Chiropractic on the NHS

Written by Sundial Clinics Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:20

Do you think chiropractic should be available on the NHS? A new study shows how effective chiropractic on the NHS can be. The research into a pilot scheme in Essex has just been published and it shows that more than 99% of patients referred were satisfied with their care. Interestingly chiropractors worked alongside osteopaths and physios to get these favourable results.

When a patient went their GP with back or neck pain they were assessed and could be referred into the manual therapy program. They were sent to their choice of chiropractor, osteopath or physio and were seen within 2 weeks. Gone were the long waiting lists for referral to other NHS services.  Gone was sole reliance on a fistfull of drugs and a photocopied leaflet of exercises. Patients had a series of about six sessions of manual therapy, guided exercises exercises and advice.

Two out of three of these patients showed good improvements in their pain levels and daily activities. Importantly, nearly half had had pain for a year or more with very little relief. Finally they found something to help them.

Of the 696 people who went along to these therapists most reduced their medication as well.

Brighton Chiropractors and Physio’s Working Together

Here at Sundial we have chiropractors and physio’s working alongside each other too. Although we are wholly in the private sector at the moment we support getting NHS cover for our patients. For this reason we support the Health Care Bill which is attracting so much controversy at the moment.

If you want chiropractic more widely available on the NHS ask your GP to consider it.

References

Evaluation of a general practitioner referral service for manual treatment of back and neck pain

Mark Gurden^{et al}

Primary Health Care Research & Development Primary Health Care Research & Development, FirstView Article : pp 1-7

Can regular chiropractic care prevent back pain here in Brighton?

Written by Sundial Clinics Wednesday, 1 February 2012 10:15

If you are one of the four out of five people will go on to develop regular bouts of back pain after an initial attack, this is an important question to answer. For over 100 years chiropractors have claimed that regular treatment can prevent recurrences of back pain. Are we right?

For most of the 20th century, medical treatment, including here in Brighton, consisted of bed rest and painkillers for back pain. Unfortunately, this contributed to an increase in the cases of recurrent back pain. From 1980 until 2000 the number of days off work in the UK due to back pain doubled every decade.

Eventually, GPs stopped treating back pain this way and accepted what chiropractors and others had been saying that active treatment is best. It is also true that chiropractors accepted that painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication are also helpful, whereas up until then old school chiro’s often shunned drugs.

Medical Treatment for Back Pain

Even now, however, back pain treatment from the doctor consists of a brief course of physio or medication which stops as soon as the symptoms stop. If you have had recurrent back pain you will be all too familiar with the trips to the doctor, prescriptions for strong drugs, referral to the physio (after a wait of many weeks) then being given a few exercises. You are probably fed up with your back feeling vulnerable and about to go at any time. You may even find that you’re limiting your activities to avoid the things that bring it on. If so, what can be done to prevent the dreaded back pain from returning?

Well, new medical research, published in 2011, suggests that an initial intensive course of manipulation such as our chiropractors in Brighton do here at Sundial, followed by periodic checkups and treatment may help prevent long-term back pain from re-occurring. Interestingly, those that did not receive the continuing course of care lost their earlier improvements.

Preventative Chiropractic Treatment Works

So the evidence seems to point to an initial course of treatment over a few weeks to get rid of the initial pain and improve function followed by a course of care over the next few months to make sure that those improvements are maintained. Here at Sundial we use the best available evidence to guide our treatment and we generally stick to this sort of plan in helping you get better.

If you would like to know if preventative chiropractic care can help you then give us a call for an initial chat, at no charge.

New Brighton physio at Sundial

Written by Sundial Clinics Friday, 23 December 2011 07:41

Quentin is a keen sportsman and was involved in windsurfing at national level as well as volleyball in the French University league. Following repeated injuries, and therefore dealing with physiotherapists, Quentin decided to move from Paris, France, to study for his BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy at the University of Brighton.

Having a passion for sports Quentin has learnt from some of the top Physiotherapists in the UK and, consequently, was involved with the support of elite sportsmen and women in Football, Rugby, Athletics and Martial arts. Quentin is now part of Eastbourne Borough FC concentrating on their Reserve and under 18’s squads, developing injury prevention programs alongside the players’ treatments and providing pitch-side trauma management during matches.

Quentin’s passion for sports brings him to always improve his skills in order to be at a top level and, therefore, apply the highest standard of physiotherapy management as much pitch side as at Sundial Clinics.

He says “Being able to work in a clinic that invests in the best treatment tools on the market, such as the THOR Laser, is a great advantage for the patient to achieve the optimal recovery”.

Quentin is now available at Sundial Clinics in Queens Road and St James Street, Brighton to help you with any problems, sport or non-sport related, in order to get you back to your full potential.

How a Brighton Physiotherapist Can Help With Shoulder Pain

Written by Sundial Clinics Friday, 16 December 2011 07:02

If you are looking for a physio in Brighton to help with shoulder pain then we can help.  Shoulder pain can affect up to 1 in 3 people at some time. But how does physio help with shoulder pain? What does a physio do and how successful is it?

Shoulder Pain

The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in the body. Unlike the hip joint which has a deep socket for the ball of the thigh bone to sit in the upper arm bone, the humerus, sits in a shallow cup. Ligaments tie the bones together. The cup is deepened by a rim of cartilage but this itself can tear and cause pain. The shoulder and chest muscles wrap around the shoulder joint to hold the bones in place as well as move the bones themselves. It is this complexity and the competing goals of flexibility and stability that make the shoulder joint a target for injury.

Physiotherapy Examination

With so many possible structures to go wrong in the shoulder, the first thing our physios do is examine and probe the tissues, testing ranges of movement and looking for restrictions  and weaknesses. Simple tests often show up where the problem is but sometimes x-rays are needed which are carried out at Sundial or we refer for MRI or ultrasound scans.

Brighton Physiotherapists

Our physios are some of the best in Brighton and are experts at diagnosing shoulder problems. Once a firm diagnosis is made then treatment can start. The treatment for shoulder problems is a partnership between you and the your physio. You may be given exercises to gently mobilise stiff joints as well the physio carrying out precise mobilisation procedures here. You may also be given muscle strengthening exercises which can work wonders at getting to the root cause of the problem as well reducing the pain signals from the injury.

Brighton Physiotherapists Secret Weapon

Our secret weapon in the treatment of shoulder injuries is our Thor laser. It is one of the few units in the whole of Sussex. Laser is remarkably effective in reducing pain and inflammation and also at  improving  healing. Studies have shown laser to be more effective than many other treatments for shoulder pain including ultrasound.

Our physios work with other practitioners where needed to bring about the quickest benefits. Sometimes bringing one of our chiropractors to work alongside can improve the outcome of treatment especially where spinal joint problems are playing a part in the shoulder dysfunction and pain.

So if you have pain in the shoulder and would like to get rid of it make an appointment to see one of the physiotherapists at our Brighton clinics. To download a free physiotherapy check certificate go here.

References

Comparison of the effects of low energy laser and ultrasound in treatment of shoulder myofascial pain syndrome: a randomized single-blinded clinical trial.

Runners MOT – New

Written by Sundial Clinics Tuesday, 1 March 2011 05:53

Most runners know that a good warm-up and warm down routine, including stretches, is likely to minimise the risk of injury whilst running. In spite of this, the injury rate in runners is still too high, especially knee injuries. Runners are increasingly us to help prevent injuries as well as treating them once they have occurred.

We are helping out with the Rockinghorse runners again this year. Antony our physio has already been giving training tips and we have all been helping runners get over niggling training injuries. If you are running, whether for Rockinghorse or not, you might like to book an appointment for our Runners MOT. Bring your running shoes along and we will check them out along with your back, hips knees and feet for running problems. Some problems will not cause pain until they build up to a critical point so don’t wait for symptoms to tell you if there is an issue.

The fee for this service is £5 which we will donate to the Rockinghorse charity.

Sundial supports Brighton Marathon

Written by Sundial Clinics Tuesday, 22 June 2010 04:08

Antony, our physio, has been busy following on from the Brighton Marathon. He has seen lots of runners who have not recovered as well as they had hoped or who have pulled muscles or aggravated knee and foot problems on the gruelling 26.2 miles course. Our state of the art laser is proving a real bonus in treating these injuries and is the only one in Brighton.

Sundial also supported the Rocking Horse Appeal runners in the marathon. The runners raised over £200,000. Our very own massage therapist, Yvette Knapman, was on hand at the end of the run to knead tired muscles and soothe away at least some of the aches and pains. We also provided the runners with pre-run training tips, check-ups and a goody bag full of useful things like an ice pack for emergency first aid.

Our other massage therapist Jewel O’Connell actually ran the marathon. She said “I raised £630 for the Rockinghorse Appeal, a local Sussex Children’s Charity.  I ran the course in 4hours 24mins, which I was really pleased with.  The atmosphere on the day was amazing and the crowds gave everyone a wonderful support.  I can’t wait for the next one.”

She must be mad!