Swing Into Spring – Tips from Balance

Warm up and cool down

A great way to increase your performance and decrease the risk of injury is to incorporate a warm up and cool down session into your routine. The warm up will activate and stretch muscles and joints, preparing your body for what it is about to do. The cool down will assist with returning your body to a resting state. For a more detailed routine, please contact our office.

Keep hydrated

While some refreshments are more common on the golf course, they quickly assist in the process of dehydration. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking water prior to hitting the course as well as throughout the day. Sports drinks can also be beneficial to restore electrolytes, replenish fluid levels and maintain energy levels.

Lighten your load

Using a push cart will not only save your back, it will keep you loose and conserve energy, keeping those strokes from adding up. If you choose to carry your clubs consider using a bag that has double straps to disperse the weight evenly and prevent strain from occurring. Another option is to use a power cart. It will allow the rest and recovery between swings and help you to play at the top of your game.

A strong game starts at the base

Always remember to wear supportive golf shoes or transfer your orthotics to your golf shoes. This will not only provide added comfort and shock absorption,  it will keep your body in alignment allowing proper swing mechanics.

In summary: good hydration, good shoes, and stretch often

Here are some commonly prescribed stretches:

Shoulder External Rotation – put banding behind back and hold in one hand at one hip, keeping opposite elbow close to body with other end of banding in hand then rotate hand out, do 10 per arm.

Wood Choppers – put banding under one foot, hold other end in both hands, with arms completely straight, pull from foot straight up to opposite shoulder and into the air like a golf swing, do 10 per side.

Band Pulls – hold arms straight out in front of you holding one end of the banding in each hand, pull band straight out at shoulder height, do 20 repetitions.

Band Squats – put band under both feet, hold ends of banding in each hand, squat down with knees over toes and chest over feet, do 20 repetitions.

747’s – standing on one foot, other foot behind your body, reach down and try to touch the ground without falling over like you were picking up your golf ball, do this 10 times per leg.

Please keep in mind that these exercises should not be performed without first discussing with your health care provider, as these exercises may not be appropriate for certain conditions.

Thank you to all of our wonderful patients who generously donated to the Christmas Cheer Board!  Here is the most recent photo before we delivered to a very appreciative family. 

From everyone at Balance, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

The Lifestyle Pass provides INSTANT access to a healthier, more satisfying lifestyle for less. This one guide provides listings of nutritious restaurants, refreshing spas and invigorating fitness centers in our region – and saves you money as you enjoy the simple pleasures that add zest to everyday life.

To be included among so many incredible Winnipeg businesses that focus on health and wellness, is truly an honour. Please visit their website above to see the actual guide and all the amazing offers. 

Custom orthotics are designed to restore the structural integrity of the bridge that the plantar fascia stretches across. When indicated, they can increase the arches and correct poor foot posture.  When the arches are built up and foot posture is improved, tension on the plantar fascia may be lessened and symptoms hopefully reduced. There is an inherent dependency that is created with custom orthotics; however, if conservative therapy, stretches or exercises fail to improve symptoms, they can provide a potential solution for not only the pain, but the structural problem.

The first step for individuals with this type of foot pain is to visit their appropriate health care provider for an assessment to determine if plantar fasciitis is the proper diagnosis and to determine what proper course of care should be. The foot is not a static, immovable structure. Your feet move through a complicated pattern with each and every step you take, all day long. The function of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine should be taken into consideration when coming up with a treatment program. Often, stretches and exercises can be prescribed to improve movement, flexibility strength, stability and coordination. While common treatments may consist of various forms soft-tissue therapy, laser, acupuncture, ultrasound, joint mobilization or manipulation to assist with the functional improvements and to decrease pain. Custom orthotics are not usually used as a stand-alone treatment for plantar fasciitis.

Here are examples of some very basic stretches and exercises that are commonly used:

Sitting with one leg extended out in front, place towel under the ball of your foot. Gently pull foot back towards your shin. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. This stretches the bottom of the foot and the calf muscles that tend to be tight with patients who have plantar fasciitis.

While seated, place marbles, pennies, or a towel on the floor. Use the toes to pick up the various objects. Two sets of 12 repetitions daily are normally recommended. This exercise is used to slowly build up strength and coordination.

Place a water bottle with either cold or frozen water under the arch of the foot. Roll foot back and forth over the bottle. Daily for approximately five minutes each time and up to 4 or 5 times per day.  Other suggestions I have come across include using golf balls, tennis balls, or dryer balls. While this is done mainly to improve symptoms, it can be very helpful when done daily.

Depending on each individual, we will provide exercises according to each patient’s needs. Occasional follow up appointments are needed to progress the patient’s exercise program, provide treatment, or to modify the orthotic supports if needed.

For more information about custom orthotics or plantar fasciitis, please don’t hesitate to contact our office or comment below. Please visit: http://www.solesupports.com/PUBLICHOME.aspx to learn more about the type of orthotics we offer.

Examples of exercises provided are courtesy of Phases Rehab exercise prescription software.

Dr. Chris Enns, B.Sc., D.C. has been a Winnipeg chiropractor since 2005.  He is the owner of Balance Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, located at 121 St. Anne’s Rd in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Services include: chiropractic, massage therapy, athletic therapy, orthotics, spinal decompression therapy, laser therapy, x-ray services, and health and fitness consulting.

If you have chronic or acute pain caused by disease or injury, Deep Tissue Laser
Therapy could eliminate your pain and speed your healing.  Our Class IV Deep Tissue Laser offers advanced pain relief and promotes rapid healing through a process known as photobiostimulation. Ideal for enhanced relief of neck, lower back, wrist, knee, elbow and joint pain, muscle spasms, foot and ankle pain, skin conditions, open wounds, post-operative recovery and sports injuries. The LiteCure LCT-1000 is both FDA and Health Canada approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class IV Deep Tissue Laser Therapy?
Laser therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near infrared) to
create therapeutic effects. Class IV Laser Therapy is an innovative, scientifically
based, therapeutic technology that offers advanced pain relief and expedited
healing times through a process known as photobiostimulation. It is a non-
invasive, painless, comfortable and safe treatment.

How does it work?
During laser therapy, the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular
level and metabolic activity increases within the cell, improving the transport
of nutrients across the cell membrane. This leads to a cascade of beneficial
and therapeutic effects, including: increased cellular function and health,
rapid regeneration, normalization and healing of damaged cellular tissue, pain
reduction, decreased swelling, increased circulation, and improved healing times.

Photonic stimulation is the trigger for these metabolic changes. In simpler
terms, the laser brings light to living tissues. During each painless treatment,
laser energy increases circulation. This draws in water, oxygen, and nutrients
to the damaged area creating an optimal healing environment that reduces
inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain. As the injured area
returns to normal, function is restored and pain is relieved.

How is a Class IV Laser different from a Class III?
Most lasers on the market today have a power range from .005W – .5W making
them a Class IIIB Cold Laser. The LiteCure LCT-1000 Laser emits a power range
from 1W-10W making it a Class IV Laser and several thousand times more
powerful than most other therapeutic lasers. This makes for shorter treatment
times without compromising safety.

Who should consider Laser Therapy?
Individuals with acute injuries and chronic or unexplained pain generally
experience true, drug-free relief with laser treatments. Research also shows laser
therapy to be a remarkably effective treatment for acute and chronic wounds,
and sores that won’t heal. The laser treats the inflammation around wounds,
while the endorphins it stimulates can help to immediately ease the pain. It’s
also ideal with post-surgery rehabilitation as it will decrease pain and speed the
healing process.

Some of the more common conditions treated with laser therapy include:
Neck pain, low back pain, disc bulges or herniations, frozen shoulder, rotator
cuff injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis, tendonitis, arthritis, sprains,
strains, plantar fasciitis, temporomandibular joint disorder, and headaches.

Laser therapy is also effective in treating skin conditions ranging from shingles,
ulcerations and eczema to psoriasis, acne and rosacea. Laser therapy jump-starts
the body’s natural healing process by delivering biochemical energy to tissues.
This results in increased blood supply and faster healing.

Is Laser Therapy safe? Are there any side effects?
Laser therapy is very safe and there are no known side effects. Lasers have no
effect on normal tissues, as photons of light are only absorbed and utilized by the
cells that need them. Laser therapy is not recommended for patients taking light
sensitive drugs. We also do not perform laser therapy over an area that has been
injected with steroids within 7 days. There are certain instances where the doctor
may not recommend laser therapy on pediatric patients. It cannot be used on
patients with active forms of cancer.

How long does a treatment take and how many treatments are required?
Class IV Laser Therapy treatments are cumulative in nature. Although it is not
uncommon to see significant improvement in just one session, chronic conditions
may require several treatments for the greatest benefit.

Treatments vary in length, but most sites require two to ten minutes. A majority
of patients exhibit greater comfort and mobility within 12 to 24 hours after a laser
treatment. The length and frequency of treatments depends on the nature of the
problem and the length of time the patient has been affected by it.

The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles are located on both sides of the neck. They originate at the bottom of the skull behind the ears and attach at the front of the base of the neck at the sternum and collarbones. It’s function is to bend the head forward and to assist with rotation of the neck. These muscles are normally tight when forward head posture is observed. They are also often strained during whiplash injuries. The SCM can be stretched in a variety of ways depending on the goals of the practitioner. Here is one method:  Sitting tall, with shoulders back, flex your head forward towards your chest. Slowly turn your head to one side. Repeat to the opposite side. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds.

Anterior Scalenes

The scalene muscles are located on both sides of your neck and are divided into the anterior, middle and posterior components. The anterior scalenes are located more towards the front and side of the neck. They originate at the sides of the cervical spine and attach to the 1st ribs at the front. This muscle is often stretched for improving head posture and possibly to treat thoracic outlet syndrome.

Sitting tall, place one hand on opposite collar bone. Turn the head away, look up and tilt head towards the shoulder. Use gentle pressure on the collar bone to increase the neck stretch. Less side bending and more head extension targets the anterior scalene even more. More side bending and less extension stretches more of the middle scalene. Discontinue the stretch if you feel any pain that is different than muscle soreness from the stretch itself, or if there are any strange symptoms, such as dizziness. The stretch should be held for 15 to 20 seconds. This method will also stretch parts of the SCM, so is often used in combination.

Please comment below if you have any questions!

Dr. Chris Enns, B.Sc., D.C. has been a Winnipeg chiropractor since 2005.  He is the owner of Balance Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, located at 121 St. Anne’s Rd in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Services include: chiropractic, massage therapy, athletic therapy, orthotics, spinal decompression therapy, laser therapy, x-ray services, and health and fitness consulting.

We are lucky to have Christine Johnston as a part of our team and are proud to announce that she will be working at the FISU 26th Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China with Team Canada Volleyball in August, 2011. Outside of our clinic, Christine is also involved in Men’s Premier Soccer in Winnipeg, as well as exercise and mental health research at the St. Boniface Hospital.  Within our office she specializes in post-surgical treatments and back to work/play rehabilitation, while educating others about injury prevention, health and fitness. Call Balance Chiropractic and Wellness Centre today to book your appointment!

Her services include:

- Athletic Therapy Assessment

- Athletic Therapy Treatment

- Post Injury Rehabilitation

- Return to Performance Strengthening

- Pre Surgical Strengthening

- Post Surgical rehabilitation

- Fitness and Health Consultations

Please contact our office at (204) 254-1728 if you have any questions about athletic therapy or the services we offer. Please comment below if you have anything to add!

To understand how intervertebral disc herniations occur, we must first discuss some anatomy. The spinal vertebrae are separated by cartilaginous discs that act as spacers between the vertebral bodies and function as shock absorbers.

What are intervertebral discs?

I often compare the intervertebral disc to a jelly donut.  The center of the disc is the jelly. The jelly center is contained by thick concentric fibrous rings of connective tissue. In a healthy disc, the jelly sac is full of fluid and the fibrous rings are hydrated and strong enough to contain the jelly within the center of the disc.  The fluid content of discs make them highly effective shock absorbers.

What are the causes of disc degeneration?

Intervertebral discs have very little blood flow. Instead, discs use a process called ‘imbibition’. Like a sponge, when a disc is compressed the water is squeezed out. When the compression is removed, the water is drawn in and fills it up again.  This process keeps the discs healthy and hydrated.  If the discs do not go through this activity frequently with normal spinal function, they dry out.  If a lack of proper spinal motion continues, the once strong, fibrous rings begin to crack. Like a tree that has been cut down, eventually the wood becomes brittle and much easier to break as the moisture content is decreased.

What causes a disc herniation?

Intervertebral discs can undergo a variety of biomechanical forces. They can be stretched, twisted, sheared, or compressed.  While these are normal forces for discs, they tend to be more susceptible to injury during twisting and compression. Repetitive stress to a disc will eventually displace the jelly towards an outside edge. If there is any cracking, this powerful hydraulic pressure will eventually cause the jelly to migrate and exert pressure on the outside fibrous rings. Initially, this pressure can result in a bulging disc.  Eventually, this pressure can push through the outer rings and lead to what is called a disc herniation or disc protrusion. If the jelly is forced out and separated from the disc, it is often described medically as a progression from a ‘disc extrusion to a disc sequestration’. It is possible to create enough force to herniate a disc with a single compressive load; however, it is more likely that is occurs suddenly following years of this powerful hydraulic pressure exerted on a disc that has dried out due to the effects of degenerative changes.

If you are spending hours sitting at a computer desk with a slouched posture or doing repetitive tasks in awkward postures, you are exerting more stress on the discs and less likely to allow for proper hydration during normal spinal movements. Typically, I find that disc injuries happen when you least expect it. The body’s ability to guard and stabilize the spine is normally very effective at preventing injury. If you are thinking about a certain movement or lift, it is possible to contract your core stabilizer muscles to guard against excessive shearing or rotational stresses that may cause injury. When you are not consciously thinking about the movement, you are depending solely on your intrinsic core stability system that braces and prevents excessive motion on it’s own. Unfortunately, the old adage is true: “If you don’t use it, you lose it”.

Following injury, sedentary lifestyle, or chronic poor posture, we find our bodies lose their capacity to stabilize when they need it the most. If I were to pick the most likely scenario in which a disc injury can occur, it is not from moving heavy furniture awkwardly, although it is possible.  It happens more often, after you are lifting heavy furniture awkwardly all day long when you are used to slouching at a computer all day; And then, while exhausted, and not thinking about about the simple motion, you attempt to pick up a penny. This, or a similar scenario, is how you are going to throw your back out and end up with a disc injury. Please don’t let it get to that point.I will follow up with articles about how to work towards improving spinal health, including core strength and stability. Please don’t hesitate to ask myself or your health care provider if you have any questions about preventing these injuries.

Please comment below and let me know what you think!

Levator Scapulae

The levator scapulae muscles, on both sides, lift the shoulder blades toward the ears and also assists with neck rotation and side bending.  During initial assessments, I find that this muscle tends to be tight and sore very frequently, which is often caused from stress or poor posture.  Levator muscle strain is also frequently associated with whiplash injuries. Tightness can lead to neck pain, headaches and upper back or shoulder pain.  When these muscles are stretched, your shoulders are allowed to drop and relax.  Neck mobility can also be improved by adding this stretch to the program mentioned in Part 1.

Here is an example of a levator scapulae stretch:  Sitting tall with good posture, grasp the back edge of a chair with the hand of the side to be  stretched. Turn your head to the opposite side and flex your head forward. Think: “nose to elbow”. Let your body lean to feel a stretch in the back and side of your lower neck.

Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is a very large, complex muscle with many actions. The muscle begins at the neck and bottom of the head and attaches to the shoulder blade, collarbone, and the thoracic spine. It’s main actions are to move the shoulder blade and move the spine. In regards to neck motion, the trapezius helps extend the head backwards and assists with lateral bending and rotation.  A common example of repetitive strains to the upper portion of the trapezius muscle is spending all day talking on the phone with your head bent to one side. Poor posture and whiplash are other examples for causes of trapezius muscle tightness and soreness.

This stretch targets mainly the upper component of the muscle, but is a common one that I prescribe. Sitting tall, grasp the back edge of a chair with the hand of the side to be stretched. Turn your head toward the same side and lean your head and body away to feel a stretch in the side of the neck.

Please remember to perform stretches gradually and gently. Do not force to ‘get a better stretch’. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds and breathe throughout the motion. Please see Part 3 for more neck stretches.  Comment below if you have any questions.

Dr. Chris Enns, B.Sc., D.C. has been a Winnipeg chiropractor since 2005.  He is the owner of Balance Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, located at 121 St. Anne’s Rd in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Services include: chiropractic, massage therapy, athletic therapy, orthotics, spinal decompression therapy, laser therapy, x-ray services, and health and fitness consulting.