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Two Major Categories of Headaches

There are 2 major categories of headaches, primary headaches and secondary headaches. Each category of headache is based on the source of the pain.

Primary Headaches:

Primary headaches include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches.

  •  A migraine is a severe, painful headache that can be preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound.  A migraine can last for hours or even days.  A migraine headache is often “triggered” when a person is exposed to a specific set of circumstances.  These circumstances can  include, hormonal, environmental, food based, or stressful situations.
  • Tension headaches are caused by muscle contractions in the head and neck regions. When the muscles covering the skull are stressed, they can become inflamed, go into spasm, and cause pain.  Tension headaches can be caused by a variety of foods, activities, and stressors such as heightened emotions, tension or stress.
  • Cluster headaches are a series of short but painful headaches.  The exact cause of cluster headaches is unknown, but cluster headache patterns suggest that they run in families, and that genes could play a role. Doctors do know that a nerve in the face is involved, creating debilitating pain, usually on one side of the head.

Secondary Headaches:

  • A secondary headache is a headache that is present because of another condition, and can include sinus headaches, headaches from illness, headaches from a hangover, headaches from a trauma event such as a car accident, headaches from a brain tumor, and a Cervicogenic headache (such as a degenerative disc disease of the cervical vertebrae).

How To Lessen The Effects Of A Headache:

  • Physical therapy, massage therapy, biofeedback, and stress management can all be used to help control many types of headaches.
  • Over-the-counter treatments, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen can treat the pain of some types of headaches.
  • Applying an ice pack can help to reduce inflammation that contributes to headaches.
  • Aromatherapy
  • A few simple exercises to stretch your head and neck can help reduce the intensity of the headache.
  • Deep breathing helps fresh oxygen circulate through your blood, helping to relax your mind and body.
  • Dehydration can be a common cause of headaches, so aim for 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Know your body, and what helps to relief or shorten your headache.  Does fresh air help, does turning off the lights, or turning on soft music help.

Headache Journal:

If your headaches are happening on a regular basis, keep a headache journal. Keep track of the dates and times you have a headache. Track where and what you were doing an hour to half an hour before the headache started; this can be helpful to find triggers if any for your headaches.

Other details to keep track off are how much sleep you had, and what you ate and drank, in the 24 hours before the headache, as well as, how long your headache lasted, and what if anything helped relieve the pain.

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Snow Shoveling Techniques to Prevent Low Back Injuries

Article by Peter J. Schubbe, DC

The following snow removal tips can help you to avoid low back injuries and pain during the snowy winter season.

Pick the Right Snow Shovel

  • An ergonomic snow shovel can help take some of the effort out of snow removal chores.
  • A shovel with a curved handle or an adjustable handle length will minimize painful bending, requiring you to bend your knees only slightly and arch your back very slightly while keeping the shovel blade on the ground.
  • A small, lightweight, plastic blade helps reduce the amount of weight that you are moving.

Warm Up Thoroughly

  • Cold, tight muscles are more prone to injury than warmed up, flexible muscles. Do your back a favor by warming up for five to ten minutes before shoveling or any strenuous activity.
  • Get your blood moving with a brisk walk, marching in place, or another full-body activity.
    Then, stretch your low back and hamstrings (the large muscles in the back of the thigh) with some gentle stretching exercises.See Specific Hamstring Stretches for Back Pain Relief
  • Limber up your arms and shoulders with a body hug that you hold for 30 – 60 seconds.

Use Ergonomic Lifting Techniques

  • Whenever possible, push the snow to one side rather than lifting it. When lifting the snow shovel is necessary, make sure to use ergonomic lifting techniques
  • Always face towards the object you intend to lift – have your shoulders & hips both squarely facing it.
  • Bend at the hips, not the low back, and push the chest out, pointing forward. Then, bend your knees and lift with your leg muscles, keeping your back straight.
  • Keep your loads light and do not lift an object that is too heavy for you.
  • If you must lift a shovel full, grip the shovel with one hand as close to the blade as comfortably possible and the other hand on the handle (handle and arm length will vary the technique).
  • Avoid twisting the back to move the snow to its new location – always pivot your whole body to face the new direction.
  • Keep the heaviest part of the object close to your body at your center of gravity – do not extend your arms to throw the snow.
  • Walk to the new location to deposit the item rather than reaching or tossing.
  • When gripping the shovel, keep your hands about 12 inches apart to provide greater stability and minimize the chances of injuring your low back.

Keeping these guidelines in mind will lessen the chances of developing new back problems or worsening your low back pain while shoveling, and hopefully make your winter a healthier and more enjoyable experience.

Click to read the complete article.

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Benefits of Massage Therapy for Physical and Mental Health

Massage therapy sessions are beneficial to physical health and mental health.

Massage therapy can improve overall physical health by increasing the immune system function, decreasing heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, and lowering stress, just to name a few. Massage therapy can also provide many benefits for your emotional health.  Here are just a few of the ways massage therapy provides emotional and physical support.

The Body

  • Relieves stress and aids in relaxation
  • Relieves muscle tension, stiffness and pain. Massage reduces these symptoms by stimulating the release of endorphins
  • Improves the healing time of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; as well as reducing pain, swelling, and the formation of scar tissue
  • Improves flexibility and range of motion
  • Improves the circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids, which supply nutrients to individual cells; while improving the cells ability to rid the body of waste materials from these cells
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Helps relieve tension headaches
  • Enhances the health and nourishment of the skin
  • Strengthens the immune system

The Mind

  • Massage promotes calm thinking by relaxing the mind and the body; which can lead to a better and deeper sleep.  Getting adequate sleep can help to reduce irritability, fatigue, and the ability to think clearly
  • Massage promotes a more relaxed state of mental alertness; which can help to quiet the mind and enter a state of  total relaxation
  • Helps relieve mental stress and reduces anxiety levels by producing endorphin’s such as serotonin and dopamine which help with depression
  • Satisfies the need for touch, which fosters a feeling of well-being.  Negative emotions like anxiety, and depression will manifest as physical symptoms, such as increased aggression, anxiety, depression, and fatigue

Stress and the challenges of daily life can influence our mind-body connection, which is a complex relationship between our thoughts, emotions and our bodies. Regular massage therapy can help alleviate many symptoms that  block your recovery.

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What Are The Warning Signs of Mental Illness?

Symptoms and warning signs of mental illness will vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. You don’t need to have every item on the list below to know that there may be something wrong;  or have the exact same warning signs as someone else.

Some general symptoms that may suggest a mental disorder include:

  • Confused thinking, disorientation or fogginess
  • Difficulty concentrating, learning, and staying on task
  • Inability to carry out daily activities
  • Prolonged sadness or increased irritability
  • Extreme highs and lows in mood
  • Excessive fear, worrying or anxiety
  • Difficulty handling stress
  • Social withdrawal from friends and activities
  • Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
  • Changes in eating habits that lead to weight loss or gain
  • Strong feelings of anger or aggressive behavior
  • Delusions or hallucinations
  • Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Abuse of drugs / alcohol
  • Self-medicating
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Psychosomatic “illnesses” that can’t be diagnosis by a doctor

Knowing the early warning signs and symptoms of mental illness can help you get the help that is needed before life spirals out of control.  These warning signs, particularly when occurring together, are an indicator that it is time to contact a mental health organization, doctor, health care practitioner, family member or friend and seek help.

Remember there are always organizations and professionals that can help.  If you’re experiencing a lot of warning signs and feel like you’re nearing a crisis, contact your doctor or mental health provider.  You can also contact your local crisis centre.

Crisis centres will have trained people that can connect you with local services, including emergency mental health services. In BC, call the BC Crisis Line 310-6789 (do not add 604, 778 or 250 before the number) to talk to someone without a wait or busy signal. They’re available 24 hours a day.  You can also go to the emergency room or call 911.

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Mental Health Treatments and Therapies

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While each method/therapy uses a different approach, the goal is to help the client with the issues that brought them to counseling.  The therapy or treatment plans will depend upon the type of mental health disorder they are struggling with, what their individual needs are, and what therapy their counselor or doctor selects for their treatment plan.

Mental health therapies offer:

  • Understanding behaviors and emotions that contribute to the illness, and how to modify them
  • Understanding and identifying problems or events that contribute to the illness and help understand which aspects of those problems can be solved or improved
  • Regaining a sense of control by learning coping techniques and skills

Different approaches to therapy include:

Psychodynamic therapy is based on the assumption that a person is having emotional problems because of unresolved, generally unconscious conflicts, often stemming from childhood. The goal of this type of therapy is to recognize those difficulties and to find ways to resolve them or cope with them better. Psychoanalysis involves an intense, open-ended exploration of a patient’s feelings, often with multiple sessions in a week.

Psychodynamic therapies help patients:

  • to explore the full range of their emotions
  • to talk about feelings that are troubling or feelings that they may not have acknowledged in the past
  • focus on recognizing and addressing defense mechanisms — reactions and behaviors they use

Interpersonal therapy focuses on the behaviors and interactions a patient has with family and friends. This therapy is used to improve communication skills and increase self-esteem.  This type of program only lasts a few months, and works well for clients dealing with mourning, relationship conflicts, major life events, and social isolation.

Psycho-dynamic and interpersonal therapies help patients resolve;

  • Loss,
  • Relationship conflicts
  • Role transitions

Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people with mental illness to identify and change inaccurate perceptions that they may have of themselves and the world around them. The purpose of this form of therapy is to change the thought processes therefore changing negative behavior.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended for patients:

  • Who think and behave in ways that trigger and perpetuate mental illness
  • Who suffer from depression / anxiety disorders
  • Who the mental illness causes suffering, or a disability

Medication therapy dose not cure mental illness, however, it can be used to in manage symptoms of the illness and can help a person manage their daily lives.  Most treatment plans include both medication and psychotherapy.

Commonly used classes of prescription medications include:
  • Antidepressants
  • Anti-anxiety medications
  • Mood-stabilizing medications
  • Antipsychotic medications
There are many different treatment options available, and no one treatment plan or therapy will work for everyone. These option range from psychotherapy, medication, complementary & alternative medicine, support groups & peer support groups, and hospitalization or treatment centres.
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Physiotherapist | Opportunity in Victoria BC

Physiotherapist Job PostingDiversified Health is actively recruiting an additional Physiotherapist to join our team of dedicated health professionals.

Our clinic is located in the heart of downtown Victoria, in the iconic Mosaic Building at 1063 Fort Street. We are a multi-disciplinary clinic of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Registered Massage Therapists and Acupuncturists.

The successful physiotherapist will be motivated and self-disciplined, with a sincere desire to develop an extensive client base. We have a growing case load of highly active clientele, ranging from everyday individuals all the way up to high level athletes.

Your ability to build rapport with patients and practitioners, combined with the opportunity to work alongside experienced team members, will ensure your success.

Diversified Health Clinic provides all reception services, patient billing, and inclusion in our advertising, marketing, and website.  All practitioner supplies for your practice will be provided by the clinic.

Compensation:  competitive, percentage based contract.

Please submit your resume either in person to our offices at 1063 Fort Street or via email to lsteel@diversifiedhealth.ca attention to Lola Steel, Clinic Manager.

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Triggers That Can Lead To Mental Illness

imHaving positive mental health means there is a balance in all parts of your life. (social, physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, and mental).

Mental health issues can cause a big change in the way a person thinks, feels, acts, and their ability to function on a daily basis. Mental illness has a huge affect on the quality of life of people living with these illnesses.

There is usually no one cause of a mental health problem:

  1. biological: chemistry in the brain or other body system
  2. psychological: issues with thought or emotion
  3. social: life events and stresses

Many factors can potentially trigger a period of poor mental health:

  • childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect
  • social isolation or loneliness
  • death of  a loved one
  • severe or long-term stress
  • unemployment or losing your job
  • social disadvantage, poverty or debt
  • homelessness or poor housing
  • caring for a family member
  • a long-term physical health condition
  • drug and alcohol misuse
  • domestic violence
  • significant trauma as an adult
  • genetic factors

There are two common forms of treatment for mental illness: talking treatments and medication.

  1. Talking treatments provide a regular time and space for you to talk about your thoughts and experiences and explore difficult feelings with a trained professional. This can include general counseling, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or psychological therapy.  These treatment options can help deal with a specific problem,and help cope with upsetting memories or experiences while develop helpful ways of dealing with  day-to-day life.
  1. Medication treatment is available by prescription medication.  Prescription medication doesn’t cure mental health problems, but can reduce many symptoms, which will help the individual cope with daily life.  Some common medication used for mental health are: antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, sleeping pills, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotic medication.

It can be hard to recognize whether someone’s behavior is a result of an emotional incident, or a signal of mental illness. Short-lived feelings of sadness, loneliness or stress are part of our every day experiences, and help us  cope with more traumatic experiences in the future, however, when these emotions remain unchanged over time and start to interfere with day-to-day life, they could be signs of mental illness.

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It’s That Time Again…New Years Goals

imagesThis is the time of year when many of us start to take stock of our lives and make decision about how to improve ourselves.  Setting goals can be a great way to make changes in your life, but they can also be a source of stress for many people.

If you are always setting goals, you are actually saying, you’re not good enough until the goal is reached. Also, if you frequently quit your goals….. you can start to feel negative about yourself.

So the first question you should be asking is do you want to set a goal this year. Remember the goal doesn’t have to centre around you being a better you.  Why not try goals that incorporate your interests such as I will read five books this year, or I will cook a vegetarian meal once a month.

But if you are determined to set a new years goal ; below are some guidelines on setting goals.

 Only set one or two goals and make sure that the goals can be measured – Specific goals are more effective. An effective goal clearly indicates what you need to do to accomplish the task. This means that you must be able to measure the performance that relates to the specific goal. For example,  I need to spend less time on the social media… should be…I will spend 30 minutes less a day on the computer.

Set realistic goals – Goals should not be so big that you experience failure and frustration in trying to reach them. Once a goal has been chosen, make sure it includes a target date for accomplishing what you set out to achieve.

Goals should not be “set in stone” – Life sometimes gets “in-the-way” of our goal; so your goals may need to be revised in order to achieve them. Don’t feel discouraged if you need to “tweak” your original goal… stay positive.

Many folks use the SMART formula when setting goals: SMART is a mnemonic used by life coaches and motivators for a system of goal identification, setting, and achievement.

S – Specific: A specific goal is simple and easy to describe. Stating that you will start an exercise program is not specific. A specific goal is… I will start a yoga class two nights a week to improve my flexibility.

M – Measurable: You need to be able to tell if you are achieving your goal.

 A – Achievable: Don’t schedule your workouts  after work, when you know that your job will interfere with your ability to get to the gym. A better goal is to state that you will workout twice a week…. Remember you can always adjust your goals.

 R – Be Realistic: If you haven’t been exercising, and you’ve never done any fitness classes before,  sign up for a beginner class! Signing up for an intensive workout class will sabotage your goals.

 T – Timely: Set a clear time frame to achieve your goal. Always take time to celebrate your achievements. Reward your hard work along the way as you achieve the small goal.

Whatever system you decide to use, remember to stay positive, know that there will be set backs, and surrounding yourself with positive people who will be your cheerleaders.  Or, perhaps this will be the year that “you are perfect” just the way you are” and take a year off from goal setting!

Happy New Year!

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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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16 Ways To Increase Activity Into Your Daily Routine

recreational-activities-1Most of us want to increase our activity levels; but we never seem to find the time. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), physical fitness is defined as ‘the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and respond to emergencies.”  This requires proper conditioning through both structured exercise and leisurely activities.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your activity levels without really trying.

At Home:

  • Join a walking/ running group
  • Walk the dog or your neighbour’s dog
  • Clean the house
  • Walk more and drive less
  • Do stretches and exercises while watching TV
  • Do yard work
  • Clean your house
  • While waiting for the water to boil, fill your time with angled push-ups on the counter
  • While brushing your teeth, fill your time with squats

At Work:

  • Get off public transit one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way
  • Park your car a few blocks away from the office and walk the rest of the way
  • Replace a coffee break with a quick 10-minute walk
  • Keep a water bottle at your desk and only fill it halfway so that you have to get up for refills throughout the day
  • Switch out your office chair for a stability ball or standing desk
  • Take calls standing up
  • Move around at work – try filing, copying,  or scanning

Every little bit  of activity adds up, and doing something is better than doing nothing.  Many of the activities listed above, involve working a wide range of muscle groups, through walking, bending, lifting and stretching.  You can purchase a fitness monitor: they are a great way to measure the amount of physical activity you are getting each day, and can also serve as a great motivator in your quest to becoming more active.

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