Well the Christmas season is truly upon us, we have even had snow to get us into the festive spirit! Christmas is a time for getting together with friends and family – hopefully ones that you like! Christmas parties and lots of food and drink of running around shopping, cooking and preparing to travel.  As an Osteopath I thought it would be a good idea to advise you on the importance to take the time to care for yourself and avoid unnecessary injuries during the run up to and over the Christmas period.

• Try to stagger the shopping by shopping in stages! Carrying too many shopping bags will put strain on the muscles and joints. I know it is not cool but using a shopping bag on wheels with lessen the load on your body or try using a rucksack to carry your presents in. You can often find your local Osteopath,  yes me, sporting my wheelie shopping bag around Bedford town – I should have one with the logo ‘I love my Back’ written on the front!
• When food shopping, use the smaller trolley as they are not as deep so will make the process of loading and unloading easier, as you don’t have to bend down so far to retrieve your items. Trying to lift a heavy frozen Turkey or crates of drinks out from the bottom of large trolley is asking for back trouble! Also don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.
• Wear comfortable supportive shoes when shopping. Tottering around in high heels whilst carrying loads of bags for hours will not do your back any good.
• Avoid icy patches – The weather is getting colder and with that brings ice. Wear sensible shoes when you’re out in icy weather to avoid slipping and causing an injury to your back. You can always change your shoes when you arrive at your destination.
• If we are fortunate to have a white Christmas (a little trivia for you – the last white Christmas reported in Bedfordshire was in 2010!)  be careful when shovelling the snow. Allow for plenty of time to clear your driveway or area. Make sure the shovel is at the right height so your back remains straight. Push the snow instead of throwing it to the side, this will put less strain through your shoulders and spine.
• Be mindful of your posture when wrapping presents and writing cards. We all done the sitting on the floor or the bed scenario and regretted it afterwards. Sit at the dining table to wrap your presents and to write your cards. Remember to take frequent breaks as sitting for long periods puts a lot of strain on you neck and back.
• Have help when putting up decoration and sorting out the tree. Wires and ladders are a common hazard in the home. If you are getting the decorations from the loft, try not to lift down heavy boxes. Its far easier to strain your muscles and joints bringing down boxes especially when on you are unstable up a ladder. Have someone there supporting the ladder and to receive the boxes or decoration at the bottom to avoid over stretching and awkward positions.
• Cooking the Christmas dinner can be extremely stressful, making sure you get all the timings right, everything fitting in the oven. If you are having turkey this year be mindful how you lift it in and out of the oven especially if you have a low-level oven. Make sure you get help lifting it in and out, not only don’t you wont to injury you back on Christmas day, but you don’t want the turkey ending up on the kitchen floor, you get scolded with hot fat and the dog running off with the turkey leg!
• Above all try not to get too stressed, remember this is your Christmas too! Don’t be a martyr, if it gets too much ask for some help – delegation is the key! Sometimes especially us women we have the tendency to think we must do everything as we are the only ones that can do it right. Don’t sweat the small stuff.  If all else fails just shut the bathroom door, run a hot bath, light some candles and have relaxing bubble bath – you deserve it! (Do I hear some of you saying with a glass of wine? 😉
• Finally – So from your Osteopath I wish you all a happy jolly great Christmas!

The summer holidays are over and the kids are back at school. I can just imagine the silent cheers from some parents reading this right now! Adorned in their new uniforms along with pens, pencils, books and sports kit, is it my imagination but are children carrying much more stuff these days and are the bags getting bigger and heavier?

The spine is what keeps us upright, with the help of the muscles and ligaments that attach to it.  Carrying heavy bags while a young body is still developing could put children’s physical development at risk, resulting in back and postural problems.

A heavy rucksack disturbs the natural alignment of the spine causing the child to bend forward to counter balance the heavy load. If carried on one shoulder this can effect the natural curve of the spine causing the spine to bend to the side, forming into a C shape. This can all lead to the development of bad posture.

According to Back Care UK the recommended maximum weight a child should carry is around 10% of their body weight. This is to include things like their water bottle and lunchbox etc. As more and more school are no longer providing lockers or desk to store books and other items, children therefore, have not choice but to carry all their belonging with them all day, which is a pain in the neck, literally… pardon the pun!

So if your child is complaining that their back, neck or shoulders hurts or even headaches chances are it could be their school bag.

Top Tips to Keeping Your Child’s Spine Healthy

• When buying a school bag for your child, choose a rucksack. Some bags can be heavy even without items in them. Therefore, when choosing a bag it is important to make sure that it is not too heavy to begin with and not too big.
• Make sure the rucksack is sturdy with wide padded adjustable shoulder straps to help spread the load and a cushioned back. This not only reduces the pressure on the neck, shoulder and back area but can also be adjusted as the child grows (saving you money in the long run, if it last that long that is!)
• Make sure that the rucksack is not to big for their needs. (They will only fill it up with unnecessary stuff!)
• Teach them at an early age to wear their rucksack correctly. Ensure that the rucksack is worn on both their shoulders.
• Check your child’s rucksack every day to ensure that s/he is carrying only the necessary things that are need for the day.
• Check their posture when the bag is on their back. If you notice your child leaning forward or slouching, check if the bag is too heavy or if it has been packed incorrectly.
• Place heavier items in the middle of the bag close to your child’s back.
• To reduce weight before your child gets to school send them off with an empty water bottle which they can then fill up when they get to school.

When your child comes home from school, check their bag and see how it looks against the tips above.   Make the necessary changes to ensure minimal risk of problems in the future.  If your child is having any problems or complaining of pain make sure you get them assessed by an osteopath or health professional. Small changes made now can make significant changes in the future.  I offer a FREE telephone consultation, so if you have any questions or your child is complaining of a sore back, I may be able to help.  Contact me and arrange a free telephone consultation.  I am here to help.

I often get ask the question what is best to apply to an injury, a hot or cold pack? So here is my advice on the confusing subject. I am going to keep it simple without too much medical speak.

When to Apply Cold Therapy?

As a general rule cold should be applied to an acute/sudden injury ie twisted ankle, torn muscle or bruising. This can be in the form of a flannel placed in very cold water,  an cold pack that you have purchased from the shop or a bag of frozen peas. Cold therapy constricts the blood vessel reducing the blood flow to the area. This will help to reduce swelling and inflammation that occurs at the site of the injury thereby helping to reduce pain to the numbing effect of the cold.

I advise my patients to place the cold flannel or pack on the injured area for no longer than 10 minutes at a time or if using a flannel until it warms up. This can be done 4-5 times throughout the day and continue the application for approximately 3-5 days following the injury.

A cold pack can also be used to treat muscles that have been overused, you may have seen athletes sitting in cold baths or plunging into cold barrels after a hard training session…You can stick to a cold pack! This helps to reduce any inflammation that might have built up as a result of the activity.

When to Apply Heat?

A heat pack such as a hot water bottles wrapped in a towel or a microwaveable cloth bags filled with rice should be applied tight, sore or stiff muscles as the helps to bring blood flow to the area and promote relaxation not to mention the comforting factor. It’s important to apply heat for only a limited amount of time. Fifteen to twenty minutes of heat can often provide the temporary relief needed at the moment.

When to Apply Both?

I sometimes recommend patients to do a hot/cold treatment. Yes both, not at the same time but one after another. Some tissues such as ligaments have a very low blood supply and therefore take longer to heal. Applying hot/cold treatment to a chronic injury (injury that is more than 4 weeks old) aids for faster recovery by creating a pumping action of the blood vessels. First apply the heat. The heat opens the blood vessels which in turn brings the necessary oxygen and nutrients to the area to promote healing. Then the cold. The cold constricts the blood vessels which then removes the waste such as stagnate inflammation and other metabolic waste out of the tissues.

Precautionary Measures

Hot or cold treatment for an injury or muscle soreness is generally a safe home care treatment. However, when using heat, watch for redness and discomfort. Never apply heat to an area that feels warm to the touch as this may indicate tissue damage such as swelling and inflammation. Be sure to wrap the heat with a towel to protect the skin from burning. This goes for the cold pack as well so to prevent it from freezing your skin.

While apply hot or cold packs on an injured area is helpful in relieving pain, they are not the only way to alleviate pain. Having the area examined and treated properly by a osteopath will enable the body to   heal correctly.

If you have any further question or need any advice you can contact me on via email wini@winithomas.co.uk or call me on 07490 686 183.