Self help to prevent a stiff neck

In part 1, I shared details of supplements that may help alleviat ethe winter blues.  In this blog post I want to share other lifestyle tips. 1. Exercise If you suffer from winter blues it is likely that your GP would perscribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).  This is the standard drug to treat depression and one of medicines all time bestsellers.  Researches compared aerobic exercise aginst the Lustral (SSRI sertaline) foudn that exercise and the drug were equally effective at reducing depressive symptioms.  But only exercise had long lasting effects.  Of the patients declared free of depression at the end of the study, those who had been in the exercise only-group were less likely to see their depression return during the next 6 months. 2. Eat Fish If you love fish like I do, then science says you are less likely to get depressed.   In one study women who ate fish two or more times per week where less likley to get depressed than those who ate fish less often.  It is thought the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are responisble for lifting mood.  A number of studies have found that omega-3 supplements have a significant antidepressant effect. 3. St John's Wort A herb commonly used in Germany to treat mild depression.  Scientists have established that not only better is the herb better than a placebo its as effective as an antidepressant. References Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Moore KA, Craighead WE, Herman S, Khatri P, Waugh R, Napolitano MA, Forman LM, Appelbaum M, Doraiswamy PM, Krishnan KR. Effects of exercise training on older patients with major depression. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 25;159(19):2349-56. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, Watkins L, Hoffman BM, Barbour KA, Herman S, Craighead WE, Brosse AL, Waugh R, Hinderliter A, Sherwood A. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007 Sep-Oct;69(7):587-96. Babyak M, Blumenthal JA, Herman S, Khatri P, Doraiswamy M, Moore K, Craighead WE, Baldewicz TT, Krishnan KR. Exercise treatment for major depression: maintenance of therapeutic benefit at 10 months. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct;62(5):633-8.

First let me reassure you if you haven't been to us before that we don't do any unnecessary nakedness.  If you want you can wear gym shorts but it is no necessary. On your first visit you will be asked to fill out a consultation form and we will discuss why you booked.  At the start of subsequent treatments we may ask you about your response to our last treatment or if there has been a long gap, your reason for booking.  If there has been a significant gap we may ask you to fill out a consultation form again, especially if it has been archived. While we are all able to use oils, we tend to use a sports wax as it doesn't stain your clothes and it is odorless and one brand we use is nut free too. During the massage we will use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms to treat you.  You may be asked to breathe deeply as we works on tense areas.  Most of our clients want deep pressure.  However there are times when we need to use a lighter sustained pressure on some restrictions to achieve a myofascial release. We may get you to move position on the massage bed to give us better access to certain muscles or to treat the opposing muscle.  For example, if we have worked on your upper back we may need to open up your chest, particularly your pec muscles. We may stretch your muscles ourselves or ask you to move your body in a certain way to stretch it or to see how it reacts to the movement.      

Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries, which involves trauma to the ankle ligament.  A sprain occurs when one or more of your ligaments have been stretched, twisted or torn, usually as a result of excessive force being applied to a joint.  They often occur if you change direction or speed suddenly, fall and land awkwardly or collide with an object or person – such as when playing sports. If you have ever sprained your ankle, then you will probably remember the initial pain, the considerable swelling and bruising.  The swelling from a sprain will often occur soon after the injury, but the bruising may not show until later or it may not show at all. Bruising can sometimes occur some distance from the affected joint, as blood from the damaged tissue seeps along the muscles and around the joint before coming close to the skin. It should be noted that ankle sprains take at least 12 weeks to heal. When to visit your GP? Most ankle sprains are relatively minor and can be cared for by self-treatment.  However, you should visit  your GP if you think you have a sprain and:

• the pain is particularly severe
• you cannot move the injured joint or muscle
• you cannot put any weight on the injured limb, or it gives way when you try to use it
• the injured area looks crooked or has unusual lumps or bumps (other than swelling)
• you have numbness, discolouration or coldness in any part of the injured area
• the symptoms have not started to improve within a few days of self-treatment

• Rest your ankle.
• Ice (wrap ice cubes in a tea towel) and hold over the ankle for 5 - 20 minutes every 2 hours for 2-3 days, then daily for the next 3 days.
• You can then bandage the ankle in a figure 8 with the heel in the centre of the figure 8, with a compression or elastic bandage.
• Finally you should elevate your ankle to reduce the blood flow to the area, for the first 24 hours.

• Circle your ankle clockwise repeat 3 times
• Circle your ankle anti-clockwise repeat 3 times
• Lie down on your back, point your foot and your toes and then bend your foot up the ceiling and the same time straighten your toes - repeat 3 times.
• Now sit on a char and draw the alphabet in the air with your foot this will move your ankle full a range of movement.
• Once you have your full range of movement back, then you can start increasing your proprioception.  You can stand on a pillow on one leg (your affected ankle), and build up the time until you feel that you stability is the same in both your legs.