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Stress. People worry about troubling symptoms such as headaches, neck tension, upset stomach and trouble sleeping. A well-meaning friend, family member or even primary health care provider may assure them, “It’s just stress”. More often than not, we receive little direction what to do about stress and its impact on our body. We would do well to understand the stress response, its life-saving function in our body, and how too much of it can cause us real trouble. Read more….
Strain. “Yeeoohhh!” Were you exerting yourself, tensing muscles beyond measure and then felt something pull or tear? Was it followed by terrible pain, severe spasm in the muscle affected and a need to stop all activity immediately? You’ve likely strained muscle, and it’s going to take some time to heal.
Muscles and joints handle tremendous loads. Everything from shoveling snow, lifting heavy boxes and carrying groceries. They endure prolonged postural loads when sitting at the computer desk, and if the body is overwhelmed with excessive or prolonged load, muscles and connective tissues may strain, causing inflammation, guarded movement and pain. Read more….
Pain. Pain is a signal sent to our awareness when something is wrong. Injurious events are picked up by our nerve endings and send to relay stations in the brain where they are interpreted for reaction. Sometimes pain is referred from another muscle or organ some distance from the pain. Expertise is required to resolve the cause of the pain…not just the symptoms.
Pain is a common and normal occurrence in everyday life, yet few of us understand it. For some “no pain, no gain” is a euphemism for life’s challenges, while for others pain is something to avoid and mitigate at all costs. Pain is the most common reason for Canadians seeking health care and is the primary complaint in 78% of people reporting to hospital emergency rooms. Read more….