​Spring is finally here!

After a long, cold and dark winter, many of us Ballarat folk are welcoming the warmer weather.

Yet unfortunately for some people, spring time also brings about the dreaded seasonal allergies….

​As a chiropractor, I often get asked questions like ‘Do people really bring their children in for chiropractic care?’ or ‘Is chiropractic really safe for kids?’.

I tell them the same answer every time…

that chiropractic is just as important for children as it is fully grown adults, and has one of the highest safety records in health care.

​Unfortunately, these days most people live their lives at the opposite end of the spectrum from optimal health and wellbeing.

With an increase in the availability of fast and cheap processed foods and drinks that contain little nutritional value and are often ridden with harmful preservatives and additives, proper knowledge of good nutrition and hydration is paramount.

​Taking good care of our feet is something that is often overlooked by a lot of people.  After all, our feet are not only vital for the movement of our body from one place to the next, but our foot/ankle complex is important for shock absorption, support and balance of the upright body.

Each foot comprises of 26 bones which are supported by a series of muscles and ligaments to allow movement for walking and running, and provide stability to prevent injury and absorb shock during movement.

​The temporomandibular joint (more commonly abbreviated to TMJ) is what we commonly refer to as our jaw joint.

Have you ever experienced jaw pain? It has been estimated that 85% to 90% of the population suffer from some kind of jaw related problem in their lifetime.

Determining the cause can be quite problematic, as jaw pain may occur as a result of problems elsewhere in the body, the jaw area being the site of referral.

​As chiropractors, we very often encounter patients suffering from pain in the shoulder.  Finding the source of this pain can be quite challenging, as there are so many different potential causes that may be local to the shoulder region itself, or caused from referral from other parts of the body.

Shoulder complaints don’t have to be due to a single traumatic event such as a fracture, dislocation, or rupture of a tendon.  Repetitive strain and overuse in sports such as weight lifting, swimming and throwing can all be sources of shoulder pain.  In a work place setting, where there is need for over head lifting, there is also the risk of chronic shoulder injury.

​Did you know that approximately 85% of the population will experience back pain at some stage of their lives?

According to Murtagh in his book ‘General Practice (third edition), the main cause of back pain presenting to the doctor is dysfunction of the intervertebral joints of the spine due to injury (at least 70%).  As chiropractors, we work to assess and correct dysfunctional movements of these spinal joints to thereby alleviate lower back pain.