Supportive Therapies at Oldham Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Clinic
Dry Needling
The term dry needling is also used to differentiate the use of needling in a western physiological paradigm from the use of needling in an oriental paradigm which is referred to as acupuncture. Dry needling commonly involve the needling of myofascial trigger points using acupuncture needles to deactivate and help resolve trigger points.
Gait Scan
A gait scan is a high tech plate that has 4096 sensors that measure the pressure from your feet. This information is then analysed by a computer. The infomation can be sent directly to a lab that manufacture custom-made insoles called orthotics.
Here are some foot facts:
It's important to understand your feet have direct impact on the rest of your body and support you with each step. A small abnormality in foot function can have a large impact on joints higher up in the body, causing pain and discomfort.
- When you are running, the pressure on your feet can be three or four times your body weight. Even walking can produce more pressure than the sum of your body weight.
- The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. That adds up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime or more than four times the circumference of the globe. That is a lot of walking with ill-fitting shoes or painful feet!!
- In some cases foot ailments can be an early signal of more serious medical problems like arthritis or diabetes.
- Women have four times as many foot problems as men because they have a long history of wearing high heels and/or pointy toe shoes.
- Orthotics and proper shoe fit are very important aspects of foot health.
Remember if you are experiencing pain or discomfort in your ankles, knees or hip joints ....the direct cause may be the function of your feet or ill-fitting shoes.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture- acupuncture is one of the oldest recorded forms of medicine, having been used for over 3,000 years in china. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into specific points to stimulate the bodys own healing response and help restore its natural balance. benefits from acupuncture include pain relief, relaxation, stress reduction, release of tightened tissues, increased circulation, and an improvement of general well being.
Pilates
The Pilates method is essentially a mind-body centering technique that emphasises the importance of beginning movement from a central core stability, namely the lumbo-pelvic region. It is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace and skill that will be unmistakably be reflected in the way you walk, and the way you work. (Joseph Pilates) The regular use of Pilates has been found to be successful in preventing recurrent back pain episodes. Pilates works by rebalancing the body, altering the way in which you recruit muscles to produce movements. It changes the way you use your body, the way you move- restoring natural, normal movement. Pilate’s exercises are gentle, progressive and performed slowly with good postural alignment at all times. These controlled movements are therefore unlikely to lead to re-injury. The effectiveness of Pilates based Physiotherapy has been shown to be an important addition to more traditional forms of treatment for patients with low back pain, so take advantage of are unique situation at Manchester chiropractic clinics and book in for a consultation with our specialist trained Pilates Physiotherapists.
Exercise Ball
An exercise ball, also known as a swiss ball, gym or fit ball is a conservative treatment option for those suffering with back pain. It is an effective rehabilitation tool as it helps strengthen and develop the core muscles that help stabilize the spine. The reason for its use as opposed to floor exercises is that it provides an unstable surface, making the body respond in a natural and automatic way. The exercise ball also challenges our proprioception (awareness of your bodies position in space). Due to the unstable nature of the ball, there is a constant challenge to the body to evaluate its awareness in space. Increasing your bodies proprioception increases your balance and stability. Examples of uses of the exercise ball include:
- Developing overall control and strength of the core body muscles
- Increasing lower back mobility
- Improved muscle strength
- Enhanced balance and stability
- Enhanced proprioception
The exercise ball has additional applications in areas such as general fitness, strength or weight training, and exercise for pregnant women.
To schedule an appointment, call our Oldham clinic today.
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