LeBron James rocks a lumbar roll– maybe you should too.

Having a firm roll to support the natural curve in the lower back is a key way to prevent slouching in essentially any kind of chair.  Use it by keeping your butt close to the back, and pushing the roll down as far as it will go, then just relax back around it.  Initially it might feel intrusive since you aren’t sued to it, but it’s a feel you’ll come to love!

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/7/27/17621974/lebron-james-lakers-lumbar-back-fashion-summer-2018

At Elevation Physiotherapy & Wellness, we love the lumbar roll!  Learn more here

Managing “Texting Thumb”

So many people are using their phone, iPad or other devices so often through the day, and it can lead over time to soreness in the tendons of the thumb due to overuse.  This article from The Globe and Mail outlines a few thoughts on managing this pain, and different tactics to try with your devices.  If pain is ongoing, it is best to check in with your Physiotherapist, like the great ones at Elevation Physiotherapy, to assess your individual problem and customize the correct exercises or movements to help you get better.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-how-do-i-manage-the-pain-of-texting-thumb/

Where are the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

The group of muscles that make up the base of your core are collectively called the pelvic floor.  They are muscles like every other muscle in your body, they are just inside, so most people don’t give them any thought until they start to have a problem, like leaking(incontinence) or when the bladder or uterus starts to descend (pelvic organ prolapse).

People often hear that they should strengthen the pelvic floor, but either don’t even know what muscles are involved, or if they are able to work them properly.  Let’s break it down:

This is the view of the pelvic floor muscles if looking from below; at the top, there is the urethra (the hole where urine comes out), then the vagina, and at the bottom, the anus.  The pelvic floor muscles sling from the pubic bone on the front to the tailbone at the back, and also can wrap around the vagina and anus.  Together they act as support for the base of the core and trunk, and stability as they attach to the bones of the pelvis, spine and hips.  When the muscles contract, they behave like a sphincter to affect the vagina or anus, and can also help pump lymph through the system to prevent pooling at the pelvis.

So now that you know where they are anatomically, how do you locate these muscles?  Both men and women can do this in the same way.

  1. Sit or lie down and keep all of your muscles relaxed.  It is often easier for people to identify these muscles if they are lying down to start.
  2. Squeeze the muscles around the back aspect of your pelvic floor as if you are trying to stop passing wind, then relax them. Try this several times until you are sure that you are contracting the right muscles, and don’t squeeze your buttock muscles—they should stay relaxed.
  3. When sitting on the toilet to urinate, try to stop the stream, then start it again. You can try this to learn the right muscles to engage, but do not train this way or do it often, as it can mess with the reflexes between your bladder and pelvic floor muscles.  It’s a good technique to understand the proper contraction of the pelvic floor (it should feel like a lift in your vagina or scrotum), but continue to practice this Kegel exercise while not urinating!
  4. If you don’t feel a distinct “squeeze and lift” through your pelvic floor muscles, it’s time to contact your doctor, or better yet, a physiotherapist who is specially trained in working with your pelvic floor

 

Strength Training

No one has ever told me that they feel they have injured their (fill in the blank here) because they are too strong.  I agree with this article in The Globe and Mail on two tenets of strength training.

I would also emphasize that form is important, and breathing is even more important, especially with core work.  Ideally with every exercise you want to perform a core breath, which is actively engaging the pelvic floor muscles as you exhale.  This manages the increase in abdominal pressure as you are working your core muscles, and prevents that pressure from being forced downward to your pelvic floor muscles.

Core Breath: why this postpartum breathing technique is important for everyone

Breathing is under-rated.  People who lift weights understand that it is important to breath when actually lifting the weight, since holding your breath can increase blood pressure or potentially cause a hernia.  It is important to breath with exertion to control the increase in abdominal pressure that happens.

Women who work with a pelvic health physiotherapist after they have given birth learn to master core breathing, which is the same exhalation with exertion, but adding a pelvic floor muscle contraction with every exhale.

“Core Breathing” is using your breath when you properly contract your pelvic floor muscles with movement.  You want to inhale, expand your belly and relax your pelvic floor, then when you exhale, lift and engage your pelvic floor muscles.

Try these two exercises:

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We all know it’s important not to slouch for long periods… and that’s easy to say and hard to do! This article from the Globe and Mail has some solid information on movement, and how to “unlearn” that poor habits that keep us all rounded forward!

Gardening Tips for Spring

Gardening can be a form of exercise. Doing basic gardening tasks such as weeding, trimming

and raking can burn up to 300 calories an hour. It’s a good way to maintain flexibility and range of motion in your shoulders, hips and back, as well as building strength and endurance. Avoid pain and injury by starting with planned shortened sessions and gradually increase activities.

USE PROPER BODY MECHANICS
When digging or raking, make sure your neck and back are fairly straight, and you’re not holding a position where you’re rounding forward—be upright, and use your legs to move around, not reaching over with your arms! Always bend from the hip joint to keep your back straight, and not from the waist.  When lifting, try to “hinge” from the hips and use your legs.

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