Many common mental health issues can be exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies. We can perform better athletically with the right supplementation and we can help to improve our mental side with health supplements as well as with a healthy diet. Here are the best supplements to consider.
Fish oils
Fish oils help with various mental issues from depression to cognitive decline.
It is becoming more common for people to be prescribed diets high in fish or fish oil supplements to help them with their issues
Although fish oils are not the cure they can certainly help to minimise existing symptoms and perhaps prevent future problems.
A recent study also looked at omega-3s and the effects of stress. Stress and the associated inflammation increase are not good for physical or mental health.
We can’t stop stress from happening, but fish oil does seem to reduce the negative effects of that stress.
Curcumin
It has been found that curcumin may help with depression. From both mild to higher levels of depression.
Chronic inflammation has been shown to be linked to depression and cause other mental health issues.
Curcumin helps keep high levels of inflammation down by stopping free radicals getting out of hand.
You can’t eat enough turmeric from spicy food to get all the varied benefits of curcumin. So a small supplement from your local health food shop can help this.
Magnesium
We’ve known for a while that magnesium deficiency is linked to depression, anxiety, and inflammation.
An increase in Magnesium for your diet will help to control your internal body reactions which regulate your mood. If these are under control then it can correlate to less depressive episodes and dampen the feeling of anxiety.
If you have any questions then please contact the clinic today on 0578678904, direct message us on Facebook or book now.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic: Spine & Sport, Portlaoise, Laois
During the current climate it may be difficult to find the motivation to train with no gyms or sports clubs open for business. However, regular physical exercise can still be done which will have significant benefits for your health and will get your body prepared for when sport starts up again.
Evidence shows that the benefits of physical activity and training in the senior population continue to grow. These benefits include that people have fewer falls with injury, improved muscular strength and endurance, a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease, and a lower risk of cardiovascular related mortality.
Senior athletes can enjoy participating in a variety of athletic or sport related activities including running, walking, swimming, golfing, lifting weights, cycling and tennis.
Based on the activity you are training for, the training regimen should be specifically designed to produce both metabolic and physical adaptations aimed to improve health and performance.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends the following training guidelines for senior athletes:
•Train 3-5 days per week
•20 to 60 minutes of continuous or intermittent aerobic activity
•Any activity that engages the large muscle groups like walking, jogging, running, cycling, rowing, stair climbing.
•Perform resistance training: One set of 10-15 repetitions for major muscle groups, two to three days per week
•Perform flexibility training: stretch major muscle groups at least four times each for a minimum of two to three days per week
If you need help with planning a physical activity routine or have any pains when exercising feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
According to the “2019 Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity Throughout Pregnancy”, in general physical activity is associated with greater benefits and “has been proposed as a preventative or therapeutic measure to reduce pregnancy complications and optimise maternal-fetal health”.
Women who were active prior to pregnancy are encouraged to continue exercising with appropriate modifications and going by how they feel at all times. Those women who were inactive before pregnancy are encouraged to start exercising during pregnancy, starting at lower intensity and progressively increasing the intensity and duration of the exercise to their tolerance.
Always be sure to get the go ahead from a medical professional beforehand as there are several contraindications to exercise while pregnant that must not be ignored.
Click the link below for the full article with a comprehensive list of all contraindications.
Physical activity recommendations for pregnant women:
All women without contraindications should be physically active throughout pregnancy
A good goal is to aim to accumulate at least 150 minutes of “moderate intensity” exercise (being able to maintain a conversation during that exercise) spread out over at least 3 days a week.
Being active everyday is encouraged
Exercises should be varied, including aerobic and resistance work. Yoga/ stretching can also be added.
Doing daily “pelvic floor muscle training”, for example Kegel exercises, may help decrease urinary incontinence.
If feeling unwell, light-headed, or nauseated while exercising, specifically when laying on the back, the exercise should be modified to resolve the symptoms. For example, doing the exercises side lying rather then laying on back.
Maintain proper hydration and nutrition before, during and after any activities.
When to stop exercising and seek help from a medical professional:
Persistent excessive shortness of breath that does not resolve on rest.
Chest pain
Regular and painful uterine contractions
Vaginal bleeding
Amniotic fluid leakage
Dizziness or fainting that does not resolve on rest
Are there any exercises that should be avoided during pregnancy?
Put simply Yes.
Avoid exercising in excessive heat and/ or humidity (for example hot yoga), activities involving physical contact or possibility of falling eg. scuba diving and skiing. Physical activity above 2500m or high intensity/ competitive exercises should be discussed with obstetric care beforehand.
For more information or to arrange a pregnancy consultation contact the clinic on 057 8678904.
The two most important purchases in life are a good bed and a good pair of shoes!
Our health and recovery is dependant on getting good quality sleep and our mattress will play a vital role in this happening.
Patients commonly come to the clinic suffering from back pain, sciatica, neck pain or headaches as a result of a bad bed which may be too old, too firm or too soft. If you wake up with aches and pains having not gone to bed with any soreness then this is a sure sign that you need to change your mattress.
We get asked frequently in the clinic, “what’s the best mattress?”, or “how do I choose a mattress?”, so here are our top tips for picking one.
Think Orthopaedic: You don’t need to spend thousands of euros to find a good mattress. Best to go for a quality orthopedic mattress, with a good warranty and/or return policy.
Test It Out: Always test out the mattress before you buy it! When you are in the shop lie on the bed for 15- 20 minutes, if it doesn’t feel comfortable move on to next one. We also advise against buying your bed online as you will have no idea about the comfort levels.
Rotate and/or Flip: Rotate or Flip your mattress every 6 months to even out wear patterns.
New Mattress: Mattresses need changing every 8-10 years! So those of you that have had yours the last 20 years, its time to update!
If you would like further information on buying the perfect mattress or would like to book a consultation with one of our Chiropractors if you suffer from Back Pain, Sciatica, Neck Pain or Headaches please contact us today.
January is one of the busiest months in the gym as people try to get their fitness back on track. In the clinic we see an increased number of patients who have suffered from a gym related injury such as back & neck pain, sciatica, ankle sprain and shoulder pain.
Here are our top tips to stop you getting injured on your return to fitness
Proper Assessment and Screening: It’s important you know how your body is moving and of any physical limitations that might prevent good pain free movement. A good screening can also highlight potential areas of weakness that causes injuries to occur. Ask your medical and health professional for a functional movement screen (FMS).
Stay Hydrated: Increased training levels means that you will need to increase your water intake. Add himalayan pink salts to your water as a natural electrolyte
Warm Up: A 5 minute cardio session prior to a gym workout will get the core temperature up and prepare the body properly for each session.
Sleep: The best recovery tool on the market is sleep. Make sure you get a solid 8 hours a night.
No Pain No Gain: No one should train or do an exercise that gives them pain, this causes the body to move differently and compensate around the pain.
Overtraining: 3-4 gym sessions are optimal for maintaining good fitness levels. For proper recovery, training 6-7 times a week will only lead to injury.
If you would like a functional injury prevention screening or you are suffering from a gym related injury please contact the clinic for a consultation.
Supplements are an important aspect for reaching optimal health and well-being as most of us are not intaking adequate nutrients on a daily basis. Our diets have changed over the years, we have gone from eating whole food sources to more foods that are pre-prepared and pre-packaged, which usually means less nutritional value. Supplementation is not meant to replace eating healthy, but meant to be an addition to healthy eating habits, to help us get all the nutrients we need. Here is our list of the most important you should be taking:
Probiotics– more research keeps coming out about how many different conditions are affected and prevented by having a healthy micro biome in our guts. Even if you haven’t been on antibiotics recently, but especially if you have, make sure to get good bacteria into your system. Outside of supplementation you can get bacteria through fermented foods and yogurts as well.
Vitamin D– this is a common deficiency to have, especially in places where daylight and sunshine is limited. It is not just for bone health, but can impact a number of systems in the body, contributing to: fatigue and achy muscle pains. Make sure to get it in D3 form with supplements.
Omega oils– you can get these from animal sources such as fish oil or krill oil, but they can also be obtained from plant sources such as flax, chia, and hemp seeds, and spirulina. They help with heart and brain function, and can also be beneficial in certain conditions such as ADHD and autism.
Magnesium– is used throughout the body in different systems. It can lead to symptoms such as: fatigue, muscle cramping, and numbness/tingling.
Zinc– we don’t store it in the body, so its important to get this one daily. It helps to ward off colds and keep your immune system strong among other things.
Everyone is different and their nutrient needs are also different, but this can be used as a guide to help you make sure you are including these important substances into your daily routine.
Shane has worked with over 40 professional golfers on the PGA & European Tours over the past 9 years. These are his top tips for helping your post round recovery.
1. Hydration: Post round hydration is important for recovery. We recommend adding a pinch of pink himalayan crystal salts to water. Himalayan salts chemical composition is very similar to the bodies mineral which makes them easier to absorb in the gut. 2. Nutrition: A post snack or meal that includes protein is key to help speed up recovery from 18 holes. We recommend the Wyldsson ProMix Tubes (Hyperlink http://wyldsson.com/product/promix-trail-mix/) The Wyldsson products are used by number of top professionals golfers 3. Compression Socks: With the average run being around a 6 mile walk, the calf muscles are get tired. To help improve your recovery sleep with compression socks. This helps to helps reduce the chances of swelling in the lower legs and improve the blood flow to the heart. 4. Epsom Salt: Another way to replace the minerals lost during a golf round is to have a bath with epsom salts which includes magnesium and sulfate. These minerals are readily absorbed by the skin. The minerals can also help with muscle cramps and to reduce pain and inflammation. 5. Foam Roll & Stretch: To loosen out any tight muscles and joints we advised our golfers to foam roll and stretch post round for 15-20 mins. Try this foam rolling exercises on our YouTube channel.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic
Ireland’s Leading Golf Medical Experts
#Chiropractor #Portlaoise
Looking for a natural alternative to help reduce inflammation? Check out our list of a few of nature’s anti-inflammatory foods to try out.
Turmeric– a great way to flavor curries and different dishes and it contains curcumin which is one of the best natural anti-inflammatories.
Omega 3 oils– you can get these from animal sources like fish, but also from plant sources such as flax. Western diets tend to have much more omega 6, so its important to get enough 3 to keep the proper ratio.
Blueberries– and other dark berries have great anti-inflammatory properties as well as being full of beneficial antioxidants.
Pineapple– containing bromelain, a potent anti-infalmmatory, gives this delicious fruit a spot on our list today.
Green Tea– sipping on green tea throughout the day has been shown to help with inflammation.
If you are experiencing inflammation it is vital to get checked out by a medical professional to rule out serious illness first. But if you are looking to improve your diet, overall health, and keep down inflammation in your body, adding these is a good place to start!
One of the most common complaints we hear from pregnant women is, pelvis pain. The reason? In short, increased maternal hormones and the growing belly can put more stress on the joints and ligaments of the pelvis. That doesn’t explain why some women get pain and others don’t. But there are some ways to help the situation and keep it from progressing. One of those is getting early checks, before it gets too bad, from someone who knows how to help fix the dysfunction. But how do you know that you need to get checked? Here are some obvious and maybe not so obvious signs of dysfunction in the pelvis during pregnancy.
1. Back, hip, or pelvis pain– PAIN, the most obvious sign that something is wrong. But the problem with it? It is usually the last sign of dysfunction!
2. Clicking or grinding in the pubic area– having this with or without pain is a sign that your symphysis pubis joint may be misaligned.
3. Round ligament tightness– feeling a pulling sensation at the front of the belly? Worse when walking or with rotational movements? That could be a sign that one or both of your round ligaments are too stressed. The round ligaments connect to and help support the uterus. In some cases when they start to tighten up, it can be an early warning for pelvis dysfunction.
4. Sitting or standing unevenly– do you sit more on one side of your bum than the other? Or stand more on one leg or the other, rather than on both? This is a subtle early indicator that your pelvis might be out of alignment, again with or without any other symptoms.
5. General feeling of discomfort or tightness in the pelvis– have a feeling that something is not quite right or maybe out of balance? Feeling some tightness when your walking around the pelvis area, but can’t figure out exactly where it is coming from? We know our own bodies better than anyone else, and most of the time if you feel like something is off, it probably is.
Our suggestion, if you are experiencing any of the above, and have a clear bill of health from your doctor, make an appointment to come see us for a thorough check and treatment. Prevention is always better than trying to fix something after it is broken!
