Doctor Bill Werner

09/08/2022

6 Tips to Make the Most of Your Summer Garden

For many of us, gardening is a necessary and cathartic part of our summer routine. Walking, hiking, enjoying new hobbies, and gardening remain the number one way people have remained limber over the last few years. Thankfully, these are all fantastic ways to maintain our mental wellness.

With this being said, it is also not unusual for people to overdo it. Improving, changing, or starting a landscaping project has become popular, which has increased physical activity. This also means an increase in aches and pains if you aren’t mindful of how you move your body.

I’ve compiled a few tips to help you maximize your love for gardening while minimizing the risk of experiencing pain.

Warm-up/Stretch - Many of us have gone from not having time to engage in hours of gardening daily to having nothing but time to replot our entire yards. Our bodies aren’t accustomed to so much activity or this type of activity. Just as we would prepare our bodies for a new workout, we must prepare our bodies for gardening. All it takes is a few light stretches and some moving to ensure we will not cause an injury. Ask us what the best course of action is for you before proceeding; it’s better to be proactive rather than reactive!
Drink Water - Staying hydrated is one of the most important steps when working outside. It’s easy to lose track of time, and dehydration can quickly become serious. Always ensure you have water and take a break every 20-30 minutes. Set the alarm on your phone as a reminder, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a stretch with every water break.
Take Breaks - Speaking of water breaks, breaks, in general, are essential. Gardening is strenuous work, and you’ll likely get caught up in completing tasks and lose track of time. Pay attention to your body’s cues, and ensure you are pacing yourself and snacking throughout the day. If you use a timer, set it for every 20-30 minutes to have a washroom break, drink some water, stretch, have a snack, and get your blood circulating.
Be Mindful of Large Loads - Bags of soil, mulch, and carrying large planters are a recipe for a back injury if you aren’t careful. If you must, ensure you are bending at your knees and waist. Use your legs to do the heavy lifting rather than your back. In the best-case scenario, you’ll have a wheelbarrow or a buggy to transfer heavy items to the garden. If available, have someone help you with the lifting. And whatever you do, do not lift a heavy item and twist - this can lead to pinched nerves, muscle injuries, and pain that can take weeks to relieve.
Be present - Spending time planning and maintaining a garden can bring joy. The experience of cultivating and watching your garden or landscaping project come together and grow can be very satisfying. Watering and fertilizing plants, seeing flowers bloom, maintaining a rich growing environment, and being outdoors in the fresh air go unmatched when it comes to self-care. Don’t spend this time rushing through your thoughts and thinking of what you are doing next. Instead, be present in every moment and enjoy your creation!
Move From Task to Task - Instead of concentrating on one job at a time, move around the garden and vary your tasks to avoid holding the same position for extended periods. This will also allow you to keep your circulation moving and prevent cramping.

Overall, gardening is an excellent use of your time. It allows you to feel productive, spend time outdoors, keep moving, and hopefully have the garden of your dreams by the time you’re finished. These tasks are significant for your body and your mental wellness when you are outside your routine.

If you run into trouble with sudden pain or achiness that is outside the norm or require some guidance with stretches and movements to help you remain agile - call us to see how we can assist you

10/05/2022

21/12/2021

Your Neck Pain Could be Something called ‘Tech Neck’

Yes, this is actually a condition that has become increasingly more common after extended periods of time on the computer, cell phone, and tablets.

So, what exactly is tech neck?

Tech neck is when the muscles in your neck work too hard when you are looking down at a device and when you are slouched over a keyboard and staring into a computer screen. This particular term is related to the pain that is experienced when the neck muscles become overworked and sore from this constant bending motion.

Have you ever spent an extended period of time working on the computer or from your phone and you’ve had the sudden urge to stand up tall, push your shoulders back and massage your own neck? The tightness, soreness and dull ache have begun to set in. This need to align your neck and upper back is due to the strain your body is experiencing.

The good news is, Chiropractic can help you to alleviate the discomfort caused by tech neck.
How Can Chiropractic Help?

Chiropractors specializes in the structure of your spine and neck, which means they are skilled in handling all of your musculoskeletal concerns. Once we have completed an assessment, an individualized treatment plan will be initiated that will include some stretches, light exercise and non-invasive adjustments. The goal is to work your spine and neck back into alignment to alleviate the stress and pain. The adjustments should increase your range of motion, and all of that stiffness will allow for more comfortable periods of work and school.

Here are a few ways you can prevent tech neck:

Invest in a new ergonomically-correct office chair and desk. While phones are the ultimate culprit for tech neck, sitting at a desk where your screen is too low or in an ergonomically-incorrect position can have a similar effect.
Get a chair with a headrest. Chairs with headrests will help you maintain proper posture and prevent tech neck. This will help hold the back of your head up and in proper position during the day.
Raise and position your phone screen higher. This will prevent you from bending your neck and sloping your head forward.
Get Up and Move. If you work at a desk job where you need to sit and stare at a screen all day—one of the best things you can do is to get up and start walking around. This will help get your blood circulating and help give your neck a break.
Exercise. Make sure you are getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day to help strengthen and loosen up those muscles in the neck and upper back. The more active you can be, the better.

Prevention is The Key

Just like most other ailments that you will experience in relation to your musculoskeletal system in your lifetime, using preventative measures will always be a better option. Some treatments can take weeks or months of consistent effort to find relief, but preventing them in the first place should be the priority.

Lastly, If you have recently begun to work from home more, if you have returned to school, or are spending increasingly more time on your electronic devices - it’s a good idea to consult with us for some advice on prevention.

11/11/2021

Your Guide to Shoulder Pain

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t spend much time considering the incredible complexity of the human body. But it’s important to think about when it comes to pain and injury. The shoulder joint, in particular, is prone to having complex injuries. That’s because the joint is one of our most mobile – which also means there isn’t much stability present.

That’s why instability or pain in the shoulder is extremely common. You might only feel discomfort when you move your shoulder around, or the pain may be ever-present. To understand how that occurs, it’s important to go through the anatomy of the shoulder.

Your shoulder contains three different bones: the collarbone, the shoulder blade, and the upper arm bone. The upper arm bone goes right into a rounded socked of the shoulder blade. The arm bone is kept in place by a collection of muscles and tendons, which attach the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade.

Common Shoulder-Related Problems

You can experience a broad range of different shoulder injuries, such as:

Frozen shoulder. Pain and stiffness in the shoulder are caused by inflammation, which will eventually limit movement.
Osteoarthritis. With aging, the wear-and-tear process can affect the shoulder.
Rheumatoid arthritis. This form of arthritis attacks the joints, which will result in pain and inflammation.
Rotator cuff tears. The muscles or tendons surrounding the top of the humerus can tear, likely as a result of steady overuse or a sudden injury.
Shoulder impingement. The edge of your shoulder blade, when lifted, presses on the rotator cuff.
Dislocation. A bone in the shoulder can slip right out of position. If your shoulder is dislocated, raising your arm will cause you pain.
Tendonitis. The shoulder’s rotator cuff contain tendons. When inflamed, it is referred to as tendonitis.
Bursitis. There’s a small sac of fluid that rests over the tendons of the rotator cuff. The signs of bursitis are pain when you lift your arms overhead and pressure on the upper, outer arm.
Labral tear. Overuse or an accident can tear a cuff of cartilage called the labrum. Often, it will heal on its own.

Do You Need Help?

Some shoulder-related injuries may clear up on their own. To decide if you require help from a professional, ask yourself: can you move your arm as you normally would? Does it feel as if your shoulder may pop right out of the socket? If so, it may require the attention of a professional.

Chiropractors are well-suited to addressing shoulder injuries. Why? Because their education includes learning about every joint in the body, not just the spine.

We begin by giving you a thorough evaluation. That’s the first step to determining a diagnosis, which will direct your care. If we feel that your case is a not a Chiropractic one, we will refer you to another professional. If you are a good candidate, however, care will begin tailored to your particular needs, addressing your shoulder pain and aimed at getting you back to living your normal life.

19/10/2021

Bulging Discs and Chiropractic

If you have experienced a herniated disc, you’ll know how debilitating they can be. These spinal discs are relatively small structures that can cause hugely painful problems - particularly when they are bulging. If you are experiencing a bulging disc, we can help alleviate some of the pain associated with this.
What is a Bulging Disc?

Not to be confused with a herniated disc (which is equally as painful), a bulging disc occurs when it bulges in a place the outer wall of the disc has become weak.

If you think about a spinal disc like a small water balloon. It has a tougher outer layer, but the inside is soft and almost like a liquid or jelly. When a disc is herniated, the disc can leak due to a crack in the outer layer. When a disc is bulging, the outer layer remains intact, but can bulge in an area that becomes weak.
What Can Cause a Bulging Disc?

There are several ways you can develop a bulging disc. It is often thought that this is a normal part of the aging process, but it is certainly not the case. With aging comes less muscle density. The weaker your muscles, the more susceptible to injuries you can become. Things like chronic dehydration, repetitive movements, heavy lifting, improper form while lifting or working out, genetics and obesity are some of the most common causes of the weakening outer layer of your discs.
Signs and Symptoms

Radiating pain in your limbs
Numbness in your limbs or extremities
Muscle weakness
Tingling in your arms or legs
Changes in your bowel or bladder function
Pain when moving your neck

Symptoms will vary depending on where the bulge is in your spine, the higher it is the more you will experience symptoms in your neck, arms, and fingers. The lower it is, the more you will experience symptoms in your back, bowels, bladder and legs. A Chiropractor will first determine where the bulge is located, and can use both physical exams along with a referral for MRI imaging for further details if required.
We Are Qualified to Help

Chiropractors use a non-invasive and natural treatment plan when it comes to your diagnosis and care. This plan will be a direct result of gathering information on your family history, activity levels, and possibly imaging.

We will examine your entire spine to determine if there is any suspected joint dysfunction or restriction, along with muscular issues that can be caused by historical injuries that can add stress to the way you walk or sit.

There will be a plan for adjustments to relieve the bulge, along with a plan to address any restricting movements that could have led to the cause of the bulging disc. Overall, your entire body needs to be working in sync in order to relieve pain, and for healing to occur.

If you are suffering from back pain, or symptoms that occur in your extremities please contact us to learn how you can relieve these symptoms naturally.

16/08/2021

Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow: Do You Have It?

Tiger Woods. Annika Sorenstam. Roger Federer. Serena Williams - serious, high-level athletes.

But if you think that you need to compete like these players to get tennis or golfer’s elbow, you couldn’t be more wrong!

In fact, you don’t need to be active in golf OR tennis to get golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow. Both can result from a variety of different activities, some of which might be part of your everyday routine.

It’s a condition that can affect just about anyone. Both result from overuse, or repetitive motions in the arm or wrist. There are some differences in each condition, but the treatment can often be the same.
All About Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. It typically happens to a person in the age group 30-50. When overuse occurs, inflammation sets in on the outside of the elbow and forearm. The muscles become overworked and inflamed. You may experience this problem if you have a job such as carpentry, but it can also occur with gardening or raking.

The symptoms of tennis elbow include any of the following feelings from the elbow to the forearm and wrist:

Radiating pain
Achiness
Pain while reaching

All About Golfer’s Elbow

Similar to tennis elbow’s technical name, golfer’s elbow is called medial epicondylitis. It involves a problem on the inner side of the elbow and arm. And just like tennis elbow, it involves overuse – this time, of the wrist, when it’s twisted or flexed too much. Shoveling, gardening, repeated listing, and of course, playing golf or tennis can cause golfer’s elbow. Other causes include racquet sports, baseball or softball, weightlifting, carpentry, painting and other similar activities.

The symptoms of golfer’s elbow include

Pain when lifting
Pain when twisting the forearm
Pain when making a fist
Swollen, tender area inside the elbow
Weakness in the hands or wrist
Stiffness in the elbow

Seeking Help Quickly Is Always Your Best Bet

Too many people think, “If I wait it out, it’ll probably go away.”

The truth is, like most injuries, seeking treatment right away is best if you suspect you have golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow.

Chiropractors are experts in all the joints of the body, including your elbow.

If resting it for a time and refraining from the activity that irritated the area doesn’t help, a checkup with us might be just what you need. We can diagnose whether you have tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow and either provide you with a care plan, adjustment, or refer you to another healthcare professional if they feel you will benefit from a referral.

Meanwhile, use ice and apply to the affected area, which can reduce pain and cut down on the swelling you might be experiencing.

And as difficult as it may be, take a break from any movement that irritate your elbow, forearm or wrist – getting a little rest can be just what your body needs to heal!