6 Healthcare Innovations Innovative healthcare & alternative remedies


Promotional Content • Saturday 28th March 2020


How pollution is affecting our health


It seems coronavirus isn’t all we should be worried about right now as research shows pollution levels, particularly in the capital, are putting thousands of lives at risk. Words: Rhonda Carrier


— recent research by the Centre for Cities think tank has revealed that more than one in 19 deaths in the UK’s largest towns and cities is linked to toxic air exposure (equivalent to 40,000 deaths a year nationally). Tose living in London and urban


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areas in the south east of the country are at the greatest risk — poor air quality accounts for one in 16 deaths in London, Slough, Chatham, Luton and Portsmouth. Pollution levels around every A


road and motorway in 19 cities and towns in the south east (all but one) surpass World Health Organization guidelines. Deaths are caused by high levels


of harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere, made up of solid particles and liquid droplets. Different types include dust,


PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY


ash, sea-spray, soot and material produced by car brake pads, coal fires and wood-burning stoves. Some particulate matter is locally


ollution isn’t just a concern for those with respiratory diseases (such as asthma) or other pre-existing disorders


generated, some blows in from continental Europe. According to research, particles


with a diameter of 10 microns (PM10) and smaller can be inhaled deeper into the lungs than larger ones, with PM2.5 particularly dangerous because they’re lighter and tend to linger in the air. A 2017 report found PM2.5 levels to


be twice what they should be in every part of London. While the death statistics are


shocking, millions of other lives are affected on a daily basis by breathing in toxic air, which can lead to lung disease, strokes, cancer and other conditions. Most vulnerable are children, older people and those with


While the death statistics are shocking,


millions of other lives are affected on a daily basis by breathing in toxic air


How dynamic movement orthoses are helping change lives


“I can achieve what I want to now,” says Chloe, an active teenager who loves ballet, tap-dancing and drama. “My condition doesn’t dominate my life — it doesn’t define who I am.”


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ot long ago, that wouldn’t have seemed possible. Aged 11 and crippled with


pain from the curvature in her spine caused by scoliosis, Chloe found it hard just to get dressed. “Tere was very little informa-


tion available about the condition,” said Chloe’s mum, Jo. “We searched for something that could help her as she was in such agony. I found DM Orthotics, which was extremely supportive and arranged for her to be fitted with a scoliosis suit.” Chloe couldn’t be happier with the


support the orthosis provides. “It was a little strange at first and


threw my balance,” she says. “I was reassured, though, that this meant the suit was working as it should, re-aligning my spine and training my muscles to act in a new and corrected way. I soon got used to it and it now feels like another layer of skin. Combined with physiotherapy, the scoliosis suit has enabled me to stand more upright, improved my balance and given me greater confidence.” Alex is a young boy who loves


to run and play football with his friends. Not so long ago he couldn’t keep his balance as he has Ehlers- Danlos syndrome, which means his


Combined with physiotherapy, the scoliosis suit has enabled me to stand more upright, improved my balance and given me greater confidence


body’s connective tissue and collagen becomes fragile and stretchy. Te condition was causing him an immense amount of pain in his lower body and he’d often fall as a result. Now, after being fitted with dynamic movement orthosis®


(DMO) leggings,


he’s much more in control and active. “His teachers have commented on


how ‘steady’ he is and are no longer afraid of him stepping on others or losing his balance,” says mum Jacqui. “Alex hasn’t fallen in the last 12 months, so he hasn’t needed his usual trip to Accident & Emergency to be glued. As well as running and playing football, he has the confidence to play on climbing frames, and hop and jump around — whereas before, he was fearful in case he injured himself or the activity hurt”. “When he isn’t wearing his DMO,


he no longer hyper extends his knees, rotates his legs or sticks his bottom out to maintain his posture — instead he stands in a beautiful midline symmetrical position.”


heart and respiratory conditions, as well as people living in deprived areas, which are often near busy roads. Air pollution is the UK’s largest


environmental risk to public health. So what’s being done by the authorities and what can you do to protect yourself and your loved ones? Centre for Cities’ report suggests


the government needs to introduce stricter legal guidelines on particulate matter emissions. Local authorities have to raise


their game on cutting air pollution through practical local policies, including banning wood-burning stoves and charging people to drive in city centres, following London’s success in creating an Ultra-Low Emission Zone in April 2019. On an individual level, check


daily air pollution forecasts in your area using the DEFRA tool (uk-air. defra.gov.uk/forecasting) and avoid exercising outdoors when pollution levels are high. Other useful initiatives to try


include avoiding burning wood and rubbish, and walking, cycling or car-pooling in your daily life.


For more information, visit dmorthotics.com


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