Taking the pain out of Christmas

It is here again, Christmas is almost upon us. The Christmas and New Year period can be a stressful time, with lots of social commitments, shopping, visiting friends, family and the office party,  all changes to your usual daily routine that can compromise your nutrition, exercise and healthy regimes leading to an increased risk of problems like back and neck pain. Below are some tips to try and avoid aches and pain this Christmas.

 

 

• Holiday Indulgences

Overindulging at Christmas can lead to weight gain placing more strain on your joints and muscles.

Try to keep a healthy diet, don't over indulge at every party, eating and drinking in moderation will help keep off those extra pounds. Keeping to your gym routine can be tricky, but gentle exercise such as walking can help prevent joints from stiffening up and keep you feeling energetic.

 

• Shopping Safely

Carrying heavy bags or awkward presents can put pressure on your spine and strain your shoulder muscles, leading to neck and shoulder pain. Take things easy, distribute weight evenly by using a suitable sized back pack or shopping trolley and take regular breaks mid shopping-spree.

 

• Preparation is key

Wrap up warm in the cold, if you are sitting for long periods outside take a thick blanket or cushion to prevent a numb or painful behind. Prevent excessive postural strain by wearing your most comfortable shoes to walk in.

Whilst hanging Christmas decorations take care if you are climbing on stools or ladders. Get some help, use a safe ladder and avoid over stretching to hang that high up decoration.

Drink plenty of water, hangovers and the resultant dehydration do not help with muscular and joint pain and can make some spinal conditions worse. 

 

• Back care at Christmas

When lifting that oversized Christmas turkey out of the oven, bend your knees and keep your back straight, if you are in pain get somebody else to do the heavy lifting.

Don’t spend too long trying to beat the kids on their new sports computer game, but do remember to get some regular exercise be it walking, stretching or cycling. Stay warm use hot water bottles to soothe aching and tired muscles, a hot bath with some relaxing lavender oil or Epsom Salts can help relax and aid muscular aches.

If you are suffering with any muscular or joint aches and pain, consult a professional for some guidance and treatment. Chart Clinic offers free advice and consultations, for more information visit www.chartclinic.co.uk or call 01737 248 023.

Smartphone user? How smart is your posture?

The smartphone is undoubtedly one of the most significant innovations of most recent times, with ever increasing capabilities and ease of use, more and more people are spending time on them. But this is not just limited to smartphones, portable tablets also, allow  users to spend time on them easily whether at home, travelling or commuting to work.

A recent study found that people spending longer on these devices outside of work hours could potentially be putting themselves at risk, this article on the BBC New Website summarises the findings - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18490433

Reproduced with permission from Joseph E. Muscolino, DC. Art work by Giovanni Rimasti. Originally published in the Massage Therapy Journal: Seven Keys to Healthy Neck Posture, 2010

So what can smartphone and tablet users do to avoid the potential pitfalls of using these devices and causing strain on their backs and necks? Well as obvious as it may seem, just watch your posture. Slouching causes undue strain in the neck and back, compound that effect by flexing your neck forward on an already hunched back and you have a pretty disastrous position for you spine.

To avoid placing excessive tension through the muscles in the back of your neck and back, the user can simply bring the device up to eyelevel and support the hand holding the smartphone or tablet with the other arm, the accompanying picture is self explanatory and a useful visual guide to help improve your smartphone posture.

If you are suffering with back and neck pain, try and alter the way you use your smartphone/tablet, how does it feel? Is there less strain in you neck and back? If you would like to know more about how and Osteopath can help you, please feel free to get in contact.

Back Care Awarness Week - Is Your Back In Good Shape?

Back Care Awareness week is almost upon us and here at Chart Clinic Osteopathy & Sports Massage we are passionate about helping people maintain a healthy spine!

Back pain, much of the time arises from the modern day sedentary lifestyle. The desk job for example, so many of us spend long hours behind a desk, hunched over our computers or laptops; the human spine is not designed for that. We have evolved from cavemen but seemed to have gone full circle if you look at some of the postures we let ourselves slump into. The bad news is a poor posture causes a lot strain on the spine.

Keeping good physical shape, staying active and maintaining a healthy weight immediately improves spinal health. Making small changes such as adopting a more supportive chair and switching from an old mattress to a new one can help enormously.

Gentle stretching exercises are recommended, at Chart Clinic our patients benefit from receiving personalised advice and exercises, specifically designed to keep each person’s spine in optimal condition. 

Principal Osteopath, James Clapham says “People tend to take better care of their cars than the backs, an annual MOT and service keeps a car in good running condition for 10 years or so, yet our precious bodies we expect to keep going well into our eighties and longer? We neglect the most important possession we have, our physical health!  What will you do if your back wears out, unlike a car; you can’t buy a new spine”.

This Back Care Awareness month of October, Chart Clinic are offering FREE ‘Back Health Checks’, so whether or not you have aches and pains, come along and get a free assessment and advice.

We are also offering a FREE information and advice at our Open Day, Saturday 13^th October 10am-4pm.  Please feel free to come along and drop in to see us, we will be happy to talk to you about Backs, Necks and more.

To make and appointment of for more information, contact us on 01737 248 023 or visit http://www.chartclinic.co.uk/special.htm

Headaches? Look at the alternatives before you pop another pill

It has been revealed that more than one million people in Britain may be suffering from constant, crippling headaches because they are taking too many painkillers, experts say. The pills people take to relieve headaches and migraines may be making things much worse, according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) in guidance to the health service for England and Wales.

As many as one in 50 people suffer continual headaches because of "medication overuse", Nice reports. The problem begins with taking the odd painkiller for tension headaches or migraines, which usually works. But some people take the pills more and more often, until they are on tablets for more than half the days in a month. Nice says that if this goes on for more than three months the medication ends up causing the problem it is intended to cure.

So what alternatives are there to continually popping pills? British Osteopathic Association Member James Clapham comments, “tension-type and neck related headaches are the most common form of headache. If you suffer from tension-type headache, then regular gentle exercise will almost certainly help - such as yoga, pilates, swimming, walking. Some people find it hard to relax and probably don't realise how tense they are. If someone suffers from headaches it may also be neck related due to stiffness or restrictions of the neck. Osteopaths look to find the cause of tensions or stiffness and seek to relieve it by helping the body achieve more mobility and flexibility.

“Other lifestyle factors such as poor posture at a desk or tiredness can lead to tension-type or neck related headaches. Osteopaths look to relieve this tension and give advice on posture and exercises to do to help prevent the tension or stiffness from building up. For example we would recommend taking regular breaks from sitting at a computer desk for long periods of time or prolonged driving. Any persistent or sudden severe headache should always be checked by a GP first.”

For further information about the BOA or to find a BOA member near you please visit www.osteopathy.org

About the British Osteopathic Association

The British Osteopathic Association (BOA) is the professional association for osteopaths in the UK, acting as an independent representative body whilst promoting osteopathy to the general public and government. The BOA is committed to supporting, protecting and caring for its members and promoting opportunities for individual and professional development in osteopathic practice. There are nearly 4,000 osteopaths on the UK register who carried out over seven million treatments last year, and many of these are members of the British Osteopathic Association

 

Concern over spinal manipulation of the neck...

In recent months there have been some concerns raised over whether the technique of cervical spine (neck) manipulation or adjustment is advisable due to a small, potential risk of adverse reactions occuring, namely a cerebral vascular accident, or stroke.

 

In response the British Osteopathic Association (BOA) released a response (summarised later on below) that extensive research over the last 5 years has been conducted and we can confidently say that –

“The associated risk from manipulation is very low and when compared with risks associated with conventional treatments such as drugs they are equivalent or better.”

Cervical Spine manipulation is a very common form of treatment. It is one that patients often recall due to the nature of the maneuverer involving the neck and the frequently heard audible pops or clicks that occur as a result. This technique is only ever carried out when a patient has been carefully screened during extensive case history taking and a thorough examination.

This is a technique widely used by Osteopaths, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists to help with painful symptoms in the neck and often to help alleviate headaches which are caused by the cervical spine (cervicogenic).

The recent debate stems from the 7^th of June 2012 edition of the BMJ, two arguments were presented, one each for and against the use of cervical spine manipulation. This was intended to spark debate over the subject not intended to offer any conclusions on the subject.

The Press did sensationalise this with derogatory headlines. The newspapers and websites in question retracted their original headlines which were defamatory to the Osteopathic profession and the British Osteopathic Association and Professor Dawn Carnes; NCOR Chair (The National Council for Osteopathic research) responded with a press release, below is a summary of what was said:

• The BMJ published two lucid arguments for and against cervical manipulation for mechanical neck pain.
• There is no consensus about the best care or treatment that optimises pain reduction, increases function and improves quality of life with the least risk involved.   
• The BMJ published two lucid arguments for and against cervical manipulation for mechanical neck pain.
• There is no consensus about the best care or treatment that optimises pain reduction, increases function and improves quality of life with the least risk involved.
• Spinal manipulation is a very small component of the wide variety of Osteopathic techniques.
• Osteopaths pride themselves in their rigorous training standards of practice which prioritise patient safety and risk.
• Complying with these standards is a condition of an Osteopaths registration.
• The contraindications of this technique are universal to all practitioners.
• It is the patient’s choice to receive this type of treatment; many patients choose this type of care.
• There are risks involved with any type of intervention.
• NCOR have conducted extensive research over the last 5 years and can confidently say that – “The associated risk from manipulation is very low and when compared with risks associated with conventional treatments such as drugs they are equivalent or better.”
• Patients can ultimately decide fro themselves the type of treatment they feel they require or if no treatment is the preferred option.
• We need more clear evidence for patients to make these types of decision

Patients need to bear in mind...

It has been claimed that there is a small potential risk of a stroke following some manoeuvres of the neck. In terms of risk this equates to having your head backwards over the wash basin at the hairdresser or falling asleep in the cinema with your head propped backwards over the chair.

Over the years there have been millions of treatments given in the UK by osteopaths and I have not heard of single case nor have I or any of my colleagues experienced any adverse reactions in practice when administering cervical spine (neck) manipulations.

Osteopaths are trained to decide whether or not there are any risk factors involved and if the treatment is contraindicated for any reason they will not perform that certain technique.

Cervical spine manipulation is a preferred choice of many patients but there are a huge range of techniques that can be used very effectively to treat the neck if it is not safe to do so, or the patient does not wish to have this type of treatment.

More information can be ready on the Boots Web MD website:

http://www.webmd.boots.com/back-pain/news/20120608/stroke-risk-from-neck-pain-treatment?page=2

 

 
 

Tennis Warm ups & Tennis Elbow (Not just for tennis players!)

Well the 2012 Wimbledon tournament is over, many of us may still be wallowing in disappointment after Andy Murray made a heroic effort in an amazing final yesterday, but as we all know Roger Federer proved just why he has so many titles to his name, what a match!

Well done Andy, you made us all proud!

The excitement of Wimbledon often inspires many of us to dust of our trainers and tennis racket and hit the court for a game.

What is often neglected is a warm up and cool down, this useful article gives a guide for this and is worthwhile taking into consideration before playing tennis this summer:

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/warm-up-and-stretching-for-tennis-players-gb-en/

Tennis Elbow

With regard to Tennis Elbow, this is quite an interesting injury as you don’t have to have played tennis to suffer with it. The medical name for this condition is Lateral Epicondylitis, essentially pain in or around the outside of the elbow at the common extensor tendon insertion, located at  the part or the Humerus bone named lateral epicondyle.

It’s very common in tennis players (hence the name) and is usually associated with poor technique from back hand swing. But this condition can be seen in office workers, typists, carpenters, gas engineers, plumbers and mechanics.

It is an overuse injury, so it is common with anyone who performs repetitive manual tasks as mentioned above.

Pain arises as a consequence of inflammation of the muscular tendon at the elbow which leads to micro tears of the tendon and subsequent fibrosis of the tissues.

It presents with gradual intermittent pain in the elbow and can be associated with activities such as playing racket sports or working with tools, such as a screwdriver or even typing. Certain movements cause pain like lifting shopping bags or the kettle and even grip strength may be affected.

Tennis Elbow, often responds well to manual therapy and in the early stages it’s a good idea to follow RICE (see earlier blog).

If you think you may be suffering with Tennis Elbow, just get in touch with us.

Don’t forget the warm ups and cool downs, and more importantly enjoy the tennis, even though Andy didn’t quite get to be Wimbledon Champion this year, the Olympics are just around the corner, come on Team GB!

Virgin London Marathon 2013, last minute preparations...

It’s been a long, gruelling journey to get to this point, but it is finally hear. Some of our runners have already pounded the streets home successfully after completing to Brighton marathon last weekend, now for the biggie the Virgin London Marathon!

Runner’s, this week you should relax, you have been tapering for the past few weeks, now just enjoy this final week and look forward to the big day,  the adrenaline and the uplifting support from the crowds, the experience alone will be amazing!

If you want to keep an eye on the weather visit the MET office website, this will help you prepare for what clothing you will need on the day, http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/events/london-marathon

In the next few days it’s worth doing a few things in final preparation:

• Rest and relax, you have done your training, now enjoy the rest and wait for race day.
• Eat sensibly this week; add an extra carb to your meals, such as jacket potato, rice or pasta.
• Trim your toenails before race day – to avoid any discomfort in your shoes.
• Pick your clothing for the appropriate weather.
• Check your running shoes – Remove any twigs, stones etc. from soles and check the laces are not fraying.
• Drink plenty of fluid the day before race day – your urine should be a pale straw colour.
• On race morning apply some petroleum jelly or similar lubricant to sensitive areas such as nipples, thighs and between arms and chest to avoid chafing.
• Eat something light on race morning bagel, toast, cereal or a banana are all good choices. Avoid eating too heavy a meal the evening before.

Good luck to all our marathon runners :-) - we will see you Monday for a well earned sports massage!

We are on the move and a guide to heavy lifitng...

We have some exciting news at Chart Clinic this month, we have moved! At last we are now in brand new premises in the heart of Reigate town centre. After nearly 5 years in Chart Lane we have now relocated to a more spacious clinic in Church Street, Reigate.

Our new address is: 1^st Floor, 40-44 Church Street, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0AJ

After literally finishing my last patient in Chart Lane Clinic last Saturday, myself and a cohort of helpers began the task of moving. Patients had joked with me that I would need someone to look at my back after moving the heavy treatment couches. No joke at all, moving a large therapy table out of one clinic, into a van and up a flight of stairs to the next was not an easy task.

Luckily my back survived and that’s thanks to following a few simple guidelines from my manual handling training. This brings me on nicely to a topic for this month’s blog, heavy lifting.

Much of the back pain and injuries we see started with some form of heavy lifting and this is usually linked to lifting too much weight alone or lifting with a bad posture.

If you are going to undertake some heavy lifting be it moving house, in the garden or even picking up children, take time to link about how you do it, what strain could you potentially be causing your back and how is your posture?

A lot of the time these problems can occur at work. The Health and Safety executive (HSE) offers the following guidelines for good handling techniques when lifting:

Think before lifting/handling. Plan the lift. Where will you put the load, will you need help? Make sure nothing is obstructing your path. For a long lift, consider resting the load midway on a table or bench to change grip.

Keep the load close to the waist. Keep what you are lifting close to the body for as long as possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If a close approach to the load is not possible, try to slide it towards the body before attempting to lift it.

Adopt a stable position. The feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward to maintain balance (alongside the load, if it is on the ground). You should be prepared to move your feet during the lift to maintain stability. Avoid tight clothing or unsuitable footwear, which may make this difficult.

Get a good hold. Where possible the load should be hugged as close as possible to the body. This may be better than gripping it tightly with hands only.

Start in a good posture. At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees (squatting).

Don’t flex the back any further while lifting. This can happen if the legs begin to straighten before starting to raise the load.

Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while the back is bent. Shoulders should be kept level and facing in the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving the feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time.

Keep the head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has been held securely.

Move smoothly. The load should not be jerked or snatched as this can make it harder to keep control and can increase the risk of injury.

Don’t lift or handle more than can be easily managed. There is a difference between what people can lift and what they can safely lift. If in doubt, seek advice or get some help.

Put down, and then adjust. If precise positioning of the load is necessary, put it down first, and then slide it into the desired position.

Source: Getting to grips with manual handling, a short guide. (hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf)

For Immediate Treatment Of A Sports Injury, Think R.I.C.E.

This may be obvious to the seasoned athlete but it is worth discussing the significance and reasons behind following the RICE protocol after injury, later on you will appreciate the benefits of this simple form of first aid.

The first 24 hours – Remember this is the most critical time for treatment, immediately after an acute soft tissue injury. When you injure a soft tissue such as a muscle, ligament, or tendon there is a very likely chance of injuring blood vessels too. As a result blood gathers around damaged tissues causing compression within the neighbouring tissues, which causes a secondary ‘Hypoxic’ injury that deprives the tissues of oxygen, causing more harm. As a result, every attempt should be made to decrease the bleeding at the injured area. This is where RICE comes in, a simple mnemonic to summarise 4 actions to take after injury:

Rest

Ice

Compression

Elevation

So why follow RICE and what does it do?

Rest

Where possible following injury, you should try and stop activity to reduce the bleeding and swelling. If you injured say, the muscles in the back of your lower leg (calf) bleeding will increase as you exercise these muscles whilst running. If your injury is so severe that you cannot walk without limping, then a rest from weight bearing can be achieved by using crutches for a lower body injury or a sling for an upper body injury.

Ice

Straight after injury ice is mainly used to slow down the rate at which the soft tissues work and respire. Later on after the acute phase of injury, ice may be used as therapeutic treatment for its pain-relieving affect. There are numerous ways to apply ice, this could be crushed ice wrapped in a damp cloth or tea-towel, reusable frozen gel packs or immersing injured area in a bucket of icy water. Cold water and cooling sprays are often used but these rarely penetrate enough to affect the deeper tissues. Opinions vary for how long and how often to apply ice, but a useful guide is to generally apply ice for 15 minutes every 1-2 hours, steadily reducing the time of applications over the next 24 hours. Care should be taken to protect the skin with a towel or similar barrier to avoid the ice burning the skin or causing nerve damage. People with cold allergy or peripheral vascular disorders such as Raynaud’s phenomenon should not apply ice to treat an injury.

Compression

Compression of the injured area with a firm bandage reduces bleeding and, as a result decreases swelling. It is important to apply compression during and after the application of ice, so make sure a bandage is applied throughout. The size of the bandage is dependent on the size of the injured area and should be cut accordingly. Tubigrip type bandages come in a variety of sizes and widths. The bandage should feel firm but not so tight that it aggravates painful symptoms. If bandaging from a roll, the application should start at the furthest point away, wrapping each layer so it overlaps the layer below by half and should continue to extend upwards to at least one hands width higher above the margin of the injury.

Elevation

Elevating the injured area can be accomplished by using a sling for upper limb injuries and by resting the lower limb on a chair, cushions or bucket. For this to be effective the lower limb must be elevated higher than your hips/pelvis, this enables gravity to draw away fluid accumulation at the injured area and therefore decrease pressure within the fluids that bathe all the surrounding tissues around the injury.

Remember this advice is for a soft tissue injury, If you are in any way concerned that your injury is more severe in nature, it is vital that you seek medical advice immediately.

Once you feel more comfortable and the initial swelling and inflammation is more bearable it is then time to seek the advice from a musculo-skeletal specialist such as an Osteopath, Physiotherapist, or Sports Therapist.

Follow the advice of an injury professional, in addition to therapy, you may need to do exercises and follow a rehab programme.

Finally, whatever you do avoid the temptation to return to your sport too soon. Be guided by your therapist and rest for as long as is required, or you could end up doing more damage and need even longer away from activity.

At Chart Clinic, we are happy to discuss your individual situation and advise you the best course of action for your injury, so do feel free to get in contact.

Reference:

Brukner and Khan, Clinical Sports Medicine 3e, McGraw-Hill Professional (2007)

60% of Adults in the UK may suffer from Back Pain at some point in their life. Osteopathy can help...

Back problems are extremely common. Research has shown that back pain and related problems may affect in excess of 60% of people in the UK at some point in their lives. This is largely due to the fact that the lower back supports most of your body’s weight.

It is possible to suffer with a variety of symptoms. This may be a tingling or burning sensation, dull ache or sharp pain.

Back trouble does not necessarily make just your back hurt, you may get symptoms in more distant areas like your hip, buttocks, groin or legs (commonly referred to as sciatica).

Problems with your spine and neck can also cause symptoms, for example dizziness, headaches, pain in the arm or shoulder, pins and needle and much more!

It is not always the case that one sudden event causes your back pain. This can be a result of strain over a longer period of time. If you are doing things improperly, for example, standing or sitting for a long time with bad posture. It is then that unexpectedly one straightforward movement like reaching or bending for something that triggers your pain.

There are generally two types of back pain, acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term, continuous, ongoing). Acute low back pain is more common and it usually last for  1 month and can occur any number of times, whereas long-term back pain tends to last for longer than 3 months.  Acute back pain can be resolved quite quickly especially with manual therapies and exercise, with good advice from a health professional you can take action to prevent a recurrence.

Osteopathy and Back Pain

Osteopaths are professionally trained individuals who are skilled in diagnosing problems, as well as those that may need further investigation if required.

Around 30,000 people currently consult osteopaths every working day with more than 7 million consultations carried out every year (General Osteopathic Council). NICE (the National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines recommend manipulative therapies including osteopathy for the treatment of low back pain.

Treatment with an Osteopath

Osteopaths use a wide variety of gentle manipulations, depending on your age, health and diagnosis. Treatment is different for each patient but typically includes techniques such as different soft tissue massage and joint articulation to release tension, stretch muscles, help ease pain and mobilise your joints. Occasionally, when we move joints you may hear a ‘click’. This is just like the click people get when they crack their knuckles.

Keeping a healthy spine and joints

When we are young our body is a little more forgiving, easily adapting to the stress and strains it is subjected to. As we grow older the body begins to lose some of the suppleness which gives the body flexibility to get by and adapt. This especially applies to the discs between the vertebra and cartilage. Frequent movement is vital for these structures to allow maximum motion to increase local circulation and nutrition to the nearby fluids and tissues.

The British Osteopathic association suggest the following tips to keep a healthy back:

10 top tips for back care

1. Keep moving and stretching
2. Take regular exercise
3. Take frequent breaks between repetitive tasks and vary the rhythm
4. Change position – avoid ‘computer hump’
5. Pace yourself when the work is heavy e.g. gardening
6. Adjust car seats, and on long journeys, have breaks and stretch
7. Watch children’s posture – don’t let them carry bags on one shoulder
8. Avoid strain when lifting especially when shopping and with small children
9. Is your bed the right bed or is it getting old?
10. Seek osteopathic advice earlier rather than later

Source: osteopathy.org/back-pain 1/2/2012

If you or someone you know is suffering with back pain, why not get in contact with Chart Clinic to see how we can help, we will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Getting fit in 2012? Kick-start January with our new year’s resolution fitness tips!

The end of the festive season sees around 34 million Brit’s pledge to make a New Year’s resolution; did yours make the top ten? Unfortunately about 40% of these good intentions will be abandoned by the end of January. 

TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2012

1.     Become more physically fit

2.     Improve financial condition

3.     Improve health

4.     Lose weight

5.     Read more

6.     Change overall attitude: be more positive

7.     Improve family relationships

8.     Travel more

9.     Do more volunteer work

10.  Improve other relationships (friends, co-workers, neighbours)

A December of office parties, entertaining and overindulging through the Christmas holiday are a great reason to make us want to kick-start 2012 with a healthy diet and some exercise.

Exercise related injuries are a regular occurrence in the New Year, something that we see all too frequently at our Reigate clinic.

If getting fit is on the top of your list, here are a few tips to keep you motivated and avoid injury - the two leading causes of quitting an exercise program.

• Pick a type of exercise you will enjoy– you are more likely to keep at it.

• Perform a warm up routine and stretch before and after you exercise, also do a warm down afterwards. Doing this before and after exercise decreases the chance of hurting yourself, as muscles are less likely to get injured if they are warm and relaxed.

• Build up slowly, if you haven’t exercised in a while ease yourself back in gently, a beginner to running won’t be able to run a marathon right away, mix brisk walking with some light jogging and increase distances gradually.

• Even if you are not a beginner to a sport, think about taking some coaching or a lesson. Improving your technique will decrease your chances of picking up an injury.

• Avoid being a ‘weekend warrior’ by spreading exercise throughout the week. Overdoing it at the weekend will put you more at risk of injury.

• Listen to your body. Pain, swelling and stiffness are your body’s way of telling you to ease back on an exercise routine. If you find that these symptoms do not resolve themselves, or are beyond what you consider normal, it may be time to seek medical attention.

• Prevent injury, and boredom, by balancing cardiovascular exercise, weight training and stretching in your exercise routine.

• If in doubt ask, seek advice from a professional, sports injury specialists can offer advice on taking up an exercise regime and injury care.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a New You, Good luck!

To find out more how an Osteopath or Sports Massage can help you, or for more information visit our website www.chartclinic.co.uk.