Tips to Improve Your Posture
In Part One of our ‘Benefits of Good Posture’ we looked at how improving your posture can make a big difference to your health and well-being. So now we come to the big question: how do you go about improving your posture?
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The good news is you can do it while going about your normal daily activities, and not have to set aside time for posture correction exercises. And if you need a little more motivation… good posture is NOT about trying to sit and stand straight. Achieving a good posture is about doing LESS – yes, you read that right. A natural, poised person uses less effort than either a slouched body, or one attempting to ‘do good posture’. 

Let’s take a top-down approach.

1. Head Position
Imagine a tower of wooden blocks with a larger block sitting on top. To balance the tower, the large block will have to sit centred over the others. In this position the tower supports the extra weight easily. But should you move the top block by just a small amount, the tower will topple over. 

How does this relate to your posture?

The average head weighs 8 lbs (3.6 kg). If your head is thrust forward while using your tablet or phone, it effectively becomes much heavier and will pull your body out of shape. 
So where should your head sit?

​Try this. 

​a) Place your fingers in your ears. In between is roughly where your head sits on your spine – yes, that’s much higher than most people think.
b) Now tilt your head up and down from this point without the neck moving.
c) Now turn left and right, again without twisting the neck.
This is where your head should sit. You can also imagine a seal balancing a ball on its nose! When in this position, the weight of the head is supported nicely by the spine and can help to correct a head forward posture and other excessive spinal curves.

But note – don’t stiffen your neck or pull your head back – just let it sit and balance on your spine. If done correctly, you should feel a little lighter and use less effort to sit, stand, walk and run. For many, addressing the balance of the head on the spine is sufficient to correct everything below, hence, ‘as above, so below.’

2. Shoulders/ Upper back
If you have a head-forward posture, your shoulders will invariable become rounded – not a good look, eh. In addition to what we’ve done in Step 1, visualise lifting your arms to the sides and widening across your back. This should give you the sense of releasing up the front of your body and bring your shoulders back by letting go of the tension pulling you down. This can be done from any position, and also have the benefit of freeing up your breathing.

3. Lower Back
For many, the lower back is a problematic area due to excessive stresses placed upon the muscles. It’s also where most people try to straighten to improve their sitting and standing posture. But this is not the most efficient use of your body.
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When sitting, rock back a little on your ‘sit bones’ – see below, use the procedure in Step 2 with your shoulders, and relax your lower back. This will bring your head and upper body to sit nicely over the lower spine. If you add tension to the lower back to ‘sit up straight’, these muscles will quickly fatigue and lead to the familiar aches and pains. The same can be applied to standing – more in a moment.

4. Pelvis and Legs
At the base of your pelvis are two bones known as ‘sitting bones’. When sitting, imagine these as your feet and feel the support from the chair. You can also tilt forward and back on these while maintaining a neutral spine to get a sense of the relationship between your pelvis and back. Avoid collapsing in the lower back and maintain an upright (and effortless) posture by including the tip from Step 2.

When standing, remember you stand on your legs, and not with them. This allows you to release your lower back and appreciate your torso (back and pelvis) balances and your legs.

5. Feet
And last of all, we come to the feet. With 26 bones in each, the foot is a complex bit of kit and, as any podiatrist will tell you, any problems here will influence your posture, balance and led to numerous aches and pains. You can find out more about podiatry here, but for our purposes I’ll keep it simple for now. 

You have three weight-bearing points on your feet: one under the heel, one just up from the big toe, and the other from the little toe. Stand and move slightly, either forward and back, or rotate to feel the ‘tripod’ beneath each foot. Check if you’re evenly balanced over these points and run back through Steps 1 to 4 quickly. Now imagine a piece of string attached the top of your head gently pulling you up. Avoid stiffening and ‘release up’. 

Conclusion
Good posture doesn't have to be hard work. You have reflexes to balance, position and move your body. Poor habits built up over years of slouching at desks, in cars, and on sofas, prevent them from doing their job. By releasing undue, habitual tension allows your reflexes to function again.

Good posture should be natural, require no effort to achieve, free up your movement and give you a sense of lightness and ease. You had it as a young child and you didn’t have to ‘do it’ back then.

Posted by Roy Palmer, our teacher of The Alexander Technique at the centre.

Sarah Massey, one of our physiotherapists, shares her story about coping with Post-Viral Fatigue.​

My Experience of having Post-Viral Fatigue (PVF)
In 2007 I was juggling a lot of factors in my life. I had been using my annual leave to complete a university course and was running on empty. I then came down with laryngitis and found I that although I recovered from the infection with antibiotics, I could not recover my energy. I tried to return to work several times unsuccessfully.

I had a wonderful G.P at the time whose daughter had suffered and recovered from ME. Her insight guided me through ruling out other conditions such as Lyme’s disease. I was referred to the NHS PVF/ME team who diagnosed and assisted me in the management of this condition. I undertook a CBT course which assisted me in pacing and graded exercise. The management of PVF was a slow marathon effort. Traditional Acupuncture also assisted my energy levels greatly in the first few months of recovery.

How it has helped me as a practitioner
I hope my experience has made me more empathetic to others going through a similar post viral situation.  I found it helpful to have clinicians accessible to walk the walk with me. There are many factors to PVF and therefore different clinicians maybe involved from your G.P. to dieticians and occupational therapists.  You may require a specialist therapist or nurse to advise on breathlessness. I have worked alongside pain clinic and spinal consultants in the NHS and frequently receive referrals from these doctors, to assist patients in pain and activity management.

How I can help others
Whilst we are working remotely, I can use a secure video-link or the telephone to consult with you.
I can advise you on activity management and relaxation. I use pacing charts and I am qualified to give you graded rehabilitation exercises. These can be sent out in the post or via email.

Physiotherapists and Osteopaths can advise on acupressure; TENS machines and other home self- help tools to help address the muscle pains.

Once back in clinic, we will often use Traditional Acupuncture for sore muscles and to enhance energy and wellbeing. We also can apply manual therapies to release restrictions which can occur.

What you can do to help yourself

• Please refer to the leaflet on the ME Association's website for further advice for post-viral fatigue, specifically following corona virus infection. It is a good starting point for advice on sleep, medication and financial support.
• The leaflet advises speaking to your G.P. first if your post-infectious fatigue is continuing beyond 4 weeks.
• The ME society have a phone line which is open every day of the year – 0844 576 5326
• Consider a daily journal.

Post by Sarah Massey Bsc  (Hons) Physiotherapy.

During these times of lockdown and self isolation it is really important to maintain an activity level that will help maintain and improve both your physical and mental well being.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists have adapted a simple set of exercises for older people that can help you improve your strength and mental health, and these exercises can be done in the  comfort of your own home.

Here is the video, but ensure you read all the enclosed guidance before you begin. If you need any further information or help then please contact us.

​Posted by Chris Shannon, our Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist .

PART ONE

Good posture has always been a thing that your parents nagged you about as a child… at least mine did! However as an Osteopath I’m seeing all sorts of posture all day everyday…. Well except for this current lock down period!

Why posture is important, well here’s why…

Either sitting properly or standing and walking properly helps you keep your body healthy. Believe it or not it’s not just a thing of the past with people walking around with books on their head like my grandmother was taught, or military commands of ‘chest out shoulders back’. When we have good position it optimises all sorts of other physiological changes in the body… by that I mean that the body systems was all work much better.

Here’s what it does…

1. Lower Back relief
Your body is designed to stand in a “neutral” position in which your pelvis, head, and torso are in a stacked position but with ease. Head poked forwards, tilted hips, and overly curved spines puts much stress on muscles, ligaments, nerves and connective tissues (fascia) all of which means that these structures become used in ways they aren’t designed to endure. Similarly over long period of time this stress can cause the joints to become stiff and compressed and irritable resulting in pain – usually in your back. When you have good posture, you use all these structures effectively to support your spine properly. Believe it or not spines like movement so one things that they don’t like is to be held rigid. Standing and sitting with good posture uses your muscles in the way they were designed, so your body – especially your back – feels better.

2. Better breathing
For me the most obvious one is better breathing. Research shows that poor posture negatively affects your ability to breathe deeply and fill your lungs. If you’re slouching you are shortens the muscles at the front of your body and compressing your lungs and diaphragm which reduces your ability to breathe in fully. If you’re sitting and standing taller your lungs have more room to expand and may actually improve your ability to bring in good old oxygen by as much as 30%..Try this…..hunch over and curl your shoulders in… now try and take a deep breathe in. What does it feel like, did you feel like you could breathe in deeply and open the front on the chest well. Probably not. This type of curled forward or Kyphotic posture makes it very hard for the lungs to expand as it’s being restricted by your rib cage.  Equally if your chin is dragging your head forwards too, it makes it even harder for the front of the chest to expand.

3. Reduced headaches
Slouching and drooping of your shoulders can create unnecessary tension across the upper back and shoulders that contributes to headaches. Also those people whose chin leads the head forwards will also place some considerable strain on the back of their neck, particularly the upper neck creating a chronic overuses picture which can lead to headaches. Such forward head posture can increase the loading and compressive forces in the neck area from 10lb for people with good posture to 60lbs for people with poor posture.

4. Increased energy levels
When all of our structures controlling posture are working correctly we become more efficient and therefore less fatigued. There are different types of muscles, for posture we use our ‘slow twitch’ muscles i.e. our postural muscles as they are designed to work at a lower level for longer, hours even which is just what they do when they support you in a range of different postures all day every day. The ‘fast twitch’ muscles are the ones we call prime movers and are designed to contract at force so things like the biceps muscle used when lifting up a kettle or a weight in your hand etc. However these work maximally for short periods of time. When posture is poor and the postural muscles are weak and become overused the fast twitch muscles take over, however they struggle to keep working all day and fatigue quickly causing pain tightness and even muscle spasm. So it’s all about good posture… slow and steady like the turtle and the hare!

5. Improved mood
Your posture affects your mood. Think of how a person looks when they’re depressed – slouched and slumped with shoulders that hunch and a head that hangs. When you feel relaxed and happy, you naturally find an upright, open posture. If you’re feeling down, stand up, pull your shoulders back, and lift your face, you’re more likely to see somebody smiling at you!

6. Better digestion and circulation
When you have good posture, your vital organs will work better.  Both your chest and organs in your tummy have more space and can work better facilitating the free flow of food and digestive juices and blood flow. A slouched posture inhibits the normal activity of your gastrointestinal system, which makes you vulnerable to digestive distress – including constipation and GERD and impedes the natural blood flow making circulation less effective.

7. Super self-confidence
When you stand up tall, you have a presence that’s noticed by others. You look confident, self-assured, and poised. Slouching and slumping communicates a sad demeanor and a lack of self-esteem. So make a point of checking in on your posture especially before an important event or meeting!

8. Greater function as you age
Your posture affects how your body ages. If you stand or sit with poor posture, it causes stress on your soft tissues such as muscles ligaments and in particular at your joints – which can make you feel achy and stiff as you age. Good posture throughout a lifetime can keep you feeling mobile as you get older. As an added bonus, you also look younger.

9. Reduced the risk of falls.
Those people who are constantly slumping forward and looking at the ground especially when walking are more likely  fall as they their centre of gravity is much further forward and everything is working inefficiently. A good posture means that all the postural muscles in your body are functioning well, and your centre of gravity is good, and you are likely to have better balance.

10. Improved concentration
Good posture can play a role in comes improved oxygen flow and circulation which positively affects your brain. This is nerve cells in your brain appreciate the nutrients that come with increased circulation that’s facilitated by good posture too.

11. Look skinnier
Good posture can make you look taller and thinner. Poor posture can create the appearance of a pot belly and a thicker middle. Stand or sit up tall, and lengthen your frame – the pounds distribute more evenly and make you look more slender……What’s not to like… Bonus!

So in PART TWO we’ll look at tips to help you with improving your posture! Watch this space

During the festive season, we eat much richer food, drink more alcohol and are generally less active. This period can be stressful from many perspectives, financial, time management and socially. The results often leave people feeling tired, grumpy, bloated, sluggish and stressed. Now Christmas is over, we head into the dreary long month of January - long nights, dark mornings, cold days and New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep.

However, one of the most simple things that you can do to help combat those January blues and fight off depression is to exercise. Exercise improves mood through increasing brain serotonin (an important neurotransmitter). The good news is that it doesn’t have to mean getting hot and sweaty – a brisk walk is perfect!

Thirty minutes of brisk walking a day could also help tackle the January bulge. If you want to pick up the pace you can always use Nordic walking poles. They’ll not only support you and make walking easier, but it will allow you to pick up the pace and work that cardiovascular system a little harder. 

Walking is a great way to combine a workout with an enjoyable activity with many benefits. It is a relatively injury-free way to burn up calories and get into shape. With regular walking you reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes and can even help relieve and prevent constipation. It is also a weight-bearing exercise so it will strengthen your bones and offset conditions such as osteoporosis. However, it’s really important to have a relaxed, upright walking style to prevent aches and pain.

Below are several tips you may like to consider when heading off on a winter walk:

• Make sure you wear waterproof shoes or boots with a good grip. Avoid those with smooth soles and heels.
• Slow the pace down - use a wider/penguin like gait in snow and ice. Spreading your feet out slightly while walking on ice increases your centre of gravity.
• When snowy or icy stay on designated walkways - as they are more likely to be cleared, taking shortcuts over snow piles and other frozen areas can be hazardous.
• Look for, and avoid slippery surfaces - assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery and icy and approach with caution.
• Allow extra time - pay attention and don’t rush. Most accidents occur due to inattention or being in a hurry.
• Always look - for trip hazards or obstructions in the path of travel.
• Avoid walking in the dark, and if you need to take a good torch, just be mindful that even torches cast shadows.

​If you are setting out on a long walk on uneven terrain and you have any back or leg injuries then make sure you get yourself checked by a manual therapist, such as an osteopath or physio or check with your GP. There are times when walking boots are not always appropriate for your injuries, such as a chronic achilles injury which doesn’t always tolerate stiff heavy walking boots when used on uneven surfaces.

Walk safely and enjoy you walk!
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If you would like further information on the benefits of regular exercise, please give us a call on 01480 455221.
 

​Paget’s Awareness Day, is an opportunity to raise the profile of Paget’s Disease of Bone and the 11th of January 2020 is the anniversary of the birth of Sir James Paget, who first identified the condition in the 19th century.
 
Paget’s disease of bone disrupts the normal cycle of bone renewal, causing bones to become weakened and possibly deformed. Paget’s is rare in people under 40 but becomes increasingly more common with age. In the UK, it has been estimated that about 2–3 people in 100 over the age of 50 have Paget’s disease in some part of their skeleton, but it may not cause any symptoms and often goes unnoticed. Paget’s is most common in white people, although it can occur in any race.
 
Paget’s disease of bone can affect just one bone or several bones. Commonly affected areas include the:

• thigh bones
• shin bones
• pelvis
• spine
• skull

Symptoms can include:

• constant, dull or aching bones
• joint pain, stiffness and swelling
• a shooting pain that travels along or across the body
• numbness and tingling
• loss of movement in part of the body
• the affected area may also feel warm
• symptoms can be worse at night

  
Paget’s disease of bone can also cause a range of other problems, including: 

• fragile bones that are more likely to break
• deformities in affected bones, such as curved legs (bow legs) or a curved spine (scoliosis)
• hearing loss, headaches, vertigo (a spinning sensation) and tinnitus (a noise in your ears) – these may occur if the skull is affected
• too much calcium in the blood
• heart problems

 
Causes of Paget’s disease of bone
Bone cells regenerate in a similar way to skin – old bone is removed and replaced by new bone. This is known as bone remodelling. Two cells are responsible for this:

• osteoclasts – cells that absorb old bone
• osteoblasts – cells that make new bone

 
In Paget’s disease of bone, something goes wrong with the osteoclast cells and they start to absorb bone at a much faster rate than usual. The osteoblasts then try to produce new bone more quickly, but the new bone is larger and weaker than normal.
 
It’s not clear what triggers this, but you’re at a higher risk if you have a family history of Paget’s disease of bone. You may inherit a genetic fault that means you’re much more likely to develop the condition.
 
TREATMENT OF Paget’s disease of bone
There’s currently no cure for Paget’s disease of bone, but treatment can help relieve the symptoms. Paget’s disease is often treated with a group of drugs called bisphosphonates. These drugs are often used in the treatment of osteoporosis but at a different dose and for a different length of time. They work by damping down the overactive renewal and repair process, which in Paget’s disease is much faster than normal. These drugs act mainly on the osteoclasts (the cells that break down old bone) to slow down the rapid bone turnover. Drugs in this group include:

Painkillers
Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can help relieve pain caused by Paget’s disease of bone. Make sure you read the packet or leaflet before taking painkillers, to check whether they’re suitable for you and to find out how much to take. If these do not help reduce your pain, your GP can prescribe more powerful painkillers.
 
Complementary therapies
Some people with Paget’s disease benefit from complementary therapies such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy. A therapy assessment, generally by a physiotherapist, can be very helpful. They can, for example, identify whether one of your legs has become shorter because your thigh and shin bones have become curved. In this case, a built-up insole in your shoes can reduce any feelings of lopsidedness.
 
Physiotherapists can also give you exercises that help to reduce pain, improve muscle-strength and movement, while an occupational therapist can offer you advice on walking aids and other aspects of daily living.
 
The physiotherapists here at the Centre are fully qualified practitioners with a wealth of experience. Read more about physiotherapy here. To book an appointment please call us on (01480) 455 221.
 
Devices that reduce the weight placed on the affected bones may also help, such as: 

• a walking stick or frame
• orthotics – insoles made of plastic that fit inside your shoe to help support your feet
• braces that support the spine in the correct position
• Some therapists also use treatments such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current. The scientific evidence for TENS is not strong, but some people find it helpful.

Surgery
Surgery is usually only needed if further problems develop, such as fractures, deformities or severe osteoarthritis.
 
Diet and nutrition
Calcium and vitamin D help keep your bones healthy. If you have Paget’s disease of bone, it’s important to ensure you get enough of these.
 
You get calcium from your diet. It’s found in foods such as: 

• dairy foods – such as milk and cheese
• green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli and cabbage
• soya beans, soya drinks with added calcium and tofu

 
You get most of your vitamin D from sunlight, although it’s also found in some foods such as oily fish.
Sometimes your GP may suggest taking extra calcium and/or vitamin D supplements to ensure you’re getting enough.
 
To find out more about Paget’s Disease of Bone, visit their website.
 

Understanding Stress
Everyone feels stressed sometimes. Stress is caused by our body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. We all have different ways of reacting to pressure, and your comfortable level may be higher or lower than others around you. In the right situations, a little bit of pressure can be motivating, and can help us meet the demands of home, work and family life. But if we have too much stress for too long, we can find it hard to deal with.

Stress can make you feel anxious and irritable, and it can affect your self-esteem.

You might also notice that:

• your thoughts may race
• you may worry constantly
• you lose your temper more easily, drink more alcohol or act unreasonably
• sometimes your first clues about feeling stressed are physical signs, like tiredness, headaches or an upset stomach

​For many of us stress passes, but if it doesn't go away and you're feeling overwhelmed, life can feel very difficult.
The ‘Top Ten Stress Busting Tips’ below should help, but if you have been experiencing stress for some time and it's affecting your daily life or causing you distress, you should consider seeking further support.
​

​Top Ten Stress Busting Tips

1. Learn to manage your time more effectively
We waste a lot of time doing unimportant tasks, especially when stressed, so prioritise your day and do the important jobs first. The unimportant ones can wait, and often they will disappear completely leaving you time to do other things. Also, do not put off the unpleasant tasks – avoidance causes a great deal of stress. Give unpleasant tasks a high priority and do them first.

2. Know your limitations and do not take on too much
We can cause ourselves a great deal of stress because we do not want to let people down. We then end up doing more than we should. Learn to delegate effectively and be assertive so that you can say ‘No’ without upsetting or offending.

3. Find out what causes you stress
Take time to discover what is worrying you and try to change your thoughts and behaviour to reduce it. A stress assessment can help you to fully understand the causes, the implications to your health and how to manage, cope and make necessary changes.

4. Avoid unnecessary conflict
Do not be too argumentative. Is it really worth the stress? Look for win - win situations. Look for a resolution to a dispute where both parties can achieve a positive outcome. Find out what the real cause of the problem is and deal with it.

5. Accept the things you cannot change
Changing a difficult situation is not always possible. If this proves to be the case, recognise and accept things as they are and concentrate on all that you do have control over. Managing change effectively is essential or else performance will be reduced.

6. Take time out to relax and recharge your batteries
You will perform more effectively during work if you regularly take a short 10 / 15 minute break, easily making up the time you used relaxing. Alongside this, at least one annual break of at least 10-14 continuous days is recommended.

7. Find time to meet friends
Friends can ease work troubles and help us see things in a different way. The activities we engage in with friends help us relax and we will often have a good laugh. It boosts the immune system that is often depleted during stress.

8. Try to see things differently, develop a positive thinking style
If something is concerning you, try to see it differently. Talk over your problem with somebody before it gets out of proportion. Often, talking to a friend/colleague/family member will help you see things from a different and less stressful perspective. You may also need to consider professional help in order to achieve the desired outcome and prevent ill health and / or burnout.

9. Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine as coping mechanisms
Long term, these faulty coping mechanisms will just add to the problem. For example, caffeine and nicotine are stimulants – too much and the body reacts to this with the stress response increasing or even causing anxiety symptoms. Alcohol is a depressant!

10. Adopt a healthy lifestyle
If we eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and ensure we get adequate sleep and rest, our body is better able to cope with stress should it occur. If this is not the case, then this may be a warning sign so don’t ignore it.

Engaging in some form of physical activity may help you by working off the biochemical and physical changes that occur within your body due to stress. Relaxation also helps your body return to its normal healthy state. There are a number of relaxation techniques and complimentary therapies that may be helpful in the physical manifestation of stress including breathing exercises, Mindfulness, The Alexander Technique and Acupuncture.
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The 60 Second Tranquilliser

This is a quick and easy breathing technique to bring about rapid relief when needed. 

Using positive thoughts will activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help you to switch off your fight/flight reaction. It is the perfect solution to rapidly calm nerves, focus the mind and help you to think more clearly. 

You can use this simple and powerful exercise at any time when you feel worried, tense, nervous or anxious. 

The benefit of this exercise is that it can be done anywhere and at any time. This can be done either sitting down or standing up; you may close your eyes if it is safe to do so or if you prefer keep them open. 

• Say firmly but silently to yourself – “TAKE CONTROL”.
• Repeat – “I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT TO” and breath out slowly.
• Slowly breathe in through your nose and then out through pursed lips, allowing the abdomen to soften and rise on the in breath then deflate and return to normal on the out breath.  
• PAUSE
• Slowly repeat this for 6-8 breaths over the minute with the breath out being slightly longer than the breath in.
• Say to yourself each time – “I AM BREATHING IN PEACE & BLOWING AWAY TENSION”.  
• Each time you breathe out, make sure you relax your face, jaw, shoulders and hands.
• If your symptoms persist, repeat this technique for 3-5 minutes until you feel calm and relaxed.

ABDOMINAL BREATHING REVERSES AND HELPS CONTROL WORRY, TENSION, STRESS, ANXIETY AND PANIC. 

REMEMBER - IF YOU ARE RELAXED – YOU CAN’T BE TENSE!
​

The Alexander Technique
How you react to a situation is based on how you assess that situation. For example, two people can do exactly the same job, yet while one may find the tight deadlines stressful, the other may thrive on the adrenalin rush and love their work. People under stress often say they feel ‘thing are running away from them’, or ‘life is too fast’, or ‘they don’t have time to think.’

Learning the Alexander Technique can help you take control and assess a situation before you react. The practical techniques will get you into the moment, also known as ‘being in the now’. When we are focused and living in the moment, we appear to have more time to think and have the ability to choose how we respond to each situation we find ourselves in. Events don’t appear to get ahead of us, we think more clearly and can ultimately prevent excess adrenalin flooding our system.

Remember... stress is your reaction to a situation, not the situation itself.

How Acupuncture Can Help
Stress is a common complaint cited by acupuncture patients, with a variety of possible associated symptoms. The most prevalent of these is anxiety. However other conditions that stressed people frequently talk about are such as back pain, chronic pain, depression, headache, insomnia, migraines and neck pain.

There is little clinical research on stress per se apart from the above conditions. One study found that traditional acupuncture is just as effective as talking therapies and more effective than drugs for depression.

In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neuro-chemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body's homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being. Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress.

Acupuncture for back and neck pain is thought to provide pain relief stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, releasing endorphins and other substances in the nervous / hormonal system. It is believed to reduce inflammation by releasing vascular and immuno-modulatory factors, and also improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility - by increasing local micro-circulation.

For more information about stress or other conditions and how acupuncture can help, please see the British Acupuncture Council.

Our acupuncturists here at the Centre also happy to discuss with you any issues that you may have. For more information please see our page on acupuncture.

Winter is fast approaching and so the cold and flu season is starting to rear its ugly head. But while there is no ‘cure’ for the common cold or flu virus, did you know up to 48% of the population will visit their doctor expecting to be subscribed antibiotics for cold and flu symptoms, even though they won’t work!

Save yourself a trip to your GP and treat the symptoms with some practical self-help measures and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines (sold without a prescription).

Speak to your pharmacist first for advice on what is best for you. 3 out of 4 people don’t realise that pharmacists train for 5 years so they really can help you to ‘treat yourself better’.

You can visit www.treatyourselfbetter.co.uk for a day-by-day guide to cold and flu symptoms and self-treatment.

Antibiotics And Why They Don't Help Common Winter Ailments

Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections such as the common cold because they are only effective at treating bacterial infections. Through misuse and overuse, they are losing their effectiveness at an alarming rate, making antibiotics resistance one of the most significant emerging public health threats today. 

Antibiotics have been around since the 1920s. Prior to that, people would often die from bacterial infections, for which there were no effective treatments. Once the power of antibiotic treatments became clear, they were used extensively for decades without realising the consequences of overuse and misuse. This included being used to treat illnesses that patients would have been able to overcome by themselves, or even to treat conditions that cannot be helped with antibiotics. Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, had already warned as long ago as 1936 that misuse of penicillin could give rise to resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is caused when bacteria in our bodies begins to fight against antibiotics and can be lethal when we gain an infection. The rise of so-called antibiotic resistant superbugs has had health experts predicting that the problem could become bigger than cancer.

A bacterial population can double in size approximately every 20 minutes, so they can produce large populations in a very short time. According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest, bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics in a very short space of time. As a consequence they are able to evade being killed by antibiotics very quickly. Consequently many of the antibiotics we rely upon are ineffective, and people are once again dying due to simple infections.
​

What Can We Do About Antibiotic Resistance?​

Overcoming the threat of antibiotic resistance requires cooperation between patients, the general public, healthcare providers, farmers and policy makers around the world. It may feel like a huge task, but there are some very simple ways that each of us can help stop this global problem.

There are lots of simple things we can all do to try to and prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance:

• Wash your hands properly using soap regularly (antibacterial soap is probably no better than general purpose soaps, so don’t let the lack of one put you off!)
• Cover your mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing and dispose of the tissue immediately – if you don’t have time, cough into the crook of your elbow (don’t cough into your hand or keep a hanky in your pocket!)
• If your symptoms are mild (e.g. sore throat), give your body time to clear the infection naturally before visiting your GP – for a chest infection, this could be up to three weeks
• Don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics if you have a cold or the flu, or any other viral or fungal infections – and trust them if they say antibiotics will not work for your illness.
• Speak to your pharmacist first for advice on what is best for you. 3 out of 4 people don’t realise that pharmacists train for 5 years so they really can help you to ‘treat yourself better’. Visit www.treatyourselfbetter.co.uk for your day by day guide to cold and flu symptoms and self-treatment.
• Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider and keep taking them for as long as they are prescribed for, even if your symptoms clear up sooner
• Never borrow antibiotics or give them away to someone else, even if their symptoms are the same as yours
• Dispose of any old antibiotics properly (e.g. at a pharmacy)

You can find out more about Antibiotic overuse at http://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk

I see many golfers in my practice suffering from back pain. In this article we’ll look at one simple technique to help reduce stressing your back while swinging. Yes, there are exercises to condition your body for golf, but unfortunately, stronger muscles don’t necessary result in better technique.

A golfer at the top of their game is a beautiful sight, as science, art and skill combine to achieve what logically appears almost impossible. A thought creates a chemical reaction, translates into a billion electrical pulses, activates around 700 muscles and 206 bones to perform a miracle of coordination, organisation and implementation to achieve an expectation. If you catalogued each and every single action in this brief moment it would take months, but you can do it in a second. When it works well, it feels so simple, easy and immensely satisfying. When it doesn’t, it seems like each part of your body is doing its own thing in conflict with every other part.

If the ball doesn’t go where you intended, forget it about, you’ll have another shot to put things right shortly. But if your back goes out, then it’s game over for the day, or worse, for much longer.

So why the difference? What works so well one moment and not the next?

It only takes a tiny amount of inappropriate activity in one seemingly insignificant muscle to upset your coordination, that in turn, places stress on another muscle that is not up to the job. Unfortunately, the majority of us don’t have the degree of sensitivity or self-awareness to notice the small differences from one shot to the next that affects coordination.

Let’s look at one of the many variables that can affect your swing and potentially strain the back.

Do you clench your jaw just before you swing? Would you notice? It’s probably not on your list of things to do, but I see many golfers doing it in preparation. Does it matter? If you unknowingly do this to prepare, it changes the dynamics of your swing. I say ‘unknowingly’ because it could well be clenching your jaw has become a habit. If it’s a habit, you won’t know you’re doing it, and therefore you can’t control it.

Tightening the jaw stiffens the neck. Neck muscles are hugely influential in coordination, so even the slightest tension can compromise movement – just like applying the handbrake before driving.

Try this. Relax your jaw and face, feel the release flow down your neck, shoulders, into your hands, down the back and legs and into the floor. See how much this can free up the swing. Allow your nervous system to contract and release your muscles at the right time to take the strain out of the shot. Now see what if feels like when you clench the jaw. What impact does this have on your body? Is it tight or free? Spend a second to implement this simple technique and your back will thank you for it – and you could also see the ball fly straighter!
 
Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and author of Golf Sense: Practical Tips On How To Play Golf In The Zone.  

​As it is migraine awareness month, Jane explains how children are just as susceptible. 10% of children are affected by migraine, both boys and girls and it can have an enormous impact on their lives. As well as the physical pain and discomfort some migraine symptoms can be quite frightening, especially when they happen for the first time.

Many children miss school because of an episode of migraine. This can leave a child feeling frustrated and feeling ‘different’. Their education may also suffer especially if they find it difficult to catch up on missed lesson particularly when attacks happen regularly.  Other children can experience ‘weekend migraine’, where the headache is brought on by relaxing at the end of the week. This can affect activities with family and friends, and so may begin to affect their social life which might lead to feelings of low self-esteem.

Once migraines are diagnosed they can be treated with a similar range of medications as adults, both in an acute attack and if frequent as preventers. However, there are things which parents or carers can do to help children cope, by making lifestyle changes and generally being more aware. 

​Here are some helpful tips:

1. Tiredness and yawning,
2. Muscle pain,
3. Pale complexion, 
4. A child becoming quieter or more irritable,
5. Confusion,
6. Food cravings
7. So you may find your child withdrawing from bright lights, or taking themselves to bed, or they may report feeling sick, or rubbing their forehead.

• Help your child to manage their condition, making them more confident about controlling their condition. Encourage them to take their medication early or tell you how they are feeling early before the pain becomes severe and therefore takes longer to get under control.
• By taking steps to manage attacks in childhood may help them to manage the condition in adult life, and setting up ‘migraine –friendly’ routines when a child is young may help to prevent the condition from manifesting as they get older.
• Relaxation techniques can help reduce the physical tension.
• In some cases as an adjunct to management and prevention,  manual treatment by osteopaths and physios can be helpful, particularly when the trigger may be coming from neck and shoulder tension, as can acupuncture.

If you would like more information please see www.migrainetrust.org/young-sufferers
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