All posts by Sophie Merritt-Drew

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

Travelling to new places is an adventure that opens doors to exciting experiences. However, the thrill of holidays or the demands of business trips can often be dampened by the unpleasant effects of jet lag. It’s incredibly challenging when you need to arrive at your destination ready to work. Jet lag occurs when your body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, becomes out of sync with your new time zone. But fear not! With a little understanding and some natural strategies, you can beat jet lag and make the most of your travel experiences.

The Power of Zeitgebers:

To combat jet lag, it’s crucial to leverage the power of zeitgebers—the external cues that regulate our circadian rhythm. These cues include light, temperature, social interactions, exercise, and eating habits. When travelling across time zones, many of these cues are disrupted, leading to jet lag. By harnessing the knowledge of zeitgebers, you can support your body’s recovery and enjoy your travels to the fullest.

Embrace Light Cues

Adjusting to the local time zone begins with using light cues effectively. If you arrive at your destination during the night, create a sleep-inducing environment by staying in the dark and avoiding the blue light emitted by electronic devices. Conversely, if you arrive in the morning, expose yourself to natural, bright light to signal wakefulness to your body.

Prioritise Optimal Sleep

In the days leading up to your trip, ensure you get sufficient high-quality sleep. Arriving at your destination well-rested will make it easier to combat jet lag. If you feel the need to sleep during a long-haul flight, don’t hesitate to do so. Rest is essential for your body’s recovery.

Leverage Temperature

Lowering external temperatures helps lower your body’s core temperature, signalling that it’s time for sleep. If you arrive close to bedtime, adjust the temperature of your room slightly cooler than usual to facilitate a restful slumber.

Stay Active and Social

Engaging in social interactions stimulates wakefulness. If you arrive in the morning, take the opportunity to explore your surroundings and interact with the locals. Physical exercise during the day also helps keep you awake and energised. If you’re on a busy business trip, try to squeeze in a quick visit to the hotel gym before your meetings to get your blood flowing.

Sync Your Meals

One effective way to acclimate your body to the new time zone is by adjusting your meal times to align with local schedules. Embrace the local cuisine and enjoy meals at the times that the locals do. Consider modifying your eating patterns a few days before your trip to facilitate the adjustment. Be mindful that aeroplane meals are often served based on your home time, which can disrupt your efforts to reset your body clock. Focus on protein-rich meals to stay alert (a protein-based breakfast is a healthy choice anyway) and opt for carbohydrates to aid in falling asleep.

As you embark on your travel adventures, armed with these valuable tips, jet lag will no longer hold you back from enjoying every moment.  Share these strategies with fellow travellers, friends, and colleagues who could benefit from these handy tips.

The long evenings and warm temperatures encourage many of us to be more active over summer. It’s a great time to take up a new activity, improve our fitness, or lose weight.

One of our most popular summer sports is, of course, tennis. Tennis is a fantastic activity: it builds strength, improves cardiovascular fitness, can help to strengthen our bones, improves coordination, an
d gets us exercising outside in the sun (for our vitamin D!). Another thing that’s great a
out tennis is that it has a social element too – giving us one-to-one time with friends and helping us meet other people, which is so often lacking in today’s technology-driven world. However, tennis can be tough on our joints, especially for those who are not used to impact sports.

Here are our top foods and supplement suggestions that can help keep you in action on the court.

Get plenty of vitamin C

Vitamin C is not just important for immunity. It’s also vital for our body to make collagen, which in turn is used to make cartilage – the flexible material that helps to cushion our joints. When carilage wears away, as in osteoarthritis (‘wear and tear’ arthritis), joints can become very painful.

So where should you get your vitamin C? Ideally not by drinking fruit juices, which contain lots of quickly absorbed sugar (even if it’s just natural fruit sugar) and can end up causing more problems for our health. It’s best to get vitam
in C from a range of whole vegetables and fruit. Some of the best sources are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, red cabbage, pepper, kiwi fruits and blackcurrants. Aim for at least the recommended 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day – although the ideal is
more like 7 to 9! The antioxidants in vegetables and fruit also have anti-inflammatory activity, helping to keep pain in check.

Vitamin C supplements can also be supportive for your joints if you struggle to get enough through food.

Eat oily fish

Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines and herring contain the all-important omega-3 fats known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). As well as being vital for our eyes, brain and heart, these omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory activity, and possibly direct pain-relieving activity too. This means eating oily fish could be helpful to manage or reduce joint pain, and even prevent inflammation that causes sore joints after exercise.

Don’t like fish? A daily fish oil supplement can be a good alternative.

Avoid pro-inflammatory fats

Just as it can be helpful to increase your anti-inflammatory omega-3s, it’s equally important to avoid pro-inflammatory fats – the ones that can worsen inflammation. Unfortunately, these are the fats that we’ve long been told are good for us: vegetable oils. In general anything labelled ‘vegetable oil’ is bad news, and other general cooking oils such as sunflower oil or rapeseed oil. Margarines and spreads made with vegetable oils can be even worse because they contain hydrogenated vegetable oils – oils that have been turned into a solid fat by bubbling hydrogen through them. A lot of processed foods also contain vegetable oils, from cakes to breads to ready meals: another reason to eat more ‘real’ foods and ditch processed foods – especially those that come with a long list of ingredients on the label!

Eat magnesium-rich foods

Magnesium is an important mineral for our muscles and bones. It’s also been found that having good levels of magnesium in our body may help to lower inflammation.

So eating magnesium-rich foods can be another good step towards better joint health. These include green vegetables, seeds and nuts, beans and pulses, and whole grains including oats, rye and buckwheat.

Turmeric and ginger

These traditional spices are not only delicious in curries and Asian food; they also have anti-inflammatory activity. Turmeric in particular (or its active component curcumin) has been shown in many studies to help reduce inflammation, and specifically to help to manage joint pain in knee arthritis. Ginger may also help to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

Turmeric and ginger can be used every day in cooking. You can also use either of them to make tea: chop or grate fresh ginger or turmeric root and pour on boiling water (although watch out with fresh turmeric, as it can stain everything!). Try making a ‘turmeric latte’ with turmeric powder – it’s become the drink of the moment among those looking for a healthier alternative to coffee. You can also just buy turmeric or ginger tea bags. Or if you have a juicer at home, try making fresh ginger juice and drinking a shot every day – it really packs a punch! Another alternative is to pickle ginger – delicious!

If you struggle to get a daily dose of turmeric or ginger in your food, or you want a more convenient option, try turmeric or curcumin supplements.

Bone broth / collagen

Bone broth is another traditional food that’s become popular as a ‘health food’ again. This is because bones are actually very rich in nutrients, and so properly prepared bone broth (made by simmering animal or fish bones for up to 24 hours or longer) is a natural, easy-to-absorb source of these nutrients, including vital minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Bone broth also provides natural collagen, primarily in the form of gelatin. As mentioned above, collagen is a building block for the cartilage that helps to protect our joints.

Taking collagen in supplement form may also be supportive for joint health. A study found that taking collagen over 6 months reduced joint pain in a group of athletes.

Glucosamine

If you’ve ever looked into taking supplements for joint health, you’ve probably heard of glucosamine. Glucosamine is a building-block for making cartilage and synovial fluid in the joints. Taking glucosamine supplements has been found in some studies to be helpful for knee pain, especially in those with a prior injury or with osteoarthritis in the knee. Some studies do not show benefits, however. It’s worth noting too that glucosamine has been found to be effective with doses of at least 1,500mg a day, and that it may take three months or more to work fully. So ideally, this is one to start taking in the spring if you want it to help keep you active over the summer.

Devil’s claw herbal remedy

Devil’s claw is a traditional herb used for relief of joint pain, as well as muscle pain and backache. Like turmeric and ginger, devil’s claw is thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect. It could be a good choice to help relieve pain more quickly, compared to the longer-term protective effect of collagen or glucosamine.

Arnica gel

If you experience muscle or joint pain after activity, try a topical arnica gel for additional support. Arnica gels are traditionally used to help with joint pain as well as muscle pain, stiffness, strains and bruising. In one study on a group of people with arthritis in their hands, using an arnica gel was even found to be as effective as ibuprofen gel for reducing pain.

It is thought that the average person spends about 26 years of their life sleeping, roughly 9490 days or 227,760 hours. Having the right mattress is an important part of getting a good night’s sleep.

Why is sleep so important?

During childhood, sleep supports growth and development, but sleep continues to be important throughout our lives to support both physical and mental health. Here are a few reasons why sleep is important:

• When we sleep, our bodies release a of hormones. One example is the growth hormone, which helps your body to grow and repair itself. This includes repairing your muscles, organs, and cells. 
• Sleep lowers your pulse and blood pressure, allowing your heart and blood vessels to rest and recover. 
• Scientists think REM sleep helps your brain to clear information you don’t need. 
• Activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight or flight responses, decreases. This allows your body to relax. 

The importance of the right mattress 

A mattress should keep your spine aligned but allow your muscles to relax while you sleep. Pain, particularly back and neck pain, can be made worse by the wrong mattress.  It can also lead to headaches or fatigue. 

What to consider when buying a mattress:

Mattresses often have several layers, but the support system and comfort layer can help you choose the right mattress. 

• The support system is the spring or foam layer that supports your weight and provides spinal alignment. This is rated by firmness and choosing the right firmness depends on your body type. 

It is not the case that firmer mattresses are the best solution for pain. There are problems with mattresses that are too firm or too soft, as the mattress should support your spine’s natural curve.

• The comfort layer is above the support layer and is unique to your preferences. Latex and memory foam are two examples of comfort layers that are beneficial to preventing aches and pains. 

Replacing your mattress 

Even if you have found the perfect mattress, it is recommended that you replace your mattress every seven to ten years. Over time, mattresses lose the ability to support you, leading to waking up with aches and pains. Here are a few more signs that it’s time to treat yourself to a new mattress:

• Noisy springs. This indicates that the springs have worn down, which means they will not be providing the necessary support. 
• Signs of wear and tear. For example, the mattress is saggy, lumpy or you can feel the springs through the mattress. 
• Allergies or asthma symptoms have worsened. Mattresses collect lots of dust and allergens and, over time, this can make your symptoms worse. 
• Other beds feel more comfortable. If you regularly find it hard to fall asleep in your own bed, but find almost every other bed comfortable, this might indicate your mattress is to blame. 

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. 

Most of us are aware of the importance of calcium for our health, especially for our bones. However, magnesium is another vital mineral for our bones, as well as for our muscles and nerves, it can actually be more difficult to get enough of this mineral in our diet than to get enough calcium

The many roles of magnesium

1. Magnesium is needed for normal muscle and nerve function. Without
   magnesium, our muscle fibres wouldn’t be able to relax after they have contracted, and nerve impulses wouldn’t be able to travel around our body properly.
2. Magnesium is vital for strong bones and teeth too. If you’re trying to improve or maintain your bone strength, it’s essential to include lots of magnesium-rich foods as well as calcium-rich foods.
3. Magnesium is also necessary for our cells to convert the food we eat into usable energy, and also for healthy ‘psychological function’ – including mood and how we deal with stress.

For these reasons…

Symptoms of not getting enough magnesium may include: muscle cramping, tight or weak muscles, increased pain, and loss of bone strength, as well as lack of energy, low mood, greater susceptibility to stress, and even poor sleep or insomnia.

As chiropractors we regularly see patients with these symptoms – especially pain and muscle dysfunction, of course. If any of them ring true for you, you are likely to benefit from getting more magnesium into your diet.

Where can we find magnesium?

The main sources of magnesium in our diet are plant foods, particularly the following:

• Green leafy vegetables such as kale, chard and spinach
• Seeds and nuts – particularly pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds
• Whole grains – especially buckwheat and rye
• Beans and pulses.

How much magnesium do we need?

The general adult recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 375mg. Like any nutrient, our requirements can vary, and the amount of magnesium present in foods – even the foods mentioned above – can also vary. But as a general rule, we need to eat four to five servings of one of these foods a day to get enough of this mineral. (One serving is about 80 grams or one handful green leafy veg, or two tablespoons of seeds, for example.)

Remember…

Drinking milk or eating cheese to get your calcium is not enough on its own to maintain strong bones – make sure you get plenty of those plant foods too! Also, don’t forget that weight-bearing exercise is one of the most important things to maintain bone strength.

Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone and is well-known for triggering the “fight or flight” response in our bodies when we are stressed. However, cortisol is also responsible for regulating a wide range of processes throughout the body.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands, which is then released into the blood and transported around the body.

What does cortisol do?

Almost all our cells contain receptors for cortisol, meaning it plays an important role in several things your body does. For example, cortisol:

• Manages how your body uses proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
• Regulates blood pressure
• Increases blood sugar
• Keeps inflammation down
• Controls your sleep/wake cycle
• Boosts energy

The short-term release of cortisol can give your body energy to fight or flee from a stressor, but it is possible for our cortisol levels to become unbalanced.

Too much stress

Usually, cortisol levels balance when the stress your body was reacting to passes. However, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, the hormone can have a negative impact on your body.

There are some health issues associated with high levels of cortisol over a prolonged period, including:

• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
• Mood irregularities

In women, this can impact periods causing them to become irregular, less frequent or stop altogether.

Cortisol levels have also been linked to conditions like anxiety or depression.

Managing cortisol levels

There are some lifestyle habits that can help you to manage cortisol levels.

1. Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep can be an effective way to reduce cortisol levels. Several things can be done to optimise your sleep, such as limiting caffeine intake, avoiding nicotine or alcohol, and implementing a regular sleep schedule.

2. Exercise

Exercise can increase or decrease cortisol, depending on the intensity. Intense exercise can increase cortisol levels afterwards, which will decrease a few hours later.

However, regular exercise can also help with managing stress and promoting good health, which may help lower cortisol levels.

3. Eating a nutritious diet

When trying to lower cortisol levels, it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet, paying attention to sugar intake. Fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and even dark chocolate are thought to be helpful for managing cortisol.

Similarly, it is important to ear on a regularly because low blood sugar can increase cortisol.

4. Staying hydrated

Dehydration has been linked to temporary increases in cortisol levels, meaning it is important to drink enough water throughout the day.

5. Breathe

Deep breathing is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with relaxation and lower cortisol levels. Meditation or yoga are just two examples of ways to practice deep breathing.

Many patients who suffer from knee, back or shoulder pain for example can attribute these issues to a pelvic dysfunction. While pelvic dysfunction is not life threatening it can be life limiting so find out how you can make small changes that may make a large difference. If you’re suffering from regular pain and think you might have a misaligned pelvis, it’s important for patients to visit a chiropractor.

Pelvic dysfunction often happen as a result of everyday awkward movements over time such as lifting heavy loads without care and sitting at a desk with bad posture as well as during pregnancy and childbirth or from injury.

The pelvis acts as a transmitter of forces between the legs and the spine. Many important muscle groups attach to the pelvis, the thigh muscles from below and the muscles of the trunk from above. If the pelvic joints (sacroiliac joints and pubic symphysis) are not moving correctly this can cause an imbalance resulting in pain in many different places. It could be looked at as a core stabilizer, supporting the spine, legs and wide range of muscles, so when the pelvis is not working properly (hip is tilted out of position) it can cause pain, weakness and tightness that can travel through the hip and pelvis up into the shoulders and neck, it also commonly can cause referred pain down into the legs.

There are three distinct areas that may be affected as a result of Pelvic Dysfunction these include the hips, which can become achy, painful and inflamed, the lower back which due to impairment of stability and function of (hyperextension) of the muscles in the abdomen and lower back which can cause spinal joint (facet joint) injuries and finally, the knee and ankle which can be put under a lot of strain if weight is shifted to one side to compensate for the pelvic dysfunction.

You can do a simple test at home to help you look for obvious signs of pelvic dysfunction: stand barefoot in front of a mirror with your back straight but relaxed. Imagine a vertical line going straight down the middle of your body and a second line near your shoulders that is perfectly perpendicular to the first line. If your hips are out of alignment, your pelvis will appear diagonal rather than parallel to the second line meaning you have a lateral pelvic tilt. This could be a sign of pelvic dysfunction.

Many people cringe at the sound of knuckles, elbows and other joints cracking. The debate surrounding whether this common cracking could cause joint problems has recently been settled. It has been confirmed that the popping sound is a result of an unwanted vacuum within the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints, locking the joints together.  When the joints are adjusted, the vacuum draws in a small air bubble and the noise is this air bubble being rapidly drawn in by the vacuum. The release of the vacuum by the air bubble allows the joint to move more freely.

This phenomenon is known as joint cavitation. Once the bubble is present, the joint will not crack again until all the air has been reabsorbed and a new vacuum is created.  This targeted approach reduces the likelihood of unintended cracking. In other words, cracking the joints in a controlled manner relieves stiffness and enhances the stability of neighbouring joints.

It is important to note that there are other cracking noises and sensations that may require attention. Snapping and cracking noises can be a symptom of osteoarthritis, which occurs naturally with ageing or as a result of trauma or joint diseases. In these cases, the breakdown of cartilage in the joint leads to painful friction and crunching noises during movement.

On the other hand, snapping noises and sensations are also caused by the movement of muscles or tendons across bones. This typically happens when a tendon is slightly loose and is most commonly experienced in the hip, knee, ankle, wrist, and shoulder. If left untreated, this condition can potentially lead to bursitis, which is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that allows muscles to move smoothly over bones.

Understanding the reasons behind joint cracking and the potential consequences of certain cracking noises can help individuals make informed decisions about their joint health.

As lifestyle changes in the 21^st century make the condition of osteoporosis ever more prevalent, it becomes a threat that you should take into consideration.

The ageing population, dietary trends such as dairy intolerance and the increase in eating disorders like anorexia all contribute to the growing numbers of sufferers. Today’s indoor lifestyle is also a factor, since a lack of vitamin D from the sun hinders your absorption of dietary calcium.

The frightening part of this condition is that it is sometimes not diagnosed until a bone is broken. A way to assess your risk of fracture is a bone density scan. This is the most accurate way of measuring the strength of bones. This scan can be organised through your GP or private clinics, and then appropriate advice can be given by your GP or chiropractor.

There are precautions we can all take to minimise the threat of osteoporosis to our physical health and mobility, both by medical and natural means.

A nutritious diet, and taking supplements where need be, is of paramount importance. If you’re vegan or don’t consume dairy products for other reasons, it’s important to find an alternative source of calcium in your diet. Leafy greens or tinned, soft-bone fish such as salmon or sardines are great options. It’s important to be aware that some foods make it harder to absorb calcium, such as carbonated drinks.

To help your body absorb calcium, vitamin D is essential. As well as synthesizing this from the sun’s UVB rays, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines provide some vitamin D. However, especially in the UK, vitamin D supplements are recommended.

Another key nutrient for bone health is magnesium. While this mineral contributes to many functions in the body from nerve function to immune health, it is primary found in bone crystals, contributing to their strength. Magnesium is often included in calcium supplements.

Vitamin C plays an important role too. Collagen is the main protein in bone, and Vitamin C is necessary for collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, and in many vegetables.

Chiropractors are fully qualified manipulative practitioners who diagnose and treat disorders of bones, as well as muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons. Your chiropractor will give you specific advice on how to strengthen your skeleton and minimise your risk.