| 28 September 2011
I have to admit that I was very surprised when the popular pain-killer Vioxx was banned several years ago due to it's increased risk of stroke and heart attacks. I wasn't surprised by the fact that there was more research proving a link between pain killers and heart attacks. There has been considerable research on this for well over a decade.
What really surprised me back then was that Vioxx was the only painkiller taken off the market because many other painkillers were shown to be equally as dangerous as Vioxx.
Now new research raises questions why some commonly used pain killers have not been banned due to dangerous side-effects...
| 23 August 2011
So many well-intentioned people (including some health professionals) still are recommending the use of heat as a treatment for injuries. Basic first aid tells you NEVER to apply heat to an injury. Heat increases inflammation and bleeding and delays recovery from injury.
Here I explain why you should never use heat to treat an injury and also why some people mistakenly feel that heat helps...
| 08 August 2011
A study published in February 2008 revealed that Americans are spending record amounts on treatments for back pain. While this boom is great news for the pharmaceutical and medical industries, it also suggests that most of these expensive treatments are a complete waste of money…
| 30 May 2011
It’s hard to believe, but a new medical study suggests that simply crossing arms can lessen pain! Scientists from University College London unveiled their findings yesterday, claiming that crossing of arms in front of the midsection significantly reduces the feeling of pain....
| 03 March 2011
A lot of time people injure themselves shortly after beginning a well-intentioned exercise program. If your body is out of alignment or balance, lifting weights can merely serve to reinforce and exaggerate that imbalance, increasing the likelihood of you injuring yourself.
Before beginning exercise programs that involve lifting weights I encourage people to get their body and posture checked by a chiropractor to point you in the right direction for improving your posture and balance.
But what else can you do to help yourself?... Take this test at home to learn what weaknesses/imbalances that you should work on to injury proof your body...
| 03 March 2011
Forget doing abdominal crunches, Pilates and all those informercial gadgets and devices. One of the best stomach exercises for you can be done anytime and anywhere, even while you're working...
| 02 March 2010
Arthritic aches and pains are a major issue in our ageing workforce. According to Professor Paul Hodges from University of Queensland’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences body aches, pains and injuries are the second most expensive cause of lost productivity at work and health care expenditure in Australia. Only cardiovascular disease costs our society more.
With arthritis making up a significant proportion of our injuries and pains, the big concern is that so many people are being left with the impression by well-meaning health professionals that arthritis is an inevitable part of ageing. Although arthritic pains may become more common as you age does that mean that arthritis is caused by old age?
| 02 March 2010
Whenever you injure yourself, you are taught to follow the traditional first aid protocol of R.I.C.E. For those who haven’t heard of it, R.I.C.E. stands for: Rest,Ice,Compression,Elevation.
Considering that musculoskeletal injuries are the second most expensive cause of lost productivity at work in Australia there is now a more advanced way to help injured workers relieve pain and get back to work as soon as possible...
| 21 November 2009
If you had any doubt about how much pain can suck the energy right out of you, you only needed to look at Graham. At the age of 39, he was bent over in agony and shuffling along like an old man. Even his face was wrinkled from the continual wincing in pain. I helped him to lie face down on the table so I could examine his inflamed lower back. As I felt his inflamed lower back I exclaimed "Oh no!" in exasperation. I had realised that he had committed one of the cardinal sins that often prolongs pain and recovery.
| 01 November 2009
After the initial euphoria of finishing my first marathon my fatigued legs began to let me know what they thought of being put through such an ordeal. Walking more like one of the characters from the Muppets, I gingerly made my way to a nearby public pool where I spent the next hour wading in water to help my aching muscles recover. Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health and is a vital component to an energetic and productive lifestyle. But exercise can also cause some harm your body. It can cause muscle damage, fatigue and inflammation. In fact, if not properly managed, exercise can become a form of stress. So can supplementation help or hinder this?...
| 20 July 2009
Graham had been working solidly on his computer for hours and the tension building in his neck, shoulders and arms told him that it was time to have a break. He interlocks his fingers and stretches them forward causing his knuckles to ‘pop’ like bubble-wrap. He then tilted his head to one side. Grabbing the back of his head with one hand and pushing up on his chin with the heel of his other hand, he pushes somewhat violently until he hears a ‘crack’ of relief emanating from his neck. Right in the middle of his contortions one of his colleagues walks into his office.
“Ooh, that’s gross. You know you’ll get arthritis if you keep doing that to yourself,” she declared.
“Who cares?” replied Graham indignantly, “It feels so much better.”
With my background as a chiropractor, I have often been called upon to solve arguments between family, friends and work colleagues on this particular question...
| 09 July 2009
Are heat creams and heat packs effective in reducing aches and pains or are they a complete waste?...
