I bought a new pair of trainers yesterday! So what you might ask? Well I went to Soultasia in Bushey last night, and had no ankle or knee pain at all, despite having done an hour in the gym. I am plagued by ankle and knee pain, sobeing on my feet for four hours with no pain is a good thing. My old trainers had worn out and weren't providing proper support, meaning I was starting to see the return of chronic knee pain and ankle pain. Now it is not just the trainers, I get custom made insoles for them, which provides arch support. It works. I always look for a non pharmacutical solution, if I can. I am not an idiot, when my urologist said I needed a radical prostatectomy, I had one. But I will always try a non medical solution first. Now none of this is medical advice. See your doctor first! But these work
1. Ankle and knee pain. As mentioned, I get ASICS trainers, which have the best support and I get custom made insoles. This almost cures it for six months until the trainers wear out. I was told in 2009 I needed new knees. I played football for another eleven years and even now I am keeping the surgeon at bay.
2. Chronic back pain. In 2005, I had an MRI and it was found that I had fractured my spine and where the bone healed, there was a spur of bone pressing on the nerve that runs down. It was causing intense sciatic pain. I was told I needed an operation, that meant 12 weeks in hospital on my back and had a 20% risk of paralysis. I asked if there were any other options. The surgeon said "You could try physiotherapy", but with this level of problem, I think you need an operation. I said I'd try physio. I was given 22 sessions of massage and manipulation. I also was given a series of exercises that I do until this day. I have constant pain but 95% of the time it is at a manageable level. 2-3 out of 10. When it gets worse, I do the stretches and it improves. Some things, like standing still in one place make it worse. I avoid this.
3. Thyroid problems. In November, I was advised that my thyroid hormone levels were out of the normal range and rising. I had also let myself go, My weight had ballooned to nearly 18 stone. I set out on a regime of fasting, dieting and exercise. I read up on the condition and found that it could be caused by low selenium levels. So I also started eating brazil nuts every day. Now it is back in the normal range.
4. Acid reflux. This has plagued me for decades. I am prescribed omnaprazol, but I've found that if I don't drink alcohol and don't eat fatty foods or pastry/dough, I don't get it. Eating after 6pm is also a bad thing. So I only take the omnaprazol on days where I am breaking the rules.
5. Immunity issues. In 2000, I got really ill. The doctor did tests, including an HIV test, that was negative. There was no explanation. Eventually we discussed diet. I was not eating meat at the time, I hadn't for 16 years. He then suggested that it could be a vitamin b deficiency. He told me to go and have a liver dinner. I did this and all of the problems disappeared. I know several other men who have had the same problem and the same solution worked. I now have liver at least once every six months. I like it, so it is not a problem.
6. Obesity. As I mentioned, in November last year, I was obese, with a BMI of over 35, Now I am just fat! It is under 30. I have been following a 5-2 fasting diet, doing an 18 hour fast on two days a week. I also limit my drinking to 3-4 days a week. It works. I've not gone down the Ozempic route, although most of my friends think I have. I also eat less most other days.
7. Depression and Anxiety. When I was 13, I suffered massive anxiety issues. I know (and this is self diagnosis) put this down to seeing my Mum go through cancer when I was eight and being told she'd die and I'd be put in the orphanage! I believe the experiences caused PTSD. When I was fourteen, I discoverd punk rock music. The anxiety issues abated. They still resurface. When I was 24, a mate suggested I try yoga and meditation. It works. I am not doing Yoga at the moment, my knees wont take it but I do meditate. Playing the guitar and being in a band also helps.
8. Dyslexia. I am dyslexic. Until I was 12 I'd never read a book. I was always bottom of the class. I was only diagnosed when I was 33. My problem is mainly that I cannot process a word unless it is descriptive of an object. So a word like apple is easy to process. However to this day, a word like noun, which simply describes an item of language means nothing to me. I've still no idea what a noun is. I can look it up, but I will almost instantly forget it. Three things made me able to cope and develop a strategy to get by. These were things I developed myself. The first was when I started writing songs and poetry, aged 14. I realised that I had to have a larger vocabulary. I also started to appreciate the feeling of words. The second thing was that I had an English teacher who hated my guts. At Finchley Catholic High School, my physics teacher John Shuttler was very much a mentor. I discussed this with him. He said "If you fail, she wins. If you want to piss her off, pass". A light came on and I worked my socks off. To mine and everyone elses amazement, I passed an English Language O level. The third thing, which I thank my mum for, is that I've always read comics. Having pictures and words together helped me join up the synapses in my brain.
9. Cancer. Now if you have cancer, follow the doctors advice. However, there is one aspect of cancer that they don't tell you. It is as much a mental illness as a physical one. It is mentally devastating. At times, I've not been able to cope and have been awful to live with. I found that the normal mechanism I used to deal with anzxiety didn't work, such as meditation. I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't do silence. I had to fill my brain with positivity. That is why my band have been so much more active in the last three years. Making music, writing new songs lifted me from the torpor. It is just an ill fitting sticking plaster, but it is all I have.
10. Erectile issues. I had my prostate removed. I was told that there was a 50 percent chance that after I had surgery, I'd never have another erection. This didn't fill me with happiness and I almost refused surgery. After the operation, I saw a specialist mens health physiotherapist. He explained to me the mechanics, and suggested I use a vacuum pump, to improve blood flow. He said use it every day. This stops atrophy of the blood vessels. Many men do not understand that it is very much a question of maintaining blood flow in that region. For me, this is still a work in progress, but I do have a degree of normal function, without using medication. I do take pills sometimes, but to be honest, they make me feel weird and I prefer not to. Men should discuss these things.
And a final bonues remedy. Did you know that when you sing, it improves your mood and raises your seratonin levels. The reason is that it increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. That is why, when you sing along with a band at a gig, you feel euphoric. I learned this through singing with my band. It is odd how few people realise this. This is why I also think that churches should only choos hymns that you can belt out. That way everyone gets happy!
And I will leave you with a song that makes me very happy, when I sing it and when I listen to it
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