…Yes believe or not I have more things to say on the subject of gout!
In my enthusiasm to share my tips for dealing with this troublesome condition, I forgot to tell you a bit more about improving your circulation and how this can help gout, and actually all our body systems.
As I mentioned previously, good circulation helps to nourish not just the joints but the whole body and take away the nasties for elimination. In an acute attack of gout there is often swelling present (please get any swellings checked out though by a medical practitioner), so it can help to elevate the affected area eg. lay on the sofa with your legs resting on a cushion.
Yoga is a fantastic way of keeping the circulatory system in good order. For those of you familiar with the postures (ie. you know how to get into and out of the postures safely and are aware of the contraindications), to improve circulation focus on sun sequences (surya namaskar), the inner fire sequence (agni sarav), triangle poses (trikonasanas) and inversions such as shoulderstand (sarvangasana), plough (halasana) or dog (adhomukha svanasana).
I also really like body brushing as a way of keeping my lymphatic system moving. The lymphatic system is a secondary circulation system and part of the body’s immune system, helping to clear out all the toxins which could potentially cause dis-ease. Before getting in the bath or shower, use a dry, natural bristle brush to sweep firmly but gently over the skin, always sweeping towards the heart. Such a lovely thing to do for your body and it only takes seconds.
Hope this has all been of interest. Next time I’ll be looking at knees, so until then, take care. Ix