Tag Archive for: Inflammation

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How To Minimize Tech Injuries

imWhen using technology on a daily basis we need to be vigilant in not only how we use technology, but for how long a period we interact with the device.  Here are some injuries – mainly in the form of repetitive stress injuries that are caused by our smart phones and tablets.

Selfie Elbow – Just like tennis elbow, this is a simple overuse injury caused by extending and twisting your arm and wrist when taking a selfie.

Text Claw – Text claw is caused by over use when texting and typing.  The result of text claw is pain, soreness, numbness, and the loss of strength in your wrist. This condition is left untreated, it can lead to tendonitis.

iPad Hand –  This ailment involves both hands – the hand that is used to steady or hold the tablet can suffer from painful symptoms,  and pins and needles, as well as, the other hand, where the extended index finger is used for repetitive and prolonged scrolling, emailing etc.

Texting Thumb –  Texting Thumb is a repetitive stress injury that affects the thumb and can also lead to a decrease in grip strength and range of motion.  The  thumb is good at gripping, but does not have the muscles or the mechanics to support constant typing.

Text Neck – Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain sustained from looking down at your  wireless devices too frequently and too long. Text neck causes chronic pain to the shoulders, and upper and mid back area.

How To Minimize Tech Injuries:

  1. Take frequent breaks: Try setting an alarm every 40 minutes so that you can stand up, stretch, and move around.
  2. Hold your device at eye level: All screens—laptops, computers and tablets should also be positioned so the screen is at eye level and you don’t have to bend your head forward or look down to view it.
  3. Use the 20/20/20 rule: Take an eye break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds to look away from the screen and about 20 feet ahead.
  4. Ice: Place ice on the area twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Anti-Inflammatory Relief: Take an anti-inflammatory to reduce inflammation.
  6. Wrist Brace: Sometimes the support of a brace can help to alleviate the pain while supporting your wrist.

If you suffer from any of these injuries, please contact your health care practitioner. The treatment for any type of soft tissue injury can include massage,  physiotherapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture.

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What Causes Sore Muscles?

sore_0Mild muscle injuries create microscopic damage/tears to the muscle fibers,  and scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain.

Sore muscles are usually caused by doing an activity you’re not used to (like running a marathon when you normally jog just a few miles or you have quickly increased your exercise intensity level or length of your workouts.

One question most people have, is when you have sore muscles, which is better…heat or ice.  The best way to treat sore muscles is with cold therapy first and heat therapy later.

Cold Therapy:

Practitioners recommend icing the muscles immediately after activity to reduce blood flow to the area which will reduce the swelling and inflammation.  You should apply a cold compress/pack for at least 20 minutes, every four to six hours for up to 2 days.

Heat Therapy:

After the first day of soreness, heat can be applied to the inflamed area, which will help sore and tightened muscles relax and will promote blood flow and circulation.  Heat should be applied to the area for 20 minutes; up to three times a day.

Stretching The Muscles:

One of the best ways to prevent sore muscles is by easing your way into your activity or exercise routine.  This can be achieved by using those targeted muscles in lighter exercise than you are going to be performing in the following minutes.

The most important step you can do to prevent sore muscles is to have a cool-down phase after any workout or physical activity. Right before finishing, include at least 10 minutes of light aerobic work such as walking followed by stretching.  Stretching will also help to move the lactic acid out of your muscles.

Keep Hydrated:

If your muscles are sore from intense activities, your muscles are rebuilding themselves, and require lots of water.  Remember to drink water while you work out and throughout the day.

Therapies That Can Help With Sore Muscles:

Massage – is used to relieve pain by working on the soft tissues, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to improve muscle tone.  Massage stimulates blood circulation and assists the lymphatic system and improving the elimination of waste throughout the body. 

Acupuncture – is used to encourage the body to promote natural healing and to improve function. Acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles that will either change the experience of pain, or will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.

eToims – produces painless deep twitch contractions that stretch and relax damaged muscles. This produces an inflow of fresh blood and tissue oxygenation to tired muscles as pain-producing chemicals simultaneously outflow from affected areas.

Dry Needling – The aim of dry needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain. dry needling can reduce pain, while increasing flexibility and range of motion by: stretching receptor in the muscle by stimulation, and drawing blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process.

It’s normal to have sore muscles after you work out, or play sports, just make sure you take care of them!

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Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Treatments for Carpal Tunnel SyndromeCarpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the palm of the hand becomes compressed at the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand, and houses the median nerve and tendons. Swelling or thickening from irritated tendons narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed, which results in pain, weakness, and numbness in the hand and wrist.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can include burning, tingling, numbness, pins and needles and pain.  Weakness of some muscles in the fingers, thumb and wrist can occur and if left untreated can lead to muscle atrophy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the result of a trauma or injury to the wrist such as sprain or fracture, rheumatoid arthritis, or a mechanical problem in the wrist joint caused by work stress or a repetitive activity.

Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome:

  • REST – The initial treatment generally involves resting the affected hand and wrist for set period of time, avoiding activities that may worsen your symptoms, and wearing a wrist brace to avoid further damage from twisting or bending.
  • BRACE – A removable wrist brace is often advised as a first treatment choice.  The brace keeps the wrist at a neutral angle, allowing the carpal tunnel nerve to rest.
  • MEDICATION –  If there is inflammation, anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers, can reduce the swelling and pain.  An injection of steroid into the carpal tunnel is an option, as steroids are known to reduce inflammation.
  • THERAPIES –  Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy and Chiropractic treatments are beneficial for this type of injury.
  • MODALITIES – Ultrasound and Laser Therapy help restore circulation, reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain, and speeds up the healing process at a cellular level.
  • EXERCISE – Stretching exercises can strengthen your wrist and hand so that you avoid further symptoms in the future.
  • SURGERY – A small operation can cut the ligament over the front of the wrist and ease the pressure in the carpal tunnel.

Initial treatments will include rest, immobilization of the wrist and ice application. Many patients will need to modify their activities and work environment, which can include adjusting keyboards, screens and chair heights, as well as modifying their workouts. These measures, as well as periodic resting and range of motion stretching exercise of the wrists provided by our physiotherapist, can help prevent the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

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Thumb Pain & Text Message Injuries on the Rise

Thumb pain & text message injuries are increasing, so if you have experienced numb fingers and aching wrists, there is a good chance that you suffer from repetitive strain injury. Over 38% of the general population suffer from sore wrists and thumbs from texting.

Symptoms include hand, wrist or finger pain and immobility in the joints, nerves and muscles from the fingers to the neck. These are caused by repetitive movements and fatigue resulting from unnatural stresses and strains on the body.  These are signals to stop texting or using your mobile device.

Thumb Pain & Text Message Injuries are increasing says a Vancouver Island Health Clinic

Text Message Injuries

What can you do to avoid repetitive strain injury from sending too many text messages.

• If texting starts to hurt. Stop. Use the other hand or call instead
• Vary the hand you use
• Vary the digits you use
• Don’t text for more than a few minutes without a break

Besides specific exercises, there are treatment options for repetitive strain injuries such as, Shockwave Therapy, Laser Therapy & eToims. Consult with your health care practitioner to find out which treatment option would be best for you.

Below are some exercise that can help with your texting hand:

• Tap each finger with the thumb of the same hand. Repeat x 3
• Pull your thumb firmly with the other hand. Repeat x 3
• Wrap an elastic band around the tips of fingers and thumb and open your hand against the resistance. Repeat x 5
• Palms down wrap an elastic band around each thumb and force apart. Repeat x 5
• Tap the palm and back of your hand on your thigh as quickly as you can. Repeat x 5
• Massage thumb web, back of forearm and front of forearm. 2 minutes.
• Press and rub in a circular motion the painful nodules in those muscles. 30 seconds for each nodule.

If you are still having issues with thumb pain & text message injuries, stop texting completely and make an appointment with a physiotherapist or a health care practitioner.

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Class IV Laser Therapy Now Available at Diversified Health Clinic

Class IV Laser Therapy Now Available at Diversified Health ClinicWhat is Laser Therapy?

Laser Therapy or “photobiomodulation”, is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to create therapeutic effects.  These effects include improving healing time, pain reduction, increased circulation and decreased swelling.  Laser Therapy has been widely utilized in Europe by physical therapists, nurses and doctors as far back as the 1070’s.

Cellular Effects of Laser Therapy

During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level and metabolic activity increases within the cell, improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane.  This initiates the production of cellular energy ( ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health.

Laser Therapeutic  Effects

During each painless treatment laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area.  This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling muscle spasms, stiffness and pain.  As the injured area returns to normal, function is restored and pain is relieved.

Patient benefits of Laser Therapy

Laser Therapy is proven to bio-stimulate tissue repair and growth.  The Laser accelerates the healing process and decreases inflammation, pain and scar tissue formation.  In the management of chronic pain Class IV Laser Therapy can provide dramatic results , is non-addictive and virtually free of side effects.

Numerous studies show that Class IV Laser Therapy can help with:

Tendinopathies | Osteoarthritis | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Myofascial Trigger Points | Tennis Elbow | Fibromyalgia | Burns | Ligament Sprains | Diabetic Neuropathy | Muscle Strains | Repetitive Stress Injuries | Plantar Fasciitis | Sports Injuries | Shoulder, Back & Knee Pain | Post-Traumatic Injury

Can it be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment?

Yes, Laser therapy is often used with other forms of treatment, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture and even following surgery.  Other healing modalities are complementary and can be used with laser to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.

Please contact our health care practitioners to find out how a Class IV Laser can help you feel better, faster. The K- Laser, Class IV  Laser Therapy is Drug free, surgery free and pain free!

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Find Relief from a Herniated Disc with A Natural Health Practitioner

Your spine is made up of vertebrae and discs, so finding relief from a herniated disc with a natural health practitioner like a doctor of chiropractic makes sense.

Discs are like soft cushions between the bones of the spine. The discs in the spine let you move your backbone. When a disc between two bones in the spine presses on the nerves around the backbone, it’s called a herniated disc. The word “herniate” means to bulge or to stick out. Sometimes this is called a ruptured or slipped disc.

Find Relief from a Herniated Disc with A Natural Health Practitioner

Find Relief from a Herniated Disc

Herniated discs are most common in the lower part of your spine referred to as the lumbar spine. This area is constantly absorbing the impact of bearing the weight of the upper body.  The lower back is also critically involved in our body’s movements throughout the day, as we twist the torso in rotating side to side and as we hinge the back in flexion and extension while bending or lifting.

When part of a disc presses on a nerve, it can cause pain in the back and the legs. How bad the pain is depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. In most people with herniated discs, the pain spreads over the buttocks and radiates down the back of one thigh and into the calf. This is known as sciatica because the pain travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. Some people have pain in both legs, and will feel numb or a tingly sensation in their the legs or feet.

Here are some signs  If you have a herniated disc, the painful symptoms will worsen:

  • After you have been sitting down or standing for a long period.
  • During the night.
  • When you laugh, cough or sneeze
  • When you walk, even a short distance.
  • When you bend over backward

Becoming active as soon as possible is very important. Exercises can be helpful. The goal of exercise is to make your back and stomach muscles stronger. This will ease the pressure on your disc and make you hurt less. Ask your practitioner about safe exercises for your back, and start these exercises after your back is a little stronger and doesn’t hurt as much.

Spinal Decompression is painless, drug-free, non-surgical  treatment that has numerous published scientific studies reporting its’ effectiveness at 86% to 94%, and most people who have a herniated disc are better in about 4 – 6 weeks.

Spinal Decompression provides relief to severe back and neck pain sufferers by gently reducing the pressure within spinal discs. The bones of the spine are slowly and methodically separated and as the vertebrae are separated pressure is slowly reduced within the disc until a vacuum is formed. This vacuum “sucks” the gelatinous center of the disc back inside thereby reducing the disc bulge or disc herniation. Significant disc bulge reduction removes pressure off the spinal nerves and drastically reduces pain and disability. This “sucking” vacuum also pulls much-needed oxygen, nutrients and fluid into injured and degenerated discs allowing the healing to begin.

What can you do to help prevent a herniated disc?

Good posture (standing up straight, sitting straight, lifting with your back straight) can help your back by reducing the pressure on your discs.

  1. Bend your knees and hips when you lift something, and keep your back straight.
  2. Hold an object close to your body when you carry it.
  3. If you stand for a long time, put one foot on a small stool or box for a while.
  4. If you sit for a long time, put your feet on a small stool so your knees are higher than your hips.
  5. Don’t wear high-heeled shoes.
  6. Don’t sleep on your stomach.

If you or someone you know needs to find relief from a herniated disc with a natural health practitioner, please call Diversified Health Clinic for a free consultation.

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Diversified Health Clinic: Bursitis Treatment Victoria

Bursitis Treatment Victoria – Bursitis is an inflammation of one of the body’s bursae (the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints). This painful condition can be caused by a mild injury, repeated use (such as prolonged kneeling on a hard surface), arthritis, or infection. Commonly affected joints are the shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip.

Bursitis treatment Victoria
Photo Credit: arthritis-symptom.com

Bursitis is typically identified by localized pain or swelling. Bursitis occurs when the small sac (bursa) found inside joints becomes inflamed. The fluid-filled sac helps to lubricate and cushion the joint. When it is inflamed, movement can be painful. Usually bursitis occurs in larger joints such as shoulders and hips.

Without seeing your health care provider, you usually can’t tell the difference between bursitis and pain caused by a strain or arthritis.  Often just resting and elevating the joint can help.  Applying ice may help relieve pain and swelling. Once the joint is no longer painful, you can work to strengthen the muscles around the joint and prevent further flare-ups.  Symptoms of bursitis may include swelling, redness, a warm joint area, aching or stiffness in the joint that gets worse with movement.

Chiropractic treatments can help  most people with musculoskeletal disorders such as bursitis. Chiropractic treatments can include,  adjustments or manipulations, modalities such as cold lasers, decompression table, and  joint supplements  such as Glucosamine.

Contact Diversified Health and speak with one of our chiropractors for more information on bursitis treatment Victoria and what options would be right for you.

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