Category: Health/Fitness

A Helping Hand – Chiropractic & Acupuncture

A Helping Hand

By Philip Petts – Chiropractic & Acupuncture

Chiropractors primarily treat musculo skeletal conditions such as low back pain, sciatica, neck pain and sports injuries. The word chiropractic is derived from Greek and means ‘to perform with the hands’. This is because the most important component in a chiropractor’s treatment is the manual treatment of the joints and muscles of the body. Poor, inadequate or incorrect spinal function can cause irritation of the muscles that control our posture and movement, which can lead to discomfort and pain. Irritation of the nerve in one area can lead to pain (known as ‘referred pain’) in other parts of the body; these symptoms may include headache, chest or abdominal pain or pain in any of the joints or limbs.

Chiropractic142aAt your first consultation your chiropractor will take a full case history and you will be given standard orthopaedic and neurological tests. Chiropractors are trained to diagnose the cause of your symptoms and treat them using manipulation, soft tissue therapy and other modalities such as ultrasound. The chiropractor manipulates the joint a little further than the patient would be able to do on their own, thereby normalising the function of the joints and muscles to ease, or remove pain. Chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or use surgical procedures so if there were an underlying condition for which other treatment would be appropriate, the chiropractor will refer you to your GP or other specialist.

 

An essential part of chiropractic treatment is to teach patients how to take care of their own body. Once the problem has been relieved, it is important to prevent similar problems arising in the future and your chiropractor can help you by offering lifestyle advice and a programme of exercises to be done at home. Chiropractic treatment is suitable for everyone from pregnant women and babies to sports enthusiasts and the elderly. As of June 2001 the term ‘chiropractor’ is protected by law and anyone referring to him or herself as a chiropractor must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment, which can relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may encourage the patient’s body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so. It stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle and can produce a variety of effects. The British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) states that acupuncture increases the body’s release of natural painkillers – endorphin and serotonin – in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain and that this modifies the way pain signals are received. However, it may also do more than reduce pain; it can have a beneficial effect on health and patients often notice an improved sense of well being after treatment.

AcupunctureModern research shows that acupuncture may potentially affect most of the body’s systems – the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Before commencing treatment, the practitioner should carry out all necessary tests, which might point to any serious or potentially serious condition that may require other forms of medical treatment. The practitioner will assess each patient’s case and treatment will be tailored to the individual, therefore it is impossible to give more than a general idea of what might be involved. Typically fine needles are inserted through the skin and left in position briefly, sometimes with manual or electrical stimulation; the number of needles varies but may be only two or three.

Acupuncture-like techniques have been used for over 5,000 years; a comprehensive system was developed initially in the Far East and first introduced into Europe during the 17th C. Over the past few years, acupuncture has become increasingly popular.

According to the BMAS, very large claims have been made for acupuncture in the past. However, not all of them can be substantiated and the BMAS are concerned that such claims may alienate many people – doctors among them – who might otherwise be sympathetic to the view that acupuncture can, in selected cases, be an effective method of treatment.

At the moment, anybody in the UK is allowed to call him or herself an acupuncturist and can practice acupuncture regardless of qualifications or experience. Acupuncture is a potent therapy and the BMAS recommends that patients check the credentials of their practitioner, as acupuncture should only be used by trained practitioners who can adequately assess the risks and benefits of applying the therapy. BMAS members are subject to a Code of Practice and Complaints Procedure in addition to meeting the requirements of the statutory regulatory body for their profession.

Philip Petts DC, MBCA, SRC, SRMLSO, FIMLS has 18 years post-graduation clinical experience and is one of the few chiropractors in the country to be employed by the NHS (NHS by GP referral only). He has clinics in Ashford and Charing, Kent for private consultations. He is a registered chiropractor with the General Chiropractic Council and a registered acupuncturist with the British Medical Acupuncture Society.

For more information on private consultations potential patients are welcome to call Philip on 07973 560681 or visit his website www.ashfordchiropracticcentre.co.uk.

 

Category: Health, Health Treatments, Health/Fitness Tags: , , ,

Maintaining Your Health And Fitness At Any Age

38 recWe all want to keep fit and healthy, but as we age, sometimes it gets more difficult to carry out strenuous exercises, but you can still keep your body moving by going for a brisk 20 minute walk and trying to increase the length of the walk over a period of time. Also, when you perform an exercise, just try and do a little more each time and over a period of time, this will make a big difference to your health and your body.

Don’t overdo it though as you are likely to pull muscles, just do what you can and increase the exercise or repetitions over time.

 

A complete fitness program should include the following:

Aerobic exercise

Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dance exercise are good ones to try. Aerobic exercise works the large muscles in your body, benefitting your cardiovascular system – and your weight.

Work up to getting 20 or more minutes per session, three or four days a week. Make sure you can pass the ‘talk test’ which means exercising at a pace that lets you carry on a conversation.

Strength training

Lifting hand weights improves your strength and posture, maintains bone strength, reduces the risk of lower back injury and also helps you tone.

Start with a hand weight that you can comfortably handle for eight repetitions. Gradually add more repetitions until you can complete twelve.

53908883Stretching

Stretching exercises help maintain flexibility and range of motion in joints. They also reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness. Yoga and Pilates are good forms of stretching exercise; they build core body strength and increase stability.

Good Nutrition

We can also increase our energy by giving our bodies the best nutrition possible and this is undoubtedly from fruit and vegetables. Experts recommend that we have at least 5 a-day of fruit and vegetables in order to give our bodies the essential nutrients we need, but sometimes it is not easy to do this and now this recommendation has been increased from 5 a-day to 7-9.

AppleTreeThe Next Best Thing To Fruit And Vegetables

Many people try juicing, but this can be very expensive and inconvenient to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables and wash, chop and juice each day. There is an alternative, where you can receive the goodness of 27 fruit, vegetables and berries harvested at the peak of ripeness to provide the optimum nutrition for our bodies in a convenient capsule. Scientific research and clinical studies have been carried out on the product and some amazing results have been achieved by people who take this as part of a healthy diet.

Juice Plus is recommended by this Harley Street Physician – Dr Nyjon Eccles BSc MBBS MRCP PhD.

Please watch the video.

Want To Know More?

If this product is something you may be interested in, you can either contact us on 01233 770456 for further details or see more information on the website Here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like specific details sent to you by emailing Here

My Own Results

I personally have been taking this product since the beginning of July 2015 and have lost over 1 stone in weight so far by taking the product and making a few simple changes to my diet. I have a lower back problem and found it very difficult to exercise and therefore I was overweight, unfit and had hardly any muscle tone. Not any more! I have more energy, I’m walking better, starting to go for cycle rides and doing a few toning exercises each day. My husband has also lost almost a stone in weight and is beginning to lose his ‘beer belly’. We are so pleased and will certainly be continuing to take the product as part of our daily nutrition for a healthier and longer life.

 

 

Category: Health/Fitness, News Tags:

Find, Acknowledge and Celebrate Your Best Body Feature

There is an old song that goes accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative; do not mess with Mr In-between. Great words!

Too often I hear women over 40 worrying constantly about their negative body bits. The media is full of articles telling us women how to disguise our faults. When that all seems too hard, we fall into the in-between. These are the so-so clothes that are neither flattering nor disguising but just plain boring.

When you dress to accentuate your best body feature all or most of the time, you show your self-confidence. You also stand out as a leader who is making the most of her strengths. In the different ways you draw attention to your best body feature, you learn creativity and give the visual impression of being a modern, forward-thinking woman. Wow!

Here is some inspiration for business and professional women over 40 to help you find, acknowledge and creatively accentuate your best body feature.

Step 1 – Find It

This is not always as simple as it sounds. I can hear you silently moaning that you have no best feature. Here is a starting list – your height, eyes, eyelashes, hair, face shape, long neck, figure, arms, hands, legs or feet. Something about one of these features causes others to notice you and comment positively on it. You may have dismissed the compliment. Now is the time to remember those words or ask your partner or friends what they think is your best physical feature and why. The why will be essential later. Another alternative is to go to an Image Consultant for an unbiased, positive assessment of your best body feature.

On the other side are those of you who know your best feature. You may have been complimented on it all your life and wish it would go away because you feel you are more than your striking feature. Some of you know what it is but you do not know how to accentuate it.

Step 2 – Acknowledge It

The most important part of acknowledgment is that it is for you first. You have been given your best feature to be uniquely you. It is part of you and something that will help you on your life’s journey like Paul Newman’s blue eyes. Be grateful for it. You have been given soft eyes to develop your gentleness; a strong face shape to develop your focused determination or your long fingers to be playful or elegant.

Secondly, it is there to attract others to you. They need it as a beacon to find you. Maybe they need to give you a life message or lesson; or come to you to learn something from you or to join you as part of your business or personal tribe.

Step 3 – Celebrate It

Short-term happiness is finding one item that accentuates and enhances your best body feature. You may discover that a princess line from the bust enhances your figure and you look for and wear that style all the time. You end up with a full wardrobe but feel stuck in a rut. Eventually you may get discouraged and you try to hide your best feature.

Long-term happiness is discovering and experimenting with different ways to develop and celebrate your best feature throughout the rest of your life. It is acknowledging your long fingers and celebrating them by learning all the different ways you can accentuate them. That may be experimenting with different nail shapes and colours; finding elegant, dramatic or fun rings, watches or bracelets; and looking for interesting sleeve styles and accents that draw attention down to your hands. Your long fingers become a source of physical and visual enjoyment for you because there is always the excitement of learning something new.

Repeating the same patterns of dressing over and over leads to women being judged as safe, boring and dowdy. Re-inventing yourself with minor or major changes to your clothes, colour and accessories is the mark of a modern, stylish woman.

Last Words

Making the most of yourself is about appreciating who you are physically as well as mentally and emotionally. Women who find, acknowledge and celebrate their best feature become a woman of influence who inspires other women to also make the most of themselves.

By Margaret A Sims

Margaret Sims is an Image Consultant and Modern Dressing Expert. Margaret helps entrepreneurial women over 40 dress to shine in a world of noisy experts so you can be an influential leader in your field. If this is you, visit my blog – http://thefashiontranslator.wordpress.com for more dressing tips. At both the Blog and Margaret’s website – http://yourfuturedirection.com.au you can sign up to get the free twice-monthly newsletter and receive your free eBook and Audio – ‘Look Fabulous, Feel Confident Every Day’.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_A_Sims

Category: Health/Fitness Tags:

Laugh Away Your Worries With Comedy CDs

Most of the people in America and other parts of the world are leading a hectic life. People are busy with their work and don’t get enough time to be with their families or enjoy a few moments of relaxation at their favorite places. Stress is a disease that can cripple your life, and can even cripple your immune system. You may suffer from hypertension, high blood pressure, and other illnesses. If you are stressed out, you should find a way to relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. If you find that you are experiencing a lot of your stress from home or your office, you can use laughter as a way out of tense and difficult situations. You should always be able to handle tough situations coolly, but you can’t do that if you are constantly frazzled. Always make sure to keep this in mind, and try to make light of things whenever appropriate. To help, you could introduce a bit of humor into your entertainment menu. If you watch fun, entertaining shows, it will help you fight tension. Keep in mind, a little bit of laughter can go a long way when dealing with stress. After all, laughter is generally considered the best medicine.

There is even an old saying that laughter is the best medicine, for stress other illnesses. A few moments of laughing can help lighten up your mood and make the problems you are experiencing during the day vanish before your eyes. If you were to laugh every day, you’d be amazed at how your body would begin to heal itself. There are many examples in which people have chosen to forgo conventional medicine, and either buy or rent CDs, or Stand Up comedy CDs in order to induce healing laughter.

There are so many types of Comedy CDs available in the market, such as classical comedy, clean comedy CDs, and other CDs. You can also find new age comedy by stand up comedians. Their routines can entertain you, and help bring relaxation into your home. Watching these amusing programs on a regular basis has often brought about great successes, where illnesses have either completely disappeared, or are greatly reduced. Cds and Stand Up CDs have brought immeasurable joy to the millions of stressed out people. Comedy CDs are considered wonderful stress relief gifts, because humor is an excellent stress reducer and consequently an effective relaxation technique. Because of this, they can be wonderful gifts for your friends and loved ones. You can buy them from online stores at unbelievable prices

By Abelard Ku Tyler

The author provides a lot of information on Comedy CDs and Stand Up Comedy CDs. He can show you how to choose the best Comedy CDs from online stores.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abelard_Ku_Tyler

Category: Health/Fitness

Top 10 Exercise tips for the 50 plus age group

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It is important to exercise at any age, but as we get older it can be harder to find activities that we feel we can do and want to do. Here are a few tips to help you include exercise in your daily routine.

With the increase in state pension age, you must look forward to retirement as the time to relax and enjoy your golden years. Retirement can enrich your life with opportunities to see more of your family, travel, pursue hobbies such as fishing, painting and gardening etc.

Even if you are still working, especially in a sedentary type of job, it is important to keep active. It is recommended that older people include exercise in their daily routine. It helps keeps you supple, oxygenated, helps lower your blood pressure and enables your bones and muscles to stay strong.

You may like to join a regular exercise class in Pilates or Tai Chai where professional advice can be given regarding any health issues and which exercises you should do to prevent aggravating the condition, for instance back problems. Certain exercises that put pressure on the spine should not be attempted without professional advice.

Here are our top ten tips on exercise and fitness for the 50 plus age group: 

  1. Walk every day for at least 20mins. Wear comfortable shoes, a pair of light, supportive trainers will do. Perhaps you should choose a half-size bigger than your usual size as your feet usually expand during exercise.
  1. Swim. The length of time depends on your posture, age and agility. Doing combinations of strokes is best for a minimum of 20mins, working up to 1 hour.
  1. Cycle. Depending on your agility, try a minimum of 15 minutes.
  1. Pelvic floor muscles.Your pelvic floor is very important whatever your age or gender – it is a diamond-shaped muscle that joins your pubis to the sacrum. Contract your transversus (tummy muscles) and think of bringing in that diamond shape muscle to the middle of your tummy – this is a pelvic floor lift.There are two exercises:
    i) Lift, hold and let go slowly.
    ii) Think of a building with three floors. Lift to first, hold, lift to second, hold, lift to third then let go slowly.
  1. Lie on your back in bed with your legs up in the air and “cycle” with your legs 100 times. If you have back problems, check first.
  1. Hold on to a table or kitchen worktop and try and lift your knee up to your chest. Do alternate legs 15-20 times
  1. Depending on your age and mobility stand and sit back on a chair/sofa between 6-10 times a day, holding on to something for support if you need to.
  1. Create mobility in your spine by rolling your body down; head first, towards the floor from standing and then slowly roll yourself back up. If you have back problems, check first.
  1. Using lightweight hand weights (if you don’t have any then use tins of bake beans or full water bottles), and do bicep curls.
  1. If you have time try to attend some Tai Chi, Qigong or Pilates classes, they are fantastic for mobility and increasing energy levels.

As people grow older, they tend to become more and more sedentary, it is very important to try and keep mobile by increasing movement and raise your heart rate.

Also don’t forget to drink water! Water regulates ALL the functions in the human body.

It flushes your kidneys and regulates all the functions in the human body including the flow of blood and lymph through the body, functioning of our brains, cushioning and regulation of organs, the transfer and absorption of nutrients into cells and tissue, the removal of waste out of the cells, the movement of nerve impulses through the nervous system, the balance of hormones, the regulation of body temperature and the lubrication and cushioning of joints. So, as you can see, it is very important for our health to drink plenty of water.

Category: Health/Fitness