Carmen de Lange Physio and Colleagues

Inflammation has such a bad reputation.

Yet it marks the start of the healing process.

It releases all sorts of good cells to start the clean up process of the damage created by injury and infection.

Let's be thankful for this little miracle in our bodies.

From about the age of 40, we start to lose 5% brain volume per decade.

BUT...

Exercise and staying active can prevent this by maintaining blood flow to the brain.

Isn't that wonderful motivation to get out there and moving regularly?

Are you managing to get 30 minutes of movement into your day?

Movement has been linked to improving cognitive function.

Why not give your brain a boost today and find a few more ways to move throughout your day.

Regular movement has been linked with reduced muscle tension and pain from sitting.

There is no such thing as perfect posture.

Your next posture is your best posture.

Keep moving, it is the best prevention against pain.

Did you know that sleep is like taking a pill that resets your daily health?

It has been linked to improved metabolism, cardiovascular health and mental health.

Basically sleep is a dietician, cardiologist and psychologist all wrapped into one delightful package😉.

Struggling to sleep? Here are links to some great articles on the website to help you get started on better sleep.

https://cdlphysio.co.za/2020/08/sleep-positions-2/
https://cdlphysio.co.za/2019/12/good-sleep-needs-quality-and-qualtity/

When was the last time you tried to balance on one leg? How about a wooden beam or along a line on the ground?

We used to do these activities for fun as children.

So give it a go today...you get to exercise some muscles that you might not remember and you get to have childlike fun.

We take our ability to breathe for granted because it happens automatically without having to give it a thought.

The practice of being aware of your breaths and focussing on the in and out over a few minutes is very soothing.

Knowing how to breathe diaphragmatically (belly breaths) can help to improve air exchange in the lungs as well as relax tight neck muscles.

Check out this blog on breathing for a practical demonstration of how to.
https://cdlphysio.co.za/2020/08/better-breathing/

Better breathing today | CDL Physio - Physiotherapy services in Umhlanga Ridge, Durban Today is as good as any day to start learning how to breathe more efficiently especially considering the current circumstances of the world.

We spend a large part our day sitting on chairs, couches and in cars.

When was the last time you tried to just sit on the floor and then get up again? It requires much more co-ordination and strength than from a chair.

Repeat that a few times and you've had a pretty decent full body workout.

This is particularly important to practice as we get older. It builds strength, reduces fear of falling and in case you do fall...you know you can get up again.

Happy Valentines Day 💚

Be kind and loving to your mind and body this Valentines Day (and every day).

Go for a gentle walk especially in nature.
Drink water especially on these hot days.
Get a sports massage for tired and aching muscles.
Smile at a stranger (not in a creepy way).
Do a random act of kindness.

Pain is a pretty big deal.

Without pain, we wouldn’t know when something is threatening our body’s wellbeing.

Let’s reframe pain and be grateful for this protective mechanism and learn how to work with it.

Think of all the tasks you simplify in order to save time.

Think of all the things you do to conserve energy.

These are all opportunities to get small bursts of exercise into your day when you don’t have time for formal exercise.

Practicing gratitude for the things that help us stay alive.

Healing tissues are nothing short of a daily miracle.

Exercise is powerful drug when it comes to supporting mental health.

Commit to taking a few extra steps today like inconveniencing yourself by parking a bit further from the entrance to the shops.

Your brain and mood will thank you.

What habits do you think you could build on in order to add some more movement into your day?

And that concludes our series on using songs about pain to explain pain.

We hope you found it insightful and have a deeper understanding of our wonderful protective response called pain.

Who doesn't want to stay stronger for longer and mentally sharp until their 100th birthday?

Exercise has been shown to do both.

Now that's motivation to get up in the morning and get out there exercising.

We are biopsychosocial beings. This means that we are influenced by biological processes, psychological factors as well as our social interactions.

This means that we need to consider much more than just the physical cause of pain, especially when pain is persistent.

Unravelling the context that leads to pain is all about looking for what may be threatening the body. The threats can be real or perceived.

Like seeing something or being somewhere that makes you anxious. Or figuring out what movements are currently placing a threat on the body.

Sitting has be dubbed the new smoking.

It may be true but it isn't the sitting that is the devil.

Rather, it is the amount of time spent in a sedentary position (sitting) that is the killer.

Find ways to increase the amount of movement during your working day and you will begin to counterbalance the negative effects of sitting.

Experiencing pain at night can be debilitating. It also robs you of precious sleep, which in itself contributes to the pain experience. A vicious cycle.

Come chat to one of our physios about what may be contributing to your pain at night.

We will help find ways to adjust your position to reduce load on the body part that is causing pain.

We can also advise on pillows and props to achieve a more comfortable and supportive position.

The next time you struggle to find the motivation to do exercise, think about how your brain and memory will thank you if you do it.

Thinking or believing that your body is dysfunctional can be enough of a danger input to the brain to produce a protective response, i.e. pain.

The same goes for believing or saying negative things about getting older like "It's all downhill after 60".

Learning to reframe these negative beliefs and thoughts can be the first step toward recovering from pain or injuries.

Wishing all our clients, friends and family, a restful festive period. May you feel rejuvenated by the joy and comfort of loved ones near and far.

Please note that we will be closed on Monday 27 December, however, we are available from 28-31 Dec 2021 albeit limited hours.

Movement stimulates the production of endorphins, the so-called feel-good hormones.

Next time you reach for the drug cabinet in your bathroom, remember that a bit of gentle movement may actually be all you need.

Pain is protective. So, if the brain calculates that the body needs protection, it produces pain in the body.

This could even be when we have a perceived threat, like something we are constantly worried about or a belief we have about our body.

Some people have "bad" x-rays and experience severe pain, yet someone else can have an equally "bad" x-ray with no pain.

You can get bruises on your body from bumps and scrapes, yet only become aware of them when you see them in the mirror.

Pain is complicated and does not only depend on tissue damage.

Nope. We've pretty much got it all covered.

Joint pain, back and neck pain, neurological conditions, respiratory conditions, sports injuries, spine injuries and muscle pain or injuries...just to name a few.

Not sure if we can help you with your pain/injury? Not sure where to start to get on the journey to injury recovery? Wondering if you need to get any further investigations to discover what the problem is?

Book a call or a discovery session with one of our physios and we can give you feedback on next steps.
Call 031 566 5959.

Neuroscience is showing that being out in nature helps to reduce stress.

This has to do with the way you gaze. When we are indoors we focus our vision similar to a stress reaction. When we are outdoors we broaden our vision which causes you to calm down.

Aren't we wonderfully made?