More women are wearing higher heels, and for longer, and experts are increasingly concerned about the long-term damage they are doing not only to their feet but also their body. As the average height of fashion heels has gone from 3 inches to 5 to 6 inches, women’s visits to podiatrists for foot problems and toe woes have soared an estimated 75 percent in the last few years. Eight out of 10 women say their shoes are painful.

The good news is there’s now evidence from global business analysts at IBM that as the economy tiptoes up, heel heights inch down. While it used to be hemlines that tied fashion to finance, stilettos appear to be the new economic indicators. You may have already spotted your neighborhood fashionista skipping around in ballet flats. What’s next? The return of kitten heels, which top out at 2″, the height most foot docs agree is the maximum for happy feet.

And if your love for high heels already caused a damage to your knees, legs or even back pain, make sure to do something about. Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST) is truly a must and no.1 for long lasting pain relief not only for back pain, but also for knees, legs and general body ache conditions caused by or associated with using high heels. Click here to find the nearest NST practitioners in your country or city.

Here’s a great overview of how high heels affect your posture, foot pressure and leg injuries for more visual approach. 

The Advanced DVD is a two volume DVD set comprising almost 6 hours of running time and importantly covering the full contents of the NST Advanced Workshop from which it takes it’s name.

Following the structure of the NST Advanced Workshop, the DVD Training System faithfully follows the same training goals of Refinement, Adaptation and Potentization and naturally every procedure, protocol and point contained in those sections.

Every point has its own high quality on-screen anatomical illustration to deepen the viewers understanding of the point being demonstrated and similarly there are countless on-screen instructional notes to help crystallize the viewers comprehension of the subject in question.

As always Michael’s no-nonsense, practical and informative presentation style is apparent throughout and serves to make each and every part of the DVD Training System simple to follow and enjoyable to learn.

The DVD set comes complete with a full color A3 sized  Flip Chart that contains all of the same anatomical illustrations on display throughout the DVD presentation and importantly organized in a practical procedural format with succinct informational and anatomical notes to further help the reader quickly summarize every point.

The NST Advanced DVD Training System follows on directly from where the NST Basic Level DVD Training System finishes off and will be an excellent new learning tool for anybody wanting to take their NST work to the next level or otherwise have at their finger tips a truly accurate record of all that they have studied in the NST Advanced Workshop.

Dynamic Body Balance 2 from Michael Nixon-Livy on Vimeo.

Well, first of all the technical name for this condition is “cold allodynia” and scientists have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause or reason behind it. However, there are several ideas floating out there about exactly why this happens.

Dr. John Parenti, with the Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania, believes that the cause is related to barometric pressure on your joints. There are many receptors in your bodies nerve endings. These detect things like texture, temperature, and of course pressure. However, these nerve endings may also pick up on changes in barometric pressure in the air and respond, in some people, with a pain reaction.

Other studies, done by Japanese researchers on rats have led others to conclude that the part of the body that senses barometric change is actually in the inner ear area, which may disprove the idea that joint pain from cold weather is a result of barometric pressure.

Other ideas suggest that the pain may be the result of trapped nerves. Following an injury, surgery, or any other significant physical event in life, it is not uncommon for certain nerves in the body to be out of place and more susceptible to pain and pressure changes.

The pain may even be caused by tense muscles surrounding the nerves. It is no secret that cold weather can make your muscles contract and tense up. Perhaps tense muscles constrict around nerves during times of cold weather and result in pain from trapped nerves.

So what can you do about back pain during cold weather? Well, the first thing you can do is to keep warm and bundle up. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing for the weather such as thick coats, gloves, and hats. Extra layers are extremely helpful.

I have also heard that you can get one of those body trimmer belts and a fitness store. These belts are designed to keep heat in to help slim you down, but you can use this to help keep you warm too during the colder months. Simply slip it on before you go outside and you’ll find that your core is much warmer throughout the day.

And lastly, make sure you do plenty of stretches to keep your body loose and limber. It is easy to injure yourself in cold weather. To minimize this risk, be sure to stretch and stay flexible, especially if you’re going to be doing any sort of exercise outside such as shoveling snow.

If you wear appropriate clothing, perhaps slip on a body trimming belt to help keep your body heat in, and make sure you stretch before going out into the cold, you can help to reduce the risks of back pain caused by cold weather.

1. A cup of tea
The British have the right idea when they brew a pot of tea in stressful times. Turns out, black tea is rich in stress-busting antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and amino acids. There’s also some evidence that green tea can help lower harmful LDL cholesterol.

2. Chewing gum
This great stress-buster can be also a little treat that won’t hurt your cholesterol. According to a large study, workers who chew gum report less stress than their gum-free colleagues. That’s because chomping on a stick of Wrigley’s stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps induce relaxation. Just make sure your gum is sugar-free.

3. Aromatherapy
Stress getting to you? If yes, it’s time to stop and smell the roses. They contain linalool, a chemical that helps reduce stress. So do herbs, such as lavender and basil, and fruit, such as oranges, grapes, and mangoes. That’s another good excuse to keep nearby a bouquet of flowers or dried lavender, or a bowl of fruit. They smell lovely and can benefit your cholesterol.

4. Take a walk
If stress is a constant companion, add a 20- to 30-minute walk to your daily routine. Walking and other forms of exercise help reduce anxiety. Even better, take your stroll in a neighborhood park. A recent Japanese study revealed that walking outside, especially in a forest setting, is an effective way to combat chronic stress.

5. Spend time with animals
Whether you live with a dog, a cat, or even a bird, stress reduction is one of the great benefits of an animal companion. In one study, just watching 10 minutes of cute animal films was enough to lower volunteers’ heart rates and blood pressure when they were stressed. Other research has linked pet ownership with significantly lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

6. Gaze at the view
Next time you’re overwhelmed, turn off the computer screen and look out the window instead. One study revealed that students sitting at window seats recovered faster from performing a series of stressful tasks than classmates who faced a blank wall or even a high-definition plasma screen displaying a nature scene. The more time they spent gazing at the view, the faster their heart rates dropped back to normal.

7. Have a laugh
When it comes to stress, laughter really is good medicine. A good belly laugh triggers production of endorphins, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. It also relaxes your blood vessels and increases blood flow — the ideal antidote to tension.

Neck cracking is most harmful when you use your hands to intentionally swing your neck to one side with reasonable force. The cracking sound that accompanies this action is from the ligaments that support the neck and connect it to our torso. The issue is that ligaments are temperamental and do not easily repair themselves.

Many of us think that neck cracking is not a serious issue as we have seen many of our friends and colleagues do it. Some people who crack their neck told me that this practice was recommended to them by their friends as a technique for reducing the stress felt at the base of the neck. But, all scientific evidence points out that neck cracking does nothing to relieve stress, it only contributes in stretching the ligaments and causing more degeneration in the neck joint.

The impulse to crack the neck is because some of us have joints with hypermobility. What this means is that such joints have a larger movement range that is normal. In joints with this problem, the supporting muscles have to work harder to restrict the movements of the joint. Over time these muscles become weak and you feel as if they are constricting your movements. This is when you have the urge to indulge in neck cracking.

Your joint may feel good for a short time after you crack it, but the reality is that the ligaments in the joint become more loose and increase the mobility of your joint. This puts additional stress on the muscles and you will be feeling the urge to have a go at neck cracking more often. Neck cracking could also be a contributing factor to the stiffness in the neck region that some of experience in cold weather.

How do you avoid the habit of neck cracking? Well, you could begin by starting a routine of muscle toning exercises. As your muscles build up their strength, the tendency to crack your neck should also reduce with time. Turning your neck slowly to either side every hour or so should also help in preventing the build up of physical stress in this region.

The most common reason clients attend the clinic for treatment is due to lower back pain. 

A simple and effective stretch for the iliospoas is the “lunge” stretch.

1. Traveling with back pain on the plane – before and during the flight.

• If you require medication for your back pain, make sure you carry enough for the duration of your travels and take some extra in case of delays. Ensure you carry your medications in your hand luggage and in their original labeled containers. Check with airline before booking your flights for the latest regulations on this. Do take all your back care medications and anything else that helps your back pain and sciatic nerve symptoms, like heat pads, with you in hand luggage.
• Pack as lightly as possible, especially if you are carrying your luggage. If possible use suitcases with wheels; they are great if you have a bad back. You may be able to buy some things you need like shampoo, soap, lotions etc when you get there. Check out the clothes washing facilities and then pack accordingly.
• If you are flying try to book an aisle seat. This makes it so much easier for when you need to get in and out, gives you slightly more room if you need to stretch out a bit and means you won’t have to bother other people so much.

• Check your vacation destination. Is it easy for you to get around? If you find steps difficult are there any you will have to negotiate? What are the medical facilities? How much walking will you need to do to get around? How far is your destination from the airport? Will there be a long car or coach journey? You need to know what you can handle comfortably with your back problems and book accordingly.

2. Traveling with back pain during a flight.

• Drink lots of water on the flight. Your body will easily get dehydrated which is not good for anyone and especially not if you have back pain and disc problems. However the easy solution is to keep drinking water and to avoid tea, coffee and alcohol as these only dehydrate you further.

• Wear clothing that allows you to move freely. Do not wear anything constrictive or heavy.

• When in your seat, use the pillows and take a lumbar support if you need to help you get in the most comfortable position you can. Airline seats were not designed for people with back pain but there is a lot you can do with blankets and pillows to make yourself less uncomfortable. If it helps you put your feet on a raised area to bring your knees and hips in a better alignment, you will need to experiment with this.
• Move around as much as possible and at least once an hour get out of your seat and walk up and down the aisles. If you are following a back care stretching and strengthening back pain exercise system then try to do some of these. I always do mine on the plane and it has not caused any problems but i do ask first. Do be courteous to other passengers but I find it perfectly possible to do the standing ones without causing any inconvenience in the aisles or in the galley part if you request politely of the cabin crew at times when it is not too busy.
• Try not to fall asleep. This can be difficult but it is better to stay awake and move than to fall asleep and be in an uncomfortable position which may aggravate your back pain. If you feel you may need to sleep take a headrest cushion with you and request additional pillows.

• Do ask for assistance; do not try to struggle with putting luggage in the overhead bins etc.

3.  Travelling with back pain during long car journeys

• Drink plenty of water during the journey; it is easy to get dehydrated which is not good for you or your back. Try to eat healthy nutritious snacks.
• Do any back care stretches you have been given before you start the journey, anytime you can during the journey, in breaks and after the journey.
• Try to maintain a good driving posture, this is easier if you are taking regular breaks and can prove to be helpful as a prevention of back pain.

• Do not carry your mobile phone or wallet in your back pocket. If you do it can create an abnormal sitting position tilting one hip higher which may cause you to have problems.
• If your car has a lumbar support which is adjustable that is good but if not a lumbar support cushion will work as well to give extra support for your bad back. If you are hiring a car you can check this out beforehand or bring your own cushion to custom your seat.
• Try using a heating pad which can be thin enough to be comfortable when driving. They deliver a constant therapeutic heat which can be good to ease back pain. Some cars may have heated seats which can help.

• Power steering is wonderful and will help you a lot if you have upper or lower back pain and sciatica. Most cars do have this now but do check.

• Try to share the driving whenever possible.

• Try out different driving time limits to suit you. You may need a break every hour, test out what works for you. Do get out of the car, walk around, do any back pain relief stretches and just move around for about 10 -15 minutes. If you are stopping at a service station do not sit in the café but move and walk around first.

Even though most of us will experience neck pain, we won’t all feel it in the same way. Sometimes, it’s just on one side of your neck; sometimes, pain shoots down your arms. A problem in your neck may even cause terrible headaches or dizziness. Symptoms may be gone in a few days, or you may have long-term pain that limits what you can do every day.

No matter what’s causing your neck pain, it hurts, and you’re probably very eager to get rid of it. However, as you may guess since there are so many causes and symptoms of neck pain, there are many ways to treat it. You can use over-the-counter pain medication, acupuncture or message. However, I would strongly recommend exercise and gentle stretching, which you can do yourself in the convenience of your home.

Below is a great video demonstrating you a routine to help to keep the neck flexible and release tensions.

Source: http://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/neck-pain/what-neck-pain 

1. Teach your child how to properly load and wear the backpack to avoid back pain:

• Always use both shoulder straps and wear the backpack on the back rather than over one shoulder
• Pack heaviest objects into the backpack first so they are carried lower and closest to the body
• Fill compartments so that the load is evenly distributed throughout the backpack and items do not shift during movement
• Pack sharp or bulky objects in the backpack so they do not contact the back
• Adjust the straps to fit the backpack snugly to the child’s body, holding the bottom of the backpack 2 inches above the waist and keeping the top just below the base of the skull; do not carry the backpack low near the buttocks
• Lift the backpack by using the leg muscles and keeping it close to the body, not by bending over with arms extended
• Do not lean forward when walking; if this is necessary, there is too much weight in the backpack.

2. Maintain a mindset to watch the weight carried in the backpack to reduce back pain:

• If the child complains of discomfort, reduce the weight in the backpack immediately
• Consider applying a guideline backpack weight limit as a percent of the child’s body weight. The American Physical Therapy Association suggests 15-20%; the American Chiropractic Association advises 5-10%.
• Coach your child to carry only those books needed in the backpack, leaving unnecessary items at home and making frequent trips to his/her locker during the day
• Teach your child to clean out the backpack at least once a week.

3. Look for backpack design features that can help reduce the chance of back pain:

• Lightweight material (canvas as opposed to leather)
• Two padded, wide (2-inches), adjustable shoulder straps on the backpack
• Padded back
• Individualized compartments
• Hip strap, waist belt or frame to redistribute the weight of the backpack from the shoulders and back to the pelvis
• Wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried.

4. Become a proactive parent on the issue of backpacks and back pain

• Ask your child if they feel any back aches or pain
• Help your child choose the smallest backpack that will meet his/her needs
• Talk to teachers about how to minimize the need for children to transport heavy books back and forth daily in their backpacks; keep one set of books in the classroom for daily work while leaving heavy books at home; make photocopies of homework chapters and assignments that are easily carried
• Attend PTA meetings and discuss any proposal by school administrators to remove lockers or to reduce time between classes making it difficult to store unneeded books and materials

Finally, there are a number of alternatives to traditional backpacks on the market. These include saddle bags, rollerbags, backpacks with inflatable lumbar support and straps, totally inflatable backpacks and molded backpacks.

How do you prevent back pain from your kids’ backpacks? I would be delighted to hear your advice. please comment below.

Article source: Spine Health, “Tips to Prevent Back Pain from Kids’ Backpacks?”

Here is an overview of the three main ways to help you relieve joint pain:

1. Eat Healthy

Load up on foods rich in:

• Omega-3 fatty acids. Think salmon and nuts to curb inflammation.
• Vitamin K. Make meals that feature greens, such as spinach, kale, and cabbage, for their pain-soothing properties.
• Vitamin C. Add color to your diet with juicy oranges, sweet red peppers and tomatoes, and other C-rich foods to halt cartilage loss (and resulting pain) that comes with arthritis.

Avoid foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as corn oil, which may trigger painful inflammation. Also swap refined grains for whole grains. Early research suggests refined grains have an inflammatory effect, whereas high-fiber whole grains may help reduce inflammation.

2. Take Supplements
Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin may help by nourishing cartilage and increasing lubrication in your joints. A large-scale study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that a daily combo of 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin might help ease symptoms in people with moderate-to-severe joint pain.

Also make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin D to help keep your bones strong and prevent joint pain. Look for a supplement with 1,000 milligrams of D3 (the kind your body manufactures from sunlight), but check with your doctor first because some supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

3. Keep Moving
One reason cold weather is linked to joint pain is people are less likely to work out when it’s chilly and damp. Being a couch potato is bad news for your joints because exercise helps lubricate them to prevent pain. Try these 6 safe, easy exercises for arthritic knees.

Source: ‘Does Cold Weather Cause Joint Pain? 3 Ways to Relieve Achy Joints’, Real Age, 16/01/2012