Wellness

What to expect with a trigger point massage.

~ bryancobb ~ Leave a comment

A treatment with Bryan is very user friendly. And, no, you don’t have to remove any clothing. However, bringing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts or sweats is recommended.

The first time you come for a treatment you will be asked to fill out a Client History form. Bryan will go over the information you provide, asking for more detail and discussing the type of pain you are having and its location.

The treatment itself involves locating the Trigger Points in the muscle or soft tissue and applying a deep focused pressure to the Point. This will reproduce the pain and the referral pattern that is characteristic of that pain.

The treatment will be uncomfortable at first, but as the Trigger Points release, the pain will decrease. The pressure will always be adjusted to your tolerance level. If, at any time, you feel too uncomfortable you can ask Bryan to ease off a bit.

Depending on your specific problem, Bryan may also use some stretching and / or range-of-motion techniques, as needed.

After treatment, it is usually recommended that the client apply moist heat to the area treated.

Trigger points in the deltoid muscle.

~ bryancobb ~ Leave a comment

The deltoid is the the muscle that is most often thought of as the “shoulder.” It is the diamond shaped muscle that caps the shoulder joint. It originates on the clavicle, the acromion, and the spine of the scapula. It inserts on the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus. As a whole unit the deltoid laterally abducts the humerus at the glenohumeral joint. The anterior portion of the delt forward flexes the arm, as well as horizontally flexing the arm across the chest. Since the deltoid is involved in almost all shoulder movements it is especially prone to trigger points. Points in the anterior deltoid refer into the anterior and lateral shoulder. Trigger points in the posterior deltoid refer pain into the posterior shoulder with spillover down the lateral arm.

Home Gym Essentials

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

So you want to build your own home gym but you have no idea what kind of equipment to buy. There are two main limiting factors in outfitting a workout area in your house or apartment—space and budget—but with proper planning, you can design an exercise studio perfectly tailored to your needs. Simply start with the essentials, and then branch out to more specialized equipment as you need it. Below are a few of the essentials that can get your started on your home gym journey.

Quality Mats

No matter what your plans are for your home gym a good quality floor mat is key. You can opt for the single mat for stretching and floor work or go shoe hog with an entire flooring system but be sure to go with a high quality, durable product. Rogue Canada has some great products in this (and most) category from floor mats to olympic lifting platforms, as do spots from Fitness Experience to Home Depot.

Fitness Experience Flooring

Rogue Mats

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Suspension Trainer

Maximizing use of space and finding tools with multiple uses are keys when designing your home gym. One of the best pieces of equipment for both those concerns are suspension trainers. The TRX Home2 System is one of the best purchases you can make for your home gym. It includes the latest TRX Suspension Trainer for homes, as well access to the TRX app. (With more than 80 workouts designed by world-class trainers, the app will keep you busy.) While the Home2 System costs less than $200, it is one of the bigger purchases on this list. What makes it worthwhile is that Suspension Training offers a full-body workout that can be modified for any fitness level.

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Resistance Bands

Easy to store, easy to use, easy to afford and easy to scale. Resistance bands are a great addition to any home gym. From stands of tubing to elastic loops and heavy resistance with handles, resistance bands come in many shapes and sizes and can be used to add to any fitness routine. Depending on your fitness goals, resistance tubing can be your main source of muscle building or an add oil that enhances lifts. They are a rehab essential as well when working through those nagging injuries that we all get from time to time and a key part of training for pliability as shown in the TB12 method. Every major fitness retailer has dozens of options for you and can help you decide on what you need based on your goals.

Fitness Experience Tubing

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TB12 Workout Gear

This list is a great start for your home fitness journey but isn’t all inclusive by any means. Everyone’s goals are different, require different levels of equipment and different levels of motivation. The key with any of them is to get committed, get started and get moving!

 

 

The Bird Dog

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Bird Dog

Today we are going to look at one of the most effective exercises to protect your lumbar spine from discogenic injury, the bird dog. A great way to work on both posterior chain and rotational stability, the bird dog is safe, effective and simple.

  • Get on your hands and knees (four point position) with your knees and hands, hip and shoulders width apart.
  • Your back is in neutral position (slightly arched) and your chin must be tucked in.
  • Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles 20 to 30% of maximal contraction.
  • Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you simultaneously lift one leg backwards and the opposite arm overhead keeping your back in neutral position.
  • Return to the initial position and repeat with the other leg and arm.

2 sets of 10 reps as part of your regular core/stability routine will have you well on your way to a life-proof low back!

Image and instructions from physiotec.ca 

Food Myth #6: Energy Drinks Are Better Than Soda

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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Red Bull, Monster and their brethren aim to give you a bump in energy with a giant dose of sugar, B vitamins, caffeine and “herbal extracts”. I’d imagine you’re already thinking “this sounds like a bad thing that I should avoid” but in case you aren’t…..

A 16 ounce can of this stuff packs a whopping 280 (!) calories of SUGAR in it which is about 80 calories more than the same sized serving of Pepsi or Coke. Still drinking this stuff? Great, I’ll pass along a few dentist contacts as well since a University of Maryland study showed that they are also 11% more corrosive on your teeth than soft drinks.

Drink more water, tea, black coffee and avoid anything with EXTREME or NEON on the can and you’ll be fine…….

 

 

 

The Best Piece Of Fitness Gear?

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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For my money I still believe that the classic TRX suspension trainer is the best piece of fitness equipment out there. Easy to use, super effective, safe, compact and scalable. All fitting into a little bag you can throw in your backpack or purse to take with you.

We have kids as young as 7 using it (my kids want to “work out” with us but are too young for weights, kettlebells and treadmills. The TRX is a great way to have them as part of your fitness routine in a safe way) and adults in their 70’s too (both my parents use the TRX to stay strong and limber in the retirement years).

With dozens of exercises and workouts at your disposal online you’ll never get bored and never find it “too easy”.

Check out the original TRX and all their cool accessories here:

TRX® Suspension Trainers

 

Lumbar Spine Stabilization

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

L Spine Stabilization

This is a great way to increase the stability of your lower back.

  1. Lie with your stomach over a therapeutic ball while stabilizing yourself with your feet and arms and keep your head in line with your body.
  2. Tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten the spine by pulling your belly button towards your back and hold the contraction throughout the exercise.
  3. Bend one knee and lift it up towards the ceiling.
  4. Lower the leg and repeat on the other side.

 

Food Myth #5: High Fructose Corn Syrup is worse than other sugars.

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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Sugar is everywhere and most don’t even know it.

Dextrose, sucrose, rice syrup, maltodextrin….. All sugars and all affect our bodies the same way. While these monikers may not be as well known or as much maligned as high fructose corn syrup they are just as much of a health inhibitor as HFCS and good old table sugar.

While HFCS has long been seen as the worst of a bad bunch, a 2014 review of multiple studies found there was no difference in blood glucose changes between HFCS or table sugar. Basically, your body can’t tell one from the other and all the cigars mentioned above cause similar reactions in your body. Sugar is sugar.

The biggest issue with HFCS? It is EVERYWHERE. In order to reduce your sugar intake you’ll need to know many terms for sugars and keep an eye on what you’re eating day in and day out.

 

 

 

 

http://www.eatthis.com/29-nutrition-myths-busted/

 

Entering & Exiting Your Vehicle

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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Entering and exiting your vehicle is a potential risky activity for low back pain sufferers. Follow these tips to limit problems:

 

✓ To enter the vehicle, open the door and stand with your back to the seat, legs close to the side of the vehicle. For larger vehicles, you may wish to begin by standing on the running board. Place your hands on the door and door frame to keep your movements slow and controlled then slowly lower your body into the vehicle.

✓ Tuck your head into the vehicle. Keep your knees close to each other, as though they have been taped together, brace your abdomen as though you are about to be punched in the stomach and pivot your body as a whole without twisting or bending at the waist. You may grasp the steering wheel with your right hand to help you pivot.

✓ Use a lumbar roll or other support to help maintain good posture. Position the roll slightly above your belt to support the “small of your back”. Adjust your seat so that your knees are slightly lower than your hips. Try to avoid prolonged car rides- take frequent breaks.

✓ Before exiting, create adequate space by pushing your vehicle seat back as far as possible and move the steering wheel up and out of the way. To exit, first scoot slightly to the door side edge of your seat, then keep your knees together and pivot with the same cautions that you used to enter the vehicle. When your feet are shoulder width apart and firmly on the ground or running board, grasp the door and door frame, lean forward, but be sure not to bend your back, as you tighten your abdominal muscles. Slowly thrust your hips forward to stand up.