Health and Exercise

I regularly find myself giving the advice "I think it would be beneficial if you increased the amount of exercise that you do!" Unfortuantely I have not been taking my own advice for several years now, so yesterday 1st October, the "International Day of the Older Person" I decided to do something about that, and went along for my first Pilates class with Deborah  Higgins. I went along to one of her classes in Prestwick, as I had done Pilates before, but would recommend that you have a one-to-one with her before joining in a class.

Why do I recommend Pilates? Well, my work as a McTimoney Chiropractor is all about aligning the spine, so that you can be the healthiest individual that you can be, as the "nerve highway", the spinal cord, is cleared of any blockages, traps or impingements that having a misaligned spine can bring, this results in the body becoming ill at ease with itself, or dis-ease. For the body to remain in alignment, the muscles need to be toned, especially in the region that we refer to as the "core". Core stabilty is important, and this is where Pilates comes in. But are there any other benefits to exercise?

A study published in the Lancet, (the peer reviewed publication of the medical profession) showed that just 15 minutes exercise a day had significant health benefits, and that it added 3 years to the average life. Researchers have studied the changes that occur in the body at the chemical level when you exercise, and noted that many metabolites change when you exercise. These changes alter the blood sugar level, helping to maintain a healthy weight and prevent  heart disease and diabetes, it can also lower oestrogen levels which has an effect on breast cancer. The MacMillan Cancer Support suggests that moderate exercise for two and a half hours a week,be part of the treatment plan for those diagnosed with cancer, but always one to preach prevention is better than cure (or at least it is better than the treament offered by the health care systems of today) I suggest you don't wait until you have the diagnosis, GET OUT THERE AND EXERCISE NOW!

So this morning "how do i feel?" Well a bit stiff and achy as I might have expected, but also positive about the step that I have taken to ward off the common complaints of being an Older Person (not that I consider to be one yet, but it is a label that has been applied to people of my age) "Wear and Tear consistent with age" is a common diagnosis that my clients have been given by the medical profession. I love it, because it means that I can truly demonstate the abilty of the McTimoney method of Chiropractic in returning them to better health!

If reading this has made you think that you would like to get out there and exercise more, then please discuss any health issues with the person that is providing the class. As you can see from the research that is being done, having a diagnosis of any kind should not be a reason not to exercise, but do so within your own limits. We should all take the responsibilty for our own health, get to know what our bodies can and cannot do, but you may be in for a surprise that yours can do more than you thought given some daily exercise.

As for me,I look forward to a long and happy working association with Deborah J Higgins Pilates. I shall be there again next Monday morning, and I am happy to say that there were no "Tena moments", (for me at least, I cannot speak for Deborah!: ))

Dyspraxia and McTimoney Chiropractic

This week, 24th-30th Sept is Dyspraxia Awareness Week. Dyspraxia in children is often characterized by a complex set of symptoms, often with an impairment of the organization of movement and mobility.

Dyspraxia can also overlap with other conditions such as dyslexia due to the implications it has for skills such as reading and writing. Dyspraxic children often exhibit late development in motor skills such as sitting, standing and walking then later difficulties in running, jumping or catching a ball. These are also the symptoms that a child who has a misaligned spine may present in my clinic with.

If we then look at the nerve supply of the human body, it is easy to see how McTimoney Chiropractic might help people that suffer with dyspraxia. By removing the impingement on the nervous tissue, it allows the body to express itself healthily and function normally again. If you feel that your child, or someone you know can be helped, then please feel free to pass on my details. I work in Ayr, on the South West coast of Scotland. If you would like more information on Dyspraxia click here.

Risk of Heart Attack and Common Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

A study of 99,000 people (that’s a huge study) in Denmark has found that taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, that’s ibuprofen, neurofen, voltarol amongst others, after you have had an heart attack increases your risk of dying from further heart problems, including having another heart attack! Even if you take them years after the original heart attack! GPs are being warned about this, but what if you don’t go to your GP for aches and pains but you go to the local chemist or even worse, the supermarket where there is no-one asking questions about your health, and whether they are in fact safe for you to take.

 

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The risks of Chiropractic treatment are extremely rare, compared to side effects of NSAID’s.

To my knowledge there

"IS ABSOLUTELY NO RISK OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK AFTER A McTIMONEY CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT!"

I would say around 99% of the people that come to see me for aches and pains have taken some form of NSAID or other, before resorting to come and seeking the help of a McTimoney Chiropractor. After the GP we are probably the next health professional that someone suffering with muscular aches and pains will seek treatment from. Chiropractic is a safe drugless form of treatment for many symptoms that you will reach to the medicine cabinet and take an NSAID for. Are you willing to take that risk?

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REFERENCE

Olsen et al Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk of NSAID Use According to Time Passed After First-Time Myocardial Infarction: A Nationwide Cohort Study available online @ http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2012/09/07/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.112607.abstract

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102554993262-658/NSAIDs+risky+even+years+after+MI.pdf

How Safe is Your Child's Playroom?

As a McTimoney Chiropractor who sees Chiropractic care as a way of maximising your child's health, I am always on the lookout for worthy items that help me to provide "health tips" to the parents of these children.

It is widely known that a chemical known as "phtalates" can have health risks, and have been removed from bottles used for formula feeding as well as toys. Phtalates are used in a wide range of products, their aim is to make plastic more bendy. It is found widely in products used in hospitals from the bags that contain IV fluids to the tubing that it is given through, it is found it all manner of food coverings in your local supermarket.

However, Swedish researchers have found that just changing the type of bottle or examining the toys that your developing child plays with, is not enough if you have vinyl flooring that your child crawls across whilst playing and exploring his or her world. These toxic chemicals are then ingested as they pick them up whilst crawling over the flooring, then place them in their mouths.

Children with vinyl flooring in their bedroom have phtalates urinary levels 5 times greater than those with more conventional flooring and are more likley to develop a range of symptoms. They have been linked to a wide range of developmental and reproductive effects. For more information on this go to Dr Mercola 

So what advice can I give to the parents of the babies and children that come and see me for McTimoney treatment.

Whenever possible breastfeed your baby. 2 month old babies who have been exclsively breastfed have lower levels than those babies who were formula fed as chemicals can leach from the packaging.

Give your developing child toys made from natural materials such as wood. Different textures gives them a more varied experience and develops their sense of touch.

Store food in glass rather than plastic, and do not use food wrap.

Avoid processed food and food that comes wrapped in plastic.

Finally do your child's nervous system a favour, and get them checked regularly by a McTimoney Chiropractor.

Freedom for Birth



Ligaments of the female pelvis

                                                                                           Today is the day that the global screening of Freedom for Birth, which I will be going to see tonight, courtesy of Sharon Trotter of TIPS Ltd. So what has this got to do with Chiropractic. Well my passion is seeing pregnant women through their pregnancy. If you look at the picture of the female pelvis, you can see that there are some pretty big ligaments, especially around the back of the pelvis, in the sacrum. These ligaments allow the pelvis to increase its size, to allow the baby through. This area is called the Rhomboid of Michaelis (Sutton) If, for what ever reason, the pregant lady has had a previous fall, especially if she landed on her derriere, then this can put the pelvis out of alignment. What tends to then happen is she expereinces pain as these ligaments stretch with an abnormal tension across them. Pain is frequently felt in the front across the symphysis pubis McTimoney Chiropractic aims to realign the pelvis prior to birth so that the pelvis has the maximum ability to "give" for the baby to pass through.

Keep a lookout for the updates from the Freedom of Birth Film coming later today


Painkillers cause Headaches

You may have read the news today saying that taking painkillers too often can actually “give you a headache”, according the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.  As a McTimoney Chiropractor this is not news to me, I have known this for a very long time, and it is worse if the painkillers you take have codeine in them, such as Co-codamol or DF118, or codeine phosphate. This is because codeine is an opiate, and therefore highly addictive, and so you get withdrawal symptoms very quickly.

So what are the alternatives? Well as a McTimoney Chiropractor I see many people in my clinic on a daily basis who are experiencing headaches of a various nature. Here is the story of one such lady.

Sally had been having headaches all of her life. Even at school at the age of 8, Sally remembers having headaches. By the time sally got into my clinic, she had had all the treatments and therapies that her GP had to offer, from the regular painkillers to anti-depressants and beta-blockers, and was due to retire the next year. Her headaches and migraines were controlling her life, if she woke up in the morning with a headache, she would stay in bed, because she knew that no amount of medication would be able to touch it.

When she came into me, we went through a complete medical history, including accidents that she had had. At the age of 7, Sally had fallen off a swing in the park! Any connections yet? You bet, falling off the swing Sally had knocked her neck out of alignment, giving rise to what we Chiropractors call “cervico-genic headaches”. Had her mother taken her to a McTimoney Chiropractor back then, Sally, and her family, would have been spared the years of misery that followed.

NICE says  that there is no proven treatment other than acupuncture. I know that the scientists out there would say that this story is not a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and I would tend to agree with them, but are you suffering from headaches and want to try something else, what do you have to lose, other than your life back? If not you, then maybe somebody you know and love. Do them a favour and pass this on to them.

Where Healthcare REALLY means Healthcare, and NOT sickness care

As a McTimoney Chirorpactor, I am practicing in a profession that has long held the belief that we do not  require drugs to remain healthy. Chiropractic prides itself on being a "drugless treatment" for optimum health. Chiropractors actively encourage the people that come to see them for treatment, to look at their lifestyles, not "pop pills". "We are what we eat" is truly true!

So I am always on the look out for articles that educate us about what is really happening out there, not just the view that any government wants us to have. I believe that before making any choices with regard to our health, we should be presented with both sides of the coin, and be allowed to make up our own minds about whether or not to receive that procedure. From "Augmentation to Vaccination and WXYZ!" That is why I get daily newsletters from Dr Mercola. He scrutinises literature and publishes it in his newsletters, giving me all the background into things that our Doctors would have us take without question. Much of his comments apply to the US but he also talks about things happening around the world. If you would like to read them too, then check out my blog as I will be posting about his newsletter on a regular basis.

So if you, or someone you know is about to go into hospital for some procedure or other, check out what Dr Mercola has to say about going into hospital, and how to stop yourself becoming a statistic.

Be Happy and Keep Healthy