Blog | Sports Specialist Rehab Centre

Feb 16 0

Just Breathe

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Part 1:

Breath works for us, with us and can also be the block that is holding us back.

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Breathing is derived from our autonomic nervous system – it happens subconsciously and continues even when we sleep.

Our respiratory system is also affected by our nervous system in that when we are relaxed we take long, deep breaths and when we are stressed we take short shallow breaths.

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What if your body is in chronic pain? Our nervous system is ramped up and so is the frequency and shortness of our breath. Luckily, we can control our breathing!

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Taking time to breathe through your belly, slow and deep or use a form of block breathing (breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds). This simple exercise can decrease your perceived level of pain and down regulate your nervous system back to a state of rest where your body can recuperate and heal.

Author: Adriana Renton, FST

Feb 09 0

Lace Up Those Skates

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It’s finally winter! That means many of us will be participating in fun winter activities outdoors like skating. That said, in order to minimize the likelihood of injury, it is important to perform a few basic warm up activities specifically geared for skating prior to lacing up those blades!

Prior to skating, get active first by simply walking around the rink/ice surface for 5-10 mins. This will get the major joints moving and prepped for work while also getting your cardiovascular system primed.

The primary joints involved in skating are the ankle, knee and hip joints. As such, prior to lacing up the skates, I recommend 3 sets of 10 of the following for each joint:

-ankles: up/down and clockwise/counterclockwise rotations (perform while sitting)

-knees: bend and straighten (perform while standing)

-hips: move the legs forward-back and in-out motion (perform while standing)

After lacing up, I recommend a few minutes of a mild skate around the rink before you really dig in and let loose!

EXTRA TIP: Wear comfortable clothing that will allow for the body to move easily in an unrestricted fashion while skating.

If you have specific concerns regarding skating or need further guidance, do not hesitate to contact your healthcare provider today for advice and recommendations. Safe skating!

Author: Dr. Paolo De Ciantis, B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Sc., D.C.

Feb 04 0

Pain In The Neck

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Technology Can Be A Pain In The Neck!

Our modern digital age has brought us many conveniences. Smartphones, tablets, and e-

readers make it possible for you to communicate or be entertained with the push of a button.

While technology can improve your quality of life, it comes with a price: being huddled over

your devices for long periods of time can do more harm than good.

If you’ve used a smartphone or tablet for an extensive period of time, you’ve probably

experienced the strain it puts on your upper body. This condition even has its own name:

“Text Neck”

Here are four strategies to help you avoid “Text Neck” strain:

Take frequent breaks

Take frequent breaks and look up from your device to give your neck some relief from the

pressure of looking down.

Sit up straight

It’s important to sit up straight while texting. This way, you can maintain good posture, relieving

your back and shoulders from the strain of being hunched over.

Hold the phone a little higher

Holding the phone closer to eye level helps maintain a healthy posture and puts less strain on

your neck. Consider using a stand for devices, even periodically, to change the way that you hold and look at your device.

Stretch

Be sure to stretch often between long periods of extended device use. Put your hands at

your sides and rotate your shoulders to relieve tension. You can also tuck your chin down to

your neck and then lookup. This action helps to relieve some of the tension built up in your neck

due to the forward-down position we often adopt when looking at our device.

Author: Dr. Marco De Ciantis, D.C.

Jan 26 0

Student Experience!

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My name is Daniel and I am a 4th year Kinesiology student at the University of Guelph-Humber. As part of the curriculum for my degree, I was required to complete two field placements, one in 3rd year and one in 4th year. The program allows students to gain more than 200 hours of workplace experience through chosen placements in the health and fitness industry, clinical, rehabilitation setting, education or research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic my journey of finding a placement for the semester looked a little different than expected but I would not have had it any other way.

I reached out to Dr. Marco DeCiantis at the Sports Specialist Rehab Centre and had the privilege to work with him through a virtual placement from September – December 2020. Although our time together was completely remote, the learning experience was tremendous. We met 3x a week over Zoom in which Marco mentored me on various aspects of being a clinical professional. He guided me through providing quality patient care, and how to effectively diagnose and treat various conditions. Through our discussions, he familiarized me with consultations, assessments and patient care. He truly gave me insight into the day to day work of being a health care professional. He consistently provided me with learning objectives to complete on my own time to further my knowledge on the topics discussed. Usually, this involved researching different conditions, symptoms and treatment methods. An example would be us discussing scenarios that are deemed Red or Yellow flags, examples of contraindications, and discussing the importance of consent. Furthermore, he discussed and educated me on clinician protocols such as patient history, orthopedic neurological examinations, motor/reflex testing etc.

Another component of my placement occurred every Wednesday for 1 hour. Marco gave me the opportunity to sit in on meetings for a volunteer program that aims to provide sustainable healthcare to rural under-serviced populations through education and training. The meetings consisted of approxiimately 10 clinicians from Canada and Africa in which we would provide education to the health officers regarding various conditions, treatments and tools to improve their skills in the healthcare field. We would routinely go through clinical rounds and work through cases with them creating informative presentations. This sparked discussions on formulating diagnosis, treatment plans and educating patients. Marco would then have me investigate further into cases on my own time to see if I could help with the scenarios. I learned all about conditions varying from mechanical back pain, ankle sprains and fractures all the way to infectious diseases. That portion of the placement was by far my favorite and really provided me with a different perspective on worldwide healthcare. To have the opportunity to virtually meet with health officers in Africa was an unmatched experience. Working with Marco greatly furthered my education and I am very happy with how my semester proceeded.

Jan 19 0

Winter Slip and Falls!

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Falling on ice can leave you red-faced with embarrassment, or far more seriously, badly hurt.

Slippery sidewalks, driveways and icy parking lots can be risk factors for falls during the winter months. Avoid a bad fall with these helpful tips!

Walk like a penguin:

The penguin waddle helps you keep a centre of gravity over the front leg as you step, instead of

split between the legs. Short strides also help keep your centre of gravity, which help avoid falls. When walking, extend your arms out from your sides to increase your centre of gravity. Don’t keep your hands in your pockets! Walk slowly, with short strides and try to land your steps with a flat foot.

Keep walkways clear:

Shovel snow and scrape ice as soon as possible. If applicable, liberally sprinkle ice melt product or sand onto walkways to provide foot traction and to make sure surfaces don’t turn to ice. This not only protects you and your family, but also postal carriers and others when they’re walking around your property. Where possible install or use handrails for extra support.

Take all precautions:

Be extra cautious walking after a storm. Prior to taking a step, tap your foot on potentially icy areas to assess if it is slippery. Hold a railing while walking on icy steps. Stay steady by wearing proper winterfootwear. Lightweight boots with thick, non-slip tread soles will provide good traction on ice. If a sidewalk is icy down the middle, walk on the snow beside it to avoid slips.

Lighten your load:

Carry fewer bags on snowy days, since excess baggage can throw off your balance and make it

tougher to regain your balance once you lose it. Keep your hands free by putting away your

phone while walking – you may need to catch yourself!

Boost balance with exercise:

You can’t control the weather, but you can improve your balance through regular exercise.

Exercise is an ideal way to help you stay safely on your feet because it improves balance,

flexibility and strength. Speak to a chiropractor about ways to improve your balance and strength in order to prevent falls.

Author: Dr. Marco De Ciantis, D.C.

Jan 12 0

Myositis Ossificans

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Myositis Ossificans! That’s a mouthful!

“Myositis Ossificans” (MO) sounds like a fictional term but it is by no means a rare condition. MO, for lack of a better term, is when muscle tissue begins to ossify (i.e. turn to bone) following a traumatic injury. Generally, a direct, forceful trauma is involved (eg. a hockey player receives a knee-on-thigh injury during a game). Typically a large, deep muscular group is involved, such as the quadricep or hamstring muscles. In most cases, one would see a large discoloured area associated with a very significant bruise following the trauma. Internally, the body will begin to turn muscle to bone at the healing site. Over time, a “hard” lump can be palpated (as the body lays more and more bone) at the injured area. The reason why MO occurs is not well understood at this time. The thought is that following the injury the body gets “confused” and as a result it begins to lay bone at the site of injury. As more bone is laid down, the function of the muscle may become affected leading to pain as the muscle is used. This can prevent athletes from returning to sport or even end careers!

In order to minimize the likelihood of developing and/or exacerbating MO, after an acute traumatic event to a muscle, an individual should not return to sport and should ice and immobilize the affected area. I also recommend immediately booking an appointment with a healthcare provider so that the injury can be thoroughly examined and assessed. The healthcare provider can determine if you are at risk of developing MO or if it is in progress. Also, the healthcare provider can provide advice and offer conservative (i.e. “non-surgical”) interventions to manage the tissue trauma. However, in serious or not properly managed cases, surgery may be indicated in order to remove the bone from the affected muscle.

If you think you may be at risk of developing MO, please contact our office to book an assessment with one of our amazing therapists!

Author: Dr. Paolo De Ciantis, B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Sc., D.C.

Jan 05 0

Pandemic Self Care

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Self-Care Tips During the Pandemic

During this pandemic, it is crucial to maintain your mental health through self-care. Self-care allows for us to engage in coping tools that are effective for us. What may work for one may not be as impactful for another. Therefore, it is important to understand what activities bring us joy and calmness versus those that are potentially anxiety provoking.

Here are some tips to help build awareness and self-compassion.

1. Notice when you are experiencing an uncomfortable emotion or physical sensation.

2. Identify the emotion(s) or physical sensation(s): For example, “I am feeling nervous right now” or, “I am noticing that my jaw is clenched”.

3. Validate yourself for feeling these emotions or physical sensations: For example, “It is okay to feel nervous” or, “It is normal to have tension when worried”.

4. Express kindness to yourself for experiencing these uncomfortable sensations: You can express, “May I be kind to myself” or, “May I be strong”.

5. Soothe yourself for feeling the uncomfortable sensations. Sometimes, having a cold glass of water or warm cup of tea can help to soothe the uncomfortable experience.

These are some examples of self-care activities you can try:

-Diamond painting

-Paint by numbers

-Board games

-Acrylic pour (you can YouTube various types of acrylic pours)

-Indoor herb gardens

-DIY projects

Author: Bhavna Verma, Registered Psychotherapist

Dec 29 0

Bone Contusion!

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A “contusion” is the medical term for a bruise. Bruises usually occur at the site of an injury where blood vessels have been damaged resulting in leakage of blood from these vessels. This leakage produces the characteristic discolouration we all associate with bruising.

A “bone contusion” (i.e. “bone bruise”) is when there is trauma to bone, but not severe enough to result in a fracture. Bone is wrapped in a thin tissue called “periosteum” (kind of like a “bone skin”). The periosteum is composed of dense connective tissue and does not cover the articular (i.e. “joint”) surface of bones. Periosteum is rich in nerve endings (which can result in pain) and blood vessels. With a significant enough trauma, you can damage the periosteum leading to a bone bruise. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, pain (generally more severe and longer lasting than a solely soft tissue injury), swelling, stiffness and possibly discolouration. Generally speaking, bone contusions will not present on x-ray examination but x-rays may be required in order to rule out a fracture. The soft tissue surrounding the bone contusion may also be injured in the same traumatic event. A bone contusion can be present for days, weeks or even months!

If you think you may have received a bone contusion, don’t waste time to book an appointment with one of our talented therapists who would be able to examine you today!

Author: Dr. Paolo De Ciantis, B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Sc., D.C.

Dec 22 0

Bursitis!

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I’m suffering from bursitis? What’s that?!

“Bursa” is not a common word that many of us hear outside of the healthcare community. However, many of us have suffered from “bursitis” in our lifetime.

Let’s begin with some anatomy! Bursa are small fluid filled sacs. They are strategically placed by the body in areas where tendons make contact to bones. As such, they are designed to allow for a frictionless gliding movement of tendons on bones during muscle contraction. This will prevent damage from occurring to a tendon and makes the motion of a joint painless and smooth. Bursa are placed all over the body and are generally named for the location they are located. For example, the “subdeltoid bursa” is placed near the shoulder joint in the region of the deltoid muscle.

“Bursitis” occurs when the bursa is inflamed. When the bursa is inflamed, motion of the tendon (due to muscle contraction) can cause pain with movement of a joint. What’s worse is that this activity can further irritate the bursa, exacerbating the problem! The bursa can become inflamed for a variety of different reasons that include, but are not limited to, direct trauma or overuse of the muscle and/or joint.

The good news is that manual therapists such as Chiropractors and Physiotherapists are trained to treat bursitis! If you have been diagnosed with a bursitis or suspect that you may be suffering from it, don’t hesitate to contact our office today to book an examination!

Author: Dr. Paolo De Ciantis, B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., D.C.

Dec 15 0

A Stretch From Adriana!

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Try this delicious stretch from our Fascial Stretch Therapist Adriana!

This stretch comes from Eldoa, which aims to complete personal myofascial stretches from head-to-toe! Your “Deep Fascial Back Line” starts at the bottom of your foot from your plantar fascia and continues up your calf, hamstrings, sacrum, erector spinae, still further up to your neck and finally finishes behind your eyes! You’re stretching from head to toe!

Breathe deep and hold for 20+ seconds! Enjoy!

Author: Adriana Renton, Fascial Stretch Therapist