sports injury

Sports Injuries

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The main aim of chiropractic treatment in the area of sports injuries is to restore normal functioning to your joints and muscles, along with the nervous system. Seeking chiropractic care and treatment for a complaint may increase your muscle strength, co-ordination and control. In order to speed up recovery and maybe even improve your performance, a rehabilitation plan should be followed together with the treatment; this will help to assist in the strengthening of the injured area at a faster pace.

Common types of injury include:

  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Neck Pain
  • Groin Strain
  • Shin Splints
  • Lower Back Pain
  • Pulled Muscles
  • Concussion
  • Tennis or Golf Elbow
  • Sprained Ankles
  • Runner’s Knee

Our team of Chiropractors are very experienced in treating athletes with sports injuries ranging from recreational runners to professional sports personalities.

When your body is in alignment it allows you to enhance your performance, lower the risk of injury and feel fantastic! Maximise and boost your true sporting potential with regular chiropractic care.

neck-pain

Neck Pain

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About Neck Pain

Today’s modern living often entails hours of driving and hunching over workstations, which can play havoc with our necks. So it is not surprising that neck pain is the second most common condition that chiropractors treat. And with the use of tablets and smart phones increasing we are seeing more and more neck complaints.

Do you have bad posture? An adult head on average weighs between 4-6kg and for every inch you move it forwards an added 10lbs is placed on your spine. This places pressure on your joints, muscles, ligaments and discs and can often results in neck, back and shoulder pain as well as causing headaches and migraines.

back-pain

Back Pain

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About Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common conditions the general public suffer from, with approximately 80% of the population experiencing some form of lower back pain in their lifetime. Our chiropractors at the Newport clinic treat and help a large number of these patients every day.

There are numerous reasons why an injury to the lower back can occur, for example: damage to the surrounding joints, muscles, ligaments, discs or nerves. Sometimes simple movements such as bending over to put your socks on can trigger low back pain. However, it is usually a build-up of multiple factors which cause general ‘wear and tear’ to the spine. These factors include poor posture, psychological stress and weakened core muscles.

Here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport we deal with many patients who suffer from acute and chronic low back pain. The Royal College of General Practitioners and The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) have provided guidelines recommending chiropractic treatment as an effective treatment method for dealing with low back pain.

wrist-pain

Repetitive Strain Injury

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About RSI

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the heading used to cover a range of conditions that result from a gradual build-up of tension and overuse in our muscles, tendons and joints from continual stresses and everyday activities. The most common RSI’s include plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, iliotibial band syndrome and rotator cuff impingement.
Repetitive strain injury usually develops as a result of a job or occupation, for example, typing or manual work, however it can also be associated with leisure activities, such as sporting activities or playing music, it has even been related to completing everyday household chores. Our chiropractic team in Newport treat a large number of patients who suffer from RSI.

The symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injuries may include:

  • Pain which is aggravated by movement
  • Reduced range of movement
  • Swelling
  • Weakness
  • Stiffness

An individually designed treatment programme will be put in place by our experienced chiropractors to suit your condition. The treatment plan may involve a combination of any of the following, manipulation or mobilization of the surrounding joints which not only increases the available movement at these joints and thus eases the load on the muscles and tendons which work over the joint, but relaxes the soft tissues surrounding the area, deep soft tissue work (cross friction, massage, myofascial release techniques) to reduce any fibrous adhesions (knots) and tension which may have developed within the musculature , therapeutic ultrasound which may speed up the healing time and improve the quality of the scar tissue. Most importantly our team will give you postural and ergonomic advice, as well as a home rehabilitative program this has been put in place to help with any imbalances and possible attributing factors, therefore helping you back to good health and aiming to reduce the to help address any imbalances and possible attributing factors and thus in turn reduce the probability of recurrence.

shoulder-pain

Shoulder Pain

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Facts About Shoulder Pain

The shoulder joint (Gleno-humeral joint) is a complex joint which is very commonly injured. It is a shallow ball and socket joint which relies on stabilisation coming from the surrounding soft tissues. This gives the shoulder a wide range of motion, but these characteristics also make it prone to injury. There are four joints in the shoulder

– Gleno-humeral
– Acromio-clavicular
– Scapula-thoracic
– Sterno-clavicular

All of these have to function properly for good shoulder mobility.

Shoulder pain can be caused by a number of reasons, it occurs when the joints, muscles or ligaments become damaged or inflamed from undertaking repetitive motions, yanking or falling on an arm. Poor posture is another well recognised trigger for shoulder pain.

A condition we regularly treat in the Newport clinic is adhesive capsulitis or “frozen shoulder”. This condition occurs when chronic inflammation with the shoulder joint progresses and leads to accumulation of scar tissue or adhesions within the joint. If this condition is left untreated the shoulder may become severely limited in movement.

All of our chiropractors at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic believe that restoring the shoulders full range of motion requires a combination of treatments which address both the joint mechanics as well as treating the musculature which supports and stabilises the shoulder.

headache

Headaches / Migraine

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There are many different types of headaches which we see at our Newport Clinic. The two most common are:

Cervicogenic Headaches
These headaches occur when the upper part of the neck becomes misaligned or restricted therefore causing irritation to the surrounding soft tissues and nerves. This normally manifests itself as pain in the back and front of the head which is usually one sided.

Migraine Headaches
Migraine is a common health condition, it usually presents as severe headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. These symptoms can last anything from a few days up to a few weeks.

Cervicogenic and Migraine headaches are common presentations at Ridgeway chiropractic Clinic. Cervicogenic patients often experience immediate relief from the symptoms of the headache following treatment. While Migraine patients experience a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of their headache.

pregnancy-pain

Pregnancy Pain

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Pregnancy Pain

It is perfectly safe to receive chiropractic care during pregnancy, and here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic, we ensure that all our treatment programmes are tailored to meet your specific needs and preferences. It is very common that during pregnancy women will experience joint, muscle or nerve pain, and also prior to childbirth these pains and discomfort may continue or even worsen. Providing gentle treatment to pregnant women as a way of relieving their pain or discomfort is something that our team of practitioners are experienced in.

The early stages of pregnancy put an increased stress and strain upon the body, for example, enlarging breast tissue puts a greater strain upon the muscles and the ribcage, and even morning sickness can cause extra strain as a result of greater stress being placed upon the ribcage and the spine. Gentle treatment of the joints, stretching techniques and soft tissue work in the rhomboids, trapezius, pectoral and intercostal muscles are methods of treatments used by our teams as a way of providing relief from any symptoms that the patient may be experiencing.

During the second trimester, further strain and stress is placed upon the body as further changes occur, causing increased pressure on pain sensitive structures. In this trimester the uterus rises and the abdomen enlargement becomes more prominent. The posture alters as a new centre of gravity is found, increased weight is placed on the heels and the natural curves of the spine are often accentuated. Treatments provided by our chiropractors at our Newport clinic include joint manipulation, mobilisation and muscle work, these can help in assisting the body with adapting to the changes occurring during this time.

In the third trimester the abdomen rapidly enlarges. Much of the enlarging uterus is borne by the surrounding musculature and pelvis including the rectus abdominalis muscles, the perineum, the pelvic floor and the pubic synthesis. The hormone relaxin is also released to help relax the interuterine ligaments but this subsequently allows other ligaments to relax. The hormonal changes that occur at this time can lead to discomfort and strain upon the joints due to altered movement patterns. To assist in decreasing the strain on the joints and muscles our chiropractors will individualise a treatment to suit the patient. As the pregnancy begins to reach its full term, chiropractic treatment can help to maintain good sacroiliac function; this can be very helpful and is very important for the preparation for labour and delivery.

The conditions and symptoms discussed above are the normal changes expected and experienced during pregnancy, however we are also trained and experienced in treating specific pregnancy related complaints. These conditions include persistent rib and chest pain, low back and pelvic pain, sciatica and symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). A physical assessment alongside an in depth history of your condition and progress will be taken by our team before a discussion of the treatment options takes place.

elbow-pain

Elbow Pain

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Lateral and medial epicondylitis are otherwise known: as tennis and golfers’ elbow. They can occur at any age with a peak in patients between 35-54 years.

It’s not just tennis and golf though which can cause elbow pain, other risk factors include: prolonged computer use, driving, DIY and sports that require a throwing motion.

Both tennis and golfers elbow are frequently linked with other muscculosketal conditions and dysfunctions in the back and neck. Once your chiropractor has assessed and diagnosed your elbow pain, they will not only treat the correct areas but give you advice on activity restriction, ergonomic workplace set-up and sport modifications.

All of our chiropractors here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport are proficient at treating elbow pain and its causes.

sciatica

Sciatica

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Low back and leg pain:

Low back pain and leg pain can commonly occur together. All of our Newport chiropractors deal with patients suffering from sciatica. Sciatica by definition is any sort of pain that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.

There are a number of complaints and conditions which can cause sciatica:

Disc Herniation

A lumbar spine disc herniation causing pressure on lumbar or sacral nerve roots is the most common cause of sciatica. Disc herniations occur when you get small tears within the fibrous part of the disc (the annulus fibrosus) allowing the viscous material (nucleus pulposus) to gradually migrate outwards. Disc herniations generally occur gradually over time due to age related changes within the disc. However, traumas, lifting injuries and even sneezing have been implicated as a cause.

Piriformis Syndrome

This occurs in certain individuals (approximately 10%) where the musculature in the buttocks, namely the piriformis muscle, compresses the sciatic nerve. In these cases it is important to release the piriformis muscle to help alleviate and ease the sciatic pain.

Spondylolisthesis (slippage of vertebrae)

Spondylolisthesis occurs when a spinal vertebra slips forwards or backwards out of position. When this movement is severe enough it can generate pain in the form of sciatica.

Spondylolisthesis is most commonly caused by degenerative wear and tear of the spinal joints. However, it can occur in younger people especially if their activities include excessive bending of the spine, for example trampolining or gymnastics.

Signs and symptoms of sciatica:

– Leg pain which radiates from your lower back and travels down one of your legs to your foot and toes

– Numbness and tingling along the same region

– Pain may be aggravated by coughing, sneezing or sitting/standing for long periods

– Occasionally muscle weakness on the affected side

They may present with general back pain accompanying the sciatica, although the sciatic pain most commonly affects the buttocks and legs much more than the back. Here at our Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport we see patients regularly who are suffering from sciatica and use a wide variety of treatment techniques, which may including soft tissue work and dry needling.

Pregnancy

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Here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport we are privileged to treat a number of pregnant mums-to-be.
As it is estimated that fifty percent of all pregnant women experience back pain during their pregnancy this forms the majority of our consultations. During pregnancy, the ligaments in your body naturally become softer and stretch to prepare you for labour. This can put a strain on the joints especially of your lower back and pelvis, which can cause backache. 

In addition to low back pain, other common reasons for consultation include:

– pelvic pain
– neck pain
– leg pain
– chest pain

Our chiropractic treatment is very gentle and our chiropractors use specific techniques to help and alleviate pain and discomfort as well as encouraging an easier delivery.
Our aim is to provide a high level of care throughout your pregnancy to ensure your comfort and safety, and we offer aftercare once your baby has arrived.