Author: Megan

I used to run on the treadmill so much in University and quite honestly a 30 minute run would just be boring, so I was always trying to change it up with intervals etc.

The trend nowadays is definitely towards more weight lifting, which I think is great! However I think for overall health (cardiovascular in particular) cardio still has its place (in my mind anyways).

I think its all about balance. If you only do one thing, you will likely get very good AT that one thing. I like to mix it up and continue to challenge myself in different ways. It’s good for our bodies (and our fascia) to experience different types of movements throughout the week.

I went to the gym the other day to get a good sweat (pre-Lagree, always a big mistake trying to workout before Lagree) and came up with this challenging but great treadmill circuit that made 24 minutes of running fly by. I’m going to try and get better at this run for the last bit of 2020 and see how I feel! And who knows maybe I’ll up my speed to 7.0 at some point

If you try it out let me know how it goes!

DISCLAIMER :

If you have not run in a while I would not recommend this.

Be sure you are medically cleared from your doctor to run.

If you experience any pain during your run STOP!

FAQ Friday # 4:

I get this question a lot, and with good reason!

In a nutshell, as Athletic Therapists we treat musculoskeletal injuries: that includes muscles, bones, ligaments and joints. We also specialize in return to sport, play, work, whatever that looks like for you.

Athletic Therapists also have training in concussion assessment and management as well as joint taping such as ankles, knees, etc. We get a lot of training in field work where we have our first responder certification and we work alongside a team whether its hockey, football, wrestling, gymnastics etc.  In my particular case I used to work with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, so I try and emulate that sport medicine approach used on the players to the general public whom I treat in the clinical setting.

On the other hand, Physiotherapists have a more broad scope of practice which includes musculoskeletal, geriatrics, amputations, cardio, respiratory etc. There are sport-physiotherapists who work alongside teams, however if you are directly comparing the two that is the short answer!

FAQ Friday # 3:

How much are the sessions?

Sessions are $120 for initial assessment, $100 for 1 hour treatment or FST and $70 for 30 minute AT or FST.

Is it covered on benefits?

Check your individual plan! Commonly Athletic Therapy is grouped in with another discipline such as Physiotherapy. Many plans do cover Athletic Therapy though!

How often do I need to come in?

That depends on your particular case! Often times I see you more frequent initially (depending on severity of injury, when the injury occurred or how long you have been dealing with it). Most people start 1-2 times per week. Then we move into every 10 days or  biweekly appointments or even monthly check ins until you are pain-free. Of course you can come in anytime you have a concern, but the goal is not to see you forever! I want to help you get rid of your pain, rehab your injury and get you back to doing what you love!

FAQ FRIDAY #2:

Will FST Help my Golf Game?

Yes! If you are getting a lesson and your body simply won’t go into the position that the coach wants it to go, FST can help!

You can either get a full body FST session, or a lower body FST session, depending where your issues are.

FST PAIRED with home stretches and exercises is the key to success!

What would be great is a FST session before your lesson! This will help warm you up and get the body moving before going to hit balls.

Every Friday I will publish a commonly asked question and my answer!

FAQ Friday #1:

1) HOW OFTEN DO PEOPLE GET FST DONE?

I find the most benefit in coming in 3 weeks in a row, which gives us a bit of a ‘kick start’ into FST. I see a lot of improvement in Range of motion at that 3^rd appointment, then we can tailor off: biweekly, monthly. If people have a big race or event coming up, or even a big golf weekend ahead, they will come in prior to. If you have a race lets say, I would come in LATEST 2 days before the event. That way if you have any soreness the following day, it will be gone by race day.

2) WILL I BE SORE AFTER FST?

Some people get sore and some people don’t. Some of these positions in FST you may have never been in them before, so there may be some soreness into the evening or even the next day after the session. But a lot of the time people don’t get sore!

If you have any questions you want answered, comment them below or feel free to message me directly!

What is it?

This is the way your shoulder blades (scapulo) move relative to your thoracic spine (thoracic) relative to your humerus (arm).

I check this in every shoulder/upper body assessment on my patients. I also am looking for thoracic spine extension in this position as well.

Ever wonder what your shoulder blades look like when they move? Set up your camera and try it out. There should be equal movement of both shoulder blades as you bring your arms up/out to the side and back down. Mine could use some work but awareness is key!

Strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades that assist in scapular movement is essential. Muscles such as the serratus anterior, rhomboids as well as the upper, middle and lower fiber traps. Strengthening these muscles go hand in hand in shoulder health, and if these muscles are strong and doing their job, you are well on your way to shoulder injury prevention!

If you have been experiencing shoulder pain and think you have “done it all” check in with your shoulder blades!

Also you can sign up for my Shoulder x Wrist class and get rid of your shoulder pain for good! Register here

I started reading a book called Free Your Fascia by Dr. Daniel Fenster who is a Chiro in NYC, super interesting read (obviously I have a big interest in fascia) and I learned a few interesting tips!

It’s funny because reading this one of my thoughts is WOW we sure have to do a lot to keep our fascia (and the rest of our bodies) healthy. As he quotes someone saying “sitting is the new smoking”, I picked up on a few good vs bad things to do from this book and the list is overwhelming:

-Don’t sit too much

-Don’t cross your legs or if you do make sure to alternate legs every few minutes

-Drink water

-Don’t drink too much water

-Foam roll

-Stretch

-Sit up tall

-Don’t text too much

-Sit with your feet flat on the floor

-Get a standing desk

And the list goes on. Yes this is all very helpful information, but I think implementing absolutely everything is just unrealistic.

That’s why I tell my clients pick one thing per day, whether that be a stretch, a strengthening exercise, etc. Its not realistic to be perfect. But the road to improvement is great and this book definitely offers a lot of tips for you to do so!

Everytime I read a book I often write down the books that the author references. I have always had an interest in hydration so my next book will be Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight & Heal your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.

Has your back ever been in spasm from one wrong move?

What did you do about it?

I often have clients book in: “ I threw out my back on Tuesday but I booked in a few days later and now the pain is gone”. And the question I always get is: What can I do in the moment when that happens?

Yesterday my back went into spasm when I bent over to open the oven. This NEVER happens to me, but it made me think of all my clients that this has happened to over the years and what advice I would give them (that I now need to implement on myself). Now that I am writing this out I realize probably putting together ikea furniture the day prior probably triggered this.

There are many different causes of back pain, but if you find that your back is in spasm (muscles feel really tight), putting a heat pack on will be your best bet for instant relief. I would also pair this with drinking lots of water and doing some light stretching such as a hamstring stretch, hip flexor stretch and/or a glute stretch.

You don’t want to recreate the sharp pain, so for instance if it hurts when you bend forward, avoid bending forward! Get yourself into a comfortable position, which may include laying with some pillows under your knees and a heat pack on your back. I wouldn’t leave the heat on for longer then 20 minutes, but you can do this intermittently throughout the day.

I would still recommend booking a treatment even if you can’t get in for a few days. Sometimes there is some residual muscle spasm that hangs around that can be worked through, even though your pain may be gone. I will also cue you with some activation exercises such as the core and glutes to help support the back and prevent this from happening again!

As for me, that is what I did! Heat pack, gentle stretching and some water! Your BACK will thank you, and today I am feeling completely pain-free.

I am SO excited to read this book by Dr. William Li. I actually saw Tom Brady post an article from this author and thought Hmmmmm…lets see what this is all about.

Dr. William Li is a MD (Internist) and lists about 200 foods throughout his book you should implement more regularly. Some of the chapters include: Microbiome, DNA protection, Immunity and many others!

This is a HUGE book, so it will take me a while to get through, but so far I am excited to introduce new foods/drinks into my regularly weekly meals. 

A healthy lifestyle, diet, hydration etc affects injury healing! Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables of all different colours is important to how our body functions and in turn how our body heals. What do you think you could add (or take away) that could help improve your overall health? This book may offer you some ideas! 

Have you implemented anything new into your diet/lifestyle and noticed any health benefits? 

For me? Sauerkraut. Fermented foods are so beneficial for our bodies. But I anticipate introducing new foods in my future!

Its already November! I can’t believe how fast time is flying.

Check your insurance plans! When do your benefits renew? If its in December, see if you are truly utilizing what your plan offers. Sometimes Athletic Therapy is grouped in with another discipline such as Physiotherapy.

Book in and get the most out of your benefits before its too late!