Winter Wellness

Alex is available for Chiropractic care on Mondays 8-3pm, Wednesdays 8-3pm and Fridays 8.15 – 5pm

​"As a Chiropractor, I often see that as the cold weather arrives, many people start to suffer with new or increased aches/pain.  Often this is due to reduced activity, a drop in air pressure and changes to routine for patients.  ​To help get through the start of 2024, here are some tips and tricks to help reduce pain and give insight as to why winter is often a painful time of the year".

1. Exercise
As the temperature drops near to freezing many people reduce the amount of daily exercise and activity they perform.

​However, general exercise and movement is essential for joint health and general wellbeing. 

If the weather discourages you from maintaining an exercise routine that is normally outdoors, try to incorporate indoor exercise such as Yoga, Pilates, Stretch or Circuit classes (available at Personal Best). This will help blood and endorphins pump around the body, helping with not only feeling good but also joint and biomechanical mobility. Research shows that exercise not only reduces pain perception, but positively affects mental health which is often a key factor in chronic pain.
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2. Diet and Vitamins
Getting back on track with your diet after Christmas can be tough, however, what you eat is often a key factor for pain and inflammation. Many processed and sugary foods can lead to increased inflammation - which can often increase pain intensity. Ensuring you are eating a varied diet that is well balanced may help reduce recovery times. Also losing a few kilos will reduce the impact through joints in the body. 

Another very important but often missed aspect of winter is Vitamin D. National guidelines state that everyone should be considering supplementing Vitamin D in the winter and Autumn. If you have any questions about supplements, feel free to find me in the clinic and ask!  Our new InBody Composition analysis will help you discover your Body fat, muscle mass, bone mineral content, internal abdominal fat & much more!

3. Falls, Slips and accidents
Ice on the ground often leads to increased falls and slips.  Those falls can lead to awkward twists or even impacts. If you have a fall and are in severe pain or hit your head, my suggestion would be to get it checked out as soon as possible. If you fall and there is some discomfort, make sure you try to keep moving and active. 

Give yourself 48 hours (as this is often how long inflammation will stay for), but if it is not getting better, we would be more than happy to assess your pain in the clinic. Some muscle strains and sprains can take weeks or even months to heal, however often Chiropractic care can not only help reduce this recovery period, but ensure you can get back to full strength. Many of our patients opt for maintenance Chiropractic care, which ensures we are keeping you in tip top condition throughout the year, rather than reacting to new aches and pains.