Winter 2012 issue | Action-Reaction - For All | Newsletters | Health Tips

Issue 10 | Winter 2012 | Version française

Following several treatments Shannon suggested that I should perhaps visit my doctor. I was subsequently diagnosed with polymyalgia. She felt that until my condition improved, I should discontinue physiotherapy. I had a call from Shannon last week, enquiring about my condition. I cannot speak highly enough of Shannon - her treatment and her caring attitude. It was a pleasure to deal with everyone at Action Sport.

Patient: Anne M.
Therapist: Shannon Downs
Clinic: Downtown Montreal

Skiing

Step by Step is a series on stretches and warm-ups to do before playing your favorite sports.

Our third "step by step" illustrated card features skiing. These tips also apply to other winter boardsports.

Click on the image to learn these steps.

15 Tips for a Healthy New Year

It's the New Year, and it's also time for a flurry of resolutions. You're probably thinking about how you can become healthier, be more pain-free, and move better than you do right now.

Great thought! To help you along, here are 15 tips to get you healthy this year:

1. A gradual, personalized exercise program that takes into account your anatomy and physiology is important. Your physical therapist can conduct an evaluation and assist with this.

2. Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself. Log your exercises (either at home or at the gym) in a journal and inform your physical therapist about your progress.

3. Self-confidence is critical. Believe in yourself and your ability to become stronger, healthier and more functional. If you think you can, then you CAN!

4. Visualize yourself as being stronger, with increase energy, as if you already achieved your goals. Positive expectations of health, vitality and energy are helpful to improve your health and well being.

5. Drink plenty of water. Hydration is important for your blood, kidney, and joints.

Read more

Jet Lag

Jet lag is a condition affecting people who travel to destinations located several time zones away from their point of departure. Typically, one would need to cross at least three time zones to feel the effects of jet lag, which results in a disturbance of the circadian rhythms. The person becomes “disoriented”.

The various signs and symptoms associated with jet lag are insomnia, tiredness, discomfort, irritability, having a hard time to focus and, especially, a decrease in motor performance. Usually, traveling west is easier on one’s system than traveling east.

What can be done to minimize these little problems? We suggest that you plan your trip taking the following considerations into account:

- Ideally, allow one day of rest per hour of time difference travelled.

- Try to pick a flight that will land around your bed time.

- If your arrival is early in the morning, try to sleep a few hours and then go out!

Smoking is bad for your bones

According to the most recent statistics from the Canadian Lung Association, over 45,000 people die each year as a result of smoking-related diseases.

Smoking is known to cause:

• Heart disease
• Lung cancer
• Oesophageal cancer
• Chronic lung disease

But there is one more thing: smoking is also bad for your bones!

Bones, like other tissues and organs of your body, get their nutrition from good blood flow. Normally, when a bone is injured (i.e. fractured), blood flow brings in the desperately needed nutrients to help heal the bone.