Massage for Expecting Mothers Nicole Zingel, RMT Most expectant mothers can feel very joyful and excited for the arrival of their soon to be child. At the same time they may also be experiencing the aches and pains associated with the ongoing muscle changes that naturally occur during pregnancy. Some of these muscle changes are caused by the mother's centre of gravity naturally shifting forward due to the increase in weight in the abdomen and breasts. This anterior weight increases the strain felt in their lower back, gluteal and hip area, and can cause the expectant mother a great deal of discomfort. To compensate for these changes, the mother may lean her upper ribcage back and tend to push her neck and head forward. This causes strain and discomfort to the neck muscles. Prenatal massage can help alleviate some of the discomfort and pain associated with pregnancy. Some of the benefits of a prenatal massage treatment are as follows: - Decreased aches and pains - Reduced swelling that is often present during pregnancy - Provide an opportunity to experience a deep relaxed state which can help reduce stress hormones and improve mood - Promote of a more restful sleep. As a Registered Massage therapist trained in prenatal massage, I have had the honour of providing prenatal treatments to a number of pregnant clients. Each expectant mother has their own individual experiences throughout their pregnancy; treatments can be tailored to suit each one of them. I encourage any expectant mothers experiencing the aches and pains of pregnancy, to receive a prenatal massage treatment and experience firsthand the benefits it can provide. Happy Mother’s Day!

Facts about Acupuncture Needles Acupuncture is defined as a healing modality whereby fine needles are inserted into specific points on the body. These needles can induce positive changes in your health and well-being. Your acupuncturist should consider certain factors in choosing these needles. The quality of the needles is of the utmost importance. Manufacturing facilities with strict quality control must ensure proper packaging and sterilization. All packages must come with a lot number and an expiry date. They must be stored in a cool, dry space and handled with proper Clean Needle Technique. Needles are made with surgical stainless steel. They are strong yet thin, filiform and flexible. Needles with a low nickel content helps to reduce the reaction of those with metal allergies. The gauge and thickness of the needle is also taken into consideration. With each insertion, the acupuncturist can sense tension or resistance in the tissues. The client may feel a heaviness or dull ache. A smaller gauge can be used for more sensitive people and points on the body. Acupuncture needles should be used ONCE only. After the removal of each needle, it is placed in a bio-hazard container and disposed of properly. The safety of both client and therapist is always top of mind.

Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - April 2012

I hope everyone is enjoying the early spring this year! As the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, it is nice to see that there seems to be a surge of energy and outdoor activity.

I’d like to take this opportunity to offer our sincerest well wishes to Pilates instructor, Sarah Ashley-Brown and her family who are expecting the newest addition to their clan this month.

Also, congratulations to our resident kinesiologist, Julia Pilliar, who is just about finished her Masters in Public Health (Nutrition) at U of T. With completion of this program she receives the designation of Registered Dietician (which is covered by many extended health benefit packages).

HAPPY SPRING EVERYBODY!

Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker

Tips for a Healthy Back in the Garden

Is the sunshine and warmer weather making you anxious to get to work on your garden?
Gardening can be great exercise…you could even be burning up to 300 calories per hour. With all that lifting, bending, pulling and reaching, here are some tips to prevent gardening related injuries:

Have the right tools for the task at hand
Ensure you drink plenty of water
Alternate between light and heavy jobs
Lift correctly
Take frequent breaks
Heavy loads should be shared
Your feet should be protected with thick soled supportive shoes
Before you start, warm-up your muscles
Avoid muscle strain, learn the right techniques
Change positions frequently
Kneel to plant and weed
Spinal check-ups can help you keep your back healthy

GET MORE ENERGY

Here are 10 simple ways to feel more energetic and keep you on your toes:

1. Get enough rest (7-8 hours of sleep per night is recommended).
2. Eat healthy and don’t skip breakfast.
3. Stay hydrated, pay close attention to your thirst (once you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated).
4. Cut out or limit caffeine including tea, coffee and chocolate.
5. Stay active (at least 30 min/ day of physical activity is recommended).
6. Don’t push yourself too hard, challenge yourself but try to minimize stress.
7. East smaller meals more often throughout the day (aim for 5 or 60).
8. Concentrate on breathing more deeply until it becomes habit.
9. Speak to your doctor about your iron intake to determine if supplements
should be added to your diet.
10. Eat foods from all food groups, but consume fats and sugars in moderation.

JOIN THE wellness MOVEMENT!

What is health to you? The vast majority of the Canadian public gets their “health” information from the media. Unfortunately, the messages we usually receive via the marketing and pharmaceutical companies is that there is a pill to sleep, a pill to wake, a pill for each different body ache (usually wrapped in some kind of catchy jingle). These messages discourage taking responsibility for our actions: “Don’t worry about indigestion (a healthy bodily response to eating bad food) just take these tasty antacids, and eat all the greasy, salty food you like”. True health is not covering up your symptoms with drugs, nor is it using surgery to try to undo years of selfabuse. Health is the act of attaining and maintaining optimal physical, mental and social/spiritual well being. It is not a quick fix and it’s not always easy. The wellness lifestyle involves exercise, good nutrition, stressmanagement,
fresh air, developing a healthy social network, and necessitates taking care of problems at the cause.

Whatever stage you are at, whatever your personal challenges are, in addition to helping you manage your pain, all of us at Lifewise are here to help you in your journey to wellness. Yoga and Pilates classes are a great way to get your body moving. And sure enough, once you get moving you will likely feel many of those nagging aches and pains melt away. Need a bit more attention? Our instructors are also available for private and small group session. Or, if you like to exercise on your own, but would like to make sure that your work-out routine is optimal for you -try a functional exercise assessment. Our trainers can put together a program that is right for you. Feeling like your diet is not quite cutting the mustard? A little nutritional advice can go a long way. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress – talk to us about Mindfulness Meditation, book a massage or consider psychotherapy.

The point is, if you want to feel better – you can. There is lots of help available. And you usually don’t need to pop a pill. Join the wellness movement and start making positive changes to your lifestyle today!

Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - February 2012

It’s good to be reminded every once in a while that the sun doesn’t rise and set with our individual schedules, that the world won’t fall apart if we take a personal day, and that there are other people in the world who are experiencing much more difficult challenges than we are at any given time. On the contrary, it is also good to remember that each of our behaviours and actions affect those around us, in ways that we may be completely unaware. The second week in February has been unofficially designated “Random Act of Kindness Week”. Let’s all try to bring some awareness to our actions as we go through our lives this month, and remember it’s the little things that often make a huge impact.

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” (George Washington Carver)

Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker

Minimizing Sports Injuries

Sports related injuries can plague any athlete, from the most seasoned professional to a novice just testing the waters. The most common sports related injuries are often a result of either overuse (excessive wear & tear) or strain (a pull or tear in a muscle or tendon). One common factor in both of these is improper technique, which can set an athlete up with muscle and postural imbalances that alter the biomechanics of the body during any type of movement – increasing the chance of injury. Repetitive and high-impact sports such as running, aerobics or dance tend to lead to the most injuries. Other sports with high risk are those with overhead movements like tennis or baseball, and even swimming. It follows that the most injured joints tend to be the ankle, knee, shoulder and elbow.

To help avoid injuries and keep your body functioning at its peak, it is important to take preventative measures, such as regular stretching, warming up, cooling down, staying hydrated and allowing your body to rest and heal a day between training session. It’s also a good idea to meet with a coach or trainer who can tweak your technique. Speak to your health care provider for more advice on injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

STEP BY STEP

In our grandparents’ day it was common for most people to walk a lot as they carried out their daily activities. Today we have become quite sedentary. We spend a lot more time sitting and standing and much less time moving. For the sake of our good health we must now make a conscious effort to keep moving. These days, the average person only takes 2,000 steps per day. We should be taking 10, 000 to 20,000 steps each and every day.

A pedometer is an inexpensive tool that lets us track how active we are. It clips onto your belt, pant or skirt top; and if we have worn it all day it will tell us how many steps we’ve taken. Why not set a goal this month to add 500 steps to our daily count? Once you have kept that up that on a regular basis, you can increase your goal by another 500 steps per day. Keep going in this fashion and you will soon reach the optimum level of at least 10,000 steps per day.

Some simple ways to add steps to your day: taking the stairs instead of the elevator; parking further away from work and walking that much further back to your car; walking around the block one more time, and so on...

In order to make the most of your walking, here are some tips for better form: To get your body into a better posture, try this: Shrug your shoulders once and then let them fall into a comfortable position. Walk tall: try not to lean forward, nor arch your back.

Start with your heel first, roll through the step, and end by giving a good push off with the back foot.

Keeping your arms bent at 90 degrees helps to create a pendulum motion as you speed up your walking. Arm speed determines leg speed.

Look about twenty feet in front of you to set your sight on where you are going, keeping your eyes forward. Further reduce the strain on your neck and back by keeping your chin parallel to the ground.

PRACTICING RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS...

A random act of kindness is defined as “a selfless act performed by kind people to either help or cheer up a random stranger, for no reason other than to make people happier” (Wikipedia).

In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a book entitled Pay It Forward which was made into a successful movie starring Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment and Helen Hunt. The premise of the story involves doing a favor for another person without expectation of being paid back. Recipients in turn "pay it forward," by doing a good deed for three people who in turn each do good deeds for three other people. In the real world, this concept (and practice) can and does work. Random acts of kindness are contagious, and by small gestures we can (little by little) make the world a kinder and healthier place to live.

By taking care of our own health and wellness we have the energy and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others - those we know and care about - and even in the lives of complete strangers. It is so easy for our days to become focussed on the demands of our job and on the needs of our families and our household. Small random acts of kindness or caring really do make a difference to others and in our communities. One of the nicest benefits will be in how good you feel about yourself. Others who benefit by your kind act are more likely to also do something nice for someone else.

So, challenge yourself this month to perform one good deed a day: Hold the door for someone who is rushing to catch it; pick up a discarded coffee cup and put it in the trash; thank the driver as you get off the bus; give to a food drive; tell your children why you love them; stop for a person waiting to cross the street; help a child in choosing out-grown toys to donate to a shelter; help someone who is struggling with heavy bags; take the time to really listen when someone is speaking to you; and so on. Often the opportunity to do a good deed will simply present itself.

PASS IT ON!