A couple of quotes from the article:

1. The researchers found that physical therapy cost far less and carried far fewer risks from the surgery, yet surgery was effective in repairing the problem quicker but was more than double the price.  Surgery would fix the problem instantaneously, but therapy could take between 6 months and one year to repair the damage.

2. “Both are very good choices. It would be quite reasonable to try physical therapy first because the chances are quite good that you’ll do quite well,” said one study leader, Dr. Jeffrey Katz, a joint specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

The research published in the New England Journal of Medicine can be found here.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/how-exercise-may-boost-the-brain/?ref=health

• Running reduced the risk of heart disease by 4.5% while walking reduced it by 9.3%.
• Calorie for calorie, walking also had a stronger impact on heart disease risk factors. The risk of first-time high blood pressure was reduced by 4.2% by running and 7.2% by walking.
• First-time high cholesterol risk was lowered by 4.3% by running and 7% by walking.
• The risk of first-time diabetes was reduced by about 12% by both walking and running.

To read the full article go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/05/brisk-walk-healthier-running-scientists

The chair should be adjustable so their feet touch the floor (or a footrest) and they are at a good height relative to the desk. The desk should not be too high so they are reaching, or too low so they are slumping forward. Their work should be laid out as close as possible to directly in front of them so they are not continually turning their necks to one side to read things.

If they are using a computer, the keyboard and mouse should be directly in front of them and easy to reach. The top of the monitor should be at about eye level; studies have shown if it’s 15-20 degrees above or below eye level causes tension in the neck muscles within 30 minutes.

The most important thing is not to sit too long. The research consistently shows that the longer you sit the more your postural muscles fatigue, causing slumping, back and neck pain. Every half hour try to move around, even if only for a minute or two. And to avoid eyestrain follow the 20/20/20 rule – every 20 minutes look at something 20 metres away for 20 seconds.

The environment people study in plays a very big role in how productive they are while they’re studying. A 2009 study on ergonomics and productivity measured the effect of Noise, Lighting, Temperature, Furniture and Spatial Arrangement (the way furniture is set up). By making modifications to these variables the researchers found that the difference in productivity from the best set-up to the worst set-up was 58%.

What that means is that in a well set-up room they will work at their optimal, but in a room where your children are distracted or uncomfortable they may only be half as effective they should be.

After sitting at a desk all day, then carrying their bag home (although hopefully after the last two articles they are carrying it properly), they’re going to be tired. A 2011 study found that a protein-based snack will help with three-thirty-itis better than sugar, so give them the right thing to eat. And an article in the New York Times in January 2012 stated that kids who do regular physical exercise perform better academically than kids who don’t, so avoid the trap of thinking long hours studying is the best way to get good grades.

For more information:

http://www.chrisjonesosteo.com.au/?p=446

http://www.chrisjonesosteo.com.au/?p=785

http://www.chrisjonesosteo.com.au/?p=141

A lot of research has come out in the last few years showing the effects of backpacks on the discs in your spine and confirming that they can cause scoliosis and back pain in children. I have written previously on this topic with an article showing that backpacks should ideally weight 10% of the child’s body weight. In one study of 11 year olds, researchers did MRI scans of the children with no backpack on, then with it on and they gradually started adding weight. When they went above 10% they were actually able to see on MRI the discs being compressed and the spine starting to curve.

• 79.1% of children say their backpacks feel heavy
• 65.7% report feeling fatigued by the weight of their backpack
• 46.1% report back pain caused by their backpack.
• The weight of the average backpack is heavier, proportionally, than the legal load-bearing limit for adults.

It’s really important as your children are still growing and getting stronger that they don’t get overloaded. Pay particular attention to girls who weigh less than boys, are generally not as strong, and often carry more things than boys. Take advantage of any chance you get to carry fewer things; if you don’t need certain books that day take them out.

We also need to discuss how to carry it. Some studies have suggested this is even more important than how heavy it is.A 2005 study looked at what happens when kids wear their backpack on just one shoulder. In the study, 1263 teenagers were taken through a series of tests when wearing a backpack correctly and then incorrectly. Carrying the backpack on just one shoulder resulted in shift of the upper back and shoulders, and increased both upper back and lower back pain. Their conclusion: “Asymmetric backpack carrying is associated with high intensity pain”.

Apart from weight, the two things that will have the biggest impact will be the length of time that you carry it for, and how loose the shoulder straps are. Researchers have indicated benefits for carrying your bag less than 10-20 minutes a day, so if you get a chance to take it off for a minute or two, do so. Also, the looser the straps, or the lower the bag is hanging, the more strain it will place on your shoulder and upper back. The bottom of the bag should sit just above the waistline.

I once gave the full recipe a go but usually gave the pickled watermelon rind a miss. The original recipe can be found at Gourmet Traveller.

Salmon and Watermelon Thai Salad

1	Place salmon in a non-reactive container large enough to fit fish snugly. Pour over soy, season to taste with freshly ground white pepper and refrigerate to marinate (1 hour).
2	Meanwhile, for pickled watermelon rind, bring vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt to the boil in a saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid reduces slightly (5-7 minutes). Add watermelon rind and simmer until rind softens (5-7 minutes), then set aside to cool in liquid. Watermelon rind will will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
3	Meanwhile, for green chilli nahm prik, preheat oven to 200C. Roast garlic, shallot and chilli on an oven tray lined with baking paper until golden (5-7 minutes). Cool slightly, then pound in a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste. Add palm sugar, pound to break up sugar, then add fish sauce and lime juice, stir to combine (adjust seasoning to taste; dressing should be sweet, salty, hot and sour) and set aside.
4	Preheat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 180C. Pat salmon dry with absorbent paper, then deep-fry, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit), remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper, then coarsely flake.
5	Drain watermelon rind (discard liquid) and combine with remaining ingredients and salmon in a bowl, drizzle over green chilli nahm prik, toss to combine and serve.

Working as an Osteopath in Singapore was very different to working in Sydney. In Sydney the average person at least knows what an Osteopath is for example. And in Sydney you have a wide variety of health practitioners whereas in Singapore there are only about 25 Osteopaths (which is why no one knows what we do), a handful of Chiro’s, some locally trained Physio’s (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and a plethora of orthopaedic surgeons. So most people who came to see me had been suffering for 5 or more years and were about to have their 3rd operation or 15th injection. Seeing people like that made work very challenging but also very interesting.

I did a lot of things that I hadn’t done previously, like write articles for magazines and websites, and give talks to groups of new mums, sporting associations, and schools. It was really enjoyable and I got to see the value of building relationships with a wide variety of people, and got to see how sharing information can take you from helping someone one-on-one to helping a large number of people at once. It’s something I hope to do more of this year.

And being one of only a few people in town who did this type of work meant I was put forward a couple of times to help out some more famous clients, including a Formula 1 driving world champion and a Hollywood A-lister.

We were lucky enough to be able to do a lot of travel to some amazing places. It’s so cheap (we once flew to Pnohm Penh, the capital of Cambodia, for SGD$10, which is about AUD$8) and everything is so close (Indonesia is a 40 minute ferry ride, Malaysia is just over the bridge, Koh Samui is 45 minutes etc) that you have to take advantage of that. I think Myanmar and Cambodia were probably my favourites, but Vietnam and Thailand are fantastic as well.

The food. Oh. My. God. In Singapore I was just the biggest glutton ever. The hawker food is outstanding and when it costs about $3 a meal you kind of let loose a bit. It was even better in other countries – in Myanmar you could get a banquet for $4 and in Thailand and Indonesia the seafood is so fresh, usually caught just off the beach you’re sitting on, scaled and gutted and steamed whole on the spot. I’d like to say I became a better cook over there but I think I just became better at eating. Luckily it was so hot I was able to sweat a fair bit of it off.

I have already had a lot of questions and yes, my lady and I are going well. We went over because of a great work opportunity for her and after totally killing it she has scored an even better job back here. We really enjoyed our time there and made some great friends but now it’s fantastic to be back in Sydney.

Chris.