The Renaissance Holistic Therapy Centre 0121 428 1449

Millions of people throughout the world are being helped by Chiropractic

What is Chiropractic and what is it used for?

Chiropractic is a straight-forward method of adjusting the bones of your body to maintain the correct alignment of your spine and to ensure that your body’s nerve supply works efficiently. Through these subtle adjustments, chiropractic treatment can relieve pain and discomfort, increase mobility and provide a route to better health.

Your spinal column is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae, the sacrum, and the coccyx. This column also houses the spinal cord through which nerve information is transmitted to the rest of your body. Whilst the spinal column maintains correct alignment, nerve information is passed accurately. However, if any part of your spinal column becomes misaligned then a nerve may become impinged, compressed or stretched, distorting the information that passes along it. This can lead to pain, discomfort, or restricted mobility. A misalignment of the vertebrae or bones can occur for many reasons, some of the most common are incorrect lifting, car or sporting accidents childbirth, falls, stress, and poor posture.

Chiropractors use only their hands to make adjustments to the bones of your body. The key to success of the adjustments is in the speed, dexterity and accuracy with which they are performed.

Patients report a wide range of improvements. These range from relief from migraines, neck and shoulder problems, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome which are affected by the nerves coming from the top of the spine, to relief from lower back pain and sciatica which are relieved by adjustments to the lower spine. These improvements occur because the body is no longer receiving incorrect nerve information.

Can Chiropractic Help You?

The gentle nature of the McTimoney method makes it especially suitable for people of all ages including young babies, pregnant women and the elderly. The following conditions often benefit from treatment:

• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Pain, discomfort and stiffness in the joints and bones
• Migraine and tension headaches
• Muscular aches and pains
• Sciatica
• Whiplash injury
• Sports injuries

What to Expect from your First Treatment

Your chiropractor will first take a full case history regarding your general health background as well as details of your symptoms. This will help in the assessing and analysing your particular problem. They will then thoroughly examine all the joints in your body, literally from head to toe, using only their hands, and make the appropriate adjustments where necessary. Chiropractors have a very finely tuned sense of touch, developed in their four-year training, which enables them to feel for misalignments of the vertebrae and bones. Upon feeling a problem, your chiropractor will use one of a number of light, swift and dexterous techniques, unique to McTimoney method, to adjust the bone.

If your chiropractor discovers or suspects a problem, which requires medical investigation or a x-ray, they will refer you to your GP. Wherever possible your chiropractor will work in cooperation with your GP and a letter is normally sent to your doctor informing them of your treatment.

How Many Sessions Will You Need?

The number of sessions needed varies considerably depending on:

• Your age as you generally heal more slowly as you get older.
• The nature of the problem: a simple backache will often clear more quickly than a sciatic problem.
• How long you have had the problem: generally yesterday’s injury will resolve faster than one of 20 years’ standing.

Typically most patients need between two and six sessions (your chiropractor will advise), initially at weekly intervals, then gradually more widely spaced out, by which time a noticeable change should have occurred, though treatment can continue for longer. Once the problem has been resolved, regular check-ups are recommended to keep your spine and other joints functioning well

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Chiropractic is also a preventative therapy and when used in this way greatly improves bodily health and well being, avoiding long spells of discomfort. Regular check-ups are recommended to ensure that your body maintains a healthy balance in all aspects of its daily functioning.

Your therapist

Your Chiropractor, Kate Walder has a BSc in Chiropractic, is a member of the The McTimoney Chiropractic Association and is registered with the General Chiropractic Council.