Newcastle Chiropractic

Migraines don't have to rule your life - The story of HW

I have suffered migraine headaches for virtually my whole life. At the age of 13 I had a severe fall from a horse that triggered these migraines.

I suffer from the classic type of migraine, which for me involves a lot of nauseousness and vomiting as well as the ‘splitting headache’. It got to a stage where every 2 or 3 days I would have a migraine. I would usually be sent to hospital, where I was dosed up with morphine to try to relieve the pain.

Migraines were ruling my life, interfering with work, stopping my passion for horse riding and limiting my social life. I tried everything to help me; I suffered left kidney failure due to all the digesics and aspros I was taking.

21 years ago I moved from Albury to Newcastle and heard about the Newcastle Chiropractic Centre. I started seeing Nola Smith and the difference it made to my migraines was dramatic. The intensity and frequency of my migraines went down 10 fold with the regular chiropractic care I was receiving.

In 1996 I started seeing Daniel, who sent me for some x-rays to see if there was anything else they could do for me. The x-rays showed an abnormal curve in my neck, most probably due to my accident. Daniel prescribed some simple neck exercises to help the muscles in my neck and this made all the difference.

My migraines are no-where near as chronic as they used to be. I only keep Ergodrill as a precautionary drug if I can’t get to the chiropractor. I still do a lot of horse riding and I know when I jar my neck, give it 8 hours and I usually have a migraine. The exercises have strengthened my neck and this now rarely happens.

Pagets Disease - The story of LT

I first came to the Newcastle Chiropractic Centre after suffering from low back pain for around 5 years. I was recommended to come in by my mother-in-law and was very sceptical at first. I initially saw Frank Smith who seemed to alleviate the acute pain associated with my lower back.

In 1995, after plenty of experience with lower back pain, I started noticing a different sort of low back pain that seemed to be coming from the waistline rather than directly from the spine. Daniel sent me for some x-rays as well as a blood test. I was diagnosed with Paget’s disease of the left pelvis. Paget’s disease is a progressive bone disease that currently has no cure and its symptoms include chronic bone pain. Little is known about the cause of Paget’s disease, so prevention is impossible and treatment is difficult. My Paget’s treatment includes 2 infusions a year and both take 8 weeks to respond.

Along with the pain from my Paget’s disease, I also suffer with pain from the arthritis in my spinal joints. I continue to see Daniel when I feel the pain is coming from my spine rather than the Paget’s disease. I am a sporting person who does a lot of walking and weight-bearing activities and would like to continue this for many years to come. My chiropractic care includes massage, spinal adjustments and nutritional advice which seems to manage my non-Paget’s pain.

Narcolepsy - The story of CS

I started treatment at the Newcastle Chiropractic Centre in 1983. I first saw Nola for low back pain, which resolved pretty well. I have continued to be a regular patient of Nola, Daniel and Chris.

In 1994 I attended a snoring study with my wife. I participated in the study myself and it was inadvertently picked up that I had a rare sleep disorder called narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is an uncommon sleep disorder that involves attacks of severe fatigue or sleepiness that occurs at any time of the day. It typically starts in the 20’s or early 30’s and can persist throughout life. With my condition I don’t fall asleep but could easily do so. I suffer headaches, neck pain and stiffness that usually accompany the severe fatigue.

When I was diagnosed, the specialist prescribed Ritalin to start with, however this drug wasn’t taken well and I now take Dextroamphetamine. I realise that this medication is essential for my condition. I have found however, that being treated by the chiropractor for headaches and a stiff neck reduces the frequency with which I get headaches, which in turn has reduced the frequency of my narcoleptic attacks.

Stroke victim alive and well - The story of BS

I started coming to the Newcastle Chiropractic Centre in 1974 and have been receiving regular check-ups ever since. I originally came to see Mrs Nola Smith regarding some mid-back pain resulting from an underlying scoliosis or curvature of the spine. I also suffered from headaches and occasional episodes of low back pain, which I soon found that chiropractic care could also relieve.

In 1988 I had a stroke following an operation on a brain aneurysm. I initially suffered a total paralysis down the left side of my body, unable to move my left arm or leg. Presently I still cannot move my left arm, however I can walk with a limp. Since using a walking stick, I favour my left leg and place more weight on my right leg, which tends to throw the rest of my body out. I find that chiropractic care helps to ‘straighten’ me out and relieve the aches and pains that result from my disablement.

Following my stroke I have a lot of contractures in the muscles of my left arm, which make my fingers curl up. Nola has worked on these muscles and provided a lot of relief. Two years ago I suffered a fall, which fractured my left shoulder and has caused a lot of upper back and neck pain as well as headaches. Once again I have found chiropractic care has helped tremendously in alleviating my pain and improving the quality of my life.

Terminal Dribbling - The story of CW

I recently had a problem that is fairly common and I think most men would feel uncomfortable talking about. I am a 47-year-old male who has had a relatively fit and healthy life. I’ve had no major illnesses and suffered little bits of lower back pain due to my occupation. I have seen Nola and Daniel on and off over the years and they sort out my aches and pains.

My newfound problem came completely out of the blue. Instead of the usual 2 or 3 drops of urine left after going to the toilet, I started noticing closer to 8 to 10 drops either down my leg in boxer shorts or leaving a larger wet patch in my underpants.
‘Terminal dribbling’ as it is medically termed was becoming an embarrassing problem for me and after about a month of putting up with it I decided to ask Daniel about it while getting a check-up. Daniel explained that the nerves that come out of the lower vertebrae and pelvic bones supply the prostate and bodily functions in that area. If these pelvic joints are out of alignment they can alter the nerve supply leading to the prostate and can cause this sort of problem. Daniel said that if the chiropractic adjustments don’t change anything there may be something wrong with my prostate and I should go to my doctor.
Sure enough though 2 adjustments later and I had no more terminal dribbling. Up until then I had always associated my back problems with pain, now I have a broader understanding of what chiropractic can do.

Sinus problems

Many of our patients recognise that chiropractic can provide beneficial treatment for sinusitis, sinus headaches or blocked sinuses. The mucosa of nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses are supplied by the trigeminal nerve. Nerve supply coming from the upper cervical vertebrae has an overlapping referral pattern with a division of the trigeminal nerve. Therefore some headaches that are perceived to be coming from the sinuses are actually coming from the upper cervical spine. These headaches will respond to chiropractic adjustments.

When a patient has sinusitis, antibiotics are usually prescribed by a GP to eradicate the infection. In these cases chiropractic treatment can aid in the recovery process of the infection. Facial massage, cranial manipulation and sinus draining techniques can all assist in the release of sinus blocking mucus.

Chest pain - The story of AD

I am a fit 45-year-old man who jogs 10km a week and plays tennis and golf weekly also. 3 years ago I woke up on a cold winters morning to go for my 2km jog and I noticed a pain in my chest.

The pain was on the left side with pain radiating into the left arm. It was a sharp, stabbing pain at times, made worse by breathing deeply and changing positions. I immediately panicked and thought the worst – chest pain – heart attack! I booked into my GP that day and was sent to the cardiology unit at the hospital for some tests. The cardiologist in charge did a barrage of tests including an echocardiogram and a heart stress test. All the tests came back negative and my relief was obvious, although I still had this unusual pain. The cardiologist told me that it is likely to be musculoskeletal pain and that I should see a chiropractor.

I knew a friend who came to the Newcastle Chiropractic Centre and I first saw Daniel Danuser a day later. Daniel explained to me that I had a misaligned rib on the left side and this is a relatively common problem that mimics chest pain. Daniel did some massage and gentle manipulation of the spine and ribs and I felt almost no pain after the first treatment! The chest pain had completely gone after my second treatment and I have never felt it since.

I still see Daniel occasionally for a stiff neck or stiff lower back and it is always successful.