Results of cancer prevention initiative to be presented to EU Parliament
The Urban Action Against Cancer (UcanACT) pilot project in Kilkenny saw 62 adults aged 50 and over take part in physiotherapist-led exercise programmes across three parks last year.
It was part of a three-city pilot also held in Bologna in Italy, and Munich in Germany, which aims to provide community-based outdoor exercise programmes led by experts as a preventative and cancer support tool for over-50s.
The Irish men and women taking part included people living with cancer, cancer survivors and individuals without a diagnosis.
The results of the pilot will be presented by Kilkenny County Council, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists and the EU partners to the EU Parliament on Wednesday for assessment for wider rollout.
The project will also be showcased as part of Your Council Day on June 27, which celebrates the services and work carried out by Ireland's county and city councils.
Patrick Griffin, a Kilkenny-based prostate cancer survivor, who took part in the pilot said: 'An exercise regime was suggested to me because decreased energy is a common side-effect following radiation therapy.
'I always walked for fitness and never had an interest in gyms, but my wife had mentioned that I was slouching on our walks together,' the 78-year-old said.
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'I noticed many benefits as a result of the programme: my posture is better and my overall energy and concentration are stronger.
'The team were so well organised. They were genuinely watching out for each individual, adjusting exercises where needed, which is of massive benefit.'
Over three years, Kilkenny County Council led the local implementation of UcanACT, working alongside the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) and EU partners.
The project aimed to create a safe space where people could exercise at their own pace, tailored to their abilities, participants reported feeling encouraged and supported.
Janette Boran, Healthy Kilkenny co-ordinator at the county council, said participants saw significant benefits.
'Through focus groups, participants shared their positive experiences, highlighting key benefits such as improved fitness, better balance and strength, improved sleep quality, stronger social connections and reduced anxiety,' she said.
'The results of this study also reported that participants had significant reduction in fatigue and improvement in quality-of-life scores.
'Many also mentioned how exercising outdoors was important for their mental wellbeing.
'The programme has received strong support from the participants, and many who took part reported that they were surprised at what they were able to achieve with the guidance of a physiotherapist.
'The sessions were individualised within a group setting, so the full group met together but the activity was very tailored to accommodate the varied needs of the participants.'
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Irish Independent
19 hours ago
- Irish Independent
'My gut told me it was cancer' says nurse who discovered lump on day she was due to view wedding menus
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Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'My life is on hold. It has been a kick in the balls' - Colin Hawkins opens up
His day began in a waiting room, a real-life purgatory. The clock ticked past nine when he took his seat. He recalls the noise of the water cooler; the rise and fall in volume as people passed along the corridor. Otherwise there was silence, which is not an uncommon thing on the seventh floor of the Mater Hospital, where cancer patients get their treatment. Read more: AZ Almaar manager's snappy response to question about Troy Parrott's future Read more: Shock report suggests Manchester United and Liverpool are eyeing up Ireland star And on this sunny Friday morning, this was where Colin Hawkins, one of only 20 Irish footballers to win a medal at an official World Cup event, went to discover if the cancer drug they'd given him would save his life. The clock ticked on. It was just after ten when he left his chair to take in the view from the seventh floor window; Croke Park to the right, Dalymount Park to the left. 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(Image: ©INPHO/Donall Farmer) By now it was 11am. He still had the ticket in his hand. It resembled a small raffle ticket, a beige colour. He waited and thought back to 2023 when he started to feel unwell. By the time he discovered he had cancer in his blood, the pain became practically unbearable. He subsequently needed surgery on his neck and his back. 'When the myeloma is alive and active, that is when your bones break,' he says matter of factly. 'When it is gone and under control, all that pain is gone.' Good news came. He received stem cell treatment and entered remission. Then terrible news followed. His wife, Elaine, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Telling their three children this news was the hardest day of their lives. Better days came after that. Elaine's treatment worked. She, thankfully, is in remission. Life returned to normal for a while until his old pains resurfaced. He visited Dr O'Gorman in the Mater to review a new drug he had been on for six weeks. 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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Cow lameness costs farmers €8,750 a year, Teagasc study finds
Cow lameness costs the average Irish dairy farm about €8,750 per year. The latest Teagasc research showed that one in 10 Irish dairy cows is lame at any one time. How to reduce lameness was the subject when Muireann Conneely, a vet with a PhD in dairy calf health, took part in a recent Dairy Edge podcast episode. 'The worst-performing farms in our study had lameness prevalences of between 15% and 32%. So, there are a lot of farms in the country that have high lameness,' Ms Conneely said. But many farms are successfully minimising lameness. 'The best-performing 20% of farmers in our study had lameness below 5%. Below 5% is a target we should all be aiming for,' Ms Conneely said. 'Lame cows produce less milk. This can happen up to three months before they're diagnosed with lameness. "Research at Moorepark showed that a severely lame cow would have a 6% drop in her total 305-day milk yield. Other studies have put the total loss in milk production over the course of the lactation at somewhere between 270kg and 570kg, depending on the type of lameness. So, it's a huge cost,' she said. 'Lameness has huge implications for reproductive performance, milk yield and longevity.' It was found at Moorepark that the calving interval increases with the severity of lameness, which can reduce the conception rate by 20% 'Lame cows are in pain. There's higher cortisol in the system. That all impacts the reproductive cycle. Also, lame cows don't want to stand to be mounted, and heat detection is more difficult,' she added. Painful inflammation Lameness is usually due to non-infectious lesions. The most frequent causes include white line disease, caused by grit or small stones entering the white line and leading to painful inflammation. It could also be sole bruising, often due to hard or rough surfaces, or sole ulcers caused by internal pressure within the hoof capsule, usually on the outer claw of the hind feet. Infectious foot conditions are the other cause of lameness. Foul in the foot (interdigital necrobacillosis) is caused by bacteria entering through broken skin between the claws, leading to swelling and severe pain. Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro's disease) is a contagious disease of the skin near the hoof. The measures taken to tackle lameness on a farm will depend on the causes. Uneven, sharp, or potholed roadways, yards, and gateways can injure feet. 'There should be a nice, fine top-dressing on the roads that doesn't have stones that are going to cause bruising and damage,' Ms Conneely said. "In our study, 50% of farms had at least one cow track that was rough or very rough.' She said that a relatively minor investment in farm roadways will probably generate the biggest payoff in terms of reducing lameness. Cows should also be moved calmly, without sticks, dogs, or quads, to avoid shearing forces on the hoof. If they're being rushed, and if they're being moved too quickly, they can't take the time to put their feet in a safe spot without any stones "We don't have to spend any money to move cows more slowly and more gently, and that can have a huge impact." Long periods on concrete can increase the risk of sole ulcers. Inadequate turning space at the parlour exit and insufficient space in the collecting yard can also lead to problems. 'If you're talking about infectious lesions such as Mortellaro's, you need to look at the hygiene in your housing, in and around the milking parlour, because it's spread through the slurry. You need to look at your foot-bathing regimes,' she added. 'If there is a Mortellaro problem, foot bathing is very important. If it's a Mortellaro problem that's under control, you may be okay doing a foot-bathing regime weekly. "But if it's a crisis where things are really getting out of hand, you may need to increase that frequency to twice a day for a couple of weeks,' she said. Whatever product is used, it's important to prepare it at the correct concentration. The solution should be changed after every 200 cow passes. Poor recovery rate Chronically lame cows have a poor recovery rate. 'Cows that were treated sooner had recovery rates of 70–80%,' said Ms Conneely. She said some farmers do a lot of their own hoof trimming and may have done the training courses available for farmers to get up to speed with hoof trimming and treating lame cows. 'For larger herds, it may be a very good idea to have a standing arrangement with a hoof trimmer to come regularly,' she suggested. 'Not every cow will need a trim. But there can be uneven wear, and there might need to be a bit of corrective trimming to change the weight-bearing surfaces, which can prevent lameness issues developing,' she explained. 'The best practice advice would be to get the whole herd inspected at least once a year,' she said. If that's not feasible, a more targeted approach could be taken. 'Instead of lifting the hoofs of absolutely every cow, which would be best practice, you could look at the older cows, the cows that have had a history of being lame, cows that tend to be towards the back of the herd,' Ms Conneely said. 'Not many farmers in our study had a lameness plan. That's probably an area where people can improve a lot.' 'Mobility scoring is looking at your cows individually and assigning them a score. Basically, you're trying to pick up the cows that are lame,' she added. The earlier lameness is identified, the greater the chances of a good recovery and the lower the productivity losses. 'Our study showed that only 1% of farmers here were mobility scoring regularly,' she said. Teagasc is currently preparing a video showing farmers how they can mobility score their herd.
