I’d like you to think again.  It might not be that bad.

Let me give you some background first:

Kinesiology was built on the observation that emotions are often reflected in joints and muscles of the body. You’ve probably observed this yourself. Have you ever noticed that when you’ve been angry or frustrated often your mid back will start to hurt or you’ll become tight around the chest at the same time? Sometimes this is so strong you might even think “Oh dear, a heart attack at my age!”

This is your body showing physical signs of a strong emotion. Applied kinesiologists have noticed that specific emotions affect specific muscles or areas of the spine.

What about that knee pain?

There’s a muscle at the back of the knee called the popliteus. This muscle helps when you bend and straighten your knee. Kinesiologists have found that the strong emotions of resentment, frustration or anger can show up as tightness and pain in the muscle. This is what you notice when you have to get up from a chair or when you’re negotiating steps.

Can anything be done?

That’s what emotional releases are all about. A simple 40 minute procedure can get rid of the problem with the muscle and restore function to the knee.

Is that it?

Yes – for the muscle.

Sometimes the nerves around the area will need to be stimulated with a simple chiropractic adjustment. If the emotional cause is severe and long term then it will be in your interest to see a counsellor to learn some techniques to help your situation in future.

“What happens if I leave it and wait till it gets better?”

Usually it doesn’t. An imbalance in the knee will then, over time, give you the arthritis that you worried about in the first place. Not a clever move!

Claire gave birth to Alice Marie on Saturday 3^rd October.  This is Claire’s view on pregnancy as a first time mother.

Let me confess up front that I’m a real fan of natural therapies and especially chiropractic treatment.  I’ve been having regular chiropractic care for several years because it helps me stay much healthier overall.  When I found out I was pregnant at the beginning of the year it seemed only natural to keep having chiropractic adjustments through my pregnancy because my body would be going through so much change.

I distinctly remember reaching the 8th week of my pregnancy and thinking “great no morning sickness” when yes, morning, or really “all day” sickness, hit with a vengeance.  Over the following four weeks my once varied diet suffered greatly but I learned to eat lightly and often.  I made sure I received weekly chiropractic adjustments to ensure I had a well functioning nervous system and I was lucky enough to be in close contact with a wonderful homeopath.  I updated her regularly so that she could give me appropriate homeopathic remedies to combat my continuous feelings of nausea.  This all helped me feel much more comfortable than I otherwise would have been.

As my pregnancy progressed, I very rarely suffered from the aches and pains and other problems that many pregnant women seem to just accept.  That’s thanks to the chiropractic.  However, one night around the 7^th month, I experienced a most impressive bout of heartburn as I was lying in bed.  The very next day I made a chiropractic appointment.  The adjustment relieved the problem immediately and Sarah was able to show me what I could do at home if I ever had a repeat of the previous night.  It did come back in the last few weeks of my pregnancy but remembering what I’d been taught, I was able to ease my symptoms without having to just “put up with it”.

Having regular chiropractic adjustments throughout my pregnancy ensured that my pelvis was sitting correctly to allow optimum room for my baby to grow and move.  I learned various exercises that I could do daily to make sure that my baby would position herself correctly.  As a consequence, she adopted that head down position very early on.  I also learned a tapping technique that I could utilise during the times when I suffered from low back pain.  Having the knowledge to fix a problem as it arose instead of having to wait for it to disappear or worsen, definitely helped me to have what I consider to be a very comfortable pregnancy.

At each chiropractic appointment I would also have my nutrition tested to ensure that my baby and I were receiving all the nutrients that we needed to stay healthy.  I really liked the fact that I could increase my food intake for certain vitamins as the need arose instead of just taking a general multivitamin every day to “cover all bases”.

At around six months I booked myself in for a kinesiology session with Nada.  I was acutely aware of the importance of a positive attitude and a strong belief in my own ability to have a positive birthing experience.  I found it to be one of the gentlest, most effective ways to identify any unconscious feelings I had around my pregnancy and to eliminate any fears I had.  It allowed me to deepen my awareness of my baby and to focus on positive thoughts.  We also discussed the use of visualisations and affirmations as tools to help improve my confidence and I would repeat the same positive images/thoughts through my mind at the end of every day.

My labour started spontaneously with my waters breaking at 11.30pm.  I started to have mild contractions every five minutes and was feeling very calm so hopped into the shower and also had something to eat before making my way to the hospital for a check-up.

When I arrived at the hospital I had a quick examination from the midwife and got in the bath, where I stayed for the next few hours as my contractions got closer and more intense.  The affirmations I had repeated every night for the past 3 months came naturally as each contraction came and I found that repeating these helped me stay grounded and positive.  I also had a birthing homeopathic kit which I had received from my homeopath and started to use some of the remedies which would help my labour progress smoothly.

As time progressed, I started to experience a very uncomfortable pain in my low back and sacrum.  I was able to use the tapping protocol which instantly helped me to feel more comfortable.

My contractions became steadily stronger and closer over the next few hours and my daughter was born at 6.30am the next morning, just seven hours after my waters broke.  I attribute my straightforward and short labour to the fact that I received regular chiropractic adjustments both before and during my pregnancy.

My daughter had a chiropractic session when she was 11 days old.  Many of my family and friends question why I would take a newborn baby to the chiropractor and here is what I tell them – labour is a traumatic experience both for mother and baby.  Having my daughter checked this early allows the removal of any nerve dysfunction and this therefore allows her the very best start to life.  Why wouldn’t I have her checked?  I’ll continue to have treatments and so will Alice so that we can both be the very best that we can be.