AT the age of 27 most people would think I was too young to be suffering from a bad back and I would agree with them. But somehow I find myself with precisely that ailment.

Over the years it has gradually developed leaving me unable to pinpoint exactly what caused it.

Michael Gould at the Amersham Chiropractic Clinic said people of all ages are using computers a lot more and sitting at it for hours predisposes to bad posture often leading to back and neck problems.

Which rings true for me. As a result Michael aims to help patients change their lifestyle habits to allow the body to help itself, which leads to long lasting improvement.

He started the clinic in 1996 in Amersham Old Town.

Having outgrown the building he moved the business to Woodside Road in Amersham 18 months ago where he stripped back the inside and turned it into a custom-built modern clinic.

He has a wealth of experience, having worked in the field for 20 years, and there is just not enough room to write about his knowledge.

Between him and the other two chiropractors, Anne Kahler-Aage and Kate Benfield, they have seen nearly 6,000 patients from all age ranges and walks of life.

In 2010 the clinic was accorded two quality awards by The College of Chiropractors Patient Partnership - one for patient satisfaction and one for clinical excellence.

There is also a rehabilitation gym onsite, which helps with the long term resolution of peoples' back and neck problems.

Michael explained to me that the site of the pain may not always be the site of the problem as our bodies tend to compensate, so a knee problem can manifest as hip pain.

I have been experiencing shoulder, neck and back pain for some years now and more recently had arm pain.

Michael explained to me where my pain was coming from- my shoulder girdle was out of balance which was leading to muscle tension and my arm was overcompensating for the imbalance.

And in the lower part of my back there was restricted movement between my joints which were not working like a "well oiled machine" as they should be.

He used a diversified technique, which involves spinal adjustment and results in that scary popping sound. This is not painful and it is not the bones which are popping but gas bubbles being released from the joint.

He follows this up at the end of each session with recommendations to improve my lifestyle, and he sometimes uses acupuncture, where appropriate.

He told me to move around at work as much as possible and gave me exercises to do throughout the day. I mustn't sleep on my front and I need to take breaks on long drives. Essentially I should not be sitting still for too long.

Treatment varies from person to person depending on how long someone has had the problem.

It is not an overnight miracle cure and he said I will always have to be careful with my back.

But it helps to know where the pain is and what is causing it as I am more aware of my body and I can learn how to treat it well.

It involves small changes to every day life which are easy to do and something which can surely be applied to everybody.

An initial consultation costs £52 followed by £40 with each subsequent treatment.

The clinic also offers a free chiro-check/spinal screen, which gives people the opportunity to see if chiropractic is a suitable treatment for their complaint without unnecessary outlay.

Go to www.amershamchiropractic.co.uk or call 01494434366.

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