This National Fitness Day, Channelle Hylton-Taylor, Activities Coordinator at Bupa Care Services , shares tips for anyone interested in getting more activity back into their lives, following recent online search increases. If you want to get fit again and you’re over 50, brilliant. But a few words of advice first.

In the last three months, more people have been turning to Google to find out ways to safely reintroduce movement and fitness as we mature. Searches are 26 times higher in August than they were any other month this year.

Staying active in as we age can have a range of benefits for your body and mind. When it’s done right, it can help you ward off aches and pains, not to mention boost your mental health. And yes, help future you to maintain physical independence as things inevitably head south.

5 tips to for getting back into fitness

Build things up slowly

If it’s been a while since you had a regular routine, it’s really important to build things up slowly to protect your body and really feel the benefits. The long-term goal is to aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, every week.

If you’re currently not very active, take it easy with whatever activity you choose, and gradually increase how much you do of it over time. Moderate aerobic exercise is moving in a way that makes your breathing and heart rate faster, making you feel warmer, but it’s not vigorous enough to mean that you can’t still hold a conversation.

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Choose aerobic exercises that you enjoy

It’s easier to make exercise a habit if you find something that you enjoy. Everyone is different, so experiment with a few different movements to see which one you get the most from. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Brisk walking – this could be around your home or garden, or around the block. It may be helpful to listen to an audiobook or some music to motivate you.
• Gardening – activities sweeping can give you a great workout, all while making your garden look more appealing!
• Swimming – this is a great low impact exercise, that’s really handy for those with hip or knee pain.
• Dancing – put on your favourite tunes and have a boogie round the house, or you could even join a dance class.
• Cycling – why not incorporate it into your lifestyle by getting on a bike and heading to the shops?
• ‘Walking’ sports like football or netball – look out for local clubs to feel the social benefit, too.

Don’t forget strengthening exercises

Along with aerobic exercise, it’s important to maintain your bone and muscle strength. Increased muscle tone will not only give your bodywork a bit more support, you’ll also burn calories more efficiently.

Bone and muscle strength is something that’s naturally lost with age. You should aim to do strength exercises on at least two days every week. But again, build this up slowly to give your muscles time to adjust and build.

You can incorporate strengthening exercises into your daily life by challenging yourself, or by introducing a new activity – and maybe even having some fun with it. Here are some ideas:

• Do some squats as you wait for the kettle to boil or you’re making dinner.
• Do some digging in the garden – this encourages you to use your weight against you for results.
• Water aerobics – these low-impact classes can help you maintain and gain muscle mass and strength.
• Pilates, tai chi, yoga – balance exercises are really important, particularly for core strength.
• Life weights at the gym – speak to an instructor for advice on form and limits.

Speak to a health professional if you’re concerned

If you’re worried about starting exercising – it could be that you have a health condition, or you’ve been recovering from an illness – that shouldn’t stop you from exercising completely. In some cases, exercise may help you to get better.

Know when to stop

If you’re getting enjoyment from exercise, it may be tempting to go all-in. However, if you find you have aches, pains, or dizziness when you exercise, that’s your body’s way of telling you that you may have gone a little too hard. So ease it back and build things up more slowly.

Speak to a GP straight away if you get any chest pain, light-headedness, or breathing difficulties when you exercise. Stop exercising until you speak to a health professional.

Generally speaking, start slow, find something you love doing, and you can build your fitness up slowly, surely and with confidence.

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Whether an accident at work or one of the 82 road traffic injuries that take place each day. Your next serious injury could have you worried about your future. The following steps are vital to recovering from injury.

Doctor’s orders

First and foremost, your recovery from a serious injury should be entirely guided by the orders you receive from medical professionals – be they hospital doctors, nursing staff, pharmacists or your local GP. You may be tasked with attending regular appointments to redress wounds or facilitate your rehabilitation, and you may be asked to take certain medications at certain times to help with side-effects or recovery. Follow each instruction more or less to the letter, and ensure your recovery isn’t impeded.

Time off work

Your doctor may also sign you off work with a fit note, mandating that you remain at home or off the clock for a specified period of time as you recover. It is vital that you follow the instructions of your fit note to the letter as well – and, if you don’t receive one immediately, to enquire with your doctor about receiving one.

There are multiple elements at play when it comes to taking time from work. For one, you may be physically unwell enough to carry out that which your work demands of you. For another, you may find the mental struggles of recovery too great to combine with the mental demands of the workplace. Long-term absence from work naturally brings financial concerns to the fore; however, in the event of a serious head injury that wasn’t your fault, your brain injury solicitor may be able to secure compensation that covers your lost wages amongst other costs.

Rehabilitation

The purpose of following orders, of taking time from work and of minimising the stress you experience in recovery is rehabilitation. Not only do you want time to rest and allow your injuries to heal. But you also want to do so in a sustainable way, while working to gain your pre-injury health. Or as close to it as you can manage. to help with recovering from injury.

A large part of rehabilitation, then, is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is a targeted physical rehabilitation process. Specific movements and exercises enable you to retrain injured parts of the body. For more serious and complex injuries like brain injuries, your rehabilitation may be consequently more complex (potentially including other therapies designed to rebuild neuron connections in the brain).

Mental health

Recovery itself can be a draining process to go through, and a frustrating one if progress feels slow. This is why mental health is particularly important to safeguard as you chart a path to wellness. Reaching out to friends and family is key, as is opening up to your doctor if mental conditions worsen.

Lili Lowe

Lili works across all the channels; writing articles, taking photographs, creating content, and designing eye-capturing imagery. She’s an animal-lover who cries just seeing a picture of a baby sloth.

The post The best steps to take when recovering from injury appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Most of us are not doctors or nurses, but many of us are in touch with our bodies enough to know when the medical advice we’re getting is wrong. So what do you do if you feel your medic is gaslighting you?

When I was 25, I had a ridiculous fall in a Sydney greengrocer – not on a banana skin – resulting in a small fracture to my L5-S1 vertebrae. Fortunately, I was referred to a neurosurgeon who prescribed physiotherapy, rather than being in a rush to brutally cut me open. 

Over the years, I had twinges of pain, but nothing that affected my quality of life. I continued with my misspent 20s. Moved to the Middle East, got married, moved to London, my passport filled with stamps, life was (and is) good.  

Then the back problems came back

In February this year, I started getting intense pain around the damn L5-S1 again. Like the horror movie creature that can’t quite be killed off, the pain was back with a vengeance, 22 years later. It was only a matter of time. I’d put on a bit of weight. I hadn’t been as active as I should be. I spend hours at my desk.

Read more: could you use some fitness and yoga classes at home?

It felt like my lower back was being compressed. Sitting down for too long was uncomfortable. Standing and walking around helped, until my club feet and arthritic ankle and knees started aching, for I am an orthopaedic nightmare.

Like the horror movie creature that can’t quite be killed off, the pain was back with a vengeance

Because of my medical history, I knew that something was not right, especially as I kept needing to pee. Dr Google warned of cauda equina syndrome, which requires emergency surgery to avoid paralysis.  

I called the GP and got an emergency telephone appointment – the doctor advised me to go to A&E in case it was cauda equina syndrome and offered to call an ambulance. Instead, I got my husband to drive me. En route, I picked up a letter from the GP advising that a scan “might” be necessary. 

“Might” turned out to be a word used against me by my local hospital, a hospital that I had campaigned to keep open. 

A&E tripping

At A&E, I was swiftly triaged. A friendly nurse gave me codeine for the pain and a blood test to rule out infection. I was moved mercifully quickly to the second waiting room. So far, so good, until a junior doctor called my name from behind his mask. 

From the time we sat down in a cubicle, I got the impression that he wasn’t listening and wanted me out of his hair. When I tried to explain my medical history, he seemed uninterested and kept interrupting me. When I suggested that a scan might be a good idea, he fobbed me off. 

He conducted a rectal examination, which is not my idea of fun, but is necessary to check for possible cauda equina. He asked me if I had a full bladder. I told him no, but he tried to do a bladder ultrasound anyway. A very confused nurse looked baffled at my empty bladder on the screen. Our eyes rolled in unison when the doctor announced that my bladder was indeed empty. No shit, Sherlock. So, I drank a load of water.  

…he wasn’t listening and wanted me out of his hair. When I tried to explain my medical history, he seemed uninterested and kept interrupting me

Another ultrasound confirmed my bladder was full and I was allowed to go to the loo. Weirdly, the junior doctor decided not to do the post-pee scan to confirm my bladder had properly emptied, even though this is how effective bladder function is confirmed and cauda equina can be ruled out. Again, I suggested a scan. The junior doctor said he’d speak to a consultant and sent me back to the waiting room. 

Read article: Are you drinking too much since lockdown?

The diagnosis 

In between WhatsApping increasingly frustrated updates to my husband, I googled private MRI scans – £250 seemed to be the going rate. I have £250, I thought to myself.  

I felt like a neurotic, hysterical middle-aged woman who was wasting his time

Finally, the doctor called my name again. Instead of going into a cubicle for a modicum of privacy, he started chatting to me in a busy corridor, handed me a prescription for an alarming cocktail of Tramadol and Amitriptyline, like Gran secretly handing you a fiver in the hallway. 

He told me to get a physiotherapy referral from my GP. I asked again about a scan. He said the consultant agreed that a scan wasn’t necessary. I asked how a physiotherapist would know what to do with me without a diagnosis. He told me it’d be fine and sent me away.  I felt like a neurotic, hysterical middle-aged woman who was wasting his time. 

As I waited for my husband to pick me up, I burst into tears in front of the hospital. I looked up Tramadol and Amitriptyline on the NHS website. The website clearly states that “it’s possible to become addicted to Tramadol, but your doctor will explain how to reduce those risks,” and that neither drug is suitable for people with a history of seizures. Guess who had childhood epilepsy? Yep. Me. Guess who was not asked about a history of seizures or warned of addiction risks during the dismissive corridor conversation. Yep. Me again!  

Second opinions 

The next day, I went to another local A&E department, musing that I was fortunate to live in London, with this access to healthcare. The experience at the second hospital was completely different. The lovely junior doctor gave me the time and space to explain my medical history and my bad experience. He apologised profusely, expressed horror at the prescription and said I did the right thing in seeking a second opinion. 

So many people might see this doctor in A&E and he might miss more serious conditions

After the previous day’s farcical bladder scan, I swigged another ocean of water so the tests could be conducted properly. Again, I had to endure a rectal examination. Although this time, the junior doctor was professional enough to insist on a female chaperone during the bum-foraging. Then, I was sent to radiology for a scan and X-rays. 

The good news was that I did not have cauda equina syndrome. The bad news was that 30% of my spinal column had eroded in, you guessed it, the L5-S1 vertebrae. If it gets down to 50% erosion, it’s really serious, so at least it had been spotted before it was too late. 

Within a week of getting the much-needed second opinion, I saw a physiotherapist who prescribed exercises that have helped enormously, but I was lucky. So many people would have accepted the words and terrifying prescription from the first doctor as gospel. So many people might see this doctor in A&E and he might miss more serious conditions. 

What could’ve been?

If I hadn’t been my own advocate, what might have happened? A serious prescription drug addiction? A resurgence of my childhood seizures? Further spinal column erosion?  

I had no beef with anyone at the first hospital, apart from the junior doctor and the faceless consultant. I wanted it known that a diagnosis of spinal erosion was missed. So, I made an official complaint and received an insulting, unsatisfactory response from the hospital trust.  

In the email I received, I was told the junior doctor denied my claim that I did not receive sufficient information about the prescriptions for addictive, seizure-inducing drugs. In my complaint, I attached a copy of the GP’s letter that I showed the junior doctor to back up my claim that a scan should have been done. But because the letter said a scan “might” be required, this was interpreted to mean that it wasn’t strictly necessary. I felt like I had fallen down a rabbit hole.   

The fact that the scan at the second hospital revealed a serious issue didn’t seem pertinent, and the trust closed ranks. Their response culminated in them letting me know that I could take this matter to the public health ombudsman if I was unsatisfied. And provided me with the wrong postal address. Submissions to the ombudsman now go to an address in Manchester, but I was given a London address. Just as well I looked it up for myself. 

 My detailed submission to the ombudsman was the end of the line

I received a phone call. I was told that while my experience at the first hospital was not good enough, no further action would be taken, because I had not suffered any permanent damage. The NHS is overstretched, and this has clearly extended into the ombudsman’s office. The person who called me was very apologetic, acknowledged that this was probably not the outcome I wanted. But no more could be done.  

This is genuinely terrifying. Where is the culture of prevention? Where is the drive to improve standards and make sure doctors who miss things will learn from mistakes before they put patients in real danger?  

For the record, I support the junior doctors’ strikes, 100 per cent. It is a hard, stressful, thankless job and it should be well rewarded. Equally, this means the people who do this important job in our NHS should be exceptional. I truly believe this is the case overall, but when mistakes are made – and this will happen when human beings are tired, overworked or just not bothered – there needs to be accountability, and lessons need to be learned. Nothing is gained by letting it slide if you have a bad experience.   

The NHS is not an infallible god. It is an amazing institution made up of dedicated, talented people. But, as is the case with any organisation of real people, real mistakes will happen, including medical gaslighting. Nobody should walk out of a hospital feeling they were not taken seriously. Or that their pain and symptoms were minimised, especially when it results in a diagnosis being missed.  

I am lucky enough to live near two major A&E departments, to be unafraid to be that woman who makes a fuss, to be my own best advocate. But it shouldn’t come down to postcodes or luck. Or the sheer force of personality as to whether you get a proper diagnosis or fall through the cracks in the system. Fixing the NHS is complicated, but remedying a complaints process where a trust can close ranks and serious action will only be taken if serious damage is done might be a good place to start. 

Georgia Lewis

In a career that has spanned Australia, the Middle East and the UK, Georgia has written about all sorts of things, including sex, cars, food, oil and gas, insurance, fashion, travel, workplace safety, health, religious affairs, glass and glazing… When she’s not writing words for fun and profit, she can usually be found with a glass of something French and red in her hand.

The post What if the medical advice is wrong? Defying doubt and trusting your instincts appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The main three eye care professionals are opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. There are also ophthalmic registered nurses, ophthalmic medical assistants, ophthalmic technicians and contact lens opticians, and these people typically work in hospital settings. 

Opticians

Opticians, or dispensing opticians, are typically the people you will see once you have had an eye test and are getting your glasses.

Opticians have specialised training to read prescriptions and fit and dispense your glasses or contact lenses to the correct specifications. They will be able to give you the correct advice about wearing and taking care of your glasses or contact lenses.

All dispensing opticians in the UK are required to complete a course approved by the General Optical Council. Opticians also must pass the professional qualifying exams set by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.

Optometrists

Optometrists are the people qualified to perform your eye test. By using equipment such as a tonometer and phoropter they can detect any issues with your eyes. Due to the nature of their training, optometrists are not trained in any medical capacity, but they can detect things such as diabetes, certain cancers and high blood pressure as these can present symptoms in the eyes.

Optometrists have to jump through a lot of hoops to become qualified. First, a BSc Hons in Optometry must be obtained. To be eligible for this degree, it is expected that you get high grades at A Levels and have studied at least two science subjects.

After graduating, an optometrist will do a supervised placement for a year with a registered optometrist before passing the Scheme for Registration.

Ophthalmologist

Many people do not encounter ophthalmologists often. These are specialist physicians who focus on the function, structure and diseases of the eye. As well as working in medicine, ophthalmologists also perform surgery when required.

Ophthalmologists can work in several different environments. Generally, they work in outpatient clinics or community clinics. When working in hospitals, ophthalmologists consult with a raft of other people to offer top-tier eye care, such as ocular prosthetists, doctors and orthoptists.

Ophthalmologists study for many years to become qualified. After completing medical school, they do two extra years of medical training called the MSC Foundation Programme, during which they will register with the General Medical Council. Following this registration, budding ophthalmologists will study for a further seven years whilst passing qualifications set by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

The importance of staying on top of your eye health

Looking after your health is important, and your eyes are no exception. Sight loss can be preventable so getting eye tests done every two years is key to helping identify issues.

Keeping your eyes healthy between visits is fairly simple too. Smoking can impact your eyes so stopping smoking would be beneficial for all aspects of your health. Another step you can take is to protect your eyes in bright sunlight by wearing sunglasses and avoiding looking at the sun.

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While the majority of medical interventions in the UK are successful, there exists a minority which don’t achieve the intended outcome. Of these, an even smaller minority amount to medical negligence.

This is an area of law that can seem overly complicated and daunting, especially if you’re not well-versed in legal concepts. If you’re unsure of whether your circumstances merit a medical negligence claim, it’s a good idea to consult with a suitable solicitor. For example, if you’re suffering from skeletal trouble, you might bring in a solicitor specialising in orthopaedic injury claims.

What is medical negligence?

Treatment has to fulfil several distinct criteria before it can be described as negligent. First, it will have to fall below the standard of treatment that would have been delivered by a competent member of the profession. Second, the patient will need to have suffered as a result.

How many people are affected by medical negligence?

In 2020, the BBC put in a freedom of information request, which revealed a substantial bill being faced by the NHS in England. Around £4.3 billion was owed, thanks to around ten thousand medical negligence claims being made each year. While this is tiny number when you consider the millions of people who seek treatment each year, it’s not so small that we can dismiss it.

According to YouGov polling, around a third of people in the UK know of someone who has been a victim of medical negligence. Of these, 14% said that they’d suffered medical negligence themselves. So, if we ask people directly whether they’ve been a victim, we get a different picture than if we rely on the figures from the courts.

What are some of the impacts of making a medical negligence claim?

The consequences of making a medical negligence claim tend to be over-inflated. Most cases end up being settled out of court, and don’t require that the claimant themselves make an appearance in person.

Patients might also be concerned about the quality of care they’ll get in the future. Under UK law, medical practices are not allowed to refuse treatment to patients who’ve made a complaint in the past. If you move to a different practice, no record of your claim will be passed on, either.

Medical negligence law is necessary for the functioning of any healthcare system. There needs to be a mechanism for spotting errors and fixing them, and for awarding compensation to those who have been wronged. This is the function served by medical negligence law.

How to improve the quality of your sleep

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FutureYou Cambridge’s Dr Max Gowland tells us everything we need to know about managing our musculoskeletal health, which includes our bones, muscles, and joints.

Dr Max Gowland

Muscle mass

What happens?

We tend to lose a significant amount of muscle mass as we age. Scientific data (Breen et al, 2007) shows that we lost around 1-2% of our muscle mass each year once we reach our mid-forties. This means that by the time we’re in our mid-sixties, we will have lost around 25% of our total body muscle.

This process is scientifically named ‘sarcopenia’, and it is a completely normal – albeit unhealthy – part of ageing. This muscles loss speeds up as we age, and can become a real health issue if we don’t do something about it.

To put this into perspective, recent clinical trials show that, when immobile for 28 days, a middle-aged person may lose around 400 grams of muscle tissue from their legs. This compares to a shocking kilogram of muscle being lost from a seventy-year-old’s legs when inactive for just three days. This shows how prone we are to losing valuable, healthy muscle tissue as we age, especially if we fail to exercise.

What causes it?

Many of us cease to exercise regularly once we reach 50, and this sedentary behaviour therefore gets worse, causing a reduction in muscle mass. Another factor affecting this is our intake – or lack thereof – of protein in our diet.

How can we manage it?

Muscle is largely protein-based in nature, and so it needs a daily influx to rebuild lost muscle protein. The latest science shows we need around 100 grams of high-quality protein per day in order to combat the accelerated loss of muscle as we age.

Exercise has been proven time and time again to significantly improve our overall health, so it’s important to incorporate regular activity into your routine.

Left: muscle mass of a 25-year-old
Right: muscle mass of a 63-year-old

Bone density

What happens?

Our bones encounter a significant loss of density – which equals strength – as we age. Our maximum bone strength occurs just after we reach 30 years old, so those of us who have failed to maximise our bone strength by this time will be more prone to problems later in life. Osteoporosis is loss of strength and bone density, as the bone becomes more porous.

What causes it?

Women are much more prone to losing bone density as they enter the menopause, as their oestrogen and progesterone levels fall quickly. Around 50% of women will suffer from osteoporosis at some time. Weakened or ‘brittle’ bones leads to a higher risk of fractures, particularly in the hips.

How can we manage it?

Avoiding low calorie diets is key – it’s important to consume plenty of protein and calcium. Partaking in weight-bearing exercises is also a good idea for building healthy bones. Vitamin D and collagen supplements are also recommended for strengthening our bones.

Bone density loss

Joint health

What happens?

Our joints play a significant part in what causes us pain and slow us down. According to NHS data, 50% of adults have already sought medical attention for a variety of joint problems. This is an area which can cause incapacitation in so many people, especially if the individuals struggle to keep their joints moving.

What causes it?

Our joints can sometimes be stiff and sore due to inflammation, which in turn can result in us becoming sedentary. In turn, if we fail to keep moving, we can enter the vicious cycle in which we fail to exercise enough, causing our joints to become worse. This can lead to losing healthy muscle tissue. There are people who give up on their joints and fail to stay active, leading to early onset frailty.

Our muscles require daily protein to just maintain existing muscle tissue – a failure to consume enough protein a day will speed up muscle decline.

How can we manage it?

Exercising is the key to maintaining our musculoskeletal health as we age. It is the ‘silver bullet’ to all-round health and wellness, but it does take some effort.

Ensuring we eat enough protein is key. One of the main problems with this is actually trying to eat enough protein. The recommended daily intake is 100 grams, which is the food equivalent of around four chicken breasts or 18 eggs. This is why supplementation is a good idea.

Osteoarthritis explained

Significant supplements

Supplements like these below from FutureYou Cambridge containing Vitamin D are also beneficial for muscle health, though we are virtually all failing to get enough Vitamin D from both our diet and sunlight at the moment.

Zinc and magnesium are also needed for protein synthesis, so these are worthwhile supplements to maximise your muscle health.

Carly Pepperell

Carly gets to do everything under the sun, including writing, editing, taking photos, creating stories, and swanning around at launches. She can down a glass of Prosecco without pausing for breath, and aims to be the youngest Pulitzer winner ever.

The post Managing our musculoskeletal health appeared first on Silver Magazine.