Archive for February, 2006

21-2-2006

Many thanks to the squad members who turned up tonight, missing candidates were noted and go into my black book !!

Atlas 10k squad took part in a Beginners boogie bounce exercise class which was designed to give us an insight into a different way to exercise and burn calories. My thanks go to Jenny and Maggie for donating their time and efforts to make this an enjoyable evening for us.

Well done Martin for being the only male squad member to attend, you will be rewarded in heaven i am sure.

I think there will be a few aches and pains tomorrow and dont get using this as an excuse to miss tomorrows track session with Jason.

I expect you all to be fitter, faster and lighter when i return from Brazil, so until we next meet, be careful out there and remember “pain is only weakness leaving the body”

Train hard – Win easy!! jw

Sunday 19 February 2006

Time to get serious today, i am on holiday soon and my goal of the group achieving a full lap of jogging by the end of February is getting close. I wanted to know if we are on track as Jason was responsible for this goal while i am away. Being the control freak that i am i decided to test the squad 2 weeks early.

We began the customary walk / jog routine for 5 laps around the track and then i stopped them and explained that we were going to run all the way round on lap 6 as a squad.

This was achieved by most of the squad successfully. They can feel very proud of themselves as it was bitter cold and proves that everyone is improving their fitness levels. Just to make the squad feel even better i repeated this task twice more over the 15 laps which meant that our squad achieved 12 laps of walk / jogging and 3 laps of the track jogging all the way round.

No excuses now, we must consolidate this and include some full laps of jogging in each session. For those who are not yet at this level of fitness, then they need to look at including additional exercise into their week. What you do at the track is the minimum and you cannot rely on this alone to make the 10k team in September.

Paul Ferrier is now looking after our injured by providing swimming training on wednesday nights. Access to this is via a John Williams referral only

Elaine Mandeville kindly provided treatments for some of our injured squad members today and a big thank you for the help.

Boogie bounce is next on the agenda, so lets have a good turnout please, as these trainers are donating their valuable time and efforts to introduce you to different forms of exercise. Attendance is compulsory unless you are over 22 stones in weight, so be there !

Remember to wear suitable clothing and trainers and bring a towel and water.

Train Hard – Win easy !!!! jw

Here are the forthcoming training sessions while i am on holiday.

Tuesday 21st February Boogie Bounce class begining at 8pm above Amington
Liberalhouse pub, Amington, Tamworth – be there at 7.45pm please

Wednesdays 22nd and 29th February Training as usual at Athletic club with Jason.

Sundays 26 February and 5th March see below

Atlas 10k training

Sunday 26th February

Meet: Athletics club 10am

Activity: 4.5 mile walk around Herefordshire Beacon.

I will try and access a minibus from work, but depending on numbers we may need more transport. It will take just over an hour to get to the carpark. I reckon we’ll be back for about 4pm.

Please bring: good footwear, warm clothing, waterproofs, water, a packed lunch.

I should be able to provide daysacs for people to share, and walking boots if people let me know their shoe size.

Sunday 5th March

Meet: Sutton Park Wyndley Gate 10.30am

Activity: Orienteering

Please bring: as above minus the packed lunch, we should be finished by 12.30

Remember train hard- win easy !

Wednesday 8-2-2006

Cold again tonight and began with a chat about what our objectives are. We must not lose sight of what we are doing.
We are highlighting the issue of obesity and intend to show everyone that weight loss can be achieved through exercise rather than diets.

I introduced the concept of drinking water and showed the group the 1.5 litre bottle of water i want them to drink daily. Body analysis data done some weeks back highlighted that most of the group are dehydrated.

A good turnout tonight with a couple of squad members missing but we did more good work. Stacie wanted desperately to lead the group in 15 laps of the athletic track in a walking / jogging routine so who am i to say no !

After much encouragement the squad managed to keep up with Stacie who managed the 15 laps without the “customary pit stop” Following the increase in water consumption i am not sure if this will be maintained.

I think a few squad members will have achieved personal bests tonight so well done. Congratulation to the newbies who are working well considering they began their training recently. Keep it up and glad to have you on board.

More news next event has a date changeBoogie Bounce exercise class on Tuesday 21st Feb 2006 at 8pm Mode of dress – loose clothing and trainers and bring water and a towel
( no chocolate)

Malvern Hills walk sunday 25 Feb 2006
allow the full day for this event and bring water and sandwiches

Sutton Park Orienteering session sunday 5 march 2006
This will be a team event competing for a trophy

Salsa dance lessons and dance class which will last 2 hours 8pm-10pm on Thursday 30 march

Remember , what we are doing as a team in training should be the minimum. If you are finding it hard then consider doing more in your own time or take a look at what you are eating.

Remember our 3 objectives

1 – Run the 10k distance together as a squad

2 – Raise money for the Birmingham Childrens Hospital

3 – Lose weight in order to prove the success of the obesity training programme

For this to be successful we need to achieve all 3 objectives train hard- win easy ! jw

Osteopath, Chiropractor or Physiotherapist, which one do i need, and what is the difference? This is a common question from members of the public and depending on who you ask you will probably get different answers. It is far easier to compare the similarities between them rather than the differences.

Firstly it is important to stress that this is my opinion based on experience of having worked alongside all professions. My name is John Williams, a GOsC registered Osteopath and HPC registered Physiotherapist.
I am Clinic Director of Atlas Pain Relief Centre based in Tamworth and Solihull.

I begin by stating that all three professions treat the same patients, it is probably that each profession has a slightly different approach thats all. Within the professions you will get individuals with certain specialities that they have more experience in, and feel more comfortable with.

All three professions are regulated by their respective governing bodies and are highly trained. All three follow a recognised university degree programme. Physiotherapy can be either a 3 or 4 year programme of training whereas Osteopaths and Chiropractors cover a 5 year training programme.

Currently the Physiotherapists are found mostly within the NHS on completion of their training as they are the largest employers. Osteopaths and Chiropractors are mainly in private practice but will at some stage in the future i believe, be working within the NHS framework.

The training of each profession is slightly different but increasingly there appears to be more crossover.
For a long time Osteopaths and Chiropractors were performing High Velocity Thrusts (HVT’s) which is the cracking of backs and necks and requires much expertise. Now we see Physiotherapists training in this type of treatment, however i feel that many practitioners perform these techniques after short training workshops, and the lack of training in this area concerns me. Acupuncture is another similar workshop training that can produce practitioners with little experience. The public should, in my opinion, be informed of the length of training in this activity as poor results from an inexperienced practitioner can give the profession a bad name.

Physiotherapists are trained in electrotherapy and more Osteopaths and Chiropractors now use this form of treatment.

Chiropractors use the title “Doctor” in front of their name whereas Osteopaths refused this option as they felt the public may confuse them with GP’s. Most Chiropractors are not GP’s and are only using the title “Doctor of Chiropractic”
The general public are confused about who does what and are told such a variety of answers to their questions they are understandably confused.

At Atlas Pain Relief Centre our aim is to be honest with our patients and put their welfare first.

Let us look at some of the comments and questions i am asked on a regular basis.

I am told i need an xray in order to see the condition and determine alignment of my spine !
Well maybe if a fracture or pathology is suspected, but xrays are not good for you and shouldn’t be a routine procedure!.

There should be no need to pay for xrays as your GP will refer you for free. This can be done within no more than 2 weeks but if they consider it urgent then it can be done the same day.

After a conversation with the General Chiropractic Council, my understanding is that  xrays that are taken by chiropracters become part of your case notes.  As such they are kept securely at their clinic and they will not give them to you  because they are required to keep them.  However as you are entitled to copies of your case notes if you request them, chiropractors must supply you with a copy of the xray if you ask them.

There is a charge of up to £50 that can be made by the practitioner for the supply of your case notes which means that, should you agree to an xray from a chiropractor you will have to pay for the initial xray, plus should you require a copy of this xray you may have to pay another £50 to have a copy.  This has to be factored into the cost of receiving an xray at your chiropractors should you want a copy for your records or indeed wish to have a second opinion on the diagnosis you have been given.

If you consider that the NHS provide xrays via your GP for free then this may be a more cost effective route should you need xray imaging. Your GP should be able to advise you on the use of xrays.

.Your spine is out of alignment and needs a lot of treatment to get it back in line !

The human spine varies in shape and size between individuals and adapts to a variety of situations. To attempt to make a spine that is naturally different to become more traditional would only upset the harmony of the back and create more problems that you may already have. If your spine fails to function correctly then perhaps you may be experiencing a facet lock which is basically vertebrae getting stuck creating a restriction in movement and often accompanied with muscle spasm. You experienced practitioner should be capable of feeling this restriction and releasing it for you. If you find that you are told to keep returning for the same treatment, then question the treatment plan. Facet locks will not be evident via scans or xrays as they are a problem of function, in other words if you take a photograph of a door when closed, you wouldn’t be able to determine if it is stuck and fails to open would you!

Your pelvis is out of line or twisted
You may experience a rotated ilia which refers to this condition however they are simple to adjust and should not need to be corrected more than a couple of times. If this continues to occur then there is an underlying problem which needs attention. Continual adjustments (cracking your back and neck) leads to hypermobile joints which will give you more problems. Some practitioners use the term “your pelvis is out, or misaligned” far too often, when in fact it may not be. What springs to mind here is “If your only tool is a hammer, you will always see the world as a nail”

If you get the same treatment everytime you go, then maybe it is a set routine you are getting and not customised for you. Chances are, everyone may be getting the same treatment as you, even though you all present with different problems.

Before any treatment takes place ask for a diagnosis. If they seem unsure then get another opinion. If you see no improvement in 4 treatments consider looking for a second opinion.

At Atlas we resolve most back and neck pain between 4 and 6 treatments and will educate patients on their condition, explaining via models of the spine what is wrong and how firstly we intend to correct the problem and more importantly how to prevent this from occuring again.

Finally, how much will it cost.
This depends on individuals and location. Ask how long you will be getting for treatment and how much each session costs. When you have this information compare other professions for value. Ask yourself if you are only offered 10 mins per session ” am i on a production line and is this sufficient time to help me” £25 may be cheaper than £35 but if you compare 10 minutes to 30 minutes you can make value comparisons. The cheapest isn’t always the best and word of mouth recommendations are valuable”

If you would like any advice on back or neck problems then email info@atlaspainrelief.co.uk

Regards jw

Cranial Osteopath John Williams of Atlas Pain Relief Centre in Tamworth and Solihull is assisting parents with babies and children who fail to achieve a good nights sleep. Lack of sleep creates tiredness and irritability in not only the child, but also siblings and parents.

Parents may be faced with the child continually waking them up during the night and if this continues for months and in some cases years, then the whole family unit is affected. Little help seems to be available and parents appear helpless with nowhere apparent to turn to for guidance.

Children affected perform poorly at school and lack concentration and this can also affect siblings who share the same sleeping quarters. Relationships can become strained between parents and create generally an unhappy environment for everyone. So what can be done?

Cranial Osteopathy is a safe method of treatment which is suitable for babies and young children. In fact adults may also benefit, with many conditions treated successfully.
Osteopaths diagnose and treat structural stresses and strains that may be interfering with health. Cranial Osteopathic treatment performed by John Williams is designed to assist infants and babies and aid recovery from traumatic births and Caesarean section.

The birth of a baby is one of the most stressful events of its life. The baby is subjected to enormous forces as the uterus contracts and pushes the baby along the birth canal before it makes its exit. In many cases intervention with forceps or ventouse are common and these methods add mechanical stress to the babies head during delivery. Childbirth is a natural process and we were designed to give birth in an uninterupted manner with the baby passing down through the birth canal. So what happens if the baby is removed from the mother before this process is completed? The baby misses the final stage of labour, which involves the process of moulding.

During normal labour, the infants head is subject to large compressive forces which begins the moulding process. The soft bones of the skull overlap, bend and distort, which reduces the size of the babies head to allow passage through the birth canal. After delivery the skull begins to expand and un-mould in an attempt to return to its normal shape, assisted by the yawning, suckling and crying of the baby.

Cranial Osteopathy is well known for its success with common problems such as lack of sleep, irritability, infantile colic, glue ear, learning difficulties, aggressive behaviour and constant crying.

If you need any help with a child then contact Atlas Pain Relief Centre UK on 01827 59943

Sunday 5-2-2006

More new members today, our ranks are swelling now with new members joining weekly. Weather was kind to us with no rain and very mild conditions.

Collection of diet diaries today in order that i can see the kind of food that our squad members consume on a weekly basis. This is for research purposes and perhaps a realisation that the food they eat is responsible for slow weight loss, if any. I will arrange for these diet diaries to be analysed later and advice will be offered later in the programme when we have a workshop on healthy eating and nutritional advice.

I explained to the squad that i had brought along a backpack weighing 3 stones. This was to be carried by all squad members for a 1 lap walk around the track today. The purpose of this was to demonstrate what it feels like firstly to carry an extre 3 stones in weight and secondly and more important the feeling of shedding the 3 stones at the end of the lap. I hope that helps motivate weight loss as the work load is far easier when you are carrying less weight.

Today we worked as a squad for the first time with the majority of able bodied members keeping together for a 15 lap jog/walk routine. Everyone worked well and went home feeling a sense of achievement . Congratulations to all new members who kept up today as it was a tough session.

Remember to drink 8 glasses of water per day and dont forget the half hour daily walk

Well done all of you regards jw

Wednesday 1-2-2006
This will sort the men from the boys, -3 degrees tonight which as we all know is “brass monkey weather”
I was amazed yet again that we had our best turnout so far with 21 people in attendance. we welcomed 5 new members to our group who are looking to embrace exercise as a means of weight loss.

The next objective is to achieve 1 full lap of jogging by the end of February. This is important as we need to move on now. Everyone is capable of walking 10k but jogging requires a little more effort.

I have a few suprises for you all next Sunday. Keep up the good work! Regards jw