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Do you breathe well?

As Mr. Miyagi (from the Karate Kid) so eloquently stated “the key to life is breathing”.  But to take this further, how efficiently do you breathe?  During everyday life and low stress activities most people will breathe with their chest.  Meaning the chest will expand with every inhalation and exhalation.  This unnecessarily uses a lot of upper chest muscles when it only really requires your diaphragm.

To breathe with your diaphragm, think about breathing through your stomach.  Start by lying down on your back and putting your hands on your chest and stomach.  As you take a breath in, try to fill your stomach with air and it should rise.  As you breathe out push the air out of your stomach and feel it fall.  Try to feel that most if not all of the movement comes from your stomach and not your chest.  When you can breathe well from your back, move to a seated position and then standing.

Breathing problems can also be an indication of other conditions.  If you have ongoing issues such as shortness of breath, chest pain or difficulty breathing contact your medical doctor.  Otherwise keep practicing and try to implement diaphragmatic breathing in your daily life.

 

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Ways to Identify Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are viral infections that affect the skin on the bottom surface of the feet.  Warts tend to grow inwards towards the skin as a result of our body weight which is directly applying pressure to these areas.  In addition, warts are particularly difficult to treat due to the thick layers of skin on our feet.  So how do we know if it’s a wart?

1) Warts have black dots in the middle of them.

2) Shaving down the wart will usually lead to pinpoint bleeding.

3) Warts tend to have broken skin lines.

4) Warts tend to hurt more if you squeeze them.

Avoid walking barefoot or in public/communal areas e.g. public shower, swimming pools.

If you suspect that you have plantar warts, please book an appointment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist @ Form and Function Clinic for a foot assessment!

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Uncategorised

Back Pain Returns With School Around The Corner!

Heavy backpacks causing back pain? What makes children more vulnerable is that their growth plates are made almost entirely of cartilage, making them more susceptible to small, repeated traumas. Also, their muscle growth is often not as fast as their bone growth, which can lead to muscle tenderness. Put simply, these injuries are a result of overuse of the muscles and tissues that are utilized by children to support the weight of their backpacks.

Other facts to know are that neither backpack weight, nor current back pain are good predictors of future back pain. What’s important to know is that muscular fatigue is the best predictor of future back pain. So if you are becoming fatigued while carrying the backpack, you should likely rest, or lighten the load!

So what are the consequences of carrying a heavy backpack? To put numbers on it, so that you can understand what these heavy loads do, a load of 15% of total body weight results in a 26.7% increase in load on the low back, while a 30% load body weight will result in a 64% increase in load on the low back! Also, children tend to lean forward and jut their chin out in order to balance out the forces going into the back. However, the movement they do to compensate for the heavy weight simply makes their posture worse, which can increase pain down the line. No kid wants to hear their parents telling them to stand up straight, so don’t train them to slouch by allowing them to carry heavy weights.

So how do you eliminate this problem? For a postural consultation or for more advise on postural stability & strengthening routines please book an appointment with our Physiotherapist, Christopher Chmiel @ Form & Function Clinic to find out more ways in which to achieve your functional or personal goals.

Key words:
Form & Function Markham
Chiropractic Markham
Physiotherapy Markham
Nutritionist Markham
Chiropodist Markham
Nutritionist Markham

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Uncategorised

Back Pain Returns With School Around The Corner!

Heavy backpacks causing back pain? What makes children more vulnerable is that their growth plates are made almost entirely of cartilage, making them more susceptible to small, repeated traumas. Also, their muscle growth is often not as fast as their bone growth, which can lead to muscle tenderness. Put simply, these injuries are a result of overuse of the muscles and tissues that are utilized by children to support the weight of their backpacks.

Other facts to know are that neither backpack weight, nor current back pain are good predictors of future back pain. What’s important to know is that muscular fatigue is the best predictor of future back pain. So if you are becoming fatigued while carrying the backpack, you should likely rest, or lighten the load!

So what are the consequences of carrying a heavy backpack? To put numbers on it, so that you can understand what these heavy loads do, a load of 15% of total body weight results in a 26.7% increase in load on the low back, while a 30% load body weight will result in a 64% increase in load on the low back! Also, children tend to lean forward and jut their chin out in order to balance out the forces going into the back. However, the movement they do to compensate for the heavy weight simply makes their posture worse, which can increase pain down the line. No kid wants to hear their parents telling them to stand up straight, so don’t train them to slouch by allowing them to carry heavy weights.

So how do you eliminate this problem? For a postural consultation or for more advise on postural stability & strengthening routines please book an appointment with our Physiotherapist, Christopher Chmiel @ Form & Function Clinic to find out more ways in which to achieve your functional or personal goals.

Key words:
Form & Function Markham
Chiropractic Markham
Physiotherapy Markham
Nutritionist Markham
Chiropodist Markham
Nutritionist Markham

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Talk

August Health Talk

Be The Best Runner That You Can Be Preventing Running Injuries

Dr. Jim Feng (Hons), ART®, CSCS, D.Ac, DC

Do you suddenly feel minor stiffness in your shins while your run?  Or have your shins gone from a mild ache to aconsistent pain during the whole run?  Learn the top 10 ways to stay pain free.

August Health Talk

 

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The benefits from Fish Oil

I know, it sounds too slimy and smelly to be good for you but fish oil has more to offer than most people realize.  Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3s are essential fatty acids (EFAs) that our bodies are unable to create on their own.  There for, we must obtain EFAs from food.  Most people don’t get enough of these polyunsaturated fats from there diet.  This is why supplementation with fish oil can be so important to our health.

Most scientists and health professionals agree that omega-3 fish oil contains an array of health benefits pertaining to areas of the body such as your:

Heart
By helping reduce the risk of arrhythmias and sudden death by a heart attack.

Brain
Better brain function though more efficient neurotransmitters leading to improved concentration, memory, less likelihood of depression and reduced risk of ADHD in children.

Cholesterol & Triglycerides
By lowering triglycerides and help balancing your cholesterol.

Joints and Arthritis
Better joint function from reduced inflammation and a reduction in pain.

Skin and Beauty
Improves the health and appearance of your skin, helps keep nails strong, as well as your hair healthy and shiny.

Immune system and cancer
A stronger immune system, proven to be beneficial for the body’s immune function, lowered risk of breast and prostate cancer.

Vision
Improved focus, colour, perception and clarity of vision.

Digestive system
By improving intestinal health and reducing inflammation assisting those with IBS or Crohn’s Disease.

Allergies
Omega-3 fatty acid intake by mothers during pregnancy may  protect babies against the development of allergies.  It may help people with existing allergies.

Diabetes
Fish oil enhances insulin secretion from beta cells in the pancreas, regulating blood sugar levels. DHA plays a protective role in diabetic neuropathy in all forms of diabetes

Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is arguably the most effective and most natural fish oil on the planet.  It is a product that is fast becoming a trusted health supplement among thousands of people who share our passion for health improvement and the many benefits associated with the daily intake of pure natural fish oil.

Feel free to come and speak with our health care professionals at Form & Function about this product and many others we carry at our clinic.

 

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Are you sabotaging your weight loss with high sugar drinks?

In a recent Canadian study, 47% of daily calories come from fluids such as juice, pop and energy drinks.
The culprit is the high content of sugar in most drinks. The sugar is too much for the body to metabolize so it ends up being stored as fat.
Did you know that a 6oz glass of orange juice has the same amount of calories as a can of pop? A can of pop has approximately 12 tablespoons of sugar!
If you are looking to shed a few extra pounds, pay attention to how you are quenching your thirst. Replace juice and pop with water.
Increasing your intake of water will aid in digestion and weight loss.