Can You Prevent Arthritis? Is it truly possible to prevent arthritis? The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is also known as degenerative joint disease. It is experienced by 80% of people over 50 years of age and can begin in the teenage years. It brings with it pain, deformity and the tendency to limit joint movement throughout the body. Unfortunately, it usually does not announce its arrival. Rather, it comes on subtly, often with morning joint stiffness appearing as the initial symptom. From there, it progresses, becoming increasingly painful, especially with activity. For many people, the assumption is that it is impossible to prevent arthritis of this kind. They feel that osteoarthritis is just a normal part of aging and that it goes hand in hand with normal “wear and tear” on the body. They also believe that nothing can be done about it. Improve Your Understanding to Prevent Arthritis Understanding how osteoarthritis is caused, can help provide solutions in how to prevent it. Osteoarthritis is caused by an improper function (or motion) of the involved joints. When joints begin to move improperly, 90% of the time it causes no sensation. As a result, joint degeneration occurs, Read more…
Are you a weekend or Summer warrior? You know…someone who spends their weekdays behind a desk and their weekends running marathons, gardening for hours on end, building a deck or cycling across the city. While you may think that you can get away with saving your physical activity for the weekend, think again! In Canada, 35% of injuries occur during participation in some type of sport or exercise and studies show that weekend warriors are actually at a greater risk of developing an injury. Especially, warriors who are over the age of 30 and are not making time to exercise during the week. Weekend and summer warriors have a tendency of doing too much, too fast and that’s what puts them at extra risk for injuries like muscle sprains and chronic tendonitis. To avoid injury, it’s best to break your physical activity into smaller, more frequent sessions. Yes, this also goes for activities like gardening, building a deck or even house cleaning! Listen to your body. If certain activities cause your pain or discomfort like neck pain, back pain or joint pain, consider hiring someone to help get the job done. When it comes to exercise, consider a workout Read more…
You’ve probably heard of tennis elbow before, but have you heard of golfer’s elbow? Golfer’s elbow affects the forearm muscles. The muscles that attach from the wrist and go to the “funny bone” area of the elbow near the inner bump. These muscles are responsible for wrist flexion. In other words, they allow you to twist your wrist. The truth is you don’t have to play golf to experience golfer’s elbow. Anyone that regularly completes tasks that involve repetitive wrist flexion or forearm pronation (like swinging a golf club) can experience this problem. How do you know if you have it? Those with Golfer’s Elbow are likely to experience pain or tenderness near the funny bone or inner bump of the elbow, as well as some swelling. The pain may be persistent or just felt when the muscles are in use. Another common symptom of golfer’s elbow is reduced strength in grip, which is a major issue if you actually play golf! Here are some things you can do to help manage your symptoms and get rid of your Golfer’s Elbow: 1) Rest: I know, I know this may be difficult to hear for avid golfers. But if you are in Read more…
1 in 6 Canadians over the age of 15 report suffering from arthritis. Are you one of them? Learn what arthritis is and natural ways you can prevent arthritis damage in this week’s blog! Signs & Symptoms of Arthritis • Fatigue • Joint pain & tenderness • Joint swelling • Joint redness • Joint warmth • Joint stiffness • Loss of joint range of motion What is Arthritis? To put it simply, arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. It refers to hundreds of related conditions including: tendonitis, bursitis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. What Can You Do to Manage Arthritis, Naturally? The good news is there are natural ways to fight chronic inflammation and restore balance in your body. One way is to start including more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet. Foods like: Fresh Whole Foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds) Omega 3 Fats (wild salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil) Green Tea Garlic Herbs (basil, chili peppers, curcumin, turmeric, ginger, parsley, rosemary and thyme) If you need extra help, try a natural supplement. Natural supplements are a safe and effective alternative to prescription and over the counter medications. Always choose a high-quality supplement Read more…
5 Things You Can Do to Relieve Shoulder Pain
Looking to relieve shoulder pain? Keep reading… The shoulder is a complex joint that is located at the intersection of the humerus (upper arm), clavicle (collarbone), and scapula (shoulder blade). These 3 bones are held in place by a network of muscles, tendons and ligaments. Despite its large range of motion, the shoulder is not very stable, which puts it at an increased risk for injury. In fact, shoulder injuries are so common that 1 in 10 people experience shoulder pain in their lifetime. What Causes Shoulder Pain? It could be as simple as a slip or fall, an injury while playing sports or plain old overuse. The pain may be caused by: • A fractured bone • An injury to tissues around your joint, like a ligament (bone connector), tendon (muscle-bone connector), or muscle • Damage to the cartilage cushion inside the joint Whatever the cause, shoulder pain is just that – a pain. Since shoulder pain can make life miserable, people often overdo it with pain medication. Though medication may temporarily mask pain, one must keep in mind that it does nothing to resolve the cause of the pain. Without addressing the cause – the pain will almost always come back. So, Read more…
Simple Ways to Relieve Tendonitis Pain
Swimmer’s shoulder Jumper’s knee Pitcher’s shoulder Tennis elbow You’ve probably heard one of these terms at some point or another. Though each term refers to a different body part, all refer to a common ailment: tendonitis. Tendonitis is caused when tendons (the thick cords that join your muscles to your bones) become irritated or inflamed. Any tendon can develop tendonitis, but most of time it occurs in the shoulders, elbows, heels and wrists. What are the Symptoms of Tendonitis? Tendinitis is known to cause acute pain and tenderness that often makes moving the affected joint difficult. Those experiencing tendonitis will usually feel a dull ache that is concentrated around the inflamed joint. The pain will often increase when that area is moved or if it is touched, and oftentimes swelling is present. What Causes Tendonitis? Tendinitis can be a result of: • an injury • repetitive movement • aging • disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis) That being said, the most common cause of tendinitis is repetitive action. Athletes or sport’s enthusiasts are often at a higher risk for developing tendonitis. Especially, those who play tennis, golf, baseball, and basketball, where the same actions are repeated over and over again. Those Read more…
As chiropractors, we come across a lot of patients who self diagnose and sometimes come up funny stories It’s sciatica… I know my brother had the same thing. It’s just normal headaches everybody has them. I don’t know how it happen, I swear I was doing NOTHING! Must be age. I’m getting old. One of my favorite: ”I don’t think it’s my joint’; it’s my muscles causing me pain”. Muscles would be the only cause of pain, according to a number of our patients. In a neuro-musculoskeletal disorder, the part ‘’musculo’’ represents only a third of the word and the same goes for an actual physical problem. In fact, there is rarely one thing causing your problem, it is often multifactorial. Let me explain, What is Pain? It is nothing more than the interpretation of a sensation by your nervous system. So, without nerves we could not feel the pain… We could also not feel anything else, move, breath, think, react, or just live. Pain is a sign of alarm to let you know something is wrong in your body. From there you have the choice to listen to it or to ignore it. Fun fact: Pain transmission in your Read more…
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