Orthopaedic Therapy Clinic Inc.




Don’t underestimate the importance (and value) of movement during the day to help control your waistline. December 12, 2011. For Men’s Health let November be MovemberNovember 15, 2011. Even 15 Minutes of Exercise Can be Beneficial, September 22, 2011. Children and Weightlifting, September 21, 2011. Scoliosis, Recommended reading for adolescents, September 6, 2011. Boxing ban for kids, August 31, 2011. Walk before you run, August 16, 2011.

Don’t underestimate the importance (and value) of movement during the day to help control your waistline. By Gareth Sneath, Registered Physiotherapist, gsneath@orthophysio.com Source: Centre for Science in the Public Interest Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 2008 Diabetes Specialist Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota Bonnie Liebman, Interviewer I read an article recently, entitled ‘Chair Today, Gone Tomorrow’ which appeared in the Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 2008 (Centre for Science in the Public Interest). It is an interview of Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist, (Diabetes Specialist Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota) which highlights the fact that we sit too much meaning the food we eat is not ‘burned’ and therefore our waistlines get bigger. Being overweight is not good for blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or our aching knees. The main message from the interview is the need to take the opportunity to move around more in our daily lives by making a conscious effort to walk more, sit less and climb stairs or anything that involves physical activity. Dr. Levine practises what he preaches, apparently there are no chairs in his office but there is a treadmill which he uses while working. Its the ‘notion of motion’ or increasing our physical activity which needs to be routinely incorporated into our daily lives if we want to control our waistlines and promote better health irrespective of whether we choose to go to the gym for a traditional workout. The message here is ‘Don’t underestimate the importance (and value) of movement during the day to help control your waistline. (A copy of this article is available at the Orthopaedic Therapy Clinic. Pick one up on your next visit.)

For Men’s Health let November be Movember By Mark Duggan, Registered Physiotherapist, mduggan@orthophysio.com November is the month that men are encouraged to become more engaged in their own health. To help promote awareness for men’s health issues, men are encouraged to grow a moustache throughout the month of November. This awareness campaign is called Movember. All of the men at The Orthopaedic Therapy Clinic Inc. are growing moustaches to support the campaign. Follow our growth at www.orthophysio.com Men are not normally open to discussing health issues with friends and family or even at preventative measures such as having a yearly physical with their family doctor. This month long campaign tries to educate that men’s health issues such as testicular and prostate cancer are quite treatable when detected early. By being aware of specific male health issues like prostate cancer, your own family health history and by having a yearly physical, men can help to improve their health and quality of life. So, encourage your male friends and family to take action this November. Educate yourself! Have a physical! Grow a moustache! For more information on Movember and men’s health issues go to www.Movember.com

Even 15 Minutes of Exercise Can be Beneficial By Anthony Aqui, Certified Kinesiologist, aaqui@orthophysio.com At the beginning of the year Health Canada released the revised physical activity guidelines which recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week. This amount of activity is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, and even certain kinds of cancer. To produce 150 minutes of exercise, you are looking at performing at least two 60 minute bouts of exercise or five 30 minutes bouts of exercise. When you have a busy life, it can be hard to fit in this amount of exercise into your schedule. Recently an article was published in the Lancet which states health benefits can be obtained from performing as little as 15 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day, with greater health benefits achieved with longer durations of exercise. I feel this is an important message to pass on to people, especially if you are sedentary. Remember, “something” is better than “nothing”. You don’t necessarily have to perform 30 – 60 minute bouts of exercise. Making small changes like walking to and from work can make a big difference when it comes to improving your health. Remember to consult your doctor before starting an exercise program. Source: Globe and Mail: www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/fitness/exercise/fitness-research/even-just-15-minutes-of-exercise-a-day-will-improve-health/article2134054/?service=email&utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail%3A+Newsletters+%2F+E-Blasts+%2F+etc.&utm_content=2134054&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links

Children and Weightlifting By Mark Duggan, Registered Physiotherapist, mduggan@orthophysio.com Recent media reports about children as young as 6 years old lifting weights for exercise has created debate and discussion. People who were both in favour and against this form of exercise were passionate about what they thought were the pros and cons of kids being involved in weightlifting. Growing inactivity and increasing rates of obesity and diabetes in children have led to public messages for parents to encourage their children to become more physically active. We know that weight lifting is an activity that has been shown to improve health in adults. So, what is the right answer to the question “should parents encourage their kids to lift weights to be more physically active?” Potential Risks Weightlifting has historically been frowned upon as a form of exercise for children due to the fear of injury and concerns that it might damage growth plates. Growth plates are areas within a developing child’s long bones (arm and leg) where new tissue grows. This tissue growth determines the future adult length and shape of the bone and damage to this area can stunt the development. The growth plates in children are weaker than the surrounding bone, ligaments and tendons and it is this weakness that makes these areas more vulnerable to injury. It has been commonly believed that weight training in children could damage this essential growth centre but to date no research studies have reported any increase risk of this type of injury. In fact current research studies show there is a very low risk of injury for children who participate in this type of training and one study showed the risk of injury was significantly greater for kids who played sports such as basketball, football and soccer than for kids who weight trained. Benefits Weight training has been shown to have numerous positive health and fitness benefits for children including improving bone and cardiovascular health, increasing strength, enhancing skill performance and reduced risk of injury during activity. Bone mass (weight of bone) changes throughout our lifetime, peaking in our 20’s and declining as we age. A reduced bone mass is a significant risk factor for osteoporosis and its associated risk for fractures. To help improve bone mass, weight bearing physical activity such as weight training is recommended for adults. As children grow the size and weight of their bones increases and interestingly, the addition of weight training seems to further boost the development of bone mass when compared to children who did not weight train. This additional bone mass may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis as an adult. Traditionally kids who are obese have been encouraged to be more active by performing more cardiovascularly-based activities like walking, swimming and cycling. Unfortunately, excess weight can hinder the ability to perform these activities leading to an increased risk of injury. Many obese kids also lack the motor skills to perform some of these activities confidently. Because of this there may be a lower participation in physical activities that can compound weight gain. In obese children weight training has been shown to decrease body fat percentage and improve the effectiveness of insulin . It was also reported in these studies that very few children dropped out of the program, which may mean that the ease of performing this type of exercise results in the children enjoying the exercise more , helping to keep them more active. Research has also shown weight training as part of a comprehensive conditioning program results in a reduced risk of injury in other sports. Weight training also enhances strength and skill performance in activities like vertical jump and sprint speed. It is important to realize that not every child will have the psychological, emotional and physical maturity to participate in weight training. It is recommended that around the age of 7 or 8 a child will likely have the maturity to weight train. Instruction and supervision of their program is very important and should be provided by an individual who realizes that kids are not just small adults and who understands that the training program should reflect their stage of physical and mental maturity. To avoid injuries and maximize benefits a physical screening examination by a physiotherapist before starting a weight training program is recommended. This assessment will help identify any specific areas of strength deficits, flexibility issues or general health or musculoskeletal concerns. Collectively it can be concluded that when the weight training is applied carefully that the benefits generally outweigh the risks. It can help to improve the overall health and physical activity levels of kids, the quality and performance of their movements and lower their risk of injury while being active.

Scoliosis, Recommended reading for adolescents. By Juliette Woodruff , Registered Massage Therapist, jwoodruff@orthophysio.com Source: Client recommended reading for adolescents with scoliosis, September 6, 2011 I have had a few young clients recommend a book titled ‘Deenie’, by Judy Blume, as being helpful in coping with their scoliosis. Deenie is a thirteen year old girl in high school, experiencing the physical and emotional changes of adolescence, while finding out she has scoliosis – a condition that causes the spine to curve abnormally as she grows. She feels frustrated that her clothes never fit her properly, insecure about people knowing she has scoliosis, or people seeing her brace. She worries constantly about what her cheerleading team will think of the brace, and will they think she is a freak or will they be supportive. Young adolescent girls experience a lot of different emotions and physical changes as they go through puberty. Many of us probably remember times growing up when we felt insecure about our physical features, not having the body shape we wanted, or not liking our skin complexion. Aside from the physical changes we underwent as young adults, there was the emotional side. Remember when you felt shy around a particular boy, or wanting to wear fashionable clothes and look good, and be accepted by your peers. These are some of the things a thirteen year old thinks about in high school and these feelings are magnified in young women trying to cope with development that is abnormally affected by scoliosis. I recommend this book to any young adolescent girl who has been recently diagnosed with scoliosis. Quote from ‘Deenie’, author Judy Blume c1973, Delacorte Press: “When Deenie sees the brace for the first time, she wants to scream, forget it…I`m never going to wear that thing. Everyone will know. Everyone!“ Here is a beautiful poem called "Stepping Stones Of The Spirit" by Patricia Bever, Copyright 1951. It is a book about a woman’s life, her challenges and triumphs, growing up with scoliosis, and the journey from adolescence to adulthood. The cicada in the dark earth swept and grew, Unknown to herself – no wing, no ray, no voice; Until her seventeenth summer, blindly stiring She crept and clung, moved by unquenched life within her. She grew and changed in the deepest of her being, She grew and burst and rent open her archaic shape, Through the slow soreness, stepped out of herself, and flew To fill the bright air with a resonant song.

BOXING BAN FOR KIDS By Mark Duggan, Registered Physiotherapist, mduggan@orthophysio.com Source:Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Paediatrics, August 31, 2011 This week the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Paediatrics jointly released a new policy statement recommending that children and teens not participate in boxing due to the high risk of injury. Specifically, the statement which is published in the September edition of the journal Paediatrics, is concerned about head injuries such as concussion. The organizations recommend that children be physically active in other sports such as tennis and basketball where they are less likely to receive blows to the head. Symptoms of concussion are wide ranging from the obvious loss of consciousness to the more subtle markers like headaches and dizziness. A child’s developing brain is at a higher risk for a concussion than adults and once you have had a concussion you are at a higher risk for another concussion. Unfortunately the recovery time for a concussion is subjective and unknown (when will Sidney Crosby return to hockey?). The long term consequences of a concussion are not fully understood at this time but some research has shown a negative impact on cognitive ability. Whether you like boxing or mixed martial arts a lot of kids watch and participate in these activities. Ban these activities? That can be debated. But this provides an opportunity to educate parents and kids about the risks, symptoms, and long term consequences of a concussion. Link to article in Pediatrics with position statement; pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/08/24/peds.2011-1165.long Link to Think First concussion awareness handout;www.thinkfirst.ca/downloads/concussion/concussion-parent.pdf

Walk before you run! By Gareth Sneath, Registered Physiotherapist, gsneath@orthophysio.com Source: Metronews.ca, August 16, 2011 An article in the Metronews by Celia Milne highlights the importance and benefit of walking mobility whilst hospitalized. Quoting a study of 485 patients over 70 years of age who were in hospital for 2 days or more, the researchers found that those patients who had no medical contraindications to being ambulatory and who walked around the room and the hospital ward shortened their hospital stay by an average of 1 ½ days compared to those who stayed in bed or remained seated. “Mobility was beneficial for patients regardless of functional status, age, cognitive ability, sex and severity of illness.” What does this tell us? The old maxim of ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’ is especially important in older patients who are more susceptible to ‘going off their feet’ and simply walking a bit more is enough to achieve better health outcomes. To get the full article click on the following link: www.metronews.ca/toronto/life/article/943476--walking-the-halls-gets-elderly-patients-out-of-hospital-quicker