Ottawa_Getting to the Core of Neck and Back Pain

Ottawa_Getting to the Core of Neck and Back Pain

HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body

GETTING TO THE CORE OF BACK & NECK PAIN

WWW.OTTAWAHEALTHGROUP.COM

HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body

INSIDE: • Getting to the Core of Back & Neck Pain • Improve Core Strength To Relieve Back Pain • Featured Service Manual Therapy

GETTING TO THE CORE OF BACK & NECK PAIN

CORE ASSESSMENT How can you tell if your core is weak? If you have low back pain or balance issues there’s a good chance your core muscles are weak. One simple test is the plank test. Lie on the floor, propped up by your elbows. Raise your torso up so that your toes and elbows are the only two parts of your body touching the floor. Hold this as long as you can, then see how your strength measures up. If you could last two minutes or more, your core muscles are strong. Between one and two minutes is normal, 30 seconds to a minute is moderate and less than 30 seconds is weak. If your arms or legs shook while trying to hold this pose, you have poor motor control over your core muscles.

INCREASING CORE STRENGTH TO RELIEVE PAIN Core strength has become a popular topic because it affects the function of the entire body. A strong core means better stability, fewer injuries and less physical stress. Weak core muscles can lead to chronic back and neck pain. Signs of weak core muscles include slumping in your chair, poor posture at your desk or lack of balance. WHY DO CORE MUSCLES MATTER? The word “core” means central and that is exactly the function of your core muscles. They are central to nearly every movement you make and the stronger they are, the easier it is to go about your work and recreation comfortably. WHAT ARE CORE MUSCLES? If you think core muscles are just abs, you’re partially right. Abs get the majority of attention, but the system extends beyond that and includes the lower back and glutes, too. That’s why an exercise like sit-ups, which focuses exclusively on developing the abdominal muscles, is not adequate if your goal is to build a stronger core. You can hear Dr. Mark, “activate before you participate... do your glut activation.”

IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN

THE GOOD NEWS The good news is that you don’t have to settle for a weak core and the related problems it causes. Our practitioners are able to assess your current status and create an individualized plan of easy-to-do exercises to build up those muscles. Our team will design a program for you that will safely increase your strength, resulting is less pain and more flexibility. After doing the self-assessment, you might be anxious to get started doing exercises tobuild theseweakmuscles, but if you do the wrong ones or push too hard, you might cause injury. There’s a way to go about it that will achieve long-lasting, positive results. Our Chiropractors and therapists are trained to identify the practices for each of our patients that will work best for them.

We do this by conducting a complete analysis of your body posture, the way you move and your current level of strength so we can determine the cause of your pain. Based on that information, we put together a treatment plan tailored to your situation. It’s all up to you. You can have the lifestyle you crave, enjoy activities you love and experience a pain-free life with the professional support and recommendations we provide. Make an appointment today and we’ll show you how improving your core muscles can change your life for the better.

SPORTS INJURY REHABILITATION

IMMUNITY BOOSTING SMOOTHIE

Sports injury rehabilitation helps athletes and active individuals effectively treat pain and return to proper function. In addition to manual therapy, our chiropractors, massage therapists, and physiotherapists will use specific exercises to buildthestrengthandendurance

This smoothie contains simple ingredients that are perfect for promoting health and boosting your Immune system. INGREDIENTS • 1/2 can coconut milk (Native

Forest brand preferred to ensure no BPA cans) or Almond milk. • 1-2 handfuls organic frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a mixture of any) • Enough filtered water to cover the berry/coconut mixture. (add more if needed for it to blend) • 1 – 1 1/2 scoops vanilla whey protein or plant-based protein of your choice • 1 handful of spinach or kale INSTRUCTIONS • Put all ingredients except protein into a high powered blender (like a Vitamix). • When the mixture is smooth, add the protein powder, mix for a few seconds and serve.

of injuredorweaktissues.Asthebody isstrengthenedandtissuesheal, exercises can be progressed to enhance function and performance. Following an injury, proper retraining and rehabilitation are necessary to ensure proper healing of injured tissues and to prevent re-injury. Sports injury rehabilitation can be used to treat a range of conditions including acute sports injuries, strains, sprains, tendinopathies, joint dysfunction, and pre/post-surgical recovery. Specificexerciseswillbeprescribedanddemonstrated toactivateand strengthen the area of injury as part of any active-care plan. These exercises may be performed under the supervision of your doctor or as take-home active care. For more details contact Ottawa Health Group at Downtown Ottawa & Kanata, ON today.

YOU CAN BE FREE OF YOUR BACK PAIN! CALL TODAY OR VISIT US AT WWW.OTTAWAHEALTHGROUP.COM

IMMUNE SYSTEMS: ARE THEY STRONGER THAN THE BUGS?

3. GET ADJUSTED. One of the most beneficial things you can do for your immune system is to get spinal adjustments. Studies show that every time you getadjusted,your Interleukin-2 (IL-2) levelsgo up immediately. IL-2 is what your body uses to kill viral and bacterial assaults. Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce nerve pressure and have been shown to help increase white blood cells throughout the body. Our white blood cells are what help destroy invaders like bacteria and viruses and remove them from the body. 4. LEARN HOW TO DESTRESS NATURALLY, AND GET TO BED EARLY. Anxiety and stress can contribute to a weaker immune system. When you are stressed or anxious, find an activity that will calm your nerves like yoga, reading, or meditating. When doing activities that relax you, you’ll be able to believe in yourself to change your negative thoughts into positive ones. Exercise helps to reduce stress, boost the circulation of white blood cells, and increase oxygen carrying capacity. Exercising at a high intensity for12minutesadaycanhelpyousave time as well as burn fat and build lean muscle andallowyourbody tohave theenergy itneeds to function at a high level. Getting proper sleep every night and allowing your body to heal is one of the most important aspects to building astrong immunesystem.Whensleepdeprived, your body doesn’t have enough time to heal. 5. REGULAR EXERCISE IS A PROVEN IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTER.

Having a strong immune system is what helps you avoid getting sick. Building a strong immunesystem isoneof themostvitalaspects to living an abundant life free of illness and disease.Bacteriaandvirusesareeverywhere— thankfully,ahealthybodywithastrong immune system fights off these illnesses. FIVE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM So, what can you and your family do to stay well this year? It’s simple: strengthen your immune system from the inside out. Here are 5 ways to do it: 1. AVOID SUGAR. Nancy Appleton, author of the book Lick The SugarHabitgives76wayssugarcanaffectyour healthaccording to111studies.Herearea few: • Sugar suppresses your immune system and impairs your defenses against infectious disease. • Sugar can contribute autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, asthma, and MS. • Sugar contributes to irregular and uncomfortable bowel movements. • Sugar can contribute hemorrhoids and varicose veins. When you get sick, the fever, cough, and runny nose are there for a reason — to help you fight and eliminate the illness. If you always rely on cold medications, you may be affecting your immune system’s strength. A study at the University of Maryland showed that people who break their fever when they get a cold or the flu stay sick 3.5 days longer than people who let the fever run its course. 2. IF YOUR IMMUNE DEFENSES GET TRIGGERED, DON’T RELY ON COLD MEDICATIONS.

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