Into New Year – New You? Or have those intentions faded?

So with Christmas and New Year well and truly over , New Year’s resolutions may be fading fast. But just think again what they were and why you chose them.  Some resolutions may be health-driven, perhaps spurred by news of friends or relatives taken ill. Plans then form to eat healthily, start exercising, have a better work/life balance.

These aims for a healthy lifestyle are important and reduce the risks of cardiac arrest and stroke for example, but would you actually be able to recognise someone who is suffering from one of these conditions?

Medicine has moved on and in the case of stroke, in particular, the symptoms may be vague and may delay the call for emergency services- and as time is the essence, this may be the difference between full recovery, or serious disability at least.

You may be aware of the recent campaign, but if not, cut out the text box below and stick it onto your fridge/inside of a cupboard, so you can act quickly if you need to.

Face - can they smile equally, or does one side of their mouth seem lopsided? Arms – can they raise both arms equally above their head? Check they could do this normally and don’t just have a shoulder injury! Speech – can they say their name and address? This also tests for any confusion which may occur with a stroke Time – of the essence These symptoms may be preceeded by a fleeting loss of vision or leg weakness/giving way and THIS IS THE TIME TO SEEK HELP

Of course, prevention is better than cure, so rather than think – “It won’t happen to me”, how about introducing some fun exercise? Think about what you actually like doing – it may be dancing, walking the dog an extra mile, a little more quickly, or taking up a hobby you used to enjoy, but now feel you don’t have time for.

Having a stroke will take much more time out of your schedule!

And how empowering it is , to know you can actually do something about it, and have a justified excuse to have fun – and that better balance in life you may also need!

At About Backs and Bones in Derby, Derbyshire, we are trained to recognise signs of ill or sub-optimal health and help you boost your wellbeing and create a better balance  so you can enjoy the things you want to do in life.  We are easily accessible being on the A6, Allestree and  we are centrally placed near the A38, A50 and M1.

So if you would like some support or feel you don’t have the confidence to start, just give us a call. We will show you how capable you are, and support you all the way!

About Backs & Bones, 506 Duffield rd, Allestree, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 2DL    Tel 01332 553

First Blooming Pregnancy- next Blooming Baby!

Pregnancy is normally a time of anticipation, hope, anxiety or happiness and a wealth of other emotions, often exacerbated by hormones. This may continue in the first few weeks after birth and then, perhaps naively, we expect a less restless, less irritable baby. We may hope for some sort of a routine or at least a little more sleep and may hope to have some confidence in feeling that we are doing a good job of parenting.

There are as many pieces of advice of parenting as there are parents and having the confidence to identify and follow your instincts can be difficult. The overwhelming concern is often that there may be a problem with the baby, particularly if he or she has had just a difficult a time of the birth as you may have done. It is reassuring that clinical medical problems are rare, but there may be ways you can help your baby adjust to the outside world especially if they are particularly unsettled.

Any of the following symptoms can indicate that some help may be beneficial:

-difficulty feeding, pulling off the breast or bottle soon after starting to feed

-projectile vomiting or excessive possiting

-constipation or diarrhoea

-crying when being picked up or when put down

-head always to one side, especially if they also seem to be looking upwards

-distressed crying when moving legs to change nappy

-lack of movement of a limb or on one side of their body

- unable to settle lying down

-crying and knees being pulled to tummy repeatedly with no apparent relief

-repeatedly crying and pulling at ears

-head particularly asymmetrical, especially if eyes/ears not level

-not meeting centiles or developmental milestones

Every baby is an individual and what is a problem to one may not be to another, but it is important to have faith in your own intuition and if you feel your baby is not content then it is sensible to seek advice.

An osteopath or chiropractor who has a special interest and experience in treating babies should be able to test baby reflexes (testing the nervous system), test muscles and joints throughout the body to confirm they are functioning well and can identify baby birth syndromes which are easily remedied. If the cause of your baby's unsettled behaviour is physical, then physical treatment can often be very useful. Treatment can help alleviate colic or headaches as well as joint problems and is gentle and safe. Together with exercises for you to do with your baby at home a resolution is often found so your early days with your baby bloom in the nicest sense.

At About Backs and Bones, Paula is our specialist paediatric osteopath. She has a special interest in babies having been a midwife and nurse and her post-graduate courses in baby treatment reflect this. Based in Derby, Derbyshire, About Backs and Bones is centrally placed and easily accessible being on the main A6, with A38. A50 and M1 all close by.

About Backs and Bones,
506 Duffield Rd
Allestree
Derby
Derbyshire

 Tel 01332 553332