Protected: “Once you’ve seen one concussion, you’ve seen one concussion”.
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Could Medical Injections (PRP) Accelerate Recovery?
Could Medical Injections (PRP) Accelerate My Recovery? The majority of orthopedic problems tend to respond to targeted and appropriate physiotherapy and exercise interventions. If an injury isn’t responding to this, and other traditional treatments, a biologic injection may help accelerate your healing. Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP is a product produced from your own blood. […]
Back to School Blueprint: Prioritizing Sweat, Step, Sleep, and Sit for Well-being
Back to School Blueprint: Prioritizing Sweat, Step, Sleep, and Sit for Well-being
Are your children ready for class and all their extra-curricular activities coming September? The Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity have provided a few recommendations to help encourage youth to live a healthy lifestyle.
1. Sweat:
An accumulation of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity involving various aerobic activities. Vigorous physical activities and muscle and bone strengthening activities should be incorporated at least thrice weekly.
2. Step:
Several hours of a variety of structured and unstructured light physical activity
3. Sleep
Uninterrupted 9-11 hours of sleep per night for those aged 5-13 and 8-10 years hours per night for those aged 14-17 years with consistent bed and wake-up times.
4. Sit:
No more than 2 hours per day of recreational screen time; limited sitting for extended periods
Returning to Sports?
If your children are returning to a specific sport or activity this fall, consider the following tips to avoid injury. A common cause of muscle injury is overload – doing too much too soon. Muscle strains occur when the tissue exceeds its loading capacity. Here are a few tips to help manage the risk of injury: Arrive 15-20 minutes before practice to ensure adequate warm-up before activity.
- Sport-specific training (i.e. a warm-up for a baseball player should incorporate sprint training in addition to catching/throwing drills)
- Gradual increase in training load, otherwise known as volume (try to increase one of the following variables at a time: frequency, intensity, duration)
- Get yourself back to baseline (this includes a low-intensity activity to help you lower your heart rate, hydration, refuelling & rest)
Conclusion
Physiotherapists can assist with injury prevention, sport-specific training and recovery from injury. If you have more questions, contact one of our experts at Treloar Physiotherapy!
By Jamie Mistry (Registered Physiotherapist, Treloar Physiotherapy Kerrisdale)
Just Keep Swimming – Six Reasons Swimming is Fantastic for Your Health
Just Keep Swimming – Six Reasons Swimming is Fantastic for Your Health
Amidst these scorching summer days here in BC, there’s nothing like a refreshing swim, but swimming has many health benefits besides being a fantastic way to cool off.
One significant aspect of water-based exercises is the hydrostatic effect of water, which has fantastic therapeutic benefits. The pressure can alleviate pain by reducing swelling and calming our sympathetic nervous system. As a result, pool-based exercises and swimming can benefit those in post-recovery (like ankle sprains, knee replacements, etc.) and facilitate a faster recovery.
But the benefits don’t stop there! Other great aspects include:
1. Low-impact exercise:
Unlike many other forms of exercise, swimming is low-impact, which puts less stress on joints. Being low-impact makes swimming an ideal activity for people of all ages, including those with joint pain/sprains, arthritis, or other mobility concerns.
2. Flexibility and balance:
Swimming enhances stability and coordination and helps those who fear falling to practice safe balance drills in waist-height water. It also improves joint flexibility through various strokes and positions.
3. Improved posture:
Swimming helps strengthen the muscles that support the spine, leading to better posture and reduced risk of developing back problems or aches.
4. Cardiovascular health:
Swimming elevates the heart rate, improves blood circulation, and reduces the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
5. Full-body workout:
Swimming engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing comprehensive exercise for the entire body. It strengthens the arms, shoulders, back, core, and legs, improving muscle tone and overall strength.
6. Weight management:
Swimming is a calorie-burning activity that can aid in weight management and loss. It helps burn many calories while providing a fun and refreshing workout.
Conclusion
Before taking a dip or starting any exercise program (like hydrotherapy/pool-based rehab), consult your doctor and physiotherapist, especially if you have any underlying health concerns. Stay safe, and just keep swimming!
Physiotherapist Ania Stojek wrote this article.
Prune and Rake without the Ache – a quick exercise guide for Gardeners!
Prune and Rake without the Ache – a quick exercise guide for Gardeners!
Summertime brings on gardening and yard maintenance. Here is a simple routine that will make your gardening easier by addressing the following three components to happy gardening:
- Strength: often you need to move things, dig, lift heavy pots, etc. which requires a certain amount of strength.
- Mobility: you’ll need to be able to bend your knees/spine, get into tight spots, and low down to the ground for your gardening tasks.
- Balance: to avoid feeling wobbly on your feet, stay safe, and avoid falling while gardening.
1. Strength
As a gardener strength in your legs and back are necessary to perform certain movements safely. The following two exercises help to develop vital leg and back strength for safe gardening:
Sumo Squat:
- You can hold onto a bucket, watering can, bag with something heavy in it, or no weight at all.
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart or a little wider with the object you are lifting a little in front of your feet.
- Bend down like you are sitting in a chair and pick up the object with a nice straight back.
- Stand back up by straightening knees and squeezing your buttocks.
- Repeat for a recommended 8-12 repetitions x 3 sets.
Lunge:
- Hold onto something for support if needed (chair, railing, rake) and take a big step forward.
- Drop your hips directly down between your two feet.
2. Mobility
Does your lower back ever get stiff and achy while gardening? Mobility work can help with that stiffness and keep you moving smoothly. Try these 2 exercises for your spinal mobility.
Seated forward fold:
- Sit tall, with feet hip width apart, and hands on knees.
- Start by bending your neck looking down, then roll your shoulders forward, then midback, then lower back sliding your arms down your legs as you go.
- Bending as far down as you comfortably can without pain/discomfort.
- Reverse it as you come back up.
- Repeat for a recommended 3-5 slow repetitions 3-5 times.
Standing extension:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your hands on your hips.
- Stand up straight and gently arch your back.
- Only go as far as it is comfortable. Hold for 3-5 seconds repeat 3-5 times.
3. Balance
With balance exercises there can be a variety of levels so find what suits you best. Try to be near a wall, corner, and/or something sturdy to hold onto especially your first few tries to keep you safe.
Tandem balance:
- Place one foot in front of the other, so that the toes of your back foot are just touching the heel of your front foot and hold this position.
- To make this easier try holding on to something while you get into position, you can also place the front foot slightly further forward and/or to the side of the back foot.
- To make it harder you can try turning your head left to right or closing your eyes while you balance.
- Try to stay balanced as long as you can and practice for 1-3 minutes.
Balance Reach:
- Place your feet together so they are touching, or as close together as you can get them.
- Reach out in front of you bending at the hips.
- You can also practice reaching side to side/ up/ down.
- To make this easier stand with your feet hip width apart.
- To make this harder stand in tandem like the previous exercise or on one leg.
- Try to stay balanced as long as you can and practice for 1-3 minutes.
Conclusion
This is a small sample of exercises that can help improve your gardening but hopefully it is enough to get you started!
It is important to note that these exercises may not be appropriate for everyone, please discuss with your physiotherapist if they are right for you.
Physiotherapist Danielle Carter wrote this article.