Could Natural Therapies Help Treat Your Sports Injuries?

If you’re working on your fitness or training for a big event, your wellness is guaranteed to be affected by an injury. You might want to put up with the pain, but you may put your wellbeing at risk by doing so. In that case, your options are letting injury get in the way of your daily routine, or else becoming dependent on medications to relieve the pain – well, that sounds appealing! Instead, why not try some complementary wellness methods to gain fast and effective relief from injuries, without taking any medications?

 

Backaches – If you’re a runner or a cyclist, you’re probably putting a lot of pressure on your spine, which inevitably leads to backaches. However, you can find relief from backaches, and even prevent them from occurring, if you practice yoga for more than an hour every day. Just a few simple yoga postures will help you to get rid of the pain, and strengthen your spine to withstand pressure in the future.

 

Swimmer’s ear – As a swimmer, your ears are significantly exposed to the water, and so are prone to regular ear infections. Your ear wax maintains a perfect pH balance which prevents infection from harmful bacteria, but sustained exposure to water lessens your ear wax, and so you’ll likely develop swimmer’s ear. However, you can terminate ear germs and get rid of the infection with a few drops of white vinegar.

 

Muscle cramps – Dehydration, poor blood circulation and a slow digestive system can all cause muscle cramps when you’re engaged in sporting activities, but you can keep this problem at bay by starting to eat a healthier breakfast. With your cereal, include low-fat milk and a tablespoon of cinnamon and ground flax-seed.

 

Blisters – Although petroleum jelly can provide temporary relief from blisters, it cannot repair the damaged tissue. Calendula, on the other hand, (a medicinal flower ointment) can reduce inflammation and enhance the speed of your recovery – just remember to cover the calendula with a dry bandage.

 

Runner’s knee – Acupuncture increases your levels of serotonin, endorphins and cortisol, which can be great for treating knee problems and this helps in reducing both pain and inflammation. As an added bonus, acupuncture also doesn’t involve any side-effects.

Categories: acupuncture, backaches, Calendula, ear wax, muscle cramps, nbsp, Pain, Relief, swimmer, White Vinegar

Dealing with Stress: 5 Tips to Handling the Pressure

Learning to deal with stress and managing stress levels is an important part of life. Family life and your career can often bring what seem likely overwhelming pressures to bear on mind and body.

So how do you cope with stress? Here are 7 handy tips to relieving mind and body without turning to unhealthy crutches such as tobacco and alcohol to cope.

Take control of your problems. When you are passive, you are more likely to feel helpless in the face of any difficulties. So confront the issue head on and you will find that taking control will empower you and reduce the stress you feel.

Exercise regularly. Physical activity works as a mood elevator and while it won’t get rid of your stress, it will help you clear your mind and provide a better focus.

Identify the triggers that indicate your stress levels are rising; for example, your pulse or heart rate increasing in certain situations may be a very obvious physical sign. Take time to consider the situations that cause you the most stress and look for ways to reduce them.

Step away from stressful situations. Take five minutes of breathing time when you feel things getting on top of you. A common cause of stress is overwork and having too much to do. Reduce your workload where you can and find some quality time to relax without constantly checking a Blackberry.

Ditch those unhealthy stress crutches. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol are typically used by people for a little support when they are under pressure. But each simply adds to problems while only giving a moment’s relief. Instead learn to talk to other people. Find someone to confide in with whom you can share your problems. The old adage of “a problem shared is a problem halved” is still true today.

Dealing with Stress: 5 Tips to Handling the Pressure

Categories: feel, mind, problems, reduce, Relief, Stress, Stress Levels, Tips

New Magnetic Device Offers Relief from Chronic Acid Reflux

Chronic acid reflex, more commonly referred to as heartburn, is a painful condition where the contents of the stomach leak back into the gullet or oesophagus. Now a new device may be set to offer sufferers relief from the digestive disorder.

The device is similar in style to a bracelet and is made with magnetic beads. It is inserted into the valve between the gullet and the stomach, helping to keep the stomach stay closed and stopping the leaking of acid and other stomach contents.

A five-year study involving the device reported after three years and reveals that the device eased the symptoms of chronic acid reflux in 92 out of 100 patients fitted with the device with 87% of patients able to stop taking the acid-suppressing drugs usually prescribed to deal with the condition.

Medics at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have been helping to study the effects of the device and have described it as the first new, safe and effective way of treating chronic acid reflux to be discovered in two decades. Until now the only treatment for the condition has been acid-suppressing medication or surgery to repair the leaking valve, neither of which has proved to be fully effective for patients.

The study revealed that some patients did have problems with the device with it having to be removed from four patients. Almost 70% of patients in the study also had difficulty swallowing immediately after the surgery but the effects of this wore off in time.

Chronic acid reflux is officially known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and is a common condition. Most people only suffer mild discomfort or heartburn when the acid from the stomach is able to leak through a weakened sphincter into the gullet. However, if severe and left untreated, the condition can lead to more serious health problems. One of those more serious problems is Barrett’s oesophagus, a pre-cancerous condition caused from excessive acidic damage to the oesophagus, which can lead to oesophageal cancer.

The new device is inserted into the oesophagus in a surgical procedure that lasts around two hours.

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New Magnetic Device Offers Relief from Chronic Acid Reflux

Categories: chronic acid reflux, magnetic device, Relief