by Admin | May 17, 2019 | Injury Prevention
Laptops, smartphones, and computers—today’s hands are busier than ever before. But with our growing reliance on finger-thrashing technology, long-time, repetitive movements like typing and texting can wreak havoc on your hands and wrists, leading to a long list of issues, including tingling, numbness, stiffness, and pain. To help improve your overall hand health, here are some exercises from our physio downtown Vancouver for hand injuries. Make a fist With each hand, gently make a fist, wrapping your thumb across your fingers. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds before releasing. When you are done, spread your fingers out as wide as you can. Try to do this exercise five times each day for better range of motion. Create a claw A claw stretch is another hand exercise that can help boost flexibility in your fingers. Place your hand in front of you with the palm facing up. Then bend your fingers into a claw shape. Try opening and closing your hand into this position as quickly as you can in ten-second bursts. Stretch your wrists Wrist stretches are effective at helping to ease pain and discomfort. Begin by extending an arm in front of you with your palm facing down. Bend your wrist down, making sure your fingertips are pointing toward the ground. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds then switch arms and repeat the exercise. Perform these wrist stretches four times. Doing finger push ups Sounds silly, but to do this, try to imagine a spider doing push ups on a mirror. First, put your hands together in a prayer position and spread your fingers apart as...
by Admin | Apr 23, 2017 | Benefits of massage therapy, Injury Prevention
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, no one wants to be sidelined with an injury. Pain and damaged tissue can delay training and conditioning, keeping you from reaching your fitness goals. So if you want to maximize your performance and reduce the risk of injury, here are some key reasons why massage therapy downtown Vancouver services should be an integral part of any athletic plan. Prevent injury with Massage Therapy One of the main reasons why so many athletes seek out massage therapy is to prevent injuries. You’ve worked hard to get where you are—you certainly don’t want to lose all those hard-fought gains or put your active lifestyle on hold. Looking to avoid an injury? A sports massage therapist applies deep tissue work or soft tissue manipulation to help prevent injuries and keep your body in top shape. Recover from injury When it comes to being active, injuries are just part of the package. From strains and sprains to tears and breaks, welcome to the life of an athlete. Fortunately, massage therapy downtown Vancouver can treat both new and old injuries by promoting healing, getting you back in the game faster. Promote flexibility To be at the top of your game, you have to be flexible. But high-intensity training and grueling competitions can stiffen tissues and reduce flexibility. A sports massage therapist can help improve your range of motion by stretching muscles fibres and connective tissues, helping you maintain optimal flexibility. Reduce chronic pain Nothing can put a damper on your athletic performance faster than pain. Regular sports massage therapy will not only help relieve...
by Admin | Mar 15, 2015 | Downtown Vancouver physiotherapist, Education, Injury Prevention, Treatment
ArmAid A year and a half ago friends introduced me to indoor sport climbing at Cliffhanger and bouldering at the Hive. Since then, I’ve climbed outdoors in Squamish, Skaha, and Croatia. Rock climbing 2-3 times per week, combined with the time I spend doing manual therapy in the clinic, means my forearms need some treatment of their own. A fellow climber at Cliffhanger was using a device I had never seen before, rolling his forearm back and forth and grimacing. It looked similar to trigger point release with a foam roller but was simultaneously applying targeted pressure to the forearm flexors and extensors. He told me it has helped him recover faster from his training sessions and after reading additional reviews, I purchased the Armaid Package. I agree with previous posters that you can get away with buying the ArmAid only at $79 U.S. plus shipping, but the “package” includes a leg strap, an additional roller, and an instructional DVD. It should be noted that there are excellent instructional videos on the ArmAid site, including how to use it without the leg strap. Also be sure to ask for an extra “tab”, which international orders should include. Self massage using the ArmAid for a few minutes per day, with sustained pressure for up to 30 sec on individual tender points, can help to reduce the amount of tension on the common flexor and extensor tendons at the elbow. This can help not only with local pain in the muscle belly but with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis, pain at the outer aspect of the elbow)...
