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Archive for the ‘Prolonged Sitting’ Category
Friday, January 13th, 2012
One of the main reasons for the reviews on this clinic are genuine, realistic and charming is thanks to one of my favourite Medical Research is thanks to the years of research by Stuart McGill
I am delighted to see that now Stuart McGill has now some excellent videos on how you can seriously damage your back with excessive exercises on gym equipment (if you wish) or how to exercise safely.
As Stuart says most people will suffer from some back pain at time in their lives
Please look and understand this excellent video One has to keep the spine stiff rather than increase the range of movement as this causes damage on the muscles ligaments and lumbar vertebrae causes chronic inflammation and long term pain. The wrong movements abuse the back and increase your chronic pain. Prolonged sitting makes your back muscles weak and much more prone to back injury which is why long term back pain in on the increase
Here is another of Stuart McGill`s videos discussing on how to train you core properly. The problem is that all those abdominal curls, bending and twisting rubs presses on the delicate joint facets and their surrounding tissues, leading to increased mechanical inflammation. So you can strengthen your core abdominal muscles which is wonderful if you are young and no mechanical wear and tear in your joint facets however if you are using those weight bearing vibroplates your are vibrating your worn out joints together, increasing the risk of inflammation and Osteoarthritic changes, irritating your vertebral ligaments and potentially causing a great deal more long term harm
Mark Comerford has been researching with his team and they have produced a new much safer more efficient series of core exercises are simple quick and effective and can be done in a few minutes at home.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
Fees £35.00 for hour and for simple follow up cases £20 for half an hour.
I have kept to these comfortable affordable fees for years as I find it takes one hour for many of the more challenging complicated cases.
Posted in Back Pain, Disc Pain Management, Osteo Arthritis, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Most of us now suffer from prolonged sitting – in cars, in front of the television, at the office. This results in increased disc pressure. The following video will shock you! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO LINK
Here is the idle gaming chair which keeps your lumbar disc pressures to the minimum. Anyone recovering from a mild prolasped disc, surgery and experiencing other low back inflammation causing considerable pain, should read this article and watch the video.
You can return to more normal life style once your back has been allowed to repair, heal and mend its inner tissues. If you return too fast by loading your lumbar disc pressures, then you can delay full healing or even worsen your condition considerably.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh
EH6 4RJ
0131 551 1044
£35 per hour
simple follow up cases only £20
normal follow up cases £35 per hour
I like to take one hour so that I can include electrotherapy and some vibrotherapy, and maybe show patients the video on prolonged sitting.
Tags: Chronic Back Pain
Posted in Back Pain, Disc Pain Management, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Monday, January 10th, 2011
Previous articles in this blog explain that bending forward with your arms unsupported when sitting in a chair, results in an increasing lumbar disc pressure over the years.
If you are recovering from a prolapsed disc or back operation, it is important to keep lumbar pressure as low as possible for the first few months or even up to a year depending on the type of prolapse.
If you were doing Pilates before your injury, it’s a good idea not to resume these exercises until at least a year after a prolapse. This is because sitting on the big Pilates balls, forward bending or lifting weights in a forward bending position actually greatly increases stress on the repairing tissues.
Earlier posts in this blog look at the scientific evidence proving that bending over many years can cause disc pressure damage. Although many therapists use a Pilates approach to treatment, there is now evidence that this method should be used with great care on patients displaying any signs or symptoms of a disc lesion.
Dr Stuart McGill, a Canadian professor of Biomechanics, and an increasing number of research doctors have found that Pilates can increase lumbar disc pressure which can result in a big disc prolapse.
Pilates exercises shouldn’t cause pain. If you experience any pain doing them, stop immediately. This may indicate that Pilates is not suitable for you!
Here is an anti gravity recliner recommended by one recovering patient  and the link if you are interested in further information. Website click here.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh
EH6 4RJ
0131 551 1055
One hour £35
One hour £35 for follow up or if simple 30 mins for £20
Tags: ergonomics edinburgh, Osteopath
Posted in Back Pain, Disc Pain Management, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
The most common course of chronic knee pain I see in this clinic is anterior knee pain which occurs under and around the knee cap.
There are many theories about the causes of such pain, and many exercises to do to prevent this type of pain. Prevention is important because this is one area of the body which is difficult to operate on.
By looking at these images you can see that the knee is a complicated but clever, hard working joint and deserves to be understood and looked after.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
0131 551 1044
Tags: Chronic Knee Pain, Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting, sports injuries | No Comments »
Monday, October 4th, 2010
It may come as a surprise, but this is the ideal ergonomic chair. It removes all the pressure off your neck, shoulders and lower back, particularly helpful if you regularly need to sit for more then seven hours in front of a computer.
Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between workers and their environment, esp the equipment they use. It is also known as biotechnology.
For more information about healthy sitting chairs look at work place on the Canadian Occupational Health website.
According to Professor Stuart McGill, Professor of Spine Biomechanics in Canada, the slouch position is best. Why do you think those Formula 1 racing drivers can cope without endless low back pain? If you observe their cars you’ll see that the seats are specially designed to take the pressure off the vertebrae.
Note that reclining is the perfect position for the back but isn’t possible in the work place!
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
0131 551 1044
Over 21 years experience of treating and providing sensible advice
A one hour appointment including assessment and treatment costs £35.00.
Shorter consultations and treatments lasting 30 minutes cost £20.00.
Tags: ergonomics edinburgh, Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Friday, September 10th, 2010
Look how it travels out through the gluteal muscles as it exits down the leg from our back. This very important nerve which enables us to walk and run as well as undertaking many other activities can easily become damaged.
Remember that your legs and lower back support your upper body, including your lungs, heart and brain. Sometimes the body becomes overloaded by the forces of gravity, and breaks down – muscles go into spasms, tendons and ligaments becomes stretched and damaged, even our vertebrae and discs become overloaded and damage. Sometimes the breakdown is so serious surgery is necessary.
If we look after our lower back by avoiding various movements, such as bending forward, our tissues can repair and recover.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
0131 551 1044
£35 for one hour including consultation, treatment and advice.
Tags: Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
There are several interesting new pieces of information about the Transversus Abdominis muscle, which will be published next year. This means we can return to a much more normal personal choice of exercise, sports and recreational activities which don’t over focus on this muscle. The Transversus Abdominis will always be active so long as we are breathing! It’s important to exercise all our muscles in a way that is suitable for our age, body type and physical condition, so relax and do what you enjoy.
You don’t need to sit on Swiss Balls and attend Pilates Classes if you don’t like these approaches. Choose the exercise approach which you enjoy the most and which suits your individual pain pattern and life style.
Swimming, walking and biking all activate the Transverse Abdominis – and all the other muscles too which is miles more important.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
0131 551 1044 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0131 551 1044 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
£35 for one hour all inclusive with massage case history and treatments included.
Tags: Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Clients frequently ask me for advice on what beds and mattresses they should use, so here again are some diagrams illustrating what happens when you lie down.
The above diagram shows where the body applies pressure to the mattress.
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The above diagram shows where the mattress applies pressure on the body.
Sleeping for long periods on the wrong mattress, can therefore result in pressure pain and give you an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
Many of the harder mattresses, sometimes misleadingly described as “orthopaedic”, actually cause pain by stimulating the nerve fibre endings hidden in our skin and soft tissues. Each person will have a different stimulation threshold which determines whether they experience chronic or acute pain.
One way of coping with an extra hard mattress is to buy a topper. Putnams sell foam toppers which cost £40 for a single mattress and £80 for a king size double.
Helen How
Registered Osteoapth
14 Craighall Gardens
Edinburgh 0131 551 1044
Tags: Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Osteopathy, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. In these times of long periods of sitting at a desk, with or without a computer, good ergonomic design can help to prevent the repetitive strain injuries which develop over time and can lead to long-term disability.
Here is the online ergonomics website.
Helen How
Registered Osteopath
0131 551 1044
Edinburgh EH6 4RJ
£35 for one hour all inclusive with massage case history and treatments included.
Tags: ergonomics edinburgh, Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
In his book on lower back disorders, Professor McGill recommends using an ergonomic chair, pointing out that such a chair must be used properly. Changing posture as frequently as every ten minutes, allows the tissue loads to migrate, thereby minimising the risk of any single tissue`s accumulating microtrauma. Even if you don’t get up from your chair, moving position or even just fidgeting can help.
Have a look at Active Ergonomics by Orange Box – here is Flo
As you can see Flo encourages moving and fidgeting. If you would like to find out more, here’s the link. So, even if you can’t easily get out of your chair, at least changing position on it will help protect your back. getting moving while sitting
Keep Active Ergonomics 
Tags: ergonomics edinburgh, Osteopath
Posted in Osteopath, Prolonged Sitting | No Comments »
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