Headaches are a pain. We all get them now and again, but for some of us, they’re more of a regular occurence than others. And here at the clinic it’s incredible just how many people we see that tell us that they’ve suffered from headaches so often, that they just consider them to be a regular part of life that they end up dealing with. That’s why painkillers are such big sellers. But drugs can only relieve the symptoms temporarily by masking the pain – when many times, the re-ocurring headaches may actually be the result of something else! Like this email I received from a new patient, let’s call her Jane, last week: “Hey Jennifer. After reading your neck pain and headaches report I wanted to send you an email to see if you could help me! I’m 48 years old and the last 6 months I’ve been suffering from some of the worst headaches I’ve ever had. I sit in front of a computer for at least 8 hours in a job that is stressful most of the time. Recently I visited the doctor who gave me pills to take the pain away, but the pain still exists and all I feel is constant tightness in my head. I don’t know what to do, or what the cause could be, it feels like pounding at the front of my head. Do you have any ideas? Thanks.” Of course, I have several ideas of what could be causing Jane’s headaches. In… Read More

It can sometimes be hard to see what you are doing wrong in your lifestyle, because, well, it’s your lifestyle. Your daily routine is so well known to you that it can become second nature to read before bed, look on your tablet or going for that game of golf on a Saturday morning. What if I told you that all of these could be making your shoulder pain worse? That all these movements cause unnecessary strain on your shoulders, leaving you in pain the next day? I’ve given you a few ways that you will find a great benefit to easing shoulder pain in your day-to-day routine below… First things first, when you wake up don’t forget to stretch. I know this is something I say often but it’s because a stretch can often be underestimated. Imagine this, someone has been in the same position for roughly 8 hours, without much movement. Would you think that they would need to stretch afterwards? I bet your answer would be – yes! Exactly. You may have woken up but your joints haven’t yet. It’s like going for a run without warming up. So with this in mind, stretch before you get up. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, it’s better than doing nothing. Looking at your phone or tablet has to be one of the worst culprits for shoulder pain. Yes, looking at your phone or tablet can have an affect on your neck as well, but the pain often starts at the… Read More

When patients ask me “why do I get neck pain?” it can sometimes be difficult to answer. Not because I don’t know how to ease neck pain, but because I don’t know their personal circumstances. What I can suggest however, is that it could be your nighttime routine that is causing your neck pain. Why, you ask? Let me explain… Now this is something that many people do at nighttime and probably don’t really think of. Sleeping with 2 pillows can cause havoc for your neck if they don’t support your head correctly. If you have 2 pillows they can sometimes prop your head upwards, tilting your head forwards. By doing this, your head is in an unusual position and will continue to be for roughly 8 hours with your neck will feeling the pressure. Because your head isn’t supported correctly, your neck takes the role of support whilst you sleep. That’s a lot of pressure for your neck for 8 hours! A general rule I have is to sleep with one pillow. It may feel a little weird at first (and by weird I mean flat), but once you get used to it, it will make a great difference. If you only have one pillow, it will support your head, whilst allowing it to stay in line with the body, giving your neck a well deserved rest! Other things that you are probably doing that’s not helping your neck are; reading, checking emails or playing on your phone… Read More

Today I wanted to talk about why knee pain can get worse at night, and how to ease it. This question was sent to me yesterday by a reader suffering with knee pain, let’s call her Joan: “Jennifer, I’ve suffered on-off type knee pain now for more than a year. What I can’t put my finger on is when it started or why, and more confusing is that my pain gets worse as the day goes on. But whenever I wake up the pain is gone – or is considerably less. Yet, by the end of another day, my knee aches, sometimes feels hot and swollen and I’m often in considerable pain – especially if I’ve been out for a long walk with the dog. Any ideas?” What’s happening here is likely to be a simple case of the muscles around the knee being ‘weak’. As in, the muscles just aren’t strong enough to last through the day or cope with what she wants her body to do and where she wants to go. Think of it like this: when you go to bed at night and are ready to sleep your body is obviously tired from all of the energy you’ve used through the day. And your muscles, well, they’ve been working too. So what happens is that they get a rest when you sleep, you wake up and they ache less because they’re less tired and feel “energized” and ready for a new day. But if a muscle, any muscle, is weak… Read More