Here is a report from WebWire, for all those people rushing around with Laptops
Hope its of value
Shouldering the pain of business travelWEBWIRE – Friday, November 28, 2008
- Leading physiotherapist identifies new medical condition
- Nearly two thirds of business travellers suffer from laptop shoulder
- More than half of business travellers don’t know how to alleviate pain and discomfort
- Crowne Plaza first hotel group to partner with physiotherapist to help guests
As leading physiotherapist, Diane Hunter MSc BSc (Hons) MCSP, identifies new condition, laptop shoulder, research from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts reveals sixty-three per cent of laptop users suffer from severe pain and discomfort while travelling on business.
Almost two thirds of business travellers are putting their long-term health at risk according to Hunter who has teamed up with Crowne Plaza to provide a guide to help laptop users beat the condition.
Air travel, driving and bad posture further add to the pain and discomfort in the upper back and neck caused by transporting heavy laptop computers for business travellers. This tends to result in referred pain into the shoulders.
As business becomes more mobile, Crowne Plaza findings show that nearly two thirds of laptop users are suffering increased pain and discomfort in their shoulders, back or neck when travelling with laptops.
Crowne Plaza commissioned the research after hotel staff noticed a large number of business guests were suffering from pain in their back, neck and shoulders.
The findings also reveal that three quarters of laptop users carry their laptop in the wrong type of bag exacerbating the symptoms. One in two laptop users are oblivious to the ways that laptop shoulder and other repetitive strain injuries can be avoided, and don’t know they can relieve postural pain with straightforward exercises that can be carried out in hotel rooms.
To help its guests overcome the pain of laptop shoulder, Crowne Plaza has partnered with Diane Hunter, physiotherapy consultant, to provide an exercise guide that is specifically designed for use in hotels, as well as offering tips for guests to avoid laptop shoulder.
The guides are available in selected Crowne Plaza hotels across the UK and may be made available for download from the Crowne Plaza website depending on demand. Hotels include London Docklands, Glasgow, Birmingham NEC, Liverpool, Dublin Blanchardstown and Manchester City Centre. Additionally a number of Crowne Plaza hotels will offer free neck massages for guests.
Diane Hunter MSc BSc (Hons) MCSP, Crowne Plaza Physiotherapy Consultant:
"I am treating an increasing number of patients suffering from shoulder pain arising from carrying laptops. The symptoms include an aching shoulder, sometimes accompanied with neck and upper back pain. My colleagues and I refer to this condition as laptop shoulder. This can be a chronic and debilitating condition if left untreated.
"Treatment involves taking steps to improve posture and a simple exercise programme. Crowne Plaza staff have recognised the need for this advice to be made available to their guests in order to maximise the comfort of their stay. I hope this will contribute to the awareness of the problem and encourage travellers to look after their posture"
Eleanor Conroy, Crowne Plaza spokesperson continued:
"A huge number of our guests are lugging heavy laptops around all day when they’re travelling on business. They can end up in a lot of pain. With simple in-room exercises our guests can avoid laptop shoulder and get on with enjoying their stay"
Physiotherapy exercises from Crowne Plaza include the following:
- When you arrive in your hotel room, take ten minutes to lie on your back on the bed, allow your arms to relax by your sides and take a few deep breaths.
- Sitting upright in the chair, stretch your arms above your head, lean back in the chair so you can stretch your upper back and take three deep breaths without allowing your head to tilt forwards or backwards.
- Rotating your upper body in the chair, grab onto the chair and stretch round as far as you can. Do this five times to your left and five times to your right.
- Sit upright in the chair and look straight ahead. Gently tuck in your chin and pull your head back for five seconds. Repeat this five times.
- Sitting upright in your chair, shrug both shoulders up and back and drop them down to achieve a backwards rolling motion. Do this five times.
- Look down at the front of your right shoulder until you feel a mild stretch in your left upper neck. Slowly and gently, repeat this to the left.
So perhaps you would visit WebWire for more articles. Here is an idea in the meantime, particularly for the ladies. My wife carries a laptop, being an executive herself. She bought what looks like an up-market shopping bag, but is actually a computer bag. They are available in many computer stores, also makes you less visable to those among us who are not above theft.
Stay well, Paul
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Friday, 28 November 2008
More comments about exercise
Here ia an article from a Health and Fitness Blog that may be of interest, for more information goto http://www.indystar.com/article/20081125/LIVING01/811250317/1083/LIVING01
After back pain, Pilates became music to her ears
Anne McCafferty, 60, Indianapolis, cellist, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Posted: November 25, 2008Post a CommentRecommend E-mail Print Share Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Yahoo Google A A People don't think of musicians as athletes, but in many ways, we are. Cellists tend to be prone to back problems because of the posture of sitting, and we don't have much flexibility of movement once the instrument is in front of us. Most of us sit toward the front of the chair, without back support.
I started having lower back and leg pains, a sciatic-type pain, in 2005. I became totally debilitated, could not get out of bed and was unable to work with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from July until the fall. It got to a point I was screaming with pain. I really couldn't do anything.
Ultimately, they discovered it was four compressed spinal discs. I had problems a year before and got physical therapy. This was a nerve issue. I went back into physical therapy for three months and had a tremendous number of pain medications, as well as spinal injections.
I was able to go back to work, but I was still in physical therapy. Once they released me from therapy, I needed to do something to strengthen and improve myself. I belong to the JCC and had a friend with polio who did Pilates. I observed a class with the Reformer taught by Cherri Jaffee, director of Pilates.
I started training one-on-one with her. I also took a Pilates mat class once a week. The beauty of Pilates for me is that it works the whole core, front and back, both the abdominal and the extensor back muscles. She works on the Reformer with me, improving range of motion, breath control, muscle sculpting, balance and posture.
The posture exercises have been extremely helpful. I've learned stretching exercises I can do as I sit, waiting for other sections to rehearse. After a year, I gradually got off of all medication. Pilates gives me functional fitness, improving how I stand, walk, sit and stretch.
My shoulders are an issue, too, so I do stretching exercises for the rotator cuffs. Stretching of the calf muscles and the inner and outer thighs helps with how I sit, and upper body stretching strengthens my body.
Since the fall of 2005, I've been doing the mat Pilates class almost every week and the individual Reformer session every week. I also try to walk a lot. I find that the more I walk, the better I feel.
I've never been very athletic, but I find Pilates is crucial for me, as it enables me to do my job without pain. I'm in my 37th season and I want to be a lifelong cellist. If I live a long time, I also want to be able to stay in good shape. I'm highly motivated because it's changed my physical health.
What brought on the crisis point was overdoing it in the yard. I still work in the yard, but I change my position all the time, always getting on my knees. Because I'm stronger in my core, I use those muscles to pull me up.
I'm a big proponent of Pilates -- it makes me functional and feel good. You just learn to use your body better all the time.
As told to Barb Berggoetz at barb.berggoetz@indystar.com
Regards
Paul
After back pain, Pilates became music to her ears
Anne McCafferty, 60, Indianapolis, cellist, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Posted: November 25, 2008Post a CommentRecommend E-mail Print Share Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Yahoo Google A A People don't think of musicians as athletes, but in many ways, we are. Cellists tend to be prone to back problems because of the posture of sitting, and we don't have much flexibility of movement once the instrument is in front of us. Most of us sit toward the front of the chair, without back support.
I started having lower back and leg pains, a sciatic-type pain, in 2005. I became totally debilitated, could not get out of bed and was unable to work with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from July until the fall. It got to a point I was screaming with pain. I really couldn't do anything.
Ultimately, they discovered it was four compressed spinal discs. I had problems a year before and got physical therapy. This was a nerve issue. I went back into physical therapy for three months and had a tremendous number of pain medications, as well as spinal injections.
I was able to go back to work, but I was still in physical therapy. Once they released me from therapy, I needed to do something to strengthen and improve myself. I belong to the JCC and had a friend with polio who did Pilates. I observed a class with the Reformer taught by Cherri Jaffee, director of Pilates.
I started training one-on-one with her. I also took a Pilates mat class once a week. The beauty of Pilates for me is that it works the whole core, front and back, both the abdominal and the extensor back muscles. She works on the Reformer with me, improving range of motion, breath control, muscle sculpting, balance and posture.
The posture exercises have been extremely helpful. I've learned stretching exercises I can do as I sit, waiting for other sections to rehearse. After a year, I gradually got off of all medication. Pilates gives me functional fitness, improving how I stand, walk, sit and stretch.
My shoulders are an issue, too, so I do stretching exercises for the rotator cuffs. Stretching of the calf muscles and the inner and outer thighs helps with how I sit, and upper body stretching strengthens my body.
Since the fall of 2005, I've been doing the mat Pilates class almost every week and the individual Reformer session every week. I also try to walk a lot. I find that the more I walk, the better I feel.
I've never been very athletic, but I find Pilates is crucial for me, as it enables me to do my job without pain. I'm in my 37th season and I want to be a lifelong cellist. If I live a long time, I also want to be able to stay in good shape. I'm highly motivated because it's changed my physical health.
What brought on the crisis point was overdoing it in the yard. I still work in the yard, but I change my position all the time, always getting on my knees. Because I'm stronger in my core, I use those muscles to pull me up.
I'm a big proponent of Pilates -- it makes me functional and feel good. You just learn to use your body better all the time.
As told to Barb Berggoetz at barb.berggoetz@indystar.com
Regards
Paul
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Something for the Ladies
Here is an article that I hope the ladies find of interest
"5 exercises women should avoid (Good news: No more sit-ups)
by Julie Deardorff - Nov. 22, 2008 12:00 AM
Chicago Tribune
If you hate sit-ups, you're in luck. They're one of the top-five exercises women should completely avoid, says personal trainer Kristal Richardson.
The other ones to avoid are the ones you're doing wrong, says Richardson, a Bloomington, Ill., "professional figure competitor" - a division of bodybuilding that emphasizes tone, symmetry and lean muscle. So while women can tackle the same workouts as men, their joints generally are looser than a man's and "poor form and too much weight can lead to stiff joints or even damage."
Here are exercises Richardson says women should avoid:
• Sit-ups: Richardson says that if you lock your hands behind your head, it can cause a torque in the spine, which ultimately leads to neck pain. Remember, sit-ups are different from "crunches." When you do a sit-up, you bring your torso up 90 degrees, so that your back is off the floor. A crunch has a limited range of motion; you raise your torso about 45 degrees, and your lower back will still be on the floor.
Instead, try bicycle crunches, which are considered one of the most effective abdominal workouts. Lie on your back, place your hands next to your ears and start a pedaling motion with your legs, lifting the left shoulder to the right knee and vice verse. Try three sets of 10.
• Weighted squats: Squats with a weight bar on your back build serious bulk in the rear end and upper thighs, places women most likely are looking to trim down, says Richardson, who found that weighted squats increased her muscle - and made her waist bigger. "It did not look cute," she says. They also strain the knees and lower back.
Instead, try lunges, which "don't place nearly as much stress on the lower back and distribute the workout throughout the entire leg," Richardson says. To do a lunge, take a long, even stride forward with one leg. Be sure to keep your knee at a 90-degree angle with your foot for support. If you have bad knees, try doing a reverse lunge by stepping backward. Try holding a lunge for a minute on each side.
• Behind-the-neck shoulder presses: This exercise strains the shoulders, both on the way down and on the way up. The little muscles on the top of your shoulders work too hard and become inflamed, causing "weight-lifter's shoulder," Richardson says. It also puts a lot of stress on the shoulder joints, which can lead to permanent damage.
Instead, try a seated shoulder press. "Hold a pair of dumbbells overhead with your arms straight and palms facing each other," Richardson says. "Then bend your right elbow and lower your right arm, moving your elbow out to the side until your upper arm is parallel with the floor." Press back up, and repeat with your right arm for three sets of 12 reps with each arm. Don't bring your arms down too low or you'll be putting unnecessary stress on the shoulders.
• Straight-leg push-ups: Push-ups often are the culprit of neck, lower back, elbow and shoulder pain. They require a lot of strength; holding your entire body parallel to the floor is no small feat, and it's easy to overdo it.
Instead, try push-ups on your knees. Focus on where you place your hands to make sure you're working the chest, rather than letting your knees support you. You also can try the dumbbell bench press instead for toning the chest and shoulders. Lie flat on your back and, with arms straight up and dumbbells in hand, slowly lower the arms to just past a 90-degree angle or until you feel a slight stretch in your chest. Repeat three sets of 10 reps.
• Standing dead lifts: Since women typically are more flexible than men and can bend down farther, it puts even greater stress on their legs and lower back. It also results in bulky back, leg and rear-end muscles.
Instead, try leg kickbacks. Facing a wall, stabilize yourself with your arms and kick your right leg back as far as you can. Repeat 10 times, and follow the same routine with your left leg. Try two sets."
Hope the ladies like this
Paul
"5 exercises women should avoid (Good news: No more sit-ups)
by Julie Deardorff - Nov. 22, 2008 12:00 AM
Chicago Tribune
If you hate sit-ups, you're in luck. They're one of the top-five exercises women should completely avoid, says personal trainer Kristal Richardson.
The other ones to avoid are the ones you're doing wrong, says Richardson, a Bloomington, Ill., "professional figure competitor" - a division of bodybuilding that emphasizes tone, symmetry and lean muscle. So while women can tackle the same workouts as men, their joints generally are looser than a man's and "poor form and too much weight can lead to stiff joints or even damage."
Here are exercises Richardson says women should avoid:
• Sit-ups: Richardson says that if you lock your hands behind your head, it can cause a torque in the spine, which ultimately leads to neck pain. Remember, sit-ups are different from "crunches." When you do a sit-up, you bring your torso up 90 degrees, so that your back is off the floor. A crunch has a limited range of motion; you raise your torso about 45 degrees, and your lower back will still be on the floor.
Instead, try bicycle crunches, which are considered one of the most effective abdominal workouts. Lie on your back, place your hands next to your ears and start a pedaling motion with your legs, lifting the left shoulder to the right knee and vice verse. Try three sets of 10.
• Weighted squats: Squats with a weight bar on your back build serious bulk in the rear end and upper thighs, places women most likely are looking to trim down, says Richardson, who found that weighted squats increased her muscle - and made her waist bigger. "It did not look cute," she says. They also strain the knees and lower back.
Instead, try lunges, which "don't place nearly as much stress on the lower back and distribute the workout throughout the entire leg," Richardson says. To do a lunge, take a long, even stride forward with one leg. Be sure to keep your knee at a 90-degree angle with your foot for support. If you have bad knees, try doing a reverse lunge by stepping backward. Try holding a lunge for a minute on each side.
• Behind-the-neck shoulder presses: This exercise strains the shoulders, both on the way down and on the way up. The little muscles on the top of your shoulders work too hard and become inflamed, causing "weight-lifter's shoulder," Richardson says. It also puts a lot of stress on the shoulder joints, which can lead to permanent damage.
Instead, try a seated shoulder press. "Hold a pair of dumbbells overhead with your arms straight and palms facing each other," Richardson says. "Then bend your right elbow and lower your right arm, moving your elbow out to the side until your upper arm is parallel with the floor." Press back up, and repeat with your right arm for three sets of 12 reps with each arm. Don't bring your arms down too low or you'll be putting unnecessary stress on the shoulders.
• Straight-leg push-ups: Push-ups often are the culprit of neck, lower back, elbow and shoulder pain. They require a lot of strength; holding your entire body parallel to the floor is no small feat, and it's easy to overdo it.
Instead, try push-ups on your knees. Focus on where you place your hands to make sure you're working the chest, rather than letting your knees support you. You also can try the dumbbell bench press instead for toning the chest and shoulders. Lie flat on your back and, with arms straight up and dumbbells in hand, slowly lower the arms to just past a 90-degree angle or until you feel a slight stretch in your chest. Repeat three sets of 10 reps.
• Standing dead lifts: Since women typically are more flexible than men and can bend down farther, it puts even greater stress on their legs and lower back. It also results in bulky back, leg and rear-end muscles.
Instead, try leg kickbacks. Facing a wall, stabilize yourself with your arms and kick your right leg back as far as you can. Repeat 10 times, and follow the same routine with your left leg. Try two sets."
Hope the ladies like this
Paul
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Try Alternative Medicene First, not Last
Hello.
Here is another article which may be of interesr, from an MD.
When Alternative Therapies Don’t Work: Here’s What You Need to Know
by Dr. Mark Wiley 11/21/2008
"It must have been 26 years ago that I had my first experience with so-called “alternative medicine.” I was 13 and had been suffering chronic daily headaches and mid-back pain for half-a-dozen years. I was already seeing the best in Philadelphia’s mainstream medicine, taking a plethora of prescription meds, and being put through dozens of tests, scans, and protocols…. All to no avail.
My father then took me to see a chiropractor, and do you know what? Within minutes my back and neck felt so much looser! My restricted movement was returned to within normal ranges. And I also started taking supplements. Over all, it was an amazing feeling… empowering!
I went back several times that week for treatments, and at home, attempted the exercises he instructed me to do. But the pain, and my suffering, returned and continued. This is not surprising. In fact, it is a common occurrence when people try alternative therapies — making them think that they don’t work.
The problem is, many people turn to “alternative therapies” as a last resort. They have had little success with mainstream medicine, have become perhaps desperate, and now are expecting a miracle cure or at least a fast turn-around of their signs and symptoms.
While I served as Director of the Integrated Energy Medicine healing center in Philadelphia, I did thousands of examinations, consultations, and treatments using alternative therapies and herbal medicines. I would have been delighted to offer patients both a miracle cure and fast results… if it were possible. And many times I was successful in “curing” someone in short order. But with other cases, the sheer depth, difficulty, and time-line of the problem made that task impossible.
Let me explain why some patients experience great success and why others have no change in signs and symptoms and find alternative therapies to be a waste of time.
In general there is a vast philosophical and procedural difference in the approaches (and results) of mainstream medicine and alternative therapies. Mainstream bio-medicine uses a disease-based model of health. That is, patients see their primary care physician when they are ill, the doctor diagnoses the illness (disease), and then prescribes a protocol of curing that disease. Often there is no cure… but pain and other signs and symptoms are controlled by prescription medication and/or invasive surgery.
Alternative therapies, on the other hand, work from a wellness model. That is, the focus is on returning the body to homeostasis (balance), and maintaining that balance to ensure good health and long life. They accomplish this proactively, through diet, exercise, mind/body techniques, herbs and supplements, massage, and so on. All are methods of alleviating pain, illness, and disease by restoring balance to the body.
If you have back pain and take a supplement, the pain will probably remain… for a while. But if you follow a protocol of regular supplementation with safe stretches and perhaps acupuncture or chiropractic care… the body will rebalance, and the issues will resolve. But this takes time. This was my situation at age 13. The pain did continue for awhile, but after my body was rebalanced with continued natural care, the headaches and back pain went away — for good.
In a general sense, many alternative therapies aim at rebalancing the body to restore health. Chinese medicine uses herbs to balance blood, qi, body fluids, and organ function. Acupuncture uses needles to open meridian lines and correct energy imbalances. Chiropractic uses manual adjustments to realign the spine to allow correct functioning of the nervous system.
So when are alternative therapies a waste of time? Well, actually never. But the “trying” of alternative therapies most certainly IS. You see, there is a difference between “trying” and “doing.” Trying means “you didn’t do” something. Let’s examine some common statements I hear in my office, and what they really mean.
Statement: I tried to call you and cancel my appointment.
Translation: I did not call you.
Statement: I tried acupuncture, and it didn’t help.
Translation: After a few visits I was not cured and so decided not to continue and follow the protocol to the end.
Statement: I’ve been really trying to eat right and do my exercises.
Translation: I eat right once in a while, and I do my corrective exercises when I remember to do them.
Trying means not doing. And if you are not fully engaged in the doing of alternative therapies… seeing them through to the end… following the protocol… doing what you have been instructed to do… then they will not “work.” Not because they failed you, but because YOU failed you.
You see, the therapies themselves are not the problem (unless you have chosen to follow the wrong one for your health issue), and they are also not time-consuming. Rather, it is the body that takes time to “allow” the method to take hold, effect change, and re-establish balance. But this takes time because the body likes to stay where it is, because it requires little effort to do so.
After repeated treatments, or a period of time spent doing exercises, or taking herbal supplements, the body finally realizes that it is actually easier to be in a state of homeostasis (balance) than to exist in a state of imbalance. It then “lets go” of its old unhealthy holding pattern. Now it can fully embrace a healthy pattern, and positive changes take effect.
Think of it like working out at the gym. If you are out of shape and lift weights, you will be sore. But little by little you will be less sore after the exercise. If you only lift weights once in a while, the size, shape, and density of your muscles will not visibly change. But if you stick with it (”do” it), you will notice your body changing in positive ways.
Internally this is what is happening with alternative treatment. Each day, each treatment, each bottle of herbs taken brings you one day closer to the body allowing them to take hold — and then the body steps out of its own way to effect a cure.
The worst part is, people still look to alternative therapies as a last resort, and mainstream pharma drugs and surgery as a first choice. This is perverse. Using the big guns for the beginning of a problem (depending on the severity) is ridiculous. You don’t blow up a house to kill kitchen ants.
My feeling on maintaining a balance in health and between mainstream and alternative medicine is this:
Everyone needs to get a physical every year, including blood and urine tests. If a problem is found, they should seek alternative, non-toxic, non-invasive methods to balance the body. After a period of time, they should have more tests run to see if the problem is better or worse. If better, continue with alternative medicine. If worse, and in the red zone of health, then turn to mainstream medicine for help. Not the other way around!
As it stands, we alternative practitioners get the worst cases, and we get them after years and decades of tests and toxic drugs and surgeries have truly damaged the body. And we are left to balance these bodies, in short time, at low costs, and with high hopes.
It’s time people reframe their minds on this issue. The next time you feel un-well, seek out alternative therapies first. But you must DO it and not simply TRY it. It takes time, effort, and discipline, but in the end, being balanced means being healthy. And taking personal responsibility to do what needs doing — and not depending on a doctor to do it for you — is the greatest gift you could ever give yourself.
To your health!
[Ed. Note: Dr. Mark Wiley is a practitioner of Oriental and alternative medicine and the author of 10 books. He teaches health seminars internationally and is a health adviser and the editorial manager for The Healthy Back Institute"
Hope you liked it
Bye for now
Paul
Here is another article which may be of interesr, from an MD.
When Alternative Therapies Don’t Work: Here’s What You Need to Know
by Dr. Mark Wiley 11/21/2008
"It must have been 26 years ago that I had my first experience with so-called “alternative medicine.” I was 13 and had been suffering chronic daily headaches and mid-back pain for half-a-dozen years. I was already seeing the best in Philadelphia’s mainstream medicine, taking a plethora of prescription meds, and being put through dozens of tests, scans, and protocols…. All to no avail.
My father then took me to see a chiropractor, and do you know what? Within minutes my back and neck felt so much looser! My restricted movement was returned to within normal ranges. And I also started taking supplements. Over all, it was an amazing feeling… empowering!
I went back several times that week for treatments, and at home, attempted the exercises he instructed me to do. But the pain, and my suffering, returned and continued. This is not surprising. In fact, it is a common occurrence when people try alternative therapies — making them think that they don’t work.
The problem is, many people turn to “alternative therapies” as a last resort. They have had little success with mainstream medicine, have become perhaps desperate, and now are expecting a miracle cure or at least a fast turn-around of their signs and symptoms.
While I served as Director of the Integrated Energy Medicine healing center in Philadelphia, I did thousands of examinations, consultations, and treatments using alternative therapies and herbal medicines. I would have been delighted to offer patients both a miracle cure and fast results… if it were possible. And many times I was successful in “curing” someone in short order. But with other cases, the sheer depth, difficulty, and time-line of the problem made that task impossible.
Let me explain why some patients experience great success and why others have no change in signs and symptoms and find alternative therapies to be a waste of time.
In general there is a vast philosophical and procedural difference in the approaches (and results) of mainstream medicine and alternative therapies. Mainstream bio-medicine uses a disease-based model of health. That is, patients see their primary care physician when they are ill, the doctor diagnoses the illness (disease), and then prescribes a protocol of curing that disease. Often there is no cure… but pain and other signs and symptoms are controlled by prescription medication and/or invasive surgery.
Alternative therapies, on the other hand, work from a wellness model. That is, the focus is on returning the body to homeostasis (balance), and maintaining that balance to ensure good health and long life. They accomplish this proactively, through diet, exercise, mind/body techniques, herbs and supplements, massage, and so on. All are methods of alleviating pain, illness, and disease by restoring balance to the body.
If you have back pain and take a supplement, the pain will probably remain… for a while. But if you follow a protocol of regular supplementation with safe stretches and perhaps acupuncture or chiropractic care… the body will rebalance, and the issues will resolve. But this takes time. This was my situation at age 13. The pain did continue for awhile, but after my body was rebalanced with continued natural care, the headaches and back pain went away — for good.
In a general sense, many alternative therapies aim at rebalancing the body to restore health. Chinese medicine uses herbs to balance blood, qi, body fluids, and organ function. Acupuncture uses needles to open meridian lines and correct energy imbalances. Chiropractic uses manual adjustments to realign the spine to allow correct functioning of the nervous system.
So when are alternative therapies a waste of time? Well, actually never. But the “trying” of alternative therapies most certainly IS. You see, there is a difference between “trying” and “doing.” Trying means “you didn’t do” something. Let’s examine some common statements I hear in my office, and what they really mean.
Statement: I tried to call you and cancel my appointment.
Translation: I did not call you.
Statement: I tried acupuncture, and it didn’t help.
Translation: After a few visits I was not cured and so decided not to continue and follow the protocol to the end.
Statement: I’ve been really trying to eat right and do my exercises.
Translation: I eat right once in a while, and I do my corrective exercises when I remember to do them.
Trying means not doing. And if you are not fully engaged in the doing of alternative therapies… seeing them through to the end… following the protocol… doing what you have been instructed to do… then they will not “work.” Not because they failed you, but because YOU failed you.
You see, the therapies themselves are not the problem (unless you have chosen to follow the wrong one for your health issue), and they are also not time-consuming. Rather, it is the body that takes time to “allow” the method to take hold, effect change, and re-establish balance. But this takes time because the body likes to stay where it is, because it requires little effort to do so.
After repeated treatments, or a period of time spent doing exercises, or taking herbal supplements, the body finally realizes that it is actually easier to be in a state of homeostasis (balance) than to exist in a state of imbalance. It then “lets go” of its old unhealthy holding pattern. Now it can fully embrace a healthy pattern, and positive changes take effect.
Think of it like working out at the gym. If you are out of shape and lift weights, you will be sore. But little by little you will be less sore after the exercise. If you only lift weights once in a while, the size, shape, and density of your muscles will not visibly change. But if you stick with it (”do” it), you will notice your body changing in positive ways.
Internally this is what is happening with alternative treatment. Each day, each treatment, each bottle of herbs taken brings you one day closer to the body allowing them to take hold — and then the body steps out of its own way to effect a cure.
The worst part is, people still look to alternative therapies as a last resort, and mainstream pharma drugs and surgery as a first choice. This is perverse. Using the big guns for the beginning of a problem (depending on the severity) is ridiculous. You don’t blow up a house to kill kitchen ants.
My feeling on maintaining a balance in health and between mainstream and alternative medicine is this:
Everyone needs to get a physical every year, including blood and urine tests. If a problem is found, they should seek alternative, non-toxic, non-invasive methods to balance the body. After a period of time, they should have more tests run to see if the problem is better or worse. If better, continue with alternative medicine. If worse, and in the red zone of health, then turn to mainstream medicine for help. Not the other way around!
As it stands, we alternative practitioners get the worst cases, and we get them after years and decades of tests and toxic drugs and surgeries have truly damaged the body. And we are left to balance these bodies, in short time, at low costs, and with high hopes.
It’s time people reframe their minds on this issue. The next time you feel un-well, seek out alternative therapies first. But you must DO it and not simply TRY it. It takes time, effort, and discipline, but in the end, being balanced means being healthy. And taking personal responsibility to do what needs doing — and not depending on a doctor to do it for you — is the greatest gift you could ever give yourself.
To your health!
[Ed. Note: Dr. Mark Wiley is a practitioner of Oriental and alternative medicine and the author of 10 books. He teaches health seminars internationally and is a health adviser and the editorial manager for The Healthy Back Institute"
Hope you liked it
Bye for now
Paul
Monday, 17 November 2008
Back Pain and travelling
Here an article I came across for all travellers.
"How to 'ground’ back pain
Flying can be a pain in the neck and the back. We have some travel tips to avoid back pain from Dr. Todd Sinett, a chiropractor and author of The Truth About Back Pain.
1. Move around. As long as the seat belt sign is off, you can just stand in place and do some stretching.
2. Pack light. Do not overstuff your carry-on or shoulder bag, which can cause painful neck and shoulder injuries.
3. Pick your luggage for comfort and your particular needs.
4. Consider a backpack, but don’t overstuff it either.
5. Sit properly in your seat. It can save you a lot of backaches.
6. Support your lower back with a rolled blanket, sweat shirt or jacket.
7. Do some stretching exercises while standing in line at security or at the gate or waiting your turn for the plane’s restroom.
8. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. There is a link between tight clothing and back pain.
9. Bring your own healthy snacks.
10. Chill out. More than 80 percent of travelers consider flying stressful, which is the No. 1 factor when it comes to back pain."
I hope youi find this of interest, let me have your comments.
Regards
Paul
"How to 'ground’ back pain
Flying can be a pain in the neck and the back. We have some travel tips to avoid back pain from Dr. Todd Sinett, a chiropractor and author of The Truth About Back Pain.
1. Move around. As long as the seat belt sign is off, you can just stand in place and do some stretching.
2. Pack light. Do not overstuff your carry-on or shoulder bag, which can cause painful neck and shoulder injuries.
3. Pick your luggage for comfort and your particular needs.
4. Consider a backpack, but don’t overstuff it either.
5. Sit properly in your seat. It can save you a lot of backaches.
6. Support your lower back with a rolled blanket, sweat shirt or jacket.
7. Do some stretching exercises while standing in line at security or at the gate or waiting your turn for the plane’s restroom.
8. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. There is a link between tight clothing and back pain.
9. Bring your own healthy snacks.
10. Chill out. More than 80 percent of travelers consider flying stressful, which is the No. 1 factor when it comes to back pain."
I hope youi find this of interest, let me have your comments.
Regards
Paul
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Quote for today
I have noticed a lot of people put quotes of various kinds in thier posts.
So I will on occasion add a quote that, I hope, people find of interest.
The American election is over, a newstart may be coming. So here is a quote from one of my favourite Americans.
Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the
ability to say no to oneself. - Abraham Lincoln
I am not sure how appropriate that is, but I like it.
Take care
Paul
So I will on occasion add a quote that, I hope, people find of interest.
The American election is over, a newstart may be coming. So here is a quote from one of my favourite Americans.
Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the
ability to say no to oneself. - Abraham Lincoln
I am not sure how appropriate that is, but I like it.
Take care
Paul
Back pain and kids
Here is an article I came across that made me think.
"Are we causing our children to have bad backs?
Nov 16 2008 by Zoe Chamberlain, Sunday Mercury
MIDLAND children as young as six are getting treatment for back pain – as a result of carrying school bags that are too heavy.
A survey by The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has found that almost a third of six to seven year-olds complain of backache.
The daily school routine is taking its toll with 72 per cent of schoolchildren carrying around heavy books and sports equipment all day on their backs.
The BCA has branded this the ‘snail’ effect, with children carrying their lives on their backs.
One such pupil is Ben Dolman, nine and from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire.
He started complaining of neck pain but it wasn’t until his mum Elaine saw him riding his bike without a shirt on during the summer holidays that she realised her son’s back looked twisted.
“As he pedalled, his right shoulder seemed as if it had dropped down compared to his other,” says Elaine, 47 and a teacher.
“His back seemed twisted. We realised his problem was much more than his neck. Having done a biology degree, I had a nagging feeling something was really not right.
Muscles
“I took him to see a local chiropractor and she said he had functional scoliosis, which can happen when children don’t use their muscles correctly.
“It seemed to be from carrying his bag wrongly. He has to carry his PE kit, books and pencil cases. Sometimes it’s a huge great weight.
“The trouble is there’s nowhere to put bags at school anymore as lack of space and fears over safety mean children can’t hang them up on pegs or in lockers. It’s the same in most schools, and it means children have to carry their bags all day.
“And there’s a culture amongst children that they carry their rucksacks with big long straps so they hang down their backs, drag on their shoulders and flap from side to side. It’s not good as the back has to compensate for it.
“As a teacher I see this all the time, and I think a lot of children Ben’s age are going through the same thing.”
Ben was given a series of resistance exercises to do at home using a stretchy exercise band.
“The exercises were time-consuming and tiring but Ben has made a really good recovery,” says Elaine, who is married to Darren. The couple have another son, Thomas, seven.
“Ben knows what to do and his muscles have evened up after just three sessions. I was glad we took him, especially as he wasn’t ill and so I wouldn’t have thought to take him to the doctor.
“It was a relief as it was clear he had been deteriorating rapidly as we were starting to see a real discrepancy in his back. It could have led to longterm problems. A child grows so quickly, small problems can escalate. He could have become set in patterns that would have been harder to change once he was a teenager.
“It’s also made him conscious of the way he was sitting, particularly when he was on the computer.
“He can feel a difference and is no longer complaining of neck pain. He even looks straighter.”
According to research from the BCA, only a third of six to 15 year-olds wear a rucksack correctly on both shoulders.
The survey shows that childhood back pain has reached an all-time high in the UK.
In 2002, 29 per cent of 11-18 year-olds were complaining of back pain. Now, in 2008, 45 per cent of children have already suffered some kind of back pain by the age of 11.
Tim Hutchful from the BCA says: “With children as young as six now complaining from back pain, this survey clearly highlights the alarming rate at which back pain is growing within the UK.
“There are simple steps parents can take, such as checking that children aren’t carrying around unnecessary items in their bags and encouraging them to use a rucksack worn correctly on both shoulders.”
Another cause of this suffering at such a young age is thought to be children’s ‘slouch potato’ lifestyles.
Nearly half of all six to 15 year-olds admitted to spending the majority of the recent half term playing computer games or watching TV.
Television is the most popular half term pastime amongst six to seven year-olds with a quarter admitting to spending most of their time in front of the box.
And eight to nine year-olds are the laziest age group, spending the least amount of time playing sports a week – nearly a tenth admit they don’t do any sport at all.
Treatment
Jake Beattie, eight and from Staffordshire, has had to have treatment thought to be caused by hours spent on the Playstation.
His mum Joanne regularly sees chiropractor Jenny Hudson in Uttoxeter for wear and tear on her back due to her former job as a veterinary nurse.
“Jake would sometimes spend a couple of hours at a time on the Playstation, especially if he was playing a new game,” says Joanne, 37, who is married to company director Duncan, 41.
“He was having some problems with his right knee and lower back so, as a regular chiropractor patient myself, I decided to take him along with me.
“Jenny explained to him that it’s not good for his posture to sit in front of the computer for long periods of time, and the importance of taking breaks to get out for some fresh air.
“Kids do need to get outside.
“He has exercises to do at home and knows he’s not to do so much slouching in his chair.
“He’s much better now, and that’s good because it can make a big difference in the long term.”
Tim adds: “We’re in no doubt lack of exercise is children’s number one enemy.
“They need to get outside and do something active.
“We’d urge parents to help take steps to counteract back pain and, to help with this, the BCA has developed a very simple three-minute exercise entitled ‘Straighten Up UK’ routine.
“This is really easy to incorporate into their daily lives to help strengthen the spine and improve posture.”
zoe.chamberlain
@sundaymercury.net"
I think it up to all of us who are parents to make out best efforts to help and guide our children. I have a son of 23 and a daughter who is approaching 25. I had a chat with her about her posture and back pain, she replied that she sits "comfortably" and feels fine. Its a long struggle, but I feel worth it.
If you want information about posture their is more at http://www.backpainloss.com
look under articles.
Bye for now.
Paul
"Are we causing our children to have bad backs?
Nov 16 2008 by Zoe Chamberlain, Sunday Mercury
MIDLAND children as young as six are getting treatment for back pain – as a result of carrying school bags that are too heavy.
A survey by The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has found that almost a third of six to seven year-olds complain of backache.
The daily school routine is taking its toll with 72 per cent of schoolchildren carrying around heavy books and sports equipment all day on their backs.
The BCA has branded this the ‘snail’ effect, with children carrying their lives on their backs.
One such pupil is Ben Dolman, nine and from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire.
He started complaining of neck pain but it wasn’t until his mum Elaine saw him riding his bike without a shirt on during the summer holidays that she realised her son’s back looked twisted.
“As he pedalled, his right shoulder seemed as if it had dropped down compared to his other,” says Elaine, 47 and a teacher.
“His back seemed twisted. We realised his problem was much more than his neck. Having done a biology degree, I had a nagging feeling something was really not right.
Muscles
“I took him to see a local chiropractor and she said he had functional scoliosis, which can happen when children don’t use their muscles correctly.
“It seemed to be from carrying his bag wrongly. He has to carry his PE kit, books and pencil cases. Sometimes it’s a huge great weight.
“The trouble is there’s nowhere to put bags at school anymore as lack of space and fears over safety mean children can’t hang them up on pegs or in lockers. It’s the same in most schools, and it means children have to carry their bags all day.
“And there’s a culture amongst children that they carry their rucksacks with big long straps so they hang down their backs, drag on their shoulders and flap from side to side. It’s not good as the back has to compensate for it.
“As a teacher I see this all the time, and I think a lot of children Ben’s age are going through the same thing.”
Ben was given a series of resistance exercises to do at home using a stretchy exercise band.
“The exercises were time-consuming and tiring but Ben has made a really good recovery,” says Elaine, who is married to Darren. The couple have another son, Thomas, seven.
“Ben knows what to do and his muscles have evened up after just three sessions. I was glad we took him, especially as he wasn’t ill and so I wouldn’t have thought to take him to the doctor.
“It was a relief as it was clear he had been deteriorating rapidly as we were starting to see a real discrepancy in his back. It could have led to longterm problems. A child grows so quickly, small problems can escalate. He could have become set in patterns that would have been harder to change once he was a teenager.
“It’s also made him conscious of the way he was sitting, particularly when he was on the computer.
“He can feel a difference and is no longer complaining of neck pain. He even looks straighter.”
According to research from the BCA, only a third of six to 15 year-olds wear a rucksack correctly on both shoulders.
The survey shows that childhood back pain has reached an all-time high in the UK.
In 2002, 29 per cent of 11-18 year-olds were complaining of back pain. Now, in 2008, 45 per cent of children have already suffered some kind of back pain by the age of 11.
Tim Hutchful from the BCA says: “With children as young as six now complaining from back pain, this survey clearly highlights the alarming rate at which back pain is growing within the UK.
“There are simple steps parents can take, such as checking that children aren’t carrying around unnecessary items in their bags and encouraging them to use a rucksack worn correctly on both shoulders.”
Another cause of this suffering at such a young age is thought to be children’s ‘slouch potato’ lifestyles.
Nearly half of all six to 15 year-olds admitted to spending the majority of the recent half term playing computer games or watching TV.
Television is the most popular half term pastime amongst six to seven year-olds with a quarter admitting to spending most of their time in front of the box.
And eight to nine year-olds are the laziest age group, spending the least amount of time playing sports a week – nearly a tenth admit they don’t do any sport at all.
Treatment
Jake Beattie, eight and from Staffordshire, has had to have treatment thought to be caused by hours spent on the Playstation.
His mum Joanne regularly sees chiropractor Jenny Hudson in Uttoxeter for wear and tear on her back due to her former job as a veterinary nurse.
“Jake would sometimes spend a couple of hours at a time on the Playstation, especially if he was playing a new game,” says Joanne, 37, who is married to company director Duncan, 41.
“He was having some problems with his right knee and lower back so, as a regular chiropractor patient myself, I decided to take him along with me.
“Jenny explained to him that it’s not good for his posture to sit in front of the computer for long periods of time, and the importance of taking breaks to get out for some fresh air.
“Kids do need to get outside.
“He has exercises to do at home and knows he’s not to do so much slouching in his chair.
“He’s much better now, and that’s good because it can make a big difference in the long term.”
Tim adds: “We’re in no doubt lack of exercise is children’s number one enemy.
“They need to get outside and do something active.
“We’d urge parents to help take steps to counteract back pain and, to help with this, the BCA has developed a very simple three-minute exercise entitled ‘Straighten Up UK’ routine.
“This is really easy to incorporate into their daily lives to help strengthen the spine and improve posture.”
zoe.chamberlain
@sundaymercury.net"
I think it up to all of us who are parents to make out best efforts to help and guide our children. I have a son of 23 and a daughter who is approaching 25. I had a chat with her about her posture and back pain, she replied that she sits "comfortably" and feels fine. Its a long struggle, but I feel worth it.
If you want information about posture their is more at http://www.backpainloss.com
look under articles.
Bye for now.
Paul
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