Summer is upon us….well kind of if you don’t include the weather!
Holidays, day trips, sunbathing, swimming, picnics and other such Summer fun!
It’s a fantastic time of year for all the family to enjoy, but for some it can involve the misery of painful acute health issues that go hand-in-hand with Summer fun.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive system of healthcare that has evolved in China over 3,000 years. TCM has its own profound framework and offers a range of unique therapies such as Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
TCM regards and treats the body as a whole, existing in harmony with the universe and where all the different parts interconnect and become interactive. Its emphasis first of all is on health promotion and prevention, when one falls ill, the focus of the treatment is on the person suffering from the illness rather than the illness itself.
Our teenage son has recently had a growth spurt and now he is walking like an old man – what can we do to help him?
Regular trips to the shoe shop and trousers that seem to shrink in the wash are features of living with teenagers. In their teens, children put on an amazing growth spurt to reach their adult height. Girls usually do this more gradually from 8 to 14, but in boys it often occurs more suddenly between 13 and 16 and they can grow taller by as much as 9 cm in a year!
This phenomenal growth starts at the outside of the body and works in. Hands and feet are the first to expand so needing new shoes is often the first sign of trouble. Next the arms and legs grow longer, but even here the ‘outside in’ rule applies and the shin bones lengthen before the thigh and the forearm before the upper arm. Finally the spine grows and right at the end the chest and shoulders of boys broaden out and in girls their hips and pelvis widen.
By Lynne Midwinter, Chartered Physiotherapist
Watching the highlights from RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week and with gardening listed as a hobby for over half the adult population of the UK it reminded me that there are a lot of people at risk of injury now that the peak gardening season is here.
At Physio & Therapies the first warm weekends in the spring and early summer usually brings us a rash of injuries from back strain to stiff shoulders presenting at our clinic, so here is our advice on how to avoid unnecessary discomfort.
As a Chartered Physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvis and spine problems I treat many women who have pelvic pain during pregnancy but suffer in silence because they don’t want to take medication that might harm their baby. Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) used to be called Symphasis Pubis Dysfunction and can occur any time during or after pregnancy and affects one in four pregnant and postnatal women.
They present with a wide range of symptoms and the severity can vary widely however PGP is a common and, in most cases, easily treatable condition. It can be treated at any stage during or after pregnancy, so if this applies to you please seek treatment.
Although women are often told that PGP is caused by hormones, up to date research
The mind is the most powerful tool our body has. In the same way that the mind can make us ill (for instance via stress or phobias), the mind can make us better……
Hypnotherapy utilises a perfectly natural phenomenon known as Hypnosis to use this power of the mind to bring about beneficial changes in an individual.
In all stages of the disease, a physiotherapist can provide you with advice and education. If required, a physiotherapist will also provide treatment. Physiotherapy treatment aims to prevent, stabilise or reduce movement related problems. You are advised to consult a physiotherapist:
Try to reduce your daily sitting time; walk rather than drive short distances, such as to the shop; take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift
Try to exercise at least 150 minutes a week, making an effort to get warm, a little sweaty and out of breath, to the extent that it is difficult to hold a conversation. For example, exercise for 30 minutes on five days a week. If 30 minutes in one go is too much, try shorter periods, such as three times 10 minutes.
On average, people with Parkinson’s disease are one-third less active than other people of the same age. Not doing enough exercise can actually be more harmful to you than taking up activity. Physical inactivity increases the risk of developing adverse health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Therefore, try to exercise regularly. Feeling tired and starting to…
Parkinson’s is a life-long condition, so self management is important. Self-management means that you take responsibility, to the best of your ability, for dealing with the issues Parkinson’s creates. Your self-management should include your medication intake, nutrition, speech, mood and sleep. Your neurologist or Parkinson’s disease nurse specialist will be able to tell you more about these, and refer you…