The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year and indicates the official start of summer in our city. With an average of 16 hours of daylight guaranteed for the next couple of months, this is the perfect time to be topping-up our sunshine vitamin.
Category archives: Lifestyle and General Health
“Kisses of time”, Arthritis explained
Arthritis is any disorder that affects joints; it literally means inflammation within the joint itself. Symptoms include joint pain and stiffness and may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased the range of motion of the affected joints.
Bone health: Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
Our bones are “living tissue.” of continually renewing cells, blood vessels nerves, and minerals. Osteopenia and Osteoporosis are conditions in which this process is affected causing bones to become weak with a higher risk for fractures.
How to look after your moles
We had a rare sunshiny tropical public holiday weekend here in London, in fact, it was the hottest May Day Bank Holiday ever! With the resulting flurry of people donning their summer or holiday clothes. In an attempt to soak up the rays, or cool off many people flocked to beaches and parks or lounged […]
Hip problems explained
Hip problems are common, the cause may be apparent, like an injury that comes on suddenly while gardening, running for the train or playing sports. However, sometimes the reason is not as clear, as symptoms may come on gradually. Hip problems can be one of the kisses of time problems and considered part of the […]
Seasonal Allergies: Hayfever
Spring has finally sprung, the days are lighter and trees full of beautiful blossom. Sadly for many people this is the beginning of miserable time as they endure seasonal symptoms from allergy conditions, including hay fever.
Anxiety and your brain
Anxiety is a natural part of everyday life; it’s impossible to avoid some significant life events, bereavement, divorce, family illness, redundancy even parenthood. Almost everyone has experienced feelings of anxiety in their life, for example, feeling anxious about sitting an exam, or an upcoming job interview.
Stretching: Does it increase flexibility?
My regular pilates clients know that I am not a fan of static stretching unless there is a particular issue that needs managing. I um and ah about this in class, as it’s not part of the Pilates repertoire, and we can work on muscle length and range of motion during a well-balanced Pilates session […]
The shoulder, what goes wrong
Last time I talked about the shoulder joint structure and briefly highlighted what can go wrong. Here is a look at some of the common problems that cause shoulder and arm pain in a little more detail
Shoulder problems
Shoulder problems are widespread; the shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body because the main shoulder joint (the gleno-humeral joint) is a ball-and-socket joint. It sacrifices stability for mobility, and for this reason can be vulnerable to injury, dislocation, muscle fatigue and degeneration due habitual poor posture. vulnerable to injury and habitual poor […]
Why You Should Learn First Aid
Would you know what to do if someone you know stopped breathing? If the answer is no, then learning first aid should be on your list of essential skills
The health benefits of deep breathing
Slow deep breathing is a simple, yet powerful, relaxation technique to quiet the mind and release tension from our body. It’s easy to learn and can be practised almost anywhere providing a quick and easy way to get stress levels in check.
Modic Changes and Back Pain
About 50% of people with back pain following a disc herniation develop bone oedema, inflammation, or bone marrow lesions within a vertebral body. These are known as Modic changes and are related to poor healing and recurrent disc herniation. Their presence is significant because it was an independent predictor of intense and disabling low back pain episodes affecting recovery time and […]
Sleep hygiene, explained.
What is sleep hygiene? Here’s a lovely animated film which explains
Pelvic organ prolaspe, are you at risk?
Vaginal prolapse is a common condition where the bladder, uterus and or bowel protrudes into the vagina. This can cause symptoms such as a sensation of a vaginal lump, constipation, difficulty emptying the bowel or bladder or problems with sexual intercourse.
Herniated spinal disc, explained
A herniated spinal disc is the most common cause many painful conditions, when this happens, the natural cushion between the vertebra of the spine is damaged or ruptured, causing the spinal disc to push out into areas usually occupied by nerves. Note; other terms for a herniated disc include; a slipped, ruptured, bulging or, protruding disc. […]
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful condition of the hand and fingers caused by compression of a major nerve where it passes through a passage made by the carpal bones in the wrist. It may be due to frequent repetitive movements or by fluid retention.
Stress management, osteopathy can help
Ultimately, effective stress management requires and multidisciplinary approach especially for long term situations. The physical effects need to be addressed to allow for the lifestyle changes to make a difference.
Stress, how it affects your body
Last time I was talking about stress and mentioned it does have some benefits but its the ongoing or severe chronic stress that concerns me as health professional and pilates practitionerStress is a part of everyday life; have you noticed how prolonged stress affect you or those around you?
Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS)
Here’s another informative animated film, this time on the complex subject of Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS), which is the prevailing theory of the cause of chronic pain & other chronic symptoms.