth seeing a chiropractor to see if they can help you. They can do a thorough examination to see if it is something they can help with or advise you on where to go. To find your local chiropractor visit the British Chiropractic Associations website.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend2health, back pain, bca, british chiropractic association, celebration, chiropractor, Jubilee
What a shame the weather has not been kind this weekend. In true British style we braved the weather to attend a local picnic in the park but would have been so much better without the rain! 
Hope everyone is making the most of the time off -don’t forget to keep moving around and trying to fit in some stretches to help your back. It’s really important to change position every 20 minutes or so as the back generally has a poor blood supply and so gets its oxygen supply through movement.
If you do experience any pain don’t ignore it – a Chiropractor could take a look and let you know if it is something they can help with. To find a Chiropractor go to the British Chiropractic Association’s website www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend2health, back pain, bca, chiropractor, joint pain, Loosing weight, weight loss
A lot of mums just like myself find they put on extra weight when they are pregnant which they then find hard to loose afterwards. This was definitely the case for me. As I had two children close together I had not lost all the baby weight from the first pregnancy before I became pregnant again so after Zara I was determined to loose the weight.
I haven’t however embarked on a weight loss plan quickly. I find it takes me around a year to emotionally and physically get over having a new baby and so loosing weight was the last thing on my mind. As time has gone on though I have decided it is now time to loose weight.
I think the hardest part is taking the plunge and joining a group or making a concious effort to loose weight. For me I decided to join Weight Watchers and I’m so glad I did. The fear of being weighed each week and putting on weight stops me from eating too much and just makes me more aware of my food choices. Being a Chiropractor I know what I should be eating but my will power is lacking some what!
Going to Weight Watchers has been great. I’ve lost just over a stone so far and I now have so much more energy as I’m not carrying around all that excess weight. I’ve started running again and have loads of energy which helps with two very active kids!
Just a couple of stone heavier than you should be puts so much extra pressure on all your joints and especially your back. Loosing weight in a slow and controlled way can prevent aches and pains and also help with heart burn. If you take high blood pressure medication you may also find this can be reduced as you loose weight. If you’re overweight give it a go, you’ll be glad you did. A Chiropractor can also advise you on nutrition and the health benefits of loosing weight so if you suffer from back pain and could do with loosing a few pounds see how combining Chiropractic with a weight loss programme can be doubly beneficial. To find a Chiropractor near you just put your postcode into the BCA site
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, cake, Cambridge, chiropractor, crawling, first birthday, Hertford, stretches
So Zara was one this week – wow where has that year gone!?? We had 2 little parties for her with all her friends and of course I made the cakes!
Zara is nearly walking but still wants to be carried all the time. I think its the worst time for the back as she is so heavy now. I try to limit how much I carry her but she is very clingy at the moment and seems to want to be carried constantly.
Things I’m doing to help are getting Zara to crawl up and down the stairs rather than me just carrying her. This is building up her muscles and at least saves me carrying her all the time.
When I cook I now take some toys in the kitchen so she can sit and play rather than trying to cook with one hand. But I can’t wait now for her to walk properly and give my back a break.
The best thing to help the back if you are doing a lot of lifting is to keep doing exercises to help strengthen the back. My two favourite ones at the moment are the cat-camel and the one where you raise opposite arm and leg.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, Cambridge, chiropractor, Hertford, injury, pulled muscle, Snow, Snow shovel
We had a great day today playing in the snow but if you are having to clear the snow and ice make sure you do some stretches first to help your backs. Your back is most vunerable in the first hour after awakening so be extra careful then.
Snow shovels are great and much better for your back as they are not as heavy as a spade so if you can use a snow shovel it will be a lot better for your back and avoid the temptation to scoop too much up at once!
If you do strain your back try putting an ice pack wrapped in a T-towel on it for 10 mins to reduce the inflamation and do some gentle cat stretches to ease it. If still in pain seek advice from a GP or chiropractor. Find your nearest Chiropractor through the British Chiropractic Association.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, Cambridge, chiropractor, cot, crawling, Hertford, posture
As with most things there is not just one way of putting a child in a cot but if you adhere to a few simple rules it may just help your back.
Travel cots are one of the hardest as with no adjustable side there is no choice but to bend down quite far to put your baby in.
Try and make sure your cot is up against a wall so you can use the cot to lean against. If you use a fencer stance bending your knees and sucking your tummy in you can help protect your back when lowering you child.
When lowering your child into the cot try lifting one leg off the ground to take the pressure off your back and legs.
Obviously have the mattress at the highest level when your baby is unable to sit up and then lower it as your baby gets older.
When lifting your baby in and out if your cot has a side that lowers make sure you use it so you dont have to bend so far.
Lifting children does put a lot of pressure on the back. After giving birth it is really important to do exercises to work on the pelvic floor and back muscles so they can strengthen and be able to cope with carrying children. If you do experience back pain it is important to get it checked out. Through the British Chiropractic Association’s website you can find a Chiropractor close to you to discuss any problems you have. http://www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk/
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, Cambridge, chiropractor, crawling, Hertford, lister hospital, new year, presents
Wishing you all a very happy new year. Last year was certainly a hectic one for me – just don’t know where the time goes. I can’t believe Zara is now 10 months old and so not a baby anymore.
Just before Christmas I went to the Lister Hospital to deliver £250 worth of presents to the children there after my clinic held a charity morning. The staff were very grateful for the donations as unfortunately they had a full ward this year and were short of presents.
Hope you all have a good new year’s eve. We are just having a quite one in due to the children but it should still be nice.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, Cambridge, chiropractor, Christmas, Hertford, photos, presents, shopping
Well its certainly a busy time of year. Hope everyone is nearly prepared for Christmas and getting in the Christmas mood??!! I took my children to see Santa yesterday just at a local shopping centre but it was lovely and made me feel all christmassy!
In our clinic we have also been getting in the Christmas mood. We did a Charity day where all the money raised from treatments went to buy presents for our local hospital. We raised over £200 so that was a lot of presents to buy and wrap! I’m delivering them to the children tomorrow so that should be really nice.
Here’s a picture of just some of the 40+ presents!!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Attend 2 health, Attend2health, back pain, bca, Cambridge, chiropractor, Christmas, Hertford, photos, presents, shopping
I have been trying to think of some different presents this year – hope my family don’t read this but I’ve opted for more days out rather than bubble bath etc! I also got a family photograph taken so I’ve used that to create some pressies too.
Top tips to help your back whilst shopping:
When shopping try and put as many bags as possible under the pushchair rather than carrying them.
If you have to carry bags, carry them evenly each side and do not make each bag too heavy so its easy to transfer them to the car.
If you do have lots of bags take some back to the car before continuing to shop.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes when shopping – no heels girls as its surprising how far you walk when shopping.
I have done a lot of shopping online this year which has really helped. I also created wish lists of presents I think the children would like which relatives can access and then when they buy an item they can remove it from the list so no-one else buys it which has been good!
Have a great Christmas everyone and if you do get any pain find a local BCA Chiropractor. A lot of us do free 15 minute consultations so you can see if Chiropractic can help.
The Healthy Back Blog: For mums 