Author: LeamingtonOsteopaths

Autumn Conference of The British Medical Acupuncture Society

I recently attended the Autumn Conference of The British Medical Acupuncture Society where I heard an amazing lecture on the complications of menopause and alternatives to HRT. A real eye opener. Research of the treatment of hot flushes with HRT or acupuncture or phytoestrogens.

Menopause is often linked with symptoms such as:

• Hot flushes.
• Night sweats.
• Sleep disorders.
• Mood changes.

It can also be linked to an increase in the risk of:

• Osteoporosis
• Atherosclerosis.
• Raised cholesterol levels.
• Cardiovascular disease.
• Memory loss.
• Type 2 diabetes.

It was assumed that the hormonal changes of menopause was the sole cause for these changes, but, following recent research by the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic at the University of Genova, Prof. Cagnacci and his team discovered that the increased rates of chronic disease were linked to the frequency and severity of the hot flushes and nights sweats, rather than just the loss of oestrogen at menopause.

Women who suffered from frequent and/or severe hot flushes were much more likely to develop the symptoms of these chronic diseases than women who had very few/light hot flushes.

It was the flushes that were creating the health changes.

Following a hot flush a woman’s cortisol levels rise for about 20 minutes, with multiple flushes this cortisol level can be almost persistently raised in the blood, leading to:

Collagen loss which is linked to:

• Osteoporosis
• Weakened pelvic floor.

Insulin resistance which is linked to:

• Increase in visceral fat
• Metabolic disorder
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease

Increased oxidative stress which is linked to:

• Reduced defence against free radicals.
• Memory loss.

The standard treatment to prevent these symptoms is HRT, but some women are unable or unwilling to take hormone replacement therapy due to the risks of breast cancer.

In this study Prof. Cagnacci and his team compare the response to HRT, or phytoestrogens (soy products) or acupuncture. Each group was treated for 12 weeks then the treatment was stopped and the women were monitored for another 12 weeks.

Findings after12 weeks of treatment:

Hot Flushes: The acupuncture group had a slightly greater reduction in hot flushes than the HRT group which was significantly greater than the phytoestrogen group.

Blood pressure: The HRT group had a slight increase in blood pressure, whereas the acupuncture and phytoestrogen group had reduced blood pressure.>

The phytoestrogen group had the most marked drop in LDL cholesterol. Acupuncture and HRT produced slight drops in LDL cholesterol.

HRT and phytoestrogens both gave measurable increase in insulin sensitivity, with acupuncture producing a slight improvement.

At the 12 week follow up after all the treatments had ceased:

The benefits were maintained with acupuncture, and to a lesser extend phytoestrogens, but were almost totally lost 12 weeks after the cessation of HRT.

They concluded that acupuncture and phytoestrogens were effective alternatives to HRT.

Palma, Federica & Fontanesi, Francesca & Facchinetti, Fabio & Cagnacci, Angelo. (2019). Acupuncture or phytoestrogens vs. oestrogen plus progestin on menopausal symptoms. A randomized study. Gynecological Endocrinology. 35. 1-4. 10.1080/09513590.2019.1621835.

Jane O’Connor ADO DO has been registered with the British Medical Acupuncture Society since 2008

Appointments available, telephone: 01926 335932

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It had to happen sooner or later!…

It had to happen sooner or later!… Over the years my mountain biking pastime has been getting more serious; getting quicker, riding rougher, tougher terrain and taking more risks… I’ve fallen off numerous times before, but this time I didn’t bounce! I went over the handle bars and landed on my shoulder, snapping my collarbone.

I heard of low-level laser surgery whilst on mountain bike training course I did a couple of years ago. The coach’s son had broken his hand and with the help of the surgery was making a speedier than normal recovery. So I decided it would be worth looking into. I am self employed graphic designer so getting back to work ASAP was a big concern.

I found Jane O’Connor & Associates Osteopaths via a Google search and gave them a call. After a half hour consultation I decided to give it a go. I booked six 20 minute sessions spread over two weeks. My first session was around a week or so after the injury. Each treatment was completely painless and actually felt quite good as it helped massage the muscles around the break which obviously had had substantial trauma to them.

I actually managed to get back to work after the 1st or second treatment (by getting taxis & lifts from friends), as I work at a desk I could use this to help support my arm… after the 4th session I was out of my sling! I felt comfortable and strong enough to support my arm myself and the bruising around the break was starting to disperse.

I had another X-ray after around 6 weeks after the injury at the hospital to see how things were going, although the bones were still in their early stages of regenerating, the surgeon was quite surprised I had so much movement & strength back in my shoulder.

I really think the Low Level Laser & Ultrasound treatment helped with the healing process of my injury. I would highly recommend it to anyone involved in a similar accident, be it mountain biking, motorcross or any sport related misdemeanour! Although I wasn’t back riding for around 2 months after the injury, it helped me get comfortable enough to get back to work swiftly and keep earning while my bones repaired themselves in due course.

Mr M S Leamington Spa

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Ladies: the type of car you drive could be giving you back or neck pain!

Driving can cause back pain to both men and women, but as most cars are predominantly designed for men, many smaller women are suffering and don’t realise why.

The pedals

Most men can easily change gear by leaving their heels on the floor and swivelling their foot from the accelerator to the brake. Ladies with smaller feet can’t do this, and have to pick their foot off the floor and place it on the brake pedal. If they are changing gear at the same time, they could end up with both feet off the floor momentarily, which puts a lot of strain through the lumbar and lower abdominal muscles in supporting the weight of both legs. Commuting through town can involve repeating this bilateral leg lift tens (or even hundreds) of times every day.

Seat position

Research has shown that sitting with the back of the seat reclined to about 135^o reduces the weight and strain through the base of the spine. If you are short, you may want to sit upright to be able to see over the dashboard clearly, but this will put a lot of pressure through the lumbar spine and can cause back pain.

This can be corrected by raising the seat base (if the adjustment is available) or by adding a firm cushion to raise up the seat, so that you can recline the back of the seat and reduce the pressure on the lumbar spine. 135^o may be a bit extreme for some people, but reclining the back of the seat even a few degrees at first can often ease low back pain.

Three door versus five door cars

It may seem counterintuitive to have a five door car if you are small, but two door cars have larger doors, to allow passengers to get into the back of the car.

This means two things:

1. These doors are much bigger and heavier, particularly if the camber of the road is against you. This can strain the shoulder and elbow because of the extra force need to push the door open.
2. The door pillar is much further back, making it difficult to reach the seat belt. The driver has to twist hard to the right to reach the seat belt which can aggravate the low back if they reach with the left hand, or cause rotator cuff problems in the right shoulder if they try and reach backwards with the right hand,

A five door car will have doors that are smaller and lighter. The door pillar will be just behind the driver’s seat, so easier to reach the seat belt with less rotation to twist behind you.

Manual versus automatic

As previously mentioned, ladies with small feet have to lift both legs simultaneously to brake and clutch, which is hard work for the low back muscles. An automatic car allows one foot to be constantly on the floor, as you don’t need to declutch. Allowing more stability and support for the base of the spine.

Some gear sticks can be sprung to third and fourth gear so that, to reach first or second gear, you have to push the gear stick away from you by rotating and abducting the shoulder, this can lead to repetitive strain injuries to the shoulder and neck, if repeated multiple times in an urban commute.

An automatic car allows you to have both hands on the steering wheel at all times, which is much easier on the neck and shoulder.

Automatic cars are now almost as fuel efficient as manual cars, the gear changing is smooth and they are very reliable. Patients sometimes make the excuse that you can’t push start an automatic car – but realistically when WAS the last time you push started a car? Most cars have antilock brakes and numerous improvements.

If you have back or shoulder/neck problems, try an automatic car, it will make your driving so much easier.

Short drivers can be injured by the air bag

If you are short and sit close to the steering wheel so that you can reach the pedals, you are at risk from injury from the airbag.

In an automatic car you don’t have to compress a clutch pedal flat to the floor, so you can sit a little further back from the steering wheel and reduce this risk.

The Effect of Height on Injury Outcome for Drivers of European Passenger Cars

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217531/

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Hot Desk Syndrome

Employees are now encouraged to use laptops at undesignated desk sites in the office or at home, called ‘hot desks’. It is also known as ‘Hot Desking’.

Unfortunately, laptops are poorly designed for use as the main work interface; if the laptop keyboard is in a good position to type, then the screen is far too low to view it properly.  If you sit with your head bent forward looking down at a screen it will, in time, cause chronic neck pain and headaches: ‘Hot Desk Syndrome’

When treating Hot Desk Syndrome, I always advise my patients to request the following:

• A laptop stand, to raise the screen to a comfortable viewing height.
• A Trackball mouse
• A keyboard
• A footrest.

If you have to work at a ‘hot desk’ or if you have to travel to different offices, you could provide your own laptop stand, keyboard and mouse.  They need not be too expensive to buy, or heavy to carry around and they will definitely help the health of your neck and shoulders.

If you want more information about Hot Desk Syndrome, or if you have pain and need treatment, please telephone the practice on 01926 335932.

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