ADHD is a developmental disorder and mental health condition that affects behaviour and is often thought of as a condition which only affects children. However research suggests that around 4% of adults have this condition, but many are oblivious because it was not recognised in childhood.
In the last post, we looked at the signs and symptoms of ADHD; you can catch up here. This time let’s explore treatment, medication and other support.
Mental health is challenging and emotional; as allied health professionals (AHCPs), most of us received zero mental health education during our long training. However, every osteopath (and other AHCPs) should have the basic knowledge to help confidently with a mental health crisis.
I’m a committed, enthusiastic lifelong learner and love travel, so getting to do both at the same is a win-win in my world. In all honesty, since covid 19, leaving my postcode still feels like a big adventure (yep, I know!) So the last week has been super special. I’m a committed, enthusiastic lifelong learner… Read More Osteopathic Care of babies, learning from looking back.
Did you know we perform best and are most productive when we alternate between periods of intense focus and periodic revitalisation, aka pausing? I’ve valued pausing for a while but have not always felt able to put it into action. Pausing can be a magical reset for me, especially if I take it in nature… Read More The Power Pause
The end and beginning of the year are often a time to reflect or carry out a life audit, aka new year resolutions. You probably know I’m not a fan of those, but this time of year makes me reflect on the desire for happiness and all that entails; you know the mantra ‘I’ll be… Read More Do you understand your emotional needs?
September is here; it is a new beginning for many. Are you in back to ‘skool’ mode and buying a new pencil case and shoes? Aspiring to create a different version of yourself. Planning to reset your intentions to realise your fullest potential, carrying on as usual or simply seeking less nonsense and more harmony… Read More Life, love and new beginnings.
I’ve been writing a long piece on midlife and menopause hormone changes and updating my women/female health series of courses. In all honesty, I’ve been struggling with the language. I feel reasonably skilled in using neutral and inclusive language in this case. Does it mean avoiding the word ‘woman/lady’ and using ‘people’ instead?. With me… Read More My struggle with inclusive language
The onset of menstruation is a physical and emotional event in a female’s reproductive life. Most will have their first period between the ages of 11 and 14, and depending on the type of contraception used, will continue monthly until menopause.
Gynaecological surgery can be emotive and sometimes complicated. Non-childbirth-related operations include myomectomy, hysterectomy, and pelvic floor repair, which I’ll discuss in a separate post.
Did you know that inflammation is part of our body’s defence mechanism and plays a vital role in the healing process?
While many people, especially those in the corporate world, have heard the word “burnout”, it’s not recognised officially as a medical term. If you read my musings regularly, you know that education and myth-busting are my primary passions inside and outside of my treatment space. In healthcare, burnout is called mental exhaustion or mental fatigue; “it is… Read More Are you at risk of burnout?
Physical pain is an essential part of the human experience; it’s the body’s protective alarm system. Its a subjective experience and one which is challenging to convey to other people. Especially if there are no obvious outward clues, our ability to tolerate pain is as individual as our fingerprints and shaped by many factors: genetics,… Read More Pain, does it need to hurt so much?
Where do you live? In your head, body or both? The reason I ask is that, as a health professional and movement teacher, I meet many people who live in their heads, and their body is just this thing hanging below their lower eyelashes, I kid you not!
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s probably contributing your inability to move well and reducing your range of motion. When you think about squatting, what comes to mind? The burn from your last gym session, struggling to pick up your dropped keys, or using a lavatory in tropical climes? Did you know that squatting… Read More Your chair is killing you! Time to start squatting.
While I appreciate that you are probably feeling bombarded with news and updates about this virus, As a healthcare professional, it concerns me that growing misconceptions and myths around this rapidly-changing health crisis are causing people to feel increasingly concerned about how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
It’s a rhetorical question. Are you about to plunge into the perennial pitfall of making unrealistic New Year’s resolutions for the year ahead? While the start of a new year is an opportunity to press the reset button and may inspire a renewed sense of purpose or hope to begin new adventures. Many people make… Read More 2020 new decade, new you? But is there anything wrong with the old you?
Following on from the articles on sleep positions and mattress advice for pain-free sleep, the other question I get asked relating to sleep is “Do I really need a pillow to sleep well”?
A simple way to think of free radicals is as waste products which built up and can harm the cells in the body. They are natural byproducts of the body’s many chemical processes, such as breathing and eating. Environmental toxins, household chemicals and cigarette smoke can also expose us to free radicals.
Mindfulness and meditation are everywhere; it’s being offered as a cure-all for everything from IBS and low-self esteem to help pain management and depression. There is good science to confirm the benefits, and growing research shows that when people train to be more mindful, they are rewiring the physical structure of their brain, but what… Read More Calming the monkey mind
We need a steady daily supply of Zinc to stay healthy as it also has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role. It also has a significant impact on hormonal balance for both men and women, even a small deficiency can cause an increased risk of diabetes or infertility. Are you getting all you need?
Welcome to 2019! I wanted the first entry of this new year to be about something significant, meaningful and potentially life-changing. This entry is about the benefits and power of touch.
One in four adults in the UK is estimated to have high blood pressure without realising it. Hypertension the medical term for high blood pressure, untreated it increases the risk of severe health problems. It can go unnoticed as it rarely has any signs or symptoms.
Alcohol is a Jekyll and Hyde character; inextricably linked with so many good events in most people’s lives. Many of the happiest times celebrated with a clink of glasses and a little (or a lot) of your favourite tipple. In contrast, how many times have you reached for an alcoholic drink due after hearing bad… Read More Alcohol, the good, the bad and the confusing.
Do you struggle to get through the day? Or get breathless, sluggish and weak doing everyday activities? These could be signs of anaemia. Anaemia leads to poor circulation of oxygen around the body and sometimes causes complications, although it’s rare, anaemia that remains untreated can even become deadly.
Serotonin is sometimes called the happy chemical because it contributes to wellbeing, mood and happiness. Serotonin is widely believed to be a neurotransmitter although some scientists think it is a hormone.
The changes in seasons can affect us in profound ways, some people report feeling more cheerful when the days are longer, and the sun is shining. While others crave carbohydrates during the long, often grey UK winters.
I was recounting a story in one of my classes recently about a man complaining about his struggle to find a parking space after a stressful drive to his “lovely health club”, where he jumped on a treadmill and walked for 30 minutes before driving home! Mmm, I know his part of the metropolis is blessed with… Read More Walking, are you getting the real benefits?
The vagus nerve networks around the body like a super spy, reporting back to the brain secretly (subconsciously) on what’s going on in the body as part of our protective stress response, noticing facial expressions, and responding to people’s voices and monitoring our internal organs.
The vagus nerve is the leader of our inner nerve centre, also known as the 10th cranial nerve or cranial nerve X. It’s the longest of the 12 cranial nerves in the body, and has the most extensive distribution because it passes through the neck and chest into the abdomen. The vagus nerve controls the… Read More The vagus nerve, explained
Thriving, inside and out 