Spring Cleaning

Domestic Work:

cascoprojects.org

• Like with other types of physical work, remember to warm up before starting the activity.
• Make sure mops, brooms and vacuum cleaners have sufficiently long handles so you are not hunched over while cleaning.
• Stand straight and use your legs to support your weight while cleaning.
• When moving to the side, step in that direction rather than twisting your body to help prevent back injury.
• If hanging laundry on a clothes line, place the basket on a chair so that you don’t need to bend constantly to pick up the clothing.
• Grocery shopping? Don’t carry all your bags on one side. Evenly distribute the weight and carry bags in both hands.

Painting:
The house needs a few touch-ups? Don’t forget proper posture when working with your paint brush!

homedit.com

• To help prevent muscle strain, don’t spend hours reaching over your head with your brush. Instead, get a secure ladder and position yourself at eye-level to the area where you are working.
• When working on low areas, squat or kneel instead of bending at the waist. Use a foam pad under your knees and stand up to take a stretch break periodically.
• Painting is a repetitive motion and can put a great deal of strain on your arms,
• forearms and wrists. Take frequent stretch breaks and apply ice if any pain occurs. 
• Like with any major household project, don’t try to do it all in a single day.

Your body will thank you for it!

Gardening Tips
It's spring, and the lure of getting back in the garden is irresistible. Invigorated by all that balmy fresh air, you spend the first sunny day digging, planting, lifting, and hauling. The next morning, you pay the price.

dirtmamas.ca

• Before doing anything--even any pre-garden stretches--take a walk around your yard a few times to loosen up. Or take a brief bike ride around the block to help you limber up.
• Be cautious about the amount of strain placed on your lower back. Let your arms and legs do the work when pulling a rake or pushing a hoe or shovel. When weeding or planting, sit on the ground or kneel on a foam pad.
• Do easier tasks first. As you progress, periodically switch to other jobs to avoid overusing one muscle group.
• Instead of bending at the waist to pick up a bag of mulch, bend at the knees, pull it up on your thigh close to your body and then stand up. Your thighs can take more strain than your back. When turning do not rotate through the torso, rather turn your whole body with the load.
• Assume a scissors stance while raking by placing your right foot forward and left foot back, says the American Chiropractic Association. After a few minutes, reverse this position, puffing your left foot forward and your right foot back. Periodically reverse the position of your hands on the rake.
• Pace yourself. Work for 15 to 30 minutes and take a stretching break. Take stretching breaks and do some shoulder rolls to take a break from the repetitive motions.
• Keep hydrated. Water should be consumed every 30 minutes, and for warm days, every 15 minutes.
• Think of gardening as a workout, and schedule 30 minutes to an hour of it at least three times a week. Break longer gardening sessions into two to three hour time periods instead of all-day undertakings.

Ladder Safety: 

nachi.org

The Government of Ontario offers these ladder safety tips:

• Use a ladder of proper length to reach the working height you need.
• Before you use a single, extension or stepladder outside, make sure it will not hit electrical wires or tree limbs when extended.
• Place the feet of the ladder on firm, even ground.
• The bottom of the ladder should be about one foot away from the wall for every four feet that the ladder rises.
• The upper and lower sections of an extension ladder should overlap to provide stability.
• Face the ladder while climbing and stay in the center of the rails. Do not lean over the side of the ladder. Your belt buckle should not be further than the side rail.
• On single or extension ladders, never stand above the third rung from the top and never climb above the point where the ladder touches the wall or vertical support.

http://www.healthyontario.com

The Knee

Patello-Femoral Syndrome   

Patello-Femoral Syndrome is a condition caused by the patella (knee cap) not tracking properly over the femur (thigh bone). The patella normally rides in a groove on the femur. The patella is really a fulcrum - it gives leverage to the big muscles on the front of the thigh. These thigh muscles are called the quadriceps. The quadricep muscles consist of four muscles. With Patella Femoral Syndrome, you get an imbalance in these muscles - usually the lateral or outside muscle over-powers the inner medial muscle - and this pulls the patella out of its normal groove. When the patella doesn't track properly in its groove, it causes pain under the patella.

Signs and Symptoms: Pain under or around the knee cap which can feel like a pressure, Pain is often worse after activity that involves knee bending - running, stairs, squats, kneeling on the knee, Knee 'cracks' or needs to be cracked to decrease pain,  Patient cannot sit for long periods of time without straightening out the knee to make it crack. This is called 'Theatre Sign' - patients must sit in an aisle seat at the Theatre so that they can straighten out their knee frequently.
Often it is due to flat feet and rolling of the feet in causing the shine bone to roll out and the patella to change its alignment!

Treatment for patella-femoral syndrome can include: A full biomechanical exam to determine the cause. Then possibly: chiropractic to align the patella, feet, hips; Active release to break up adhesions in the tissues, massage therapy, orthotics, at home stretching and strengthening. A patient may be advised to ice or use a brace dependant on the problem.

OSGOOD-SCHLATTER’S SYNDROME

A knee condition often first diagnosed in adolescents.

X-ray of the knee demonstrating fragmentation of the Tibial tubercle with overlying soft tissue swelling.

Osgood-Schlatter syndrome also called Osgood-Schlatter’s disease is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescent athletes. The condition is most common in active boys aged 10 -14 and is caused by stress on the patella tendon that attaches the muscle at the front of the thigh to the lower leg (Tibia). The tibial tuberosity, or bony bump on the shinbone just below the knee, swells and feels tender and painful when the knee is used. It occurs when, following an adolescent growth spurt, stress from repeated contraction of the quadriceps muscle is transmitted through the tendon to the tibial tuberosity, which is a growth center on the bone. 

Symptoms include: pain in one or both knees, pain when straightening the leg through the knee joint or full squatting, pain on running, or going up and down stairs, the pain eases with rest, the tibial tuberosity is swollen, and the skin over the tibial tuberosity is red and inflamed. Sometimes the quadriceps muscles can lose strength and bulk.

A thorough case history will reveal around half of all children with the condition report a prior knee injury. It is therefore important for the chiropractor to do a biomechanical assessment of the whole kinematic chain including all the joints and the muscles of the lower limb, the spine and pelvic joints. 

Treatment includes rest and ice and manual therapies such as Chiropractic adjustments to the foot, knee, and hip and back; Active Release Technique, massage therapy and stretching are very beneficial.  Acupuncture, ultrasound and laser therapy are also helpful in speeding up the recovery. Later at home stretching and strengthening exercises and possibly the use of an infra-patellar strap or brace.

Osteo-arthritis of the knee

If poor mechanics or traumatic injuries are not corrected at an early age, the tissues of the knee joint and especially the cartilage, will eventually begin to wear out. As a result the bones rub upon one another and changes such as bone spurs can occur. This painful condition is known as degenerative joint disease or Osteo-arthritis and is often progressive with age. Common treatment often involves medications such as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

Conservative treatment such as chiropractic can be helpful in alleviating the pain. 

Massage therapy is very helpful in helping to maintain the flexibility in the knee.  Active release can break-up the knots, adhesions, scar tissue that develops with Osteo-arthritis.  

Other treatments that are very helpful are acupuncture, the interferential current therapy, icing and fitting for the correct brace.

It is very helpful to determine the correct stretches, strengthening and physical sports to do to aid in maintaining the knee flexibility and strength.

There is some evidence that nutritional substances such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin can be helpful in the long term management. People can often help themselves by keeping their weight down, doing exercises especially in the pool, and wearing cushioned shoes, insoles or orthotics.  

Sometimes people with Osteo-arthritis will have to have a knee replacement. After the surgery it is very helpful to have treatment to restore the remainder of the motion of the knee. The surgery does cause scar tissue to develop and often people feel they have to live with the inflexibility after the knee replacement, they think this is as good as it will get! That is not true.

Are you living your life to the truest potential – do you have stiffness, pain, discomfort that limits your daily activities?

Getting ready for St. Patrick’s day:

By Ashley Rocheleau (RMT)

Good times can’t be too far behind with St. Patrick’s day soon around the corner. Spending time with close friends and family, singing song of merriment, and enjoying the wonderful food and drink the day has to offer. Let’s not forget about the colour green... and orange and white for Irish spirit.

Regardless of our intention however, we can sometimes party a little too hard... feeling it pretty bad the next day. You guessed it, the infamous hangover symptoms. Headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, and maybe even tired feelings of nausea or weakness. It’s especially important in times like these to maintain our health and take care of ourselves. Drinking lots of fluids like water or coconut water to help replenish our electrolytes, getting plenty of rest, and even having a massage. Yes, a massage! Did you know that massage is a recommended treatment when recovering from a hangover?

Massage is designed to release muscle tension, ease pain and nausea, and it can even help stimulate our body to remove wastes. It also can aid our body to heal and repair damaged cells, allowing us to get back on our feet again feeling better than before. Enjoying life and spending fun times with loved ones is important, but so are you. Health is not just for now, but also for times to come.

So no matter your plans may be this St. Patrick’s day, it’s always good to think and plan ahead. Be safe, plan a drive home, stay at a friends place, or even planning an extra day to recover your health. You deserve it!

 Image borrowed from: https://osgoodepresbyterianchurch.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/stpats1.jpg

Spring Clean up!

Spring Clean Up!
Written by: Dr. Kathy van Zeyl, Naturopath
Spring is right around the corner!  With the melting of snow and break-through of new buds, what a great opportunity to do some “spring renewal” of your own starting with a fresh, clean diet! 

Clean eating involves simple, wholesome, nutritious foods that nourish your cells from the inside out and give your body the opportunity to heal itself.  It takes a minimum of three weeks for digestive cells to renew, and there are many variations of “cleansing diets” including Paleo, Mediterranean, Blood Type Diets, etc.  The basic tenets of all of these are mostly the same:  whole foods, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, clean proteins and clean water to hydrate and flush out the system.  So what should you really be focusing on in order to maintain a balanced, clean diet? 

Whole Foods – Whole foods are foods that often come straight from the field or ground and can be consumed almost immediately.  They have not been processed, packaged, or modified in any way.  With industrial advances, we’ve unfortunately developed a culture based on heavily processed, nutrient-deficient foods that are loaded with additives, preservatives, artificial colours, flavours, MSG, nitrates, and substances that degrade our nutritional status have no positive value on our health.  Whole foods include fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, grains and oils that have not undergone heavy processing.

Fruits and vegetables – A clean diet should include a wide variety of these in a wide variety of colours.  Focus should be especially on dark leafy greens (such as kale, spinach, arugula and lettuces), orange/yellow produce (carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, string beans, zucchini and squash), and red/purple/blue fruits (berries, eggplant, red onions) in order to get a full complex of nutrients. 

The Dirty Dozen – Many fruits and vegetables are heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, and the “Dirty Dozen” is a guideline from the Environmental Working Group outlining the key produce that should be consumed organic to avoid these.  Most often they are fruits or vegetables where we consume the outer skin or peel.  This list includes:  apples, celery, strawberries, blueberries, leafy greens (lettuces, spinach, kale/collard greens), peaches, nectarines, grapes, bell peppers and potatoes.

Clean Protein – Protein is used to generate new cells and repair old ones.  It’s a key component of the immune system and enzyme signalling, and helps to regulate blood sugar, appetite, and stress-related hormones.  Clean proteins include beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and organic, free-range animal products including eggs, poultry, wild fish and grass-fed beef.  Protein should be a central component to each meal of the day in order to allow cells to repair themselves and send signals to different parts of the body.

Clean Fluids – With 60-80% of your body composed of water, fluids are crucial for maintaining proper health!  The “gold standard” of clean water is reverse osmosis filtered, but a carbon or mineral-based filter such as Brita or Santevia is a good starting point.  Other healing fluids include herbal, green and white teas, unsweetened/unsalted juices, and coconut water.

To learn more about clean eating or how to implement a medical “cleanse” or “detox,” talk to our Naturopath, Dr. Kathy Van Zeyl, ND for more information.  

For the month of March Dr. Kathy Van Zeyl will be offering a                special 30 minute “Detox visit” for new patients!

Getting Ready For Spring with Massage
Written by: Ashley Rocheleau, RMT

As the weather gets warmer, we become more active, and begin outdoor activities, such as running, biking, swimming, etc.  It is easy to want to jump right back into the swing of things and pick up where we left off in the fall.  Problem is, many of us tend to hibernate over the winter, and during that time the muscles we use to exercise during the warmer months are not being used nearly as much.  If we start strenuously using a muscle that has been more or less dormant for the last few months, it can be disastrous if we’re not careful.  

That’s why it is always a good idea to gradually get your body ready for the new burst of physical exercise in the springtime.  Massage therapy can help in this regard.  Your RMT knows the ins and outs of the musculoskeletal system, and can work with you to help warm up slightly atrophied muscles, and even help set you up with a warm-up plan to let you gradually work up to where you would like to be.  A massage not only helps ignite the body’s muscular capabilities but can also help to boost your immune system naturally.  The healthier one’s body is, the less susceptible one is to allergens and pollutants, and even viruses in the air – a big help during the spring!  Getting a massage can also help to correct your posture due to muscle imbalances that may have occurred over the winter season. These imbalances can lead to pain and can make you more susceptible to injuries in the future. So think ahead – be proactive and start your spring activities with your health and personal well-being in mind. It is always a good time to take care of you, no matter what the season.


Book with one of our Registered Massage Therapists today!

Promotions for March 2015!

Supplements: 15% off Detox Pro and Liver Health

Chiropractic:
Biomechanical exam normally costs $80 for new patients the cost will be $40

Orthotics and Shoe Check: Book with Keri-Lyn Dudgeon, Kinesiologist, and get your shoes and orthotics checked for no charge!

Massage Therapy: New patients for Jessica Nepton, will receive 25% off their initial appointment


Naturopath: 30 minute “Detox visit” for new patients with Dr. Kathy Van Zeyl