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GARY & ORIT LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO OUR CLINIC
SERVICES
Welcome to Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic & Shockwave Clinic
Our clinic is located in central Tunbridge Wells opposite Morrisons supermarket . The clinic is a 3 minute walk from the train station and easily accessible by car with parking available either in Torrington car park (opposite the clinic, about 1 minute walk) or free parking on London road (restricted for 2 hours).
We tailor the treatment to our patients’ needs, taking the time to listen to your problem and your goals. We consider your symptoms in the context of your full medical history, your lifestyle and your personal circumstances in order to help you manage the problem and prevent it recurring. We use a variety of chiropractic techniques such as manual therapy or spinal manipulation, massage and acupuncture as well as advice about pain control, ergonomics, lifestyle, posture and rehabilitation exercises.
Our studying is ongoing and we use the latest research to improve our knowledge at all times to help you get better faster. We love working with people and we look forward to seeing you in our clinic.
Your First visit to Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic & Shockwave Clinic
When you make an appointment with us for the first time, we will begin a discussion about you, your health and your reasons for visiting.
To ensure that chiropractic care is appropriate for your condition we need to establish your overall health picture.
Therefore, we will take in depth information, not just about the pain or complaint that you have, but also about your past health history. Some of the questions may appear irrelevant, but they are extremely important to us.
We will than perform a neurological and orthopedic examination to help diagnose the cause of the problem. If there are no contraindications found in the history and examination, we will start the treatment on your first visit.
It is common to sometimes feel a bit sore after the treatment, this should settle down in the first 24 hours.
If during the history and examination chiropractic care appears not to be suitable for you, we will refer you to your GP or relevant specialist.
Your details are completely confidential. No one else will be allowed to see your notes without your permission.
What We Treat
BACK PAIN
Back pain is a very common problem. Most people will suffer one or more episodes of back pain during their lives.
It can be painful, debilitating and persistent, and some people suffer repeated episodes. It can also be associated with other symptoms, such as leg pain or sciatica. The pain may start following a specific incident, such as bending awkwardly or lifting a heavy weight. Or it can develop gradually, perhaps as a result of poor posture, an uncomfortable work position or repetitive strain.
SEEING A CHIROPRACTOR FOR BACK PAIN
Chiropractors specialise in assessing, diagnosing and managing conditions of the spine. They are highly trained in finding the cause of pain in the spine. In the UK they undergo a minimum of four years’ full-time training. Importantly, chiropractors are regulated by law and must work within strict professional and ethical boundaries.
Before starting treatment, a chiropractor will do a full assessment. This will involve taking details about your condition, current health and medical history, and performing a physical examination. Sometimes it may be necessary to refer you for other tests, such as X-rays, MRI scans or blood tests. It is important for your chiropractor to gather as much information about your back pain as possible so that the most precise diagnosis can be made.
Your chiropractor will then explain what is wrong, what can be done and what you can expect from chiropractic treatment.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Chiropractors are best known for manual treatments such as spinal manipulation, where they use their hands to free stiff or restricted joints, or mobilisation, which is the gradual moving of joints.
But they may also use other recommended treatments such as certain types of acupuncture, electrotherapy, stretching exercises and rehabilitation, all of which form part of a chiropractor’s package of care. Your chiropractor may also offer lifestyle advice to help recovery and to prevent repeated episodes of back pain.
If your chiropractor does not think you can be helped by chiropractic treatment, you may be referred back to your GP or to another health professional. Chiropractors do not prescribe medication, so if this is needed, you may be referred back to your GP. As chiropractors support a joined-up approach to care, they may ask if they can send a brief report to your GP.
Many people who suffer long-term back pain benefit from regular, supportive chiropractic care to reduce the risk of recurrent episodes.
Headaches & Chiropractic
Headache is a common experience in adults, with more than 10 million people in the UK getting headaches regularly, making them one of the most common health complaints. However, most aren’t serious and are easily treated. Recurring headaches can have a negative effect on family life, social activity, and work ability. Accurate diagnosis is key to management and treatment.
There are two types of headache
Primary headaches: when there is no underlying health problem. The most common primary headache disorders are tension-type headache and migraine.
Secondary headaches: when there is an underlying disorder and include headaches associated with medication overuse, giant cell arteritis, raised intracranial pressure and infection.
Tension headache is thought to be the most common headache. It is usually associated with stress, high alcohol consumption, poor sleep, depression and dehydration. This headache feels like a dull ache with constant band-like pressure around the front, top and sides of the head.
Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder. It is characterised by severe pounding pain on top or behind the eye. It can be associated with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sounds, changes in appetite, mood and libido.
Most people treat their migraines successfully with over-the-counter medication or stronger migraine-specific medication that is only available on prescription.
There is some research evidence which supports the effectiveness of manipulation/ mobilisation and nutritional therapy in treating migraine.
Medication overuse headache is found in patients that suffer from daily headaches and becomes increasingly unresponsive to pain killers. Patients will also notice worsening of the headache symptoms if the medications are missed or delayed.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction affects the joint between the base of the skull and the lower jaw and muscles of mastication.
Headaches are one of the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). TMDs affect the joint between the lower jaw and the base of the skull.
Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis). Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a condition in which medium and large arteries, usually in the head and neck, become inflamed. It usually affects adults over 60 years old.
Giant cell arteritis should be regarded as a medical emergency and you should contact your GP immediately if you suddenly develop:
- a severe headache
- jaw pain when eating
- blurred or double vision
- a sore scalp
What would a chiropractor do to help?
Headache sufferers are turning to the natural, drugless, chiropractic and massage approach to health. Treatment modalities typically used by chiropractors include spinal manipulation, mobilisation, massage, advanced soft tissue therapies such as trigger point therapy, and strengthening and stretching exercises. A spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustment is designed to improve spinal function, alleviate the tension on the joints of the neck and improve the range of motion. Your chiropractor will also offer you advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
What Can You Do?
If you spend a lot of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.
Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which irritate and can cause tension headaches.
Drink at least eight 8 glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the UK and occurs after the cartilage cells protecting the joint are unable to release a sufficient amount of protein to repair the damage. This causes cartilage to soften and as a result, over time, it wears away. This is commonly referred to or heard of as ‘wear and tear’. Due to this, the cartilage begins to lose some of its elasticity, causing pain and stiffness in and around the joints.
Ultimately, this can cause larger areas of cartilage to deteriorate and weaken – so much the joint begins to change in shape, with the area between the joints becoming narrower.
As well as this, the bone at the edge of your joint grows outwards, forming bony spurs called osteophytes. In some cases, fragments of bone break off from the damaged joint surface and float freely between the joints, causing them to ‘lock’ or stiffen.
Eventually, the process of wear and tear will cause both pain and reduce the ability to move the joint within its full range of motion.
A joint with osteoarthritis is larger in size than a healthy joint – often giving it a swollen, enlarged appearance.
Characteristics of osteoarthritis
- Affects more than one third of adults aged over 65.
- Symptoms include: pain, aches and stiffness in the joint
- Usually, joints affected are on only one side on the body
Most common joints affected are: the knee, hip, feet, finger joints or the base of the thumb and the spine.
Stiffness often occurs for less than an hour first thing in the morning or after you have been inactive for a while.
Can Chiropractic care help with osteoarthritis?
Your chiropractor will assess each patient individually, paying close attention to your muscles and the range of movement in your joints. He/she will then advise you on techniques and exercises to help with symptoms.
Chiropractic Manipulation: Is proven to be helpful with improving the range of movement within the joint, but it’s not appropriate for every patient. A chiropractor will be able to advise you further as to whether or not this procedure would be useful to you.
A chiropractor may offer alternative treatments, such as: Massage and soft tissue stretching: this can help muscles to relax, allowing easier joint movement and making it more comfortable.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture stimulates the brain to release endorphins. As a result, this helps tight and painful muscles to relax.
Neck Pain
Neck pain usually starts suddenly and often starts to feel better after a few days. However, if your neck pain doesn’t go away or it gets worse, you may need treatment.
There are different types of neck pain, each has different causes:
Simple (or uncomplicated) neck pain is the most common type of neck pain. It might be caused by bad posture, stress, sleeping awkwardly or strain to your neck muscles and ligaments. Neck pain may also be caused by wear and tear of the bones and discs in your neck.
Neck pain with nerve involvement (Radiculopathy) is when a nerve is being compressed or injured as it comes out between the bones in the neck. With this type of neck pain you may feel numbness, weakness, or tingling in your arm or hand.
Whiplash is common after car crashes and sports injuries when your head is suddenly jolted backwards and forwards in a whip-like movement. Your neck muscles and ligaments stretch beyond their normal range which may cause a sprain.
What will we do if you present with neck pain?
To rule out serious causes of neck pain we will perform an orthopaedic and neurological examination. We might need to refer you for an X-ray of your neck, a CT scan, or an MRI scan. If an inflammation or infection is suspected we will refer you for blood tests.
How do we treat neck pain?
There are many techniques to treat different types of neck pain:
Manipulation or mobilisation: manipulation is safe if you are treated by a trained chiropractor. However, there have been very rare cases of people getting damage to blood vessels, or even strokes, after manipulation involving sharp thrusts to the neck.
Soft tissue techniques such as specific massage to tight muscles and trigger-point therapy for very tender spots in the muscle.
Exercises to strengthen your neck muscles and improve your flexibility by stretching tight muscles.
Use of hot and cold packs.
If the pain is uncontrolled we will refer you to your GP or a pharmacist for advice on painkillers.
For more information about the best services for your needs or to organise an appointment - just give us a call!
Service Categories
Chiropractic
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