By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Prehabilitation

           Most people have heard of or been through the process of physical rehabilitation AFTER sustaining an injury (ie muscle tear) or developing a condition (ie stroke). Fewer people have heard of prehabilitation, which is gaining traction in health care. Prehabilitation is the process of training BEFORE an injury/event with the goal of preventing injury or increasing health outcomes (ie before surgery).
Injury Prevention:
            When you see a rehabilitation professional for prehabilitation, typically an analysis of your movement, strength, flexibility and posture is conducted. Any weaknesses in these areas that predisposes you to injury during your daily physical demands will be addressed with exercises and stretches. Due to the varied demands of each individual, not every prehabiliation program will be the same. For example, the physical demands of a deskjob worker are vastly different than that of a professional athlete. The physical demands between sports are also different.
             It is important to get an individualized program targeted to your goals and needs. For example, if you are a basketball player, you may want to undergo prehabilitation for ACL injuries as that is a common injury in basketball. For a runner, prehabilitation can reveal mechanical faults or weakness that should be corrected. For a deskjob worker, prehabiliation will identify and correct improper postures, which will prevent many overuse syndromes.
Prior to Surgery:
             Surgical outcomes are typically better when you are fitter. The theory is that if you go into a surgery stronger, you come out strong. Being strong post surgery can improve your outcomes as you have already done some of the rehab before the surgery. A custom prehabiliation program designed for your surgery (ie total knee replacements) will target muscles that need to be strong for full recovery.
              If you are interested in discussing the process of prehabiliation, both prior to injury or surgery, please contact one of the healthcare professionals at Form and Function.  We have ongoing prehabiliation programs (ACL prevention and running analysis)  that may be of interest to you.  We can also answer any of your questions regarding prehabilitation.
Man Chun (Manni) Wong
Registered Physiotherapist
By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Uncategorised

Is lightning a threat to outdoor sports and exercise?

With the recent rainy weather, I wanted to go over some lightning safety tips.

Rain and lightning storms often make for an “epic” sports game as depicted in movies or gatorade commercials. However, the presence of lightning during outdoor activities poses a threat to our safety.

rain

What are the chances that one will be struck by lightning? 

About 150 Canadians are seriously injured each year by lightning; Many suffer permanent neurological disabilities. Lightning kills more Canadians than hail, wind, rain and tornadoes combined, making it a prime safety consideration.

With that said, one needs to be careful when exercising or playing sports during a rain or lightning storm.           The 30-30 rule or the Flash to Bang method are ways to gauge whether it is safe to continue playing.

  •  Count the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder.
  • If count less than 30 seconds, stop all outdoor activity and seek shelter

When seeking shelter, avoid tall trees, lone objects (poles), metal objects, water and open fields. The best position to be in is a crouch, do not lie flat – want to reduce contact with the ground. Also staying in a car with the windows up is a safe place to be. Allow 30 minutes to pass after the last lightning/thunder before resuming. Remember also, that it does not need to be raining for lightning to occur.

Hope that you can apply these safety tips to make a lightning safety plan the next time you are exercising outdoors.

Happy and safe exercising!

Cheers,

Amanda Lum, BPhe, CAT(cc)

 

 

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Uncategorised

Is lightning a threat to outdoor sports and exercise?

With the recent rainy weather, I wanted to go over some lightning safety tips.

Rain and lightning storms often make for an “epic” sports game as depicted in movies or gatorade commercials. However, the presence of lightning during outdoor activities poses a threat to our safety.

rain

What are the chances that one will be struck by lightning? 

About 150 Canadians are seriously injured each year by lightning; Many suffer permanent neurological disabilities. Lightning kills more Canadians than hail, wind, rain and tornadoes combined, making it a prime safety consideration.

With that said, one needs to be careful when exercising or playing sports during a rain or lightning storm.           The 30-30 rule or the Flash to Bang method are ways to gauge whether it is safe to continue playing.

  •  Count the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder.
  • If count less than 30 seconds, stop all outdoor activity and seek shelter

When seeking shelter, avoid tall trees, lone objects (poles), metal objects, water and open fields. The best position to be in is a crouch, do not lie flat – want to reduce contact with the ground. Also staying in a car with the windows up is a safe place to be. Allow 30 minutes to pass after the last lightning/thunder before resuming. Remember also, that it does not need to be raining for lightning to occur.

Hope that you can apply these safety tips to make a lightning safety plan the next time you are exercising outdoors.

Happy and safe exercising!

Cheers,

Amanda Lum, BPhe, CAT(cc)

 

 

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Let’s talk. Period.

Menstrual health is not an easily discussed topic and yet it is vital for all women – especially those trying to conceive. To put things simply, the first step in trying to get pregnant is ensuring that your menstrual cycles are regular and healthy. This will help determine when you are ovulating which is necessary for having a chance to conceive that month.

With all of this in mind, the health tip of the day is simple: start tracking your menstrual cycle today. Regardless of whether or not you are trying to get pregnant, your menstrual health is an important part of your overall health. You can start simply by marking the first day you get your next period on your calendar or on the many free apps that exist, and continue for every future period. It is helpful to track the length of your period, the length of your cycles, heaviness and your premenstrual symptoms.

As a naturopathic doctor, I can use this information to determine if your menstrual health is reflecting good overall health or not. I can also use natural therapies like nutrition and acupuncture to help regulate your cycle and promote your fertility chances, if that is your goal.

Remember, it’s your body, your health. Period.

Happy Naturopathic Medicine Week,

Odette Bulaong, BSc (Hons), ND

Check out what a Naturopath in Markham Does here 

By Administrator 0 Comments Uncategorised

Run Quieter

One easy way to see how effectively you run is by listening to how much noise you make.  Listen to the noise a great runners makes.  It is quick and crisp.  You can hear the opposite in runners who are not efficient.  Their stride sounds heavy, long and loud.

You will take 25, 200 steps in a marathon.  If each step is inefficient, more force goes through your body.  So if you are injured or want to run faster a Run Smart assessment can help.

Click the link to the Run Smart Assessment info

By Dr. Paul

Check out what a Chiropractor in Markham Does here