Physio and Acupuncture Talk

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Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada

We have worked in healthcare for over 15 years and have learned a great deal about the business of healthcare during this time. We enjoy dealing with all types of people and our passion is to help out in the improvement of their lives. Our interests include Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Herbs, Mila - the world's healthiest wholefood, marketing, networking, internet, writing, coaching, food, sports and travel.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Important Diagnostic Indications in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treating Pain


Nature of Pain Traditional Chinese Medicine Pattern Diagnosis

If pain is sharp, stabbing and fixed than Blood Stasis is indicated.
If pain is variable, vague and wandering than L iver Qi Depression and Wind is indicated.
If pain is dull, achy and chronic, then Kidney Deficiency, Cold Damp and Spleen Deficiency
with Dampness is indicated. If pain is heavy, swollen, and fixed, then Dampness is indicated.


Duration of Pain

Acute pain indicates Blood Stasis or Invasion of External Pathogens.
Chronic pain indicates Kidney or Spleen Deficiency with Damp and Blood
Stasis due to repeated strains.


Aggravation of Pain

Cold Weather- Indicates all of the Patterns
Worse in the morning- Indicates Cold Damp
Worse in the afternoon- IndicatesKidney Deficiency
Worse with stress- IndicatesLiver Qi Stagnation
Worse with pressure- Indicates Blood Stasis
Worse with activity- Indicates Deficiency Patterns
Worse after sex- Indicates Kidney Deficiency
Worse with hot weather- Indicates Damp Heat


Amelioration of Pain

Pain that improves with rest indicates Kidney Deficiency.
Pain that improves with exercise indicated Liver Qi Stagnation.
Pain that improves with mild exercise indicayes Blood Stasis.
Pain that improves with heat and mild exercise indicates Cold, Cold Damp, or Kidney Yang Deficiency.

In treating pain with Traditional Chinese Medicine, the goal is not to mask the pain, but to open the channel blockages, eliminate pathogenic influences and to correct deficiencies.The diagnostic indications which have been described above help make a comprehensive analysis of the symptoms and signs of an individual pattern.

Many chronic pain patients become emotionally debilitated, leading to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia or restless sleep. Traditional Chinese Medicine is very effective to treat these symptoms as well.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Treating Bell's Palsy with Acupuncture

Bell's Palsy is one of the commonest peripheral facial paralysis that many people experience. When it occurs, most people think that they had a stroke. I t often happens suddenly and mostly after being exposed to cold wind. A lot of people recover spontaneously, however, sometimes the condition lingers and this can cause frustration for many. It falls under the condition of true wind stroke in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It often occurs mostly in the middle-aged and it usually affects one side of the face. Bell's Palsy usually occurs all of a sudden. The patient experiences numbness and sometimes pain around one side of the face, ear and mouth. The mouth can become deviated, the nasolabial groove can no longer be seen and the facial region is relaxed and strengthless. The patient can't close their eye fully. it is difficult for them to frown, speak and eat. Often, saliva comes out from the corners of the mouth. Sometimes, the sense of taste is lost and the sense of hearing can be hypersensitive.

Case Study
Male, 48years old, came into the clinic suffering from Bell"s Palsy. He worked as a butcher and often walked in and out of the freezer many times a day. Prior to the Bell's Palsy, the patient did catch a cold. The onsetof the Bell's Palsy was sudden and the duration was short. The eyes and mouth were deviated. He had difficulty closing his right eye completely. The accompanying symptoms and signs were headache, discomfort, red tongue with thin white coating and a tight pulse. The treatment principle was to expel pathogenic wind cold and to remove obstruction from the channels. Acupuncture was the pfeferred choice of treatment. Points selected were Bladder 2, Triple warmer 23, Stomach 4 inserted towards Stomach 6. All of these points were on the right side. Large intestine 4, Stomach 36 and Liver 3, all bilateral. The patient was also encouraged to put hot compresses on the right side of his face and he was given some mouth exercises to do to restore the strength back in his facial region. After five treatments with the above point selection, the patient fully recovered.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Living your Best Life with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease that can create havoc in a person's life. It is a complex condition that affects people in different ways and is not recognized as a true disease by many doctors. Some people believe it is just a label for a "psychological" condition, however, there is an increasing number of research concluding that there is much more than the psychological aspect to this disease.

Non drug treatments for Fibromyalgia include:

T.E.N.S. (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) which can alleviate pain in regional muscle groups.

To learn all about T.E.N.S., visit http://www.queenwestphysio.ca/strategies/electrotherapy.html

Exercise Programs

Exercise is very important in keeping the muscles flexible. Designing a daily stretching programs can lead to a more active lifestyle and help reduce overall pain. Pool exerices, especially in a warm pool, are also very helpful because of water being able to take the weight off the joints.

Low impact exercises on the floor comprise another option but it is important not to exceed your capacity. Be careful of personal trainers who do not know about Fibromyalgia as they often can give you a program that is much too difficult for you. Phyical therapists can design a very suitable program for the Fibromyalgia patient.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist often has a wide selection of hands on techniques that help alleviate pain for the Fibromyalgia patient. In addition, a reasonable strengthening and stretching home exercise program can be smartly designed by a physical therapist.

Diet and Nutritional Supplements

Generally, a very well balanced diet is the most recommended for the Fibromyalgia patient. A magnesium supplement has been found to decrease the tendency for muscles to hurt and should be considered based on your physician's advice. Also, appropriate calcium and multi-vitamin intake may be a great idea to help you deal with this condition.

These are just a few ideas to help manage Fibromyalgia. There are countless others to help deal with symptom flares and the emotional aspect of this disease. Contact your national fibromyalgia association for further information and start helping yourself or loved ones who are afflicted with this disease.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Exercise and Osteoporosis

Exercise and Osteoporosis - Tips

Osteoporosis is an age related disorder characterized by decrease bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures. Preventative measures can delay the onset of and considerably reduce existing conditions. Exercise plays a large role in the prevention equation. Below are some tips about exercise concerning osteoporosis:


  • Exercise for 30 to 40 minutes at least every other day (preferably every day) is very important to increase the natural stimulation for stronger bones. People in all stages of osteoporosis need to increase the strength of their back and hip muscles.
  • Do not be concerned if as you begin you can only do a few repititions of a certain exercise. It is important to realize that you should have no more pain after you finish than when you begin the exercises.
  • It is important to learn how to do each exercise properly.

Neck Exercises

  • Bend the chin forward to the chest. If you feel stiffness or pain, do not force the movement. Gos as far as you can move easily. If pain persists with this or any exercise then you should stop until you talk to your physician or physiotherapist.
  • Bring the left side of your head toward the left shoulder, then to the right.
  • Bring the head back as far as possible without forcing any movement. If you feel pain or dizziness, stop until you talk to your physician or physiotherapist.
  • Turn to look over your right shoulder, then your left shoulder.
  • When you can do each of these exercises, repeat each exercise 2 times. Then gradually increase this number to 5 and then 10.

Other important areas of the body to exercise include the shoulders, hips, back, knees, wrists, ankles and feet. Stay tuned!

Monday, February 20, 2006

User Training and Education in Ergonomics - The Missing Steps

Many people would agree that there has been a slow, and often uneven, acceptance of ergonomic products for the office environment in North America since the tools began gaining popularity in the early 1980s. There are many possible reasons: equipment, training and the responses of individuals who may not make a link between their discomfort and workplace equipment.

Using a “discomfort assessment” questionnaire to pinpoint worker complaints can go a long way toward ensuring that people use ergonomics equipment properly.

Two decades ago, height-adjustable workstations and pneumatically adjustable chairs were only available from Europe, where proper accommodation of office staff has been a common practice for more than 30 years. Anyone who has toured offices there, especially in Scandinavia, has probably seen employees sitting in upright postures with fully supported backs, while working at desks correctly adjusted to suit their individual needs. There seems to be a real commitment to implementing an ergonomic office environment.

The same claim cannot be made of North America. Although the company manual may say adjustable workstations are what’s needed, an essential step is frequently missed: the application of an effective implementation program that includes user training and education.

Ensuring that users clearly understand the importance of equipment adjustment - and fitting the equipment to the person - remains a challenge. It’s not very difficult to identify when effective program implementation has either been missed or improperly completed. Usually it is when an employer requests help with a worker who has complained of pain or discomfort.

The employer, in fact, is often surprised that anyone could be experiencing discomfort at all. “We gave them an ergonomic workstation,” they often say, as though they believed checking off that single item constituted a comprehensive ergonomics approach.

Almost invariably, a visiting consultant will find that the employee’s workstation and chair are not adjusted to suit that person’s specific physical requirements. It is not uncommon for the consultant to also discover that none of the other workstations in the surrounding area are adjusted for the occupant - even in offices with hundreds of employees. People are frequently found sitting and working in awkward postures. They are forced to twist, bend, reach and alter their postures in ways that would obviously take a physical toll.

Some companies have found that using an anonymous “discomfort assessment” questionnaire can help identify the frequency of discomfort among employees. The questionnaire may contain the question - “To what do you attribute your discomfort?” - that, when answered, explains why employees rarely complain about the discomfort they experience on the job and why they often do not understand the importance of having properly adjusted workstations and chairs.

The answer to the question is surprising. Although the exact words may vary, the sentiment expressed in the majority of responses is more consistent: people think there is something wrong with them. The perception is expressed in far-ranging comments that have nothing to do with their workstations, their chairs or their monitors. “I have a bad back”, “I suffer from migraines”, “I have bad eyes”, “My mattress must be too soft”, “I think it’s an old college injury,” or “I was in an accident”. They continually attribute their discomfort to anything but the way they sit and work.

Since many people attribute their discomfort to a personal weakness, they would be less likely to complain to their employers about their pain or to properly use their chairs and workstations. Even if workers do believe pain could be the result of improper accommodation of their physical needs, it does not necessarily follow that they would have a clear idea of what adjustments should be made to ease their discomfort. In fact, people are often the architects of their discomfort by unknowingly making the wrong adjustments to office equipment.

For that reason, a demonstration for workers that explains the relationship between a wide variety of discomforts and the way they sit and work has proved very successful. After being shown how adjustments to their chairs and workstations can eliminate the physical demands that cause those aches and pains, employees are asked to return to their workstation and apply what they have learned. The downside is that, as consultants who have used the approach will attest, rarely will an employee correctly determine what adjustments are needed to accommodate his or her specific physical requirements.

The ergonomic consultant must visit the worker in the workstation after the demonstration and must make the recommendations directly to the occupant. The whole purpose of the demonstration is to ensure that occupants will listen to the consultant and follow his or her recommendations. Without the visit, employees will have no idea how they should utilize their chair and workstation, in spite of the recent demonstration.

Both productivity and efficiency can be substantially improved with ergonomic workstations that are properly planned and implemented - mostly by making the work easier to complete and dramatically reducing on-premises absenteeism.



This article was written by our ergonomic associate, Steven Price. He has over 29 years of experience in the planning and implementation of solutions to improve the comfort, well-being and efficiency of employees in the office environment. Services that he can provide include Discomfort Assessments, Workstation Design through Functional Needs Analysis, Comfort Improvement through User Training and Education, plus Risk Assessments for the Industrial Environment. For more information, contact us at (905) 450-7870 or via e-mail at info@queenwestphysio.ca.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

The Costs of Discomfort

Studies show employee discomfort is very common in most office environments, even where ergonomic products are utilized. Discomfort assessments that ask “To what do you attribute your discomfort?” make it clear why employees rarely complain, even when their discomfort is serious. Many attribute their pain to a weakness within themselves, while others are simply reluctant to speak up.

Whether or not they complain, these employees’ discomfort can be very expensive. Surprisingly, employers with low levels of reported discomfort can actually pay a higher cost than others.

Symptoms of improper accommodation include increased anxiety and difficulty concentrating. In office environments where management is not stringent, employees will react to such symptoms and other minor discomfort by frequently leaving their workstations. A specific pain might not become serious. Indeed, it may never become known there is a flaw in the design or use of the workstation.

This phenomenon is called on-premises absenteeism. It can lead to lost productivity and substantial increases in staffing that might otherwise be unnecessary.

Many employees are actually the architects of their own discomfort, through the improper use of ergonomic chairs and components. Pain and discomfort can take months to develop. Employees rarely realize or acknowledge that their improper sitting and working postures lead to the discomfort they experience. This is why, following the purchase of ergonomic equipment, teaching people to correctly use their workstations and chairs remains an essential step.



Ergonomic in name only


Unfortunately, many products purchased to improve working comfort are ergonomic in name only. Some actually cause or increase employee discomfort. In fact, it is not uncommon for ergonomic products to alleviate one discomfort while creating a new one that did not exist before. In some cases, it is just not possible to use the product in the manner for which it is intended and employee discomfort cannot be avoided.

One example is the articulating keyboard support arm. Usually implemented to give employees a posture that prevents shoulder pain while they type, it frequently causes discomfort or makes simple tasks more difficult to complete. This is because most computer users refer to documents or reference materials (such as binders and files) while working or reach frequently to a phone, printer, calculator, etc. All such items must sit on the desk surface—the very surface from which they are pushed away by the articulating keyboard support arm.

The discomfort that results from the awkward postures people assume when trying to reach or use their desk surface can be more serious than the discomfort initially alleviated by the adjustable keyboard arm. Trying to read documents from a greater distance causes discomfort that will only worsen as employees age and their visual acuity suffers.

Many employees will push the keyboard out of the way every time they need to move towards their desk surface. Eventually, they adjust their keyboard to a height where it can be easily retracted, rather than to the height they require to work without discomfort. When discomfort does return, it is usually in a place where it did not exist before.

Articulating keyboard support arms should never be used if they interfere with the ability of the employee to complete his/her work with ease or if they cannot be used properly. They do not save the cost of a properly designed ergonomic workstation—an employee who is prevented from working comfortably and efficiently will always cost more.

This is especially true for employees who complete a substantial amount of desk work that is not computer-related. If the desk surface remains at a fixed height, they will frequently experience discomfort while completing their tasks.

Monitor risers also continue to be purchased, even though their use has been discredited by some of the people who first recommended elevated monitors back in the 1980s (see “Set Your Sights a Bit Lower,” by John Goddard, The Toronto Star, January 31, 2003; and “How Low Should You Go,” by Nicolette Beharie, OHS Canada, April/May 2003).

Determining whether a monitor should be elevated or lowered can be achieved by conducting an eye-motion study. If the worker looks frequently to the keyboard or a document that must sit on the desk surface, then the monitor should be lowered. This does not make the user look down—they are already looking down. Rather, it alleviates discomfort by reducing the distance they have to look up.

Looking down is not an unnatural position. Humans have evolved doing so while using their hands and while walking on uneven surfaces. People throughout the world continue to complete tasks by hand, looking down all day.

Computer use is one of the few functions where looking up can be considered, yet the recommendation to do so has been unique to North America. In Europe, the practice of elevating monitors was never adopted and, in fact, monitors are frequently recessed into the desk surface.



Seating discomfort


Neck pain and discomfort are becoming more common in the office environment and a major cause is deflection of the head and neck, but this has nothing to do with the placement of the monitor. The cause is the improper adjustment of the chair back and the growing tendency for people to lean back while working at their computer. They pull their heads forward and stretch the muscles up the back of the neck unnaturally.

People can reduce or eliminate their neck pain by sitting up straight—a posture on which every typing teacher has always insisted. Unfortunately, some so-called ergonomic chairs simply cannot be adjusted to support that posture. Their occupants are often seen sitting upright with completely unsupported backs, trying in vain to avoid the unnatural working posture of leaning back.

Most of the chairs available in the market today are called ‘ergonomic’. However, when noting the differences in the design of chair backs and their range of adjustment—and not just between manufacturers, but between chair models from the same source—it appears there is a substantial difference of opinion about the average shape of the human back and the manner in which it should be supported. If there were a consensus, then all chair backs would look similar.

Choosing a chair must therefore be a careful process. Employees should never be allowed to choose their own chairs, especially when they are seeking to replace one they think is causing them discomfort. Too often, they pick a chair for all the wrong reasons, including, “It feels comfortable.” Most will choose a chair for its ability to allow them to sit comfortably, rather than its ability to allow them to work comfortably.

In addition, a poorly designed chair can feel more comfortable than the one it replaces, simply by changing the way the occupant sits. All too often, the improvement in comfort is short-lived and back pain returns, but where it did not exist before.

It is not possible for one style of chair to accommodate everyone’s physical needs. The best chair models offer small, medium and large options in the size of their seats and backs and the travel range of their cylinders.

An experienced ergonomic consultant should assist in the determination of the specific chair style for each employee. While it means chairs of employees who leave may not fit their replacements, the cost of an uncomfortable employee is still far greater than the cost of a few new chairs.



Armed and uncomfortable


Chair arms are referred to as ergonomic when they are adjustable. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to adjust them in a way that makes their use practical for the average office employee and they often cause discomfort.

Most employees multi-task or complete work in a manner that requires constant movement within their workstations. Reaching—whether for a phone, file, printer, binder, notepad, calculator and file drawer—is simplified when people can swivel freely in their chairs.

Most employees are provided with cockpit-style or V-shaped workstations, which are intended to make the surfaces and everything they contain easier to access. However, when the work surface, keyboard and chair arms are all adjusted to ergonomically correct positions, they will all be at the same height.

Even with short chair arms, occupants are able to swivel only a short distance before the arms hit something, at which point they must twist, turn or stretch unnaturally to complete their tasks. Articulating keyboard support arms usually make the problem worse, causing further interference with movement.

Employees using chairs with arms often experience lower back pain and strained muscles in other parts of their upper body. Some lower their chairs to allow for freer movement, but experience shoulder pain. Others lower the chair arms instead, but suffer postural problems when using them.

When these factors are pointed out during training and education seminars, 85 per cent of employees on average have asked to have their chair arms removed. That represents substantial costs that can be avoided earlier in the process.




True ergonomics


A workstation can only be considered ergonomic if it properly accommodates both the physical and functional requirements of the occupant.

The functional requirements are less easily identified, so they are rarely taken into consideration. In fact, the purchase of standard, “cookie-cutter” workstations—generally sized to the amount of available space and not the needs of the occupant—has become the norm.

It is often intentional, especially on the part of government, to facilitate what has become known as “suitcase moves,” where employees take only their personal belongings as they are moved between standard, common-design workstations. Unfortunately, these workstations frequently fail to help occupants complete the work expected of them.

The specification of complete adjustability is frequently passed to make it easier to move people than to accommodate their individual needs. Although this does save money on moves and furniture, the increased cost of employees who are not able to work comfortably, efficiently or productively is substantial.

Some offices have staffing levels as much as 50 per cent higher than would be necessary if their employees were provided with the proper tools and they were used correctly. Surprisingly, attention paid to improving individual productivity and efficiency has been slow to find its way out of the industrial and manufacturing environments and into offices.

Many employees are expected to multi-task and planning solutions that accommodate all of their needs can be challenging. To maximize employee productivity and efficiency, workstation layouts should be planned by independent consultants who specialize in functional needs analysis.

This approach rarely results in a plethora of layouts, as they are actually specific to the functions, not the individuals. However, if the process does result in the recommendation of a variety of workstation configurations, then it is the responsibility of the office furniture manufacturers to use the least number of components while offering the greatest degree of long-term flexibility.

This “inside-out” style of planning has been the norm in Europe for decades. It should be completed before beginning the overall design phase and, where possible, before space is allocated or leased.

When employers start insisting on the proper planning and implementation of workstations that accommodate both the physical and functional requirements of their employees, they will finally begin to reap the long-anticipated benefits of office computerization. It is important to note that to maintain those benefits, both the employees and the workstations they occupy must be effectively managed to ensure they remain properly configured and correctly used.


This article was written by Steven Price, our ergonomic associate who has over 29 years of experience in the planning and implementation of solutions to improve the comfort, well-being and efficiency of employees in the office environment. For a professional assessment of your work environment, please contact us at 905-450-7870 or email us at info@queenwestphysio.ca.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Why Stretch?

Stretching should be part of your daily life because it relaxes your mind and tunes up your body. Once you make stretching part of your daily routine you will start realizing the benefits. These benefits include:
1)Increase range of motion
2) Reduce muscle tension and make the body feel more relaxed
3) Improves coordination by allowing for easier movement
4) Develops body awareness. The more you stretch various parts of the body, the more you focus on them and get in touch with them
5)Prepares you for any type of strenuous activity by signaling the muscles to let them know they are about to be used
6)Helps with the body mind connection so that the body moves for its own sake rather than resisting internal and external influences
7) It feels great!
Learning how to stretch daily will enhance your quality of life by counteracting the negative effects of everyday stress. By taking the time to stretch properly, one will recognize areas of physical tension and will learn to release this pent- up emotions and muscular tightness. Give it a try and make it part of your daily routine.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Pain and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Every human being will experience some form of pain in their lifetime. Pain is more or less a feeling of discomfort, distention, distress, or agony that is felt throughout the body.Pain can be felt in any part of the body and in Chinese Medicine pain is a major indicator of diagnostic information. There is an ancient saying in Traditional Chinese Medicine that states, "when there is pain there is no free flow of energy(qi)". This basically means that pain is caused by lack of free flow of energy. Something has blocked the free flow of energy. In traditional chinese medicine(TCM), cold, wind, heat, dampness, dryness, fire, blood stasis and deficient energy can all block the free flow of energy.
There are many ways to differentiate the cause of pain. Here are some examples.
1) Pulse and tongue diagnosis are important tools in determining the dominant pattern of the dysfunction.
2) Determining the exact location of the pain, as well as its quality of sensation and current degree of severity is critical.
3)Information on what time of day, specific climates and activities that affect the pain define the pattern even further.
4)Palpation is a essential tool as it reveals a great deal. For example, muscle rigidity indicates local blood stasis.
5)A small area of pain is usually due to a sprain or other trauma, and a larger area could possibly relate to some internal organs such as kidnet yin or kidney yang deficiency.
6)As we age and our reserve of energy is depleted and people generally have a tendency to manifest one of two common patterns in TCM. Those who began with very strong constitutions have a tendency to develop kidney yin deficiency. There painful condition is aggravated by heat and activity. Those who began with weaker constitutions have a tendency to develop kidney yang deficiency. Their painful condition will be aggravated by cold and can be relieved by moderate activity.
7) The lower back is the domain of the kidneys. Most pain, or even a propensity to injury is attributed, at least in part to a kidney yin or yang deficiency.
8) This deficiency may be due to a congenital predisposition or chronis illness and may be aggravated by environmental factors such as cold, wind, damp, heat, as well as internal factors which cause blood stasis or energy(qi) stagnation.
9) This condition can be worsened by lifestyle and physical labour, including heavy lifting, bending, prolonged standing, exposure to cold, as well as , shock or prolonged anxiety.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Welcome to Physio and Acupuncture Talk

Allow us to introduce ourselves! As a team made up of Registered Physiotherapists and a Certified Acupuncturist, along with other Professionals, our intentions are to discuss a variety of issues related to physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage therapy.

Many questions arise on a weekly basis from both patients and colleagues. Our goal is to educate people on a variety of topics related to our profession. We will cover everything from case studies to general philosophies of treatment. Articles will either be aimed at the general population, rehabilitation professionals, or a combination of both.

Please check us out from time to time and email us at info@queenwestphysio.ca if you have any questions.

Wishing you wellness always.
Regards,
Len, Tom, Irene, Rani, James, and Elena

www.queenwestphysio.ca
QueenWestPhysiotherapy&Acupuncture

www.albionhillsphysio.com