NOVAphysiotherapy_Is Stress Causing Your Neck Pain?

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

INSIDE: Finding The Answer for Your Neck Pain Relief • Introducing Telehealth! • The Top 5 Benefits of Physiotherapy for Back & Neck Pain • Healthy Recipe • Exercise Essentials

novaphysiotherapy.ca

IS STRESS CAUSING YOUR NECK PAIN? RELAX & MOVE FORWARD!

INTRODUCING TELEHEALTH: BRINGING HELP TO YOU RIGHT AT HOME!

LEARN MORE INSIDE >>

BEDFORD Southgate village 540 Southgate Dr. Unit 202 Bedford, NS B4A 0C9

TIMBERLEA 101-501 Timberlea Village Pkwy. Timberlea, NS B3T 0J1

DARTMOUTH 201 Brownlow Ave. Unit 19 Dartmouth, NS B3B 1W2

Quality, Personalized One-on-One Care Serving Halifax and the Surrounding Communities Since 2004

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

P: 902-405-3535 F: 902-405-5959

P: 902-444-3535 F: 902-444-3536

P: 902-405-4545 F: 902-405-4546

IS STRESS CAUSING YOUR NECK PAIN ?

Does your neck hurt? You might be suffering from stress- related pain — also called a tension headache. During anxiety, muscles tense up. As muscle tension tightens, the back, shoulders and neck are affected. The more pressure they cause, the more discomfort you get. Let’s take a closer look at stress-related neck pain. Is My Neck Pain Caused by Stress? Pain worsened by keeping your head in one place — like when you’re driving, or using a computer — is neck pain. While neck pain has a slew of symptoms, its major symptoms, reported by Mayo Clinic, are: • Muscle tightness and spasms • Headaches • Decreased ability to move the head Stress-induced neck pain isn’t rare. It also isn’t psychological. Many experts think stress-induced neck pain is caused by physical factors — low, but constant, trapezius muscle activity. If your neck pain starts at the base of your shoulders, traveling upward, it may be stress related.

Causes of Stress-Related Neck Pain While stress alone can trigger neck pain, a few factors can make it worse. Office environments tend to create neck pain problems — as they confine people to chairs, bad posture and little mobility. Driving often, too, can make your chances of stress-related neck pain higher. Contact a professional if you’re experiencing neck pain. Even if it’s caused by stress, untreated neck pain might later reveal muscle spasms, arthritis, bulging discs or even narrowed spinal nerve openings. Contact us today (Bedford: 902-405-3535, Timberlea: 902- 444-3535, Dartmouth: 902-405-4545) or visit our website at novaphysiotherapy.ca. We can help you find the source of your neck pain and guide you along the way to achieve greater health. Sources: spine-health.com/blog/how-relieve-neck-pain-caused-stress • everydayhealth. com/neck-pain/neck-pain-reduce-stress.aspx • ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/ PMHT0027055 • medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000802.htm • newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/most-neck-pain-improves-with-self-care-time •mayoclinic. org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20375581

N E C K PA I N & H E A D A C H E S , N O M O R E : C A L L T O S C H E D U L E Y O U R A P P O I N T M E N T T O D A Y !

THE TOP 5 BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR BACK & NECK PAIN The pain associated with back and neck pain can range frommoderate to severe, but physiotherapy can luckily help easemost (if not all) of the pain. The goals and expected outcomes of these treatments include: 1. Reductionof PainandStiffness. By using passive treatments such as manual therapy, your physiotherapist will help alleviate pain in the affected area an accelerate the healing process. 2. Development of Strength. Your physiotherapist will create a specific exercise plan for your particular needs, which will aid in the strengthening of muscles in the affected area. 3. Improvement of Range of Motion. Your physiotherapist will implement flexibility exercises into your treatment plan, which will help increase the range of motion in your back and neck. 4. Preventionof Further Issues. By learning proper body mechanics, you can avoid future injuries and prevent pain from recurring. 5. Improvement of Overall Qualityof Life. Physiotherapy can help you return to your normal routine much quicker, allowing for an overall improvement in quality of life. Treatments will be split into two categories: passive and active. Passive treatments help in relieving pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Active treatments may include any stretches and exercises that your physiotherapist deems fit for your specific condition. Active therapy helps to increase strength and flexibility, in addition to relieving pain in the spine and affected muscles. Sources: moveforwardpt.com/SymptomsConditionsDetail.aspx?cid=8402b1d2-6580-41b2-b4ff- 25a0cd6dac3a • moveforwardpt.com/SymptomsConditionsDetail.aspx?cid=d0456c65-7906-4453- b334-d9780612bdd3

FINDING THE ANSWER FOR YOUR NECK PA I N RE L I E F

Neck pain, fortunately, can be alleviated with therapy. Because neck pain is often caused by activity, different activity can cure it. Sometimes, this “activity” means “no activity.” Before you contact a professional, try reducing your neck movements. Sometimes, simply letting your neck muscles relax is enough. If you don’t see relief within two weeks, contact a professional. Your therapist can target your pain’s source by examining your symptoms. Then, they can offer exercises that stretch, flex and relax your neck muscles. In time, your neck will become more resilient — giving you the comfort you deserve. Where after-care treatment is considered, custom-tailored neck exercises will assure your neck stays loose, limber and healthy. If you’re dealing with neck pain, you’re not alone. Call our office today, and schedule an assessment. Even if your neck pain is caused by stress, it still needs attention. We’ll work side by side with your goals, creating the proactive, effective programs you need to achieve mobility once more.

Contact any of our locations today or visit our website at novaphysiotherapy.ca to learn more about how our services can be the answer you need for your neck pain.

SHARE THE BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY! Do You Have Friends or Family Members That Have Trouble:

S U C C E S S S T O RY I live a bit far from this clinic but it was worth every minute of travel time. Rob is extremely knowledgeable and took time to ensure that I understood all aspects of diagnosis and treatment. I did not feel rushed at all which is rare for a private clinic.”

� Moving without pain � Bending &moving freely � Balancing confidently & securely

� Sitting for long periods � Walking for long distances � Living active & healthy

Tell Your Friends About NOVA Physiotherapy! We appreciate your confidence and will do our best to help those you refer meet their health and rehabilitation goals. Thank you to all of our friends who refer others to us!

– M. S. 5-Star Google Review

Quality, Personalized One-on-One Care | novaphysiotherapy.ca

INTRODUCING TELEHEALTH! While we are currently unable to provide face to face care, we excited to introduce Telehealth! WHAT I S T E L EHEALTH?

HEALTHY REC I PE

Telehealth is the application of telecommunications technology to deliver professional services at a distance by remotely linking clinician to client. We hope this service will bridge the gapwhile we await further direction on re- opening our clinics to the public. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

MIRACLE RED JUICE • 2 large beets • 4 long carrots • 2 apples

• 6 celery stalks • 2 limes or lemons • 2 inches of ginger

DIRECTIONS: Prepare beets, carrots, apples, celery, limes (or lemons) and ginger by chopping into smaller pieces before placing into a juicer. As the skin of a beet is packed with antioxidants and nutrients, it is recommended to leave the skin on the beet. Beet skin and lemon peel (if using) have strong flavors, so you could also prepare half with skin and half peeled to adjust to the flavor, or simply peel all if preferred. Apples can be any color or variety. Do not peel the ginger, which you will add to taste as ginger canbe spicy. After all ingredients are added to the juicer, blend until juiced and smooth. Drink juice as soon as possible to obtain all benefits of the antioxidants and nutrients. Miracle Red Juice can be absorbed more easily on an empty stomach. Drink one glass every other day or as needed. HEALTH BENEFITS:

Cervical Retraction Stand with your back against a wall and with a rolled up towel behind your neck. Keep your eyes fixed ahead and your head upright. Tuck your chin like you are nodding “yes.” Draw your chin closer to the back of your throat. Repeat 10 times. EXERC I SE ESSENT I ALS USE THIS EXERCISE TO RELIEVE NECK PAIN With Telehealth, you can meet and chat with your physiotherapist about your treatment plan from the comfort and convenience of your own home. We can use this telehealth tool for screening, follow up appointments, wellness check-ins, exercise progression, and even for initial evaluations and treatments! Telehealth also has quicker screening and assessment times. Call us today to schedule your Telehealth Appointment or reach out to Rob or Jeff with any questions. Rob MacDonald: [email protected] Jeff Walsh: [email protected]

• Immunity • Eyes • Liver • Spleen

• Kidneys • Pancreas • Digestive Tract

SPECIALIST SPOTLIGHT AL EX BARRE T T, MScPT, PHYS I OTHERAP I ST

Originally fromSt. John’s Newfoundland, Alex graduated fromDalhousie University with his Masters of Science in Physiotherapy in 2015 after completing his Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology at Memorial University in 2013. Alex joined the Nova Physiotherapy Burnside teamright out of University, bringingwith him experience in athletic therapy with athletes in many sports, and sport-specific personal training.

POST GRADUATE COURSES INCLUDE: • Acupuncture AA1 (AFCI) • Level 1 Manual and Manipulative Therapy • Functional Range Conditioning, FRC • Smart Seminars – Dry Needling 1 and 2 • Smart Seminars – Thoracic Spine Assessment and Treatment Alex’s areas of interest include pediatrics, musculoskeletal, manual therapy and movement pattern dysfunction. Alex has been very involved in sports over the years, including working as a trainer for the St. John’s Ice Caps (AHL team) in 2012 as well as the Memorial University soccer andbasketball teams for two years, and coaching the Memorial University men’s volleyball team in 2014. Alex is a former CIS athlete, competingwith theMemorial universitymen’s volleyball team from2007 to 2012. He continues his involvement by playingmany sports in the area, aswell as taking part in running, biking, hiking and fitness training activities, and coaching the Bedford Blizzards boy’s volleyball club team.

Exercises copyright of

Always consult your physiotherapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of.

novaphysiotherapy.ca