By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Markham

New Study: Knee arthroscopy for meniscus tear leads to 3x the risk of requiring knee replacement later

Here is a link to this study. But first, what does this mean? It means that for those of you who have been diagnosed with a meniscus tear, it’s definitely better to exhaust all forms of conservative treatment first before even considering going under the knife.

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Conservative treatment for meniscus tears include manual/soft tissues techniques to normalize range of motion, active rehabilitation to strengthen muscles and stabilize the knee, and modalities to speed up the healing process. Come into Form & Function to discuss your rehabilitation following any meniscus tears. You’ll be glad you did.

By Administrator 0 Comments Brampton, Health Tips

Inflamed Muscles

Have you ever come home from a long day of work and feel like your body is in pain?  Most people would go directly for the heat pack, but before you do that it is important that you check the temperature of the area first. Using the back of your hand, compare the painful area to another area of your body. If the painful area feels hotter than the rest of the body then it’s a good indication that your muscles are inflamed. This is typically caused from overuse and friction usually brought on by repetitive movement.

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It would be a better idea to use cold compress on the area bringing the inflammation down before you heat the muscle. Take a cold pack and wrap it in a light towel, place it on the resting muscle for 5min on and 2 min off. This will decrease the inflammation in your muscle allowing the pain to decrease as well.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Markham

What is the pain in my heel?

Do you wake up in the morning and take your first step out of bed and are in agony?  Does the pain go away after taking a few steps, only to return later on in the day?  If so, you are most likely suffering from one of the most common foot pain conditions – plantar fasciitis.

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There are several risk factors for the cause of plantar fasciitis, but one of the most common in abnormal foot motion – either too low or high arches.  Things to try at home to help relieve the pain include resting, icing the foot, and stretching the feet and legs.  However, if the pain persists, you may require more treatment.  Contact us for an assessment.

By Administrator 2 Comments Chiropractors, Team - Markham

Dr. Ryan Kim

Dr. Ryan Kim

BSc, DC

  • Doctor of Chiropractic
  • Doctor of Acupuncture

Dr. Ryan Kim is a board-certified chiropractor and acupuncture provider who is dedicated to providing safe and patient-centered care.

Dr. Kim holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. He initially graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Life Sciences. During his early studies, he developed a keen interest in human anatomy and neuroscience, as well as a strong passion for helping people. For these reasons, he was driven to pursue a career in medical sciences. Today, he works with a team of dedicated healthcare providers at Emkiro to provide outstanding care for his patients.

Dr. Kim has a wide range of experience diagnosing and treating different types of musculoskeletal conditions. He specializes in a variety of treatments, including spinal manipulative therapy, acupuncture, muscle release therapy, and rehabilitative exercises. In addition, Dr. Kim is also well-versed in joint mobilization, Gua Sha technique, orthotics, and electrostimulation.

Dr. Kim believes that health care, like clothing, should be tailored to the individual. To best help his patients, he combines clinical knowledge and the latest research with patient values and preference. Dr. Kim believes in educating his patients about the nature of their conditions, self-care tools that they can use at home, and different strategies to prevent future injuries. He also works collaboratively with his patients’ family physicians and/or other health professionals to best manage your condition.

 

Dr. Kim is registered and in good standing with the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.

Click below to book a chiropractic session with Ryan Today!

Book Today
By Administrator 0 Comments Brampton, Health Tips

Acute Effort Migraine

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The acute effort migraine is precipitated by short periods of vigorous activity such as sprinting. It has been described following such sports as netball, hockey, cycling, swimming, and weightlifting. It is commonly unilateral, severe, usually preceded by an aura, and accompanied by nausea and often vomiting and neck stiffness. Acute effort migraines typically are throbbing or pounding in character, and recovery may require hours or even a full night’s sleep. A past or family history of migraine is often present. Treatment of the acute attack may include ergotamine preparations, oral or injected sumatriptan, analgesics and antinauseants.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips, Markham

Do This Breathing Technique to Help You Stress Less

Diaphragmatic breathing is deep breathing from the diaphragm, instead of shallow breathing.  It is also a relaxation technique.

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Diaphragmatic breathing has many benefits as there is more oxygen going into your body.  Oxygen will sooth your nervous system, lower stress on your body, and calms your mind, which will in turn improve concentration.

Physically, diaphragmatic breathing will increase your lungs’ capacity and will detox your body as the oxygen will stimulate blood flow.

Diaphragmatic breathing is a breathing technique that you can do anytime, anywhere.  Please make an appointment with the RMT to discuss how to improve your breathing to benefit your health.

John Li, RMT

By Administrator 0 Comments Brampton, Health Tips

Risks of High Levels of Mercury

Mercury is one of those elements we are told to be careful of, but the question remains why? To answer this, we first need to examine what mercury is and how it gets into the foods that we eat.

Mercury is a metal that comes in many forms. It is most commonly used for dental tools and manufacturing partials in factories but is predominantly present in the pollution we produce from emission gases.  When it rains, the water collects the metal and drains it in the same water. When it reaches the water, many fish absorb the element.

Now that we know what it is, we can look at the effect of having this metal in our system. Mercury directly affects our nervous system and heart.  Even small amount of mercury in infants can cause developmental issues. For this reason, women who are pregnant are not recommended to eat fish to ensure full nervous development of infants. In adults, it can weaken our immune systems and cause heart irregularities.

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Some of you may be saying that our bodies will just digest the food and eliminate the Mercury – however, amounts greater then 40ml can stay in your system for 30-40 days making it very difficult for your body to quickly eliminate the element before it does damage.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Talk, Markham

Health Talk: The Core

Ever heard of someone telling you that they are “training their core.” Or have a fitness/rehabilitation professional tell you that you have a weak core? What does that mean? How do you strengthen it? Well, let’s talk about what the core is first of all.

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What is the Core?

  • When professionals refer to the core, they are talking about a set of muscles around your stomach, back and hips. These include: rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus, quadratus lumborum and the gluteal. Collectively this group of muscles, when functioning correctly, is capable of creating a stable environment for the spine by using both strength and endurance to prevent excessive spinal movements. Basically, the core is designed to act as a platform from which your arms and legs push off of to create motion. Imagine if this platform (core) was very wobbly (ie weak); when you use your arms and legs, the wobbly platform will shake. This shaking can then cause your ligaments, joints and muscles to be overused or used improperly leading to injury.

How do I strengthen the Core?

  • There are several exercises that are great for building core strength and endurance. Because the core helps stabilize, you will notice these exercises hardly cause the spine to move. You will be either holding a position without movement or holding the core steady while moving your arms and/or legs. Here are the five exercises I prescribe for core training.
  • Plank
  1. Hold the plank position for as long as you can without feeling sore in the back. You should only feel your stomach muscles working. Try to do at least 3 sets of 30sec+. Work your way up to 60sec.

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  • Side plank:
    1. Hold the side plank position for as long as you can. You should only feel your side stomach muscles working. Try to do at least 3 sets of 30sec+. Work your way up to 60sec.

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  • Bird dog:
    1. Lift up alternate arm and leg and hold in position without the core moving. If there was a small ball on your back during the exercise, it should not fall off. Hold that position for 5-10sec, and repeat on both sides 30 times.

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  • Dead bug:
    1. Start with both arms and legs in the air. Slowly lower alternate arm and leg to just above the floor and hold. Your back should not arch at all. If it does, bring your feet up slightly higher. Hold the position for 5-10sec, and repeat on both sides 30 times.

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  • Glute bridge
    1. Lift your hips up off the floor with your feet planted shoulder width apart. Hold this position for 5-10sec and lower down. Repeat 30 times.

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These exercises are but some that can strengthen your core. You can always consult the professionals at Form and Function clinic to progress these exercises once they become too easy or if you have any questions to start. Work on these exercises and you will lower the risk of future back pain episodes.