‘Tis the season, New Year’s Resolutions are (hopefully) full speed ahead and with that come the inevitable slew of injuries associated with post holiday indulgences. So whether you fall into this group, the weekend warriors or you slug it out with your driveway each snow day, follow this advice to reduce inflammation ASAP and start feeling like your old self.

Inflammation is an immune reaction in response to infections, wounds or any type of physical damage to tissue. If you turn over your ankle shoveling the driveway, often you will feel heat and swelling in the area. This is acute inflammation and is necessary to the healing process. Alternatively, chronic inflammation is a long term reaction in the body; this does not serve the body in the healing process, and in fact in creates more damage the longer it lasts.

Although different, both acute and chronic inflammation benefit from similar nutritional recommendations to improve recovery and healing.

1. Take it Out: Don’t add fuel to the fire. Think about inflammation as heat or fire in the body. Would you add gas to an uncontrollable fire? Nope, so we don’t do this in the body either. Think about sugar as gas. This “food” triggers the release of inflammatory messengers called cytokines which just makes everything worse off.

There are so many types of sugars out there to beware of, but for simplicity, stay away from processed white sugars (fruit is ok). Avoid (like the plague) things like candy, alcohol (sorry), white breads, crackers and pastas and foods that have added sugars like flavoured yogurt and cereals.

2. Add it In: There are so many healing foods out there and generally, we ALL know what is good for us and what isn’t. However, there are some KEY antioxidant rich beauties that can speed up healing time. My 3 favourite are: Turmeric (also ginger and cayenne and black pepper), plant based fats (coconut oil, olive oil and avocado) and Fermented Foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir).

Often I will pass along this recipe and have client drink it daily (if not daily, at least during their recovery time). This is tasty and perfect for these chilly Canadian mornings.

Turmeric Tea Recipe (How to Make Golden Milk)

Prep: 2 mins / Cook: 3 mins / Total: 5 mins / Yield: 4

Turmeric tea (also called golden milk) is a great way to get the benefits of turmeric daily. Find out how to make this ancient health-boosting drink in under 5 minutes!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of milk of choice (almond, pecan, coconut, and dairy all work in this recipe) or use bone broth in place of the milk for a more hearty tea
• 1 tsp turmeric or turmeric spice mix
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of black pepper (increases absorption)
• tiny piece of fresh, peeled ginger root or 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. First, blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
2. Then, pour into a small saucepan and heat for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
3. Drink immediately.

Source: wellnessmamma.com

3. Slather it on top: In conjunction with the above, there are also topical options.

• Topical use of turmeric mixed with an oil like coconut oil (watch out this stains!)
• Essential Oils: there are multiple options out there; I like Deep Blue and Frankincense (by DoTerra), these I find are the best to ward off pain caused by inflammation. These can be used along with coconut oil and massaged into the sore area.
• Epsom Salts. Soak the injured area in a warm bath of salts (and with the oils listed above).

For more information on inflammation including a tasty inflammatory busting smoothie recipe, click here: Enjoy!

https://strongnutritionandweightloss.com/2013/05/29/anti-inflammatory-buster-smoothie-recipe/

 

Posture is something we all intuitively know something about, and ideal posture is something we all strive for.

But how much do you really understand about what your ideal posture is?

Imagine if you were looking at yourself from the side and could draw a line from the top of your head down to the floor. With ideal posture, that line would pass down through the ear canal, over the tip of the shoulder, just in front of the middle back vertebrae, through the middle of the low back vertebrae, right over the pointy bone of the hip, through the middle of the knee and outer bone of the ankle.

Some people have increased curves and their head is forward. This puts excessive stress on the neck muscles and can cause pain.

Others have too large of a curve in the middle and or lower back, which can also cause unusual stress on the middle and lower back.

Finally, seniors may have a forward bent or kyphotic middle back. Often the bones become wedge-shaped making it impossible to stand up straight.

Our therapists can help you with the pains and muscle tightness associated with poor posture, and help you work toward achieving ideal posture through muscle strengthening, as well as increasing range of motion and flexibility.

If you or someone you know is having trouble with neck pain, lower back pain, or poor posture, have them contact us. EQ Physio is conveniently located at the corner of Dundas and Trafalgar in Oakville – we’re here to help you achieve balance and equilibrium today!

Have you ever suffered from knee pain around or under your kneecap (patella)? This may be related to a condition called patellofemoral syndrome.

Treatment for this type of knee pain includes exercises to improve the strength of your front thigh muscles (quadriceps). You may have also even had your knee taped, braced or stimulated.

However, if you haven’t done anything to strengthen your hip muscles, you are missing out!

A recent research study (1) reviewed the best available research on the best exercises for patellofemoral syndrome. It found that a combination of hip and knee strengthening will reduce your pain and help you return to your usual level of activity.

Specifically, exercises to strengthen your thigh (quadriceps), and hip (abductors, lateral rotators, and extensors) muscles were found to be better than knee exercises alone. A strong and more stable hip is thought to reduce the stress at the knee.

The evidence also suggested that they should be done 3x/week for at least 6 weeks, even if you had moderate-to-severe pain for at least three months.

Some of the exercises used in the study include the following (3 sets of 10):

1. Attach one extremity of an elastic band around your ankle and attach the other extremity to a solid object on your side.
2. In standing, put your knee on a stool and position yourself so you will be pulling your foot towards the inside to externally rotate your hip.
3. Only your hip should rotate, your body should stay perfectly still and straight.

1. Attach one extremity of an elastic band around your ankle and attach the other extremity to a solid object on your side.
2. In standing, put your knee on a stool and position yourself so you will be pulling your foot towards the outside to internally rotate your hip.
3. Only your hip should rotate, your body should stay perfectly still and straight.

1. Lie on your side against a wall with your bottom leg bent in front.
2. Lift up your top leg on the wall, keeping it straight, and your pelvis stable.
3. Once you reach the maximum range without any movement of your pelvis, externally rotate your hip so that your foot is pointing upwards. Rotate your leg back before returning to the initial position and repeat.

These are “Level 1” type exercises. If you would like more information about your knee pain or how to progress your exercises, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

1. Nascimento et al, titled “Hip and Knee Strengthening Is More Effective Than Knee Strengthening Alone for Reducing Pain and Improving Activity in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(1):19-31. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7365).

Fixes for some common post-shoveling aches!

We’ve all experienced some aches and pains after working hard to clear the snow from our driveways and sidewalks.

Here are some physiotherapy stretches you can try to alleviate pain in your shoulders, knees and back. You should not be feel any pain with these exercises. If your pain is being caused by tight muscles, they should release with your breathing (consciously relax the muscles while you exhale).

For the following stretches, hold each one for 5 deep breaths. If the stretches do not help to release your muscles, the tension is likely a protective reflex and you do not want to overstretch these areas.

Also check out our previous post about how to prevent injuries from shoveling before they happen:  AVOIDING INJURY WHILE SHOVELING

If you’re having difficulty with pain after shoveling, come and see one of our expert therapists at EQ Physio for a free 10-minute consultation to discuss how we can help you. Our clinic is conveniently located at the corner of Dundas and Trafalgar in Oakville.

After a few years of mild winters, we have returned to winter weather that is truly Canadian!

Like all of us, it is likely safe to say that you’ve dusted off your shovels and gotten your snow-moving muscles moving a few times already this season.

Here are some tips (from the Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety) to keep yourself injury-free while clearing snow from your driveways:

1. Timing
   • Where possible, it is more practical to shovel early and often. Fresh dry snow is lighter and therefore more manageable than wet, heavily packed, or partly melted snow.
2. Choose the appropriate shovel length and weight for you
   • Weight: it should be lightweight but sturdy – about 1.5 kg (a little over 3 lbs).
   • Length: the handle should reach your chest to reduce the amount of forward bending.
   • Shaft type: shafts with a bend (versus a straight style) may be easier on your lower back when used correctly.
   • Handle type: shovels typically have a “D”-shaped handle. Be sure the handle shape does not force the wrist into awkward positions.
   • Blade size/shape: choose the style that best matches the exact task. For example, a large push-style shovel will move large amounts of snow, but may result in lifting too much weight. A smaller blade shovel (25 to 35 cm or about 10-14 in) should be used for lifting and throwing snow. The smaller blade will decrease the weight that is lifted and decrease the risk of injury.
3. Wear appropriate clothing
   • Wear several layers of warm, lightweight clothing that is comfortable to move in. The inner layer should be breathable, such as thermal underwear that allows perspiration to escape from the skin surface.
   • Make sure your head, (especially your ears), feet and hands are well covered. However, do not let your hat or scarf block your vision – you have to see what you are shovelling.
   • Boots should be water-resistant and high-cut, and should provide good traction.
   • Gloves should be light and flexible and give you a good grip.
   • If the weather is very cold, wear something over your mouth. Use a work/rest schedule if the temperatures are low or if it is windy.
4. Warm up before starting
   • Do some of these exercises to help warm up your muscles and improve your circulation:  WARM UP
5. Work safely
   • Work at a steady pace. Shoveling is going to make you sweat and, if you stop, you could get a chill.
   • Push the snow rather than lift it. If you must throw it, take only as much snow as you can easily lift and turn your feet to the direction you’re throwing – don’t twist at the waist. Do not throw snow over your shoulder or to the side.
   • Pace yourself. Shoveling snow is a strenuous activity comparable to weightlifting, while walking on uneven and unstable ground, and wearing heavy-duty clothing. Take frequent breaks and drink some warm, non-alcoholic fluids.
6. Stretch after shoveling
   • Once you are done, stretch for 5–10 minutes to loosen up the muscles in the low back and hamstrings that were used during shoveling: COOL DOWN

Check in to our blog again soon for an upcoming post discussing some specific fixes for common aches and pains that can occur after shoveling!

If you’re having difficulty with low back pain after shoveling, come and see one of our expert therapists at EQ Physio for a free 10-minute consultation to discuss how we can help you. Our clinic is conveniently located at the corner of Dundas and Trafalgar in Oakville.