A recent survey by the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) found that one in ten Australians claim their pain hindered their ability to play with their children; one in ten indicated impacts on intimate relationships; and one in 20 realised their persistent pain resulted in increased friction with their partner.

With statistics like these, it is important you are staying on top of your mobility and monitor any changes in your strength, balance and flexibility. This Mobility Month, try out these four simple exercises to discover how ‘mobile’ you are:

1. Neck Rotation: testing how far and evenly you can turn your neck on each side.
   1. Sitting down, keep your shoulders still and against a chair.
   1. Turn your head all the way to the left as if you were looking over your shoulder. How far around did you get?
   1. Repeat on the right. Was it even? Was it comfortable?
      
      
2. Trunk Side Bend: testing how far you can run your hand down each side of your body.
   1. Stand with your feet comfortably apart.
   1. Run a hand down the side of your leg so you side bend without leaning backwards or forwards.
   1. Repeat on the other side. Was it even and was it comfortable to do?
      
      
3. Sit-to-Stand: testing the ease at which you can rise from your chair with crossed arms.
   1. Sit in the middle of your chair. Cross your arms over your chest.
   1. Keeping your back straight and arms across your chest…
   1. Stand straight up and then sit back down. Did you do this easily or was it hard?
      
      
4. Single Leg Stance: testing how well you balance on each leg.
   1. In a safe environment free of trip hazards, stand upright with feet together and place hands on hips.
   1. Lift one foot off the ground. Do not allow your legs to touch. Time how long you can stand without moving.
   1. Repeat on opposite side. Are you able to stand on each leg for at least 40 seconds? (If under 60 years)

How was your flexibility, strength and balance? If you find that you are struggling with one of the exercises, not to worry. We at Cranbourne Chiropractic Centre are here to help.

For more information on Mobility Month, and to watch the test in action, visit mobilitymonth.org.au

The post Are you as Mobile as you Think? appeared first on Cranbourne Chiropractic Blog.

Every January millions of children, including some of our very own patients, go back to school. While schools are great places for children to learn and develop both mentally and socially, it is important for kids to remember their health and wellbeing in the classroom all year round.

While most parents and children have a checklist of stationery and supplies for starting the school year, we are providing our patients with a ‘Back to School Health Checklist.’ The checklist, developed as part of the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) Back to School Campaign, is a great way to remind kids of the importance of building healthy habits in school.

They are simple to incorporate and easily fit into a child’s everyday routine. For instance, packing a healthy lunch filled with lots of fruit and veggies, getting 60 minutes of daily physical activity and wearing the backpack correctly by carrying it with both straps.

The Health Checklist also reminds kids to reduce their recreational screen time, sit correctly in the classroom and consider chiropractic care.

Kids don’t often think about the impact that common activities like sitting in a classroom, carrying a heavy bag and excessive screen time can have on their overall health and wellbeing.

Pick up your complimentary Back to School Health Checklist from us today, or if you are concerned about your child’s spine or any other back to school related activities, book an appointment with us via Cranbourne Chiropractic Centre online booking site.

For more information on the ACA’s Back to School, visit backtoschool.org.au

The post Our Back to School Health Checklist appeared first on Cranbourne Chiropractic Blog.

From the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) comes a study entitled “Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials” BMJ 2019; 364:1689

Researchers conducted 47 randomized controlled trials involving 9,211 adults.

Five insights from the study:

1. They found spinal manipulation alleviated lower back pain as effectively as exercise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers.

2. Spinal manipulation appeared to be more effective at improving short-term function than exercise, NSAIDs and painkillers.

3. Spinal manipulation was a better option for pain relief than non-recommended interventions, such as light tissue massage, and sham manipulation treatments.

4. The most common side effects associated with spinal manipulation — joint and muscle pain or stiffness — typically go away within a matter of days.

5. Spinal manipulation may decrease pain caused by muscle strain, spasms and inflammation, study authors concluded.

The post Chronic low back pain appeared first on Cranbourne Chiropractic Blog.