Following on from the report in the European Heart Journal last week about how a little as 15-20 minutes of walking is linked to living longer, another article by a panel of experts discussing the 12 major benefits of walking to your health has been published. Although walking is a simple exercise that most [...]
A study published in the European Heart Journal this week looked at how much exercise a week was needed to reduce the dying. Researchers looked at 72.00 people in the UK who all wore activity trackers on their wrists. The results were as follows: No vigorous exercise during an average week - 4% chance [...]
World Spine Day takes place every year on October 16th and this year the theme is “Every Spine Counts”. The theme focuses on the diversity of spinal pain and its potential disability as part of the global burden of disease. The focus is also on the need for assess to quality essential spinal [...]
It is well appreciated that ‘prehabilitation’ before surgery, especially before major surgeries, is very important. Prehabilitation includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, stopping smoking before an operation to optimise the surgery and improve the recovery/rehabilitation times. However this does not address the post-operative delirium or altered cognitive states which include confusion, loss of memory, [...]
Many people are still concerned about taking Ibuprofen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) after news reports linking them to a possible increased risk of Covid-19 infection. NSAIDs are a family of medicines that are not only used as pain killers but also for lowering high temperatures and fevers. In March the media reported a potential link [...]
In just few short days all our lives have changed, not just in the UK but across the world. We have entered totally uncharted territory and need to adjust our lives accordingly. Social isolation is absolutely paramount to stop or slow the spread and therefore, in accordance with government guidelines, all NHS outpatient appointments, will [...]
This is an interesting article in The Economist (18th January 2020) about the cost and medicalisation of back pain in Western society. It explains that only about 5 - 15% of people suffering with back pain have a definitive cause for their back pain (eg fracture, infection, tumour) and the rest are labelled as [...]
Increases your stamina and energy levels Reduces anxiety and depression Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol Improves your intellectual capacity and concentration Helps control your weight Makes you happy Improves self-esteem Improves muscle power If there was a medicine that did all this, without side-effects, I think most people would take it, don’t [...]
I recently read an article in The Independent newspaper about the best ways to keep active with back pain and the associated benefits. As we know back pain is very common with 80% of people in the UK having back pain at some time in their life. Long term back pain accounts for about [...]
This is the second Brussels International Spine Symposium I have attended and both times the meetings have been of excellent quality, very interesting and relevant. This years meeting was tilted "Lumbar Spine Stenosis: Controversies in ethiopathogenesis, management and costs". The meeting consisted of a series of lectures with both a European and American Faculty and [...]
