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Bladder infection or no bladder infection

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chiro bladderInterestingly, in the past year I have seen a few female patients that have mentioned ongoing bladder infection-type symptoms, but there was no bladder infection. In all the cases, urine tests were negative for infection, and a few were given antibiotics which did not make a difference to their symptoms. This doesn’t really make sense in the medical world. According to symptoms it seems like an infection but it doesn’t test as one and doesn’t respond like one. In these cases they were all women who had had children. Some had noticed these symptoms on and off since childbirth, while others many years after childbirth.

What I found was that they all responded well, (although some faster than others) to an adjustment to their bladder. An organ adjustment might sound strange but it is literally getting the organ to move slightly within the body cavity to a better position. Our organs are held in place by a type of skin that connects between all our organs. Sometimes for different reasons, such as surgery, the strain of pregnancy or giving birth, or accidents the organs can be jarred, twisted or pushed out of position and the skin that holds them in place may tighten and end up holding them in that new incorrect position. This can cause a sense of tension in the body, or it can cause some changes to the organs ability to function ideally, for example if the Large Intestine is affected it may lead to constipation.

In this case I found there was a downward pressure of the bladder onto the urethra which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder on urination. This pressure caused irritation to the bladder and urethra and hence resulted in infection type sensation. In one case the symptoms would return slightly whenever she lifted something heavy, so again this would create downward pressure in the abdominal cavity and therefore affect the bladder again.

Organ adjustments is a Chiropractic technique that can be used for many different symptoms. It is often used in addition to other adjustments or muscle releases. It may be used for digestive issues such as diarrhea or constipation or indigestion. It can also be useful for areas of pain or tightness such as in the ribs or throat. It is a technique that is also very helpful for ongoing tension or pulling sensations following surgery, as you may need some adjusting simply due to the invasive nature of surgery or to break up scar tissue as a result of surgery.

 

Neck and shoulder pain exercises.

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computer-neck-painNeck and shoulder pain is a very common ailment in today’s times, and it is almost always due to our posture, especially when our days are spent at a desk usually in front of a computer. Firstly the position we are in is not always the most ergonomic. We are all different heights and sizes and desks and chairs don’t always accommodate for these differences. We may be using 2 monitors and moving left to right to work on both, or twisting to get folders from shelves that are next to us or behind us.

Secondly we may be sitting at your computer for hours at a time without getting up and having a break, and then to compound that we can be so focused on what we are doing we often forget to sit up correctly and often end up with a rounded lower back, a forward head position and rounded shoulders. This will almost always lead to tight muscles and pain in the shoulders, between the shoulder blades, and up into the neck. It can often contribute to headaches also. Then as a consequence of these tight muscles it becomes more difficult to maintain a good posture, so it then becomes a cycle of poor posture leading to muscle spasm, causing poor posture.

Some simple things you can do to stop this cycle from occurring!

  • Firstly be mindful of your office/desk setup. Have your computer square in front of you with the monitor at a height so that the centre of the screen is at a 15degree down angle from your eyes. Have the monitor as far away from you as possible while still comfortable for you to read. It should be a minimum of 50cm. Also have your computer at right angles to a lit or window to minimize any glare on the screen. The keyboard should be situated such that your elbow is at 90 degrees, or even slightly lower. This helps your wrist to be straight and reduces the potential for a repetitive strain injury. Have your chair at a height so that your feet are flat on the ground and thighs are perpendicular to the floor.
  • Secondly, be conscious of your body. No matter how ergonomic your desk setup is, it wont help if you dont think abouthow you’re sitting. Most importantly, don’t slouch. try and sit with your back straight and your shoulders back and down. Have your head up and try to elongate your neck. Get up every 20min to have a walk around, and a stretch.
  • Thirdly, stretch…
    • At work
      • Neck – by bending it gently to the left hold it for 10 sec, bring your head back to neutral, then repeat 4 more times. Do the same with the neck bent to the right. Then also forward by tucking your chin in and bending it towards your chest. Then bend your neck backwards by looking up to the ceiling. While doing these stretches keep your shoulders down.
      • Shoulders – loosen up your shoulders by firstly shrugging the shoulders, hold them up for 5 sec then let them drop. Repeat this 4 times.
      • Roll your shoulders slowly backwards bringing them as far up, back, down and forward as possible. Do this 5 times. Then roll them slowly forwards 5 times, again bringing them as far up, forward, down and backwards as possible.
    • At home
      • At the end of the day when you get home get a small rolled towel, about 10-15cm in diameter. While lying on your back place the rolled towel across the back of your neck. Push your head back towards the ground and hold it for 5 sec, then relax for 5 sec. Then repeat 4 more times.
      • Next have a rolled up towel that is about 25-30 cm long and about 8 cm in diameter. Lying on your back and place the towel along the length of your spine between your shoulder blades. You can also place a low pillow under your head to make sure your neck is comfortable. Lying on the towel in this way allows your shoulders to relax back, and they also relax down. It allows your shoulder muscles and those between your shoulder lades to relax and release. This exercise helps release tight muscles but it also helps improve your posture, that why it’s good to get in the habit of doing this exercise even if you’re not feeling sore or tight.