It is important that healthcare is accessible for all patients. Part of providing quality healthcare for all is ensuring providers are equipped with the social knowledge required to treat their community. A significant proportion of our population and patient base are 2SLGBTQIA+ people. When these patients attend healthcare spaces they, too, deserve to be respected, heard, and empowered.
Gardening season is upon us, and many people are about to spend long hours kneeling, bent over, moving heavy loads, digging in their gardens. After a long winter, bodies may become out of practice or deconditioned from these movements and often being a weekend warrior, those who do all their household chores, can come with aches and pains.
We are looking to grow our team! Please reach out to learn more!
Island Chiropractic & Family Wellness is a well-established, family centered practice in Sydney, Nova Scotia. We are a team that has cultivated a loyal community of patients interested in living their best life. We have strong referral relationships with other healthcare practitioners in our community with consistent growth for our practitioners. We work alongside several talented Registered Massage Therapists and have a dynamic team to support the care of our practice members in a fun and energetic atmosphere.
Craniosacral therapy, often considered a subtle and holistic approach to healing, delves into the body's natural rhythms. This therapeutic technique, rooted in osteopathy, has gained popularity for its gentle touch and potential benefits. Aligning with a holistic view of health, it considers the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. By addressing imbalances in the craniosacral system, practitioners aim to support the body's innate ability to heal and maintain equilibrium.
GLA:D® is an evidence-based program for treatment and management of osteoarthritic symptoms. GLA:D™ Canada is licensed to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation. It is currently being implemented nationally by Bone and Joint Canada, a knowledge translation division of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation.
Osteopenia (bone loss) and sarcopenia (muscle loss) increases as we age. While there are multiple factors at play such as hormonal and genetic, density loss is exacerbated by the “use it or lose it” principle. If muscle and bone mass is not being utilized and maintained by activity, the body will break down those tissues to redistribute resources elsewhere or allow disposal as waste. The body is efficient to a fault and won’t spend time and energy maintaining what we don’t utilize. Unfortunately, this means most older adults start to experience weakness, bone breaks, unsteadiness, falls, decreased coordination, etc. This is where healthy habits really start to pay off and poor habits catch up to us. Simply put, if we want to minimize these risks we have to invest in ourselves now and maintain it as we age.
A huge modifiable risk factor for density loss is mechanical use. Working the bones, joints, and muscles of the body ensures they are maintained and ready for use in daily life.
We all want to be able to live independently for as long as possible. Washing and dressing ourselves requires a large range of motion; we’ll need to lift our arms above our head, reach behind our back, and reach down to our toes. Getting on and off the toilet, in and out of the tub, up and down the stairs, and on and off the floor all require strength and stability. Household maintenance sweeping/vacuuming/mopping, dishes, laundry, cooking, etc. require mobility, strength, and endurance.
Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated, or time consuming (or boring!).
Remind yourself of its purpose and that the effort now is an investment into your long term wellbeing. Having an important goal can help with motivation. Find ways to incorporate achievable and purposeful movement into your day. Maybe 20-30 minutes/day is difficult all at once but breaking it down throughout the day becomes attainable!
Finding ways to move your body in daily life can include
Take the stairs where possible
Get some steps in while brushing your teeth
Do some wall push ups or planks while waiting for the kettle/pot to boil
Do some calf raises while washing dishes
Use the jars and cans for dinner to do a few bicep curls
Use the broom handle for range of motion shoulder stretches when you sweep
Practice getting down on the floor and back up again
Work on some range of motion/stretches while watching TV
Do some chin tucks and neck stretches while stopped at a red light
Do a few lunges while vacuuming
Do some squats between folding laundry
Practice bending from the hips (not back) while loading/unloading the dishwasher
Do some butt-kicks or high knees while moving between rooms
Use a farmer’s carry to transport your groceries from store to car to home
Getting “fit” and exercising can be intimidating, focus on increasing daily movement and it will become habit over time. It is important to start implementing small changes each day, which will start to accumulate!
If exercise is new for you, there are many ways to modify the movements of “classic” exercises while you build up strength and endurance. It’s also important to find what interests you: Going to the gym? Taking a fitness class? Meeting up with friends to hike? When we enjoy the activities we’re doing, we are more likely to keep doing them!
If you want to get moving but are unsure where to start, give the clinic a call and we can help you incorporate activity into your daily life.
Exercise classes available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am at Our Lady of Fatima Church - to learn more call 902-270-7022.
Resources:
Mekenna Bowers
With the beginning of winter the cold and dark months can be a challenge for people - especially those who suffer from seasonal depression. The reduction in sun exposure and increase in darkness can disrupt our circadian rhythm and our hormones like lowering serotonin and increasing melatonin. It may cause symptoms like depression, less energy and focus, sleepiness, and irritability.
One of the first things you need to ask when there is chronic neck and back pain is: Are you walking lots? Are you sleeping? Are you breathing well? These are questions that we will typically ask at a first visit. Like overall health and well being, back and neck pain is so much more than the presence of a physical injury.
Squat For Health
When you think of squatting, you may imagine a muscular gym enthusiast holding a massive barbell on his back, with enormous amounts of weight at either side. But squatting doesn’t have to be over-the-top to be effective, nor is it only something bodybuilders should do. In fact, due to the immense physical benefits of squatting, we should all strive, regardless of fitness level or ability, to incorporate this motion into our daily lives.
The squat activates some of the most neglected, and most important muscles such as your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. These muscles are integral for maintaining and improving basic functions like getting out of your car, rising from a chair, or walking up the stairs. In a Brazilian study of over 2,000 people, squatting was shown to increase life expectancy after the age of 65. It is also the position most women in the world assume while giving birth (outside of North America), as it effectively opens up the pelvis. Squatting has also been known to relieve constipation and hemorrhoids by relaxing the pelvic floor, both of which have become endemic in our modern culture.
To understand what a squat is foundationally, let’s break it up into two movements: the hip hinge and the knee bend. To hinge at your hips, stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart and lean your torso forward, keeping your back straight. You will find that your hips naturally move backwards. Return to standing. Next, bend at your knees. You may only be able to perform a slight bend—that is perfectly okay. Do what you can and come back up. Use support if needed, and repeat the movements until they feel comfortable. When you feel ready, combine the movements together. Keep in mind that it is the descending motion that the most crucial element of the squat, so perform this part of the motion with utmost concentration.
If you experience difficulty performing these movements, you can request that your Registered Massage Therapist demonstrate them for you, as well as observe you while you attempt the movement. There can be many reasons why a person may find the squat challenging, and a skilled therapist can help to pinpoint the restrictions. Treatments can be focused on lengthening the affected muscles and increasing joint range of motion to help you improve your squat.
If you don’t use it, you lose it, and we want to see you living with full function so that you may live your best life, achieving all you set out to do. Squat daily and reap the benefits!
Maureen, RMT
