I have had numerous questions lately from patients wondering about Standing Work Stations or Standing Desks.

Research was recently published that warned that sitting at work is very bad for your health. It has been shown to increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome, even if you still work out at the gym.

While I would encourage standing for most people, here is what you need to consider:

We know that sitting for long periods is bad, but is standing actually better? Some evidence points to an increased risk of other health issues, such as atherosclerosis, from excessive standing.

When using a Standing Work Station, it should be a used to vary your position rather than completely change or replace sitting.

Sometimes a common sense approach is what is needed in the face of contradictory or insufficient data.

Just like the option of using a fit ball instead of a chair; it is good to use for short periods, but long term use is likely to cause muscle fatigue, postural strain, or even an accident!

My advice for those considering a Standing Desk:

Use it for short durations at first, perhaps 10 minutes at a time. Aim to eventually have a 50:50 split for standing:sittingAim to walk around and stretch every 20 -30 minutes- even if it is around the room.If feasible, have walking meetings.Take stairs instead of the liftMove your feet around while sitting – like they advise on a long haul flight.Get your sitting and standing posture right

This is a question I often ask my patients when complaining of pain after exercise. With the warmer weather, many of you may be doing things like gardening, swimming, or perhaps any number of extreme sports.

Here are some clues on how to tell the good from the bad…

Good Pain.

When you work out more intensely than you normally do, or engage in a different type of exercise, you are likely to feel a mild to moderate burning sensation in those muscles. This may be from a weekend gardening marathon, or by increasing the distance of your running training.

This mild muscle burning pain is considered a good pain as it signifies stimulation and growth in the muscles. This pain normally starts within one day of the exercise and lasts a couple of days. Athletes know that this is a sign that they have trained well, but for non- athletes it can be a little more difficult to decipher.

Bad pain.

Your soft tissues and you bones are living structures. They can be strengthened gradually with the right type of stress from exercise, but if you train too hard or incorrectly, they can fail. This is an example of ‘bad pain’

You may have experienced this type of pain in a sprained ankle or in sudden lower back pain when you lift something incorrectly. This pain can also result from chronic damage and can begin in the absence of any exercise or trigger. The tissue that may be damaged here could be a disc or a ligament. This pain is more likely to appear suddenly (although it can be gradual) and it may last more than a few days. It is important that if you feel this type of pain, particularly in you neck or back, that you have it checked ASAP, as the earlier it is dealt with, the better the outcome generally is.

4 ways to prevent ‘bad pain’

1. Do a warm up that is specifically related to the exercise or activity you are about to do. For example, a power lifter will not benefit from a 10 minute jog as much as he/she will from a warm up that resembles the power lift.

2. Consider exercising later in the day when you are usually warmer and less prone to injury.

3. If you are starting a new exercise or even about to embark on some landscaping work in your garden, pace yourself. You are better off doing too little than too much!

4. If you think you sprained or injured a joint or soft tissue, ice it right away – this can limit the inflammation that is triggered by the damaged tissue.

Many of my patients tell me that they are really suffering more because of the cold weather. Some say while they escaped to Queensland for a holiday they had no pain at all in their joints and as soon as they arrived back to cold Melbourne winter, it all started again.

Why does this happen?

The answer to this question is not really simple and there is no consensus as to why this occurs.

Let’s look at some of the probable explanations:

One theory is that of Barometric pressure (air pressure changes).

Some of us will have experienced the ‘old swollen ankles’ when we travel by plane. This is because we sit a lot but also because the cabin pressure, although pressurised, is still lower than at sea level. This allows our joints to swell and expand.

Our joints are surrounded by tissue that forms a small balloon like structure.

When there is bad weather, there tends to be a drop in the air pressure outside our body that allows the capsule to swell. This may put pressure on nerves etc and trigger pain.

The other theory is that the cold triggers changes in the body that amplify the pain signals coming from the joint.

In this case we simply are more sensitive to the pain or nerve damage we already have.

The easiest fix is to move to Queensland, at least in the winter, and in fact some do this. For those of us that are stuck in Melbourne, the best we can do is to keep moving and rug up. What would we have to complain about in Melbourne, but for the weather?

Are you or your family getting sick too often?

The office can be a great place to share ideas, thoughts and germs!

Now there is a common misunderstanding that if someone comes in to contact with a certain bug or germ, they will become sick with that bug. This is not true!

You see humans, like animals, have an immune system that tries to guard against such bugs and germs causing illnesses.

So, if there's a bug going around your office, a healthy immune system is your best chance to avoid illness, time off work and just feeling a little blue!

What is your immune system?How does it work?How can you make sure yours is firing?!?

Your immune system can be thought of as a little army. There is the front line (Innate Immunity), like skin, saliva and tonsils, and the infantry, your bloodbourne non-specific killer cells.The intelligence department (Acquired Immunity): B-Cells recognise and mark specific invaders for destruction. They also remember the best tactics to destroy them. The crack team hit squad of the group are the Killer T-Cells. These attack and destroy marked cells that have been infected. If your immune system is working properly then you are better placed to guard against viral and bacterial infections that plague us during the colder months.

Here is a quick guide on how to keep yours strong.

What weakens your immune system?

Physiological or psychological stressesLack of sleep, rest and relaxationLack of exercisePoor dietary and nutritional intake.Exposure to pollutants. Eg: cigarettes or chemicals

What helps boost your immunity

Prevention is the key!Eat a healthy diet full of colourful fruits and vegetables.Increase your water intakeAvoid sugars, refined carbohydrates and excessive alcoholIndulge in some stress management: Yoga or meditationExercise regularly, but no need to overdo it.Allow sufficient sleep: the body does much of its repairing during sleep.Supplement your diet with immune boosting vitamins, herbs and minerals.

Can be taken by safely

Vitamin C

Known for decades to stimulate your immune system

Garlic

Some preliminary evidence to show garlic fights the common cold

Zinc

In correct doses essential in the control of immune system function.Should be taken only with consultation with a health professional

The following supplements have been known to support immune function but the evidence is not as overwhelming

Andrographis PaniculataOlive LeafEchinacea

So take care of the part of your body that tries to take care of you.

Eating healthy food and exercising regularly will give you your best fighting chance!!

By the time you set eyes on your positive pregnancy test, and hopefully jump for joy, your body is already changing dramatically. Being pregnant will also open up so many questions and invite so many well-meaning suggestions and advice from family, friends and health professionals that it can literally make your head spin.

I want to share some of my experience in managing my patients during their pregnancies. There are a few factors that need to be considered when we look at your spine and nervous system during your pregnancy.

Firstly, and perhaps most apparent, is the impact that the extra weight that you carry in front of you has. As your abdomen grows forward, it pulls the lower back with it. The mid back and shoulders then pull back to compensate, and in turn, the head and neck tilt forward. I often have pregnant patients complaining of lower back pain, mid back and or neck pain. Often also, the sciatic nerve which runs down the back of your thigh can also be irritated.

Try to walk unless you find that it irritates your hips or back and specialty pregnancy pilates classes are a fantastic way to strengthen and support your back. Realise also that you are supporting and nurchering a second rapidly growing being inside of you and you need to take it easy on yourself, especially during the more difficult first and last trimester.

If you end up having a natural birth, your baby will have an easier exit through your birth canal if your lower back and pelvis are in good alignment and all the joints function properly. Chiropractic adjustments can certainly help in this regard.

At Prohealth Chiropractic we have specialised equipment that is designed to allow pregnant woman to be adjusted comfortably and safely. If you are in doubt, feel free to make a time to see the equipment and speak to the chiropractor