In
the last 20 years the traditional roles of the woman as the mother
and home maker have become a distant memory. Most women these
days still envelope the role of mother and home maker but are
also the major bread winners. Naturally, with so much responsibility,
women tend to carry on regardless, but unfortunately there are
some major design flaws in a woman’s body that result in her being
prone to many different conditions. Notably, these conditions
include: recurrent headaches, RSI, resultant back
pain due to pregnancy,
and finally osteoporosis
commonly brought on during the menopause.
Chiropractic
can provide immense relief from all of these conditions, and by
also regularly following a tailored exercise regime recommended
by your chiropractor, the incidence can be dramatically reduced,
if not prevented altogether!
Headaches
More
than 10% of the UK’s
population suffer form headaches – three times as many women than
men. There are many causes of headaches, some due to more serious
conditions, but thankfully not the majority. The most commonly
treated types of headaches are migraines and cervicogenic headaches.
Migraines cause a throbbing pain only on one side of the
head, and come on at intervals, with no pain in between attacks,
lasting from a few hours to several days. The most common cause
of the migraine is a change to the blood vessels in the head,
but it is still not known exactly why it occurs.
Cervicogenic headache pain is perceived to arise from the head,
but actually originates in the cervical spine. It can be triggered
by awkward and prolonged working postures, injuries and just normal
daily activities. In other words, anything that will make the
muscle and ligaments of the neck painful.
Chiropractors
have been successfully treating headaches for many years. Chiropractic
is not like aspirin, a temporary headache treatment. The chiropractor
will find the source of the pain and reduce the reoccurrence
Repetitive strain injury
As
more and more education, work and recreation involve the use of
computers, everyone needs to be aware of the hazards of RSI, often
resulting from the overuse of computer key boards.
RSI
is caused by mechanical irritation that upsets the body’s natural
balance. It is an inflammation of the tendon sheaths in the fingers,
hands, wrist and elbows, which may eventually progress to the
upper arms and shoulders. Often stiffness in the spinal joints
of the neck and upper back aggravate or even cause RSI in the
arms and hands.
Spinal
problems can cause irritation of the nerves as they exit the spine
and this leads to problems in the muscles they supply. Chiropractors
are well placed to treat RSI problems, often adjusting the affected
joints to restore full motion, reducing the stress on the muscles,
tendons and nerves and advising on prevention which is still always
the best prescription.
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Pregnancy and back pain
The joy of preparing for
a new baby is diminished for many women by persistent back pain
during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time of constant change in preparation
for the new and growing baby. Postural changes, increased weight
gain and the ligaments becoming more stretched are a normal progression
of pregnancy, but may cause more pain and discomfort in some women
than in others.
Because of the growth of the abdomen, the lower
spine is pulled forward, causing women to throw their shoulders
back and their heads forward to compensate for these changes. This
often results in back ache and tension headaches associated with
pregnancy, particularly oestrogen, progesterone and relaxin, cause
softening and relaxation of the ligaments and joints, giving a “waddling”
walk and making women more prone to injury and pain.
Chiropractic should be an important part of any
pregnancy to prevent backache. Chiropractic can help to ensure a
more comfortable pregnancy and less stressful delivery by means
of specific treatments, specially designed for pregnant women.
This is important during the pregnancy, but essential
after the birth, when many women also have other children to look
after and need to try and get back to normal life as quickly as
possible.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease
in which the bones become fragile and are more likely to fracture.
If left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a
bone breaks. One in three women is at risk from this disease.
Osteoporosis is caused by the lack of oestrogen,
the female sex hormone, which protects the bones and heart. If not
enough bone is made during youth, the natural process of bone loss
over the years will influence the risk factors in developing osteoporosis.
After the menopause, less oestrogen is produced by the ovaries,
increasing the bone loss; hence the osteoporosis is more common
to 20% of their bone mass in the five to seven years after the menopause.
Chiropractors can recommend
specific exercises to strengthen and support the back. By the age
of twenty, the average woman has acquired 98% of her skeletal mass,
building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the
best defence against osteoporosis. Ask your chiropractor for advice
on exercising and modifying your lifestyle to halt or prevent osteoporosis
in the future.
With
all these conditions primarily affecting women, it is important
to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to look after your bodies to
minimise the occurrence of pain and to prevent any possible long
term complications.
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