Don't do this at home

....slip in the shower and give your ribs a nasty whack. 10 days on and it's still ouch. The only remedies - Cuprofen, a stiff vodka and some TLC.

Then there's this at Net Doctor. I wasn't attacked but the prognosis is the same.

This maybe of help to others with a similar predicament.

How can I tell whether my ribs are cracked or not?

I was assaulted about one month ago. Initially my whole chest had bruises. The bruises are gone now, but one month later the sides of my chest are tender to the touch, slightly below my armpits.

I can breath normally, however I am now concerned that my ribs have been cracked and this wasn't picked up by the hospital.

Answer

I'm sorry to hear about your attack, but I hope I will be able to put your mind at rest about this.

From what you tell me, it is quite possible that you did indeed suffer a bruised, cracked or even broken rib when you were assaulted, but as far as your health is concerned you do not need to worry.

If a rib is cracked, or even broken but not displaced, that means it is not out of position and likely to stick into and damage your lung, then it is held in place and naturally splinted buy the other ribs and muscles around it.

Initially it is very painful to breath deeply, or cough or sneeze, but this gradually settles over a period of three to four weeks until there is just some local tenderness at the site of injury. It sounds as if this is what has happened to you.

Even if you did suffer a cracked or broken rib, and this had been detected at the hospital by an X-ray, they would not have done anything else about it.

Strapping the chest relieves pain but restricts lung movement and is not a good idea, so all they would have done would be to give you some painkillers and an explanation.

I guess it would have been nice to know, so you wouldn't be worrying now.

There is no need to go and have X-rays now, as from a medical point of view nothing further would be done.

However, if there is likely to be some legal action as a result of your assault - for example, you were in a position to sue your attackers for injury - then evidence of a broken rib on an X-ray would strengthen your case.

This would still be visible for some weeks as there would be evidence of healing on an X-ray. But you would obviously need legal advice before going to this trouble.

I think you will find that it may be six to eight weeks before all signs of your injury can be completely forgotten - but you will be fine after that and as good as new!

Yours sincerely

Dr Keith Barnard, GP

A touch of Birthday humour

More media coverage

Managed to get into the latest issue of Focus. This is the quarterly magazine from Breast Cancer Campaign

The printing is a bit on the small side (so click the image to enlarge) and highlights my exploits in Tanzania in February. More on this here

If you live in the West Midlands...........

........then you are more likely to be overweight according to an article in today's Daily Mail. Other "fatty" areas in the UK are Lincolnshire and the area surrounding Blackpool. Of course, us slender things in sophisticated London don't suffer from being overweight. We're far too in to those "superfoods" everyone's going on about.

Is really is a load of old nonsense isn't it. Firstly, BMI is no longer used as a guide to obesity as everybody is different and one's bones and muscle can vary in weight. Secondly, overall health should encompass lifestyles ( personally, I'd rather have a life) and stress levels, the latter, of course, is likely to be far higher within the M25.

Slow down you move too fast!

What an amazing post this is!
A "newbie" blogger by the name of Joanna Young from Edinburgh, has highlighted a very modern problem.
Don't know about you but I'm always buzzing around doing stuff. I know I must slow down, relax a bit more and so on. I've recently taken up yoga again and have toyed with the idea of some meditation.
What do you do to slow down?

clipped from coachingwizardry.typepad.com Do you feel like you're rushing all the time? If so, you might not be imagining it. There's a story in the papers today on the pace of life in the world's cities. And it's 10% faster in 2007 than it was in the early 1990s. The study is based on the speed that pedestrians walk at - which they say is a good measure of the pace of life in a city. Going so much faster is not good news. They reckon that people in fast moving cities are less likely to help other people and have higher rates of coronary heart disease. The fastest moving city is Singapore - where they take 10.55 seconds to walk 60ft. New York comes in at number 8 - slower than Dublin would you believe. Edinburgh was reassuringly slow at 13.29 seconds. You can find out the pace of life in your city here. If you think you might be going too fast you can take the Quirkology test (by the guys that did the pace of life project).

10 top tips for maintaining a healthy weight

Whilst I'm on the subject of maintaining a healthy weight, I've decided to post 10 top tips from the Cancer Research UK website. There's tons of good advice here. When you read down the list I'm sure you'll see things that we could all do better. Like the one about watching TV whilst eating!!!

1. Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day, whether this is two or five times a day. For more information, go to our Eating Habits section.
2. Go reduced fat. Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings where you can. Use them sparingly as some can still be high in fat. For more information, go to our Hidden Calories section.
3. Walk off the weight. Walk 10,000 steps (about 60-90 minutes of moderate activity) each day. You can use a pedometer to help count the steps. You can break up your walking over the day. For more information, go to our Walking section.
4. Pack a healthy snack. If you snack, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps. For more information, go to our Healthy Meal Ideas section.
5. Look at the labels. Be careful about food claims. Check the fat and sugar content on food labels when shopping and preparing food. For more information, go to our Look at the Labels section.
6. Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate (except vegetables). Think twice before having second helpings. For more information, go to our Portion Caution section.
7. Up on your feet. Break up your sitting time. Stand up for ten minutes out of every hour. For more information, go to our Keep on Moving section.
8. Think about your drinks. Choose water or sugar-free squashes. Unsweetened fruit juice contains natural sugar so limit it to 1 glass per day (200ml / 1/3 pint). Alcohol is high in calories; try to limit the amount you drink. For more information, go to our Hidden Calories section.
9. Focus on your food. Slow down. Don’t eat on the go or while watching TV. Eat at a table if possible. For more information, go to our Eating Habits section.
10. Don’t forget your 5 a day. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (400g in total). For more information, go to our Five a Day section.

Women and cancer

Last night, I posted a link here about women and breast cancer. In today's Times Online, David Rose writes about the threat to women from cancer brought about by elevated blood sugar.

As ever, there are a few lines about how one can reduce the risk of contracting life threatening diseases like cancer.

“And the good news is that it is possible to reduce your blood sugar levels by eating a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and maintaining a healthy weight.

“We know that up to 40 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented by this type of healthy lifestyle, so this is just another reason for people to make those small changes that could make a big difference.”

Bad Cholesterol, Good Cholesterol

In recent weeks I've undergone my annual health check-up. The "bad" ldl level could have been slightly better, so consequently one has to consider the long-term possibility of the need to take statins. Or so we are told. These are, apparently, being dished out like Smarties. Look, I'm not having a dig at my GP or the medical profession as a whole, but having read the recent Daily Mail article, I think one ought to be cautious.

What's your experience of your GP? Good, bad, indifferent?

Do you have raised cholesterol levels?

Are you concerned?

Top tips for keeping fit - Regular Massage

These are outlined over here

One of them is to have a regular massage. I'm plugging Sheline in Boundary Road, St Johns Wood, London NW8