Today we will be talking about the biomechanics of bones to help us understand how certain conditions and nutrient deficiencies affect bone. It is important to understand what the function of bone is in our bodies as well as how factors such as loading stresses, muscle activity and aging has on our bones.

When we think of our skeletal system, we immediately think of the hardness of the bones. Bones protect our organs (i.e. heart and lungs by the ribcage), however it plays a big role in locomotion as well. Muscles attach to the bones to allow specific movements.

Bones are also living and growing tissues. It is made up of inorganic mineral salts and organic matrix of collagen and ground substance. The inorganic mineral content, mainly consisting of Calcium and Phosphate, is responsible for the hardness and rigidity of bone. The organic matrix gives the bone flexibility and resilience.

There are many conditions that can affect our skeletal system for example physical activity, fractures, osteoporosis and osteomalacia (especially in kids) just to name a few. We will just briefly discuss these few conditions.

Fractures are probably the most common and well known injury that is associated with bone. They can happen as a result of a fall, overtraining in athletes or due to osteoporosis. Depending on the type and location of the fracture, treatment varies. Common fractures include hip fractures in older persons, stress fractures in athletes, Colles’ and Smith’s fractures which happens when you fall on an outstretched hand. Greenstick fractures are common in kids.

Osteoporosis is another condition that affects the strength of the bone. Osteoporosis can be characterized by a decrease in bone density resulting in weak and fragile bones that are predisposed to fractures. Osteopenia is also associated with a decrease in bone density, however not to the same extent as osteoporosis. The risk factors that are associated with osteoporosis include genetics, lack of exercise, lack of Calcium and Vitamin D, cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption.

Osteomalacia is a condition that is causes marked softening of your bones due to a severe vitamin D deficiency. Children and young adults that have the softened bones might be prone to develop bowing during growth, especially in the weight-bearing bones in the legs. Older adults with osteomalacia may develop fractures later on.

This was a brief summary of some of the conditions that can affect your bones and your skeletal system. It is important to look after your overall bone health.

With all of this in mind, here are 7 tips for healthy bones by Chiropractors in Pretoria:

1. Eat Calcium-rich foods such as fish with bones (salmon or sardines) or dark leafy green veggies or broccoli.
2. Take Calcium supplements. During your 20s, 30s and 40s you need approximately 1000 mg calcium per day. However, as you age, your needs change and you might need to up your dosage, especially women going through menopause. Always check with your doctor before starting supplements to determine the right amount for you.
3. Add a little D to your day. Calcium and vitamin work together for optimum absorption. We can get vitamin D from the sun. 15-20 minutes a day is all it takes to ensure you get enough vitamin D for the calcium absorption.
4. Start doing weight bearing exercises. The bigger the demand on your bones is, the stronger they will become. Running, jogging, high impact aerobics, repetitive stair climbing, dancing etc. are great exercises for building bones. If you have osteopenia, osteoporosis or arthritis exercises like walking or using the elliptical trainer can help.
5. Don’t smoke and drink excessively. This is bad news for bad habits: research have shown that a loss of bone mineral density is associated with tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. If you are a smoker, look into programs to help you quit. If you drink, stick to no more than 1 drink per day.
6. Have a bone density scan done. Doctors and chiropractors in Pretoria can refer you for something called a DEXA scan or bone density test. It is a special kind of xray to measure bone mineral density and to help determine risks of osteoporosis and fractures. It is recommended that women within 2 years of menopause are sent for a DEXA scan.
7. Consider medication. Estrogen levels are linked to bone loss, therefore perimenopausal women may consider hormone therapy to help with decreasing estrogen levels. There are also some medications available to men and women who have been diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis to help prevent hip and spine fractures.

Let’s work together and build stronger bones and happy healthy skeletal system.

For any questions, please feel free to contact us on 083 288 0679

Useful Links for Chiropractors in Pretoria

• African Advice
• Medpages
• Showme
• Chiro in Centurion
• Chiropractor in Centurion
• How to Prevent Text Neck – Chiropractor in Pretoria
• Blog – Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Chiropractors in Pretoria and Biomechanics Part 2: Bones appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the biomechanics of the human body as well as different components associated with it and how they all interact. We will be talking about joint movements, bones and articular cartilage, collagen and its importance, muscles and training as well as looking at ways to ensure you have optimally functioning and pain-free joints for a healthier life.

Biomechanics is concerned with the study of the mechanics (movement) of the human body in relation to physics. In other words it is what we as chiropractors focus on to determine which joints are not moving as they should and could be causing your pain.

When we talk about movement, where does it occur? Movement occurs at all body joints, from head to toe, and therefore we need to look at the components that make up a joint. This includes two bones, articular cartilage, a joint capsule and surrounding soft tissue components such as muscles, ligament, tendons and nerves. These structures interact with each other to allow optimal movement of a joint. Depending on the shape and congruency of the articular cartilage, different movements are allowed and why certain movements are “bigger” than others, i.e. hip flexion vs. hip extension.

When several joints work together to create a larger range of motion in a specific segment, we refer to it as a kinematic chain. This explains why if there is some sort of pathology in any of the components of the kinematic chain, the entire kinematic chain is affected, i.e. adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) affects the movement of the whole arm. If there is a lack of movement in a specific segment, the segments above and below the affected area now have to compensate for this by becoming hypermobile, unstable and painful.

Chiropractors in Centurion use motion palpation to determine which segments are affected and needs to be corrected through chiropractic manipulation. If you feel like your range of motion is limited or a joint simply feels stuck, contact your chiropractor today on 083 288 0679

Other related searches on Chiropractor in Centurion

1. Best Chiropractor Lyttelton,
2. Best Chiropractor in Centurion,
3. Best Chiro in Centurion,
4. Chiropractor in Lyttelton,
5. Chiropractor in Centurion,
6. Chiro in Centurion,
7. Chiropractic in Centurion,
8. Chiropractor Lyttelton,
9. Chiropractic Centurion,
10. Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion
11. How to Prevent Text Neck – Chiropractor in Pretoria

Useful Links – Chiropractors in Centurion

• African Advice
• Medpages
• Showme
• Best Chiro in Centurion
• Chiropractor in Centurion
• Blog – Chiropractor in Centurion

The post How Chiropractors in Centurion Can Help You!! appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

It’s that time of year again. Everything is slowing down and everybody is getting ready for their well-deserved holiday. You are looking forward to resting and spending some quality time with your family and friends. Come chat to Dr. Vicki Ferreira – Chiropractor Centurion before you head off on your well deserved holiday for 2017.

Family time is precious and spending those sunny afternoons next to the pool and braai with the kids is magic, However, this is also the time where most parents injure their back. Common injuries include lower back pain after picking up your kids and playing with them, swinging them around or walking for prolonged periods on the beach or in the malls. Neck pain can also arise from the “Christmas beds” in front of the television or from sleeping in a strange bed in your rental holiday home.

For some people, the December holiday is the perfect time to fix everything around the house that you didn’t have time for during the year or to do some home DIY and renovations. This creates its own set of injuries such as neck and back pain from heavy lifting, shoulder pain from overhead movements such as cleaning the gutters, painting the ceiling or even knee pain from all the gardening.

Luckily there are some things you can do to help prevent these injuries.

Here are some tips from our Chiropractor Centurion to make sure neck and back pains don’t put a damper on your Christmas holiday

1. When picking up your children or anything heavy such as luggage or boxes, make sure to lift it with your legs and not your back. When bending down to pick something or someone up, it is vital that your legs bend as you go down and NOT remain straight. This will ensure that the biggest part of the load is absorbed by your legs and not your back.
2. After you have picked up the load, take care not to twist your upper body. This places a lot of pressure on your spinal discs and could cause severe pains.
3. If you are driving to down to Durban or Cape Town, make sure your back is properly supported in your car seat and that you take regular breaks. This will ensure that your muscles don’t stiffen up and cause pain.
4. Continue to stretch your neck and lower back after intense physical work to ensure that you cool down properly.

These are just a few tips to help make this holiday pain-free. While you are getting ready to leave for holiday by checking the car and tyres, make sure to check your spine as well. If you are currently in pain or discomfort or simply wanting to make sure you don’t have any issues while on holiday, give us a call TODAY on 083 288 0679 to book an appointment.

Below are related links that might interest you about Chiropractor Centurion

1. Best Chiropractor Lyttelton,
2. Best Chiropractor in Centurion,
3. Best Chiro in Centurion,
4. Chiropractor in Lyttelton,
5. Chiropractor in Centurion,
6. Chiro in Centurion,
7. Chiropractic in Centurion,
8. Chiropractor Lyttelton,
9. How to Prevent Text Neck – Chiropractor in Pretoria

Useful Links

1. African Advice
2. Medpages
3. Showme
4. Best Chiro in Centurion
5. Chiropractor in Centurion
6. Blog – Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Chiropractor Centurion – Holiday Tips appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Cervicogenic headaches are more common than you might think. Cervicogenic simply means “originating from the upper cervical spine”, a.k.a. your upper neck. These headaches sometimes present as tension headaches, however with closer examination the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache is made.

There are many theories about the exact causes of cervicogenic headaches. The main theories state that the head pain is mainly felt due to referred pain from the neck as a result of prior neck trauma, cervical joint dysfunction, sustained neck postures or repetitive neck/shoulder movements.

Symptoms of Cervicogenic Headaches

The symptoms of cervicogenic headaches can be described as follows. It is a dull and achy head pain that is usually felt around the upper neck and back of the head and may refer pain to the forehead, eye region, temples or ears. Cervicogenic headaches are aggravated by specific neck movements or sustained postures. Occasionally this dull and achy pain may also radiate or be felt in the neck, shoulder or arm on the same side as the headache. If you have had prior neck trauma, i.e. whiplash, you are more predisposed to this type of headache.

Management of Cervicogenic Headaches

The management of cervicogenic headaches is simple. As we said earlier, the cause of your headache is coming from the neck joints or surrounding soft tissue such as muscles and ligaments. Chiropractic manipulation of the upper cervical spine has been proven to help dramatically with this headache as it corrects the cervical joint dysfunction. Other treatment protocols that can be incorporated include massage or dry needling of the affected muscles as well as stretching and strengthening of the neck muscles.

If you or someone you know suffers from cervicogenic headaches, give us a call today today

Related articles that also might interest you:

• Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion
• Sciatica and Lower back pain
• Why “clicking” your own back and neck is bad for you
• Choosing the correct pillow
• Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor
• Understanding Tension Headaches
• Five Types of Headaches Explained

Useful Links

1. African Advice
2. Medpages
3. Showme
4. Best Chiro in Centurion
5. Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Understanding Cervicogenic Headaches appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of the population suffers from tension headaches. The exact cause of these headaches are still under debate, however a few contributing factors have been identified.

You can experience tension headaches either infrequently episodic( less than 1 headache per month and less than 12 per year), frequently episodic (more than 1 headache per month but less than 15 per year) or chronically (more than 15 headaches per month).

The symptoms of tension headaches are usually felt on both sides of your head. You experience a mild to moderate squeezing type pain around your head. This headache is not aggravated with physical activity like walking or climbing stairs, but you might become sensitive to either light or sounds. Nausea and vomiting is not present. Tension headaches can last anything from half an hour to 7 days.

The causes of tension headaches can include a wide variety of factors such as:

• Cervical joint dysfunction
• Stress
• Lack of sleep or rest
• Musculoskeletal pain and fibromyalgia
• Prior neck injuries
• Poor posture resulting in postural imbalances (especially desk posture)
• Psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression

The management of tension headaches is relatively simple. If the cause is psychological, simple stress reduction techniques, like meditation or breathing exercises, can be incorporated on a daily basis. For diagnosed conditions such as anxiety or depression, prescribed medication will help. If the cause is mechanical, being mindful about your desk posture will also help tremendously to lower the stress on your neck and lower back. Exercise will also help you postural muscles to become stronger. However, this might only help temporarily.

If the cause is linked to cervical joint dysfunction, all the structures surrounding those joints will be affected. This includes the nerves, muscles and ligaments. Chiropractic treatment can help to correct the dysfunction and allow optimum functioning of the cervical joints.

If you or someone you know suffers from tension headaches, give us a call today on 083 288 0679

Related articles that might interest you

• Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion
• Sciatica and Lower back pain
• Why “clicking” your own back and neck is bad for you
• Choosing the correct pillow
• Five Types of Headaches Explained
• Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor

Useful Links

1. African Advice
2. Medpages
3. Showme
4. Best Chiro in Centurion
5. Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Understanding Tension Headaches appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Headaches are common occurrences to all of us. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 50% of the population has experienced a symptomatic headache at least once a year. 50% to 75% of the adult population, people between the ages of 18 and 65, experience headaches regularly. We will discuss the Five Types of Headaches in this article.

When talking about headaches, it is important to know the differences between the five different types of headaches:

• 1. Tension headache
  2. Cervicogenic headache
  3. Migraine
  4. Cluster headache
  5. Pathologic headache

Five Types of Headaches Explained – Chiropractor in Centurion

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. This is the type of headache that comes at the end of a stressful day. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of the population suffers from tension headaches. This headache typically feels like a tight band around your head. Muscles play a big role with these headaches as myofascial trigger points (muscle spasms) and other myofascial pain syndromes may be the cause of the tension headache. Tension headaches can last anything from 30 minutes to 7 days.

Cervicogenic headaches are a type of headache that originates in one or more of the structures of the cervical spine. These structures can include facet joints, nerves, muscles or ligaments. Pain is usually felt in the neck and at the base of the skull, but may radiate to the forehead, temples, orbital region or ears. The pain is usually brought on or aggravated by specific neck movements or sustained postures.

Migraines are usually triggered by a specific factor such as certain smells, medications, foods, hormonal changes or blood glucose levels. This type of headache can be quite debilitating and lasts for several hours. Migraines can occur with or without the presence of an aura (visual or olfactory disturbance that precede the migraine). A throbbing pain is usually felt along with nausea, vomiting or light and sound sensitivity.

Cluster headaches are usually uncommon headaches. You experience frequently recurring and brief episodes of an extremely severe headache. The pain is usually felt in or around one of your eyes with tearing and redness in that eye. You may also experience a blocked nose and well as a drooping eyelid on the side where the headache is present. These headaches can last between 4 to 8 weeks.

Pathologic headaches are headaches occurring from a potentially life threatening cause. These are the headaches that come up first with Dr. Google, however 99.5% of headaches are benign. Pathological headaches can be caused by infections, brain tumors, an arterial cause, strokes, trauma or brain swelling. These headaches are extremely dangerous and if it is suspected by your medical professional, immediate medical attention is required.

Chiropractic can help with almost all of the different headache types and are trained to know when to refer you to another specialist.

Give us a call today to help get relieve from your headache

Related articles that might interest you

• Sciatica and Lower back pain
• Why “clicking” your own back and neck is bad for you
• Choosing the correct pillow
• Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor
• Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion

Useful Links

1. African Advice
2. Medpages
3. Showme
4. Best Chiro in Centurion
5. Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Five Types of Headaches appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Sciatica Lower Back Pain this is a term often used and that most people have experienced at one time or another. Sciatica is the term given to pain that starts in the lower back and buttock area and refers down the back of your leg. The pain could be due to compression of or injury to the sciatic nerve in the buttock area. It is usually felt as quite a sharp and shooting kind of pain that can be localized in the buttock area or spread down your leg to your knee or foot. Lower back pain is a common reason to see your chiropractor and is one of many pain issues dealt with in the practice. Whether you’re a pregnant mum to be, or noticed that you’re developing pain in your lower back, book an appointment with a professional chiro and let us work on the problem.

What is lower back pain?

Lower back pain is common in patients from all walks of life and can happen as a sudden onset or occur as a result of something else. Sometimes repetitive movements can cause strain. For example, overstretching, lifting heavy objects and bad posture.

Read our latest blog: How Much Does a Chiropractor Cost? A Complete Guide to Pricing

Things that could compress, injure or irritate the sciatic nerve and cause sciatica could be:

1. Tight piriformis muscles: The sciatic nerve runs through a muscle called the piriformis muscle. This muscle is v-shaped to allow passage of the sciatic nerve. If this muscle is contracted and in spasm it could cause the sciatic nerve to be compressed, causing the sciatic pain.
2. Sitting on your wallet: Men are usually guilty of this. Sitting on your wallet not only causes your pelvis to be in an awkward position, but it also compresses the sciatic nerve directly. This could also result in a leg length discrepancy, where one leg becomes functionally shorter than the other.
3. Spinal degeneration: Things like a disc protrusion/herniation or osteophyte formation could cause compression or irritation to the spinal nerves that make up the sciatic nerve. This will then not only cause the pain in you buttock and leg, but could also cause other neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness or pins and needles.

Some causes of lower back pain include:

• Pregnancy in women
• An injury
• Poor posture
• No lumbar support when seated for long at a computer
• Damage to intervertebral discs
• Nerve compression
• Deformity
• Trauma
• Herniated disc

If you suffer from sciatica or sciatic pain, there are chiropractic treatment options available to give you the relief you want. These treatment options are surgery-free and involve spinal manipulation, myofascial release, dry needling and stretching. If your pain is due to anatomical causes, chiropractic will only be able to provide symptomatic relief, depending on the severity of your disc protrusion/herniation. With osteophyte formation, surgery could be an option to remove the pain causing osteophytes.

Common symptoms of lower back pain include but are not limited to:

1. A dull aching pain
2. Pain that radiates down the buttocks and legs
3. Increased pain when sitting for too long
4. A relief of pain when changing position
5. Pain seems worse in the lower back after having slept and woken up

How does a chiropractor help with Lower Back Pain?

A doctor of chiropractic has many years studying and learning more and more about how to help patients cope with lower back pain and improve their lives. Chiropractic treatment includes spinal manipulation, as well as manual manipulation. Mobilisation also allows specific stretches to help with range and increase flexibility. Chiropractic is safe during pregnancy and doesn’t require OTC drugs or chemicals to enhance its benefits. It is beneficial for babies and older patients. If you need more information or would like to book an appointment speak to a chiropractor in Centurion. Your chiro will work out a chiropractic treatment plan to suit your needs.

Lower back pain can be tricky, and sometimes unnoticeable. It can occur slowly or gradually with time. Some patients find that the pain worsens with time and sometimes seems reoccurring.

Give us a call today to get relief from your sciatica. Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor

Other related articles for Chiropractor in Centurion

1. Best Chiropractor Lyttelton,
2. Best Chiropractor in Centurion,
3. Best Chiro in Centurion,
4. Chiropractor in Lyttelton,
5. Chiropractor in Centurion,
6. Chiro in Centurion,
7. Chiropractic in Centurion,
8. Chiropractor Lyttelton,
9. Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion

Useful Links

1. African Advice
2. Medpages
3. Showme
4. Best Chiro in Centurion
5. Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Sciatica and Lower Back Pain appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Clicking your own back and neck is bad for you from an unqualified person are very common topics in a chiropractor’s office. Some people argue that they don’t need to come and see a chiropractor because they can adjust themselves or they would ask someone in the office to quickly “crack” their backs to get some relief. Other people are usually in our offices because of a “click” that went bad.

Have you ever notice that your neck or back sometimes feels stiff or has limited movement or just feels like it needs a “click”? You then either adjust it yourselves or have it adjusted by a random person and you feel better afterwards. You then go about your day and in less than an hour you have the same stiffness and limited movement in your neck or back. You “click” again and again and again.

Imagine your neck vertebrae as the links of a chain. Each vertebra must move optimally to allow maximum range of motion to your neck. When you feel your neck movement is limited, it means one joint, one link in your chain, is not moving as it should and might get stuck. This now causes all the other vertebrae to become hypermobile to compensate for this immobility to still allow as much range of motion as possible. So when you click your neck, you are in essence only clicking the vertebrae which are already moving and hypermobile instead of correcting the affected vertebrae. This is what usually happens and we as chiropractors can help. We find the exact vertebra that is not moving and induce movement again. Now each little vertebra can move as it is supposed to and you can get long-term relief.

So in short, this is why self-adjusting is bad for your neck and could result in severe neck and back pain. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us to book an appointment with Dr. Vicki and she will gladly answer all your questions.

Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor

Related Articles for Chiropractor in Centurion

1. Holiday Tips – Chiropractor Centurion
2. Chiropractor in Centurion, Pretoria
3. Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor
4. The Best Chiropractors what to Look For
5. BlogSpot
6. BlogSpot – Chiropractor in Centurion
7. WordPress Blog – Chiropractor in Centurion
8. WordPress Blog – Chiropractor in Centurion

The post Clicking your own back and neck is bad for you appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

Choosing the Correct Pillow – Chiropractor in Centurion

Choosing the correct pillow will not only helps you to get a good night’s sleep, but could also help with your neck pain and headaches. It’s seldom that we think about our pillows and whether we ought to change them after a few years. How a good pillow is made is probably also one of the last things on your mind when you lay your head down to rest.  Chiropractors often see patients who complain about a sore neck after waking up the next day. The wrong pillow can cause many problems but the right one will help you have better posture as you sleep. Driving Directions to Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor in Centurion

To understand why the correct pillow is so vital, let’s look at the anatomy of your neck. You have seven neck vertebrae, separated by a spinal disc, that function together to allow a great range of motion for your head and neck. Between adjacent vertebrae we find facet joints. This is where the most movement occurs. We also have lots of muscles and ligaments that attach to the vertebrae and cause movement when they contract.

When you sleep on your side with an incorrect pillow, your neck will either go into side-bending towards or away from the pillow and could result in neck pain or headache.

Read our latest blog: Can Chiropractors Help With Back Pain?

When you bend your neck to the side, the little facet joints on the side you are bending towards gets compressed and opened up on the opposite side. If this occurs over a period of time, like when sleeping for a few hours in that position, the facet joints on the side of compression might become stuck and not be able to move as it is supposed to or possibly compress a spinal nerve. On the opposite side, opening up the joints might cause the muscles on that side to become overstretched and painful.

So how do we know if there is a problem with our pillows?

With side sleeping, your pillow is supposed to fit comfortably in the space between your shoulder and your ear to support your head. When you lie on your side with a pillow that is too flat or too fluffy, your neck will be forced into a side bending position for hours while you sleep.

When sleeping on your back it is important to have a pillow that supports your neck to prevent neck extension, or backward tilting of your head, during the night. This will also cause compression of the facet joints at the back of your neck as well as spasms in the back of the neck. To prevent lower back pain with back sleeping, it is recommended to place a pillow under your knees to help take some of the pressure off of your lower back by relaxing your lower back.

What makes a good pillow and what does a chiropractitioner suggest is best?

Pillows are a huge benefit because:

• They provide support to your head and neck
• They allow for comfortable positioning
• Some are hypoallergenic
• Some pillows have cooling fabric which is perfect for warm nights
• Most pillow sizes can fit an average-size bed

What are the disadvantages of sleeping on a pillow?

• Cotton pillows can give to unwanted wrinkles
• They may lead to dust mites
• When sleeping wrong, certain pillows can induce neck pain

What types of pillows does a chiropractitioner recommend?

The type of pillow you choose depends on your lifestyle and needs. Some pillows are suitable especially for patients who may have had surgery. Some pillows provide support to patients having to wear Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) masks for sleep apnoea.

In most cases, pillows provide good support while you’re lying down.

• Roll-shape orthopaedic pillow – provides optimum posture support when lying down. It can also, be used for neck support during travel.
• Memory foam pillows – memory foam conforms to any shape and in the case of a pillow, it will give excellent support for your neck and head.
• Pillow with microbeads – microbeaded pillows are usually very firm and provide good support as a travel pillow.
• Neck pillows – these are specifically designed to support your neck and cervical spine.
• Feather pillows – provide a natural spring effect and is firmer than down pillows
• Down pillows – as its name suggests, down pillows are filled with the down feathers of birds.

So, if you maybe wake up with neck or lower back pain, a stiff neck or even a headache, give us a call and we will gladly help. Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor

The post Choosing the Correct Pillow from your Chiro appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.

You can injure your feet in any number of ways. Standing for hours on end can cause problems, so can sudden and jerky movements. A misaligned joint can be the culprit and sports men can injure feet, heels, or ankles by twisting them at odd angles or by running with the wrong shoes.

When the feet and heels are overused, and the tendons become inflamed a condition called Tendinitis develops. You can sprain an ankle and tear ligaments with sudden uncontrolled sideways movements. You will experience pain with the bruised and swollen ankle. A flat foot also causes problems. Weak muscles in the foot and leg can cause the arch of the foot to fall or collapse. You will feel the pain in a leg or a foot or you will be tired.

The chiro will examine the injury and look at your gait. X-rays and other forms of examinations may be required to pinpoint the injury and after a consultation with a chiro a series of treatments will commence.

The chiro will suggest ways to prevent a recurrence of the injury, one being to wear the correct shoes. Another will be to warm up properly before you exercise and allow time to cool down afterwards. Ask him for exercises that can strengthen the muscles that support the area of injury.

The chiro will gently stretch the foot and apply pressure to joints in the lower back, hip, or leg. He may suggest RICE treatment, rest, ice, compression, and elevation and ask you to come back for a check-up in 6 month’s time. If you follow the advice of the chiropractor, you may heal completely and prevent another episode from happening.

Check out the services that we have to offer here.

Find us on Facebook Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor

The post Foot And Heel Pain Due To Sports Injuries appeared first on Chiropractor in Centurion | Dr Vicki Ferreira Chiropractor.