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Are Winter Blues + Holiday Stress Making You Feel Grinchy? 

Are Winter Blues + Holiday Stress Making You Feel Grinchy? 

It’s the time of the year that is supposed to be very merry and bright. Still, for many of us, winter blues and holiday preparations add extra tasks to our never-ending to-do lists, resulting in compounding holiday stress that leaves us feeling more tense than jolly. Luckily, there are things you can do to salvage your energy and save your spirits this holiday season.

Beating The Winter Blues (Hello, Darkness My Old Friend)

Using light therapy to help offset holiday stress and tension.

When Simon & Garfunkel sang this lyric in their famous song The Sound of Silence, they weren’t referring to west coast winters marked by dark skies before your 5 o’clock drive home from work, but they could have been. Shorter daylight hours can put a damper on anyone’s mood and energy, leaving little left in the proverbial tank for holiday socials, decorating, baking, shopping and more. To help offset dark weather doldrums, some people find relief from investing in light therapy lamps that replicate daylight. The trick is to sit within 12 to 15 inches of your lamp for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day — ideally in the morning after rising. When shopping for the best light therapy lamp, look for one that:

  • Radiates a brightness level of at least 10,000 lux of white light;
  • Is 100% UV Free;
  • Has a design that will make it easy to place where you’ll remember to use it each day (at least on days when you’re starved of natural sunlight). 

Offsetting Barometric Pressure + Hibernation Mode

Does winter chill and rain make you wish you could just stay home? Obligatory social engagements and ugly sweater parties can add enough pressure and holiday stress when all you want to do is hibernate. In addition, barometric pressure changes and decreased physical activity can trigger headaches, joint pain and fluid retention. If you’re noticing more general achiness than usual, a light walk or warm Epsom salt bath can help. If your joint pain is isolated to one or two areas, you can also try these simple, at-home ways to help reduce winter aches and joint pain. If joint pain becomes persistent or interferes with your favourite activities, booking a consultation and treatment with a trusted physiotherapist can help relieve pain and encourage healing without delay.

Preventing and Treating Holiday Tension and Burnout

The holidays can be an incredibly stressful time, especially if you’re planning on doing some holiday hosting at your home. It can be hard to turn down social invitations and give engagements a miss, but sometimes, bowing out or saying no to that baking swap opportunity is the best gift you can give yourself to prevent burnout. It’s also a great time to practice delegating, which can be especially challenging for traditionalists and perfectionists. Finally, it helps to remember what the holidays are all about — being with the people you love and having fun. If turkey feasts with all the trimmings result in more work than pleasure, it may be time to tweak traditions by dining out or ordering pizza — who doesn’t love pizza?

Even if you’re brimming with the holiday spirit, the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations (and even happy stress) can create muscle tension and tightness that can interfere with relaxation and fun. In this case, booking a massage therapy treatment or two (or more) can be the perfect proactive measure to prevent and treat holiday muscle tension and tightness. Besides, a therapeutic massage can feel incredibly good — it’s the easiest thing to prioritize once you realize how great you feel afterwards.

Get Ahead of Holiday Stress and Tension

Give our team of practitioners a call at Diversified Health Clinic today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. If you need help deciding who to book your appointment with, ask us when you call. Our diversified approach and initial consultation process ensure you’ll be placed in the best care possible, with a practitioner and plan tailored to your specific situation and needs.

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Fact or Fiction? Is Joint Pain Worse in Cold Weather?

Fact or Fiction? Is Joint Pain Worse in Cold Weather?

Do you notice increased joint pain or aches from past injuries in cold climates? If so, you’re not alone. A phenomenon occurs this time of year when Vancouver Island’s warm summer climate is replaced by a cooler and wetter fall and winter. The 2,400-year-old phenomenon I’m referring to is a sudden increase in people being bothered by joint pain. Is it a seasonal coincidence, or is there a correlation between colder, wetter weather and worsening aches and pains? 

Does Weather Affect Joint Pain?

The short answer is that it’s possible that a sudden or prolonged drop in barometric pressure negatively affects arthritis and joint pain, but at this point, the correlation has yet to be proven. While the jury is out on what exactly causes the notable increase in winter aches and pains, a couple of theories are worth considering as follows:

Blame it on the rain (and barometric pressure):

If you notice sudden or worsening pain or swelling on rainy days, this theory may explain why. Drops in barometric pressure, typical during periods of rain, can cause your muscles, tendons, interstitial fluids and tissues to expand slightly, affecting how much pressure is placed on surrounding nerves. The degree of swelling and pain may depend on contributing factors such as arthritis, edema and past or present injuries.

Drops in activity:

While many islanders are active year-round, it’s natural for some of us to stay inside and reduce our overall physical activity and energy output when it’s cold, wet and generally “blah” outside. Just as too much activity can leave muscles sore, too little activity — especially when your body has become accustomed to being active — can increase the sensation of joint pain and general achiness. Drops in activity coupled with a colder climate can decrease circulation and increase muscle tension and fluid retention around joints, causing muscles and tendons to feel more stiff and sore than usual. 

Simple Ways to Reduce Winter Aches and Joint Pain

Warm Up:

When fall and winter chills aggravate aches and pains, the easiest thing to do is warm up at home with a heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath. Take essential precautions when using an electrical heating pad, hot water bottle, microwaveable bean bag or any other compresses: 

  • First, the temperature you apply should be comfortably warm and not hot – heat builds up on your skin the longer a warm compress is applied;
  • Always use a towel or cloth between the heat source and your skin to prevent burns;
  • Never fall asleep while using a heating pad or hot compress (opt for electrical heating pads with built-in timers) or use a warm beanbag or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel;
  • Never apply heat if wounds are present or infection is suspected;
  • Apply heat in 10-20 minute intervals or shorter;
  • Pay attention to how you feel — the heat you apply should never feel hot, and if the pain or swelling increases instead of improving, stop and consult with a physician or trusted health practitioner immediately.

Get and Stay Active:

You may not feel like being active during darker, wetter and colder seasons, but consider that staying active not only helps mitigate aches and pains while keeping you fit year-round, but regular exercise can also help banish the winter blues. Be sure to take a few minutes at the end of your activities to stretch your muscles — paying extra attention to the areas that tend to bother you most. One important word of caution, consult with a health practitioner before starting a new workout routine or increasing your activity — especially if you have preexisting health conditions or old injuries. 

Get Help and Relief From Massage Therapy and Physiotherapy:

When joint pain, old injuries, and muscle tension persist or interfere with the activities you love and your overall well-being, a professional massage therapist or physiotherapist can help. Massage therapy and physiotherapy can help improve circulation, mobility and strength where it’s needed most while helping prevent re-injury and soreness from unaddressed muscle imbalances and suboptimal movement patterns. Booking an appointment and consultation with a massage therapist or physiotherapist is a great place to start, and they will likely give you pain-reducing tips and exercises you can perform between sessions at home.

If Your Pain Persists or You’re Unsure Where to Start

Give our team of practitioners a call at Diversified Health Clinic today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. If you’re unsure who to book your appointment with, ask us when you call. Our diversified approach and initial consultation process ensure you’ll be placed in the best care possible, with a practitioner and plan tailored to your specific situation and needs.

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Extended Benefit Plans and Direct Billing: What You Need to Know

Extended Benefit Plans and Direct Billing: What You Need to Know

Extended Benefit Plans allow you to receive treatments that are covered under your plan, which can be directly billed at the time of service.

Depending on your coverage, you may have to pay a percentage of the treatment cost or nothing at all. As every benefit plan is different, it is imperative that you reach out directly to your employer or insurance company to get an understanding of your plan and what may or may not be required.

While our clinic is pleased to offer direct billing, our administrative team cannot investigate extended benefit plans on behalf of patients to determine what treatments are covered, how many visits you have used, or how many visits you have left. 

Deductibles

Many extended benefit plans have an annual deductible that is applicable at the start of each new year. A deductible is a dollar amount that you have to pay out of pocket until that dollar amount is reached, and then your extended benefits coverage takes effect. You do not have to pay the entire deductible at your first visit, but instead, each visit will go against the deductible until it reaches the maximum. Generally, the lower the deductible or no deductible, the more expensive the policy is and vice versa.

Please note that we cannot see what your annual deductible is or how much is remaining; we can only view the amount placed against the deductible each time we process a direct billing. To find out the annual deductible amount in your plan, please check with your extended benefits company.

What services are eligible for direct billing? 

Our clinic can bill directly for chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and registered massage therapy.

Athletic Therapy is not a direct billable service yet; however, many plans will reimburse you if you submit yourself. Check with your extended benefits plan to see if Athletic Therapy is covered.

Kinesiology is only directly billable to ICBC. Always check your benefit plan to see what treatments they deem eligible for direct billing.

What cannot be direct billed?

  1. Missed appointment fees are not billable to most extended benefit plans.
  2. Orthotics are not direct billable; however, many benefit plans cover orthotics up to a specific dollar amount. For more information on orthotics and orthotic billing, please click here. 
  3. Depending on your specific plan, each of our treatment services may or may not be a direct billable service for you. Please refer to your extended benefits guide for what is directly billable under your plan.

What Insurance companies can we direct bill?

Our clinic can direct bill most extended benefits companies, including but not limited to:

  • Manulife 
  • Sunlife 
  • Canada Life (Formally, Great West Life) 
  • Greenshield
  • Pacific Blue Cross
  • Veterans, RCMP, CAF 
  • Desjardins
  • Group Health/ Group Source
  • People’s Corporation
  • Empire Life
  • ClaimSecure
  • Johnston Group
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Maximum Benefits
  • Group Medical Service 

Partner/Spousal coverage or secondary policy coverage

We can directly bill your primary benefits provider and your secondary provider at the same time of service with a few exceptions. For example, we generally require your partner’s date of birth and full legal name along with policy information.

Suppose we are unable to bill directly to the secondary coverage due to benefit rules or other restrictions. In that case, we will still direct bill your primary coverage and then only collect the remaining amount from you. We can then provide you with a receipt to send to the secondary coverage for reimbursement. 

For more information or to book a treatment:

Contact our clinic to find out more about extended benefits or to book an appointment at 250-382-0018 or book online at www.diversifiedhealth.janeapp.com

#extendedbenefits #physiotherapy #chiropractic #registeredmassagetherapy #acupuncture #victoriaBC #injury #mva #multidisciplinary #healthandwellness

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Been in a Car Accident? Diversified Health Clinic Is Here to Help!

Been in a Car Accident? Diversified Health Clinic Is Here to Help!

Being in a car accident can be a scary and overwhelming experience that can cause lasting injuries. This is why it is important to understand what your injuries are and what treatments are available to you. One result of trauma when you are involved in an accident is the release of endorphins that can act as a painkiller to mask your injuries and pain.  Most muscle pain and stiffness will typically occur in the first 24 hours but can take as long as 7-10 days to present. For this reason, it is important to seek medical attention within the first 24 hours of your accident.

car accident injuries

After seeking medical attention, the next step is to contact ICBC to report the accident and start your claim. ICBC will assign you a claim number and a care team to help assist with your recovery. For more information on how to report a claim to ICBC, please click here. 

With your approved ICBC claim number, you will have access to several pre-approved treatments that will assess and treat any injuries from your accident under the new Enhanced Care Program. 

 

ICBC Enhanced Care Program

ICBC recently moved to their enhanced care program in 2021, which gives drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or cyclists enhanced recovery benefits. You will have access to pre-approved treatments within the first 12 weeks of the accident date for chiropractic, physiotherapy, registered massage therapy, kinesiology and acupuncture without the requirement of a doctor referral. This means ICBC will be directly billed for treatments with little to no out-of-pocket expense to you. At the end of the 12 weeks or the pre-approved treatments, our practitioners can complete a treatment plan to request additional pre-approved treatments if needed. 

Recovering From Your Injuries: How many pre-approved treatments do you get?

The number of pre-approved treatments will vary depending on the treatment modality. Within the first 12 weeks of the accident date, you are pre-approved for 25 chiropractic and physiotherapy treatments, and for 12 registered massage therapy, kinesiology, and acupuncture treatments.  

What can our team at Diversified Health Clinic do?

Treatment of your auto-collision injuriesOur multi-disciplinary team will work with you, with the ability to collaborate across treatment modalities to ensure you are getting the best treatment results. Our Diversified Health Team can evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of conditions and injuries including:

  • Headaches, concussion
  • Whiplash and neck pain
  • Back pain
  • Chronic pain
  • Numbness, tingling and nerve damage
  • Muscle spasms or weakness
  • Surgical recovery
  • Disc herniation and bulging
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Hip, knee and/or joint pain
  • Sprains, strains, and fractures

Our valued team of practitioners will assess and create a personalized treatment plan to get you back to your pre-accident self. Our talented Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Acupuncturists, Registered Massage Therapists, and Kinesiologist have a vast array of treatment knowledge at their disposal along with state-of-the-art technology such as:

Contact our clinic to find out more about ICBC related treatments at 250-382-0018 or book online today.

#ICBC #caraccident #accidentrecovery #physiotherapy #kinesiology #chiropractor #acupuncture #registeredmassagetherapy #victoriabc #whiplash #carinjury #mva

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TMJ Symptoms (You Should Never Ignore)

TMJ Symptoms (You Should Never Ignore)

“Snap, crackle, and pop” may be desirable attributes in cereal but are concerning when they describe the sound and sensation your jaw makes when you open and close your mouth or chew. Worse still, if those sounds and sensations are accompanied by facial tension and jaw pain, you may be dealing with a TMJ disorder that warrants professional assessment and prompt treatment before it gets worse. Please continue reading to learn about the most common TMJ symptoms to watch out for, why you should never ignore them, and effective non-surgical TMJ disorder treatments offered in Victoria, B.C. 

What Does TMJ Refer To?

TMJ is an acronym used to describe your temporomandibular joint. Let’s face it, “temporomandibular joint” is a mouthful to remember, and so TMJ is more commonly used. Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a ball in socket joint located on each side of your face, anterior to your ears. Your TMJ is surrounded by strong jaw muscles and ligaments that connect your lower jaw (mandible) to your upper jaw (maxilla) and facilitate the movement of your jaw when you chew, speak, open and close your mouth. TMJ disorder refers to any pain, tension, interruption, or inflammation of your temporomandibular joint that may have a known or unknown cause. 

TMJ Symptoms

The most common TMJ symptoms are pain and tension on one or both sides of your lower jaw and areas surrounding your ears. Pain can be persistent or intermittent, with occasional flare-ups triggered during times of stress or after enjoying your favourite, extra-crunchy or chewy foods. Sometimes, TMJ symptoms can occur without any apparent causes. Following are several other TMJ signs and symptoms to watch out for.

  • Persistent or recurring pain or tenderness on one or both sides of jaw / temporomandibular joints (pain may either be persistent or occur when opening and closing mouth or chewing)
  • Aching pain in or around the ears
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Pain, discomfort, or difficulty opening and closing mouth or chewing
  • Pain, fatigue, or muscle spasms in the face, neck, and sometimes shoulders
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sensation when opening and closing mouth or chewing accompanied by pain, discomfort, and tension, or limited movement
  • Inability to open or close your jaw completely
  • Swelling on one or booths sides of cheeks or jaw
  • Dizziness and fatigue
  • Frequent headaches
  • Toothaches
  • Changes in bite
  • Facial tension and tenderness
  • Locking of your jaw interfering with your ability to open or close your mouth

Summary of Contributing Factors to TMJ

What causes the onset of TMJ symptoms may or may not be obvious. However, the following includes examples of potential situations and conditions that may be causing or contributing to the onset or progression of TMJ disorder.

  • Arthritis and other autoimmune/connective tissue disorders
  • Jaw injury (dislocation, whiplash, direct injuries, trauma)
  • Long-term (chronic) clenching and grinding of teeth (bruxism)
  • Hormonal changes
  • Strain from forceful or excessive biting and chewing / hard to chew foods
  • Misaligned bite
  • Poor posture, resulting in the forward jutting of your mandible
  • Nutritional deficiencies and dehydration
  • Stress and anxiety

Potential Complications if TMJ Disorder Is Left Untreated

  • Increased loss of jaw mobility
  • Worsening of pain and symptoms
  • Bite issues resulting in damage to teeth and mandibular joint
  • Recurring headaches
  • Sleep apnea

Things You Can Do to Help Prevent TM

  • If nocturnal teeth grinding (bruxism) or a misaligned bite are determined to be the cause, a nightguard or retainer may be issued to mitigate teeth grinding and correct jaw alignment
  • Wearing protective mouth guards during contact sports and weightlifting (activities when jaw clenching is likely to occur)
  • Identifying and correcting suboptimal posture
  • Guided stretching (following proper instruction and demonstration by a health practitioner)
  • Stress management and mindful relaxing of facial muscles
  • Applying a cool pack or moist heat for up to 10 minutes at a time, throughout the day and after activity or when jaw muscles feel tight

Most Importantly

Pay attention to any signs your body sends you, signaling something isn’t quite right, and never ignore pain! While TMJ disorder can be treated at any stage, it is ideal to address any TMJ symptoms early on to prevent worsening symptoms and potential damage to your teeth and mandibular joint. 

If you suspect you may be suffering from TMJ issues, book a professional assessment with one of our registered massage therapists or physiotherapists to identify and help correct any TMJ alignment issues and chronic muscle tension. 

Effective Treatments for TMJ in Victoria, B.C.

How We Treat TMJ Symptoms

Because TMJ symptoms can be caused by a variety of contributing factors, at Diversified Health Clinic, we take a comprehensive approach to treating TMJ disorders. Depending on the severity and cause of your TMJ symptoms (and how long you’ve been experiencing them), successfully treating TMJ disorder may require a combined approach that involves targeted treatments, including:

  • Class VI K-Laser Therapy 
  • TENS Therapy
  • Ultrasound
  • Therapeutic Massage
  • Physical Therapy
  • Intramuscular IMS

One of the advantages offered by Diversified Health Clinic is how our integrated health team provides you access to all the above treatments and highly trained and collaborative health practitioners, all under one roof. In addition, we carefully customize a treatment plan that specifically addresses your needs, delivering immediate relief and fast-tracking your healing and recovery.

The first step in proper treatment is to book an appointment with one of our registered massage therapists or physiotherapists at Diversified Health Clinic. If you’re not sure who to book with first, give our clinic a call at (250) 382-0018. Our clinic concierges will help you book your initial assessment with the best practitioner for your specific concerns.  

What to Expect During Your First Visit

When we meet with you, we’ll start with a thorough initial consultation before tailoring a treatment plan for you that relieves pain while specifically addressing your condition. 

A health practitioner will assess and identify suboptimal posture and bite issues as well as sounds or interruptions in the range of motion you have when opening and closing your mouth. They will also gently palpate your face and jaw to determine areas of discomfort you experience when chewing or otherwise using your jaw.

Our goal is to help you return to the activities you love and enjoy without the interference of pain or risk of injury. 

If You Suffer From TMJ Symptoms:

Give our team of practitioners a call at Diversified Health Clinic today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. We’re happy to help answer your questions, address the cause of your pain and discomfort, and get you on the road to recovery.

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Back to School / End of Summer Stress Relief

Back to School / End of Summer Stress Relief

Whether or not September marks a return to the classroom for you or your kids, autumn typically brings about abrupt changes in routines and workloads, resulting in more stress and less of the natural mood-boosting vitamin D we all enjoyed from being outdoors during summer. While stress itself can’t always be avoided, here is how establishing a solid stress relief strategy can go a long way in helping you cope and recover from the toll that stress takes on your body, mind, and spirit.

How Stress Wreaks Havoc

Have you ever noticed that during times of stress, your posture changes, your skin looks duller, your muscles feel tight, and your body feels heavier and more sluggish?

Long periods of stress can lead to chronic muscle tension that in turn can trigger headache and migraine pain, joint pain, nerve pain, bruxism (nocturnal teeth grinding), and aggravate pre-existing conditions and past injuries.

The hormonal cascade that stress triggers affects blood pressure, circulation, breathing rate, muscle tension and creates emotional anxiousness and agitation. Worse yet, chronic stress can cause potentially serious disruptions throughout the body, including a lowered immunity and a heightened risk of heart attack, stroke, autoimmune flare-ups, cognitive, reproductive, weight, and digestive issues. For these reasons, it’s wise to take stress seriously and establish a healthy stress relief strategy to help mitigate its adverse effects.

Mitigating the Harmful Effects of Stress

While periods of stress are nearly impossible to avoid, there are things you can do to help mitigate its adverse effects on our mind and body, including: 

  • Exercise: physical movement, done in moderation, can uplift mood and mitigate the detrimental effects of chronic stress. You can double up on the positive effects of exercise by getting outdoors and asking a friend to join you. 
  • Meditation, breathing exercise, or prayer: stillness, breathwork, prayer, and self-reflection can restore calmness and help you focus on the things you can do that are within your control. 
  • Time with pets and friends: even though stress can make you want to withdrawal from social obligations, making time to talk or visit with a trusted friend can go a long way in making you feel optimistic and supported. 
  • Addressing root causes of stress: sometimes, what triggers stress is evident and temporary. Other times, stress is the result of lifestyle choices requiring change. Toxic workplaces, being burdened with other people’s conflicts, and being overtaxed with too many obligations can all lead to physical and emotional burnout. Stress will become chronic unless and until the root causes are adequately addressed. 
  • Simplifying your schedule: It’s tempting to take things on while feeling overly optimistic about our time and energy reserves, but having too many obligations and–even enjoyable activities–scheduled can leave you feeling stretched and strained. When in doubt, schedule less and leave more time for spontaneity and quiet time as needed.
  • Self-care: often the first thing to be pushed aside when stressed, self-care is vital, even if it’s just making time for an afternoon nap or a relaxing bath with your favourite essential oils and soft lighting. The key is to pay attention to the signs your body sends you that rest is needed. 
  • Stress relief treatments: lingering pain and tension induced by stress often require therapeutic treatments to resolve, such as massage therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, and chiropractic treatments.

When Stress Relief Treatments Are Needed

Sometimes, therapeutic intervention is warranted after repeated bouts or long periods of stress, especially when considering how stress-induced tension and inflammation can aggravate pre-existing conditions and old injuries or cause new ones. Postural imbalances, nerve pain, tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain, TMJ disorders, sleep disturbances, chronic muscle tension, and circulation issues are some of the most common physical manifestations of stress that professionally administered stress relief treatments can remedy. 

Therapeutic stress relief treatments can address the compounding effects of stress via several unique approaches. For example:

Acupuncture is a natural and effective way of bringing stress-induced hormones back into balance, restoring a much-needed sense of calm. 

When stress contributes to misalignment and aggravation of pre-existing conditions or past injuries, tailored chiropractic care and physiotherapy treatments can work wonders restoring strength, mobility, muscular balance, and optimal alignment while helping alleviate nerve and joint pain.

For stress-induced muscle tightness and circulation concerns, scheduling a registered massage therapy treatment will effectively release tension and immediately increase oxygen and nutrient-rich blood flow to the areas treated. 

The positive effects that physiotherapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and therapeutic massage have on improving oxygen-rich circulation also helps aid the body’s natural healing and detoxification process by increasing the movement of lymphatic fluid via massage and myofascial release. The combined benefits of releasing muscle and fascia tension and improving circulation and lymphatic flow explain why people typically feel lighter and even notice a nice glow to their skin following stress relief treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture. 

Regardless of which stress relief treatments you receive, the healing benefits of addressing stress-related tension are both an act of self-care and an investment in your health and wellbeing. 

Book a Therapeutic Stress Relief Treatment Today

Experience the healing, calming, and restorative benefits of a therapeutic stress relief treatment. Give our team of practitioners at Diversified Health Clinic a call today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. 

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Back Pain From Gardening? We Can Help!

Back Pain From Gardening? We Can Help!

Avid gardeners are eager to make the most of good weather and prime gardening season. In doing so, they tend to ignore back pain and soreness until it gets bad enough to interfere with their range of motion and ability to garden. While gardeners can expect a bit of post-activity soreness, pushing through pain can sometimes spell trouble. Here’s why:

Red Flags That Your Back Pain Requires More Than Rest to Resolve

While the occasional aches and pains are common after long days of kneeling, planting, weeding, moving pots and plant boxes, and turning over soil, here a few red flags that indicate it’s time to have your back pain checked out and treated:

  • If the pain and tension seems to be worsening
  • If the pain doesn’t resolve after a day or two of rest
  • If the pain returns as soon as you resume activity
  • If the pain is sudden and acute, in which case, immediately stop what you’re doing and apply a towel-wrapped ice pack to the area
  • If you experience numbness, tingling, or shooting pain in your lower back above the buttocks and down your buttocks and upper legs, indicating possible lumbar compression or nerve pain with sciatica

Common Causes of Back Pain From Gardening

While gardening, it’s easy to be hyper-focused on the task at hand that you forget to be mindful of your posture, contributing to suboptimal movement patterns and bad habits that cause undue strain to the muscles you’re using. 

The most common causes of back pain from gardening are chronic muscle and fascia tension resulting from repetitive strain and overuse of your back muscles. Improper lifting, gait and hips issues, or other musculoskeletal imbalances can also contribute to chronic and sometimes debilitating pain. 

Examples of Movement Patterns That Contribute to Gardening-Related Pain

Bending, Twisting, and Lateral Flexion

Bending at the waist causes a lot of stress on the back muscles and spine, which is why you should never bend at your waist when lifting heaving objects or when reaching for something. Twisting and lateral flexion also place a lot of tension on the spine. Lateral flexion occurs when bending sideways at the waist, as you would when picking up a bucket from the ground by its handle. If your core muscles are weak, twisting and lateral flexion of the lower back muscles can lead to pulled muscles and, in worst-case scenarios, herniated discs. Twisting can also occur while raking and when lifting heavy and hard-to-grip objects, such as heavy bags of soil and bundles of plant refuge.

Compensatory Movements 

Have you ever caught yourself bending at the waist to avoid kneeling due to knee pain? Compensatory movements aren’t always detrimental. Sometimes they’re your body’s way of protecting itself, but if done improperly, you’re trading one pain and potential injury for another. Common compensatory movements during gardening include:

  • Twisting at the waist when kneeling and sitting
  • Overextending the arms and straining the shoulders and neck muscles when reaching to prune branches, rake leaves, and use small handled gardening tools

Overuse

Repetition and duration of movements fatigue muscles and can lead to strain and overuse injuries. Common signs and symptoms of pain caused by overuse include:

  • Knee pain from kneeling on hard surfaces (a typical gardener’s woe)
  • Joint pain and stiffness from maintaining a seated position for long periods without rest breaks and stretching
  • Wrist strain from using small hand-held gardening tools and hand-pulling weeds

Ambitious gardeners are also apt to exhaust their back muscles when attempting feats that are either forceful, such as pulling a tree root, or repetitive, such as overturning hard soil with a shovel. 

It’s Not Always Easy to Tell When You’re Overdoing It Until You’ve Overdone It

We’ve all been there! That pain and soreness you feel after a day of increased activity. It’s easy to get carried away when you love what you’re doing, not realizing how much you’re taxing your back muscles until exhaustion forces you to rest. Taking rest breaks at 15 to 30-minute intervals is a great way to refresh and take stock of how you’re feeling and whether your body needs more rest.

Prevent Dehydration

When the weather warms up, dehydration can make muscle exhaustion significantly worse (not to mention the dangers of heatstroke). Long-duration gardeners must ensure they take adequate breaks to rest their body, rehydrate and refuel. 

Effective Relief From Gardening Aches & Pains

When back pain starts interfering with your daily life and favourite activities, it’s time to get help. At Diversified Health Clinic, effective treatment of activity-induced aches and pains has a three-pronged approach, including:

Assessment

Performed during your initial appointment to identify the movements and postures responsible for your back pain. Your practitioner will use the information collected in your initial assessment to determine which treatments will be best suited to your specific condition and will devise a treatment plan with you that quickly relieves pain and encourages healing.

Treatment

For some back pain sufferers, a series of registered massage therapy treatments are all that’s needed to work out the tightness and tenderness of strained muscles and fascia. For more complex pain or pain compounded by aggravating factors such as sciatica, lumbar compression, and arthritis, an effective treatment plan may include a combination of registered massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, and physiotherapy. 

Prevention

Your practitioner will suggest various postures, movements, exercises, and stretches you can perform at home and while gardening to maintain the results of your treatment and reduce future pain flare-ups and injuries.

Take the Next Step

Don’t let back pain keep you from the activities you enjoy. Take the first step on your road to recovery by booking an appointment with one of our practitioners today. Call (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. We offer direct billing and weekday and weekend appointments. Please view our hours of operation and location details here.

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Why Athletes Love Sports Massage

Why Athletes Love Sports Massage

Who doesn’t love a great massage? While everyone could benefit from the tension-relieving benefits of a relaxation massage, massage therapy goes beyond relaxation by using treatment-specific techniques to relieve deep muscle tension, relieve pain and facilitate healing. For athletes and highly active individuals, sports massage not only helps mitigate injury but can also help improve performance. Read more to learn what makes sports massage unique.

What Sports Massage Is + Its Benefits

While all massage treatments address varying degrees of muscle tension, sports massage specifically targets areas of the body affected by activity-related tension, wear, or injury. This targeted approach helps facilitate tissue health and healing in the following ways:

  • Relieves pain and muscle tension
  • Increases circulation
  • Stimulates the movement of superficial lymph
  • Reduces swelling and inflammation
  • Relieves muscle fatigue, cramping, and stiffness
  • Improves flexibility 
  • Improves endurance and efficiency of movement
  • Improves range of motion and muscle response
  • Improves tendon flexibility
  • Encourages proper body & muscle fibre alignment
  • Improves recovery
  • Facilitates healing from overuse trauma and injury
  • Helps prevent and relieve DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness)

Sports massage can benefit anyone who lives an active lifestyle. Athletes in particular love sports massage because of the double-duty benefits it can deliver. While reducing muscle tension, sports massage can also help improve athletic performance, recovery from exertion, muscle endurance, efficiency, and performance. 

For example, muscles and tendons that are tight and rigid are prone to a limited range of motion, forcing the alignment of the body to and other muscles adjust to compensate. Over time, this can lead to inefficiencies in performance, suboptimal movement patterns, and overuse injuries. For competitive and high-performance athletes, even the slightest advantages count, and so maintaining optimal body mechanics is paramount.

What to Expect During Your Treatment

Your initial sports massage treatment will start with an assessment. During your assessment, a registered massage therapist will note your health and athletic history, any prior injuries, and assess areas of your body experiencing activity-related pain, tension, wear, & tear. 

During a sports massage, a registered massage therapist may utilize various massage techniques, including deep tissue, lymphatic drainage, pressure point, and myofascial release, to address specific areas of pain, tension, stiffness, or swelling. 

It’s not unusual to experience a bit of momentary discomfort or soreness during your treatment—especially during pressure point application or myofascial release, but you shouldn’t feel sharp pain. Thus, continual feedback between you and your RMT is essential to the overall success of the treatment.

Patients typically report feeling immediate improvement in pain, tightness, and tension following their sports massage. You will also likely notice increased warmth and circulation. Depending on your specific condition and the techniques used during your treatment, you may also experience mild tenderness immediately following your treatment. 

Signs It’s Time for a Treatment

  • A feeling of tightness and heaviness in your extremities
  • New pain or discomfort that doesn’t resolve itself following rest
  • Prolonged DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and swelling following exertion
  • Prolonged recovery post-activity
  • Limited range of motion and muscle fatigue
  • Persistent muscle “knots” and cramping

The Best Time to Schedule Sports Massage

While sports massage treatments can be carried out on an as-needed basis, some athletes prefer a more systematic approach, scheduling their treatments to take place surrounding athletic events as follows:

Leading up to activity: To help prepare the muscles and tendons, improve range of motion and endurance, and prevent strain and injury.

Intermittently during activities: To relieve muscle soreness, fatigue strain, and cramping.

Immediately following activities: To encourage recovery, reduce swelling, and preserve muscle and tendon flexibility.

Throughout on and off-season: To help facilitate recovery and as part of their seasonal conditioning and rehabilitative work. 

The ideal approach to sports massage is when your practitioner tailors your treatments to your specific needs and goals. 

Take the Next Step

Whether you are an athlete or lead a highly active lifestyle, to find out if sports massage is right for you. Contact Diversified Health Clinic about booking a sports massage assessment & treatment with one of our registered massage therapists. Call (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online.

We offer direct billing and weekday and weekend appointments. Please view our hours of operation and location details here.

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What to Do When Holiday Stress Takes the Jingle Out of Your Jangle

When Holiday Stress Takes the Jingle Out of Your Jangle

Is holiday stress giving you a case of the bah humbugs? You’re certainly not alone! North Americans report experiencing increasing stress levels approaching the holidays, resulting in muscle tension, fatigue, and burnout. Thankfully, there are things you can do to immediately reduce stress and tension and find ways to enjoy the holiday season again.

According to survey results outlined by newswire.ca, even as of 2018 (before COVID complicated things), one-third of Canadians were already feeling more holiday-related stress than they had reported 5-years prior. These survey results reflect outcomes from other, similar surveys conducted in Canada and the United States, revealing a trend: the holidays are becoming increasingly stressful instead of joyous. A lot of it comes from feeling physically, emotionally, and financially overspent. 

What’s especially concerning are the potential health ramifications of stress. All this stress goes somewhere, resulting in restlessness, sleeplessness, burnout, skin and digestion issues, headaches, and muscle tension.

Signs & Symptoms of Holiday Stress

  • Lack of enthusiasm or “holiday spirit.”
  • Feeling overwhelmed by commitments and everything you think you need to do. 
  • Loss of interest in holiday activities you typically enjoy doing. 
  • Feelings such as guilt and dread when considering obligations. 
  • Fearing disappointment or disaster. 
  • Experiencing muscle pain, tightness and/or tension (notably in the back, neck, and shoulders)
  • Feeling buried in tasks and loose ends.
  • Feeling tired but wired, even after a good night’s sleep.

Common Causes of Holiday Stress

Additional survey results reveal that one the most common causes of holiday stress is the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time or money to accomplish it all. Between holiday shopping, wrapping and decorating, cleaning the house, and preparing the perfect holiday meal and experience, it’s no wonder why more people are headed towards holiday season burnout.

Other contributing factors to holiday stress include:

  • Feeling overstretched physically and financially.
  • Concerns about family getting along well when everyone gets together. 
  • Feeling obligated to attend and participate in holiday festivities.
  • Experiencing feelings of guilt when turning down an invitation.
  • Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion from being “on” all of the time. 
  • Fearing the holiday experience won’t live up to expectations. 
  • Placing unrealistic expectations on yourself and others–trying to find the perfect gift and create an ideal holiday experience. 
  • Overstimulation from crowded shops, traffic, lights, and music. 
  • “When demands exceed our ability to cope.”

Treating & Preventing Holiday Season Burnout

Rest to Prevent Holiday Season Burnout

Remember how fun and exciting the holiday season was for you as a kid? Recapturing some of that lightheartedness and fun again is possible, but it requires surrender: relinquishing the urge to “do more” and establishing coping effective coping strategies. You can start lowering stress by mitigating it at its source (as much as possible) while treating the symptoms. This could mean:

  • Planning in advance how many obligations you will agree to: giving yourself permission to opt-out of some invitations and obligations. 
  • Being more realistic about your time and energy: which may mean cutting back on shopping, baking, and decorating. 
  • Sticking to a list and budget: Resist the temptation to go overboard to find the perfect gift for everyone. 
  • Being realistic about expectations: basing your expectations on what family gatherings have been like, and remember that things don’t have to be perfect to be fun and meaningful. 
  • Reserving time for rest: this year, find ways to make rest & relaxation part of the holiday celebrations. Something may have to give to make more time and space for rest, but no one will miss the extra string of lights or fussy side dish. 
  • Asking for help and accepting support: For some people, asking for help is hard to do but worth it! Everyone benefits from having a bit of support. You can make your holiday workload lighter by delegating and adopting a teamwork approach. You can even make it fun by throwing a holiday decorating, tree trimming, or baking party with your kids or besties. 
  • Making self-care a priority: You aren’t going to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm to share if you’re not replenishing your energy stores. Don’t scrooge when it comes to making time for self-care. This can include making time to decompress, maintaining good sleep-hygiene, fitting in some light exercise, and booking yourself a tension-releasing massage or acupuncture treatment. 

For a Much Needed Reprieve From Holiday Season Tension in Victoria, BC. 

Restore and recharge yourself this holiday season with registered massage therapy or acupuncture treatment that releases tension, increases circulation, and helps you feel well-rested and ready to shine again. Give our team of practitioners at Diversified Health Clinic a call today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. 

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Nerve Pain With Sciatica: What It Is and How We Approach Sciatic Treatment in Victoria BC

Nerve Pain With Sciatica and Sciatic Treatment Victoria BC

Ouch! Have you ever experienced a sharp, shooting, burning or pinching pain down your lower back, glutes, hamstrings or calves? Or how about a sudden and severe “electric jolt” like feeling following activity? While nerve pain with sciatica can be severe, it can also manifest as a mild, aching pain that seems to come and go. Some people experience sciatica as a weakness and numbness in the affected area. When nerve pain with sciatica becomes severe, it’s nearly impossible to ignore. When patients arrive at our clinic, it’s often because their sciatica pain is interfering with their ability to enjoy their usual activities, including work, rest, and recovery.

 First, What is Nerve Pain With Sciatica?

Nerve Pain With SciaticaSciatica is the term used to describe sciatic nerve pain. Nerve pain can occur anywhere in the body while sciatic nerve pain affects the lower back and lower, posterior extremities. This is because of how the sciatic nerve branches off your lower spine (just above your buttocks) before threading down through your glutes, hamstrings and calves. Sciatic nerve pain often occurs on one side of the body, or is markedly worse on one side of the body, and can arise from various physical triggers as outlined below.

Nerve pain with sciatica occurs when a nerve is pinched, which can be caused by a myriad of contributing factors, including:

  • Obesity
  • Inflammation
  • Poor posture
  • Chronically tight or strained muscles
  • Short and tight hip flexor and hamstring muscles
  • Spinal bone spurs and overgrowths
  • Herniated disc
  • Incorrect form during exercise
  • Occupational strain 
  • Following an accident or injury
  • Tumor growth
  • Complications of underlying diseases such as diabetes. 

Things You Can Do to Help Prevent Nerve Pain with Sciatica

You can help reduce your chances of developing pinched nerves by establishing good physical habits, including:

Regular Exercise & Stretching

Making time in your week for adequate fitness and activity with a focus on consistency, proper form, stretching, and sufficient recovery. If you’re new to a workout or activity, consider getting help from one of our physiotherapists to ensure you are performing each move with proper form to avoid pinching nerves or overstraining your spine. This is especially important if you have any pre-existing injuries. Everybody is different: An exercise that works fine for your friend, may not work as well for you, and gym and sports equipment should be adjusted to fit your specific body dynamics–this includes proper footwear!

Maintaining Good Posture

Be mindful of your posture while sitting, standing, lifting and otherwise exerting your body. This includes assessing the ergonomics of your seating and workstation arrangement. Subtle adjustments can make the difference between a happy body versus one riddled with muscle tightness, inflammation, nerve pain, and injury.

Adequate Rest and Recovery

Athletes know that adequate recovery is just as critical as being active, but rest is often the first thing people take for granted. Good recovery starts with knowing when your body needs rest and giving it the support it requires to repair itself and grow stronger. This includes steps such as good nutrition, icing, rolling, and massage to help reduce inflammation. It also includes how you sleep. 

Support While You Sleep

There’s a science to choosing the right pillow. Make sure your pillow has the right density and height, according to your preferred sleeping position. You want to maintain the natural curvature in your neck. It also helps to take the pressure off your lower back and hips by placing a rolled-up towel or pillow behind the crook of your knees (when laying on your back) or between your bent knees (when laying on your side). The idea is to keep your knees slightly bent in order to maintain a very slight natural curve in your lower back. This also helps to relax tight hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings.

Supporting your spinal health during work, rest and sleep can be a pretty significant game-changer. A physiotherapist can demonstrate specific stretches and techniques you can use at work and at home to relieve nerve pain with sciatic and support your recovery. 

Pain Indicates It’s Time to Seek Treatment

Ignoring nerve pain is never a good idea. Consider that pain is your body’s way of communicating that something isn’t as it should be. Neglecting to address the pain and the cause of it can result in compounding complications or even permanent nerve damage. Being proactive is key. The good news is that sciatica pain can often be resolved with non-invasive treatments that target the root causes of pinched nerves and prevent the pain from coming back.

Relieving Nerve Pain with Sciatica: Sciatic Treatment  in Victoria, BC:

Because pain can be caused by a variety of factors that are unique to your situation, at Diversified Health Clinic, we take a comprehensive approach to treating nerve pain with sciatica. We start with a thorough initial consultation before tailoring a treatment plan for you that’s based on the specific causes of your pain. Your treatment plan may include one or more of the following treatments and will include tips on how you can maintain your results at home between appointments.

Depending on the cause and severity of sciatica and nerve pain, patients often start feeling relief after the first visit, which only gets better as the treatments progress. It brings us tremendous satisfaction to see our patients return to their favourite activities and lifestyles without the hindrance of pain and fatigue. Life is too precious to spend it in unnecessary pain, especially when effective treatments are within reach.

 If you suffer from the symptoms of nerve pain with sciatica, give our team of practitioners a call at Diversified Health Clinic today at (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. We’re happy to help answer your questions, address the cause of your pain and discomfort, and get you on the road to recovery.

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