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What is TENS?

tensTENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A TENS machine works by sending electrical pulses across the surface of the skin and along the nerve strands. It is a modality that can be safely used on multiple conditions.

TENS therapy can be used to treat muscle, joint, or bone problems.  Some of these conditions include:  bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, sports injuries, neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain.

When the body is injured, it responds to pain by “muscle guarding”. Muscle guarding is a protective response –  the bodies natural defense in attempting to immobilize the painful area by tightening the muscles. Muscle guarding impairs circulation in the injured and surrounding area; but can be treated through induced relaxation of the muscle.   TENS therapy can help break this pain cycle and aid in the normal healing process.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation uses low-voltage electrical current for pain relief.  The electricity from the electrodes stimulates the nerves in an affected area and sends signals to the brain that block the  normal pain signals. TENS unit aims to stimulate the sensory nerves, and by so doing, activate specific natural pain relief mechanisms.

When the TENS modality is switched on, the patient will experience a mild, pins and needles or tingling sensation where ever the TENS pad has been placed on the body. This electrical stimulation of the nerves may also help the body to produce natural painkillers called endorphins, which help block the perception of pain.

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.

The TENS modality is used by both Physiotherapist and Chiropractors and is usually used in a combination of treatments such as manual manipulation, cryo & thermal therapy and topical analgesic ointments.

If you should have any questions about TENS, please call our clinic at 250-382-0018 to discuss if this treatment is right for you.

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Why Go To A Physiotherapist?

iStock_000003913066Medium.jpg.1371742377.MVCACHE_LOREZIMAGE.0Why go to a physiotherapist? A physiotherapist is a health care professional that provides physical rehabilitation and pain relief to people with osteoarthritis, repetitive strain injury, whiplash and sports injuries. As primary health care professionals, physiotherapists combine knowledge of how the body works with clinical skills to diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.   A physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, and movement.

Physiotherapists are university trained medical professionals and primary care practitioners. This means that you do not need a doctor’s referral to see s physiotherapist.

If you have ever suffered from back pain, knee pain, neck strains, wrist and elbow pain, ankle or foot injuries and have used over-the-counter anti inflammatory, ointments, or ice, remember; if your pain persists more than one or two days, or if the injury is serious and affects your ability to perform day-to-day actions, you need to see a physiotherapist.

On your first visit  to a physiotherapist, the initial visit will take approximately 45 minutes. During this time the physiotherapist will talk with you about your medical history, including any medical conditions, ask about past and current injuries. The physiotherapist will then do a physical assessment and bio- mechanical exam to assess your movement and problem areas.  All of this information will help to determine the cause of your pain and dysfunction, and will help treat the injury most effectively and efficiently.  Subsequent visits can be approximately 30 minutes.

Types of therapies that physiotherapist use:

  • Cold laser therapy – Laser light therapy works by penetrating the laser light deeply into the skin, which stimulates cellular activity, helps to reduce inflammation, repairs tissue and accelerate the healing process.
  • eToims – is a surface electrical stimulation device that targets deep muscles to relieve myofascial pain and discomfort.
  • Ultrasound –  high-frequency sound waves are used to treat deep tissue injuries by stimulating blood circulation and cell activity, with the aim of reducing pain and spasms, as well as speeding up healing.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – device is used to deliver an electric current to the affected area, with the aim of relieving pain.
  • Manual therapy is a technique where a physiotherapist uses their hands to manipulate, mobilize and massage the body tissues.
  • Shockwave therapy – These high-energy mechanical pulses stimulate the breakdown of scar tissue and fibroblasts in the targeted area thus improving blood circulation and triggers an inflammatory response that promotes and stimulates healing.
  • Trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and/or intramuscular therapy (IMT)and uses dry needles to stimulate trigger points, diagnose and treat neuromuscular pain and functional movement deficits.

Please contact us at 250-382-0018 to find out if physiotherapy is right for you.

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Do You Suffer From Sitting Fatigue?

sittingDid you know that workplace stretching can improve flexibility and stop sitting fatigue in it’s tracks? Daily workplace stretching reduces pain, increases your circulation and strengthens your muscles.  So, if you are stuck behind a desk for any length of time, try incorporating these quick and easy stretches and exercises into your daily work schedule to stop the fatigue that is caused by too much sitting.

Stretches for Legs and Feet:

  • Stand in front of your desk; raise your heels off the floor and slowly lower them back down to the floor. This  stretch will help strengthen and lengthen your calf muscles.
  • Rotate your ankles in both directions for five seconds. Do three sets of five reps in each direction.
  • While sitting in your chair, lift your foot about 8 – 10 centimeters off of the floor; keeping your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position for as long as you are comfortable. Then, bring your knee up – giving your knee a big hug by pulling it toward your chest and hold for a few moments to feel the stretch. Alternate sides. This stretch will help keep your hips flexible, and will help to alleviate back pain.
  •  While sitting in your chair, extend your leg until it is level with your hip. Hold for 10-30 seconds then relax. Alternate sides. Leg extensions will help strengthen your core and help increase circulation.
  • To get relief from tight hamstring muscles, push your chair away from your desk and place one leg up on the edge of the desk. Flex your foot (toes pointed to the ceiling) and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and grasp your toes or knees and hold for several seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Seated knee raises target the quadriceps (or upper leg) muscles. Sit in your chair with your feet flat and your back straight against the back of the chair. Using leg strength only, extend your right leg straight. Hold your leg straight for 5 seconds and then lower your foot back down so it’s flat on the floor. Alternate your legs for 5 to 8 repetitions on each side.

Stretches for Arms and Hands:

  • Pump both of your arms over your head for 20 – 30 seconds. This is a great way to improve your circulation and increase your heart rate.
  • Raise your shoulder to your ear; hold and then relax. Repeat, alternating shoulders. Shoulder raises are a great way to release tension.
  • Stretch your arm out in front with  your palm facing the ceiling; and with your other hand, grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.  This wrist stretch helps to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • To relax tense hand muscles, start by making a fist, then spreading and wiggling your fingers on each hand for about 30 seconds, several times a day.

Stretches for your Core:

  • Sit straight in your chair and place your left arm behind your left hip, then twist to the left and hold.  Alternate sides, and then try crossing your legs and alternate twists toward the back of the chair.
  • Sit on the edge of your chair, stretch your arms out in front of you; keeping your back straight and contract your abdominal muscles.  This is a great abdominal stretch. Repeat 4 to 5 times.
  • Try the seated bicycle pedal. Sit in your chair, scooting down to the edge of the seat and support your upper body on the chair’s armrests. Then pretend you’re riding a bicycle, bringing each knee near the chest, keeping the abdominal muscles contracted.

Stability/Exercise Ball:

One of the best and easiest  changes you can make to your work station is to incorporate a stability ball.

  • Exercise or stability balls will forces proper spine alignment.
  • A stability ball causes to you to change your position often to balance, which will improve your balance, as well as strengthen your core muscles.
  • Sitting on a stability ball will keep the blood flowing and will increase your circulation and give you more energy throughout the day.
Remember that active sitting will strengthen your abdominal and back muscles, improve your balance, and increases core stability.
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Are Your Vitamins Working?

multivitamin-tabletsVitamins can be a hot topic. Some folks are pro vitamins while others feel they are a waste of money. One of the questions people always ask, is how do I know if my vitamins are working?

To really know if your vitamins are making a difference to your health, you would need to complete blood work before you started your regime of vitamins and then follow up several weeks later and compare the results.

But there are  a few things you can do right now.

First, is your body absorbing the vitamin?   Take this home test to find out.  Fill a glass with a cup of vinegar, drop your vitamin into the glass and wait for 30 minutes. If your vitamin has dissolved that’s a good indication that your stomach acids would work the same and the vitamin would be absorbed  easily into your body.  If the vitamin is still whole and sitting at the bottom of the glass, you might want to consider switching vitamin brands.

Second, vitamins don’t last forever, so remember to keep them in a dark, cool, dry place and keep an eye on the expiration date.

Thirdly, never take a new vitamin supplement without talking to your doctor or health care practitioner first. Here are some questions you should be asking:

  • How would this supplement help me, and how much should I take?
  • What does the research say about its benefits & what are the side effects?
  • Can I take it along with my other medications?
  • What are the best brands of this supplement in terms of quality, and how well they work?

Fourthly, you may also want to know whether your vitamins are natural or synthetic.

Look for products that contain the words “100 percent plant-based” or “100 percent animal-based” on the product’s label. Manufactures are allowed to use the term “natural” if at least 10 percent of the product comes from natural food sources.

If the product’s label does not contain a list of natural food sources, then the product is synthetic. Look for food sources such as yeast, fish, vegetable and citrus.

A synthetic salt is added to supplements to increase the stability of the vitamin or mineral. Look for these terms on the label: acetate, bitartrate, chloride, gluconate, hydrochloride, nitrate and succinate.

Here is list of common synthetic vitamins:

  • Vitamin A: Acetate and Palmitate
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B12: Cobalamin
  • Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
  • Vitamin D: Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol
  • Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate

If you are getting the recommended amount of nutrients by eating a variety of fruit, vegetables, cereals, dairy, and protein, there might be no additional benefit from taking a vitamin.  Remember that unless your health-care provider  or doctor tells you that you need more than 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of a particular nutrient, you probably shouldn’t exceed that limit.

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Physiotherapy Can Help Your Back Pain

Lower-Back-Pain-Treatment-NewmarketAccording to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, four out of five Canadians experience at least one episode of low back pain at some point in their life.

Physiotherapists focus on exercise, mechanics and posture, through customized treatments that work to increase your flexibility, strength, and endurance. Physiotherapists are effective in  helping to reduce acute and chronic pain.  There are three main types of back pain.

Localized pain is felt in the lower back and is restricted to a particular area on the body.

Radiating pain occurs when there is pain in the back and pain down the leg or foot, and is a sign that the nerve or nerve root is under pressure from either an injury or inflammation.

Referred pain is felt not only at the injured site, but also on different body areas, which is due to the fact that nerve signals from several areas of the body share the same nerve pathway leading to the spinal cord and brain.

Physiotherapists are skilled in manual therapy using precise hands-on techniques to relieve stiffness and improve movement of the joints and muscles. They incorporate movement exercises (Active physical therapy)that help restore motion and decrease radiating or referred pain; as well as progressive strengthening exercises that focus on increasing muscle strength, and function, while helping to increase core stability and endurance.

The physiotherapist may also use Passive physical therapy (modalities) including heat, ultrasound, eToims, Shockwave therapy, spinal decompression, class IV K-Laser therapy and trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS).

Health Link BC offers some helpful information on the different types of exercises you should try, depending on your symptoms:

Exercises to try if your back pain is eased by standing or lying down:

 Alternate arm and leg / Backward bend / Hip flexor stretch / Press-up / Relax and rest

Exercises to try if your back pain is eased by sitting down:

 Double knee-to-chest / Piriformis stretch / Single knee-to-chest

Exercises to try when no position eases your back pain:

Cat-camel / Curl-ups /Front plank /Hamstring stretch / Pelvic tilt / Walking

As with any medical advise, please contact your health care practitioner before starting any treatment or exercise regime.

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