JUNE 2007 NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the June newsletter from Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy! The weather so far this year has been fabulous and many of us are getting out and about and exercising and being active. Along with this there are more activity related injuries in the clinic such as back strains from gardening, tennis/golfer/s elbow and ankle sprains. Read on to get some top tips in getting healthy and keeping well…

Osteopathic Soft Tissue Massage

Osteopathic massage works in a number of ways. Our muscles don’t just relax once we sit still – they physiologically need fresh oxygenated blood to stretch. If a muscle is tense for a long period of time it gets so tight it starts to restrict its own blood supply and so cannot stretch and this becomes a vicious cycle. Osteopathic massage to the superficial and deep muscles squeezes fresh blood into a muscle whilst applying a stretch and therefore returns a muscle to a nice pliable stretchy one with good blood flow! This then enables our bodies to work more efficiently and reduces pain from muscle tension and spasm.

Carragh's Top Tips

Postural tension and how to sit properly

A lot of us spend our lives in sedentary occupations such as driving, computer work or sitting all day at a desk. As an osteopath I am a great believer in ‘Use it or Lose it’ ie keep moving and then you will be able to move more! With this in mind it is really important to counteract a sedentary lifestyle with exercise and stretching, be it in the gym or outdoors.

However, how you sit is also important. Too often people end up slumped over the desk with a slumped back, hunched shoulders and their hand reaching out in front to touch the computer mouse. Sitting bolt upright is exhausting for the postural muscles so it is important to find the happy medium. Sit facing your desk with your back straight. Your feet should both be touching the floor – for petite people get a footrest. As you sit bolt upright get a folded towel or proper foam pad and put between your low back curve and the back of the chair. Then relax.

You won’t be able to slump but your back will be relaxed and supported. Ensure you are sitting fully back in the chair. Your computer screen should be on the level of your chin and nose – we tend to naturally look slightly downwards.

Don’t sit in one position for hours – bodies like to move. Top tip is to get an egg timer and set it to go off every 40 minutes and then get up and move about!

Nutrition

	Now is the time to absorb the fat soluble vitamin D. Our bodies synthesise this from ultraviolet rays from the sun. Vitamin D is vital for the absorption of calcium and therefore for a healthy skeleton. The recommended exposure to sunlight is 10-15 minutes on your face, arms and hands about 2 times per week. After this apply your sunscreen!
To a lesser degree we can absorb Vitamin D from our diet. Good sources are cod liver oil, and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. You can also get cereals that have been fortified with vitamin D but do check the levels of salt and sugar in the ingredients – sometimes they are not as healthy as they look!
	For your joints and general health I recommend fish oil supplements. You can get 10% off fish oil capsules at the Nutricentre by calling my practitioner order line. Telephone 0207 637 8436 and quote ZZCEM001. Ask for: Biocare Mega EPA 1000mg fish oil Code No: BC29360 for all your omega needs.

Also recommended is:

Biocare Glucosamine Hydrochloride Code No: BC52790
For joint care and to help prevent wear and tear.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed this newsletter and found it useful… Should you wish to make a comment please email me on carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk. Similarly, if you wish NOT to receive any further newsletters please email me.

Take care and remember to look after yourself.

Carragh.

For further information on Osteopathy contact Carragh via email on carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk or call direct on 07957 348 513. Also have a look at the website www.osteopathuk.co.uk and please do forward this site to any friends who may be interested in osteopathic treatment.