
My top health and injury recovery recommendations
I regularly recommend products like these to support recovery, reduce pain and improve movement. So instead of sending endless texts and links, I’ve put together a shortlist of tools I genuinely rate and use in practice. These are based on my professional experience and what I’ve seen work well for patients. That said, everyone responds differently, and while I stand by their general effectiveness, I can’t guarantee they’ll be suitable for every individual or situation.
Cohesive stretchy tape for ankle support
I purchase stock of this 7.5cm wide cohesive tape every month to help both my sports and non sporting community get back to doing what they need to do following any ankle inversion or eversion sprains. Giving the ankle some form of compression support can really help when getting back on your feet and encouraging more positive movement again. The advantage of this cohesive tape is that it's stretchy and only sticks to itself and not to you meaning there's no adhesive residue left on the skin which helps reduce any irritation that can happen if using adhesive tape. I buy the 7.5cm rolls which I believe are all standard 4.5 metres long. Good choice of colours are available if you like to colour coordinate with your sports kit! Typically in clinic i'd take you through the best way to apply this tape best suited for your injury, so all I'm suggesting is be sure to follow any instructions if we havent already gone through this together.
The item shown is one of many products available on Amazon, it's worth shopping around if this one is out of stock or you fancy other sizes or colours.
Higher Nature - MSM Glucosamine Joint Complex for Ligament Injuries
Despite various theories about the benefits of taking suppliments, I have full faith that a good quality high level Glucosamine can aid repair on avascular injuries (certain ligaments and cartilage). I promote my patients to buy this product following any ACL / MCL Knee injuries and also patients recovering from Collarbone traumas including low level AC Joint separations (snowboarding injuries especially!). In this country there is no governing body that controls or ensures the quality going into Vitamins and Supplements hence you can often buy a months supply of Glucosamine from £5 a bottle in comparision to a company like Higher Nature that produce a really good quality Glucosamine but with a higher tarif. The Higher Nature Joint Complex I believe is one of the best products despite it not being the most popular on Amazon.
Gel Packs to help reduce inflammation
One of the must keeps in every freezer. Cooling the injured area within the first 24 hours can significantly reduce inflammation and bruising thus help return to back to doing what you love to do way sooner. Buying a pack of 2 gel packs allows you to obtain a better routine of colling rather than waiting for a single gel pack to get cold again once you return it back to the freezer. Gel packs are great as they are thin and can be stored neatly under a freezer tray or box. Gel packs come in a range of sizes, these ones come in 11 or 12 inches. Be aware of the sizes when buying as there's nothing worse whan receiving someting in the post half the size you imagined! Be sensible when cooling an area. Skin damage can happen by over freezing.
Foam roller for leg maintenance
In my opinion, foam rolling on a frequent basis has got to one of the most beneficial things you can be doing as part of a regular maintenance program in the comfort of your own house. I only tend to promote a few minutes targeting specific muscles (quads and calves mainly as being 'load baring' and therefore require more attention than most other muscles). When purchasing a foam roller, I'd always promote buying a softer styled foam roller against anything that is too aggresive which is likely to make your toes curl or face to grimace everytime you use it. Bitter sweet comfort is key as it's fundimental that you teach yourself to be able to relax your muscles onto the foam roller than breaking a sweat and brutalise yourself!
Berocca Vitamin C Effervescent Tablets - Including B Vitamins, Magnesium, Calcium & Zinc
I find that taking a Berocca daily helps keep me on my toes and my immune system fighting fit (placebo or not!) In this country there’s no governing body that polices the quality of vitamins or supplements. This means you can buy suppliments super cheap or super expensive but still not know if you’re getting good quality. For that reason, I always buy trusted brands with a strong reputation. As far as I’m concerned, including Berocca in my daily morning routine helps keep my immune system strong and my vitamin and mineral intake up to scratch. I’ve been taking them for years and I believe they contribute to me feeling on form, alert and energised every day. Personally, I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a simple daily boost of the good stuff!



