Is exercise beneficial for Neck & Shoulder pain?
The first reaction when we are in pain is often to take a painkiller. I know from experience in clinic, when that the painkiller stops working that is when our clients book a massage. But would exerise help? To me it is counter-intuitive to exercise when in pain so I was interested in a recent study that looked into this.
A study of 176 people investigated if the standard Fustra20Neck&Back exercise programme (scroll to bottom for full details) for reducing pain and increasing fitenss of office workers with neck or lower back pain works. All the participants sat for at least 6 hours a day at a desk and had experienced at least 2 episodes of moderate pain in the last month before the study started. The study participants included both men and women between 30 – 50 years old. Half were asigned to the exericse group and half to the control group. The exercise group carried out the Fustra20Neck&Back exercise programme for 1 hour twice a week for 10 weeks.
More than 90% of the particpants in the exercise group found that the intensity of the pain and fequency of the pain decreased significantly. Improvements in neck & shoulder flexibility and quality of life were also recorded. However there was no significant differences in lower back pain.
Reference
Fustra20Neck&Back exercise programme
The programme comprised a 10 minute aerobic warm-up on a cross-trainer. Then 10 functional flexibility exercises, four strength exercises, five core exercises and a 10 minute cool down.
Click below to see the 10 functional exercises for your shoulders.
Click below to see the strenght and core exercises.
Related Posts
More factors that contribute to muscle cramps
Previously I discussed how dehydration & lack of sodium or potassium may cause muscle cramps. I now want to explore other nutritional factors. Calcium Calcium plays an essential role in muscle contractions. Some active people report their problem with cramping disappears when they boost their calcium intake. This anecdotal evidence is disputed by scientists who state that when dietary deficiencies of of calcium occur, calcium is released from the bones to provide what the body needs for proper muscle contraction. If you are plagued by muscle cramps, it may be worth trying to increase your intake of dairy or other calcium rich foods to see if it helps. Magnesium Just as muscles need calcium to contract they need magnesium to relax. Roffe et al demonstrated that magnesium helps reduce leg cramps that occur in the middle of the night.
Reference
Roffe C1, Sills S, Crome P, Jones P (2002), Randomised, cross-over, placebo controlled trial of magnesium citrate in the treatment of chronic persistent leg cramps. Med Sci Monit. 2002 May;8(5): p326-30.
This one if for my fellow women – sorry guys! Part 2
Following on from part 1 on how to treat unirary tract infections naturally here are more tips. Probiotics In a study of postmenopausal women prone to UTIs, a probiotic supplement containting Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobascillus reuteri RC-14 cut the number of recurrences by around 50% over a yea. The "good guy" bacteria were almost as effective as antibiotics and they had the advantage of not leading to drug resistant bacteria which may happen with antibiotics. Probiotics also seem to help prevent UTI when use as vaginal suppositories. Ulva Ursi There is evidence to suggest the herby may reduce the duration of a UTI when one strikes. The German Federal Institue for Drugs and Medical devices approves the herb for treatment of UTIs. In one clinical trial, supplements containing standardized extracts of uva ursi as well as dandelion root taken for 1 month effectively prevented UTIs over the following year. Vitamin C Vitamin C may help prevent and treat UTIs by acidifying the urine, creating a hostile environment for infection - causing bacteria. In a study of preganty women, those given daily supplements including 100mg vitamin C experienced significantly fewer UTIs than women given supplements without vitamin C. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22782199 https://www.southampton.ac.uk/ctu/news/2018/04/20-atafuti-trial-protocol-publication.page https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X05802048?via%3Dihub https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c199 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17611821
Tips for a healthy large intestine
Following on from my bowel health checklist. I want to focus on the large intestine whose job is to take all the remaining water and nutrients our any any food that comes its way and turn whats left into compact stools. When things start going wrong with your large intestine, you usually get inflamation and this can lead to a range of symptoms including:
- Stomach pain
- Cramps
- Bloating
- Flatulence
- frequent diarrhoea or constipation
