Cliff Cox Ex-English Surf Champ speaks about Sundial

Written by Sundial Clinics Wednesday, 25 May 2011 03:26

Cliff Cox is one on Britain’s top surfers and lives here in Brighton. He has won the English Masters Championship twice, the South Coast Championships several times and won a bronze medal at European level. He has done all this  and yet has suffered bouts of back pain for years. He believes his participation in elite surfing has put considerable stresses and strains on his back and knees.

He has been a client at Sundial now since 1998 and attributes his long career to Matthew and the team at Sundial. He says

“I have had really bad back problems off and on Matthew sorts me out every time. I recently had a knee injury where my ligaments became strained and between Matthew and Antony [the physio at Sundial], I am coming through it”

Cliff also runs the South Coast’s leading surf school Pure Spirit Surf School based here in Brighton.

Triathalon swimming tips

Written by Sundial Clinics Monday, 23 May 2011 05:57

As the triathlon season is upon us and ever increasing in its popularity, we are running a series of articles on triathlon tips and how to avoid common triathlon injuries and become stronger, faster and more confident for race day writes Sundial chiropractor Amanda Goring.

Key points

• Focus on freestyle for training with breaststroke during ‘breaks’ if needed.
• Keep your head as close to the water surface as possible and avoid lifting your head to take breaths.
• Try to breath on both sides evenly.

Swimming

The first leg of a triathlon is the swimming and for most this is not the strongest of the three disciplines. For many it is simply the part that has to be endured before the more comfortable remaining two. Despite being a recommended form of exercise by many health practitioners due to its non-impact nature and whole body incorporation, even swimming can cause problems if it is not tackled correctly. Add to that the desire for speed and power that your body needs to generate and you can set up potential problems.

Most injuries occur during faulty movement patterns under repetition so we will concentrate on training; after all it is also where you adopt and reinforce any techniques that you will use throughout the season. And as I do not recall ever having passed a competitor doing backstroke or butterfly in any race, I will also focus on the two main strokes used; freestlye and breastroke.

Breastroke

I was once given the advice never to start your swimming sessions with breaststroke. Despite instilling panic this did make a difference and it makes sense. Breaststroke forces the lower back into an increased arch with every stroke, stresses the lower neck with every emergence from under the water and places extreme demand on the shoulders to generate such pulling power. And of course the large range of motion for the hips during the kicks.

If you must do breastroke training remember to try and keep as flat in the water as possible and avoid craning your neck. It still amazes me how many swimmers refuse to allow their face to get wet and then wonder why they leave the pool with a tight neck and headaches later on. Keep the head still in the water and look down and forwards at 45 degrees to allow you see ahead but not directly in front.

Freestyle

During freestyle it may sound obvious but it is so important to learn to breathe on both sides. Firstly it keeps your chiropractor and physiotherapist happy as you do not encourage dominance on one side of the neck and upper body muscles. It als encourages smooth, gentle movement of the cervical spine as your head rotates evenly.

From a practical point of view bilateral swimming also prepares you for open water swimming when you can face all sorts of things that can throw you and prevent a breath being taken on that particular side even for that moment (such as a wave in the sea, another swimmer being on top of you, or my personal favourite on one lake training session; literally coming face to face with duck poo!)

When you turn your head to breath on the upstroke of the arm try not to lift your head out of the water too much and gulp the air. Keeping your face and mouth so close to the water’s surface will be a psychological hurdle to overcome in believing that you will achieve enough air and minimal water in that intake. It will take practice but it will make an enormous difference not only to your neck but also your ease through the water.

Lifting the head too high will create a braking action, so slowing your progress and tiring you. By keeping your head still and as close to the water surface throughout the swim you will glide through it and your body will roll more efficiently.

Beneath the water surface allow your body to stretch forwards and elongate. This will increase your glide and increase lift, reducing dragging caused by your lower body and legs.

Chiropractic as effective as surgery for sciatica

Written by Sundial Clinics Tuesday, 17 May 2011 09:47

Sciatica Pain

Sciatica can cause severe pain in the buttock and leg as well as the back. People often suffer for months without relief relying on regular trips to the GP for pain-killers and anti-inflammatory medication. The traditional medical route for treatment of sciatica that is not improving is referral for surgery but this can take months. Waiting lists are getting longer in some areas and people are left suffering often unable to work.

A recent study looked at alternatives to surgery. Manipulation, which is one of the techniques used by chiropractors, was compared to surgery. The outcome over one year was that manipulation is as effective as surgery for sciatica. Patients in the study had been receiving GP care and physiotherapy for many months which was failing to improve the pain and other symptoms.

“To our knowledge, this is the first, randomized trial that directly compared spinal manipulation, which in this study was delivered by a doctor of chiropractic, and back surgery, two popular treatment choices for this prevalent health condition,” says Dr. Gordon McMorland, who co-authored the paper with neurosurgeons Steve Casha, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Stephan J. du Plessis, MD, and R. John Hubert, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS. “Sciatica is a serious spinal condition that causes pain, numbness, or weakness in one or both legs. Many times when symptoms become debilitating and without further help, surgery is prescribed to alleviate discomfort. But surgery is not without financial and physical drawbacks.”

“After a year, no significant complications were seen in either treatment group, and the 60 percent patients who benefited from spinal manipulation improved to the same degree as their surgical counterparts,” says Dr. McMorland, who also points out that, “The 40 percent of patients who were not helped by manipulation did receive subsequent surgical intervention. These patients benefited to the same degree as those that underwent surgery initially, suggesting there was no detrimental effect caused by delaying their surgical treatment.”

“Our research supports spinal manipulation performed by a doctor of chiropractic is a valuable and safe treatment option for those experiencing symptomatic LDH [lumbar disc herniation], failing traditional medical management. These individuals should consider spinal manipulation as a primary treatment, followed by surgery if unsuccessful.”

So if you have been suffering from sciatica for some time and do not seem to be improving you might like to consider consulting us to see if we can help.

More more information and a Free Check voucher go here