Sunburn

      A sunburn is pretty self explanatory. Our skin turns red, gets irritated and eventually burns with over exposure to the sun. Sun damage is caused by Ultraviolet rays and there are two types that affect our body. UVB ( short ultraviolet ) that burn the top layer of the skin. These rays vary by season, location and time of day. 10am - 4pm being the peak hours. The second type ( long ultraviolet ) are called UVA. These penetrate deeper into the skin causing premature aging and suppression of our immune system heightening the risk of cancer.

There are three major factors when determining how quickly a sunburn can begin:
-skin type
-the suns intensity
-how long your exposed to the sun

You will see the first signs of sunburn usually pretty quickly. Your skin will get hot, turn red and feel tender to touch. Once these first signs begin it could take up to 24 hours or longer to see the full effect on your skin.

-Blistering
-Rash
-Chills
-Nausea
-Fever
-Skin Peeling
These symptoms are more sever and can be permanent depending on how much damage has been done.
 

So how do we prevent sunburn and still enjoy the nice weather? 

Protection is key and for most people sunscreen is the go to. A sunscreen that provides SPF ( sun protection factor ) 15 is recommended for daily use. It filteres out approximately 93% of the suns rays and even when your inside UVA penetrates windows and can cause skin damage. A SPF of 30 - 60 is recommended when your spending more time outside in the direct sunlight. The higher SPF blocks 95 - 98% of all incoming UV rays and even though it may seem like a minor increase it can make the world of difference. For those who have a sensitivity to light and a history of skin cancer especially. Infants under the age of six months should not use sunscreen, their skin is highly sensitive no only to the sun but to the chemicals in sunscreen as well.

So which one do you pick? 

There are a few ingredients you should look for when choosing sunscreen. Octylmethoxycinnamate and cinoxate for UVB protection. Oxybenzone and sulisobenzone for UVA. Zinc oxide for UVA spectrum. Also look for the cancer foundations seal of recommendation. 

So is sunscreen enough? 

Sunscreen alone will not completely protect you from the suns harmful rays. Here are a few more helpful hints:

- always have breaks in a shaded area

- use a broad spectrum sunscreen UVA/UVB

- wear a wide brimmed hat and uv sunglasses

- apply one ounce of sunscreen minimum to get the full SPF 

- examine your skin after being in the sun

 

Enjoy the summer

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT 

 

Water/H2O

 

Its no big secret that water makes up over half our body weight. From our organs to our tissues to the littlest of cells, they all need water to keep our body healthy and working properly.

 

We have all heard 8 glasses a day.

 

It all comes down to the individual. Now that the weather is getting hotter, your doing more exercise, if your pregnant, trying to loose weight or have a fever, these are all determining factors when it comes to how much you should drink. So consider the 8 glasses a day your guideline.

 

Dehydration

 

This is when your body is not getting the water it needs.

 

Here are some symptoms of dehydration:

Dry mouth

little or no urn

confusion

headaches

fatigue

dizzy or lightheaded

constipation

 

These are all good indication your are not giving your body the water it needs. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms increase your water intake. If that does not alleviate the problem after a few hours speak to your local physician.

 

How to stay hydrated

 

Drink water before, during and after physical activity is key. Drink on a schedule if you find it hard to remember i.e. when you wake up, at every meal, or before you go to bed.

The sense of thirst is often confused with hunger so instead of reaching for an extra burger from the BBQ try a glass of water. This simple step can also help you loose weight healthily. Having a water bottle available at all times is also a big plus. Consider using a reusable bottle to also cut down waste.

 

Don't like plain water? Try adding a slice of lemon, fresh fruit or mint to add a bit of flavor. Enjoy!

 

 

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan, RMT

 

 

 

 

 

Contrast Shower

With summer on the horizon I see a lot of new faces in the gym. Everyone seems to be ramping things up for the beach. Working out diffrent muscle groups to flatten that tummy or bulk up those bicepts are great. Remember to warm up before your workout and stretch each muscle you worked out after. ( see stretching for the hill for stretching length and times.)

How else can you help your muscles re cooperate?

A great technique is called a contrast shower. This quick and easy step helps muscles heal faster, reduce inflamation and get rid of toxins in the body. You have seen athletes jump into an ice bath right. Seems a bit extreme so why do they do it?

What to do: it's simple

Directly after your work out take a shower as you normally would do except instead of turnin up the heat start with a cooler temperature. The cold will help those muscles you worked by reducing the inflamation right away. 

Next turn up the heat. This will bring the blood back to the surface and back into the muscles you worked.

Warmed up? Now back to the cold. This will get those white blood cells ( repair cells ) back into the muscle fibers you just built up.

Hot

Cold

Hot

End with cold.

Seems like a simple way to speed up the healing time, right? It is. It will also take away some of that unwanted pain from a really big workout.

Enjoy

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT 

Frozen Shoulder

Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is pain or limited range of motion of your shoulder . This pain gradually worsens over time an then resolves itself. The resolve can take up to two years an the pain and loss of range of motion can be debilitating. 

So what can we do to help?

Stretching out the muscles surrounding the shoulder is key. The connective tissue benieth the scapula adheres to the bone and muscle underneath causing lack of mobility. Same for the GH joint ( shoulder .) Raising the arm out to the front, back and side helps increase the range of motion as well as breaking up that adhered tissue. Forward an backwards shoulder rotations move the shoulder joint helping alleviate some of the stiffness as well. 

Here are some examples of stretches 

So what causes frozen shoulder?

A fall directly on the shoulder or a medical procedure involving the arm are the most common. Having the arm immobile for long periods of time let's the connective tissue harden ( fibrosing ) causing tissues to stick together.

Massage helps to stretch out that fibrosed tissue. Pulling the connective tissue away from other structures and increases the range of mobility quicker then letting frozen shoulder run it's course. 

Frozen shoulder is common and can be treated. Thankfully for you we can help.

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan, RMT 

Whip Lash

Unfortunately during the winter season crashes happen. You could be on the hill or in your car, regardless where you are take all precautions to stay safe. That being said accidents can occur at any time. 

Let's talk whip lash.

What is it?

Whip lash is when your head suddenly moves in a forward or backwards direction followed by a snapping ( or whipping ) back in the opposite direction pushing your neck muscles beyond their normal range of motion. 

In short your muscles all aroun your neck are strained ( see sprains and strains ) causin pain across the front and back of our neck.

The first thing to do when you have whip lash is follow these four steps :

Rest - relax

Ice - see cold hydrotherapy blog

Compression - light massage

Elevation - keep your head up

Symptoms of whip lash :

Dizziness

Neck pain and stiffness 

Headaches

Fatigue

Jaw pain

Arm pain and weakness

Ringing in the ear

Back pain

Many whip lash victims won't feel any symptoms till 24 to 48 hours after the initial incident. Once symptoms do occur they should only take a few days to subside. Seeing your local physician is always recommended regardless of the severity. 

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT 

RMT vs Physio vs Chiro

I see many clients here at Kalola boutique and Spa. Some come in for relaxation and other for therapy to help those lingering aches and pains. Many of my clients have a physiotherapist or chiropractor in there home town. Often I am asked what the difference between the three professions are an how they differ benificially. 

Here are all three defined. 

Phisiotherapy : are primary health care professionals with a significant role in health promotion and treatment of injury and disease. They combine their in depth knowledge of the body and how it works with specialized hands on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. 

Laymens terms : tissue rebuilding 

Chiropractics : specialists in manual adjustments of the vertebrae of the spine and other joints of he body. Adjustments help relieve pain and restore normal functioning to the joint and supporting muscles and ligaments.

Laments terms : joint manipulation 

Massage Therapy : consists primarily of hands on manipulation of the soft tissue of the body, specifically, the muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints for the purpose of optimize health. 

Massage therapy treatment has a therapeutic effect on the body and optimizes health am well being by acing on the muscular, nervous, and circulatory system ; physical dysfunctions and pain and the effects of stress can be relieved or prevented.

Lents terms : tissue manipulation

So there you have it. All work to benifit your health. All are effective treatments to maintain, prevent, and relieve symptoms related to your body. Find the one that works for you the best or combine them all for your optimum health. 

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan, RMT

Strain or Sprain

Let's face it, injuries happen at the hill. Your body gets fatigued and some times dosnt respond as quick as it needs to. You push yourself harder or you finally get a chance to try that trick you have been waiting all summer to do. You trip and fall, catch an edge or slid on a patch of ice. Pain shoots up you leg. You know somethings wrong as you hobble to the lodge. Ski patrol says you sprained your ankle or the EMS on site tells you you have a strain in your right legs. 

So what's the difference?

A sprain is an injury to the ligament that connects bone to bone. It helps provide stability to your joints keeping them intact and moving correctly. When you sprain your ankle for example you tear the ligament causing the joint to move beyond it's normal range of motion. This cause pain, instability and if sever enough the inability to move the limb at all. 

So what's a strain?

A strain is the stretching or tearing of a tendon that connects muscle to bone. This happens when the muscle is stretched then contracted quickly beyond it's capability. 

In an acute strain you often feel pain, have muscle spasms, limited range of motion, and lose strength in that muscle. 

A chronic strain happen over time. They build up from constant over use and repetitive stress. When this happens the tendon gets inflamed and can cause tendinitis, an injury that is painful and not easily treated. 

So if you fall and feel something not quite right get it checked by a local physician right away. Leaving a strain or sprain untreated can cause further injuries with long term effects. If treated right away most strains and sprains will heal without much complications and have you back on the hill before you know it.

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan, RMT