5o Shades of Pain

50 Shades of Pain

Pain is pain, right? Wrong!  Pain can come in a variety of situations, can feel very different and can be slight or severe.  One person’s experience of pain is often very different from another’s.  There are many factors that affect how a person experiences and reacts to pain ranging from their previous experiences of pain to their psychological state at the time they are suffering.

Different structures in the body cause different types of pain.  For example, pain of a muscular origin will behave in a fairly predictable way.  We are all familiar with muscular pain after a long walk or a hard session at the gym and we know that the pain and stiffness is often worse the second day but that it is then likely to ease quickly after that.

Most people will be able to differentiate stomach ache from back pain and neck pain from a headache but there are some types of pain that are hard to tie down.  People often struggle to put their finger on exactly where the pain is in certain shoulder problems.  They know it hurts but can’t quite work out exactly where.

We have all bashed our funny bone at one time or another (which is actually our ulnar nerve, not a bone) and have therefore experienced radiating pain.  Once the nerve is irritated we experience pain, tingling and some numbness in the little and ring fingers despite the fact that nothing has happened to those fingers.  This is because the nerve impulses are interrupted at the elbow and the signals that arrive in the brain are interpreted as pain and altered sensation.

We can also experience referred pain from organs that are suffering in a completely different place to where the organ is.  People who have heart attacks experience pain in their left arm and their throat neither of which overlie the structure of the heart.  The gallbladder, which sits just underneath the liver, can refer pain to the tip of the right shoulder and problems with the function of the lower back and pelvis can be mistaken for knee pain or groin pain.

Often symptoms we see in the clinic are made up of several different aspects and types of pain.  For example, many people we see complaining of lower back pain find they have quite a sharp pain in a very specific area of their back but also have a constant ache in a larger, more diffuse area and stiffness when they try to move.  This may well be because the affected joint in the back is inflamed and therefore causes acute pain when the joint moves whilst the muscles surrounding the area are very tight from trying to protect the joint and cause the aching pain and stiffness.

By finding out which pain is which we can create a much better understanding of the problem and in doing so provide much better and accurately targeted treatment to get rid of the pain.  Once the pain is gone you are free to do … whatever you want with your body!

Breaking News….Exercise is Good for you …. Imagine That!

Breaking News …. Exercise is Good for You … Imagine That!

In the news today new research is telling us that inactivity is responsible for almost as many deaths each year as smoking!  That’s about 5.3 million deaths worldwide per year.

We have always known that exercise is good for us.  Plato said “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it”. But too often we hear excuses for not doing exercise such as not having time or enough money.

I suspect that also people have become scared of exercise, that is to say that when they think of exercise they think of gyms, Lycra and top class athletes that they must emulate.  They see themselves and think “I can’t be like them, I’m so unfit that I couldn’t possibly even get started!”

But we don’t have to run for miles, pump iron in the gym, join a triathlon club or buy a step machine.  If we look at the current health guidelines we should be doing two and a half hours of moderate intensity, aerobic and muscular strengthening exercise.  That equates to less than 26 minutes per day spread over the week.

Exercise can mean anything that raises the heart rate and gets you a bit out of breath.  Walking the dog, going up stairs, gardening, playing with children and even sex all count as exercise.  In fact for human beings exercise as we know it these days is quite an alien concept.  After all sitting still whilst driving several miles to the gym then running on the spot on a treadmill going nowhere for half an hour is completely nuts if you think about it!

According to the Lancet it is about using the body that we have in the way it was designed, which is to walk often, run sometimes, and move in ways where we physically exert ourselves regularly whether that is at work, at home, in transport to and from places, or during leisure time in our daily lives.

So let’s try to think about exercise in a different way.  What if you went for a walk in the evening for twenty minutes, ten minutes from the house and back?  Throughout the working week you would have done an hour and forty minutes exercise already.  Add to that walking up the stairs in the car park rather than taking the lift on Saturday afternoon in town and a bit of vigorous weeding in the garden on Sunday and you are just about there.

People often see exercise as a way to lose weight or get fit for the summer but let’s start to see it for what it should be – for health.  Exercise helps to make your heart stronger, helps to prevent many cancers, tones up muscles preventing back and neck pain and can really help to relieve stress and depression and ultimately helps you live a longer, healthier life.

So let’s all get outside a bit – especially if the weather is about to get better as they promise.  Make a small change and see the benefits – you can always make more changes later.  Let’s get healthier!

BUPA’s Plans to Change Osteopathy

BUPA’s Changes and How They Affect You

In April this year, Bupa announced that they are changing the arrangements for osteopaths who treat members of Bupa. The conditions in the new contract are so onerous, that many osteopaths are planning to withdraw from offering consultations under Bupa cover.

Even if you are currently covered for treatment by your own osteopath under Bupa, there is no guarantee that this will continue and the number of osteopaths accepting Bupa insurance in your area may well be severely reduced.

Bupa’s new terms & conditions will mean that, in future, you may not be able to choose the osteopath you wish to see.

So why is this happening?

There are several areas that these changes affect…

Fees

Bupa is offering to pay below the present fee scales for many osteopaths, especially in the London & the Southeast where the costs of running a practice are higher. They are also preventing patients from making up the difference between their present osteopath’s fees & what Bupa is
prepared to pay – i.e. they are not allowing patients to “top up” the fees.

Administration

The new requirements will mean a massive increase in the amount of time that your osteopath has to spend in filling in forms for Bupa about your claim, your diagnosis, the treatment that you receive & your response to that treatment. This will cut down the time your osteopath has to do what they do best – treating patients such as yourself.

Treatment

Osteopaths treat patients as individuals. Although your osteopath may diagnose that you have a particular problem, the treatment they provide to each patient is as unique as you are. We believe that your osteopath, having taken a case history and performed an examination, is in the best position to decide the treatment that you need. Without knowing you or ever having seen you as a patient, Bupa is trying to dictate what treatment your osteopath is allowed to give you.

No osteopath wants to stop providing treatment under your cover, but many feel that these changes make it impossible for them to give you the care you need.

For more information follow this link http://www.save-osteopathy-on-bupa.org/

In Search of Fitness ….. TRX

TRX

In Search of Fitness …. TRX

I did not do this!

The Seven Ages of Back Pain

The Seven Ages of Back Pain

The lower back works hard when we lift and we all know that we should be lifting correctly but sometimes it’s just not that easy especially when children are concerned!

1. During pregnancy – As the baby grows your centre of gravity begins to shift and the core muscles get stretched making it more difficult for them to support the lower back during the lifting process.  Extra laxity in the ligaments also means that the lower back and pelvis is in danger of having an acute episode.  Common areas of pain are to one side of the spine or at the top of the buttock.2. With a newborn – When the baby is small you would imagine that lifting is easy but there is a lot of paraphernalia that goes with a newborn.  The pram, the changing bag, the car seat, not to mention bending to the cot or Moses basket to pick up a distressed child.  Then there is the carrying – all parents will know the subconscious and mildly disturbing rocking that occurs (even when you are not holding the baby).  Holding even a very light infant for prolonged periods of time is very hard work for the muscles of the arms, shoulders, neck and back especially if you are not accustomed to doing so.

3. Pre-toddlers – The baby is getting his or her personality and becoming heavier as they are eating more solid food and building their own muscles by learning to crawl and stand.  The lifting required has also changed.  Heavier lifting and often from the floor (or under the table!) means that it may not be possible to get in the correct position to lift making it more likely that your back will suffer.

4. Toddlers – Even heavier and now a new challenge … walking and running.  This means you have to keep an eye on them at all times and often have to grab them before they run off in the street or bolt for the hot cup of coffee.  Now your body ends up contorting itself wildly to halt a weighty, fast moving child – recipe for disaster in back terms.

5. Pre-school – Hopefully the children will now be a little more obedient and are not so prone to running off and due to their walking ability and weight lifting becomes heavier but more infrequent and of shorter duration.  Up onto the kitchen counter to put a plaster on a skinned knee and up over country gates when required.  Cuddles are done sitting down though hauling a child up onto your lap from the ground can put an enormous strain on the sacro-iliac joints in the pelvis.

6. School Years – Lifting of children is seldom required now but there are bikes to get in and out of the boot of the car and play fights to have on the living room floor.  The child is too heavy to lift now apart from the odd piggy back when its really muddy or way past bed time.  There is also more time now to get back into the sports and activities you used to do but remember you have not done them for quite a long time and adjust the intensity and duration of the exercise accordingly.

7. Grandparents – Far from being immune from the pain children can cause to a back the grandparents can be in even more danger if they are not around all the time.  Children grow quickly and if you don’t lift them regularly your back will not be ‘match fit’ and the shock to the back and neck can be significant when an excited child launches themselves at you upon arrival at your house.

Fortunately, at Back to Health we understand the pain being a parent can cause. And we can help you get back to being pain free – as you like it!

Odd Things You Can Do With Your Body # 2

ODD THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR BODY # 2

Win an Arm-wrestle

When challenging somebody to an arm-wrestle it helps to have an edge.  Try this with somebody who is clearly stronger than you.

It is best to arm-wrestle at a low table for this to work best.  You need to stimulate an acupuncture point on your ankle on the same side as the arm you are wrestling with.  For this example we will assume you are wrestling with your right hand.

With your left hand put your finger tip on the point in the midline on the front of the right ankle in the crease.

Stimulate this point by rubbing firmly with your finger throughout the arm-wrestle.  This should make your right arm very strong and make it much more difficult for your opponent to beat you even if they are much stronger than you.

A word of warning – this does not work when you have been drinking!

The acupuncture meridian point on the stomach meridian (Stomach 41) is the tonification point for that meridian.  This means that all muscles on that meridian will be strengthened by stimulating that point.The muscles used during an arm-wrestle are associated with the stomach meridian and are therefore strengthened by stimulating that point.Meridians also have a sedation point which weakens all those muscles thus making it even easier to beat your opponent …. but that’s another story.

Odd Things You Can Do With Your Body # 1

Make your arms float

Deltoid Muscle

Pilates and Back Pain

PILATES AND BACK PAIN

Many people that we see in the clinic suffering from back pain, neck pain or any other musculo-skeletal ailment often have an underlying cause for their imbalance.  If the body is not capable of holding itself efficiently then it cannot function properly.  Pilates helps to address the underlying structural imbalances in the body.

We often talk to them about Pilates or Core Strength exercises and can guide them through some simple ways to improve their core strength.  This helps them back to optimal spinal health.

STRUCTURE OF THE CORE

The core is essentially defined by the abdominal wall, the spinal musculature, the pelvic floor and the diaphragm.  In other words, the area below the ribs down to the hips is your core.  There are many muscles that are essential for movement and good posture within this area and Pilates helps you to work on these.

POSTURE

People often talk about posture and think they have poor posture.  What they mean is their ability to align all of the different parts of their body properly.  Good function is more than this though because we don’t often stand still.  We need good alignment or good posture whenever we move.  We need a good dynamic posture.  This allows the body to function normally and allows it to perform daily tasks more efficiently.

CORE STRENGTH

The muscles which are largely forgotten are often the most important.  Many of us wish we didn’t have a flabby tummy but instead wish we had a flat “six pack”.  This leads us to hold our tummies in using our six pack muscles (rectus abdominis).  Unfortunately, the muscles we should be using are much deeper than this and cannot readily be seen. Developing core strength allows the correct muscles to be strong and work together well.  It allows them to work to their optimum level at the right time.

FLEXIBILITY

By increasing the efficiency of the body’s movement and reducing the strain on the spine and joints we give our body the chance to become more flexible.  It no longer has to work to hold you back from potential injury but can stretch confidently, in the right direction, supported correctly by the other muscles and can achieve better flexibility.

BACK PAIN

Because we sit for hours in front of computers or do lots of lifting in our jobs we put a great deal of strain on our body without providing it with the strength to be able to cope with those demands.  We also ask it to perform tasks outside of work that are totally different to the ones it is used to doing.  For example, commonly people sit at the desk all week then go and dig the garden at the weekend.  Consequently many people suffer greatly with back pain.

Pilates is a brilliant way to give your body the strength it needs so you can have the freedom to function efficiently.

Trolley Dash to the Osteopath

TROLLEY DASH TO THE OSTEOPATH

Recent conversations with patients have alerted us to the fact that many people may be putting unnecessary strain on their backs whilst doing the weekly shop.  The problems, apart from lifting heavy items into and out of the car stem from the way they push the trolley.

If you watch most people in the supermarket they will haul the trolley around to the side when they get to the end of the aisle.  This involves planting both feet on the floor and rotating the trolley to the right or left until it is pointing in the right direction whilst trying to maintain forward momentum and avoid people coming the other way.

This rotational movement puts a lot of strain through the sacro-iliac joints in the lower back/pelvis region and strain of these joints can produce severe, one-sided pain in the lower back.  This is a very common complaint amongst our new patients and fortunately osteopathy can be very helpful in relieving this type of back pain.  However, this can be eliminated by stopping, revolving the trolley on the spot until it is pointing in the right direction then moving off again.

In order to help avoid making your shopping trip more painful here are our top tips for pain free shopping;

1. 1. Use the trolley correctly – when you get to the end of the aisle stop the trolley and walk around it holding the handle until you are pointing in the right direction then push off again.  This will avoid putting too much strain on the lower back.
2. 2. Distribute the weight better – Most of us fill the far end of the trolley with fruit and vegetables first (as they are usually at the front of the supermarket).  This means that the trolley will be harder to manoeuvre.  Try putting the fruit and veg in the middle of the trolley, leaving space at the near end for heavy items and space at the front for lighter things.
3. 3. Buy heavy things online – If your weekly shop includes pre-packaged heavy items, get them delivered.  Typical examples include bottles of water, tinned products and alcohol.  When you next visit the supermarket you will only need to buy the light, fresh products and may only need a small trolley.
4. 4. Ask for assistance – most large supermarkets would be happy to provide a member of staff to help you pack your shopping and help you to the car with it if you are having difficulty.  If you have back pain or you feel it is very heavy ask the cashier if they would get someone to help.
5. 5. Spread the load – when you get home in the car get family members to help unload the car.  They may not like it but it’ll get done much more quickly!

By following these tips we can’t guarantee you will enjoy the weekly shop but hopefully you will avoid back pain.

Shin Splints