Benefits of Class IV K-Laser Therapy

Class IV K-Laser Therapy is a proven therapeutic treatment that manages pain and inflammation while accelerating tissue regeneration. Laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasm, stiffness and pain.

Studies show Laser Therapy helps reduce pain associated with these common medical conditions:

Contact our health care practitioners to see if the Class IV K-Laser can help with your treatments.

Thanks to K-Laser for the image.

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How to Treat an Ankle Injury

An ankle injury occurs when the joint is twisted too far out of its normal position. Most ankle injuries occur during sports, walking or hiking, or by wearing ill-fitting foot wear.  An ankle injury can be caused from tripping, falling, jumping, walking on uneven surfaces, items falling on you, or a car accident.

What should you do immediately after an ankle injury? Use the R.I.C.E protocol.

Rest: Rest the ankle and keep weight off of it.
Ice:  Ice immediately and (up to 72 hours of the injury), never leave the ice on for longer than 20 minutes at a time, repeating every 40 minutes.
Compression:  Wrap the injured ankle, keep it immobile and supported.
Elevate: Elevating the injured ankle to at least the level of your heart  – this will reduce swelling.

Ankle injuries are graded as mild, moderate, or severe.

Mild sprains –  grade 1: treat with the RICE therapy for several days until the pain and swelling  has improved. The healing process will take anywhere from 2 to 5 days. Your health care practitioner can prescribe range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises.

Moderate sprains – grade 2: treat with the RICE therapy procedures as above.  Your healthcare practitioner or doctor will prescribe a brace or splint to immobilize the ankle, and prescribe exercises to improve range of motion and to strengthen the ankle.  You may not be able to place weight on the ankle for several days.

Severe sprains – grade 3:  this type of sprain involves a complete tear or rupture of a ligament. It’s treated with immobilization of the joint, which can include a cast, and will be followed by a longer period of physical therapy for range of motion, stretching, and strength building.  You will need the use of crutches for mobility and may need surgery to reconstruct the torn ligaments.   This type of sprain requires the immediate attention of a doctor.

The initial treatment of a sprain will include resting the ankle until the swelling goes down, ( 3- 7 days), followed by a period of one to two weeks of exercise to restore range of motion, and flexibility; and then several more weeks (3-12 weeks) before returning to your normal activities.

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Relief For A Stiff Neck

A stiff neck is typically characterized with soreness and difficulty moving the neck.  Having a stiff neck can also lead to headaches, neck pain, and shoulder pain.  The most common cause of a stiff neck is muscle strain or soft tissue sprain.

When you have a stiff neck, it’s important to keep moving your neck to stop it stiffening up further. Move your neck gently in all directions every few hours, to try and increase your range of motion.

Here are some gentle stretches you can try to help avoid a stiff neck, or to improve your stiff neck:

  • Roll your shoulders backwards and down – 8 to 10 times
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together – 8 to 10 times
  • Bring your ear to your shoulder 8 to 10 times on each side

A stiff neck is typically the result of muscles weakening over time from poor posture or misuse.  Try keeping these things in mind throughout your daily activities:

  • Sleep on a firm mattress, on your side or back – avoid sleeping on your stomach
  • Use a pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck – sleep on a low, firm pillow
  • Turn your chair to face your computer or laptop and adjust your chair so the screen is at eye level
  • Keep your head back over your spine rather than hunched forward
  • Keep up normal activities as much as possible, but avoid jerking or painful activities
  • Resting for one or two days will allow any injured tissue in the neck to begin to heal
  • Stretch regularly if you’re working at a desk, driving long distances, or sitting for prolong periods of time
  • If you feel stressed, try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to help ease tension in your neck
  • Avoid looking down at your smart phone & having your neck bent forward for long periods of time
  • Apply heat or ice to the neck. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, after 72 hours use heat
  • Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Massage therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments can all help to relive the pain and stiffness, caused by the weak muscles or over use of the muscles.

However, you should always talk to your health care practitioner or doctor if you suffer from the following symptoms:

  • The pain keeps getting worse
  • The neck area becomes tender
  • High fever
  • You have had a recent car accident, concussion, or sports injury
  • Numbness, or constant pins and needles in your arm that does not get better
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Treatments for a Tension Headache

“The International Headache Society (IHS 2013) has validated cervicogenic headache as a secondary headache, which means headache caused by a disorder of the cervical spine and its component bony, disc and/or soft tissue elements, usually but not invariably accompanied by neck pain”.

Many of us suffer from headaches on a regular basis. Instead of taking a pain relief medication, why not try a chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy or acupuncture treatment.

Stiff joints in the upper neck are the primary cause of cervicogenic headaches.  If a joint, surrounding muscles are injured or irritated, the joints can become stiff and cause pain to be referred into areas of the head.

Here is a list of symptoms that are generally associated with this tension headaches:

  • Constant and dull ache
  • Stiffness or restricted movement of the neck
  • Pain radiating from back to the front of the head
  • Headache worsened by sustained postures or certain neck movements
  • Dizziness

Chiropractors and Physiotherapists are skilled at correcting muscular imbalances, which can contribute to the development of cervicogenic headaches.

Acupuncture is also effective for all types of headaches. “The available evidence suggests that a course of acupuncture consisting of at least six treatment sessions can be a valuable option for people with frequent tension-type headache”.

Tension headaches can be effectively treated with massage therapy. Massage therapy promotes circulation, decreases pain from Trigger Points, and helps to relieve muscle spasms. Massage therapy has also shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone Cortisol, while increasing endorphins.

Some of the methods and modalities used at Diversified Health include:

  • Joint mobilization (flexibility of muscles) this includes stretching; manipulations techniques to restore full range of motion without pain:
  • Tens: (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). A TENS machine works by sending electrical pulses across the surface of the skin and along the nerve strands.  Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation sends a painless electrical current to specific nerves. The mild electrical current generates heat to relieve stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve pain.
  • IMS/Dry Needling:  dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and/or intramuscular therapy (IMT) is a procedure in which an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin and muscle.  Dry needling is primarily directed at myofascial trigger points. Shortened muscles often have “trigger points” that can contribute to referred pain, relaxation or release of these tightened areas can help improve neck muscle function
  • Shockwave therapy: Shockwave Therapy is a non-surgical treatment of soft tissue, bone, and joint pain.  Shockwave treatments send high-energy mechanical pulses to an injured area. These high-energy mechanical pulses stimulate the breakdown of scar tissue, improves blood circulation, and decreases inflammation; which helps speed up healing and recovery times.
  • Spinal Decompression: Spinal decompression provides relief to severe back and neck pain sufferers by gently reducing the pressure within spinal discs.
  • Class IV K-Laser: Class IV K-Laser therapy is based on the concept of photobiostimulation; when photonic energy (the laser) is focused on soft  tissue, ATP production can be boosted. ATP is the substance responsible for cellular energy production.
  • eToims/Needless IMS: eToims, is a non-invasive treatment for pain and inflammation in the body’s soft and connective tissues.
  • Graston technique: The Graston Technique is an instrument-assisted, soft tissue mobilization therapy.  The Graston Technique safely removes scar tissues and scar tissue adhesions that have occurred as a result of chronic inflammation, injuries, repetitive motion or from old injuries of the past.

Please contact our health care practitioners to discuss which type of treatment would be beneficial to your health issues.

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Back health tips for snowboarders and skiers

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Article – BC Chiropractic Association

“The two main causes of injuries among snowboarders and skiers are falls and collisions,” says Dr. Brad Yee. “The way to avoid injury is to do pre-season dry land training exercises. Snowboarders need to stabilize and strengthen their upper extremities, like their shoulders and arms,” says Dr. Yee. “Skiers need to strengthen their lower extremities, specifically quads and hamstring muscles.”

Dr. Yee says that core strength for the spine is important for both sports. He suggests that skiers and snowboarders could include one or two lessons at the beginning of the season, just to get the cobwebs out of their technique, and to rid themselves of any bad habits. Often when the knees get tired, more force is exerted on the spine with each bump. Exercise and working to give the spine extra strength and flexibility will help resist the rigors of skiing. Even when people are on the slopes, stretching exercises are important.

The first run and last run of the day should be done on easier slopes. Most injuries happen near the end of the day when slope enthusiasts are fighting both fatigue and poorer snow conditions.

Commenting on recent studies comparing snowboarding and alpine skiing injuries, Dr. Yee notes the following:

  • Injury patterns differ between alpine skiing and snowboarding, although incidence of injury is about the same for both sports, with five injuries per one thousand visits to the slopes.
  • Snowboarders tend to receive more upper extremity fractures, two-and-a-half times more than skiers do. They also incur more ankle injuries than skiers.
  • Snowboarding injuries were usually minor in nature, for example, sprains strains, fractures and contusions. Serious injury was a result of direct trauma to affected organs.
  • Snowboarders suffer significant injuries to the coccyx; the lowest part of the spine … often referred to as the tailbone.
  • Skiers commonly injure their thumbs due to using poles, while thumb injuries in snowboarders are almost non-existent.

Click to read the full article.

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When Is Pain, Just Pain, And Not Something Serious?

Paying attention to how we feel and being aware of new symptoms, aches, and pains is one of the most important ways we can help protect ourselves from serious medical conditions; through early detection!

These symptoms below should not be ignored, and should be considered red flags.

Chest pain – chest pain is serious and requires immediate medical attention.  Pain or lingering tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath can be an indicator of a heart attack. Call your doctor or 911 immediately.

Severe headache with no known cause –  These types of headaches are usually migraines, however, it can also be a symptom of a brain aneurysm or a burst blood vessel.

Throbbing tooth – this pain can be caused by a damaged tooth nerve, and if not looked after in a timely manner, the bacteria in your mouth can spread to the nerve, which can spread the bacteria throughout your body.

Seeing flashes of light – these unexplained bright spots or flashes of lights can be a sign of a detached retina, which can quickly lead to permanent loss of vision.

Swollen Legs – This can mean fluid is accumulating and it can be a sign of heart failure; and if it is accompanied by pain, or tenderness in the back of your lower leg, it can be an indication of deep-vein thrombosis (blood clot).  Call 911 immediately.

Persistent fever – A fever indicates that your body has some type of infection, a high fever indicates a more serious infection, such as meningitis.

Sharp pain in your side or pelvis area – Pelvic pain can be a sign of appendicitis, kidney infection, ovarian cysts or even a hernia, all of which require emergency surgery.

Sudden confusion, trouble seeing, dizziness – Call 911, you may be having a stroke. Additional stroke symptoms are:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.

Back pain with tingling toes  – this can be a sign of sciatica, a herniated disc, or a slipped disc. Without proper medical attention, you risk permanent nerve damage.

When you see or feel something different or just feel ‘off’, don’t just dismiss it. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. Call your doctor or healthcare practitioner to discuss your symptoms.

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How To Minimize Tech Injuries

imWhen using technology on a daily basis we need to be vigilant in not only how we use technology, but for how long a period we interact with the device.  Here are some injuries – mainly in the form of repetitive stress injuries that are caused by our smart phones and tablets.

Selfie Elbow – Just like tennis elbow, this is a simple overuse injury caused by extending and twisting your arm and wrist when taking a selfie.

Text Claw – Text claw is caused by over use when texting and typing.  The result of text claw is pain, soreness, numbness, and the loss of strength in your wrist. This condition is left untreated, it can lead to tendonitis.

iPad Hand –  This ailment involves both hands – the hand that is used to steady or hold the tablet can suffer from painful symptoms,  and pins and needles, as well as, the other hand, where the extended index finger is used for repetitive and prolonged scrolling, emailing etc.

Texting Thumb –  Texting Thumb is a repetitive stress injury that affects the thumb and can also lead to a decrease in grip strength and range of motion.  The  thumb is good at gripping, but does not have the muscles or the mechanics to support constant typing.

Text Neck – Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain sustained from looking down at your  wireless devices too frequently and too long. Text neck causes chronic pain to the shoulders, and upper and mid back area.

How To Minimize Tech Injuries:

  1. Take frequent breaks: Try setting an alarm every 40 minutes so that you can stand up, stretch, and move around.
  2. Hold your device at eye level: All screens—laptops, computers and tablets should also be positioned so the screen is at eye level and you don’t have to bend your head forward or look down to view it.
  3. Use the 20/20/20 rule: Take an eye break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds to look away from the screen and about 20 feet ahead.
  4. Ice: Place ice on the area twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Anti-Inflammatory Relief: Take an anti-inflammatory to reduce inflammation.
  6. Wrist Brace: Sometimes the support of a brace can help to alleviate the pain while supporting your wrist.

If you suffer from any of these injuries, please contact your health care practitioner. The treatment for any type of soft tissue injury can include massage,  physiotherapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture.

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Sciatica…Oh My Aching Back

lower_back_painSciatica symptoms can increase in severity until the sciatic nerve becomes very inflamed.
Most commonly, sciatica results when a spinal disc ruptures in the lower lumbosacral region of the spine. Instead of acting as a gelatinous cushion between the bony vertebrae of the spine, the disc squeezes out from between the vertebrae and presses on one or more of the spinal nerves that form the sciatic nerve, causing inflammation. When back stiffness and lack of flexibility, such as when you get into or out of a chair or car, are left untreated for as little as two or three weeks, symptoms can increase in severity until the sciatic nerve becomes very, very inflamed.

Who’s at risk?

People who sit for a living are at slightly higher risk of back related problems than people who have physical jobs, such as workers in forestry, mining, farming or construction. Sitting at a desk or a computer for eight hours a day, five days a week, can aggravate compression of the spine, which, in turn, can lead to lower back stiffness, back pain and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

Read the complete article: sciatica_oh-my-aching-back which originally appeared in Canadian Health magazine.

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What Type of Stretching is Right For You?

recreational-activities-1There are many different types of stretching techniques for improving flexibility, so knowing what type of stretching is right for you can be confusing. Here are a quick explanation of six common stretching techniques.

When to Use The Correct Stretch

Stretches are either dynamic (involve motion) or static (involve no motion).

It’s best to perform static stretches after an activity, when your muscles are still warm. A post-activity static stretch helps reduce muscle tension and soreness by elongating the muscle and increasing blood circulation.

Dynamic stretches are most effective before an activity: they help prepare your body for the specific movements you will be using for that particular sport or activity. These type of stretches elevate your heart rate and increase your body temperature.

Different types of stretching:

  1. ballistic stretching
  2. dynamic stretching
  3. active stretching
  4. passive/relaxed stretching
  5. static stretching
  6.  Myofascial Release Stretching

Ballistic Stretching

This type of stretching utilizes repeated bouncing movement to stretch the targeted muscle group by bouncing into a stretched position, using the stretched muscles as a spring to pull yourself out of the stretched position. (e.g. bouncing down repeatedly to touch your toes.)

Dynamic Stretching

When you perform dynamic stretches, instead of holding the stretch, you repeatedly move your joints and muscles through a full range of motion. Dynamic stretching helps to improve the range of motion around your joints, improving the flexibility for a specific sport or activity (e.g walking lunges, high knee marching and arm circles.)

Active Stretching

An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it, with no assistance other than using the strength of your muscles.

Active stretching increases flexibility, and strengthens the your muscles. Active stretches are usually quite difficult to hold and maintain for more than several seconds. (e.g  numerous positions in yoga are active stretches.)

Passive Stretching

Passive or relaxed stretching is assuming a position and holding it with some other part of your body, or  assistance from another person or with a piece of equipment. (e.g  bringing your leg up  to your chest and then holding it, in place with your arms.)

Static Stretching

This is the most common stretching technique.  Static stretching is executed by extending the intended muscle group to its maximal point ( where you feel a slight discomfort) and holding it for a period of time.

There are two types of static stretches:

  • Active: Added force is applied by the individual for greater intensity (e.g. Pulling your elbow towards you with your opposite hand)
  • Passive: Added force is applied by an external force for greater intensity (e.g., assistance from another person or with a piece of equipment.)

 Myofascial Release Stretching

Using a a foam roller or similar piece of equipment, myofascial release decreases tension and improves flexibility in the fascia (a densely woven connective tissue) and muscle.  To be effective, you need to use small, continuous back-and-forth movements over a small specific area of the body at a time.

Stretching is an important part of being fit. Static and dynamic are two stretching techniques that can help you maintain flexibility and decrease your risk of being injured.

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Top 4 Training Tips For Running a Marathon

marathon-runners-580x387Wear old clothes and runners?

On the day of the race wear clothing you know is comfortable and that you can wear for the entire race. This is not the time to wear new clothing. This is also true for your footwear.  Make sure that you check your foot gear:  socks, orthotics,  and laces weeks before the race so that everything works in harmony and there will be no surprises during the race.

Variety needed for both location and training.

To maintain your interest and enthusiasm try running on different routes, and run on different surfaces , such as pavement, asphalt, chip trails, grass, dirt and pack gravel.

Cross training should be used to augment your running program.  Make sure to choose activities that have the least amount of weight bearing stressors on your body. You want to choose activities such as cycling, or swimming.

Know your route and practice drinking and eating while on the run

In a marathon it’s important to stay hydrated.  For most people, you may also need to eat during the event.  Practice eating and drinking on the run during a training sessions . You might also want to think about how you will carry food and water for the duration of the run. Keep in mind most marathons offer hydration station along the routes.

One of the best ways to train for a marathon is to familiarize yourself with the  actual race. Try regularly to incorporate parts of the course during your marathon preparation.  This allows you to become familiar with the route and what to expect on race day.

Keep yourself strong

Preparing for a marathon requires training, and exercising all while avoiding over-training – where your health begins to suffers.  To avoid over-training:

  • Balance workouts with easier runs and rest days
  • Eat and drink after each run to replenish depleted reserves
  • Get adequate sleep
  • Increase the intensity and quantity of training in manageable increments.
  • Always listen to your body.

As with any training program, make sure that you have frequent maintenance session with your healthcare practitioner to keep your body in top form.

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