Tag: back pain

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Back pain in Winnipeg, your remedies; from analgesic creams to core exercises, and physiotherapy

Back pain is still, just too common. Our medical treatments tend to be too reactive and not proactive. Most people know that they should be exercising more, not sitting for greater hours at work and home, and not jumping on n off the latest bandwagon cures or diets.

Today’s new submitted an article on the risks of burns with over-the-counter heat/cold rubs or creams, see link (http://t.co/Cmu5yEDS). Given the ingredients, occasional misuse or combining these ‘patches’ with other forms of heat/cold can cause severe skin reactions.

Physiotherapists have always been the healthcare provider to prescribe exercise, in rehabilitation of an injury or surgery, and in prevention. Don’t hesitate to ask, or come in for an ‘exercise review’, if you’re just not sure on your biomechanics or plan for an activity, like golf, hockey or your next marathon.

‘Core exercises’ should be the eventual focus of a back patient’s exercise plan. The individual may not be able to do a ‘side plank’ the second week, but we as physiotherapists prescribe exercise and breakdown biomechanics based on a person’s ability.

Core exercise by Physiotherapy Winnipeg yourPhysio.com

This core exercise example could be done with a small dumbbell, standing, lying on your back or even on an exercise ball. It should be performed with your own restrictions in mind, and not attempted if you are in pain. An excellent exercise for rotational stability for golf, hockey, baseball, etc.

Call us for an exercise review 2 0 4 9 4 3 8 4 1 1

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your Ergonomics, line of sight and that nagging neck-shoulder-upper back pain, by Physiotherapy Winnipeg

Whether it be at work, rest or play; a candy bar cannot make that pain go away…but your ergonomics at the workstation, at home or doing any activity can make a significant difference to your health.

We can often find those simple modifications, those easy answers to perform a task easier, and safer. The problem is that many of us do not take the time to change our habits, make changes and implement them consistently at our busiest work areas…the kitchen, in this case. The ‘pant hangar’ keeps the recipe near eye level, there is no awkward posture to maintain and the cabinet can even be accessed quite easily, well done!

 

This concept always applies to those that must ‘sit for a living’, the ‘desk jockeys’ of the finance, legal, grain and media industries here in Downtown Winnipeg. Like a ‘whiplash’, those muscle aches can proliferate throughout the upper back and neck.

 

Such that, you must remember to adjust your computer monitor height; use some yellow pages or photocopy paper bundles. Some recent ergonomic assessments have resulted in 8-10 inches of monitor height changes to accommodate the individual’s line of sight. Your eye level should be equal to that of the curser start position, in the most frequently used software program. This position allows the eye to adjust to a variability of 2-3 inches of text/toolbar and decreases or eliminates the chronic forward head posture.

Let your human resource department or health & safety manager know that I am available for any size group education, assessments and ergonomic design.

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your Shoes could be the source of your Pain…your gait and Physiotherapy Winnipeg

For almost 20 years, I have been the bearer of bad news for Winnipeg women in Downtown Winnipeg. Those with plantar fascitis, knee pain, iliotibial band syndrome, hip pain, back pain, etc…those shoes may be the ultimate source of the problem.

I used to say, “wouldn’t you rather be wearing a Bisignano?”. I guess I have had this dream of designing my own ergonomic, yet fashionable shoe line. For many of us, our shoes dictate our gait; how we walk, step, stand and adjust to the terrain. And womens’ shoes are notorious for poor design, forcing womens’ feet into contortionist postures. That can’t be good?

I know you may be thinking, “but I don’t wear high heels all the time!”…the opposite style can do just as much if not more damage…the ‘flip-flop’. Shoes with little or variable support; flip-flops, simple sandals, loose, flat shoes like ‘crocs’, do nothing for your feet. Even the flat snow boots of winter can be a biomechanical disaster. Grab some over-the-counter insoles and make them 1000% better.

Find a retailer that knows how to fit your feet, knows some basic biomechanics and will not push those $300+ Nikes on your feet. yourPhysio can identify your biomechanical fault (we all have them) and recommend the exercises and support mechanism (shoes) best for you.

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Sitting a ‘disease in Winnipeg? Just a necessary evil of our computer driven ergonomics Downtown

Really…too many media driven articles on sitting as a “disease”…since 1995 or there about’s, it’s been a necessary evil of our increasingly computer driven ergonomics at work, rest and play; the desktop, the laptop, the smartphone, the tablet, next?

But then why are exercise plans so quick to add the situp? or bench press? or knee extension? All of these place our biomechanics, our posture into greater flexion! Beware, add more extension exercises now! add those planks!

Give yourself more reasons to stand…even every 12 minutes is ideal. If you cannot figure it out, give me a call…your ergonomics may be your disease…and you are not retiring anytime soon.