Category: Melanie Young

What to do if you have long Covid and how to recover

6/12/2022

Long Covid symptoms can vary depending on the person and their immune system. But most sufferers describe feeling overtired and generally unwell. You may also have a combination of:

Lack of concentration
Headaches
Stiff joints/joint pain
Confusion
Brain fog
Swollen lymph nodes
Sore throat
Chest tightness or pain
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Heart palpations
Depression and anxiety
Feeling sick , loss of appetite, stomach aches
Rashes
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping.

Many people are unable to work (either in manual or office-based roles), drive, participate in their usual physical activity or, at times, engage with their family life as usual. This can lead to anxiety and low mood.

What if resting is not working?
If you are suffering from Long Covid you probably know you need to rest to recover. You may have been told to just rest and have been resting now for a month or more. Recovery seems slow or has stopped progressing. Don't worry, there are very good options for you to do next.

The scientific literature shows that severe complications of Covid infections seem to result from an increase in inflammation and altered immunity caused by a cytokine storm. However, Long Covid can occur from even mild cases of infection. Why is your body not recovering?

Post- infection there is a clean up job for your immune cells and your nervous system needs to get back to normal settings. With even 'mild Covid' there may be irritation of many organs in your body, including your brain, your lungs, your heart and your digestive tract. It also appears that the Covid virus is very good at turning down aspects of the immune system response to be able to have an easier time of infecting cells.

People with co-morbidities or who are already run down/tired or sick when they are infected may be likely to have a harder time with a Covid infection.

What can you do?
Nutritional and lifestyle support for viruses has already been described in detail by Reg Osteopath Venla Karki here.

Then you may like to add in one or more in combination of: Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Massage Therapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to speed your recovery.

Osteopathic treatment has been shown to improve the immune response and calm the autonomic nervous system so you start to feel better quickly. Relieving the pressure in the chest area, improving breathing and easing headaches. We utilise structural, cranial, visceral and Biodynamic Osteopathy. More information on our team here

Acupuncture works by stimulating the nervous system, causing a release of neurochemical messengers. This enhances the body's homeostatic state, reduces sensitivity to pain and helps promote relaxation. More information on our Acupuncturist here

Massage Therapy reduces anxiety and stress, reducing cortisol and assisting improved immune function. More information on our massage therapist here

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy reduces brain fog and fatigue. it works by reducing inflammation, re-activating the immune system and stimulating mitochondria which provide the power supply in all cells. More information on mHbot here

In our practice we have very experienced practitioners who are ready to listen to you and work to help you feel better. We work as a team to figure out the really tricky cases and are proud of the value we add to improving the quality of people's lives.

We look forward to helping you on your full and rapid recovery back to health.

Dr Melanie Young
B.A., BSc.(Clin Sc.) B.Osteo Sc. MONZ
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone 04 4991439 for our front desk team.
Online booking via our website http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

References:
1. Osteopathic Response to the Covid -19 Pandemic
Eric Martinez und David ReddingAus der Zeitschrift Journal of Osteopathic Medicine
2. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for the treatment of Long Covid
Tim Robbins, NIHR clinical lecturer, A Michael Gonevski, hyperbaric doctor, B Cain Clark, assistant professor, Sudhanshu Baitule, clinical fellow
3. Support for rehabilitation – self-management for COVID-19 related illness World Health Organisation, Denmark, 2020
4. https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/c/covid-19-long-covid/
5. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61711913 Long Covid face lottery over treatment
6. https://denisecallaghan.co.uk/blog/osteopathy-to-help-with-long-covid/

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Broken arm or leg - what can I do to help my recovery?

7/9/2021

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If you suspect you have broken your arm or leg, you need to seek medical attention immediately and follow all medical advice, including immobilisation of the bone so it can heal. Forearm bones take around six weeks in a cast, then it can be 12 weeks or even a year before the bones are back to full strength. The femur (thigh bone) takes the longest time to heal as it is the largest bone in your body.

The five stages of fracture healing:

Hematoma Formation (Days 1 to 5)
Fibrocartilaginous Callus Formation (Days 5 to 11)
Bony Callus Formation (Days 11 to 28)
Bone Remodelling (Day 18 onwards, lasting months to years)

Initially it may still be a little painful, taking paracetamol is helpful. Make sure you drink plenty of water with the pain medication to help protect your liver and kidneys.
During the time of wearing a cast, it is not advisable to drive. There are many activities of daily life which will be more difficult. Aim to accept it is simply this way for a while. Depending on your work you may be able to work part time. Remember that things will take longer to do and be more tricky (and sometimes impossible to achieve!) - be patient and ask for help.
To shower, it is important the cast be kept dry at all times so a plastic bag can be taped to the skin with medical tape. Then aim to keep the arm up above your shoulder level. Washing every area of your body can be tricky so just do your best or get some help!
Sometimes your plaster cast be changed for a lighter fibroglass cast after about three weeks if your bone healing is going well. It's worth asking your orthopaedic specialist about this as it is less strain on your neck and shoulder.

What can you do to get the best outcome, while you are in the cast and healing?

Eat nutritious foods three times a day - vegetables and fruits of a range of colours, nuts and seeds, whole grains, dairy, lean protein.
Avoid alcohol, keep caffeine and processed foods including refined sugar to a minimum, as these increase inflammation in your body and will reduce your body’s healing ability.
It may be helpful to take supplements such as a good quality Multivitamin, Zinc, Vit D, fish oils, calcium and magnesium. These are important for making healthy cells to help your body tissues heal.
Active movements of your fingers into a gentle fist and open again, 4-5 times a day, roll your shoulders, bend your elbow if you can, move your neck by turning it one way then the other as if you are scanning the horizon. Relax one ear towards your shoulder, then the other. Encourage your thumb to move its full range of motion within the limitations of the cast. In a leg cast, wiggle your toes, move your knee and hip joint a few times every hour if these are available to you. Just because one bone is broken doesn't mean the rest of you needs to stop moving. Here is a link to some good shoulder mobility exercises

Work on breathing well - through the nose, slow and low into the abdomen 360 degrees around the lower ribs/belly. Bones like oxygen to heal and all your tissues will benefit. On the breath out you can squeeze all the breath out and feel the connection to your core and pelvic floor muscles as much as possible. Then relax and feel your body breathing in again.
Don't try to lift anything heavy or weight bear on that arm/leg. It needs to heal.
Keep your arm or leg raised so the fracture site is above your heart. This will help reduce inflammation and swelling in your arms, fingers, ankle, foot and toes.
Use ice packs on your arm/leg as frequently as needed to reduce swelling
Rest - it takes energy to heal a bone
Take homeopathic Arnica 200c once a day for 2-3 days after the injury to help reduce swelling and pain
Homeopathic Symphytum (knit bone) can really help with bone healing. Research indicates a dose of 30CH for ten days once the fracture is well aligned. Ideally get some homeopathic advice on how much to take and when for your particular case
Get some exercise ie walking/stationary bike each day to help your circulation and oxygenation
Meditation is a good plan to help your mental health while healing a broken arm or leg.
You may like to do some modified yoga - try a ‘hands free yoga’ session online. Or a 'Broken foot yoga'. Yoga can help you feel more connected with and kind to your body. Some yoga is purely sitting or lying down so with a broken leg you can still do that. Just take it slowly and carefully and listen to your body.

Osteopathic gentle hands on treatment once a week helps your body recover from the tissue restrictions due to the injury, reduce pain and calm your nervous system. This helps increase the blood supply for healing your bone.
Pilates with a physical therapist can help you feel stronger and more balanced in your body.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy daily to help speed up the bone healing and reduce inflammation
QRS mat (PEMFs Pulsed electromagnetic Fields) at the ‘Vital - Intense’ setting for 20-40 minutes twice a day for the first 3-4 weeks to assist fracture healing. We have one to rent at City Hyperbaric Wellington.

It’s an exciting day when you finally get your cast off!
Be prepared for a weird looking arm and hand. It may be swollen, thickened, red, irritated and scaly with dry skin. It may also feel sensitive to the touch and very weak. The tissues are likely to be tight. This is because your arm and hand have not been able to move properly for six weeks and this lack of function affects the structure. Its important to have warm water to wash your arm and dead skin will come off it initially. Be gentle and kind to your skin and it should recover quickly.

You may have some dark hairs growing on your arm, hand or leg where the cast has been - this can be due to the complete lack of light and also the irritation of the cast. Your arm needs fresh air and light each day and these hairs will go away over a number of weeks.

As soon as you are out of the cast, you may be able to drive, check with your orthopaedic specialist. It's ideal to see a hand therapist as soon as possible to get you onto the right stretches and exercises and monitor your recovery. You may be given a splint that you can take on and off. This is a great improvement from the cast as it won't be heavy and you will start to be able to do more with your arm and hand. It’s good to wear it when outside the home to prevent accidental injury to your healing arm bones.

You may also get a compression glove or 'Tubi grip' to help reduce the swelling in your hand/arm/foot leg.

Exercises at this early stage consists of gentle stretches 4-5 times a day. Your muscles and tendons have not moved in a while so take it very carefully. Ideally warm up the tissues with a warm shower/wheat bag/hot water bottle before doing the stretches. When doing the stretches, expect to feel a tightness in your tissues, however if you feel any pain you need to back off and take the stretch much more gently.

Once you have full range of motion back in your hand/wrist or foot/ankle, you can start strengthening. Again take it carefully and be patient. Its better to make small improvements each day rather than overdo it and have a set-back. It is good to have personalised hand therapist/physio advice all through this time if possible.

You may need some further osteopathic treatment at this stage to help your body to heal with good alignment, assist the blood supply, calm your nervous system and ease tight tissues as you start to do more movements. Your body may feel quite out of balance and this is normal, however the more you can gently move in a balanced manner, the better for your recovery and feeling good in your body.

Now your bone is healed and your muscles,tendons and ligaments are feeling recovered, you can slowly increase your exercise and use props to support your body so you can move and strengthen your body and return to full health again.

I wrote this article after going through the experience of fracturing my distal radius. I wanted to bring all the tools and information together that I used to return to a fully functioning arm, to benefit others going through this tricky time.

Ask any questions below. Best wishes for your full recovery!

Dr Melanie Young
B.A., BSc.(Clin Sc.) B.Osteo Sc. MONZ
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone 04 4991439

http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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When can a soother/pacifier/dummy be a good thing for a new baby?

4/19/2020

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Parents are often scared away from using a soother with their baby, due to images of seeing a toddler with the plug stoppering their mouth when they are out and about each day. They have concerns it is silencing the child, plus damaging their dentition (how their teeth are aligned) along with getting disapproving looks from well meaning adults around them. Using a soother from a young age may reduce the amount of milk a baby takes in each day and affect the amount of nutrition they receive right at the time they are growing the fastest.

These are all valid concerns.

However, every baby is unique.

If you have a baby who is feeding well and gaining impressive weight each week, but is quite upset and spilling milk after each feed, they may benefit from a soother in the first few months. New mums are often concerned about milk supply and a baby latching well and sucking sure brings on more milk. Some mum’s have an excess of supply and a strong flow, so that when the baby suckles they receive a large amount of milk in a relatively short time.

Combine an excess milk supply with a baby who really needs to suck to provide themselves comfort and you may have a problem which can be overlooked.

Why do some babies need to suck to provide comfort?

Sucking helps allow the milk to move down through the digestion process, by stimulating the flow of saliva and downward contractions of the tube to the stomach. It also increases the rate of stomach emptying. This is helpful if your baby might have symptoms of acid reflux.

Some babies have a sore head and/or neck from birth - maybe caused by a long labour, especially if they get stuck for a while, the cervix is slow to open and the baby’s head can get affected/compressed in the birth canal. Then forceps or ventouse (suction) may be required to help the baby reposition and assist them out of the birth canal. This situation is much more common in first time mums and their babies.

Osteopathically what we may see is a baby with a headache. Of course the new baby is unable to tell us they have a headache, except by crying and being less settled than expected. This can be hard work for parents and they can feel upset that they are unable to provide comfort to their baby.

How do we know the baby has a headache?

Experienced paediatric osteopaths palpate thousands of heads each year, in all ages. We observe the child who is four years old and able to point to an area of their head and say it hurts, the two year old who may be able to put a hand on their forehead and give a tired look. This gives us clues as to what a headache feels like to palpate (= sensitive listening touch) with our trained hands, in a non-verbal baby or child. Using our hands very gently we are able to palpate the strains in the membranes that surround the bones of the head in all ages and diagnose and very gently treat those strains, utilising the body’s self healing mechanism.

Without gentle osteopathic care, what is the baby with a headache going to do? They will want to suck more often as pressure on the hard palate, the roof of their mouth, can help (via the vertical vomer bone), to relieve the tightness in the membranes around the sphenoid bone, which sits across the front of the head, right behind the eyes.

If this situation of a sore head and excess sucking is combined with a mum with lots of milk, the baby may get so much milk that they will start vomiting up the excess. They want to suck to get pain relief, but don’t actually need extra milk. Then the use of a finger, turned upwards so the soft pad is available for the roof of the baby's mouth, will certainly help. Of course, parents do need a rest or to be hands free from the baby at times, so they can eat or have a shower. This is when the soother can be a helpful tool.

Research shows that babies under the age of 4-6 months are not able to be sleep trained, their nervous system is not able to form the memories required, so in the early months, I recommend parents do whatever they can to help their new baby’s nervous system be calm and happy. Babies need cuddles, milk and sleep, lots of it. You may have heard of the ‘fourth trimester’ - the stage where your baby would still be in your uterus if they could be, however they would be getting too big for the mum to move around or to birth. So instead, as parents you need to provide the snuggles, jiggles, warmth and a variety of white noises just like they would have had in your uterus, so your baby can be really relaxed and get enough sleep.

Newborns generally need to sleep 16-20 hours in a 24 hour period.

This fourth trimester is also where the soother can come in for some babies. If they seem happier and it helps them stop spilling milk, you can use the soother without any feelings of guilt. It won't affect their dentition at this age, they won't be a toddler with a soother in their mouth all day long, as you can get rid of the soother around the 4-6 months period. Each baby is individual in this regard and you will hopefully get an indication that they don’t need the soother as much - they may start to refuse it, they may spit it out at night and then want you to find it and put it back in. That would be a good time to remove it altogether. As your baby grows bigger and their digestive system develops, they will manage any excess milk better and will be able to learn to soothe themselves for their sleep.

I will also mention that sometimes paediatric osteopaths see toddlers or preschoolers who really want and need the soother due to tightness or pain in their head. I have heard mothers say they feel very guilty about letting the child have the soother at this older age, so they take the soother away, or only allow it in the cot or bed. However, if that young child actually needs the soother to help their head feel better, then it’s kind and necessary to let them have it as a temporary measure. Once a paediatric osteopath gently treats the toddler a few times and the strains in their head ease, they will no longer get the headaches, nor need the soother. The child is able to grow without head pain, their dentition can be helped back to normal, there is no more stigma of having a soother as an older child and everyone is happier.

References:
1) Breastfeeding Patterns in Relation to Thumb Sucking and Pacifier UseClara Aarts, Agneta Hörnell, Elisabeth Kylberg, Yngve Hofvander and Mehari Gebre-Medhin
Pediatrics October 1999, 104 (4) e50; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.104.4.e50
2) The relatively short duration that a child retains a pacifier in the mouth during sleep: SIDS implications
Weiss, Peter P W; Kerbl, Reinhold.European Journal of Pediatrics; Berlin Vol. 160, Iss. 1, (Jan 2001): 60. DOI:10.1007/s004310000638
3) Recommendations for the use of pacifiers
M Ponti, Canadian Paediatric Society, Community Paediatrics Committee
Paediatrics & Child Health, Volume 8, Issue 8, October 2003, Pages 515–519, https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/8.8.515

Melanie Young
B.A., BSc.(Clin Sc.) B.Osteo Sc. MONZ
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone 04 4991439

http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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Why do my joints click? Can I Be Click Free and Pain Free?

7/16/2019

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Is it good to click my own back and/or neck?

If I click often, will the tightness in my back get worse over time?

Do you like to click your own neck or back with a twist or side bend, as it gives you temporary relief of a tight or sore back or neck? Do you find find that ‘relief window’ is reducing and you are clicking more and more often to get out of pain or tightness? Have you wondered why this is? Is your pain and tightness increasing?

First, to be completely upfront, as a full-time ballet dancer in my late teens and early twenties, I used to crack my back multiple times per day. I would rotate, using a chair back to get more leverage and the cracking would help my painful and tight back feel better - but only temporarily. The problem was, that by rotating my whole spine I was unable to locate or focus the click to the tight/stubborn joints, instead the loosest joints which were already the most unstable in my whole spine/neck, would click and this would stretch the ligaments that were meant to be supportive, and make those joints even more unstable.

This would then result in the muscles either side of the spine tightening up further to try to stabilise the spine and I would be clicking my back again even sooner. I found out from personal experience that clicking ones own spine/neck is a dead end of discomfort and won’t lead you back to comfort and health.

Research has now shown that clicking joints in your fingers will not cause arthritis, however if you click your spine repeatedly and end up with very tight muscles in your back, these strong muscles are likely to compress your spine over time. This can contribute to earlier onset of ‘wear and tear’ or osteoarthritis in the small joints and may also cause damage over time to your intervertebral discs which form the large weight bearing joints of your spine. You really don’t want this to happen as it can lead to chronic pain and even back surgery.

Fortunately I stopped clicking my back many years ago now, with help from a Registered Osteopath who would help balance up the ligaments (which form the structural support of the spine) so that each vertebra was facing the forwards (not side bent nor rotated) and doing its fair share of the workload. They also gave me the right kids of exercises and treated my back gently to calm down the irritable input from the nerves in the area so my muscles were able to return to a normal tone/length. I then felt comfortable again in my back. This meant my need to click my back reduced and over time I was able to drop this painful habit.

As an osteopath for over twenty years now, I have been able to help multiple people get out of clicking their own back/neck.

The problem was highlighted for me as an important issue to address with my patients when many years ago I saw a woman in her thirties with a very acutely painful low back, about a 9/10 in pain severity - when I asked her to count how often she clicked her back, she was surprised to discover she was clicking her low back six times every hour by sticking her tailbone momentarily backwards. The problem had started with falling off a horse a few years before. Initially she was only clicking once a day, but over time her lowest back joint - her lumbo-sacral joint, had become more loose/hyper mobile. With excessive clicking and the destabilising effect this has, the muscles around the joint were continually tightening up due to the strain of trying to give her back the support it needed and this contributed to her pain. Fortunately we were able to help her get out of the habit of clicking and stabilise her back so she no longer needed to click and became pain free.

Often an injury can set you on the road to frequent clicking and increasing pain. Then it is advisable to seek help from a qualified practitioner such as a qualified physical therapist or registered osteopath who can treat the strains in the body still present from the injury, then help guide you to a full recovery.

Helping you out of the habit of clicking your own back/neck usually includes gentle hands on treatment to balance up the structures involved, free up the tight muscles and fascia and teach you simple alignment or stabilisation exercises as indicated. Over time the previously unstable parts of your spine will become more stable and resilient again with every part of your spine doing its fair share of the work and movement and no longer needing to be clicked. Then your back or neck pain will ease up and become a thing of the past!

Melanie Young
B.A., BSc.(Clin Sc.) B.Osteo Sc. MONZ
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone 04 4991439
http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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How to keep mobile and supple as you get older

10/1/2018

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People around fifty years of age or earlier will usually notice their joints getting stiffer and muscles tighter.

As a Registered Osteopath, I hear this a lot in practice, “Oh it's just getting older” is usually the phrase. However have you stopped to think if that is really the case? It is true that our tissues lose some elasticity with the reduction in collagen as we head beyond fifty, however research has shown it is a case of “use it or lose it” rather than the passing years that determines how mobile we are as we get older.

Movement is crucial for ‘oiling’ our joints with synovial fluid and improving the blood supply carrying nutrients and oxygen to every one of our nine trillion cells in our body.

Here are the top seven points for keeping mobile as we age:

Develop a daily routine of gentle stretches - this can be a short as five minutes but needs to be done daily. Once you start, be determined to continue each day for the whole week, then add another week till you get to 3 or 4 weeks and then decide if it is helpful to you. Not missing a day means you can never go through being stiff and sore again!
Time your stretches for the same time each day, at a time that works for you. People often find either first thing before breakfast, or when first home from work or just before bed are the best times in their busy schedule. I could say that “you wouldn't miss brushing your teeth for a day so think of your mobility exercise like that and don't miss a day!”
Start gently and slowly build up. Some days you may only manage a couple of minutes and do your favourites, but at least you have not missed a day. Over time you might start to enjoy them so much you go to ten minutes or even twenty minutes on the weekend and really feel the benefits. Adding in a weekly class in Pilates or yoga with a qualified and experienced teacher is also very beneficial to support the daily practice and correct any technique issues you may have.
If you are not sure what exercises to start with, ask one of our Reg. Osteopaths, we are experts in anatomy, physiology and suitable exercises. Also if we have treated you, we are pretty clued up about what will be best for your body too!
Walking is usually a good way to get moving and within most people's ability. Try to walk on natural ground, that is surfaces that have some 'interest' to them rather then just flat pavements. Using minimalist footwear can really help improve the amount of proprioceptive feedback your central nervous system gets from your feet and legs which can be very helpful in reducing some forms of back pain.
Ideally get your partner, friends or whole family joining in! If you can encourage each other, this will help you keep going. Also the whole family and your friends benefit, with better posture and mood (think blood to brain and more exercise induced endorphins).
Add some balance exercises in there, this can be as simple as standing on one foot as you brush your teeth. Right foot for the top teeth, left foot for the bottom teeth. Falls are what can really set a person back when they are getting older, its the fall and break a hip which may be the injury never quite recovered from.
(PS: If you have already fallen then you don't need a doctors referral to come see one of our osteopaths. We can help you fill out the ACC forms in our clinic. We are able get you back on your feet in the nicest possible way then give you some suitable exercises to help prevent recurrence and to improve your overall wellness and mobility).

Finally, I can report this works, not just from research but from my experience, having just completed eight years of daily mobility and strengthening exercises without missing a day. I feel SO good with this daily routine. I found by committing to it and waking a bit earlier I have been able to fit it into each day, while working full-time as an Registered Osteopath and small business owner and being mum to two primary school age children.

"If you can allocate the small amount of time and make a commitment to yourself to do it daily, I promise you that keeping mobile as you age, IS possible!"

Melanie Young
B.A., BSc.(Clin Sc.) B.Osteo Sc. MONZ
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone 04 4991439

http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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What to do if you have long Covid and how to recover

Broken arm or leg - what can I do to help my recovery?

When can a soother/pacifier/dummy be a good thing for a new baby?

Why do my joints click? Can I Be Click Free and Pain Free?

How to keep mobile and supple as you get older

City Osteopaths

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For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic,
Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment

What to do if you have long Covid and how to recover

Broken arm or leg - what can I do to help my recovery?

When can a soother/pacifier/dummy be a good thing for a new baby?

Why do my joints click? Can I Be Click Free and Pain Free?

How to keep mobile and supple as you get older

City Osteopaths

Categories

Archives

﻿For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic, Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment﻿

For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic,
Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment