All posts by Matt Mayston

Summer time has arrived and with it the added need for us to take extra care of our necks, backs and spines to avoid pain and injury…

If the arrival of sunshine has caused you to pack away your winter jumpers and, instead, pull out your racket, shin pads or helmet for a bout of summer activities, remember to take note of these simple steps to ensure you steer clear of any unwanted pain and discomfort.

RUNNERS can avoid injury by regular stretching of the tendons and wearing good shoes with shock-absorbing features.

RACKET-SPORTS PLAYERS should be wary of playing through the pain of Tennis Elbow. Tennis Elbow is in fact an overuse injury, caused by repetitive movements at the wrist forcing the thumb outwards and the palm upwards. Continuing to play will only exacerbate the problem.

GOLFERS are particularly prone to lower back injuries. Graphite clubs and soft spiked shoes will help absorb the shock which can bring on back injury. Your chiropractor can suggest appropriate warm-ups and exercises, and help you work on an alternative swing.

GARDENERS commonly suffer from aches and pains, but they can avoid lower back trouble by kneeling on one leg rather than bending from the hips, keeping the back hollow whilst digging, and varying tasks throughout the day to avoid repetition injury.

DIY, like gardening, is often far-removed from everyday activities. When the sun is shining many will want to get out in the garden and get on with the long list of DIY jobs that have piled up over the winter months. Enthusiasts often injure their back by in habitual exertion, so when lifting, take the weight on bent legs, keeping the back straight.

Whilst Summer is in full swing, it’s common to enjoy the warmer weather by partaking in outdoor activities and enjoying the sun. However, various health issues can be caused by the heat, so whether it’s feeling dehydrated or spending too much time in the sun, it’s important to prepare for the warmer weather to keep our health in the best shape. Here are five tips to stay healthy this summer.

1. Stay Hydrated

Your body becomes dehydrated when your water intake does not equal your output. Fluid losses are accentuated in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp. It is critical that when you are doing any strenuous activities, that you drink more than the recommended 8 glasses of water.

2. Exercise

Summer months are the perfect time for utilising the outdoors as your own gym! Hiking, swimming, surfing, and even using jungle gyms are all great options to stay active during these warmer months. Summertime is a great way to get creative with your workouts!

3. Vitamin D

Summer is the best time to get Vitamin D because you can get it directly from the sun, without needing to take supplements. Our skin makes Vitamin D when it is exposed to direct sunlight, 15-20 minutes a day during the strongest rays will typically provide individuals with their daily dose. Vitamin D has also been shown to promote healthy bones and teeth, fight depression and help brain development in pregnancy and infancy. To determine your Vitamin D levels, a blood test can be taken at your local GP Surgery.

4. Eat Local Produce

Fresh and local produce is full of the highest value of nutrients and vitamins. Local produce is also low in calories and keeps you feeling full for a longer time. Dark coloured vegetables also contain compounds and decrease inflammation caused by sunburn. You can make this a summertime occasion by going to your local Farmer’s Market every week!

5. Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are a wonderful way to create safe, healthy, and natural products to use on the skin. Many essential oils are great at repelling mosquitos, bees, biting flies and can treat stings and bites if they occur. The most common essential oils are eucalyptus, citronella, lemongrass, tea tree, geranium, clove, lavender, thyme, rosemary, and peppermint. Oils can also be mixed with water, alcohol, or witch hazel, to make a diluted spray. Whilst essential oils will not prevent sunburn, they can be used after sun exposure to soothe and lessen the severity of a burn.

Choosing a balanced diet containing the right vitamins and minerals decreases our chances of developing deficiencies later on in life. The body’s structure relies on vitamins and minerals to ensure muscle tone (including the heart), healthy functioning of nerves; correct composition of body fluids; and the formation of healthy blood and bones.

A Healthy Diet Plan

Calcium

For bone, muscle and joint health try and include Calcium in your diet, which is essential for optimal nerve and muscle function and blood clotting.

Obtained from

Dairy products are rich in calcium that is easy to absorb. Non – dairy sources with equally absorbable calcium are green leafy vegetables from the kale family. Spinach, rhubarb, sweet potatoes and dried beans are rich in calcium but from these foods it’s not easily absorbed

Magnesium

Required for efficient muscle contraction and conduction of nerve impulses. Low magnesium levels in the body can affect the body’s calcium levels, putting bone health at risk.

Obtained from

Green leafy vegetables, unrefined grains and nuts. Small amounts are present in meat and milk. Large quantities of fibre in the diet and low protein intake can reduce the amount of magnesium able to be absorbed by the body.

Vitamin D

Essential for regulating the formation of bone and the absorption of calcium from the intestine. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that functions to help control the movement of calcium between bone and blood.

Obtained from

Primarily from the action of UVB light on the skin. Food sources such as cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, tuna, milk and milk products contain small amounts of Vitamin D.

Vitamin C

The structure of bones, cartilage, muscles and blood vessels is provided in part and maintained by collagen. The formation of strong efficient collagen requires Vitamin C.

Obtained from

Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetable and peppers. Also important for producing strong collagen and therefore strong bone structure, is Folic acid. Folic acid is found in cereals, beans, green leafy vegetables, orange and orange juice

Antioxidants

Vitamin C is also a strong antioxidant and is capable of regenerating other antioxidants like vitamin E. The role of antioxidants is to mop up free radicals (the by-products of normal metabolism). Excessive amounts of free radicals cause damage to joint surfaces and muscle cell regeneration. Antioxidants reduce the potential of these free radicals to cause joint damage.

Obtained from

Antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium and are present in fruits and vegetables, the highest quantities are found in the most deeply and brightly coloured. Cartilage that lines the articulating surfaces of all joints is critical to joint health. Cartilage is the shock absorber of joints and is continually rebuilt if a source of raw materials is available. Supplements such as glucosamine sulphate can be added to a healthy diet to assist joints that maybe showing signs of wear and tear.

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) also reduce the degenerative changes in tissues and cells. EFA’s are unsaturated fatty acids such as Omega 3. They aid in decreasing the inflammatory response and help relieve pain and discomfort in joints and muscles.

Obtained from

EFA’s can be found in oily fish (sardines, fresh tuna, mackerel), flax seed and linseed.

Foods to avoid…

There are certain foods and substances that adversely effect the body’s use of minerals and vitamins. High saturated/animal fats, refined foods, white flour, white sugar, white rice, chocolate, carbonated drinks and fruit juices with high sugar concentration should be kept to a minimum if not weaned from the diet completely. Meat and dairy products should be kept within a recommended weekly amount. Dairy products as calcium sources should be varied with other non-dairy sources.

Spring is in the air, and it is time to get outside and enjoy it! With warmer weather around the corner, there will be an increase in outdoor sport activities. The best way to take full advantage of this season is to keep your health in tip top shape as well. Here are a few ways in which chiropractic care can help you to stay on top of your health and prepare you for the season ahead.

• Regular chiropractic adjustments can help prevent injuries

No matter what type of outdoor activity you plan to take part in this spring, regular visits to your local chiropractor are helpful in reducing the risk of injury, ensuring you are not putting too much strain on your joints, and checking that your nervous system is functioning normally. Whether you are running, riding a bike, playing ball, gardening, or spending time outdoors with your kids, plan a visit to your doctor to learn the best practices to keep your muscles and joints healthy in order to reduce the risk of injury and pain.

• Chiropractic care can help reduce the stress of a busy spring season

With warmer weather comes busier spring schedules. Whether your calendar is booked because you are spending more time with your kids as they have time off from school, or dealing with a busier work schedule, stress seems to be inevitable as the seasons change. Regular chiropractic care is a great way to reduce and prevent stress that can negatively affect your joints and overall health.

The bottom line is that in order to assure you get the most out of the spring season, and stay on top of your health, you need to take care of yourself. 

For more information, contact your local chiropractic clinic, to learn how you can ‘spring’ into your best health and start your path to a healthier, happier, and pain-free lifestyle. 

When there is wet weather during the summer months, plants and grass thrive and, if you have a garden, it can seem like you need to mow and weed nearly every weekend.  This can lead to aches and pains and even injury unless you take precautions.

People suffer from aches and pains when they undertake what seems to be relatively sedate activity such as gardening, is that the actions required are quite different from those carried out in the rest of the year.

The main causes are prolonged stretching and overuse of the ligaments and joints in the spine. Digging, mowing and stooping place considerable stress on the ligaments and joints in the lower lumbar spine and cause them to become inflamed and tender. This will trigger a protective muscle spasm which gives rise to the deeper, duller, achy type of pain that occurs over the following few days.

This happens year after year. It is very important to look after your muscles and joints, especially when undertaking a form of exercise that you are not used to. If you want to stop gardening aches and pains and be able to appreciate all the hard work the next day, then follow these top ten tips:

1          Gently stretch your muscles and ligaments for a few minutes before and after gardening, but don’t bend down to touch your toes – this can cause damage

2          Wear light, but warm clothes & make sure your lower back is always covered

3          Kneel on one leg rather than bending your back repeatedly

4          Use long handled tools to prune tall plants

5          Use only a small spade/fork for digging and keep your back gently hollowed

6          Do not always work to one side only, vary your position

7          Don’t do the same work for long periods, vary your tasks

8          Keep your back straight when carrying

9          When finished have a warm bath or shower

10         Do not sit for too long in your favourite armchair afterwards, but stand up regularly and walk around for a minute or two

The knee joint is a complex joint that relies heavily on ligaments and muscles for stability. Knee pain can be caused by various factors, not always originating from the knee, which makes the pain difficult to locate.

Common causes of pain are local causes such as, trauma and overuse, dysfunction of the lower limb, referred pain from low back, pelvis and hip. When pain is perceived as coming from the knee all the anatomical components need to be examined in addition to the joints that contribute to the biomechanics of the knee, i.e. low back, pelvis, hip and ankle and the foot.

One of the most common types of injury of the knee is damage to the ligaments. Ligaments are usually injured due to direct trauma to the knee and the amount of ligament injury caused is described as 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd degree sprain:

• 1^st Degree Sprain – some tearing/over stretch of the fibres, no joint instability, mild pain, minimal swelling.
• 2^nd Degree Sprain – Separation/tearing of fibres causing moderate instability and moderate to sever pain, swelling and stiffness.
• 3^rd Degree Sprain – total rupture, gross instability, pain usually severe, profuse swelling, usually requires lengthy immobilisation and/or surgery.

Ligament injury will usually involve a certain amount of swelling directly over the location of the ligament.

Treatment of the sprain depends on the degree of injury.  After the initial treatment, 1^st and 2^nd degree sprains can then be nursed at home with rest, ice, compression/elevation, massage and nutritional support of vitamin C / zinc. Once the ligament begins to heal gradual introduction of mobilisation and strengthening exercises can help and finally, proprioceptive training once ligament has healed. However, 3^rd degree sprains are more serious and often require surgical repair.

It is no secret that a healthy, balanced diet has endless benefits for our health. Knowing in more detail about the amount of vitamins and minerals we need in our diets will only enhance those benefits and decrease out chances of developing deficiencies later on in life. Here is a easy and healthy diet plan for you to follow which explains which vitamins and minerals you need and how best to obtain them; but first, let’s start with some of the foods you should be avoiding:

• High saturated/animal fats
• Refined foods
• White flour
• White sugar
• Carbonated drinks

All of these foods adversely affect the body’s use of minerals and vitamins so be sure to limit these foods from your diet; or if you can, eliminate them completely. Below are some of the vitamins and minerals that are essential for keeping your body, muscles and joints healthy:

Vitamin C

Collagen is extremely important in maintaining the structure of bones, cartilage, muscles and blood vessels and in order to produce strong efficient collagen, you require vitamin C. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, green leafy vegetables and cauliflower.

Antioxidants

Vitamin C is also a strong antioxidant and it capable of regenerating other antioxidants. Antioxidants swoop up free radicals, which is useful in preventing damage to joint surfaces and muscle cell regeneration. These antioxidants are present in fruits and vegetables, them most in the brightly coloured ones!

Magnesium

Healthy magnesium levels are important because it contributes to efficient muscle contractions and the conduction of nerve impulses. Low magnesium levels can actually affect the body’s calcium levels, therefore putting bone health at risk. Magnesium can be acquired from green leafy vegetables, unrefined grains and nuts.

Essential Fats

Essential fatty acids reduce the degenerative changes in tissues and cells and help guard against some cancers. These are highly unsaturated fatty acids. They can be found in foods such as fish, nuts and avocados.