It’s September, and the nights are drawing in so quickly it’s reminded me that this is the critical time to put measures in place if you have or are at risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Winter depression is the other name for SAD; it’s a type of depression triggered by the change of seasons,… Read More Seasonal Affective Disorder, and light therapy
Physical pain is an essential part of the human experience; it’s the body’s protective alarm system. Its a subjective experience and one which is challenging to convey to other people. Especially if there are no obvious outward clues, our ability to tolerate pain is as individual as our fingerprints and shaped by many factors: genetics,… Read More Pain, does it need to hurt so much?
The previous post; “Pain what’s really going on?” Discussed pain from a medical and scientific point of view. It aimed to give you an understanding of how pain can be categorised, the variety of words to describe pain, and the normal healing times, which may help people avoid slipping into persistent or chronic states. This… Read More Pain management, ways forwards
Fibromyalgia is a mysterious long-term condition that involves widespread chronic pain without a known cause; it’s more of a frustrating label than a diagnosis. Some people will eventually discover a specific reason, but in many cases; the condition appears to be triggered by a physically stressful event, such as an injury, infection or having a… Read More Fibromyalgia explained
Turmeric is best known as one of the quintessential spices used in much of Asian cooking. Also called Indian saffron, it gives curry it’s distinctive yellow colour and has warming earthy, pungent flavour which smells a little like mustard, probably because it’s one of the ingredients used to make it.
Ashwagandha is a popular ancient medicinal herb used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 2,500 years. It is becoming popular in the west because of its history of helping to reduce stress, the primary ‘disease’ of twenty-first-century life.
Adaptogens are non-toxic plants (herbs and roots) which can help the body resist physical, chemical or biological stressors. Chinese and Ayurvedic healing traditions have used these herbs and roots for centuries, and they’re having a revival. Turmeric is probably the most popular food adaptogen.
Pain can a useful and potentially life-saving protection mechanism. You only have to touch something unexpectedly hot to appreciate that the resulting OUCH was helpful because it made you pull your hand away and prevent possible further injury.
A variety of techniques can help our nervous system back into balance. The relaxation response is one of the simplest because it works like a braking system to brings our body and mind back into a state of equilibrium.
Pressure and stress are omnipresent; they touch every aspect of our everyday life, affecting our body, thoughts, our feelings, and our behaviours too. Interestingly, although most people believe that all stress is harmful, it has some essential benefits.
As an osteopath, it’s routine to be talking with patients about sleep, especially if discomfort or pain is making it difficult to get to sleep. Any joint-related problem or health concern can be a factor that influences our choice of sleep position. The question that comes up most often is what position is best?
Getting enough fibre in the diet is essential for health as research has shown that besides reducing constipation, it can help with weight management, may lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer. Dietary fibre is a type of complex carbohydrates found in plant-based foods that our digestive system… Read More Dietary fibre, explained.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a long-term condition of the digestive system that causes episodes of abdominal cramps, bloating and changes in bowel movements. IBS is the name doctors give to a collection of otherwise unexplained symptoms relating to a disturbance in the digestive system and bowels habits. IBS is an illness that has no… Read More Irritable bowel syndrome
Pressure and stress are essential; they touch every aspect of our everyday life; helping us complete tasks, allowing us to learn new things and to be creative, and one is needed for our survival. There is an optimum level of pressure that brings about our best performance, allows us to take on new challenges hit… Read More Navigating the forest of life: Managing the stress response.
Mindfulness and meditation are everywhere; it’s being offered as a cure-all for everything from IBS and low-self esteem to help pain management and depression. There is good science to confirm the benefits, and growing research shows that when people train to be more mindful, they are rewiring the physical structure of their brain, but what… Read More Calming the monkey mind
Welcome to 2019! I wanted the first entry of this new year to be about something significant, meaningful and potentially life-changing. This entry is about the benefits and power of touch.
Serotonin is sometimes called the happy chemical because it contributes to wellbeing, mood and happiness. Serotonin is widely believed to be a neurotransmitter although some scientists think it is a hormone.
The vagus nerve networks around the body like a super spy, reporting back to the brain secretly (subconsciously) on what’s going on in the body as part of our protective stress response, noticing facial expressions, and responding to people’s voices and monitoring our internal organs.
Anxiety is a natural part of everyday life; it’s impossible to avoid some significant life events, bereavement, divorce, family illness, redundancy even parenthood. Almost everyone has experienced feelings of anxiety in their life, for example, feeling anxious about sitting an exam, or an upcoming job interview.
Do you leak a little urine when you cough laugh or sneeze? Half of the women over the age of 50 with experience some symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, with 1 in 10 women by the age of 80 undergoing surgery. Worryingly, about a third of these women will need more than one operation. A… Read More Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Slow deep breathing is a simple, yet powerful, relaxation technique to quiet the mind and release tension from our body. It’s easy to learn and can be practised almost anywhere providing a quick and easy way to get stress levels in check.
Modic changes are the name given to pathological changes that are present in the bones of the spine; this was first mentioned by Dr Michael Modic in 1988. Modic Changes is a ‘disease’ process, which is linked with spinal inflammation that has not been responsive to conventional treatments. It is also related to poor healing and… Read More Modic Changes and Back Pain
Last time I was talking about stress and mentioned it does have some benefits but its the ongoing or severe chronic stress that concerns me as health professional and pilates practitionerStress is a part of everyday life; have you noticed how prolonged stress affect you or those around you?
Stress is a part of everyday life, it can affect our body, our thoughts, feelings, and our behaviour. It’s impossible to avoid some significant life events, bereavement, divorce, family illness, redundancy even parenthood. Stress can induce a flight or fight response in the body, producing hormones to increase heart rate, make us breathe faster and makes… Read More How stress affects your health
Thriving, inside and out 