NORDIC WALKING AND CERVICAL DYSTONIA

So, here lies a tale….

The lovely George, learned to Nordic Walk with me over a year ago. He had marked Kyphosis of the spine (curvature of the thoracic spine in the lung/rib region) & very quickly he was able to mark an improvement in his own posture. It happened whilst scouring the shelves of Morrisons of all places! Maybe its not such a bad store after all! Well done Ken!

Back to the tale….

George has a hearing impairment, so, often he walks but we don't manage a long dialogue. I do believe it was one week when we were walking alone together (it was probably raining and everybody else had wimped out) that he started telling me about his wife Joan & her challenge in life. The couple walk together every day in Boston Spa (at speed) but Joan was having increasing problems in doing so & George was turning into a full time carer for his wife as she had started to feel so vulnerable when venturing out. That situation had lead George to seek some escapism & time for himself & enrol as a Nordic Nomad. George wanted to know whether I thought that Nordic Walking might help his wife. I could only speak from a gut feeling but I did think that it would help, if only in getting her out and enabling her to feel more stable as a quadruped rather than a biped.

Joan (aged 70ish) has, for 12 years, suffered from cervical-dystonia. It is a little heard of, or indeed understood, medical condition characterised by the excessive pulling of the muscles in the neck & shoulder. In Joans' case, this pulling causes her to tilt her head to the side & forwards involuntarily, accompanied by a jerky/wobbly movement, a tremor. Her cervical spine would drop, to lie perpendicular to her thoracic spine & the posture made her look as if she were watching her grandchild walking along down behind her elbow. Can you imagine trying to walk an uneven footpath like that?

When I witnessed her walking at her most fatigued, she was slightly more distorted and tilted than the lady pictured here with 'Torticollis':

The most common form of treatment is the botulinum toxin (Botox). Injections in the dystonic (contracted) muscle of the neck serve to paralyse them. By disabling these antagonist muscles (the overtly contracted muscle which is causing the pull to one side) the agonist muscle is free to move. Joan had tried this treatment with limited relief. 

So, Joan came along to our group lessons to learn to Nordic Walk. At my suggestion, her husband came along for the ride. What a plucky woman, as if it isn't hard enough to learn a new skill at that age, she was battling with severe dystonia too. By this time in terms of pathophysiology, things had progressed so far that she could only walk for approximately 15 minutes before her neck started going into spasm & she had to use her free hand to support her chin & keep the head upwards, thus putting an even more marked distortion into her gait. This would be a challenge with Nordic poles in your hands!

Fortunately, we had quite a small, select, group, learning with her & everybody, like myself, was in awe of this lady & showered her with encouragement. She never uttered a word of complaint, true grit and determination shone through.

A year down the line & Joan has purchased her own poles & is walking over 5 miles (at ever increasing speeds) This week she even conquered the hilly circuit of Harewood & Emmerdale! This is a testing walk for the best of my clients!

Her head still shows a tendency to drop forward but this is very much reduced & her overall posture has shown a marked improvement. She still takes her neck collar out for a walk (it isn't dissimilar to the collars used for treating whiplash) it just acts to support her head when she is no longer able to hold it upright. The condition varies on a daily basis so she remains feeling a little vulnerable in case things deteriorate unexpectedly whilst walking but it would appear that the arm action used for Nordic Walking confuses the brain & associated nerves. The walking action & employment of the shoulder & neck muscles, seems to nullify the work of the antagonist muscles or it stimulates the agonist muscles enough to pull things back into line. 

Nordic Walking has enabled Joan to re-engage with a much loved outlet in life, previously walking was employed primarily as a means to keep fit but now it has become much more of a pleasurable experience which had been taken away from her. George still enjoys his escapism & 'girly time' on my ladies walks. He is, at this moment in time, our honorary man and very popular for it! 

BIKE_RUN TRANSITION PRACTICE IN BILBROUGH.

Bike to Run Transition with Son & Sun! by Nordic-Nomad at Garmin Connect - Details

Interesting work out of the day!

Well, the bike was a cinch compared to the weekends intense bike training (50/35mile) in the wind. Just a half hour pedal wasn't an issue. I think the villagers must have decided that I was even more eccentric than before, as I circled Bilbrough waiting for my half hour to clock up so that son (the bigger but shorter one!) was definitely ready and waiting to run. You know what young men can be like with timings, especially when they are metrosexual and going to make a rare public appearance!! The hair takes time!

So I lapped Harriet 3 times while circling the village awaiting for the final 6 minutes to dissolve away.  I wanted the experience a truly representative transition practice with all the pain & discomfort that I have heard so much about!

I've never tried this before but heard all the gory details of legs that try spinning like Billy the Whizz instead of just pounding the tarmac as per usual..

However, I must be one of the lucky few who are built for it. Or am I?? 100 yards in & my legs feel like lead as the blood pools in the calves & they wouldn't drive forward. Even as we hit the hill, where I normally have to hold back & reel myself in, I watched the Son (the stocky sporty one not the couch potato) easing away from me as he floored it down the hill. 10 minutes more & it eased off & I started to close the gap on him again until the inevitable 'Bush Break'. Why does that happen?

And then as if to taunt me, just as I caught up with him, I made the mistake of coughing (sorry Ian its still there) on hearing me, seeing me, feeling me, he opened up the gas again for a last burn up the hill to home.

Now lets go do it again on the Taddy course over the weekend!

One weekend to go and feeling truly ill prepared and exhausted after a simple, low mileage transition practice. Watch this space.

NORDIC NOMADS WEEKLY UPDATES

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THIS QUARTERS CHARITY This quarters featured charity is Cancer Research courtesy of Fanny. We have all been touched by watching friends and family members fighting this disease and so I am sure that you will all want to support her in raising funds for this worthy cause. Fanny is going to destroy the Yorkshire 3 Peaks on June 11th & as if that isn't a big enough challenge, she is terrified of heights & its her Birthday to boot! Here she is, rightfully looking really chuffed after putting her fear of heights to the test by practicing on Ingelborough. Please support Cancer Research UK and Fanny by donating to her Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Fanny-Watson CLICK & DONATE:

Next Week's Walks: MON 28th April 10am - 2pm NW: Brandsby/Yearsley 10 - 12 Mile Training Walk (see below for details) WED 30th April 10am - 11:45am NW: Bolton Percy (venue details listed below) LAPTOP TRAUMAS:  Sadly, due to a corrupted email sent out by Virgin, I have been having terrible problems with my email system & at present I cannot access any emails sent to me before 13th April. Over the next few days, if you need to contact me & I am not responding to emails, then please try texting or ringing me. I will have to use my phone to access emails until it is sorted (hence sending this weekly email out so early)  TERMLY PAYMENT: Please note that there will be no walks on Monday 5th May but I am replacing it with one on Tuesday 6th at 9:30 instead for those of you who can't make the Wednesday (please do let me know if you intend to join in though or I may not turn up!) The present set of sessions comes to an end on Wednesday 7th. The new term starts w/c 12th May. So, please make sure that you have cheques or cash for £64 with you that week. NEW CALENDAR: I will soon be sending out the new calendar of planned walks, once my laptop is sorted. This will cover May through to the end of July when we break for summer. NEXT WEDNESDAYS MEETING POINT:  Next Wednesday we are meeting in Bolton Percy. Just outside the village on the North side (on the right if coming from Tad & on the left if coming from York/North) there is a sign for a Bed & Breakfast down a gravel track.  Please park on the grass verge down this track.   BIKINI FIT: Sadly there hasn't been adequate interest in this series to make it worth while running. However, if you wish to use me as your Personal Trainer or get your owwn group together to have sessions in your own home then I delighted to oblige. BLOG: I now have an online BLOG (Gilly Goat) This is like a running commentary on life, health, exercise, equipment & our exploits on the Nordic Walks. You can access the Blog using the link below. The next is now out and details my first fun in Greece! It proved to be almost as comical as Sarah and Louise's experiences on the Camino! http://gillygoat.blogspot.co.uk   NEXT TRAINING WALK: Monday 28th April  10:00 - 2pm The next extended walk had been planned for a trip to Fountains Abbey with the Richmond group. Sadly we have had to put this on hold until late June so I have planned a 10 mile walk up around Yearsley/Brandsby/Gilling area next week. I hope that you are a;; able to make it & we will aim to have lunch and Y3P update in Crayke or Easingwold afterwards (The venue depends upon which eateries are open on a Monday) I will research before next week. Please can we meet in Brandsby at 10am where the roads from Crayke (Bradsby Road) and Easingwold ( B1363) meet.  SECOND HAND KIT FOR SALE: I have 2 clients wishing to sell their 'brand new' (used twice) poles & shoes. Please let me know if you are interested & I will put you in touch with the seller. SALOMON X ULTRA SHOES: The shoes (pictured) are in size 7 & a Pewter colour. They were £60 when bought new in March and now available for just £40. They appear to come up quite small for a 7 as several other clients have experienced this problem too. So they may suit you if you are a 6 or 6.5. LEKI SPEED PACER VARIO POLES (100-120): As we all know to our cost, these carbon poles (in grey/red) are NOT cheap. They retail at £120. This pair have been used 3 times and are available to you for just £60 Y3P CHALLENGE UPDATE/CHAT: Monday 28th April Venue to follow: After Mondays walk at Yearsley/Brandsby, we will have an update/chat about any issues that have arisen for you since our last meeting and plans for map reading sessions using compass' like the one pictured.  MAP READING SESSIONS: I will be organising a session for map skills and navigation during May for ANYBODY interested. Especially those who get lost while in Sainsburys. Not mentioning any names here! Mind you, I can hardly talk after our little expedition in Pateley!

NORDIC NOMADS GOES GREEK STYLE!

So, things have clearly changed since I was in Greece 30 years ago!

In 2014, my first experience of Greek 'hospitality' was the 'Skinny Dark Awkward Europcar One' (aka Mr Bean) arguing with the 'One Eyed Troll' (aka Billy Goat Gruff) over who was driving the guests to the car depot! It was so animated! Admirable! They must have burned at least 3,000 calories between them in the process! Scary times for your mute English woman. This felt like world war 3!!

On arriving at 'Europcar Central' (I have to admit it was the most beautiful drive ever, with wild flowers galore & poppies of a blood red intensity mimicking crimson velvet! Stunning….

However, it all paled into insignificance when 'Billy Goat Gruff' hacked into the deeper psyche of 'The Hairy Business Greek' (aka Richard Branson) & another Greek salad of conflict developed.

At this point, I turned to my fellow Brit at the check in counter & passed comment:

"A really happy work environment then?!…. NOT!"

He smiled & laughed it off as being not too dissimilar to his place of work at Landrover UK! Love it!

Poor Billy Goat Gruff drew the short straw & had to fill in the 'colour by numbers' form, detailing the dents on my shot blasted, outgoing car, before handing over the keys!! It would suffice to say, there was more blue ink than white paper at the end of 'colour with mother' session!

Off I went, repeatedly pulling myself back into the right hand lane. "You're in Greece now young lady!" but I soon realised that this was fairly irrelevant in Greece! The mode of action is:

"If there is a double white line down the middle of the road, then its time to over take! If you choose to bite the bullet & await the best time ever, its when there's a car coming in the opposite direct, straddling the very same white line! For this, you get even more bonus points!" Its  a 'Greek Footloose' all over again, 30 years too late!

However, it was the most stunning 5 hour drive from Athens to Paleros on the west coast of Greece.  I hadn't realised that Greece had so many deep gorges, cliffs, mountains and meadows of beautiful flowers. Its a beautiful country with an ever changing landscape. Watch this space ladies & gents, here we come on an all singing, all dancing, Nordic Walking holiday in the not too distant future.

On our arrival in the metropolis that is Paleros (which amounts to the size of a small Boston Spa) I was accosted by a local Greek waif striding down the street in a Nordic Nomads Hoodie! How very dare he!! But hang on a minute…maybe I should be feeling pride that my fame has stretched thus far!

Alas, before I had time to question my feelings further, I realised it was just my tanned best friend walking down the street to greet me. Clearly he had abused the Greek sun mote than he had tried to impress upon me in his earlier emails.

The first evening entailed a visit to 'Tomorrow's' the local Greek 'TABEPNA'….Yes, sadly for years, I went under the misguided impression that this was how One pronounced 'Taverna'.  I now know more about the intricacies of the Greek alphabet & hieroglyphics!

Dionysus (The Greek God of wine, parties and festivals of madness, chaos, drunkeness, drugs & ecstasy: aka Arthur) Arthur greeted us in his blue Gingham Tim Lewin shirt & brogues (boy things have changed in Greece!) And by the way, when did Greek men learn English? I am sorry but this just doesn't hang together for me! Did I take a wrong turning in Athens?

Not only that but Arthur managed to conduct a discourse with me in Swedish! Now that does put us Brits to shame doesn't it? Greece for me, has always been with Dimitri, using monosyllabic words & gestures to describe Greek salads, kebabs & Moussaka!

What ever! The food was even better than my goldfish brain recalled. We started with the local grilled cheese. It was creamy but crusty with a little touch of rubber at the same time. Weirdly wonderful! Following swiftly on, we ploughed through the Lamb Stifado with a very nice Greek wine to wash it all down. Was it the Greek Wine or the utter exhaustion,  I don't know but it melted on the tongue without any of that typical lamb, fatty, aftermath that we suffer at home. This was utterly divine. Did I REALLY do that? Did I really eat lamb? Please don't let on!

Lamb Stifado aka: Bandits Lamb

My boys have been weaned on the fact that mother says: 

"I don't like lamb, its far too lamby" 

….but this tender, succulent concoction was from another world!

And then there was more…more lamb, more wine & more Greek dancing……

Its called 'Tomorrows'…..

HAY FEVER HELP!

After this long winter, many of us are welcoming the end of March with open arms. We’re eager for the sun, warmer temperatures, and the longer days signaling that spring has finally arrived. Unfortunately, for many of us, this time of year also signals the arrival of seasonal allergies.

The dreaded Oil Seed Rape at
Cowthorpe last year! 

Seasonal allergies can make life miserable for those who suffer from them, causing itchy eyes, runny noses, and constant sneezing fits. These reactions are often caused by the explosion of pollen produced by budding trees, flowers and moulds, causing our bodies to produce histamines that “attack” the pollen and clear it out of our systems.

The conventional treatment for spring allergies consist of anti-histamines to calm our overworked immune systems, as well as steroid nose sprays to help clear the nasal passages of inflammation and any offending particles. However, these can cause side effects, including marked drowsiness, lethargy, headaches, tremors, arrhythmia & shortness of breath, which won’t make you feel any better.

Thankfully, there are a number of natural remedies you can turn to when the pollen count gets too high to handle:

Barriers: This is similar to the old fashioned way of plugging your nose with vaseline! The pollen gets trapped in the barrier cream in the outside area of the nasal passages & prevents the allergens entering the body in the first place!

Saline Solutions/Neti Pot: With allergies, there is nasal obstruction and inflammation. When normal clearance of mucus becomes obstructed, it leads to retention of mucus within the sinus cavities. Saline nasal sprays or nasal irrigation (which looks like a weapon of torture to me!) can help free your nasal passages & lessen inflammation of the mucous membranes. This all-natural solution allows allergy sufferers to wash allergens out of nasal passages with a saline solution made from lukewarm distilled water. Because the active ingredients are simply gravity and salt water, there is no risk of dependency or overdose, so the process can be repeated as many times as necessary. 

There are also several 'natural' saline solutions that you can buy in spray form for easier use & they can be carried in the pocket too. 

Stinging Nettles: Stinging nettle, a common weed in a large part of the United States, acts as a natural anti-histamine without the harsh side effects of many prescription or OTC allergy medication. You can take it as a capsule or drink it as a tea. If you’re handling the plant itself, just make sure to wear gloves—it isn’t called “stinging” for nothing!

Probiotics: Allergies are a result of your immune system attacking pollen as if it is a virus or bacteria, and becoming quickly overloaded. By strengthening your immune system with probiotics, you are helping to prevent it from becoming overwhelmed when the pollen count explodes.

Qu-Chi Band: As quoted many times last year, I always use this band & can get away without using anything else on most days of the summer now. The Qu-Chi band apples pressure to the L1-11 point on the arm. Accupuncturists believe that this point can be used to help alleviate symptoms of allergic rhinitis.  

Eat Local Honey: Buzzzzz…. While this may not have scientific backing, I know many people that have had success with this method. The idea is to ingest the types of pollen that make you have an allergic reaction when inhaled, allowing your body to slowly develop immunity. Remember that the more local the honey is, the better, as it’s more likely to match the allergens you experience on a daily basis. 'The Good Life' in Wetherby sell several local varieties & the lovely 'Leggy Jane' is setting up her own hives too, so hopefully she will be able to supply you too next summer!