Health Essentials

You have only one back, pamper it

Backpain is undoubtedly one of the commonest complaint

Backpain is undoubtedly one of the commonest complaint

Whenever I get to attend to clients, backpain is undoubtedly one of the commonest complaints. Sometimes I wonder if it’s the norm or I simply attract people suffering from backpain.

Approximately 40 per cent of all people will complain of significant back pain some time in their life. About 95 per cent of these cases resolve spontaneously within six weeks. Most cases of back pain go away on their own after a few days but if yours lasts more than a week, see a doctor. Usually the pain will be due to muscle strain or ligamentous sprain which heals with time with or without treatment.

A small proportion of acute back pain may have significant, serious pathology as its underlying cause. Examples include fracture, neoplasm, infection or other conditions that adversely affect a nerve (e.g. a disc between vertebrae bulge or burst open and presses on a nerve such as the sciatic nerve).

Risk factors for back pain

• Obesity

• Occupation – sedentary workers and those who need to lift things or bend for hours

• Poor Posture- this includes how we sit at work and the awkward postures some of us adopt.

• Being out of shape – pot belly etc

• Smoking

• Genetics – vulnerable to scoliosis, spondylolisthesis etc

• Age – young athletes are prone to tiny fractures in the spine (spondylolysis). The aged are likely to have arthritis

• Psychosocial Issues – Depression, Anxiety, Stress

Diagnosing back pain

Some people complain of back pain after lifting heavy objects using an abnormal posture or sitting for long periods but several others may not remember any triggers.

Often the patient’s complaints and the doctor’s findings will clinch the diagnosis but your guess is as good as mine; the management/ treatment is usually the same.

Laboratory tests are often not helpful except for the few cases where infection or neoplasm is a concern.

X-rays are not indicated in most cases of back pain, especially within the first six (6) weeks. It may only become necessary when pain persists, or there is concern for fracture, neoplasm, infection or other serious condition. Other studies that may be helpful are, Bone Scan, CT Scan or MRI.

Managing back pain

The mainstay of management is:

• Bed rest for a short period of time usually not exceeding three days.

• Early mobilisation ensures quick recovery. Get moving, do not stay in bed indefinitely

• Lying on a firm surface is recommended but super hard mattresses may sometimes cause back pain

• Analgesics such as Brufen, Naproxen etc are useful but avoid if you have peptic ulcer or have bronchial asthma.

Other options for management include:

• Psychotherapy – many cases of back pain have been found to be linked to anxiety and depression

• Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy also has an important place

• Massage, Osteopathy and Chiropractic all play a role in relieving back pain

• Surgery may also be needed. Certain cases of back pain are surgical emergencies but for the majority, surgery may be a last resort. Though surgery may make the patient feel better quickly, the same can be achieved with physical therapy in the long term (Study in Journal of the American Medical Association) in most instances.

Need to see the doctor now – warning signs you can’t ignore

In general one may not need to see a doctor immediately with most brief episodes of back pain but if the following are associated with your pain then get to the hospital NOW!!!

• Extreme leg weakness

• Loss of bladder and/or bowel control

• Numbness or altered sensation in groin or rectal area

• Fever or sign of infection

• History of cancer

Living without back pain

• Stay fit – Exercise on most days of the week (www. healthclubsgh.com)

• Eat a balanced meal at the right times

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Cut out tobacco

• Take time off to relax

• Attitude – take charge of how you feel. Do not be too hard on yourself.

• Make sure you sit appropriately and take brief breaks after at most an hour and half of sitting.

Some exercises that may help to heal back pain

• Planks: Daily planks or at least doing this thrice a week may help protect your back. In the acute phase of backpain however most people are unable to do this.

• Wall slide: Slide up then down till your thighs form an angle of 90 degrees with the vertical wall. Repeat

• Pelvic tilt: Lie on your back with knees bent. Exhale and pull abdominal muscles in and up towards the ribs. You may also lift your buttocks of the surface and squeeze for a count of five and repeat.

• Bird Dog: Bend over on all fours, then raise opposite arm and leg parallel to the floor hold for a count of eight or ten then repeat. Change to the other arm and leg and repeat.

• Walking: This low cost exercise is a miracle worker. Lace your good boots and get walking.

Back pain is a major public health issue since it results in a substantial decrease in productivity and days lost from work.

Use the appropriate furniture at work and take occasional one-minute breaks to stand.

If you need to lift and bend, often make sure you learn the proper posture.

Do not wait for back pain to strike, start a healthy life style today!!!! Everyone has one back and one back ONLY. We need to take very good care of it. Simply pamper your back.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling the Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – 1. “The most efficient way to reach your realistic health goals, is to make small healthy choices daily.”

References:

1. WebMD

2. Mosby’s Ace the Boards

3. The Merck Manual

4. www.healthclubsgh.com

Health Essentials

Not all snoring is created equal

Snoring is not only harmful to our physical health but it
affects all 6 pillars of wellness especially social wellness

When people are unable to differentiate between your snore and a locomotive engine or a trumpet that could break down walls, it may not just be a nuisance to your bed and housemates, but it may signal a serious medical condition.

Loud snoring may be a warning that you have Sleep Apnoea, a condition that opens doors to several serious life-threatening complications. Not every snoring is associated with sleep apnoea and also there may be sleep apnoea without snoring. Sleep medicine is no luxury, we need to do everything possible to get good quality sleep, especially when sleep is one of the greatest legal performance enhancing “drugs” known to man.

In sleep apnoea, breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. It may be as often as 30 times in an hour. This shortchanges our brain of oxygen, and it is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder.

Types of Sleep Apnoea;

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

o The commonest by far. Throat muscles relax and block flow of air

• Central Sleep Apnoea

o Brain does not send proper signals to muscles controlling breathing

• Complex Sleep Apnoea

What may signal Sleep Apnoea/ What to look out for

• Loud snoring.

• Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person.

• Gasping for air during sleep.

• Awakening with a dry mouth.

• Morning headache.

• Difficulty staying asleep, known as insomnia.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia.

• Difficulty paying attention while awake.

• Irritability.

• You may just not be able to complete a movie.

• Involved in minor accidents at home, work or even on the road.

Get checked out. Even children may suffer from sleep apnoea.

What increases our chance of developing Sleep Apnoea?

• Excess weight or fat.

• Neck circumference. People with thicker necks might have narrower airways.

• A narrowed airway. Tonsils or adenoids also can enlarge and block the airway, particularly in children.

• Being male. Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to have sleep apnoea than women. However, women increase their risk if they’re overweight or if they’ve gone through menopause.

• Being older. Sleep apnea occurs significantly more often in older adults.

• Family history. Having family members with sleep apnoea might increase your risk.

• Use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilisers.

• Smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea

• Nasal congestion. If you have trouble breathing through your nose — whether from an anatomical problem or allergies — you’re more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnoea.

• Medical conditions. Congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are some of the conditions that may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea. Polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke and chronic lung diseases such as asthma also can increase risk.

What complications may occur from untreated Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a serious medical condition. Complications of OSA can include:

• Daytime fatigue. The repeated awakenings associated with sleep apnoea make typical, restorative sleep impossible, in turn making severe daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability likely.

You might have trouble concentrating and find yourself falling asleep at work, while watching TV or even when driving. People with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents.

You might also feel quick-tempered, moody or depressed. Children and adolescents with sleep apnea might perform poorly in school or have behavior problems.

• High blood pressure or heart problems. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during OSA increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having OSA increases your risk of high blood pressure.

OSA might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. If you have heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxygen (hypoxia or hypoxemia) can lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat.

• Type 2 diabetes. Having sleep apnoea increases your risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

• Metabolic syndrome. This disorder, which includes high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and an increased waist circumference, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease

• Liver & kidney problems

• Sleep-deprived room or house mates

• Complications during surgery and also with some medication

Lifestyle Modifications that may help

• Lose excess fat. Even a slight weight loss might help relieve constriction of your throat. In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain weight.

• Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea even without weight loss.

• Avoid alcohol and certain medicines such as tranquilisers and sleeping pills. These relax the muscles in the back of your throat, interfering with breathing.

• Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your belly has many posture related challenges but we may adopt that briefly as we work on definitive treatment.

• Don’t smoke.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There is help so if you think you may have sleep apnoea do not hesitate to speak to your doctor.

A few questions, examination and Sleep Studies and a diagnoses may be reached and the appropriate treatment, advice or support systems put in place.

Yes, the options vary from just lifestyle modifications to the famous CPAP, implants and even surgery BUT do seek help, not only will you feel brand-new when the condition is resolved, you may be saving relationships.

……definitely not all snoring is created equal. Find out about yours.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week (1) – “I am hard pressed to choose the greatest legal performance enhancing drug. Is it good quality Sleep or Exercise?”

References:

1. www.mayoclinic.org

2. Team at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Sleep Center

Snoring is not only harmful to our physical health but it affects all 6 pillars of wellness especially social wellness.

By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials

Preparing for your golden years; you may have more assets than you think

Ensure to have friends including children much younger than you

AGING can be beautiful, but it definitely comes with its own challenges and learning to embrace the ones we have little or no control over may make life easier and more enjoyable for us.

Changes may include:

1. You do not move as quickly as you used to, and I agree you need to guard against falls.

2. You may lose some hearing.

3. You will need to protect your teeth, and the dentist can help.

4. You are more susceptible to eye diseases and challenges with sight.

5. You may start to shrink; start strength training immediately.

6. You may have ‘senior moments’ -minor forgetfulness.

7. You may look different; hair loss or thinning, greying of hair, skin changes such as sagging, skin tags, changes in nails, belly fat and many others.

8. You may smell different, and this may be due to multiple factors.

9. Urine may leak more than you would like- sometimes even when we cough, sneeze or laugh.

Many of us fret to leave a fortune (money) but I realise focusing on money or assets such as land, buildings and businesses may not be enough. These are extremely necessary though since they tend to make life much more comfortable for you.

When the dust settles, however, having your memory intact (within reasonable limits) and having good social support may be the foundation that cannot be ignored. If your memory fails you or you do not have people who truly care about your wellbeing and will go the extra mile for you over the long haul, then no matter what your financial muscle you may never get anything close to what you would love for yourself.

Taking advantage of the various assets that you may have built over the years means you will be able to even earn money well into your golden years.

ASSETS TO TAP INTO.

At least three assets, Financial, Intellectual and Human Assets may be tapped into.

• FINANCIAL

o Different forms of investments including money, land etc. Quite often this is the focus of most of us while 2 other forms of assets are neglected. DEFINITELY grow your financial assets but DO NOT exclude the others.

o If you are already enjoying “retirement” of a sort and your finances keep you awake at night, do not despair, take another look at your intellectual and human assets that you may have ignored. They may be solid gold!

• INTELLECTUAL

o Knowledge and skills you have developed over years can continue to be useful and earn an income after you retire from your previous job.

o Experiences over the years may serve as a guide to the younger generation and could be an avenue for speaking at events or coaching or mentoring others.

o Unique abilities are always a plus and we all know things that come easily to us when others struggle with same.

o Ideas? These may be golden, and you may be able to share for an income or to enhance your social capital.

• HUMAN

o Values – we often don’t put much emphasis on this, but it definitely opens doors for you or for your descendants.

o Kindness – this is a powerful tool in life that will yield benefits at all costs directly or indirectly. Be Kind!

o Social Contacts /Capital – DO NOT be an island. Expand your network and live a longer more fulfilling life.

As we work on all three forms of ASSETS lets us remember to protect our brain/ memory as much as possible and also spend time with our network of family and friends. In all things ensure you have FRIENDS (including your children) who are much younger than you. This is PRICELESS, I guarantee that.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

Thought for the week (1) – “The aging you want tomorrow begins with the choices you make today.” What choices are you making? Time to reflect.

(2) – “Mammograms are key to early detection of breast cancer, and they can also provide clues to heart health. Women who have calcium buildup within the arteries of the breast are at a 51 per cent higher risk for heart disease and stroke than women who do not.”

By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel