Gardening Tips to Stay Healthy

Spring time in Alberta is a great times to get out and plant flowers, vegetables and fruits in your yard and garden. It is a great experience to get out of the house and enjoy new life, the sunshine and God’s creation. It improves your mood as well as giving you exercise while enjoying the birds chirping and kids playing outside with each other.

Before bending down and kneeling to remove debris and till the soil, here are a few tips to help keep your day enjoyable:

Stretch – Some simple stretching of your legs, back, arms, shoulders and wrists will help to avoid injury or severe muscle stiffness later. Some muscle soreness is normal as you probably have not used all the same muscle groups for other activities during the winter. This will generally subside in a couple of days as your body gets used to this new activity.

Take your time – Going too fast too soon increases the risk of injury so enjoy your time outdoors and pace yourself. Take a few days if you have a large garden or yard. Alternate your tasks between kneeling, standing, digging and planting.

 Use the Right Equipment – Use a wheelbarrow to transport smaller loads of dirt or planters. Use a kneeling pad to protect your knees. Use ergonomic tools while working the soil.

Visit your Chiropractor and Massage Therapist – Regular chiropractic adjustments and muscle therapy will help to keep your spine aligned and reduce back and joint pain while maintaining flexibility. Enjoy the fruits of your gardening! There is nothing like healthy fresh fruits and vegetables straight from your own garden.

Happy Gardening!!

Call us at Family First Chiropractic & Wellness at 403-347-3261 to book your appointment.

www.family1stchiro.ca

Need an Immune booster?

Massage therapy treatments can improve circulation and recovery time within your immune system. The movements that are performed during a massage can cause the blood to move in and out of joints and muscles. This flushing process can enhance circulation in areas and can sometimes aid in the speed of recovery from injuries.

Relax and calm tense and tightened muscles. Massage therapists can often work to treat lower back and neck pain that many of us often experience as a result of stress. A tense muscle can affect the balance of the entire body and can have a significant impact on things like posture. Favouring and protecting painful areas can cause us to compensate with other muscles, potentially causing injury and strain in additional parts of the body. Our therapists are all registered massage therapists located at 142 Erickson Drive, Red deer, Alberta T4R 2X3 www.family1stchiro.ca 403.347.3261

Got foot pain?

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms?

·         Symptoms include heel pain, under the heel and usually on the inside, at the origin of the attachment of the fascia.

·         Pain when pressing on the inside of the heel and sometimes along the arch

·         Pain is usually worse first thing in the morning as the fascia tightens up overnight. After a few minutes it eases as the foot gets warmed up
·         As the condition becomes more severe the pain can get worse throughout the day if activity continues.

·         Stretching the plantar fascia may be painful.

The classic sign of plantar fasciitis is that the worst pain occurs with the first few steps in the morning, but not every patient will have this symptom. Patients often notice pain at the beginning of activity that lessens or resolves as they warm up. The pain may also occur with prolonged standing and is sometimes accompanied by stiffness. In more severe cases, the pain will also worsen toward the end of the day.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment.
Chiropractic care can really help with the pain associated with plantar fascitis. The feet have 25 bones which a gentle adjustment can help to reailgn the foot bones resulting in less sysmptoms. The chiropractor will asses your foot range of motion, mobility and adjust accordingly. We can walk you across a state of the art foot pad and scanner which asses the gait and weight bearing pressure and center of gravity which may cause the plantar fascitis. Custom orthotics can then be made which will reduce the stressors and correct the foot biomechanics.

Highly targeted, therapeutic massage can help by relaxing and lengthening the muscles of the calves, the calcaneal tendon, as well as directly working on the plantar fascia and muscles of the underside of the foot. This work can be very deep, but highly beneficial because through it, we can help to re-educate your legs and feet to retain their relaxed states. Many clients see dramatic improvement in three to four weekly one-hour sessions, as the feet and legs receive detailed attention. Pain can be reduced and eliminated with a combination of self-care and massage.

Call to book your complimentary gaitscan and assesment today at 403.347.3261 www.family1stchiro.ca
located at 142 Erickson Drive, T4R 2C3.