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We have been working hard during lockdown to review how we work and are pleased to say that we are now fully open. Although, we will still not be able to see you if you have any Covid 19 symptoms, we have taken many steps to safely re-open our clinic.

Safety and Hygiene

You will find that a few things have changed including:

– Screening questions before you can attend for an appointment.
– Please wait in your car and attend 3-5 minutes just before your appointment time.
– Use the hand sanitizer on arrival and bring your own mask if you have one. If you don’t have a mask
you can purchase one of ours.
– Please arrive alone if possible unless you are a parent with a child or are helping someone in need
of assistance.
– Receptionists will be behind a screen.

Your Chiropractor, Jamie Fraser-Nash, will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and following enhanced hygiene procedures so that we can continue to provide you with an excellent standard of care within a safe environment.

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The Amethyst Chiropractic  Clinic is aware of its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This privacy notice describes, in line with GDPR, how we collect and use personal data about you during and after your time as a patient of this clinic. It also sets out how we use that information, how long we keep it for and other relevant information about your data.

This notice applies to current and former patients.

 

Data controller details

The Clinic is a data controller, meaning that it determines the processes to be used when using your personal data. Our contact details are as follows:  Amethyst Chiropractic Clinic, 6 Plantation Rd, Poole, BH17 9LL. T: 01202 699581

 

Data protection principles

In relation to your personal data, we will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about you must be:

 

  • processed fairly, lawfully and in a clear, transparent way
  • collected only for valid reasons that we find proper for the course of your time as a patient and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes
  • only used in the way that we have told you about
  • accurate and up to date
  • kept only as long as is necessary for the purposes we outline
  • process it in a way that ensures it will not be used for anything that you are not aware of or have consented to (as appropriate), lost or destroyed
  • kept securely

 

Types of information we hold about you

Personal data or information means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed.

We hold many types of data about you, including:

your personal details including your name, address, date of birth, email address, phone numbers

  • gender
  • marital status
  • personal medical or health information, including past medical history
  • information concerning examination and treatment at your first and subsequent visits
  • letters of referral to or from the clinic regarding your treatment with us.

 

Special categories of data

There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection, such as information about a person’s health or sexual orientation.

  • Health

 

We will use your special category data:

  • to ensure the care you receive at the clinic is appropriate to your condition
  • to determine reasonable adjustments that should be made for access to the clinic or to treatment

 

We must process special categories of data in accordance with more stringent guidelines. We will process special categories of data when the following applies:

  • you have given explicit consent to the processing
  • we must process the data in order to carry out our legal obligations
  • we must process data for reasons of substantial public interest

Less commonly, we may process this type of information where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public.

As with all cases of seeking consent from you, you will have full control over your decision to give or withhold consent and there will be no consequences where consent is withheld. Consent, once given, may be withdrawn at any time. There will be no consequences where consent is withdrawn.

 

 

How we collect your data

We collect data about you in a variety of ways and this will usually start when you make an enquiry to the clinic and continue when you attend your first and subsequent appointments. At this clinic, we keep paper and electronic records. Information we write down on paper may be transferred to our electronic system. We may receive information about you from your GP or other health care provider regarding your referral or, with your permission, additional information that will help us continue with your treatment. We may also hold the results of tests that you have undertaken and that are relevant to your treatment with the clinic.

Personal data is kept in the clinic in paper files in locked filing cabinets. Electronic data may include receipts, invoices, letters to GP’s or consultants, and emails.  These are deleted as soon as they are no longer required and are stored in paper files.  Our computer has up to date security and is password protected. Files are kept in locked cabinets and the clinic is kept alarmed when unoccupied.

 

Why we process your data (How we will use information about you)

The law on data protection allows us to process your data for certain reasons only, these are classified as legitimate interests. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances:

 in order for us to carry out our contract with you (your requesting treatment and our agreement to provide it constitutes a contract) which will include confirming appointments, informing you of changes to appointments or clinic arrangements, changes to facilities or services at the clinic.

  • in order to provide you with the best possible treatment by recording health and treatment information which would be in your best interest.
  • in order to carry out legally required duties such as those required by me by my government appointed regulator
  • where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests

 

We may use your personal information in these rare situations:

  • where we need to protect your or someone else’s interests
  • where it is needed in the public interest or for official purposes

 

Situations in which we will use your personal information

We need all the categories of information to primarily allow us to perform our contract of treatment with you and to enable us to comply with legal obligations.

 

If you do not provide your data to us

One of the reasons for processing your data is to allow us to carry out our duties in line with your contract of care with us. If you do not provide us with the data needed to do this, we will be unable to perform that care to ensure your best interests are being maintained. We may also be prevented from continuing with your treatment with us due to our legal obligations.

Change of purpose

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

Automated decision making

No decision will be made about you solely on the basis of automated decision making (where a decision is taken about you using an electronic system without human involvement) which has a significant impact on you.

Sharing your data

Your data will be shared with colleagues within the Clinic but only where it is necessary for them to undertake their duties. This includes, for example, other chiropractors, including self employed chiropractors, working for, at or on behalf of the clinic, and reception staff.

We may share your data with third parties in order to facilitate a referral to another healthcare practitioner, investigation or to keep your GP informed about your progress with treatment.

We may also share your data with third parties as part of a Clinic sale or restructure, or for other reasons to comply with a legal obligation upon us. We would always keep you informed of these situations.

 

Transferring information outside the EU

 

We do not share your data with bodies outside of the European Economic Area.

 

Data Security – Protecting your data

We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information against accidental loss or disclosure, alteration, unauthorised access, destruction or abuse. We have implemented processes to guard against such. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.  These measures include up to date security software, regular data back ups, password protection of computers.  All files are kept in locked cabinets, and the clinic is alarmed.

Where we share your data with third parties, we provide written instructions to them to ensure that your data are held securely and in line with GDPR requirements. Third parties must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of your data.

 

How long we keep your data for

In line with data protection principles, we only keep your data for as long as we need it for, which will be at least for the duration of your being a patient with us and we are legally required, by the Chiropractic regulator, to keep this data for eight years after your time as a patient has ended. To determine the any appropriate retention period for personal data beyond eight years we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means and the applicable legal requirements.

Once we no longer have a lawful use for retaining your information, we will dispose of it in a secure manner than maintains data security.

In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you.

Your duty to inform us of changes

It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your time as a patient with us.

Your rights in relation to your data

The law on data protection gives you certain rights in relation to the data we hold on you.

  • the right of access. You have the right to access the data that we hold on you. To do so, you should make a subject access request. Find out how to do this from
  • the right for any inaccuracies to be corrected. If any data that we hold about you is incomplete or inaccurate, you can require us to correct it.
  • the right to be informed. This means that we must tell you how we use your data, and this is the purpose of this privacy notice. We also must inform you of any changes to how we use your data.
  • the right to have information deleted. If you would like us to stop processing your data, you have the right to ask us to delete it from our systems where you believe there is no reason for us to continue processing it.
  • the right to restrict the processing of the data. For example, if you believe the data we hold is incorrect, we will stop processing the data (whilst still holding it) until we have ensured that the data is correct.
  • the right to portability. You may request transfer the data that we hold on you for your own purposes.

If you want to access your data, review, verify or correct your data, request we erase your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact Jamie Fraser-Nash at Amethyst Chiropractic Clinic, 6 Plantation Rd, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9LL in writing.

Fees

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee for a second or subsequent copy of information or if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances.

What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

 

Right to withdraw consent

 

Where you have provided consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. There will be no consequences for withdrawing your consent. However, in some cases, we may continue to use the data where so permitted by having a legitimate legal reason for doing so.

To withdraw consent, contact Jamie Fraser-Nash.

 

Making a complaint

 

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how we handle your information, please contact the clinic owner, Jamie Fraser-Nash. He can be contacted on 01202 699581. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the supervisory authority in the UK for data protection matters, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

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We may gather information about your visits to this site including your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views.

This information is anonymous (it will not identify you personally) and is used to improve the website’s usability and the service we provide to you.

We use google analytics to gather statistical information regarding use of our website.

All information collected is anonymous. A cookie file may be downloaded to your computer automatically.

All computers have the ability to decline cookies. This can be done by activating the setting on your browser which enables you to decline the cookies. This is usually found in your privacy settings.

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Is bedtime a pain in the neck?

Research shows people don’t make the link between back pain suffered at night and their beds.

New research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) and Sealy beds reveals that neck or back pain has prevented nearly half (48%) of people from sleeping.
The research indicates that people are not making the link between their pain and their beds. Despite 43% of people saying that sleeping can cause them to suffer from neck or back pain, nearly two thirds (61%) do not think that their sleeping position is important for their back or neck health.
Worryingly, a staggering 96% said that they do not think that the way they get in and out of bed is important for their back or neck health, which chiropractors regularly attribute to triggering back problems in patients.
Despite complaining of back and neck pain occurring after sleep, most people don’t think that getting in and out of bed is important to their back health.
In fact, disc injuries are more likely to occur with bending movements first thing in the morning.  As you sleep, the discs in your back hydrate and increase in size. This makes the disc fibres more susceptible to injury. Try and avoid bending movements for the first hour after waking. Your chiropractor will be able to recommend some gentle stretches you can do in the morning.

An important part of a good night’s sleep is a supportive mattress. You should change your mattress every 7-10  years and if you’re in pain at night, it might be that you need to buy a new one. If you are buying a new mattress, it’s vital to try it before making the purchase – you wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on and mattresses are no different, especially as we all spend such a large amount of our lives in bed.

 

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Top tips for buying a mattress and protecting your back in bed:
•    Try before you buy: If you are lying on your side, your spine should be parallel to the mattress and your spine should not sag (bed too soft) or bow (bed too hard). The longer you can spend lying on a mattress before you buy it, the more accurate this feeling will be.

If you are lying on your back flat with your neck on a pillow, you should be able to slide your hand in the small of your back and it should be a nice snug fit. If it’s too difficult to slide your hand in the small of your back, then the mattress is too soft for you. If it’s too easy to slide your hand in the small of your back then the mattress is too hard.
•    Don’t go it alone: Always shop with your partner as your respective ideal mattress tensions could be very different.
•    Wake your body up slowly: Don’t leap out of bed first thing in the morning as this can damage the back. Instead, gently get out of bed and avoid bending or doing anything sudden or strenuous until your back wakes up.
•    Adopt a good sleeping position: Lie on your back or  side, rather than lying on your front with your neck twisted to one side.
There are many mattresses out there to choose from and what suits one person does not necessarily suit another, so take time to research and try them. Some companies now offer a trial period so if you cannot get on with the mattress that you purchased they offer you a different one or refund your money. It’s worth asking.

So until next time, sleep well and awaken refreshed.

 

Sweet dreams!

 

Yours in health

Jamie Fraser-Nash ( Doctor of Chiropractic & Clinical Hypnotherapist)

DC, MRCC, GQHP, DipCHyp, CH

 

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Getting Your Physical and Mental Power Back

Did you know that your nervous system controls every cell, tissue, organ and part of your whole body?

When our nervous system is working at its best we are both physically and mentally well. However, when  our nervous system is interfered with and we get nervous system interference, either physical or mental, this can have a detrimental effect on our health and well-being.

 

As the bony spine protects the spinal cord and the nerves that exit the spine, if there is a spinal problem or an area that’s not functioning or moving as it should do, then the nerves sometimes can be interfered with, becoming irritated or inflamed and this can change the electrical activity travelling from the brain to the spinal cord through the nerves that exit the spine to different parts of the body. If a part of the body is not receiving the normal neurological input that it should be receiving then it doesn’t work as well as it should do. Now, those parts could be muscles or joints, but they could also be part of your brain that affect your energy or your ability to think,  or your emotions, your mood, your feelings ,as well as your heart, your lungs ,your digestive system and so on.

 

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At the Amethyst Chiropractic and Hypnotherapy clinic there have been many times where patients have reported that they have not only had pain relief but have also noticed other improvements. Like being able to think more clearly, not feeling mussy headed. Having more energy to do things and being able to focus and see more clearly as well as being able to make decisions more easily because their thinking ability is better (their nervous system is functioning better) and their mobility is better and because of this, they are able to do more in their life. How does this work you might ask . Well it works by delivering a good chiropractic adjustment in the specific areas that need to be improved in function .What is a chiropractic adjustment you might ask. A chiropractic adjustment is a specific manual manoeuvre with  a specific gentle force of thrust in a specific direction to stimulate the nervous system and improve joint function and remove nervous system interference.

So what’s the benefit of Chiropractic and Hynotherapy in getting your power back.

Well as I’ve mentioned above chiropractic can help you physically to  improve your nervous system function, helping you to think more easily and make decisions more easily. Hypnotherapy can help change the way that you think and therefore  change how you feel and think mentally about certain things in life, which can have a significant effect on  your energy, your enthusiasm, and give you that boosted get up and go drive back in your life.

Chiropractic is primarily interested in your nervous system. It’s this that runs the whole of your body. It’s the communication network and it sends messages to and from your brain, millions upon millions of them every second, through your spinal cord every second of every day. Your spinal cord is housed in your spinal column (the bones of your spine) and sends branches out to every tiny bit of your body. By keeping the bones of your spine moving and positioned properly, chiropractic treatment  keeps the nerves free of interference. This keeps your body working better, the messages to and from your brain can get through, and that helps you to be healthier. The nerves can be easily irritated – it doesn’t take much to  significantly reduce the function of a nerve . Sometimes it can be a bone pressing on a nerve but often it’s swelling and inflammation from strained tissues that causes the pressure. This nerve pressure may give rise to pain but it may only produce pins & needles, tingling, weakness or other odd sensations and low energy feelings as well.

Hypnotherapy is primarily interested in your nervous system through your imagination and the use of your  senses ( your sight, hearing, feel, smell and taste). Your conscious mind is bypassed and your unconscious mind awakened. It’s like writing a new healthy programme and addressing and removing old habitual programmes that are not helping you or are holding you back from fulfilling your full potential and dreams that you what to achieve in your life.

Sometimes in life we all need a little help to get back our get up and go , our internal life force , call it what you will. I have being treating patients for over 25yrs both with Chiropractic (physically) and hypnotherapy (mentally)  and have seen significant changes in peoples lives. It’s like switching the light back on or having your engine back running on all four cylinders instead of running on two or three cylinders.

 

So as to what’s most important? Well, it’s your nervous system, and it’s how we look after it: 1. Having musculoskeletal problems corrected to ensure better spinal and nervous system function and 2. How we take control and master our own minds with the use of positive suggestions that have an action effect on our subconcious minds through hypnotherapy.

More than anything, that is what we work on at the Amethyst Chiropractic and Hypnotherapy clinic !

Till next time

Yours in health

Jamie Fraser-Nash ( Doctor of Chiropractic & Clinical Hypnotherapist)

DC, MRCC, GQHP, DipCHyp, CH

 

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  • It is very important to exercise regularly.  Little and often is better than sudden bursts of activity.  Regular use of light weights as well as cardio exercise 3-4 times per week is ideal.  Strong core muscles (abdominal muscles) help to stabilise the back
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  • Watch your posture.  Try not to slump, shoulders should be down and relaxed.
  • Be aware of your neck position. Your chin should be held back rather than forward.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Try not to twist and bend at the same time.
  • Don’t smoke.  Smoking has been shown to reduce the blood supply to the discs between the vertebrae, which may lead to disc degeneration and pain.
  • Never ignore pain, seek advice from your chiropractor as early intervention can aid a speedy recovery.

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As the weather improves, and we start to spend more time in the garden, it is easy to overdo things and end up in pain. Gardening is a very physical activity and like any exercise it is important to warm up first with lighter jobs, to avoid muscle strain. It is useful to keep a small stool, or cushion for gardening so that you can prune or pot plants whilst sitting . Bending from the back,  with straight legs is likely to cause aching muscles, so bend using your knees and the large quadriceps muscles of your legs.

Avoid overstretching and use long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach. If you do have to lift heavy items, don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on you back.  As you lift try to pull your stomach muscles in (your core muscles) to stabilise the back, and provide support.  If you do find that you are in pain, then chiropractic care can help to improve the function of the joints, relieving pain and muscle spasm.

Happy gardening!

Headaches and Migraines Blog

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Most people have suffered from headaches at some point in their life and they usually do not cause a problem, but if you are having more frequent or severe headaches then chiropractic care may be appropriate for you. Headaches are often caused by tight knots called trigger points which can form in the muscles around the base of the head, the neck and top of the shoulders. They can be caused by stress (hunching your shoulders up), poor posture, and sitting in one position for too long.

Headaches arising from the neck and Migraine prevention. Chiropractic treatment is very effective at treating headaches caused by neck tension. Loosening the stiff upper back, strengthening the neck muscles and working on posture, combined with chiropractic adjustments, is very effective at easing headaches.

Arthritic Joint Blog

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Arthritis is an overall term for a group of conditions that can cause pain, inflammation and stiffness in and around the joints – and often reduced mobility. Osteoarthritis is the most common, affecting 8.5 million people in the UK. In fact, according to Arthritis Care, 5.4 million women in the UK suffer from osteoarthritis – and nearly a million are under 54. Age, injury, your biomechanics, family history and being female all play a part.

Chiropractic care can help people with arthritis in many ways. As a way of protecting joints muscles may become overworked, and mobility may become reduced. Treatment is aimed at maintaining mobility of joints and muscles, using joint adjustments, mobilisation and exercises to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, strengthen weak muscles and improve flexibility. Your chiropractor can advise you on the best exercises for you – arthritis does not mean you should stop using the joint – you may just need to modify what you do. We have found that this combined approach, along with any treatment that your GP may advise, can make a big difference to the pain and stiffness of arthritis and help you live your life to the full.

Just because you have arthritis doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise. There are exercises that can help you if you have arthritis such as:

  •  Walking: Walking maintains joint flexibility and builds the strength of joints which is good for arthritis because it is mainly caused by an inflammation of the joints.
  • Tai Chi: A martial art exercise that originated from China that includes flowing fluid like circular movement of the arms and legs that allows you to relax and improves your range of motion.
  • Yoga: This relaxing activity provides relief to stiff muscles and relieves sore joints through the use of deep breathing techniques, controlled movements, stretches and pressures.
  • Exercise in warm water: This eases stiff joints and eases muscles that are sore. Water allows the body to move in full motion without any pressure or difficulty.