This spooky season I have a newsletter which is all treat and no tricks! Yes you may have spotted the theme already.
Any of you who have come for appointments will know I often give you homework, this is to help you to help yourself. The human body is an unbelievably adaptable thing and with some really simple self-help tips it really will try its very best to help you.
Modern life may well be full of tricks to do you damage such as hours sat hunched over a keyboard, phone or carving a pumpkin, or just being chained to a desk or the cauldron cooking (for) the kids. A lot of work is unavoidable and we need to pay the mortgage but that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate small changes into our day which really will make huge differences in the long run.
So this newsletter provides a list of small changes, which are achievable and will change your body for the better and help you feel less ghostly, (I know I just can’t stop now though).
These are all things I have recommended to patients over the years, but I also want to mention the work of the sadly recently died Dr Michael Mosely and his great Just one thing radio programme and book.
He did great work in helping people to help themselves and I hope I can inspire you to help yourself.
Avoid turning into a zombie
Firstly here is one of my favourite adverts, it shows the power of exercise maybe watch with caution as some people maybe a little unnerved.
As we age we may start to stiffen up and patients often come in saying it is because they have become old – this is not the case, yes as we age we do have less flexibility for various reasons but that can, with simple changes, be held at bay or even to a certain extent reversed.
So unlike the zombies in the advert you don’t have to start running, but can you incorporate a walk into your day? Or take the stairs rather than a lift at work? Maybe park the car further away from the shops? Doing these things will add more movement into your life -and make you less zombie like!
Another reason we stiffen is our nerves. They are like elastic bands and if we don’t keep them supple they become less flexible. So here are 2 simple nerve stretches you can do at home to help keep your nerves moving.
For your arms, this a really satisfying stretch and you can see differences quickly.
Stand side onto a door and arms length away from it, then put your palm – if you can, flat against the door keeping your arm straight – this may pull a little and that is tension in the nerve, if you can then gently bend your head away from the arm and back again – this gently tensions the nerve and stretches it more.
If this becomes too easy you can make it more challenging by gently rotating your hand outwards, go careful as this can cause more stretch.
For your legs you get to sit down, so sit on the edge of a table and gently swing your feet like a 5 year old. This will ease things, but you can stretch more by sitting upright and lifting your leg up straight in front of you and pull your toes toward you. Then as you drop your leg down you slump forward and then find a rhythm so sit up lift leg and then slump and drop your head – this is a lovely stretch for the sciatic nerve.
Avoid a Pumpkin carving hunch
This is that position we all recognise, leaning forward and hunched over our desks, phones or Ouija board. Long periods like this can turn all of us ghoulish with growls of pain as we try to crack and creak upright.
The obvious solution is to move more, but this is not always practical or possible – however if you can, stand up and walk around every so often, if you are working from an office (or home) stand up to read or even better still, get a sit/standing desk and you can vary the height every hour. If you forget, how about using your mobile phone alarm as a reminder.
If your back is feeling stiff, roll up a towel and place it on your bed and then lay over it – position it roughly across your shoulder blades and this will open up your chest and ease your tension in your back.
Keep your local vampire happy
We have all been there, a vampire comes round and just can’t get a decent blood flow going so they leave miserable and when you have eternal life of darkness that must be pretty depressing – we all need good circulation not just vampires.
However, I have a solution! As we get older our circulation can decrease and our nerve supply can be impacted – it is a long way from your head to your feet for your nerve impulses to flow so they can slow down, this can impact on our sensation in our feet and can very quickly have us looking like the elderly people crossing sign.
One thing you can do to help prevent this and prevent or decrease the possibility of ulcers and poor circulation later in life is to moisturise.
I know this is a really simple suggestion – but moisturising your lower legs and feet will stimulate circulation and help promote good nerve supply.
If you can’t moisturise you can, when sat watching TV get a golf ball, put it on the floor and roll your foot around on it. Imagine it is dipped in paint and paint the whole sole of your foot – feels lovely and really works to help promote good nerve supply.
There are many more simple things you can do to help yourselves but most importantly if you are concerned about anything call Ghostbusters – sorry I meant call us and we can see if we are the best people to help you with those creaks happening in the night when you move or the screams of pain as you put your socks on.
Be careful out there!