Overcome Front-Of-Hip Pain

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Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, physiotherapist, demonstrates how:

One, two, three…

One kind of pain affects a lot of related things: hip pain has an impact on everything that’s connected to the pelvis, which is basically the rest of the body, but especially the spine itself. For this reason, it’s critical to keep it in as good condition as possible.

Two primary causes of hip stiffness and pain:

  • Anterior pelvic tilt due to posture, weight distribution, or pain. This tightens the front muscles and weakens the back muscles.
  • Prolonged sitting, which tightens the hip muscles due to inactivity.

Three exercises are recommended by Dr. Kuhn to relieve pain and stiffness:

  • Bridge exercise:
    • Lie on a firm surface with your knees bent.
    • Push through your feet, engage your hamstrings, and flatten your lower back.
    • Hold for 3–5 seconds, relax, and repeat (10–20 reps).
  • Wall exercise with arms:
    • Stand with your lower back against the wall, feet a step away.
    • Tilt your hips backwards, keeping your lower back in contact with the wall.
    • Alternate lifting one arm at a time while maintaining back contact with the wall (10–20 reps).
  • Wall exercise with legs:
    • Same stance as the previous exercise but wider now.
    • Lift one heel at a time while keeping your hips stable and your back against the wall.
    • Practice for 30–60 seconds, maintaining good form.

As ever, consistency is key for long-term relief. Dr. Kuhn recommends doing these regularly, especially before any expected periods of prolonged sitting (e.g. at desk, or driving, etc). And of course, do try to reduce, or at least break up, those sitting marathons if you can.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

How To Stop Pain Spreading

Take care!

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  • Purpose – by Gina Bianchini

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    To address the elephant in the room, this is not a rehash of Rick Warren’s best-selling “The Purpose-Driven Life”. Instead, this book is (in this reviewer’s opinion) a lot better. It’s a lot more comprehensive, and it doesn’t assume that what’s most important to the author will be what’s most important to you.

    What’s it about, then? It’s about giving your passion (whatever it may be) the tools to have an enduring impact on the world. It recommends doing this by leveraging a technology that would once have been considered magic: social media.

    Far from “grow your brand” business books, this one looks at what really matters the most to you. Nobody will look back on your life and say “what a profitable second quarter that was in such-a-year”. But if you do your thing well, people will look back and say:

    • “he was a pillar of the community”
    • “she raised that community around her”
    • “they did so much for us”
    • “finding my place in that community changed my life”
    • …and so forth. Isn’t that something worth doing?

    Bianchini takes the position of both “idealistic dreamer” and “realistic worker”.

    Further, she blends the two beautifully, to give practical step-by-step instructions on how to give life to the community that you build.

    Check Out This Amazing Book On Amazon Today!

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  • Managing Sibling Relationships In Adult Life

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Managing Sibling Relationships In Adult Life

    After our previous main feature on estrangement, a subscriber wrote to say:

    ❝Parent and adult child relationships are so important to maintain as you age, but what about sibling relationships? Adult choices to accept and move on with healthier boundaries is also key for maintaining familial ties.❞

    And, this is indeed critical for many of us, if we have siblings!

    Writer’s note: I don’t have siblings, but I do happen to have one of Canada’s top psychologists on speed-dial, and she has more knowledge about sibling relationships than I do, not to mention a lifetime of experience both personally and professionally. So, I sought her advice, and she gave me a lot to work with.

    Today I bring her ideas, distilled into my writing, for 10almonds’ signature super-digestible bitesize style.

    A foundation of support

    Starting at the beginning of a sibling story… Sibling relationships are generally beneficial from the get-go.

    This is for reasons of mutual support, and an “always there” social presence.

    Of course, how positive this experience is may depend on there being a lack of parental favoritism. And certainly, sibling rivalries and conflict can occur at any age, but the stakes are usually lower, early in life.

    Growing warmer or colder

    Generally speaking, as people age, sibling relationships likely get warmer and less conflictual.

    Why? Simply put, we mature and (hopefully!) get more emotionally stable as we go.

    However, two things can throw a wrench into the works:

    1. Long-term rivalries or jealousies (e.g., “who has done better in life”)
    2. Perceptions of unequal contribution to the family

    These can take various forms, but for example if one sibling earns (or otherwise has) much more or much less than another, that can cause resentment on either or both sides:

    • Resentment from the side of the sibling with less money: “I’d look after them if our situations were reversed; they can solve my problems easily; why do they resent that and/or ignore my plight?”
    • Resentment from the side of the sibling with more money: “I shouldn’t be having to look after my sibling at this age”

    It’s ugly and unpleasant. Same goes if the general job of caring for an elderly parent (or parents) falls mostly or entirely on one sibling. This can happen because of being geographically closer or having more time (well… having had more time. Now they don’t, it’s being used for care!).

    It can also happen because of being female—daughters are more commonly expected to provide familial support than sons.

    And of course, that only gets exacerbated as end-of-life decisions become relevant with regard to parents, and tough decisions may need to be made. And, that’s before looking at conflicts around inheritance.

    So, all that seems quite bleak, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

    Practical advice

    As siblings age, working on communication about feelings is key to keeping siblings close and not devolving into conflict.

    Those problems we talked about are far from unique to any set of siblings—they’re just more visible when it’s our own family, that’s all.

    So: nothing to be ashamed of, or feel bad about. Just, something to manage—together.

    Figure out what everyone involved wants/needs, put them all on the table, and figure out how to:

    • Make sure outright needs are met first
    • Try to address wants next, where possible

    Remember, that if you feel more is being asked of you than you can give (in terms of time, energy, money, whatever), then this discussion is a time to bring that up, and ask for support, e.g.:

    “In order to be able to do that, I would need… [description of support]; can you help with that?”

    (it might even sometimes be necessary to simply say “No, I can’t do that. Let’s look to see how else we can deal with this” and look for other solutions, brainstorming together)

    Some back-and-forth open discussion and even negotiation might be necessary, but it’s so much better than seething quietly from a distance.

    The goal here is an outcome where everyone’s needs are met—thus leveraging the biggest strength of having siblings in the first place:

    Mutual support, while still being one’s own person. Or, as this writer’s psychology professor friend put it:

    ❝Circling back to your original intention, this whole discussion adds up to: siblings can be very good or very bad for your life, depending on tons of things that we talked about, especially communication skills, emotional wellness of each person, and the complexity of challenges they face interdependently.❞

    Our previous main feature about good communication can help a lot:

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  • Podiatrists Debunk 11 Feet Myths

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Podiatrists Dr. Sarah Haller and Dr. Brad Schaeffer put us on a better path:

    Don’t get wrong-footed

    We’ll not keep the 11 myths a mystery; they are…

    1. “You have warts because your feet are dirty.”
      False! Warts are caused by a virus, not dirt. Viruses can be picked up from surfaces like yoga mats, pools, gyms, and showers.
    2. “Bunions are caused by wearing heels.”
      False! Bunions are genetic deformities where the bone behind the big toe shifts. Heels might worsen them but don’t cause them.
    3. “Cutting the sides of my toenail will prevent an ingrown toenail.”
      False! Toenails should be cut straight across. Cutting the sides can make ingrown toenails worse.
    4. “Pedicures gave me toenail fungus.”
      Partially true! You can get fungus from many places, but safe, sterile pedicures are generally fine.
    5. “Only athletes get athlete’s foot.”
      False! Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection caused by warm, moist environments. Anyone can get it, not just athletes.
    6. “My feet are fine because I trained them to walk in stilettos.”
      False! You can get used to stilettos, but they aren’t healthy long-term. They shorten the Achilles tendon and put pressure on the foot.
    7. “You can’t do anything for a broken toe.”
      False! Broken toes can be treated and should be checked by a doctor. They may need to be set for proper healing.
    8. “It’s normal for your feet to hurt from standing all day.”
      False! Foot pain isn’t normal and can be prevented with proper footwear, support, and compression socks.
    9. “All inserts are the same.”
      False! Everyone’s feet are different. Some may benefit from over-the-counter insoles, but others need custom orthotics.
    10. “Sprained ankles are no big deal.”
      False! Sprains can damage ligaments and lead to instability or arthritis if untreated. Proper stabilization is essential.
    11. “If I can walk after an injury, I don’t need to see a doctor.”
      False! You can still have serious injuries like fractures even if you can walk. Always get checked after an injury.

    For more on each of these, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Steps For Keeping Your Feet A Healthy Foundation

    Take care!

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  • 11 Minutes to Pain-Free Hips – by Melinda Wright

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    If hips don’t lie, what are yours saying to you? If what they’re saying to you sounds like a cry for help sometimes, this is the book to get you onto a better track.

    The hip is the largest joint in your body, and it bears a lot of weight. So it’s little wonder if sometimes they’d like a word with the boss. The question is: what will you do about it? Melinda Wright has suggestions to keep your hips—and you—happy.

    She spends the first couple of chapters introducing key concepts, and some anatomy and physiology that’ll be good to know.

    Then we’re into resistance stretching, basic hip exercises, all the way through to more advanced stuff. There are very clear photos for each. One thing that stands out about this book is each exercise is not just explained simply and clearly, but also offers “easing oneself in” exercises. After all, we’re not all at the same starting point.

    The book finishes off with some more holistic advice about chronic pain management, based on her personal experience with scoliosis, and some dietary tips to reduce joint pain and inflammation too.

    All in all, a very helpful book!

    Pick up 11 “Minutes to Pain-Free Hips” at Amazon today!

    ^You will also see options for pain-free back, and pain-free neck, by the same author

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  • Blood-Brain Barrier Breach Blamed For Brain-Fog

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Move Over, Leaky Gut. Now It’s A Leaky Brain.

    …which is not a headline that promises good news, and indeed, the only good news about this currently is “now we know another thing that’s happening, and thus can work towards a treatment for it”.

    Back in February (most popular media outlets did not rush to publish this, as it rather goes against the narrative of “remember when COVID was a thing?” as though the numbers haven’t risen since the state of emergency was declared over), a team of Irish researchers made a discovery:

    ❝For the first time, we have been able to show that leaky blood vessels in the human brain, in tandem with a hyperactive immune system may be the key drivers of brain fog associated with long covid❞

    ~ Dr. Matthew Campbell (one of the researchers)

    Let’s break that down a little, borrowing some context from the paper itself:

    • the leaky blood vessels are breaching the blood-brain-barrier
      • that’s a big deal, because that barrier is our only filter between our brain and Things That Definitely Should Not Go In The Brain™
    • a hyperactive immune system can also be described as chronic inflammation
      • in this case, that includes chronic neuroinflammation which, yes, is also a major driver of dementia

    You may be wondering what COVID has to do with this, and well:

    • these blood-brain-barrier breaches were very significantly associated (in lay terms: correlated, but correlated is only really used as an absolute in write-ups) with either acute COVID infection, or Long Covid.
    • checking this in vitro, exposure of brain endothelial cells to serum from patients with Long Covid induced the same expression of inflammatory markers.

    How important is this?

    As another researcher (not to mention: professor of neurology and head of the school of medicine at Trinity) put it:

    ❝The findings will now likely change the landscape of how we understand and treat post-viral neurological conditions.

    It also confirms that the neurological symptoms of long covid are measurable with real and demonstrable metabolic and vascular changes in the brain.❞

    ~ Dr. Colin Doherty (see mini-bio above)

    You can read a pop-science article about this here:

    Irish researchers discover underlying cause of “brain fog” linked with long covid

    …and you can read the paper in full here:

    Blood–brain barrier disruption and sustained systemic inflammation in individuals with long COVID-associated cognitive impairment

    Want to stay safe?

    Beyond the obvious “get protected when offered boosters/updates” (see also: The Truth About Vaccines), other good practices include the same things most people were doing when the pandemic was big news, especially avoiding enclosed densely-populated places, washing hands frequently, and looking after your immune system. For that latter, see also:

    Beyond Supplements: The Real Immune-Boosters!

    Take care!

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  • What will aged care look like for the next generation? More of the same but higher out-of-pocket costs

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Aged care financing is a vexed problem for the Australian government. It is already underfunded for the quality the community expects, and costs will increase dramatically. There are also significant concerns about the complexity of the system.

    In 2021–22 the federal government spent A$25 billion on aged services for around 1.2 million people aged 65 and over. Around 60% went to residential care (190,000 people) and one-third to home care (one million people).

    The final report from the government’s Aged Care Taskforce, which has been reviewing funding options, estimates the number of people who will need services is likely to grow to more than two million over the next 20 years. Costs are therefore likely to more than double.

    The taskforce has considered what aged care services are reasonable and necessary and made recommendations to the government about how they can be paid for. This includes getting aged care users to pay for more of their care.

    But rather than recommending an alternative financing arrangement that will safeguard Australians’ aged care services into the future, the taskforce largely recommends tidying up existing arrangements and keeping the status quo.

    No Medicare-style levy

    The taskforce rejected the aged care royal commission’s recommendation to introduce a levy to meet aged care cost increases. A 1% levy, similar to the Medicare levy, could have raised around $8 billion a year.

    The taskforce failed to consider the mix of taxation, personal contributions and social insurance which are commonly used to fund aged care systems internationally. The Japanese system, for example, is financed by long-term insurance paid by those aged 40 and over, plus general taxation and a small copayment.

    Instead, the taskforce puts forward a simple, pragmatic argument that older people are becoming wealthier through superannuation, there is a cost of living crisis for younger people and therefore older people should be required to pay more of their aged care costs.

    Separating care from other services

    In deciding what older people should pay more for, the taskforce divided services into care, everyday living and accommodation.

    The taskforce thought the most important services were clinical services (including nursing and allied health) and these should be the main responsibility of government funding. Personal care, including showering and dressing were seen as a middle tier that is likely to attract some co-payment, despite these services often being necessary to maintain independence.

    The task force recommended the costs for everyday living (such as food and utilities) and accommodation expenses (such as rent) should increasingly be a personal responsibility.

    Aged care resident eats dinner from a tray
    Aged care users will pay more of their share for cooking and cleaning.
    Lizelle Lotter/Shutterstock

    Making the system fairer

    The taskforce thought it was unfair people in residential care were making substantial contributions for their everyday living expenses (about 25%) and those receiving home care weren’t (about 5%). This is, in part, because home care has always had a muddled set of rules about user co-payments.

    But the taskforce provided no analysis of accommodation costs (such as utilities and maintenance) people meet at home compared with residential care.

    To address the inefficiencies of upfront daily fees for packages, the taskforce recommends means testing co-payments for home care packages and basing them on the actual level of service users receive for everyday support (for food, cleaning, and so on) and to a lesser extent for support to maintain independence.

    It is unclear whether clinical and personal care costs and user contributions will be treated the same for residential and home care.

    Making residential aged care sustainable

    The taskforce was concerned residential care operators were losing $4 per resident day on “hotel” (accommodation services) and everyday living costs.

    The taskforce recommends means tested user contributions for room services and everyday living costs be increased.

    It also recommends that wealthier older people be given more choice by allowing them to pay more (per resident day) for better amenities. This would allow providers to fully meet the cost of these services.

    Effectively, this means daily living charges for residents are too low and inflexible and that fees would go up, although the taskforce was clear that low-income residents should be protected.

    Moving from buying to renting rooms

    Currently older people who need residential care have a choice of making a refundable up-front payment for their room or to pay rent to offset the loans providers take out to build facilities. Providers raise capital to build aged care facilities through equity or loan financing.

    However, the taskforce did not consider the overall efficiency of the private capital market for financing aged care or alternative solutions.

    Instead, it recommended capital contributions be streamlined and simplified by phasing out up-front payments and focusing on rental contributions. This echoes the royal commission, which found rent to be a more efficient and less risky method of financing capital for aged care in private capital markets.

    It’s likely that in a decade or so, once the new home care arrangements are in place, there will be proportionally fewer older people in residential aged care. Those who do go are likely to be more disabled and have greater care needs. And those with more money will pay more for their accommodation and everyday living arrangements. But they may have more choice too.

    Although the federal government has ruled out an aged care levy and changes to assets test on the family home, it has yet to respond to the majority of the recommendations. But given the aged care minister chaired the taskforce, it’s likely to provide a good indication of current thinking.The Conversation

    Hal Swerissen, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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