Fairtrade

The Alford Fairtrade Group met via ZOOM on the 24th of September to discuss moving forward into 2021. Normally the run-up to Christmas would be a busy ti me for the group with coff ee mornings and sales of work. However, this year has turned out very diff erent with Covid putti ng a stop to many such acti viti es. And though it might seem all doom and gloom the group did fi nd some positi ve things to speak about.

Take a peek at the Fairtrade website (www.fairtrade.net) and you’ll see that the Fairtrade Relief Fund is helping farmers, producers and their communiti es across Africa, Asia-Pacifi c and the Americas cope with the impact of Covid crisis. With the help of these funds individuals and communiti es have pulled together to help one another during this terrible crisis.

In Ghana the Asunafo North Farmers Union Co-op provided funds for radio programmes to disseminate informati on on how to prevent the spread of the virus, and in Kenya the Machakos Coff ee Cooperati ve Union of 60,000 farmers were supplied with face masks and hand washing faciliti es. Good news indeed!

And though we won’t be having our usual Fairtrade ‘tables’ this year there’s sti ll ti me for you to buy that special gift . The Traidcraft website (www.traidcraft shop. co.uk) has plenty of gift s for the home and garden, gift s for special occasions including birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, Christmas! And it’s so easy; you can either order online or have a catalogue sent direct to your home. Finally, the Alford Fairtrade Group would like to thank everyone who has come to their sales, contributed and helped out at our stalls throughout the year, and conti nued to support Fairtrade by buying Fairtrade goods. If anyone would like to hear more about the group and what we do you can fi nd us on Facebook (Alford Fairtrade Group) or you can contact us via email at: alfordfairtradegroup@gmail.com

FairTrade News

Sakura Florist Winter Online Shop Now Open

• make your own wreath kits • door wreaths • gift flowers •graveside/memorial wreaths •wrapped bunches •garlands

“My back just went!”

So oft en we hear these words…

Many ti mes new pati ents come to us in agony, someti mes with excruciati ng back pain, someti mes even radiati ng down the leg (sciati ca), that all began aft er a really simple movement such as tying their shoe, bending down to pick up something they’ve dropped or turning their head quickly to hear someone calling at them.

So why does this happen? There can be many reasons, but in our experience it may very well be a case of “the straw that broke the camel’s back”. This is to say, a camel can carry many loads however there will be a breaking point where the camel cannot take one more piece of straw!

So how are our spines like a camel?

Well although some people may be developing a bit of a hump (!) that is not what we mean. The reality is, a lot of these pati ents who did something seemingly small and insignifi cant (but are now in agony) have a number of things in common: – A history of prolonged sitti ng (e.g. a desk-based job, lack of physical acti vity due to age or other commitments) – A more sedentary lifestyle – Poor posture – A period of increased stress levels or a long period of constant “low-grade” stress – Litt le “niggles” of discomfort over ti me that have been ignored

Our current lifestyles are not conducive 20 to having a healthy pain-free body! Imagine one day you do Advertorial something that you have done hundreds of ti mes before, maybe leaning over the sink, washing your hair, picking up a grandchild and BAM! Your body announces for all to hear that it has HAD ENOUGH.

So what could this pain mean? Perhaps you have sprained some joints and/or muscles in your back, perhaps if the pain is radiati ng into the leg then the disc may also be involved. Regardless of the exact physiological cause of the pain, there are some easy things you can do when this happens to ease the pain: 1. Reduce the infl ammati on by using an ice pack. An ice pack (or pack of frozen peas will also do!) placed on the area for 10 mins every hour will help reduce any infl ammati on in the area 2. Try to keep moving. Gone are the days of the recommendati on of bed rest for back pain! Try to keep walking around and don’t sit for longer than 30 mins at a ti me. The worst thing you can do with a back pain fl are up is stay sti ll for a long ti me. 3. Drink 2-4 litres of water per day. Dehydrati on may play a part in these types of problems, plus all that going to the toilet will help keep you moving! 4. Don’t Panic – seek a professional diagnosis and care as soon as you can. Then you can relax in the knowledge that you know what is wrong and you know the person who can help to make it bett er.

If you or a loved one needs some help with a new or ongoing pain issue – now is a great ti me to get in touch with us. We are off ering readers 50% off their fi rst visit to the clinic to see one of our expert Chiropractors or Osteopaths with this arti cle. Call 01330 824040 or email info@ banchoryspinalhealth.co.uk to book your New Pati ent Consultati on appointment (which includes a full assessment, a report of fi ndings and your fi rst treatment) for the incredible price of just £34 (usually £68) – let us know where you saw us!