A gym in Harrogate has offered a free programme to help people suffering from chronic pain.
The six-month programme is based at the Nuffield Health gym in Hornbeam Park.
The programme is funded by the Nuffield charity and is worth roughly £1000 for each participant. It was designed by GPs, physiotherapists, and emotional wellbeing clinicians across the UK.
The course is run three times per year and can accommodate up to 60 participants at each start.
It is open to anyone who has suffered from pain and stiffness around a joint, lower back and neck pain, arthritis, gout and other conditions for more than six months. Participants can be referred to the programme by their GPs or can complete an online self-referral form.
Rehabilitation specialist at Nuffield Harrogate Melanie Hook said:
“At the charity we recognise there’s a need to support people living with chronic joint pain, affecting more than 8.75 million people in the UK and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The programme aims to empower and enable individuals with chronic joint pain to self-manage their condition and pain symptoms.”
For the first twelve weeks participants are expected to meet twice a week for a group workshop and an exercise session guided by joint pain experts.
Some of the exercises covered include joint strength training, flexibility training, yoga, and swimming. Full gym access is also provided for the entirety of the programme.
After this participants are moved to the next unsupervised phase where they can apply what they learnt in weeks 1-12 individually at the gym.
Those who have completed the programme have reported significant improvements to their pain levels and overall quality of life.
One participant said:
“I feel I have benefited enormously. I feel much stronger. I’m walking better. And my pain has reduced to the extent that I don’t need to take pain relief as much.”
Ms Hook added:
“Our program has been a huge success and since our start, we have had hundreds of participants go through the programme.
“Some stay on at the gym and others have gone away and kept up with their activity in other areas of their lives.”
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Harrogate companies capitalise on CBD oil popularity
Two new companies have launched in Harrogate to capitalise on the growth of CDB oils, a cannabis-based health product for pain relief.
The Harrogate CBD Company was launched seven weeks ago by 24-year-old Harvey Radcliffe after he witnessed his mum suffer from severe arthritis. She was on an intensive course of steroids and painkillers, but they had stopped working.
To help his mum, Harvey suggested she gave CBD oils a try. She was sceptical at first, but he says it’s changed her life.
CBD products entered the UK market around five years ago and are usually taken in capsule form or as a spray. They are backed by the World Health Organisation who say it can be beneficial for people suffering from MS and cancer to insomnia and depression.
However, a study from the University of Nottingham, published in 2019 suggested there is “very weak evidence” that CBD can successfully treat many ailments, with the exception of seizures.
CBD products won’t get you “high” but they work by responding to natural cannabinoid receptors within your body. They are legal in the UK as long as any product contains less than 0.2% of the psychoactive substance THC.
Sellers must also ask the customer to check with their GP if it is safe for them to use them.
Harvey from the Harrogate CBD Company said he wants to overhaul the image of CBD oils away from “snake oil salesmen” who would sell the product out of suspect looking vape shops.
He said:
“Our branding is more about the health benefits so it looks like a mainstream product.
Every product on their website also includes analysis from a lab which includes exact information on where the product comes from and what’s in it.
He hopes his company can help more people like his mum.
He added:
“If you’re in pain then you will try something that makes your life better. Chronic pain is the worst type of pain.”
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Launching this week, Harrogate Organics Company is a new wellness brand that will sell a range of health products, including CBD oils.
Known to be beneficial for mental health, owner Dan Simpson said lockdown is the perfect time to launch his new business.
He said:
“It’s no surprise that consumers are turning to CBD during these times as an alternative way to fulfil their wellbeing needs.
“It feels slightly odd launching a business during a global pandemic, but we truly believe that our brand couldn’t be any more relevant and needed right now.”
Russ Newman, runs the Grape Tree health food store in the Victoria Shopping Centre which sells a range of CBD oils.
He told the Stray Ferret that after CBD oils cleared up eczema on his shin he’s happy to “promote it to the hills.”
But is it a health fad? Mr Newman doesn’t think so, and he’s seen demand for it rocket in Harrogate as more people turn away from man-made pharmaceuticals to treat their ailments.