Dangers lurking in your car seat: Back pain, hip pain and ankle pain….
January 30, 2012
Is setting up your car seat correctly of such importance as to warrant a blog? Yes! Why? Read on….
Maintaining good posture at all times reduces the risk of developing back pain, hip pain, neck and shoulder pain, by 60%. This includes walking posture (gait), sitting posture (no slouching) and sleeping posture (no lying on your front). Many of us use the car everyday and even if it is for brief periods, it is important that we maintain correct hip and knee alighnment.
As I am vertically challenged at 5′ 2″ I have placed a riser cushion on my seat (the slimline wedge ); additionally I have raised the seat in my car, a VW GOlf, to its maximum height. These measures have provided the best possible posture for me in the car. The 2 other ways I try and maintain this posture is to use the cruise control whenever I can (especially in the 30mph zone – I’m fed up of being zapped by the speed cameras for driving at 32.5mph in these zones…) and change into a special pair of flat shoes for driving. Overall, I drive in comfort and my body never complains…until recently.
My car was booked in for a service, where they found a fault, which meant it had to go in for more work to another garage. Several mechanics drove my car. No matter – all sorted.
Not quite – my car was sorted but I developed serious hip and knee pain. Nothing I did sorted it – I had massage, realignment treatment, saw my doctor, spoke to my personal trainer (www.barnesfitness.co.uk) and also resorted to pain killers! No good. I felt like a 80yr old….
Then as I was driving back from a networking meeting, the penny dropped : I was driving in heels (only 1.5in – I had been too lazy to change into my driving shoes) and when I checked the position of my knee with respect to my hips, they were uncomfortably high. So I stopped the car and did the following:
1. Changed into flat driving shoes
2. Raised the seat to maximum – I had raised it after it came back from the garage but not to maximum
3. Pushed my seat back
4. Removed the wedge, pumped it up and put it back again
Result: my knees were lower; my legs straighter; when I rested my clutch foot I could stretch my left leg and as I did this, my hip felt so much ‘happier’.
Within two days, my hip pain reduced to zero
Do you agree? Have you found the same? Let me know and if you haven’t ever checked the alignment of your car seat, please do – if you need any help, give me a ring..
Why do Top Professional Tennis Payers Suffer so many Injuries?
January 9, 2012
Federer, Nadal, Clijsters and Williams – all are heading for the Australian Open, nursing various injuries. Federer has a bad back, Nadal ‘s shoulder is giving him trouble, her hip seems to be Clijsters’ area of agony and Williams is limping because of a bad ankle.
Federer has chosen not to rely on painkillers but is opting for MASSAGE instead
So what is the cause of these injuries?
Hard training, over and above what the body can sustain is what I hypothesis is going on here; all these ace players have well trained and equipped teams looking after their every need – nutrition, physiotherapy, massage, equipment and of course, technique. Nothing is left to chance, everything is managed to the last detail. These are some of the most finely tuned athletes in the world. It can therefore only be that the regimes they are imposing on their bodies, are taking their toll.
How can these injuries be prevented? I guess plenty of rest between events (but the professional calendar dictates this); lots of good quality, whole body, deeply releasing massage; making sure the technique is spot; ensuring the equipment is regularly replaced and also physical preparation targeting injury-prone movement patterns may be beneficial. But in the end, if the strains on the body are too much for it to handle, then it will break…
In conclusion, I guess the increased stresses, speed and power of the modern game, are all leading to more injuries and the question is – what price will these elite athletes pay for their game in the long run?
Health starts with healthy feet…
January 3, 2012
A very happy new year to all! May the Gods bless us with a prosperous and more importantly, peaceful year ahead.
So the celebrations are out of the way and some of us may be feeling worse for wear – I mean literally. What do I mean? High heels!!! These are the must have fashion accessory but if our bodies could talk, they’d ask us to dump them. But lets get realistic: none of us are about to dump our £300 heels so how can you still look after your feet whilst wearing these beauties? Some tips below:
1. Don’t live in high heels – change your foot wear regularly
2. Try and walk about bearfoot at home (and in the office if possible – ok, so people will give you odd looks – no matter so long as your feet don’t smell…)
3. Do some feet stretches whilst sitting at your computer or standing by the coffee machine (water machine is better) – roll your ankles both clockwise and anticlockwise, point and flex your toes
4. Do some lower body stretches – we are entirely connected in case you hadn’t noticed so the condition of the muscles higher up in the leg will reflect on your toes; so stretch your calf muscles, hamstrings and your quads.
Finally, if your feet are complaining, come in for a lovely relaxing 30min foot bath and massage – have an offer for January at the moment – check out the Services and Charges page for more details
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