Young and energetic, Dr Shaista Singh is the ‘new kid on the block’ in the medical field. The young chiropractor recently had a chat with the Newcastle Express to tell us more about her field of expertise.
Newcastle Express (NE): In a nutshell, who is Shaista?
Shaista Singh (SS): I am a very headstrong individual. Once I set my mind to something, I need to achieve it. I thrive in situations that I can lead and take control of. I have always been results orientated, once results are obtained as a product of something I have been doing, I will continue to do it to the best of my ability and exceed any limitation hindering these results and/or progress. The foundation of who I am is based on the three most important parts of my life, and that is being a daughter, sister and chiropractor.
NE: Where did you matriculate and what was school like for you?
SS: I attended Lincoln Heights Secondary School and matriculated in 2013. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire schooling career. If I could go back in time and repeat high school, I would give a little more effort to my studies than I did at the time. After experiencing the increased demand and workload of university, high school was a walk in the park.
NE: You have a Master’s Degree in Chiropractic. Why did you decide on this career?
SS: I have my Master’s Degree in Chiropractic, the qualification is M.Tech Chiropractic. There are only two universities in South Africa that offer Chiropractic, one being the University of Johannesburg and the other being the Durban University of Technology, which is where I studied. When thinking about career choices, I always I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field and something that dealt with muscles and bones. I was always intrigued by the way our muscles, tendons and ligaments work. Chiropractic is such a unique treatment technique that provides great pain relief in a non-invasive way that it captured my heart and I knew this was the career for me.
NE: For those unversed, what is a chiropractor?
SS: A chiropractor is a medical professional who can treat a variety of conditions in a non-invasive manner. We can assist with the treatment of joint pain, muscle discomfort, poor posture, headaches, osteoarthritis, nerve root entrapments etc. Chiropractic is a very holistic approach to treating any condition. As chiropractors, we aim to find the cause of the problem and not only treat the symptoms. We create a specific treatment plan for each patient that is unique to them. Chiropractic aims at ensuring that our body is functioning at its optimum level.
NE: How did you feel when consulting your first patient?
SS: The feelings when treating your first patient are so mixed. The first patient you see is in your fifth year of university at the DUT Chiropractic clinic. It is so overwhelming because you are so unfamiliar with the clinic, the staff and the amount of paperwork that needs to be completed is extensive. Once the paperwork and assessments are completed, the fear kicks in because you have to present your case to the clinician on duty which is the qualified chiropractor. Once you get the go-ahead from the clinician it is joy, relief and excitement that you now have your own patient and you can tackle their treatment protocol that you created.
NE: Tell us about some of your techniques.
SS: The technique that chiropractors use to ensure that your spine and joints are well aligned is called a manipulation or adjustment. The manipulation requires the chiropractor to place slightly increased pressure on a joint, allowing it to return to its neutral position. A manipulation is a highly specific technique and involves years of practice and specific movements. The manipulation is applied with high velocity and low amplitude, meaning it is a quick movement but minimal force is applied. One of the soft tissue techniques that chiropractors use to release muscle spasms or ‘knots’ is dry needling. This is different from acupuncture in the sense that the needle is placed directly into the ‘knot’, causing increased blood supply to the muscle and resulting in the release of the ‘knot’. Other techniques include stretching and electrical modalities.
NE: What should patients expect after a session?
SS: Other than the feeling of complete increased range of motion, decreased pain and ‘looseness’, some patients may experience some tenderness if they received dry needling and deep soft tissue therapy.
NE: From a chiropractor’s viewpoint, why are some people prone to having ‘knots’ in their bodies?
SS: ‘Knots’ are what we as chiropractors call Active Myofascial Trigger points. These develop due to our activities of daily living which include driving, working, seeing to children, cleaning etc. When performing these tasks, none of us are really concerned about our posture and this causes us to place our bodies in unusual positions that are not quite typical for our spine and joints. When repeating these tasks throughout our daily routines, our muscles have to compensate to support our spine and joints and this causes increased exertion on them resulting in ‘knots’.
NE: What do you do in your spare time?
SS: In my spare time I like to work out and try to get to the gym four times a week. I often find myself shopping online while waiting for my next appointment.
NE: What’s your favourite food?
SS: My love for Indian food is everlasting. I can never turn down curry and roti. I eat a lot of the Samyang Spicy Noodles and sushi is a must when in Durban.
NE: How do you relax after a long day?
SS: The thing I look forward to the most after a long day is my bed! Especially now in winter, my nights consist of me watching series in my bed with the electric blanket on.
