1 in 6 Canadian adults has arthritis, the majority being osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a disease of the joint cartilage with multiple contributing factors including genetics, previous joint injury, body weight and muscle weakness. Pain associated with OA may cause individuals to avoid physical activity which can lead to secondary complications and worsening of symptoms. Physiotherapists are experts in exercise prescription for conditions such as OA and can help you safely engage in exercise in a way that can decrease pain, increase strength, allow continued participation in activity and possibly prolong the life of your joint.
Community News
Healthy Home – Summer Checklist
With the arrival of warm, sunny weather, home maintenance is likely the last thing on your mind, but it’s an important way to keep your home environment healthy. Here’s an easy checklist you can follow to get some tasks off your list. 1) Clean your kitchen exhaust fan filter. 2) Remove lint from washer hoses and dryer vent (inside and out). 3) Empty and clean refrigerator and freezer drip trays and coils. 4) Check for leaks in kitchen and bathroom plumbing. 5) Oil garage door and all door hinges. 6) Seal tile grout. Stay safe and healthy this summer.
Benefits of Resistance Training
Many people associate resistance training with strictly muscle growth, but there are many other benefits from incorporating this type of training into your exercise regimen. Resistance training builds strength and tone to help protect your joints from injury. It improves balance to help you remain independent and reduce the chance of falls. Resistance training helps with weight management, as your body will burn more calories when you gain more muscle mass. Talk to your doctor to see if you are healthy enough to begin resistance training. An exercise professional can then help you develop a safe and effective program.
Fear of Falls Causes Unsafe Behavior
When someone is fearful of falling, they start to avoid everyday activities by staying at home and doing less. This lack of activity leads to loss of strength, reduced muscle tone, and loss of coordination and balance. This physical deterioration increases the risk of falling and if a fall does occur, it further heightens the fear. Turn your fear of falling into positive actions; remain active, exercise regularly, use assistive devices such as walkers or grab bars and wear sensible shoes. Consider joining a group session designed especially to teach balance exercises for fall prevention.
Citrus Oils Are Happy Oils!
Besides smelling amazing, citrus oils like bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange offer many health benefits. Limonene or D-Limonene, a natural compound found in citrus oils, has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Citrus oils have a positive effect on the lymphatic system, which helps your body detoxify. This can also help with problems such as poor circulation, allergies, cellulite, and fluid retention. The scent of citrus oils is a great mood booster, and you can add these oils to dish soap, hand soap, a carrier oil (for massage), or room freshening spray to enjoy them all day long!
Allowing the Gift to Emerge
Self-isolation creates a holding tank (for some a pressure cooker) where struggles and issues bubble up to the surface from within. When we feel restricted with what we can do and when we can do it, , feelings of loss, disappointment and frustration emerge both from present time and from our past. Our “normal” coping tools don’t work as effectively and it’s easy to feel stuck. Our normal impulse is to work harder, do more, but instead what is being asked of us is to fully feel the uncomfortable feelings, release them physically from our bodies to make space from within, then fully surrender to allow the gift of the situation to emerge. Moving from doing into being.
Optimize Your Golf Game!
Have you taken that first swing of the day and felt like things just aren’t moving right? Whether you are late for your tee time, focused on your first big drive, or catching up with your friends, it is easy to forget the importance of a good warm up. Your warmup can be the difference between a great day on the course, or a frustrating day with fifteen bogies and a strained rotator cuff. Even before trying your warm up swings, you should start with a routine of stretching and mobility exercises. This includes warming up your shoulders, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, hip mobility…and gets the blood pumping!
Need Cosmetic Dentures?
Teeth have three main functions: chewing food, lip support, and speech. The loss of your teeth can have negative effects on your self-confidence and your overall quality of life. Since your teeth provide structure and support to your cheeks, tooth loss can result in the sagging of your face. It is essential that your missing teeth are replaced as soon as possible. A new set of cosmetic dentures can instantly improve your appearance and remove facial flaws. Age is inevitable, but cosmetic dentures can help brighten your smile and make you feel young again!
Laser Treatment for Acne
Acne and acne scarring can affect one’s self-esteem and self-image, and most people who experience breakouts will notice some scarring. Luckily, there are treatments available that can help reduce acne breakouts, as well as the appearance of scarring. Laser treatment of acne reduces inflammation through photo-selective absorption and controlled heating. The laser safely destroys overactive sebaceous glands, accelerates the healing process, and stimulates collagen remodeling. This trifecta approach allows for significant acne transformations without risk, pain, or side-effects. The treatment is mostly used on the face, but can also be used on the upper torso, back, arms, and neck.
Which Sunscreen is Best?
Summer is here! Have you been protecting yourself against sun exposure? When selecting a sunscreen, go for the “broad spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor of 30 or higher. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against harmful rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. Secondly, look at the ingredients. Physical blockers (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) provide the best protection and cause less skin irritation than chemical sunscreens.
Product Review: Anti-inflammatory Releaf
ACTIVE RELEAF strives to inspire active wellness through the use of Mother Nature’s remedies. Offering a variety of applications from topicals, to tinctures, capsules and soaps, ACTIVE RELEAF’s plant based products can help support the inflammatory related pain of sore muscles and stiff joints. For fastest relief, their topical relief stick utilizes broad spectrum, cannabinoid-rich hemp plant extract combined with the additional power of essential oils increasing the anti-inflammatory properties to help combat stubborn aches and discomfort. To support more chronic inflammatory response from within, look to their tinctures and capsules for ongoing support.
