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Reflexology and Pain Management – Part 1
Pain is a fact of life, it is a necessary part of being human. Pain is a universal experience that serves the vital function of triggering avoidance. Pain is not a simple sensory experience, it can occur even in the absence of tissue damage. It involves emotional, social and cognitive beliefs. The four pillars of pain include
- Peripheral nervous system or the movement system
- Autonomic system, composing the sympathetic, parasympathetic, hormonal and visceral systems
- Central nervous system
- Psycho-emotional aspects, such as stress, anxiety, fear, social life and memory of pain.

Reflexology: Scientific Evidence of it’s effects physiological anxiety signs
Recently a scientific study (see details below) was published which evaluated the physiological anxiety signs and sedation needs of patients in intensive care units in a Turkish hospital.
Background It is an accepted medical fact that when it is necessary to mechanically ventilate patients in intensive care units of hospitals, the patients experience stress and anxiety. It is standard medical practice to relieve anxiety, pain, agitation with sedatives to ensure patient comfort. Sedatives however also have side effects causing high blood pressure, slow heart beat, coma, respiratory depression, muscle weakness and atrophy, increased risk of pneumonia, kidney problems and immunosuppression. It may also prolong the need for ventilation which in turn increases the risk of complications. Method 60 patients were split into two groups one of which was the control group. Sedation (Propofol) was reduced 30 min before treatment (or no treatment) which resulted in patients with mixed consciousness to which the outcome measure was administered. This was the American Association of critical care nurses sedation assessment scale (AACNSAS) and the vital signs recorded. Reflexology applied to ears, hands and feet bilaterally was given twice a day for a total of 30 minutes per day, over 5 days. The reflexology focussed on the brain, cortex, hypothalamus, hypophysis and subcortex; areas though to influence anxiety, agitation and stress response. No reflexology was given to the control group but the sedation was reduced and all the same measurements were taken. Results The physiological signs of anxiety and stress i.e. blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate were are reduced in the group that received reflexology on each of the 5 days. In addition there was a reduction in the requirement for sedatives in the group that received reflexology. Conclusions These findings ‘show that reflexology is an effective treatment in reducing the physiological signs of anxiety and stress in patients receiving mechanically ventilated support.’ This study provides scientific evidence to underpin the idea that reflexology has a beneficial effect on anxiety and stress.Title: Reflexology: It’s effects on Physiological Anxiety Signs and Sedation Needs Journal: Holistic Nursing Practioner Authors: E. Korhan, L. Khorshid, M Uyar Reference: 2014; 28 (1);6-23 Study Type: Randomised Controlled Trial - with control group receiving no treatment 
The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 4
In part 1, I looked at the impact of sitting on your muscles, and in part 2 generally explored the impact on the rest of your body. In part 3 I focused on the impact of sitting on your circulatory system including your heart. In this article I will explore the impact of sedentary behaviour (sitting) and the link to cancer.
So how common is cancer? According to Cancer Research UKAnd here is the good news is more people survive cancer than die from it now.- Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.
- 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
- Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cancers each year.
- Overall cancer incidence rates in Great Britain have increased by more than a third since the mid-1970s, with almost this entire rise occurring before the late 1990s.
- 46% of men and 54% of women cancer patients diagnosed in 2010-2011 in England and Wales are predicted to survive 10 or more years.
- Cancer survival in the UK has doubled in the last 40 years.

