fl1admin, Author at Vitality Therapy

Self help to prevent a stiff neck

Previously I shared my produced for how to treat a stiff neck. In this blog post I want to share my tips for on prevention of stiff necks for those that are prone to them. Firstly, make sure you practice proper posture regardless of what you’re doing, such as positioning computer monitor at eye level and moving your neck frequently when driving to ensure your muscles remain nimble. Secondly, if you notice your neck muscles start to tight as you do core exercises then place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth to assit your neck muscles to relax. Produces for Stiff Neck Prevention

1. Roll your shoulders backwards and down 10 times. 2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times. 3. Place your hands at the back of your head and push into them, then hold for 30 seconds. 4. Tilt your head shoulder to shoulder 10 times on each side.

Introduction to magnesium

Of all supplements right now there seems to be a buzz around magnesium so I wanted to explore its role in the body. I first became aware of magnesium over a decade ago when my nutritionalist put me being a chocoholic down to a lack of magnesium. It's then that I discovered that magnesium can ease PMS and chocolate is a good source of magnesium. So for all women out there that eat chocolate at certain times of the month, like I used to, don't beat yourself up, it may be like me and your body is crying out for magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that is not just important for the body it is ubiquitous. It is crucial to:

Nerve transmission
Muscle contraction
Blood coagulation
Energy production
Nutrient metabolism
Bone and cell formation

People get magnesium from their diet, but sometimes magnesium supplements are needed if magnesium levels are too low. Dietary intake of magnesium may be low, particularly among women. Magnesium deficiency is also not uncommon among African Americans and the elderly. Low magnesium levels in the body have been linked to diseases such a:

osteoporosis
high blood pressure
clogged arteries
hereditary heart disease
diabetes
strokes

Foods that are high in fiber are generally high in magnesium. Magnesium is also found in chocolate, diary products, meats and “hard” water or water with a high mineral content.

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.

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.

And here is the good news is more people survive cancer than die from it now.

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.

The Link Between Cancer & Inactivity Last year in a meta-analysis, Daniela Schmid and Michael F. Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany analyzed 43 observational studies, amounting to more than 4 million people’s answers to questions about their sitting behavior and cancer incidences. The researchers examined close to 70,000 cancer cases and found that sitting is associated with a 24% increased risk of colon cancer, a 32% increased risk of endometrial cancer, and a 21% increased risk of lung cancer. D Schmid & MF Leitzmann, 2014, Sedentary behaviour insreases the risk of certain cancers, Journal of National Institute of Cancer, Volume 106, No 7. see http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/106/7/dju206.full The really bad news is that your can't exercise away the harmful effects, "Adjustment for physical activity did not affect the positive association between sedentary behavior and cancer" write Schmid & Leitzmann. Even participants who achieved the daily recommended levels of physical activity were at the same risk as those who spent their day sitting. One theory as to why this is the case, is that regular movement boosts natural antioxidants that kill cell-damaging and potentially cancer-causing free radicals, another theory is that the excess insulin encourages cell growth. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to cells for energy. But cells in idle muscles don't respond as readily to insulin, so the pancreas produces more and more. A 2011 study by Stephens et al found a decline in insulin response after just one day of prolonged sitting. Stephens et al, 2001, Effects of 1 day of inactivity on insulin action in healthy men and women: interaction with energy intake, Metabolism Volume 60, No 7 pages 941 - 949. see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002604951000315X

Does nature restore you? – Part 1

A few years ago now, I moved to London and one of my concerns about moving to London was that I would loose easy access to open green spaces. I have always found that walking through natural green spaces which feel very open have always had a restorative affect on my mental health and general sense of well-being. I know that now I live in London I am very lucky to live within walking distance of Blackheath, so I can still get my "nature top up". My reaction to nature, made me wonder if their is any scientific evidence of the benefits of nature on health. A narrative review from Mount Royal University in Canada looked at how contact with nature could help the emotional & mental well-being of cancer survivors. Researches were encouraged by findings that concluded nature could have a positive impact on the well-being of cancer survivors. Gladwell et al show that lunchtime walks in nature-based environments may provide a greater restorative effect and may improve essential recovery during night-time sleep, potentially enhancing physiological health. While it may be difficult to take a nature-based walk at lunchtime, it is much easier in the summer to take one in the evening. For those of you that may be thinking, "walking through parks is all very well for you Joanne, but where am I going to find the time for that!". Please read on... In 201o researched in the UK looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem from green exercise. (Green exercise is defined as activity such as walking, cycling, running, climbing etc in nature). The study found the strongest impact was in young people and just five minutes of green exercises can boost mental health. References Ray H and Jakubec SL (2014) Nature based experiences and health of cancer survivors, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20(4): 188 - 192 Gladwell, V.F.; Kuoppa, P.; Tarvainen, M.P.; Rogerson, M. A Lunchtime Walk in Nature Enhances Restoration of Autonomic Control during Night-Time Sleep: Results from a Preliminary Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 280. Barton J and Pretty J (2010) What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44 (10), pp 3947–3955

Factors that contribute to Muscle Cramps

I know those of you that have had a muscle cramp or spasm may be fearful of it reoccurring. So I know what to explore some of the contributing factors to muscle cramps. The aim of this is by minimising the contributing factors you will reduce the likely hood of getting muscle cramps. Dehydration Muscle cramps commonly coincide with dehydration. So good hydration before, during and after exercise is important, especially if the exercise exceeds one hour. So how much should you drink? Hydration guidelines are personal but the goal is to prevent excessive weight loss i.e. >2% of body weight. You can weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much fluid you have lost through sweat. One litre of water weight 2.25 pounds. Depending upon on the amount of exercise, temperature, humidity, body weight and other factors you can loose anywhere from 0.4 to 1.8 litres per hour. A good rule of thumb is to always drink enough fluids so that your urine is clear, pale yellow & copious. Electrolytes Sodium & potassium are the major components of sweat. So anyone who exercises hard for more than four hours in heat such as marathon runners, triathletes, tennis players etc should replace the lost electrolytes. While a lack of sodium and potassium may contribute to muscle cramps, it should be noted that a potassium deficiency is unlikely as your body contains more potassium than even a marathon runner might lose during a hot, sweaty race. However you can rule out this as an issue by eating potassium rich foods such as bananas and oranges on a daily basis. Replacing the sodium lost during sweaty exercise is vital and this can be done by having an endurance sport drink or a salty snack.

Spiritual Connection

The holistic approach has the view that we are spiritual beings in physical bodies; that we take on our physical form at our birth and return to the spiritual dimension after out death. It is important to get ourselves out of the hurly-burly of everyday life and to expand our state of awareness and consciousness by becoming more away or our own spiritual nature. People often suffer without realising it, from longing to connect to their own spiritual nature. Religious belief, prayer and meditation are the most well-known way to expand out awareness, consciousness and reconnect with our spiritual nature. Often it is an intense shock of a diagnosis of a life threatening disease e.g. cancer that awakens people to the reality of their spiritual connection. For the rest of us, there are often fleeting moment of spiritual connection when we are in nature, when we meditate, when we pray or experience moment of intense joy, beauty or pain. Others feel the reality of the spiritual dimension through experiencing the loving presence of a loved one who has passed away, spirit guides or divine beings. The purpose of mediums is try to contact this spiritual dimension to provide evidence of life after death. For the skeptics amongst you Michael Newton's books the Journey of Souls and the Destiny of Souls may provide more evidence to support the idea of life after death and a the concept that we are spiritual beings in physical bodies. Buddhists and Yogis believe that the material world and even our emotions are the illusion and that the spiritual dimension is the only reality. They maintain that our preoccupation with the material world stops us from experiencing the bliss and freedom of the spiritual dimension. For myself, I believe we very much live in this material world with jobs to do, children to parent and bills to pay so I always try to have my feet firmly routed here on earth. While I am not religious, I find being aware of my spiritual self and actively trying to increase my spiritual connection as it nourishes me and give me a sense of perspective and peach of mind which I find reassuring in my everyday life. So while my feet are firmly routed here on earth my head is in heaven.

Yet more scientific evidence of the benefits of chair massage

A number of studies have identified that nurses experience a range of symptoms indicative of work related stress including

Headaches
Shoulder tension
Fatigue
Muscle and joint pain

All of which can lead to more long term problems or dissatisfaction at work, absenteeism or burn out. An study looked at the "feasibility of chair massage during the work hours of nurses in impatient and out patient settings and its effects on stress-related symptoms". A total of 38 nurses received a weekly 15 minute chair massage treatment once a week for 10 weeks. All the nurses were assessed prior to the study at 5 weeks and then at 10 weeks for

Overall quality of life
Self-perceived levels of stress
Anxiety
Symptoms relating to anxiety

Scored produced by all four measurements showed that compared with prior to intervention, symptoms improved at 5 weeks and improved even further at 10 weeks, with the results were most noticeable in those nurses working longer hours (12 hour shifts). 92 percent of the nurses made positive comments in relation to

improvements in sleeping
reduction in pain, stress and tension
reduction in headaches

78% reported that their overall job satisfaction had improved and 60% showed a willingness to pay for chair massages if they were made available at work. Researchers concluded that "offering chair massages for nurses during work hours, while challenging because of busy schedules reduced stress related symptoms significantly and was highly appreciated by the nurses." Book your chair massage now >> Book Now Reference Engen JE et al (2012) Feasibility and effect of chair massage offered to nurses during working hours on stress related symptoms: A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 18(4): 221-22

This one if for my fellow women – sorry guys! Part 1

Around half of all women will get cystitis or some other unirary tract infection (UTI) at somepoint in their life. The female anatomy makes women more susceptible. Having had cystitis many years ago I can vouch for the pain. As some women are prone to suffer multiple episodes, I wanted to share some natural options to help them stop coming back. Cranberry Juice 300-500ml of unsweetened cranberry juice or 400mg of concentrated cranberry extract twice a day appears to be sucessful is preventing or reducing the number of urinary tract infections (UTI). However, there is limited evidence that cranberry can stop a UTI once you have it. Acupuncture Acupuncture was put to the test against sham acupuncture (the needles go into the wrong place or inserted in the wrong way) or no treatment for UTI prevention. After six months 85% of those who had genuine acupuncture sufferend no UTIs compared with 58% of those of the sham group and 36% of the untreated group. In another study UTI-prone women receiving acupuncture twice a week had half the rate of infections compared to those receiving no treatment. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27251185 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9612877 https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12721123

A light bulb moment

As someone who from time to time stuggles to digest wheat or more specifically gluten which in the past has created holes in my intestine walls (leaky gut syndrome), I was interested in a recent piece of research. Like a lot of people if I eat too much wheat or gluten then I start to bloat and get digestive issues. Researches have discovered that the reaction that some people have could be caused by fructans (the sugars in wheat, barley and rye). The researchers from Monash University (in Austrialia) suspected that the sugar cold be the real cuplrit because people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) still have some of the symptoms even after following a strict gluten free diet. In a 2013 research project, they noticed that the symptoms of people with gluten intolerance didn't change whether they ate food that was rich in gluten or not. They took 59 people with gluten intolerance and gaven them a different cereal bar to eat each week. Although the bars all looked the same, one contained gluten, another fructans and the third had neither ingreditant. The fructands bar increased bloating by 15% and gastrointestinal propblems by 13% and neither the gluten bar nor the one without either ingreditant had any effect. If frutans are the real problem then people with a gluten intollerance could use soy sauce as its low in sugars. While this research is interesting. For me its a bit of a light bulb moment. The reason is that I find that I can eat organic sourdough bread and I tollerate this much more. Organic sourdough bread has gluten but due to the backing process it sis very low in fructans. Reference http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(17)36302-3/abstract

Elbow Joint Mobility & Strength Exercises

Following on from my last article on elbow pain, I wanted to share with you some exercises for increasing the mobility and strength of your elbow joint.

Stand or lie down. Bend and straighten your elbow to its outer limits without creating pain. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Sit with your forearm flat on a table and the palm of your hand against the table top. Then turn your forearm so that the back of your hand is resting on the table and then turn your forearm again so the palm of your hand is against the table. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Practice screwing and unscrewing a screw with a screwdriver, while holding your upper arm close to your body. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Hold a dumb-bell in your hand (or a can from your kitchen cupboard) and then bend and straighten the elbow joint. Repeat 5 to 10 times. You can gradually increase the weight to build strength.
Stand up and do press ups against a wall. Ensure that you bend your elbow to the maximum and fully straighten your arms. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Hold a barbell in your hands (or a mop handle or broom handle), bend and straighten your elbow joint. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Static Stretching Exercises

Flex one elbow joint to 90 degrees, then with your other hand resist your bent arm trying to touch your shoulder for 4 - 7 seconds and relax for 2 seconds.
Straighten your arm backwards and take hold of a banister or something similar with your outstretched hand and stretch for 6-8 seconds by bending your knees.

About fl1admin

Self help to prevent a stiff neck

Introduction to magnesium

The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 4

Does nature restore you? – Part 1

Factors that contribute to Muscle Cramps

Spiritual Connection

Yet more scientific evidence of the benefits of chair massage

This one if for my fellow women – sorry guys! Part 1

A light bulb moment

Elbow Joint Mobility & Strength Exercises

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