Cold, wintry weather is sweeping the UK. Icy roads and pavements mean potentially hazardous conditions underfoot and a rise in injuries caused by slips and falls.
It is quite natural, therefore, for us to be wary when walking outdoors and adopting our ‘ice walk’; the problem is that an unnatural walking posture could cause as many problems as the icy conditions themselves.
Tim Hutchful, from the British Chiropractic Association, offers some top tips to stay safe and adopt a better ‘ice walk’:
Best foot forward
– It is a good idea to have two pairs of shoes, one for walking in the ice and snow, the other for indoors or whilst driving.
– Waterproof or other, lined shoes are preferable as are thermal socks, as these items will help keep your feet warm. Cold, numb feet are less able to sense and adapt to changing conditions.
– Footwear should have a solid and large, raised treads on the sole; essential for maximising your grip on the ice.
– Shoes with support features are important – walking shoes with a firm ankle support are ideal as they help prevent you ‘going over’ on your ankle and help you feel more stable in slippery conditions. If shoes have laces, they should be firmly laced to give a close fit without limiting the circulation.
What to avoid…..Wellingtons can be practical, but they often don’t give enough support and can be difficult to take off. Also avoid walking outside in leather or other, smooth soled shoes.
Top Gear
– Clothing should be warm and allow you to move freely. Anything that impedes you from walking ‘normally’ could make you more prone to falling over or lead to you walking in an unnatural way.
Be Prepared
– There are things you can do to prepare yourself for better balance. Standing on one leg, as an exercise, is a great way to help improve your balance.
– When you are out and about, keeping your hands out of your pockets (use gloves) so that you can use your arms for better balance is a great idea too.
– Watch out for parts of the pavement that may have been in shadow or under trees, where there is more likely be black ice, but make sure you pay attention to what is ahead too!
Falling Gracefully
If you do fall, try and curl up and ‘roll’ with the fall and stay relaxed, this will minimise any jarring to your body. Whilst it may be an automatic reaction, try to avoid putting your hands out to save you – this may cause wrist injuries.
Keep Your Wits
Try to avoid alcohol. Not only will you be more prone to feeling the adverse effects of the cold (because alcohol causes loss of body heat) but it may also cause you to take risks that you wouldn’t normally do and, of course, make you more unsteady on your feet. Keep topped up with warm drinks to keep your temperature up.
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Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? New consumer research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) reveals that a perfect posture ranks highly on the attractiveness scale, with more than half (58%) stating that a good posture makes a potential partner more appealing.
Despite a perfect posture being high on the wish list for a perfect partner, almost a third (29%) of those people surveyed had been told they have bad posture.
Now the BCA is encouraging people to straighten up to help give them a chance of finding romance.
BCA chiropractor Rishi Loatey comments: “Maintaining a good posture is a major step in preventing back pain. When leading a busy lifestyle, the basic warning signs of back problems can go unnoticed but our survey showed that 40% of people are actively aware of their posture when they’re with someone else, so looking for love could be a great trigger to improving the way we hold ourselves.”
For those who have been told they have a bad posture, almost one in five (18%) admit that it bothered them and it seems the younger generation are the most self-conscious, with 24% of 16-24 year olds caring about what people think of their posture.
The picture changes across the UK; Glaswegians are effected the most with 27% concerned by others’ comments and this figure almost halves to 14% for those in Edinburgh. But it’s the Geordies who are the least bothered, with just one in ten (11%) phased by what people think of their posture.
“Out of those who received remarks about a poor posture, 30% spend the majority of their working day sitting, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to their less than perfect back and neck health,” added Loatey. “But you don’t have to be left on the shelf; there are lots of ways to help improve your posture.”
THE BCA’S TOP TIPS FOR A PERFECT POSTURE:
• Sit up straight & keep moving: Keep arms relaxed and close to the body and supported if possible if. Make sure the top of the screen is level with the eyebrows and the chair is titled slightly forward, allowing the knees to be lower than the hips and the feet to be flat on the floor. Try to limit yourself to forty-minutes sitting at a time and take regular breaks.
• Don’t drive yourself around the bend: There is almost twice as much pressure on your lower back when you are sitting incorrectly, than there is if you stand up. A relaxed and supported driving position reduces stress on the spine. Allow your seat to take your weight, make sure you are sitting as far back in the car seat as possible so it can support you fully.
• Get fitted: You need a well-engineered bra so your shoulders don’t take all of the strain and end up doing all of the work. Bras that don’t fit will affect the shoulders and chest and may cause back pain as you get older. Make sure your bra gives you enough support as possible.
• Footloose and fancy free: Good footwear is an essential part of having a good posture. Soft-soled, supportive shoes with good grip are recommended. If you’re a lover of high heels be sure to pack your flats for a night out and kick off your stilettos when sitting at your desk.
• At the end of the day: Try adopting a sleeping position that creates less physical stress on the back. For example, lay on your side and not on your front with your neck twisted. When you wake up, try some gentle stretches, before getting out of bed.
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This is a FREE class provided for you, your friends and family to help you to understand about maintaining a healthy spine.
It will explain what Chiropractic is and its role in maintaining health.
It will also touch upon exercise, posture and diet, and the importance each have when looking after your spine.
Come along with friends and family to find out how to maintain a healthy spine and claim thier discount voucher for their first visit (terms and conditions apply).
For more info please contact the clinic on 0115 9225085.
Places are limited so please book early.
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The fault on our system has now been resolved please call the clinic on 0115 9225085 for all future calls we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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Just to update you, we are having problem with our telephone system for which we apologise for any inconvenience. The main telephone number has now been diverted to another line so you should be able to now contact reception on this. However, there are currently no facilities to leave answer phone messages. We are hoping that the system will be back up and running some time on Monday. Thank you for your patients.
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We are currently experiencing problems with our phone line please call this temporary number 01159224478 – sorry for any inconvience
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Our next FREE spinal health care classes are on the 22nd of Jan and 2nd February 2015 at 7pm.
To find out how to maintain a healthy spine feel free to come along.
For more details please contact the clinic on: 0115 922 5085
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We are currently having difficulties with our phone line today. If you need to contact us please call the temporary line on 0115 9224478 or email reception reception@beestonchiropractic.co.uk or use the form on contact page. Thank you.
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Hello everyone, welcome to my first blog post, I know you are all very busy (especially at this time of year) so I’ll keep it short and sweet.
Yesterday (December 10th 2014), the BBC published an article stating that 50% of women in England and 43% of men are on prescription medication. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30411246
Whilst younger people are less likely to be on any medications, 50% of those over 75 were on more than five different medications. Reading further into the article reveals that the most common medications are for blood pressure, cholesterol and antidepressants. I personally find it quite frightening how many people are on these medications. I have no end of patients inform me that their ‘cholesterol was borderline; so the GP has put me on medication anyway…’
At this point I could get onto a soap box and moan about the huge power the pharmaceutical industry holds over the medical profession and our National Health Service, but I promised to keep it short!
I could also link to articles that my Chiropractor friends are quoting about a study in the USA where patients under chiropractic use 53% less drugs than those not under care, but I am honest and open with my patients and this study is purely related to back pain and surgery not about other medications such as those for cardiovascular disease. It’s still fantastic news that we can help reduce the number of painkillers and likelihood of surgery for the majority of back pain sufferers but our patients already know that –it is why they come to see us and why they recommend us to friends and family.
So instead I’d like to remind you that your health is your responsibility, that the majority of medications can be avoided with a healthy diet and exercise. I know at this time of year there are plenty of parties and meals out to indulge in, that it is dark early; icy cold and windy so the thought of exercise is bleak. However, if you can get out for a walk over lunchtime then hopefully you will blow the cobwebs away, get some vitamin D if the sun makes an appearance and make your heart work harder which is the start of making it (and you) healthier. Don’t put it off to the New Year –start now and still enjoy everything over Christmas -just in moderation!
At the clinic we will be happy to answer any questions you have to address your diet and lifestyle, either ask your chiropractor in your next treatment session or join us for one of the spinal healthcare classes in the New Year –they are free and limited to small groups so that the chiropractor can answer questions. They need to be booked via reception, Wednesday 7th January 7pm, Thursday 22nd January 7pm and Tuesday 3rd February 7pm are all available to book now but we expect them to fill up quickly!
Enjoy the festivities and we look forward to helping keep you happy and healthy in 2015!
Sophie
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CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS 2014
Wednesday 24th December 8.00 am to 12 noon
Sophie Nicholls/ Rob Dobbs/Nathan Chilton
Thursday 25th December Closed
Friday 26th December Closed
Saturday 27th December 8.00 am to 12.00 noon
Alex Newton/Nathan Chilton
Monday 29th December 8.00 am to 8.00pm
Alex Newton/Rob Dobbs/Nathan Chilton
Tuesday 30th December 8.00 am to 8.00 pm
Alex Newton/Robb Dobbs
Wednesday 31st December 8.00am to 12.00 noon
Robb Dobbs/Nathan Chilton
Thursday 1st January 2014 Closed
Normal Hours resume Friday 2nd January 2015 8.00 am
Clinic Help Line 07854707873
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