Flannery’s Pharmacy will be hosting a Bone Density Clinic in-store on Wednesday, 29th August.

Your bones are living tissues that are both flexible and strong. They act to support and move your body, protect your organs, create white and red blood cells and to store essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Throughout your life your bones are always changing and remodelling. You can think of it like a bank account, into which you make deposits and withdrawals.

“Osteoporosis occurs when too little bone is formed, too much bone is lost, or a combination of both occurs,” said Tracey Edwards, Pharmacist at Flannery’s Pharmacy.

“When this happens your bones become more brittle and can fracture more easily,” said Tracey. “Ideally, you will have made more ‘deposits’ than ‘withdrawals’ during your early years to create the strongest bones possible”.

Risk factors for osteoporosis include increasing age, being female (especially post menopausal), a family history of osteoporosis and/or a history of fractures as an adult. Lifestyle risk factors include low dietary calcium intake, low vitamin D intake, low levels of physical activity, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and low or excessive body weight.

“The heel ultrasound test offered by the pharmacy is a screening test that gives a snapshot of your bone health,” said Tracey.

“Screening tests alone cannot accurately diagnose osteoporosis but they can be used in conjunction with your personal risk factors so that you and your GP can decide which course of action is best for you”.

If you would like an appointment for the Bone Density Clinic, please call instore or phone Flannery’s Pharmacy on 6852 1111.

Cost is $20 and bookings are essential.

Being active doesn’t just make you feel good, it is good for you. The list of benefits is long and sweeping as almost on a daily basis, scientists identify new health perks of regular physical activity.

To make exercise part of your routine you need to prioritise and commit.

Start small: Think about your current fitness level and start with something achievable, but slightly challenging.

Aim to be active for 20 to 30 minutes per day. If you want to do more, gradually increase the duration.

Make it a non-negotiable: Rather than viewing exercise as a ‘nice to have’, treat it like any other element of your daily routine.

Like having a shower, eating breakfast and going to work – you don’t really think about it, you just do it.

Set a goal: Having an exercise goal to work towards, such as a fun run, gives your training focus. Plus, you’ll enjoy a real buzz crossing the finish line of an event you’ve dedicated time working towards.

Find a buddy: Having a friend to meet regularly and train alongside keeps you accountable, provides a social aspect to your activity and means you can motivate and support each other on tougher days.

It’s too cold: There’s no such thing as bad weather if you’re prepared for it. Cooler weather actually provides the best conditions for exercise. You only get cold if you’re standing still.

It’s too hot: In really hot conditions think about taking your activity indoors, or choose to get your exercise via a refreshing swim.

By Claire Burke

Within the normal knee joint are two C shaped discs of cartilage called the medial and lateral menisci. They have a unique wedged, kidney shape and a blood supply only to their outer third which decreases as you age. Almost 70% of each meniscus is made up of water. These unique properties allow the knee to function as well as it does but they are also the reason why meniscus tears are one of the most common knee joint injuries.

The wedge shape of your meniscus assists with the rotational stability that is created by the anterior cruciate ligament especially during pivoting movements. The large water content allows them to act like a shock absorber. As you walk, jump or run the knee absorbs large forces with the amount of force increasing exponentially as the speed of movement increases. Your meniscus helps to disperse these compressive forces over the whole knee therefore minimizing the damage to the cartilage that lines the bone surfaces.

Meniscal tears are often classified as either traumatic or degenerative. In the younger population, meniscus tears are usually due to trauma by twisting on a slightly bent knee.

The traumatic type of meniscal injuries is most often sports related. Commonly there is pain and a ‘pop’ is heard. The knee joint swells and occasionally the athlete will report a locking or painful clicking sensation.

Degenerative tears occur in the older population due to natural age-related degeneration and often the person is unaware of the cause of pain and swelling.

Stay tuned for my next column which will address the management and rehabilitation for the torn meniscus.

For the fitness of you,

Linda Reilly

This year during Dental Health Week (6 to 12 August), the Australian Dental Association (ADA) is reminding everyone to #WatchYourMouth, in the light of the latest national survey conducted by the association that showed Australians are not prioritising their oral health.

It follows the launch earlier this year by the ADA of Australia’s Oral Health Tracker which was developed in response to data showing that just over 52 percent of Australians are only brushing once a day instead of the recommended twice daily and nearly two in five (38 percent) never floss or clean in between their teeth. Australians also need more regular dental check-ups, with 69 percent only going to the dentist when they have a problem.

This is especially concerning given the fact that tooth decay is Australia’s most common disease, with one in five adults having untreated tooth decay and one in five also have gum disease, with oral cancer rates also on the rise.

To help combat these figures, Dental Health Week 2018 is stressing these four key tips for good oral health:

• Brush twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste

• Clean in between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes

• Eat a healthy diet, limit sugary foods and drinks

• Visit your dentist regularly

ADA President, Dr Hugo Sachs said Dental Health Week is an opportunity for people to take a look and learn more about why a healthy mouth is so important. “Good oral health is vital to good overall health, so watching your mouth will help maintain your general wellbeing. Watching your mouth means brushing and flossing, eating a healthy diet, lowering our sugar and alcohol intake, stopping smoking and seeing your dentist for regular check-ups. These good habits will greatly reduce the risk of oral disease.”

Ask your dentist about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule to access benefits for basic dental services (capped over two years).

The benefits include check-ups, X-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Your child may be eligible if they are aged 2 to 17; they are eligible for Medicare, and you or your child are getting Family Tax Benefit Part A or certain other government payments.

When you think about how much we use our hands especially when playing ball sports, it’s not hard to understand why hand and finger injuries are so common.

Most of these injuries heal spontaneously, which is why they are often neglected by athletes. Many people don’t seek help until it is too late for effective treatment. However, an early, accurate diagnosis to identify potentially serious injuries can prevent long term functional impairment and deformity.

Knowledge of the mechanism of injury or how the injury happened can also help with an accurate diagnosis. A punching injury often results in a fracture to one of the metacarpal bones, commonly the base of the fifth metacarpal. A direct blow to the point of the finger often causes a dislocation or sprain of one of the finger joints. Sometimes the finger flexor tendon can pull a plug of bone off its attachment causing an avulsion fracture. This most commonly involves the ring finger and occurs when a player grabs an opponent’s clothing during a tackle.

As a general rule of thumb, if there is any deformity present, either with the hand open or closed, persistent swelling or any of the hand or finger joints don’t move as they should, it is important to have the injury checked out by a professional. Some fractures may require surgery, some immobilisation or splinting. Sprains or dislocations may require swelling management with ice or an oedema glove and exercises to prevent loss of range of motion.

An early diagnosis and appropriate management can prevent a lifetime of deformity and loss of function.

For the fitness of you,

Linda Reilly