Fitness

Have you ever gone to the doctor with any of the following symptoms?

- Overwhelming fatigue

- Muscle aches

- Vague abdominal pain

- Diarrhea or constipation

- Palpitations

- Shortness of breath

- Joint aches

Have any of these symptoms been accompanied by the following complaints?

- Sleep disturbances

- Appetite disturbances

- Memory and concentration difficulties

- Anxiety

- Loss of interest in usual activities

- Lack of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities

- Altered sex drive

Has your doctor done a thorough physical examination, followed by a battery of lab work and radiographic studies, only to tell you that everything is normal?

If this sounds familiar, you may be suffering from Multisomatoform Disorder (MSD). With this disorder patients suffer from three or more unexplained physical symptoms. Recent studies suggest that patients with MSD are at highest risk for an underlying depressive and/or anxiety disorder.

In a recent worldwide study of patients with diagnosed depression, over half of the patients reported multiple unexplained physical symptoms. Alone or in combination, Depression, Anxiety Disorder, or MSD can become debilitating.

If you are suffering from unexplained physical symptoms and feel anxious or sad, you need to see your physician to rule out the possibility of MSD, Depression, or Anxiety Disorder. Unexplained physical symptoms may be the warning signs of Depression, Anxiety Disorder, or MSD.

Remember, life is supposed to be enjoyed not endured.

Dr. Messina became a Board Certified Family Practitioner in 1985. He was in solo practice until 1994. He then helped form a group Family Practice in which he served as Vice President. He left group practice in 1997 and became the Medical Director of a Wellness Center. He was responsible for coordinating the efforts of nutritionists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, exercise physiologists, and Chinese medicine practitioners into integrated medical care plans that were individualized to the patient. He became the Medical Director of an independent clinical research facility in 2000. He has been the Principal Investigator in over 50 clinical trials involving osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, dry eye, migraine, and diabetes prevention. He has served as consultant to a nutritional company, and has formulated nutritional supplements.

Visit Dr. Messina’s website ==>http://Physicianformulated.com/

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If we look at fatigue as a factor in cramping then it makes sense to look at strategies that improve the amount of energy available to your muscles.

But where do you get the energy from and enough of it to prevent cramping? The answer is carbohydrates.

Sports drinks will always provide the best and most readily available source of carbohydrates.

But according to sports nutritionist Richard Renton, it’s the ones with added protein that are thought to have the advantage of improving carbohydrate conversion into glycogen by helping to elevate and maintain higher levels of insulin.

Renton agrees with the beneficial use of protein in sports drinks:
“Certainly as a trainer this has always been my experience and I also prefer my sports drinks to have added antioxidant vitamins (A,C and E) to reduce natural free radical damage that occurs in the muscles, B group vitamins for energy (they are involved in the energy production pathways) protein, minerals and additional electrolytes as well as natural caffeine for added energy and sustained performance.”

In terms of carbohydrate, the amount of carbohydrate intake for best performance should equal about 60 to 80 grams per hour and you can get this from a sports drink with around 4 to 6% carbohydrate solution. This equates to approximately 200 to 300 calories. Any more and you won’t get much more benefit.

The best way to get this carbohydrate will be, without doubt, from a sports drink and not from a gel. Gels will deliver a lot of carbohydrate but processing this heavy load will take longer and may cause an initial ‘dip’ in energy when you really need it and will require more water to help process it. Also, gels don’t typically contain many electrolytes so you’re missing out here as well.

Gels have their place, but more so on ultra-endurance events where you can carry extra water and have access to electrolyte drinks and when you’re totally ‘bonked’ to the point where you have to stop.

Carbohydrate Loading - Do You Really Need It

The general rule to maximizing your energy reserves is to increase your carbohydrate loading prior to any race or training session - and this is more important for activities lasting longer than 30 minutes.

Many athletes practise carbohydrate loading as a means to increase the body’s glycogen reserves and extend their endurance.

A true carbohydrate load protocol can be pretty hard on the body. In the week-long period before a race it calls for first severely depleting your reserves by consuming only around 10% carbohydrate of your total calories and conducting hard workouts for the first three days.

Then following this up by a series of light workouts for the next three days and boosting your total carbohydrate intake to 90%.

While this may have some benefits, it is only really suitable if you are performing in ultra-endurance events a few times during the year.

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide is one of the internet’s leading health information books and is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps associated with exercise. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again.

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In my role as an Alexander Technique Teacher I get asked almost every day “how to treat a stiff neck”. My answer usually comes as a surprise when I reply that I am not going to look at their neck and even try to treat it directly. Why? Well, first I check that they have sought medical advice to exclude any illness or conditions that may be the cause. If they have had the all clear then usually they are prescribed exercise or painkillers for a muscular condition. If this is the case then usually their stiff neck is not actually a direct problem with their neck - it’s their lifestyle. Is your life a pain in the neck?


To treat a stiff neck it is worth starting by looking for a simple solution first. You will be surprised just how many people find relief from their condition by changing their pillow. There are many specialist pillows on the market but before spending in excess of $60 for one of these, try a plump, soft pillow filled with feathers. Make sure the pillow supports your neck. Check your head is not tipped back if sleeping on your back, or below the level of your spine if on your side.


If you have exhausted the pillow solution without success take a look at your posture. Does your head either drop forward or is it pulled back when standing or sitting? In many cases your neck is stiff because muscles elsewhere are not doing their job properly. The muscles of your neck are then working harder to try to keep your head balanced. Efforts to reduce tension in the neck may be ineffective because the muscles cannot let go whilst your body is not supporting itself where it should be. Neck exercises may even make your condition worse because if you attempt to strengthen muscles that are already working too hard this will add more tension to your neck.


If your posture is poor your muscles will not be working together to support you as nature intended. Therefore any attempt to treat a stiff neck should take into account how you are using your body in your everyday activities. How you sit and your desk and in your car may account for a large percentage of your day. It is therefore important to not let your head drop forward putting stress on your neck muscles. Do not allow yourself to be sitting for hours on end - take a short break every twenty to thirty minutes and walk around for a few minutes. You have a number of options to improve your posture. The easiest and most enjoyable is to take up a gentle activity or sport where you can relax and not get stressed out competing. Your objective is to take a break from the pressures of work and/ or family commitments and let your body move freely to release muscular tension that has built up during the day.


Stress is a big contributor to stiff necks because the upper shoulder and neck muscles will contract when under stress. This only has to be slight to start to cause problems for the rest of your body because your head, weighing in at around 10 lbs, will be pulled off balance. Your body won’t topple over because your neck muscles will try to hold it back in place and create unnecessary stress in this area. Whilst it may be impossible to avoid stressful situations in today’s fast moving world, it is possible to learn how to not let yourself react by stiffening your neck in a tight corner.


The most effective way to improve posture and deal with stress is to learn The Alexander Technique. This will take both time and money but once you have learnt this invaluable skill it is yours for life! Visit www.alexandertechnique.com for advice on how to find a qualified teacher.


Note - I would advise you to seek a consultation with a qualified medical practitioner before treating your own neck to exclude more serious conditions.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called ‘The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise’ and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. More information can be found by clicking Stiff Neck.

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