Stress is a part of everyday life, it can affect our body, our thoughts, feelings, and our behaviour. It’s impossible to avoid some significant life events, bereavement, divorce, family illness, redundancy even parenthood. Stress can induce a flight or fight response in the body, producing hormones to increase heart rate, make us breathe faster and makes […]
Category archives: Lifestyle and General Health
Sleep Advice & Tips
Good quality sleep can make a big difference in your quality of life. Having healthy sleep habits is often referred to as having good sleep hygiene, It involves a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness.
Achilles tendon pain
Achilles tendon pain is sporting complaint often seen in runners and tennis players. People report stiffness or pain in the back of the heel. Achilles tendonitis is an overuse injury due to the repetitive action and so may occur in other repetitive activities.
Breathing for relaxation and stress management
Stress is necessary for life, it helps us learn, be creative, and of course, is needed for survival. Stress is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of equilibrium that our nervous system needs to remain in balance.
Probiotics, the inside scoop
You may already know that probiotics are beneficial for gut health, but research now suggests that “good” bacteria may have other health benefits.
Vitamin B12, the energy vitamin
Vitamin B12 is a powerhouse, it helps make DNA, nerve and blood cells and is crucial for a healthy brain and immune system. Studies suggested that 15% of people the UK population don’t get enough of this essential nutrient.
Sepsis awareness
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which can be difficult to diagnose as the early symptoms are similar to flu and other common illnesses. Sepsis affects over 150,000 people and kills over 44,000 people in the UK every year; it is often responsible for brain damage and amputations.
Snap crackle & pop! What do noisy joints mean?
Do your shoulders creak? Knees pop? Does your neck make cracking sounds? Do you hear clicking noises in your ankles, wrists or hips when you move? Some of the joints in our bodies can result in an impressive range of weird, wonderful and occasionally extremely loud sounds?
Musculoskeletal pain and painkillers
Joint and muscle pain is probably the number one symptom that prompts people to seek the help of health professionals such as osteopaths. Musculoskeletal pain affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves; it is commonly caused by physical injury, which can be widespread or localised in just one body part.
Understanding Sciatica
Sciatica is a relatively common condition of pain or loss of sensation. Medically sciatica is a set of symptoms rather than a diagnosis of what is causing the pain. Sciatica means that another spinal structure is compressing a person’s sciatic nerve.
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin
Vitamin D is essential for optimal body function; it has a vital role in maintaining bone structure and healthy teeth, but it does so much more to support our health. Vitamin D is interesting because it affects up to 2,000 genes in the body, science shows that it acts more like a hormone than a vitamin.
Pelvic Pain in pregnancy
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) in Pregnancy affects up to one in five women. It is the umbrella name for all pelvic pain, including pubic pain which is called symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), or Osteitis Pubis which is inflammation of the pubic symphysis. PGP includes pain anywhere from the lumbar spine, abdomen down to the thigh, […]
Muscle cramps, explained
Almost everyone experiences muscle cramps at some point in their lives, you could be drifting off to sleep or out for long out for a walk when it happens: the muscles of your calf or foot suddenly become hard, tight and extremely painful. They are caused by involuntary contractions or muscle spasms of one or […]
Pelvic floor muscles, what do they do?
Are you confused about the function of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM’s) and how to keep them healthy.
Understanding Pain
Approximately 10 million people in the UK live with pain on an almost daily basis; this often has a significant impact on their quality of life and is the second-highest cause of days off work.
The wellbeing benefits of pilates
Many people ask me “ I don’t have a back problem or any injuries so why should I do Pilates?” To get the most out of a Pilates class/session, you need to connect to your body and be in the moment, over time and with experience; this can improve overall mind/body awareness and become […]
Somatic Pilates, what is that I hear you ask?
It’s Pilates but not as you know it, the pace is slower with time to reflect, its a bit like interval training the changes happen during the rest periods. It’s based on science, and has a slightly different focus, let me explain…
Freedom to move?
This is a lovely montage of a little baby named Liv doing what babies do during their first year of life, exploring their environment and learning the essential skills to be able walk, run jump and play. It starts with her finding her limbs and their connection to the floor, wriggling, shifting weight and beginning […]
Magnesium, why do we need it?
In my post about muscle cramps (read it here), I mentioned Magnesium, and a few people have asked me to tell them more about it.