Acupuncture on the NHS

Since my bike-car-accident-extravaganza back in October I've had to contend with recurring lower-back issues. These range from stiffness in the morning, easily relieved with some simple stretches to searing pain and inflammation within my sacroiliac joint.

Back pain, even in its dullest form, is frustrating and disruptive. I hate not being able to move fluidly and the way my day to day routine is affected.  I resent an  imposed gym-free existence and am bitter towards any injury which hampers my ability to sit at a desk and write.

To top it all off, if the 'ancient yoga mystics' are to be believed,  because the sacrum is at the centre of mass of the body, pressure applied at or near to it has a much bigger effect on the entire body, which explains why one can generally feel pants when their lower back area is injured.  

The sacral plexus affects the pelvic organs, including the lower part of the digestive tract, and together with the coccygeal plexus controls the rectum, ankles, feet, arches, toes, lower legs, sciatic nerve, and prostate gland.   ***

This week I am insanely jealous of all the women in the world married to osteopaths. Imagine, having the strength and healing power of those hands available on demand. Proverbial sigh. My chosen osteopath is somewhat of a find; he has the perfect balance between science and spirituality, understanding of an active lifestyle and an affable nature. He's also a registered acupuncturist. This unnerved me at first, I wasn't sure if I liked the idea of mixing two concepts into one treatment, but after a needle in my knee, which provided instant relief in the first few weeks after the accident, I was converted. Since then I've experienced acupuncture right in my sacroiliac joint as well as all along my IT band, quite possibly the weirdest sensation ever. I can't knock it though, almost immediately after the deep tissue massage and acupuncture, the pain resided.

So this got me thinking about traditional acupuncture and its mutation through the years into a fully integrated alternative medicine technique. Naturally, when I'm curious about something, I type it into google.

Pretty much all you will ever need to know about modern acupuncture in the UK

I found the research fact sheets particularly interesting as they outline the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating certain conditions as outlined by Western research. Conditions include depression, fertility, IBS, Herpes and insomnia  (you know there's always some sort of link to sleeping well in these posts)!

Best news of the week? Apparently acupuncture is set to become available to patients on the NHS suffering from chronic back pain. Hurrah!! You can see the dedicated NHS site and I urge you to read some of the comments as they were amusing. Some a little sceptical, as well as a troubling comment regarding the quality of the NHS nurses' service. One, in particular, likened the concept of acupuncture to "medieval medicines" and it did make me recall Secondary school history when you learn about the old practices of "letting" and "leeching" in order to restore balance back to the body and therefore cure ailments such as colds and the plague. Of course, draining someone's blood is in no way akin to sticking needles into pressure points in the body, but I do understand how certain people would require much convincing. I however do not, and I hope you will give it a go too.

Talk to your local GP if it's something you're interested or alternatively find a practitioner near you.

***For more information on the link between the sacrum and the yoga chakras, take a look at this site.

Have a healthy and happy week.

Stick-on blinds and dry January = zzzz

Here we are, halfway through January 2012 already. Sometimes I'm astonished at how quickly life passes and how little we take notice of it. I only became aware of how it's lighter much later into the afternoon than it was only a month ago. Although a far cry from the unnervingly bright 10pm we have yet to come, it does mean that one can experience a crisp winter sunset at a somewhat reasonable time.

It is possible that because I'm sleeping better and therefore spend less time awake, trying to sleep, I'm less aware of the monotonous and exhausting cycle of day into night and into day again. Is that a hearty congratulations I hear you cheer? Why thank you. Yes, I am sleeping and much of it is down to following my own advice. I never consume coffee after 3pm, in fact I prefer to drink my daily allowance one cup after another (2 and a half cups max) between the hours of 8 and 11. I turned off the radiator in my room, choosing to wear warmer pyjamas and socks to bed instead, I regularly wear my Breathing Relief™ nasal dilator and I finally invested in some blinds.

For years I've attempted to sleep in an East facing bedroom with only sheer voile curtains, resulting in summer upon summer of fretful tossing and turning as soon as the sun rises. As 2012 dawned I thought no more and forced my father to help me with the cheap stick-on blinds I purchased when in New York 5 months ago. I've always been under the impression that blinds are an investment, and that installation requires precision, accuracy and a wad of cash, none of which I have. Thus, when I discovered blinds you simply trim and stick to your window I was sure I'd found the perfect product. Genius. Tacky genius. Please don't be thinking these are a viable alternative to the classy and chic wooden blinds you see advertised on TV..no. But for someone as financially challenged and sleep deprived as me, they'll do just fine.

I was led to believe that you couldn't purchase anything like this in the UK, however the marvel that is amazon.com has proved me wrong. I typed "stick on blind" into google and found this. Happy shopping!

In order to illustrate just how inelegant, yet practical the product is, I've taken a photo of my own window with  one side clipped up and other is released so it can fall the length of the window. Just to clarify, those are plain old plastic bull dog clips, provided in the box with the blinds. I have half a mind to spray paint mine purple, so they no longer resemble something I picked up in a discount stationery shop.

The main purpose of this week's blog was in fact to discuss a little tradition within my group of friends. Invariably, there's always one in any group, who sets out to do something wholly unachievable at the beginning of the year. In our circle, this ridiculousness was christened- Dry January. Some of the biggest drinkers I know were about to give up alcohol, for a whole month. I wasn't sure it would happen, 31 days is a substantial amount of time, but remarkably, not only was the challenge completed that year, but it's continued long enough to be granted official status as a tradition. Even the guys behind the bar at our local have come to learn of Dry January and readily hand out loyalty cards for tea and coffee to the main contenders on a night out!

Earlier this month I was watching Inside Out London (I'm not sure why, it's utterly banal) but was pleased to see two journalists offering to give up booze for a month to monitor the effects it would have on their health. I did smile a little when the female "guinea pig" offered the following (positive) side effect to her alcohol-free lifestyle: better and more refreshing sleep. I see you nodding your heads in agreement. We all know, alcohol ruins your sleeping pattern and never allows for a refreshed feeling in the morning, but do you know how much is a truly acceptable amount for your specific weight/height?

I'm always confused by drink-driving laws in different countries. How can you measure a safe amount of alcohol across a population of varying size, weight and tolerance? Take for example someone of my stature (four feet ten inches, weighing around eight stone) and contrast that to a six foot man of fifteen stone. Surely even a single unit consumed would affect our systems to different degrees and therefore one could be keeping to the required limit yet be feeling the effects of the drink far more severely, rendering them incapable of driving safely.

In several states in the USA the limit is one drink an hour as that is how long (on average) it takes an adult to process alcohol, so theoretically as long as you keep drinking steadily, allowing your body to flush out the booze, you're safe to drive...? These unspecific rules pose not only a threat to road users but also to the causal drinking public, for even though you're sticking to what the 'recommended' amount is, it may still be too  much for you, personally.

I wanted to point you in the direction of the episode but sadly it is no longer available on BBC iplayer. However, all of the information pertaining to the program can be found on the dedicated website. Take a look, educate yourself and keep those livers smiling!

Here's to a continued healthy 2012.

Can you help ensure the planet is still here after 2012?

Last week I was freelancing at the Guardian Newspaper. "ooh!" I hear you say. "Going up in the world".  That's right people, check me out. (I'd insert lyrics from Ed Sheeran's "You Need Me" into this sentence if they weren't so outrageous).

Before you get too carried away with my apparent journalistic success know that I wasn't writing material to be published...yet.  I was contributing to the awareness campaign for the Sustainable Business Awards 2012. My supervisor told me to target FTSE 250 companies (that's fine, I'm still not sure what it means either), and to encourage them to consider applying.

Looking at my list of the most powerful people in business and press offices around the country, I was a little overwhelmed as well as somewhat apprehensive. Many of the businesses were involved in housing and the construction industries- exactly the type of companies I would hold responsible for the destruction of our planet with their polluting machinery. The global Law firms were no better in my mind, with their executives jetting across the planet to attend meetings about some corporate violation.

Simply put, I was on my high horse just because I recycle my Heinz tins and Diet Coke bottles. What didn't cross my mind was the fact that ultimately, these businesses have the power to contribute to the planet's conservation in a way that I couldn't even imagine. Many of them are working their way to Carbon neutrality within the next 15 years. Who reading this can say the same? I take pride in the fact that I do not own a car, nor do I view myself as wasteful. I take precautions to choose produce at Tesco which is as locally grown as possible so as to not encourage importation of non-ethically sourced food.

However, I'm a bargain hunter and I thrive at Primark, which although cheap, quite probably has its item produced by underage children in developing countries. I find this to be inexcusable (both my behaviour as well as the concept of sweatshops), so really I realised it was time to not only make people aware of exhaustible nature of our planet's organic supplies, but also to congratulate those who are in fact looking out for our futures.  As I grew more and more tired of repeating the word "sustainability" the more it became apparent that I needed to continue making my phone calls and to inspire industries to continue their good work.

In keeping with my initial post this year, "will you be in a fit state to see the end of the world?" it is profoundly disturbing to think that on average, as a planet we consume over 30% more energy than we are able to produce. Meaning, as we all know, Earth is hurtling towards a global calamity as we will soon enough run out of non-renewable energy sources (gas, oil and all their by-products).

What a conundrum to keep me awake at night.  Especially as it's rumoured that we already posses all the knowledge we need to create technologies allowing us to function in a far more sustainable way. The reasons we don't utilise them is a mystery. Conspiracy theorists won't hesitate to interject and let you know their thoughts on this matter- that Governments across the world would prefer to generate income through fossil fuels rather than invest in renewable and sustainable energies.

It is well known that when I fail to sleep at night, I get testy, grumpy and even a little aggressive. Thus, I considered, for the good of the planet I should share my concerns and findings in the hope that as a collective we may begin to take steps forwards in this race against time.

Below are some interesting nuggets for information about our environmental impact on the Earth:

• Every time you do two Google searches it is the energy equivalent of boiling a kettle (I'm sceptical about this one and want an expert to look into it).
• A typical desktop computer uses about 65 to 250 watts. Turning down the brightness on your laptop screen can save you up to 25% on power consumption which would mean your battery charge will last longer and you’ll be saving the planet
• If the Sahara Desert was covered with solar panels it would power the world 50x over.
• 20 species of animals and plants become extinct each week.
• It takes 4000 years for a glass bottle to decompose.
• 1 million plastic bags are used in the world every minute.
• 30% of the ice cover in the Eastern Himalayas has been lost since 1970.
• If the wind all around the UK coasts was harnessed it would power the UK 3x over.

I'm particularly interested in the concept of solar panels in the Sahara. In my mind's eye I see a scene, the sand dunes, the sun glaring down, camels, Bedouins and solar panels. It's magical. 

So what can you do to help? It's absurdly difficult to know where to start.

That's why, there's a company called START, to take the pressure off and provide some basic tips into transforming your living/working environment.

And then there's the Rainforest Alliance Website that has so much information your eyes may pop out.

Take a look and make some wise choice. Because I have this feeling that if we don't work together and sort things out, 2012- the end of the world may becoming a more credible theory.

Also, in the interest of disclosure, as I wrote this, my laptop was powered by my hamster running in his ball (no, not really, sorry, terrible joke- but those are the kind of energy devices people need to invent).

2012- will you be fit enough to see the end of the world?!

2012 is officially upon us, and with this auspicious New Year comes the impending "doom" as predicted by the Mayans so many moons ago. There is a lot of hearsay regarding the 21st/22nd of December 2012 but I can quite happily say that I am excited to know what will happen. My Physicist friends have all poo-pooed the most common theory that a strange alignment of the planets will bring about such a gravitational pull, the force of which will be able to completely knock the Earth off it's current axis, thus causing chaos for our eco-system as we know it. In fact, the one sitting next to me is shaking his head right now, chuckling menacingly, almost willing December to hurry up and arrive so that he may be the one to state "I told you so". Apparently this "destructive" orientation of our planet and the sun with the centre of the galaxy, actually occurs every year as dictated by the laws of motion. Hurrah! The things you fail to remember from GCSE Physics are quite fascinating indeed.

If you are at all interested in hearing a real scientist discuss this "phenomenon" I recommend watching Neil Degrasse Tyson as he makes light of the the impending "Apocalypse".

One last point on this subject, the word Apocalypse is often misconstrued, as any avid reader of Dan Brown novels would know. Etymologically speaking, the term derives from the Ancient Greek and means to "uncover" or "revelation" but modern translations and usage have rendered us to understand the word to mean destruction and a cataclysmic event. I personally like to think that the apocalypse of 2012 will herald change, in whichever way that manifests itself, I'm not sure that complete world annihilation is on the cards.

I don't know about you guys, but all this talk of the end of the world has made me more determined to be fit and healthy in order to witness it! My new year's resolution was to make it to December 2012 in a capacity to be able to document the occurrences, even if all the 'conspiracy nuts' are right and the only beings who remain to see what I leave behind will be little green men.

I used to be that person, who at the stroke of midnight would make a mental list of inconceivable goals, only to fail at them all by January 2nd due to the complete overindulgence on new year's eve. This year I enjoyed a quiet(ish) evening at a good friend's house where I heard someone declare that their resolution was to uncomplicate their life. At first I thought the abstract nature of this notion was no better than reasoning you could give up crisps for an entire year, but then I realised that setting a goal which could be interpreted in many ways could actually work. Genius. So I have adopted it and declared to one and all that my only resolution for 2012 is to uncomplicate myself. This in turn means simplicity...a simple diet, a simple exercise plan, a simple way of approaching work and money and investment. (Hopefully) leading to an easy and stress free existence...?

If you're more a follower of the concrete and precise, below are a number of websites which offer sensible and reliable advice on choosing healthy new years resolutions you may actually stick to. We're not quite at the end of the first week of January yet, so don't assume you're too late to make changes. This year could be your best yet, and it it doesn't work out, there's always the possibility that you'll never have to make another resolution again.

Healthy resolutions as outlined by the Department of Health

Some startling statistics on why you should keep things simple

This link is virtually pointless, but the image reminded me of Lord Alan Sugar's "little fork diet" which I heard about on the Graham Norton show (and is also outlined in his autobiography). It's chuckle-worthy. The diet basically entails Lord Sugar eating his food with a little fork so it takes him longer to consume his food and therefore he feels fuller and eats less!

And lastly, a geek's perspective on resolution making.

Whatever your personal resolutions be, I hope 2012 brings you nothing but health wealth and happiness. Happy New Year!

PS. Be sure to check out the sports blog to read about Breathing Relief™'s Director Phillipa James and her adventures with the 30 Day Shred program in the new year.

PPS. You do know that when reading these posts you should be clicking on the words in a different colour as they are links to other sites..? yes. Good, just checking.