Meal Prep Fundamentals

It is not always easy choosing the healthiest options when we are busy! That is why meal preparation (‘meal prep’) can be so great! Simply put, meal prep is pre planning and pre cooking some, or all of your meals ahead of time. It will make your day-to-day life easier, healthier and will save you time and money!

Some of the key fundamentals of basic meal prep:

Everyone Plans Differently

The thing is, meal prep is different for everyone. Some people will want to plan for the entire week, others just a few days at a time. You may find that you only need to plan and prep for lunches, or maybe just dinners. You have to figure out what works best for you!

Plan Ahead

Pick a day that will be allocated as your meal prep day. A lot of people choose Sunday because it gives them time to get groceries and cook all in the same day. When you begin, try focusing on just prepping for 2-3 days a week. Write out each day of the week and try to plan your meals around your schedule. Don’t forget to cross off any day you won’t need to cook for!

Choose Your Meals

This is depends largely on what you like to eat and your family size. My biggest advice here would be to try and plan something up that you can use for multiple meals (e.g. make a fresh tomato sauce that can be used for homemade pizza, chilli or on whole grain pasta). Cook multiple pieces of chicken to be used different ways: in salads for lunch, heated for dinner with some steamed veggies, cut up and baked in a casserole or used for fajitas or wraps for lunches. There are endless possibilities for meal prep!

Don’t forget some nutritious snacks (fruits, nuts and seeds, hummus and veggies, yogurt and granola, cheese etc.).

Grocery List

Now that you’ve planned you meals, next step is to make your grocery list from that! Once you get home from the grocery store, pre cut all your veggies and fruit – that way they are ready for snacking and other meals (e.g. stir fry or wraps). 

Food Safety

If you are unsure about the length of time certain foods stay fresh up to, check out https://www.foodsafety.gov .There are great resources on how to keep your food safe!

Invest in Tupperware

It may seem silly, but having a good collection of Tupperware makes meal prep that much easier! Try to find a brand that has the same size lid for a few different sized containers (Rubbermaid works great for this). Alternatively, there are some great compartment style containers out there allowing you to use one container for different parts of your meal!

Lastly: Don’t overwhelm yourself

Start small and work your way up! Do what works best for you!

If you have any questions or want to know more about meal prep please contact me at hmacdonald212@gmail.com.

Groin Strains: Are You At Risk?

Adductor strains, more commonly known as “groin strains" occur in sports like hockey and soccer, but can also be found in other sports like swimming, rugby and cricket.  

Groin strains can result in loss of playing time in any sport.  It is therefore important to recognize that adductor strains are preventable.  Groin strains can make a full recovery with proper rehabilitation.

Anatomy 101

The adductor muscle group is made up of six muscles; pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis and obturator externus.  These muscles are found on the inside of the thigh and originate in the inguinal region.  The adductor muscle group main action is hip adduction (bringing the leg towards the midline). The adductor longus muscle is thought to be the most commonly injured of the adductor muscle group, this is partly due to its lack of mechanical advantage. 

How do I know if I have a groin strain?

A groin strain can be described as pain on palpation of the muscle tendons, tear, or rupture of the adductor muscle group. A first degree adductor strain is characterized by pain, specifically with resisted hip adduction.  A second degree strain is described by tissue damage that compromises the strength of the muscles, and swelling and bruising may be present.  A third degree strain is a complete disruption of the muscle tendon unit, as well as complete loss in muscle strength.  

Am I at risk for a groin strain?

Although adductor strains are most common in sports, anyone can experience a strain or a tear.  Common factors associated with groin strains that may put someone at risk are hip muscle weakness, previous adductor injury, abdominal core weakness, poor adductor flexibility, pelvic instability, and poor off-season conditioning. 

How do I prevent a groin strain?

Research emphasizes the importance of pre-season conditioning of the adductor muscle group to prevent injury during the season, and to prevent re-injury in the future.  Intervention programs need to be specific to the injury for proper rehabilitation.

At Strada Health and Fitness, our qualified health care professionals will take the time to assess, diagnose, treat and prevent your injury.  Call us today at (902) 444 1990 to book an assessment!      

Heads… or in this case, ankles… will roll.

One of the most common injuries that family, friends and patients ask me about is a sprained ankle. Most of the questions about ankle sprains center around what to do if you have one and what to do to prevent one.

Ankle sprains can occur from a variety of activities. Often, they occur from sports like basketball and soccer, or activities like stepping off a curb or step and missing your footing. You have probably heard of “inversion sprains” and “eversion sprains”. These refer to which way the ankle “rolls”. An inversion sprain occurs when the lateral (outer) ligaments of the ankle are stretched too far. An eversion sprain is when the opposite occurs – the medial (inner) ligaments are stretched too far.

Sprains are graded according to severity. A grade 1 ankle sprain means over-stretching of the ligament(s). There is no laxity (instability) but there is tenderness and mild swelling. A grade 2 ankle sprain creates a partial tear of the ligament(s) with moderate pain, swelling and bruising. There will be mild laxity of the joint. A grade 3 sprain is a complete tear of the ligament(s) with severe swelling and bruising. There will be considerable laxity, which will make walking very difficult.

So now that we know more about what an ankle sprain is, how do we treat them? It’s as simple as RICE. These are general guidelines for an ankle sprain. If you have specific questions or concerns about your case, ask your physician or your physiotherapist/chiropractor.

Rest – limit walking on the ankle. Crutches can be used to help limit weight-bearing through the leg.

Ice – immediately after your injury and for the first 48 hours. This will help decrease swelling. Never put ice directly on the skin – always put a towel or cloth between the ice and you. Leave the ice on for approx. 10-20 minutes and then leave it off the skin for at least 30 minutes or however long it takes for your foot to return to room temperature.

Compression - a wrap or brace can help to decrease swelling of the ankle/foot and will help with any instability.

Elevation – help swelling exit the ankle by placing the ankle higher than your heart.

RICE is great for acute management of an ankle sprain. Once that phase ends, it’s important to regain strength and flexibility of the ankle. Strengthening the ankle will help to prevent future ankle sprains. Balance and proprioceptive training will also help.

Isometric exercises are a great place to start for strengthening your ankle as they involve resistance training without moving the joint/ligaments. This can be done for plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion. Each exercise should be held for 10 seconds and repeated 10 times for each position.

As a progression, resistance bands or tubing can be used to strengthening the ankle through its range of motion. Again, plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion should all be included. Start with 10 reps and 1 set for each position.

Balance training is also vital in ankle rehabilitation and prevention of injury.  Start simple and progress as you improve. A great place to start is with standing on one foot. Stand on the injured side (that’s the side you want to improve) and, with your eyes open, try to balance without needing to put your other foot down. Your goal is to reach 60 seconds of uninterrupted balancing. Once you’ve done that, you can progress to more challenging exercises. Feel free to train both ankles, even if you’ve only ever injured one. The exercises will help to prevent an injury even if you haven’t had one before.

If you’ve recently experienced an ankle sprain and you are still experiencing pain or instability or if you want to discuss rehabilitation strategies and exercises, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to call the clinic (902-444-1990) and book an appointment or shoot me an email (ledwards@stradahealth.com).

In the words of Body Break, keep fit and have fun!

Tennis Elbow - What is it? How do we treat it?

In the wake of Wimbledon, we have decided to dedicate our recent blog post to tennis elbow, aka lateral epicondylosis.  

This blog will examine the anatomy and mechanisms involved in this common condition and provide insight into how we treat it here at Strada Health and Fitness.

Anatomy 101

The elbow is made up of three bones; The humerus (arm bone), radius and ulna (forearm bones).  

Near the elbow, the humerus forms two bumps, known as epicondyles.  The bump on the outside of the arm is known as the lateral epicondyle.

The extensor muscles originate from the lateral epicondyle in a common extensor tendon.

Lateral epicondylosis, or tennis elbow, involves these extensor muscles and the most commonly affected is the extensor carpi radials brevis (ECRB).

Pathology 101

The current consensus is that tennis elbow begins as degenerative microtears, most often within the origin of the extensor carpi radials brevis muscle (ECRB).  These tissues undergo a process called angiofibroblastic hyperplasia, which means that there is an accumulation of disorganized scar tissue and blood vessels with no signs of acute or chronic inflammation. This process can also occur in the extensor digitorum communis or extensor carpi radials longus.

Who is Affected by Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylosis?

It's not just a tennis problem!  There is an annual prevalence of 1-3% in the general population.  Office workers are at risk as it has been suggested to affect up to 15% of workers who perform repetitive tasks such as typing.  Those who play tennis regularly are at the highest risk with an estimated 10-50% of those experiencing symptoms at some point during their career.

Tennis elbow doesn't discriminate!  Men and women are affected equally and although it is most commonly experienced in your 40s and 50s, it can occur at any age.  Either arm can be affected, but 75% of people will experience symptoms in their dominant arm.

Do I Have Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylosis?

Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylosis is characterized by pain at the lateral epicondyle that often radiates into the forearm.  The pain or discomfort comes on gradually over time and a history of repetitive strain or overuse is often identified.  Tenderness can be felt 2 to 5 mm down from the lateral epicondyle.  Resisted wrist and finger extension with an outstretched arm can intensify the pain as well as passive stretching of the extensors by flexing the wrist with the elbow extended.  Painful resisted middle or ring finger extension implicates extensor digitorum communis.  

I Have Tennis Elbow.  Will It Go Away On Its Own?

Tennis elbow/lateral epicondylosis can be a frustrating condition with a natural history of 6 to 24 months.  If left alone, 80% of patients will experience complete relief within 12 months but who wants to wait that long.  The good news is that there is a lot we can do to manage this condition.

The Strada Approach to the Management of Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylosis.

Identify the cause of your symptoms:

Whether it be tennis, typing, or any other repetitive motion, it is important to remove or minimize any stressors that may continue to irritate your symptoms.

Suggest modifications: 

If tennis is the culprit, there are specific techniques, equipment, or playing surfaces that could contribute to your symptoms.  Poor stroke mechanics, improper grip size, greater racket weight, and racket stringing techniques can generate higher surface loads on the forearm muscles.  Harder court surfaces generate greater momentum through the ball and increase the force transmitted through the racket to the elbow.  If you think any of these could contribute to your condition, have your equipment checked and seek the opinion of a tennis professional on ways to minimize these stressors on your body.  If your complaint is work related, having an ergonomic assessment could help identify potentially unnecessary risk factors.

Manual therapy: 

We use a variety of modalities to treat this complicated condition.  In the initial stages we focus on decreasing pain and increasing function.  Acupuncture has been proven effective in decreasing pain in acute and chronic tennis elbow.  Mobilization and manipulation of the neck, elbow, and wrist are used for a further reduction in pain and improvement in function.  As mentioned above, tennis elbow/lateral epicondylosis is characterized by an accumulation of disorganized scar tissue or adhesions.  At Strada, we utilize several soft tissue techniques aimed to break down this scar tissue, including Massage Therapy, Graston Technique, and Active Release Technique (click on technique to learn more).

Strengthen through exercise:  

Active rehabilitation programs help to improve strength in the extensor muscles.  Specifically designed exercises focusing on strength and flexibility of the wrist extensors and flexors help absorb greater force and reduce those transferred to the elbow.

If you are suffering from tennis elbow/lateral epicondylosis, don't wait!

References:

Gliedt, J., Daniels, C. (2014) Chiropractic treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a case report utilizing active release techniques. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 13(2); 104-9.

Howitt, S. (2006). Lateral epicondylosis: a case study of conservative care utilizing ART and rehabilitation. JCCA. 50(3):182-189.

Jobe, F., Ciccotti, M. (1994). Lateral and medial epicondylitis of the elbow. Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2:1-8.

Tang, H., Fan, H., Chen, J., et al. (2015). Acupuncture for lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015:1-13.

Weber, C., Thai, V., Neuheuser, K., et al. (2015). Efficacy of physical therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Disorders. 16:223.

March Break Luggage Tips to Prevent Injury During Your Winter Getaway.

March break is finally here and many of us will be looking to escape the damp and depressing east coast winter for more temperate climates.  In the flurry of packing for a vacation or family trip, it’s easy to get carried away and pack every­thing but the kitchen sink into your suitcase and carry-on. But over-packed luggage and improper lifting and carrying techniques are common causes of injury to the back, neck and shoulders.

The good news is many of these injuries can be easily prevented. The Ontario Chiropractic Association has compiled a list of tips to help take the pain out of your vacation:

Choosing your luggage:

When shopping for new luggage, look for a sturdy, light, high-quality and transportable piece. Avoid purchasing luggage that is too heavy or bulky when empty.

Choosing a bag with wheels and a handle can go a long way to lighten your load.

A good quality backpack with adjustable, padded shoulder straps and a waist strap makes an ideal carry-on because, when worn properly, backpacks can evenly distribute weight.

Packing your luggage:

Over-packing is an easy pitfall, but consider that the larger and heavier the luggage, the more susceptible a traveller is to neck, back and shoulder injuries. Try to only pack what you absolutely need.

When possible, place items in a few smaller bags, instead of one large luggage piece.

Ensure your carry-on luggage does not weigh more than 10 to 15 per cent of your body weight.

Keep the contents of any carry-on luggage to a minimum, pack heavy items at the bottom of the bag and make efficient use of the bag’s pockets.

Lifting and carrying your luggage:

Lifting your luggage can’t always be avoided, even if your luggage has wheels. But practising safe lifting techniques can substantially reduce your risk of injury.

Move slowly and, whenever possible, break the action into smaller parts. For instance, when loading a suitcase in the trunk of a car, try lifting it first onto a chair or step-stool, then lifting it into the trunk. Similarly, when placing luggage in an overhead com­partment, first lift it onto the top of the seat.

When lifting your luggage, first get close to the load and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Bend at the knees and let your leg muscles, rather than your back, do the lifting.

Hold the load close to your body.

Avoid twisting. Instead, turn your feet in the direction you are headed and turn your entire body in that direction.

Do not carry bulky luggage for long peri­ods of time. Make sure to check heavier items when travelling rather than carrying them for the duration of the trip.

Try to carry light pieces in each hand rather than a single heavy item on one side.

If using a backpack, use both shoulder straps and the waist strap, and adjust them to minimize the bag’s movement.

If using a duffel or shoulder bag, switch sides often to reduce strain.

REFERENCES

1. Ontario Chiropractic Association [Internet]. [Place unknown]:  Your Back Health [cited 2016 March 11]. How to Lift Your Luggage. Available from: https://www.chiropractic.on.ca/how-to-lift-your-luggage

A Happier, Healthier You!

Physiotherapy is not just about getting you better after an injury. As a physiotherapist, I work with people to help prevent injuries from occurring. Some people like to call this prehabilitation or prehab. Prehab is all about maintaining health and changing bad habits before they lead to injury. Prehab paired with healthy habits can lead to a better quality of life. Below I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite ways to stay healthy and happy.

1. Get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep plays an important role in physical and mental health (1). It is vital for repairing tissues in the body. Prolonged sleep deficiency can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and high blood pressure.

2. Get moving - exercise.

It should not come as a surprise that a physiotherapist is advocating for exercise. Aerobic exercise plays a big part in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (2). Exercise can help control diabetes and obesity, decrease your blood pressure, increase your metabolism, and help prevent and treat osteoporosis. The list goes on and on. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week (in bouts of at least 10 minutes) to achieve health benefits. If you have a health condition, please check with your physician or physiotherapist before starting a new exercise regime.

3. Wear good quality footwear.

Good shoes or boots are important for comfort and for safety. Quality footwear is important for everyone, but especially for people who spend long periods of time standing/walking. Ensure that your shoes have good soles (grip is key), they are not too big or too small, they provide adequate arch support, and your toes are not squished (3). If you are unsure if your shoes are appropriate, check in with your physiotherapist. Many shoe stores are also equipped to help you choose the right shoe.

4. Fuel your body – eat.

Without going in to too much detail, good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Our bodies need fuel to function and what we fuel our bodies with matters. Unhealthy eating habits can increase your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc (4). Check out Canada’s Food Guide for recommendations or check in with a Registered Dietician.

5. Don’t get burned – protect yourself from the sun.

Sun exposure can cause premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, cataracts and more seriously, skin cancer (5). It is important to protect your skin, which is the body’s largest organ. To protect your skin, cover up, wear sunscreen (SPF 15 minimum), and limit exposure. Even in the winter, UVA and UVB rays can reach us. Do not forget to wear sunscreen on exposed areas.

6. Drink water.

Water helps to control body temperature, lubricates your joints, protects your spinal cord, aids digestion, and carries nutrients throughout the body (6). Adult males require approx.. 3L of water to remain hydrated and women need about 2.2 L. How much water you need to stay hydrated will depend on things like age, sex, activity level and climate.

If you have any questions about this post or are interested in discussing prehabilitation, please feel free to contact me directly at Strada Health and Fitness. You can call 902-444-1990 or email me personally at ledwards@stradahealth.com. I would love to hear from you. If you unfortunately already have an injury, I can help with that, too. Call to book in with one of the Strada Health and Fitness team today.

References

1. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Department of Health and Human Services; 2012 [cited 2016 February 29]. Why is sleep important? Available from: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

2. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology [Internet]. [Place unknown]: [Publisher unknown]; 2011 January [cited 2016 February 29]. Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Available from: http://www.csep.ca/CMFIles/Guidelines/CSEP_PAGuidelines_adults_en.pdf

3. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Government of Canada; 2016 [cited 2016 February 29]. Foot Comfort and Safety at Work. Available from: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/foot_com.html

4. President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Government of the United States of America; 2011 [cited 2016 February 29]. The impact of nutrition on your health. Available from: http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/why-is-it-important/

5. Occupational Safety and Health Administration [Internet]. [Place unknown]: United States Department of Labor; 2003 [cited 2016 February 29]. Protecting yourself in the sun. Available from: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3166/osha3166.html

6. Dieticians of Canada [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Dieticians of Canada; 2014 [cited 2016 February 29]. Guidelines for Drinking Fluids to Stay Hydrated. Available from: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Water/Why-is-water-so-important-for-my-body---Know-when-.aspx/