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

Stretching for the Hill

So now that the snow has arrived, your dusting off the skis or board and getting ready for the slopes. You got your tune up or your excited to try out that new equipment. Are you forgetting something? Mitts, hat, layers ... Stretch!

Regardless if you have been riding for years or are trying it out for the first time you nee to warm up those muscles. 

Remember all stretches should be pain free am held no less than 15 - 30 seconds and repeated for each side two to three times.

Start with some trunk rotations:

Put our hands on your hips and rotate side to side slowly about ten times.

Side stretches:

In a relaxed stance raise one arm over you head while the other is on your hip.  Bend sideways towards the  floor bringing the raised arm over your head.

Hamstring ( back of your leg ):

Raise your leg up on your car bumper or simply bring one foot infringement of the other and lean towards the raised or front foot. 

Quadriceps ( front of your leg ):

Balance yourself standing upright and bring the heel of your foot to your backside by bending your knee.

Calf muscles ( lower leg ):

Place the ball your toes on a wall or something upright with your heel on the ground. Push your hips forward slowly.

Arms :

Start with cross body stretch where one arm crosses the chest while the other holds the elbow. 

Lower arm :

Pull your fingers gently back while your palms are facing down and then push them down towards the floor.

End with small circles forward with your palms down letting the circles get bigger then turn your palms up and reverse.

After your all stretched you will be ready for the hill.

And if your not hitting the slopes but are on the hill here at blue, visit us at Kalola Boutique and Spa for a relaxing hot stone massage, a Swedish massage or any other signature massages performed by our registered massage therapists.

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT

Pectoral Stretching

You have constant back pain. You drive a lot. Sit at a desk in front of a computer. Slouch, can't relax, can't sleep, always massaging your neck and upper traps. Sound familiar?

Just like my blog about setting your shoulders, pectoral stretches is another key to relieving that constant back pain. By stretching our pectoral muscles the elongated muscles at the back of our neck, shoulders, and back get a chance to relax. Because of the tight muscles in the front of our body the ones in the back get pulled constantly. They become sore because they are always stretched. Like an elastic band when its pulled it gets tight. Same goes for those muscles in the back. The front muscles pull, the back muscles stretch creating a tightness through our shoulders and neck. So how can we alleviate some of that constant pain without anti-inflammatory or muscle relaxants?

Pectoral Stretches

The best way to do pectoral stretches I found was in a door way. Stretching one arm at a time helps you focus from left and right. One side might be tighter or compensating for the other so doing one side at a time helps pin point specific muscles. In the picture it depicts doing both arms at the same time. This also works and with busy schedules is better than not doing it at all.

Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Make sure you stretch both sides regardless where the pain is. In the picture you can see one leg forward. This helps with balance and also prevents over stretching and tearing the pectorals. Every stretch should be pain free. If it starts to hurt or you feel dizzy, lightheaded or out of breath stop immediately. Stretching is to relax the muscles not work them out. Do these stretches three times, twice a day. In no time that back pain you keep on massaging will dissipate leaving you pain free and more mobile.

Good luck

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan, RMT

COLD HYDROTHERAPY

    I get asked quite often by my clients at Kalola Boutique and Spa, " Should I use hot or Cold?" This question often arises after someone falls off their bike coming down the mountain, strains a muscle on the golf coarse or simply waking up with a stiff neck.

The answer is usually time related.

   I recommend cold for acute injuries. Just after they happen. Cold therapy such as ice packs, cold gel packs, cold cloths and/or water constrict the blood vessels (make them smaller.) This slows down blood flow to the area reducing the pain and inflammation. Cold therapy is often used for bumps and bruising as well as immediate strains and sprains.

* Caution: When using cold therapy you must follow four simple steps called C.B.A.N. and never put cold therapy directly on your skin. Use a wet towel as a barrier between the cold and your skin to prevent further damage to the area.

C.B.A.N. is an acronym for Cold, Burning, Aching, Numb. You will feel these four sensations when applying cold therapy. Once your skin reaches the numb stage remove the cold application and do not reapply until the tissue returns to normal temperature.

Setting your Shoulders

    One of the most common problem I see today at Kalola Boutique and Spa is upper back and neck pain. My clients are constantly asking how they can alleviate the stress that builds up causing them pain and discomfort. A simple solution: SETTING YOUR SHOULDERS"

     The most common cause of pain behind the neck and into the shoulders is work related. Sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time makes our body begins to "sag" forward, our head tilts downwards and the shoulders start to rotate inward shortening the pectorals or chest muscles. When this happens the muscles in the back stretch out to compensate for the pulling in the front. Just like a rubber band when a muscle gets stretched it tightens up causing tension. Since the majority of us don't have the luxury of simply switching jobs paying attention to our posture will help immensely.

Setting your shoulders:

In a relaxed position raise your shoulders towards your ears
Next bring them straight back moving only your shoulders
Again moving only your shoulders bring them straight down to the final position

Now your set. Literally.

A quick little hint: Put a sticky note on your computer, rear view mirror or both simply stating "SET YOUR SHOULDERS". This will be your constant reminder for relieving that ongoing back pain.

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT

Bath Salts

With the changing seasons our body adapts to its surroundings. The biggest organ of our body is our skin and its no exception. A great way to hydrate, cleanse toxins from the body and boost immunity is to use bath salts when soaking in the tub. Bath salts can help release muscle tension and improve minor skin irritations. From insect bites and calluses to more serious conditions such as psoriasis, athletes foot, and eczema can also benefit from weekly soaking.

When picking the right bath salt make sure it is crystalline and not lumpy. For the best results it should contains all natural ingredients and nutrients. You can also infuse the bath salts with essential oils like lavender and vanilla for a more relaxing soak.

How it works: Water naturally follows salt binding it together. When the bath salts are absorbed into our skin water comes with it, hydrating our body. Bath salts are made up of magnesium sulfates. Magnesium and sulfate both play a huge part in how our body functions. Taking a bath salt bath twice a week can help you regain homeostasis by reducing stress, relaxing tired muscles, softening skin and maybe even reduce the look of wrinkles.

Enjoy

Shin Splints

     Living on Blue Mountain I do a lot of hiking up and running down hills. One of the biggest problems from doing this is shin splints. The change in surfaces (grass, dirt, rock, asphalt) play a big part in how your foot impacts the ground. Your foot will collapse and arch differently causing irritation in the muscles that support  your feet and lower leg.

     The first step in relieving the pain is rest. You need to let your muscles heal. Inflamed muscles are usually the cause of the pain, massaging your lower leg with ice will help decrease the pressure and alleviate discomfort. Follow four steps called *C.B.A.N. whenever using ice therapy to avoid further injury.

Prevention:

The best way to avoid shin splints is stretching. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, calve muscles and anterior compartment all play a part in how you run or walk. Hold each stretch for at least 15-30 seconds and make sure to repeat for both legs.

A good pair of shoes will help you feel comfortable and support the arch of your feet, orthopedic insoles can be transferred from shoe to shoe and can help immensely.

A new and effective prevention method is Kinesio Taping. Kinesio taping stabilizes the joints and supports muscles without affecting circulation or mobility.

This is a diagram of a leg being Kinesio Taped supporting the lateral and medial lower leg.



Shin splints may also be cause by hair line fractures. If pain persists longer than a week after using the above treatment see you doctor or family physician.

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,RMT


*C.B.A.N. The four steps you should feel when applying ice therapy are Cold, Burning, Aching, Numb.
                 Once the muscles feel numb remove the ice and do not reapply until all tissue returns to
                  normal temperature.

Tension Headache Relief

Tension Headaches are the most common type of headache, described as pain and discomfort in the neck, scalp and across the head area. Many people get headaches for many different reasons. Stress, temperature change, life style change, work conditions, anxiety, and fatigue are just some of the reasons they occur. A great way to reduce the pressure is hydrotherapy. Take a hand towel and roll it length wise. Get it wet and ring it out so its no longer dripping. Fold it in half and place it in your freezer. When one of those unexpected headaches occur you will be ready. Simply take the towel out of the freezer and place it around your neck. Place your feet in some warm water. A basin works best but your tub works well also. The warm water will draw the pressure out of your head and the cold cloth will prevent it from returning. That unwanted headache will disappear in no time. Re-wet the towel or get a new one and replace it in the freezer for the next time. Good luck

Nathaniel Porter-Gowan,Rmt

Visit us at  http://www.kalola.ca/ to book your next spa service today.