Getting a good night’s sleep has a greater impact on our happiness than getting a significant pay rise.

That’s according to new research, which suggests the most content people feel well-rested “most of the time”.

The Living Well Index, created by leading researchers at Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social research, also found that health of relatives and feeling connected to the local community all impact our overall wellbeing.

However, sleep was found to have the largest impact by far, with getting enough shut-eye having a greater impact on happiness than a 50 percent raise.

Researchers asked a panel of more than 8,000 people questions relating to 18 topics, grouped into six major themes: community connections, finances, relationships, health, lifestyle and environment.

Participants were then given a “Living Well” score out of a possible 100, equating to the highest possible level of happiness and wellbeing.

The researchers concluded that the average person currently has a Living Well score of 62.2 out of a maximum of 100.

Those “living best” are defined as the 20 percent of the population with the highest scores – falling between 72 and 92.

By comparing the lifestyles and behaviours of those living best with the typical person, the index reveals the critical factors behind living well.

Income has surprisingly little impact on how we feel. For the typical person, a 50 percent rise in disposable income contributes to just a 0.5 point increase in their Living Well score.

In contrast, a good night’s sleep has the strongest association with how well we feel we are living. For the typical person, improving their sleep to the level of those who are living best would be equivalent to them having more than four times as much disposable income.

These were among the factors found to separate a typical person from those living best:

1. A Good Night’s Sleep: With a typical person only feeling rested after sleep ‘some of the time’, the research found that sleep quality can explain 3.8 points of difference between their Living Well score and those who are living best in the top 20 percent of the index.

2. Job Security: Among working people, 43 percent of those with the highest index scores experience a very high degree of job security, almost twice the national average.

3. Health of Close Relatives: For the typical person, worries about the health of close relations emerges as a significant barrier to living very well.

4. Community Connectedness: Stronger connections with the people we share a community with is an important factor for those who experience the highest quality of life.

(source: www.huffingtonpost.com.au)

Lateral ligament sprains of the ankle are one of the most common sports injuries, and because they are so common they are often managed too casually and many go untreated. From a clinical point of view the problem with a lateral ligament sprain of the ankle is that they have a very high incidence of recurrence. Gribble et al, 2016, Attenborough et al, 2015 and Tanen et al, 2014 (references can be supplied upon request), found 30-50% of the athletic population and 20% of the general population will go on to suffer from chronic ankle symptoms. These symptoms are often referred to as chronic ankle instability and include pain, swelling, laxity and instability.

The contributing factors to the development of chronic ankle instability include:

not seeking medical attention for the primary lateral ankle sprain; and returning to sport when pain has decreased but function has not been fully restored. The absence of pain does not mean that you are ready to return to sport. Decreases in strength, range of movement, proprioception and balance need to be restored.

Doherty et al, 2016 found that exercise therapy when performed in high doses (5 x 30 mins per week for six weeks) reduced the chances of recurrent lateral ligament sprains in the ankle by 42% and bracing/taping reduced the risk by 62%. It is currently recommended that you brace or tape your ankle for every game and training session for at least six weeks.

The decision to return to sport after a lateral ligament sprain should be based on strength, balance and hop tests rather than time or absence of pain.

For the fitness of you

Linda Reilly

Whether due to trauma or degenerative changes, a torn meniscus will often present with pain and swelling in the knee joint and difficulty straightening the knee. Sometimes there may also be a history of painful clicking or locking. Manual testing and MRI can confirm the diagnosis of a meniscus tear.

Whenever possible, physiotherapy is considered the first line of treatment when there are symptoms of a meniscal tear. This involves strengthening exercises, icing to reduce swelling and avoiding activities that put pressure on the joint such as pivoting, squatting or repetitive bending of the knee.

One of the main functions of the knee joint meniscus is to absorb shock. Luckily, the muscles around the knee also function as shock absorbers. Research has shown that as muscle strength around the knee increases bone stress decreases and therefore pain and dynamic stability improve.

If, after a few weeks of conservative management, pain and dysfunction are still present your doctor may recommend surgery.

This is usually day surgery and involves arthroscopic repair or removal of the torn piece of cartilage. As part of the recovery process the muscles around the knee must be strengthened in order to minimise secondary degenerative changes.

If osteoarthritis is also present in the affected knee, as is often the case with degenerative meniscus tears, surgical treatment may not provide the pain relief or return to optimal function normally expected of arthroscopic repair. In fact, the research indicates that arthroscopic surgery for this population offers no advantage over physiotherapy for relief of symptoms or improvement in function.

For the fitness of you.

Linda Reilly