Sprains and strains to muscles and joints happen to all of us. Prompt action can help your body to heal faster and may prevent further injury or prolonged pain. 

Remember RICE (Relative rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation)

Relative rest: The first thing to do if you feel pain is to reduce the offending activity – pain is usually your body’s way of telling you that there is something wrong, pushing through the pain is rarely beneficial. However, movement stimulates the healing process so stay as mobile as you comfortably can.

Ice: Cooling the area using an ice pack can help to reduce swelling and pain and control inflammation. Wrap a thin tea towel around the area so as to avoid direct skin contact and then apply the pack to the injured area for no longer than 10 – 15 minutes. You should repeat this several times per day for the first 72 hours. 

Compression: Gently applying a compression dressing may help to temporarily support the injured joint and reduce swelling, though remove this immediately if there are signs that this is reducing the circulation to the area (numbness, pins and needles, the skin turning white or blue etc).

Elevation: Elevating the area a little can make it easier for your body drain fluids that might accumulate around the area, causing swelling and pain. 

If you have pain that can’t be controlled with over the counter painkillers, can’t put weight on the injured limb, experience paralysis or loss of sensation or the swelling is very bad seek help from your local A&E department, urgent care centre or telephone 111 for advice.

If the pain or swelling fails to improve within a week, please visit your osteopath who will be able to assess the injury, advise you on the correct treatment and provide some manual therapy which may help it get better faster.

Why women should do weights

Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones more brittle and prone to fracture. Although osteoporosis can effect men and younger people, post-menopausal women are most at risk. One of the best ways to help maintain healthy bones is to exercise regularly – which encourages the bones to absorb calcium and other mineral salts that keep bones strong.

Weight bearing exercises and weight resisted exercises are best for strengthening bones. Weight bearing exercises are those where your body is supporting its own weight, such as walking or housework or carrying groceries. Weight resisted exercise involves pushing or pulling against an additional weight, like a dumbbell or barbell or resistance equipment in a gym.

The younger you start, the better It has been demonstrated that younger women who trained using weights have stronger bones later in life, this essentially means that you can bank bone when you’re younger to help prevent fractures later in life.

But starting at any age will help Everyone can benefit from increasing their activity levels. Studies have shown that people who have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis can improve their bone health significantly through weight bearing exercising.

‘I hate gyms’ No problem. Dancing, yoga, tennis, pilates, walking, running, gardening and even housework count. You can do it in several short blocks of 15 minute or more but aim for at least a total of 150 minutes per week over at least 5 days per week for the best results. If you’re unused to exercise, start slowly and build up to this target.

I don’t know where to start This is where your friendly local osteopath can help. They can screen you for any health concerns that might affect your ability to exercise, help to resolve any injuries or pain that might be holding you back and advise you on what exercises might suit your goals best. 

Upper Back Pain

People don’t talk about upper back pain very often.  Yet it can be just as crippling as lower back pain.  In most cases the underlying causes are not serious.  However, when it occurs, upper back pain can cause a level of discomfort that’s too misery-making to ignore.

Upper back pain is usually aggravated by moving the head or the arms and can radiate out along the edge of the ribs.  It can also cause headaches or aching pain in the neck and shoulders.

The causes of upper back pain can vary from poor posture or trauma, to improper lifting or carrying heavy objects.  

One of the most unexpected causes of upper back pain is sneezing!  Yes, the common sneeze can cause excruciating pain in the upper back.  It’s very easy to blame back pain on lifting heavy things like children, concrete, shopping or piles of washing, but sometimes our own bodily functions can be the cause of the problem.

Self-help things you can do if your upper back is painful:

Rest: Avoid activities that exacerbate the pain for a day or two.

Sleep: Try to make sure you get some good sleep.

Watch your posture: When you’re sitting keep your head in a neutral position with your ears directly over your shoulders. This significantly reduces the amount of stress on your neck and back.

Be careful:  Don’t try to stretch through serious pain – the chances are you will aggravate it!

As always the effect of any remedy will vary from person to person.  Try to figure out what works best for you. And don’t do the things that make it worse! 

Other causes of upper back pain may include osteoporosis (where the bones are weakened) and scoliosis (where the spine isn’t straight, but in an “S” or “C” curve when viewed from the back).  So if the pain doesn’t subside get your back checked – it’s not clever to ignore the pain.

Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

In 2016 Public Health England put out new guidelines on vitamin D intake.  We all heard about them.  We all read about them, but do you know what they mean?  Or did the news disappear among all the other health advice we are given that year?

While further evidence is needed to draw firm conclusions on the links between Vitamin D and non-musculoskeletal conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease, the government has issued guidance on how much Vitamin D we all need.

What you need to know:

The new advice is that adults and children over the age of one should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10mcg of vitamin D, particularly during autumn and winter.

People who have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency are being advised to take a supplement all year round.

The at-risk groups include people whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in care homes, or people who cover their skin when they are outside.  People with dark skin, from African, African-Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, may also not get enough vitamin D from sunlight in the summer and should consider taking a supplement all year round as well.

Why Vitamin D?

We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles.

A lack of vitamin D can cause bones to become soft and weak, which can lead to bone deformities. In children a lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets.  In adults, it can lead to osteomalacia, which causes bone pain and tenderness.

Sources of Vitamin D:

Our body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin when we are outdoors. Most people can make enough vitamin D from being out in the sun daily for short periods with their forearms, hands or lower legs uncovered.  Be careful not to burn in the sun, so take care to cover up, or protect your skin with sunscreen, before your skin starts to turn red or burn.

We also get some vitamin D from a small number of foods, including oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, as well as red meat and eggs.

Another source of vitamin D is dietary supplements. Speak to your pharmacist, GP or health visitor if you are unsure whether you need to take a vitamin D supplement or don't know what supplements to take.

References:

1.       https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/the-new-guidelines-on-vitamin-d-what-you-need-to-know/

2.       https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/