Join our Charity 5K/10K run October

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Osteopath Edinburgh

activex clinics are fundraising by entering a team in the BUPA Edinburgh 10K run.  If you would like to join us (there’s a 5K option too), please contact gavin@active-x.co.uk.  Join our couch to 5K running club on Thursdays at 5pm.  There are also places for more experienced runners, so whether you run for pleasure or run in pain, please make a difference by fundraising for The Haemophilia Society in Scotland.  

Exercising outdoors is associated with a whole host of health benefits in addition to the physical.  A systematic review carried out by a team at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has analysed existing studies and concluded that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise in the natural environment e.g. “greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.”

So come and join us!!

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What will back care exercises achieve?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Osteopath Edinburgh

There are three important points to consider when we look at how healthy your back is. They are all related.

Flexibility : If your back is not flexible (and this includes your hips) you are more likely to stretch something painfully.

Strength : If your back is weak you will strain it too easily.

Endurance : If your back tires quickly, again you will strain it easily.

So, exercises should achieve:

  • Good flexibility
  • Good strength
  • Good endurance

However, remember not to aggravate your pain by attempting exercises that are beyond you at the moment.

Our back care exercises will help you put together a self help plan using exercises from all of these categories – strength, endurance and flexibility – be sure to choose at least two from each one and do them on a daily basis.

If you need any other help remember as an Osteopath I can help you with any pain you are currently experiencing whether it is back pain, shoulder or next pain. Simply call our Edinburgh office on 0131 221 1415

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Watch your back at the Edinburgh Jazz Fesitval

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Osteopath Edinburgh

July and August is festival time in Edinburgh and if you spend your life sitting at your desk or in a chair putting your body through 10 hours of standing for 3 or 4 days can be a bit much. Help yourself by doing what you can to lessen the chances of it re-appearing.

1. Schedule your time

Its nice to be free and easy at festivals and walk around choosing who you watch at the time but when you do that you run the risk of turning up too early and having to stand around while you wait for your favourite artist to appear. Then you stand for 90 minutes while they perform and have to walk to the next artist or back to your tent.

When you create a rough schedule of who you want to see and at what time you avoid all the un-necessary standing about. If you already suffer from low back pain all that extra standing really won’t help!

2. Enjoy a few massage appointments before you go

Massage really can help lumber you up and relax your muscles. You may find treating yourself to a few massages before and after the festival will lessen the amount of pain that you may feel after the festival ends.

3. Carry a portable chair with you or a blanket

My first choice for you will be to carry a lightweight portable chair – note I said light weight! The kind that fold up and include a carry strap so they are easy to move around. At the very least carry a blanket in your backpack so you are not sitting on the ground – especially as it gets colder in the evenings.

4.  Take some paracetamol with you or a heat/cold back

If you are aware of the type of pain you usually encounter then make sure you carry some pain relieving items with you just in case. There are usually first aid stations at any festival should you need them and it certainly won’t hurt to carry your own.

If you are attending the Edinburgh Jazz festival or any other of the festivals coming up late July/August I hope you enjoy yourself. Should you find yourself in pain please do call us on 0131 221 1415 – we are based at 14 Stafford Street, Edinburgh and will happily fit you in if we are able to do that.

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Back Chair Apprentice Winner Tom Pellereau

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Osteopath Edinburgh

I was really pleased to read that the winner of The Apprentice 2011 is Tom Pellereau who has a fantastic invention which focuses on designing a chair that not only helps employees avoid back pain but will also be able to detect whether they will suffer from back pain in the future.

Tom understands how much staff absenteeism because of back pain costs employers every year, which is why he invented the chair.  Having to recruit temporary staff because of absenteeism can have a serious effect on your business especially if you rely on one of two key members of staff.

active-x will continue to raise awareness of back pain and the cost of absenteeism for business owners in Edinburgh – which you can talk to us about if it is something that is currently an issue for your business. Call me (Gavin Routledge) on 0132 221 1415 or click here to complete our enquiry form and someone will get back to you.

In the meantime congratulations Tom Pellereau and good luck with the promotion of your chair. You can read the story at Optimist News

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