AMI Chiropractic Clinic Blog

Headaches Everyday? Read This! Bottom Line: Life can be busy and stressful. Sound familiar? If so, you may likely start experiencing headaches more frequently, and they may be more severe. Chronic headaches are a good indication that your body needs attention, whether that’s related to a lack of quality sleep, nutritional challenges or even postural issues, all of which can contribute to a developing a vicious cycle of daily headaches. Those daily headaches are a signal from your body that something needs to change. While researchers have struggled to place an exact cause on every type of headache, they have discovered an array of risk factors that can lead to the development of chronic headaches. The foods you eat, the stress in your life, and even how you move your body and spine, can either increase or decrease the likelihood of experiencing headaches. These daily headaches aren't something you "have to live with." Top research publications in...

THE TOP 3 CAUSES OF HEADACHES Bottom Line: A variety of factors can cause headaches. The good news is that many of these are lifestyle factors and habits and patterns that you can control. By understanding a few of the most common causes of headaches, you will have the information you need to make those key changes and to get on your way to finding lasting relief! Ironically, one of the most common causes of headaches is over medicating. In fact, overuse of many over the counter medications is a leading factor in a rebound headache, which is why pills may not be the best option for care. Many tension headaches get their start with repetitive motion and poor posture while sitting or standing at work or performing repetitive motions. Keeping your shoulders back and your spine in proper alignment throughout the day can help prevent future episodes. And finally, most of the good stuff like coffee, cheese, alcohol and meats have substances that can cause headaches. You do...

Facet Joints:  Gliding Your Way To Better Health Bottom Line: So, what are facet joints? Facet joints are the tiny joints within your spine. There are 24 individual vertebrae that are connected to one another by facet joints on either side. Each facet joint is lubricated by synovial fluid. It is the lubrication and alignment of the facet joint that allows the normal slide and glide motion to occur. These joints that enable us to move our spine forwards, backwards, side to side and rotationally. These joints are special and they are unique and have a key responsibility in each part of the spine. The angle of the joint’s changes in the spinal structure to help manage its weight loading ability, and the degree of movement and stability required at that particular level. For example: In your neck the cervical spine the joints are angled at 45 degrees. In your mid back, the thoracic spine, the joints are angled at 60 degrees. In your lower back, the lumbar ...

Taking Control of Your Health: Slowing Down the Degenerative Process Bottom Line: We are all subjective to the law of breakdown - whichever way you look at it! Degenerative changesare inevitable but occur at different rates amongst us all; otherwise, we all would have the same problems at the same age! Unfortunately, it is a process we cannot revert but we can take control and slow it down. Why it Matters:   Just because all of us will experience degenerative disc disease as we age doesn’t mean that process is the same for everyone. Research has shown that by taking a pro-active approach with your spinal health, you may be able to slow down the degenerative process. Degenerative changes are part of the normal aging process due to the weight of gravity, injuries, and repetitive stress on your spine. Researchers have found a correlation between the amount of arthritis in the spine and the severity of degenerative changes. Stretching, exe...

Your Arm Pain Could Be Caused By A Neck Issue Bottom Line Pain in your hand, wrist, or arm can be frustrating. You may not realize how much you use your arms and hands each second of the day until pain, numbness, or tingling gets in the way. But, getting rid of the pain may be easier than you think. Why Does It Matter? Hand, wrist, and arm pain often starts with a neck problem. When a spinal disc in your neck irritates or presses on a nerve, it can result in arm pain. Just like the power lines that bring electricity to your house, your brain and spinal cord split into individual nerve roots that deliver information to every part of your body. The nerves in your neck are specifically focused on providing strength and sensation to your head and arms.       A bulged or herniated disc in your neck can irritate or compress the nerves that travel to your hands, arms, and shoulders.       A recent study of people with cervical (neck...

A Spinal Disc Bulge or Herniation: What’s The Difference? Bottom Line: The bones, discs, ligaments, and muscles of your spine are designed to help you maintain proper spinal alignment, posture, and movement. Between each set of bones or vertebrae is a small rubbery disc. These discs act as small shock absorbers for your spinal bones and nerves. They have a tough, rubber-like outer layer called the annulus fibrosis and a soft jelly-like center that is called the nucleus pulposus. As you age or encounter injuries, the curve of your spine may fall out of alignment. This can place uneven stress on your spinal column and discs, increasing the chance of having a disc break down and herniate. Why Does It Matter? A disc herniation occurs when the outer portion of the disc ruptures (or tears) and the soft inner portion squeezes out. This type of injury can cause pain at the site of herniation, or sometimes the herniated disc can pinch a nearby nerve, causing pai...

Moving Kids Towards Better Health Bottom Line: Life is motion. Moving every day is crucially important to your overall health and wellness. Everything from cardiovascular disease to depression has been tied to a lack of physical activity. And this isn’t something that only adults need to be aware of. Getting enough physical activity as a child is an important step in reducing the risk of chronic disease in adulthood. Why it Matters: If your child is tied to the latest video game or app, you know it can be challenging to encourage exercise and physical activity. However, carving out enough time to move is not only essential for your physical health, but also your brain. Being sedentary during childhood slows down your brain's ability to learn “movement skills.” You can think of these skills in terms of agility and hand/eye coordination. - Over 65% of kids aren’t getting enough daily physical activity. - Lack of activity...

The AMI Clinic's Exclusive Giveaway! Does your mum ever complain of back or neck pain? Why not enter our exclusive competition to win the perfect gift! With Mother's Day approaching the AMI Clinic is giving you the chance to gift  your  mum something very special! The AMI Clinic is gifting one luck y winner the chance to give their mum  £230  worth of Chiropractic Care for  FREE The winner will receive: A Chiropractic Assessment, Examination, Report of Findings and 6x Chiropractic Treatments FREE How's that for a Mother's Day treat and a great way to get into the good books!  😊 The competition is open to both new a nd existing patients Enter here: https://ami-clinic.uk-chiropractic.co.uk/mothers-ami For your chance to win please complete the following: → Click on the link above and enter your details to register → Like our Facebook Page → Share this post ...