It is reported that massage therapy, when done correctly by knowledgeable experts is one of the keys in relieving stress and many other types of body ache. Massage therapy shows to have positive effect physically, emotionally, and physiologically too.

How does one develop muscle tension and pain? Heavy physical activities, repetitive movements, prolonged stagnant position, and incorrect bodily posture are the main causes of fatigue, muscle strain, and muscular pain. Taking over-the-counter pain reliever drugs will not provide long-term solution, rather, may even cause liver failure over time.

Massage therapy provides optimum relaxation and relief to your body muscles. It is highly recommended that you check with professionals first before getting a deep tissue massage because in some cases, people mistake their skeletal problem to muscular pain. Health professionals at Alevia Health and Wellness Centre in Mississauga and Burlington locations can intelligently tell you the difference and provide you with the correct treatment for your condition.

Almost anybody can benefit from massage therapy because of its results. Massage therapy has numerous health benefits that include reduction of bodily aches such as shoulder tension and lower back pain; it improves blood circulation, promotes digestion, decreases or even eliminate fatigue, calms the nerves, fights depression, promotes good sleep, physical recovery, and boosts your immunity.

Studies show that people who receive massage therapy regularly demonstrated substantial improvement in posture, balance, range of motion, and even mood. It is reported that white blood cells and neutrophil increased in patients that are massaged regularly while recovering from surgery.

Who can have a massage therapy? Virtually anyone of any age range can benefit from massage therapy since massage can vary from light, moderate, to heavy — depending on the needs of a patient. However, it’s advisable to ask your Doctor first before getting a massage therapy. You may have medical conditions that you may not be aware of and it’s best to check with a Doctor first if it is advisable for you to get a massage. People with certain blood vessel disease or cardiovascular disease, and people with severe cases of osteoporosis are not advised to get deep tissue massage therapy due to complications brought about by their condition. Pregnant women have special type of massage that they can benefit from as well.

When you’re a good candidate for massage therapy, when should you get one? A good answer is, when you’re feeling stressed or when you need a relaxation, you can get definitely get one. That’s why even if you don’t feel quite much muscular tension; it’s still advisable to reward yourself with massage therapy once in a while especially when you’ve been doing such a great job at work or at school. Feel free to contact us at Alevia.ca to schedule your massage therapy in Mississauga and Burlington.

If you don’t have an ice pack, a bag of frozen peas or corn will do. P.R.I.C.E., is a common short form used after an injury, suggesting patients to Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate their injury.

Heat is typically applied to an injured muscle or joint after the inflammatory phase is over (24-72 hours). Moist heat is preferred over dry heat as dry heat may dehydrate your muscles making them less flexible and predisposing them to further injury. Moist heat applications may last up to 20-30 minutes.

Ask us or your physiotherapist or chiropractor which therapy is best for your injury or condition.

Click on the video below to see how your skeletal system interacts with your feet

Did you know that the average person takes approximately 10,000 steps a day? Whether you realize it or not, your feet do a lot of walking!

Your feet are your body’s foundation, balancing your weight with every step.

When we think of foot problems, we often think of bunions, heel spurs, and tendonitis. However, not all foot problems cause pain in the feet. Low arches or too high of an arch affect your body’s posture and weight distribution, which in turn can lead to pain in the neck and lower back.

Structural problems in your feet result in displaced pressure to other parts of your body, forcing your knees, hips, and back to overcompensate. That is why it is important that a health professional, such as a chiropractor look at your feet and posture.

If your chiropractor discovers structural abnormalities, he or she may recommend that you wear flexible, custom-made orthotics. Unlike off-the-rack varieties, custom-made orthotics are designed especially for the unique contours and conditions of your feet. These custom-made orthotics should also be flexible, so they offer the right amount of bending but sturdy support for all the phases of foot movement.

Overall, by providing a normal range of function and corrective support for your feet, flexible custom-made orthotics let your feet do what they were meant to do – provide a sound and balanced foundation for your body!

If you think orthotics might help get your body back in balance, please ask us or make an appointment for a complimentary consultation. Your joints will thank you for it! Contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at  905-785-9952   or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at  905-315-9955            

Knee injuries are very common and anyone can be affected. Overuse from repetitive motions, sudden twists and stops and direct blows to the knee joint can easily lead to injury.

Ligament sprains and strains to tendons which are as a result of being overstretched can cause pain, swelling, bleeding, and a sense of feeling that the knee is going to give way.

Cartilage and meniscal tears are a common sports injury and often occur in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

Arthritis of the knee joint can occur from ongoing knee trauma and overuse, not only in sports but in everyday life.

Treating Knee Injuries

A physiotherapist can assess the knee injury and develop a program that includes:

•Rest, ice, compression and elevation

•Stretching exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, calf and hip muscles

•Strengthening exercises that would help stabilize the injured knee

•Education on injury prevention

•Custom made orthotics that would allow proper support and help prevent knee injury

Knee Bracing

Knee braces help compensate for improper function of certain components of the injured knee as well as provide stability, thus reducing painful symptoms during activity.

A physiotherapist can help advise and recommend if someone will benefit from having a custom-fitted knee brace.

Do Braces Work?

A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine comprised of 820 skiers with ligament problems showed that skiers who did not wear a knee brace were 2.74 times more likely to re-injure their knees.

Should you or one of your family members have a knew injury or any pain associated with their knees, please contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at  905-785-9952 or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at 905-315-9955      

Choosing Proper Backpacks by Alevia Health & Wellness

Choosing the wrong backpack or wearing it incorrectly can result in sore and stiff neck, back and feet which can ultimately lead to injury.

Studies have shown that the average child carries a backpack that would be the equivalent of a 39-pound load for a 176-pound man or a 29-pound load for a 132-pound woman.

Statistics by the American Occupational Therapy Association show that most backpacks are overloaded unbalanced and can cause damage to the spine of the child.

The following is a list of suggestions and recommendations about backpack safety that all parents of young children should be following:

Make a checklist of what is needed for the day and leave other items at home.

Make sure the child’s backpack weighs no more than 10-15% of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause the child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on their back.

The backpack should never hang lower than 4 inches below the child’s waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on their shoulders, causing the child to lean forward when walking.

A backpack with individual compartments helps in distributing the weight of the backpack’s contents effectively. Make sure that point or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on the child’s back.

If needed, have an additional fanny pack carried in front for cell phones, calculators and other smaller items.

Bigger backpack is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more the child will carry, and hence, the heavier the backpack will be.

Ensure both shoulder straps are worn at all times. Carrying the backpack around by one strap can cause a disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms and low back pain.

The shoulder straps should be as wide as possible and adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to the child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably, thereby potentially causing spinal misalignment and back pain.

Backpacks should be loaded with the heaviest books in first, and closest to the child’s back.

Teach proper lifting techniques. Bend at the hips and knees, and then pick up the backpack, keeping the load close to the body.

At Alevia, we have seen several injuries from strain on the muscles and joints caused by not choosing the proper backpack or following the above mentioned recommendations outlined by the Canadian and American Chiropractic Associations.

Should you or one of your children suffer from any pain associated with their backpacks, please contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at 905-785-9952 or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at 905-315-9955

As much as hip replacement surgery has improved over the years, for many people it still means early retirement from sports and intense exercise. Now there is a new option for those with hip pain who do not want to give up an active lifestyle — hip resurfacing.

Known as the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing~A System, the new technique involves shaving and capping bone within the hip joint, which preserves bone and joint stability. Joint surfaces are coated with a cobalt chrome implant that resembles a tooth cap. Not only is it less invasive than the traditional hip replacement, it is expected to last longer. Today, many people who have hip replacements can look forward — ten or fifteen years down the road — to having to have the procedure again, after the artificial hip wears out.

“Hip resurfacing is ideal for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain. As we’ve seen greater numbers of younger patients and older patients that are physically active, there’s been an increased need for an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle,” says Dr. William B. Macaulay, director of the Center for Hip and Knee Replacement at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia.

More than 38 million adults make in excess of 300 million visits to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other health care practitioners each year in the United States. A total of 30,332 survey respondents gave their perceptions of the helpfulness of treatments for their most bothersome conditions over the past two years. Chiropractic ranked first for back and neck cases.

The survey also found a significant level of collaboration and awareness between health care professionals. Consumer Reports Magazine’s readers said their medical doctors were generally aware of their use of additional health care therapies for their medical conditions. For instance 81 percent of those who sought chiropractic care, usually for back or neck pain, said their medical doctors knew about it.

Winter walking is a great way to get in shape and by following some of these tips, you can avoid serious injury:

1) Wear suitable clothing and proper footwear

2) Move your feet apart when you walk for better balance

3) Walk with your knees slightly bent on slippery or icy surfaces

4) Walk sideways and don’t cross one foot over the other when walking up or down a slippery slope

5) Stretch your hip flexors, buttocks, hamstrings, quads, and calves before, during and after your walk

6) Your stretches should be slow and controlled with no bouncing or jerking and held for at least 30 seconds and 2-3 times on each leg

7) Rotate walking routes every other day to avoid overuse injuries

8 If you’re wearing a backpack, it should not weigh more than 30% of your body weight

The time of year has come again when resolutions are made, goals are set, motivation is renewed and expectations for success are high. Perhaps you have made resolutions in the past that were unsuccessful or did not last as long as you wished.

Solution – Try something new this year like Pilates

Make a group fitness class “something new” and fun all at the same time. Exercising in a group environment with a motivational instructor will help you achieve your own personal fitness goals, such as gaining muscle tone, increasing core strength and just being more active. Plus, the instructor will ensure your success through their guidance and support.

Group fitness classes are planned ahead of time and can easily fit one’s hectic schedule.

1 hour, 2 to 3 times a week will do your body good and help keep your resolution.

Call us to book your classes In Burlington or Mississauga and find out how these classes are paid by most extended health insurance plans!

Burlington Office: 905-315-9955

Mississauga Office: 905-785-9952