Try
the Over-Pronation Test
 Stand
straight with your bare feet apart, hold your arms straight out in front
of you and clasp hands together, slightly bending elbows. Ask a friend or
partner to push downwards on your clasped hands - if your balance and
alignment isn't correct and you suffer from over-pronation, you will very
quickly lose your balance and fall forward.
If you suffer from pain in the foot, ankle or knee, this could be
the cause.
How
to correct Over-Pronation?
You
might want to see a chiropodist or other foot specialist through your GP.
Or you could try an orthotic insole to correct over-pronation.
Carnation Footcare make Powerstep, a new under-foot orthotic insole which
has been created to stabilise the foot, correct the alignment of the body,
and aid balance. If you do the over-pronation test wearing Powerstep
orthotic, you will find it much more difficult to be pulled over because
your feet are positioned as nature intended, giving balance and alignment.
 Powerstep
has been designed with thirty-five years of podiatry experience in
creating and prescribing under foot orthotics, coupled with an extensive
computer analysis of the average foot dimensions of thousands of pairs of
feet. It
is available in S, M
and L, priced £22.99 direct from Carnation Footcare by freephoning 0800
018 7117 or visit www.powerstep.co.uk
where you can find more information and order online.
If
you have any problems about feet, email footcarequestion@ccdpr.com
and Kimby Osborne, Carnation Footcare's chiropodist will be happy to
reply.
LEG ALERT: VENOUS DISEASE
Kimby Osborne offers information on
legs and veins
At
least 50% of the western population are likely to get some form of venous
disease during their lifetime. This can range from thread veins to more
serious complaints such as leg ulcers.
Why
it happens:
If
normal blood flow through the valves within the deep veins in the legs become
ineffective through injury or inactivity, the blood may be redirected to the
superficial veins situated near the surface of the skin, causing various
complaints such as varicose veins and leg ulcers. It's this extra pressure in
you’re the veins that may lead to problems in later life.
Are you at risk? Answer our
quiz below.
Give yourself 2 points for every yes
answer and 0 points for every no.
1. Do you spend long amounts of time (5 hours plus) standing or sitting
each day ?
2. Do you smoke?
3. Are you more than one and a half stones overweight?
4. Are you currently being prescribed hormone replacement therapy?
5. Do you ever get tired legs or swollen ankles?
6. Do you suffer from
a) thread veins?
b) varicose veins?
7. Do you have a family history of
a) varicose veins or leg ulcers?
b) diabetes?
c) heart disease?
d) DVT?
Results
0-6 points: low risk
Kimby Osborne’s assessment: "You have a fairly low risk of
developing venous disease, although to maintain healthy legs you should walk
and exercise regularly, put your feet up in the evenings. However if you
scored points for questions 6, 7 or 8, and you do not currently wear
compression hosiery, you should think about visiting
your local practice nurse for a thorough examination.
You may be prescribed compression hosiery”.
6-14 points: medium risk
Says Kimby Osborne, "Take care - you are at risk of developing venous
disease, particularly if you scored points for questions 6,7 or 8. You most
likely should be wearing Class I or II compression hosiery to treat your
existing problem and prevent further problems. You should make an appointment
to visit your local practice nurse for a thorough leg examination".
14+ points: high risk
Says Kimby Osborne, " If you do not currently wear compression hosiery,
you should make an appointment as soon as possible with your practice nurse
for a leg examination, who would then advice you on the suitability of
compression hosiery and on your general leg care".
Do's and Don'ts for Healthy Legs
-
do
Regularly moisturise your legs
-
don’t
Cross
your legs
-
do
Walk and exercise regularly
-
don’t
Stand for long periods
-
do
Eat a balanced diet & watch your weight
-
don’t
Have very hot baths
-
do
Put your feet up
-
don’t
Ignore any sores or irritations
-
do
Check your legs and feet regularly
-
don’t
Assume that your legs will just get better by itself
-
do
Get treatment for any knocks or sores around the ankle, particularly if
you suffer from diabetes
-
don’t
Smoke
-
do
Act on advice from a trained healthcare professional
-
don’t
Remain inactive for extended periods, e.g. long journeys
For
further information or a free leaflet on how to prevent and treat venous
disease, telephone Activa Compression Hosiery on 08450 606 707 or log onto www.activahealthcare.co.uk.
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
LegCareâ
by MagnoPulse - a natural way to relieve leg pain and heal wounds
LegCare
by MagnoPulse is a natural, drug free method of relieving leg pain and
swelling. It can be used for varicose
veins, arthritic pain and can in some
cases heal leg ulcers that do not respond to other treatments.
Medically supervised customer surveys* show that around 90 per cent
of patients had reduced pain or ulcer healing, and trials with the NHS are
currently under way.
LegCare is a static magnetic device
that has three static magnets implanted in a strip of padded material 3-4
inches wide. This fastens with a Velcro
strip and is most effective when worn below the knee, above the calf muscle.
How do magnetic fields reduce pain?
No one is quite sure, but there is a
raft of anecdotal evidence that they work. Here’s the current theory:
1. Magnets can reduce local tissue
acidity (due to a neutralisation of positively charged protons responsible for
acidity), which contributes to pain.
2. This results in an increase in
circulation and local tissue oxygenation. Magnets
also seem to inhibit nerve transmission of pain signals, meaning that the
nerves which are responsible for conducting pain do not fire so easily.
How do magnets promote wound healing?
All electrical currents generate
magnetic fields and all magnetic fields cause a change in electrical
potential. Electrical current has shown through tests to have a place in wound
healing. This may be due to stimulation of the so-called ‘injury current’
generated rapidly at a wound site.
*Two
customer surveys were conducted recently into the effectiveness of LegCare and
UlcerCare (essentially the same product, branded for different conditions).
Survey1
One hundred and sixty randomly selected users of
MagnoPulse UlcerCare static magnetic leg wraps were selected to measure the
effectiveness of UlcerCare on leg ulcer healing, leg pain and swelling.
The survey was constructed and supervised
independently by Dr Nyjon K Eccles BSc MBBS PhD MRCP, one of Europe’s
leading experts in magnotherapy.
Most patients’ leg ulcers were chronic– having
been there over four years on average.
-
89% of patients responded positively
to using UlcerCare.
-
A
reduction in ulcer size of 68% was achieved over the treatment period,
with 41% of patients experiencing complete ulcer healing.
-
On average, complete healing took
just under four months.
-
The magnetic leg wrap also had a
beneficial impact on associated leg pain and swelling.
Survey
2
Analysis of responses of 202 users
of MagnoPulse LegCare for its effectiveness on swollen and painful legs.
-
96% said there was a reduction in pain after wearing LegCare.
-
85% enjoyed at least a 50% reduction
in pain and some 31% said their pain disappeared completely.
-
73% reported a reduction in
associated swelling, and the extent of this reduction was, on average, 71%
LegCare
costs £29 plus £3
p&p
and
is available by
mail order from:
|
