By: Petra Najafee, Registered Psychotherapist

Here it is folks, workday stress buster #2. It can be done in just a few minutes and it can even be done at your desk! The idea is to tense your muscle groups one by one to the point where they are getting tired enough that there is no choice but to relax them. Here’s how it goes:

• Start with your toes. Curl your toes and keep them really tight for as long as you can before it starts to get uncomfortable. Then relax them, feel the support of the floor under your feet and allow your feet to sink down into the floor.
• Next, tighten your calves, with your feet still planted on the floor if you can. Hold this tension, again, until your calves are getting tired and uncomfortable. Then allow all that tension to flow out of your calves and let them relax. Notice the relaxation in your calves and your feet before moving on.
• Moving upward, focus now on your thighs. Tighten you quads and your hamstrings as best you can and hold the tension there until it is uncomfortable. Then allow the muscles to relax and sink into the chair. Again, take a moment to notice the relaxation in your feet, your calves, and your thighs before moving on.
• Follow this same process for your buttocks, your stomach, your back, and your shoulders. Many of us hold our tension in our back and shoulders, so pay particular attention to these areas. Allow them to drop comfortably in the relaxation phase.
• If your door is closed, you can even scrunch up your face really tight and then allow those muscles to relax.

Try the progressive muscle relaxation this week and see how it goes. Even just focusing on a few of the muscle groups where you know you hold your tension can be helpful. Try this one at night as well before going to sleep.

*If you have a history of being physically violent, this tip is not for you as some people find it triggering. If this is the case, continue with tip #1, going for a walk, and stay tuned for next week’s tip.

By: Dr. Kyle Etwaroo, Chiropractor

While neck pain is widely studied and understood from a diagnosis perspective, the treatment approach can often vary between practitioners. Most often I’m asked if stretching will help my neck when in pain. In short, a stretching routine can reduce your pain if done consistently, but will be more effective if incorporated with a resistance training component to it. Although it sounds farfetched to “train” your neck like you would your biceps or legs, research favours increasing the muscular endurance of your neck through low weight, multiple repetition exercises. Repetition allows for increased endurance, which leads to the ability to contract and support your neck movements and positions throughout the day, decreasing the possibility of fatigue or subsequent pain. A great way to test your endurance would be with a cervical endurance flexion test, where those with neck pain will have a harder time keeping their head suspended in flexion >30 seconds compared to an asymptomatic population.

Using resistance bands on your head in repetitive multidirectional ranges of motion (ex. Flexion, extension, etc.) is an effective tool in building both neck muscular endurance and ROM in a shorter period of time (as little as 2 months) than just pure stretching alone. Furthermore, adherence to endurance neck exercises throughout the week is minimal at most, requiring only 2/7 days of the week on average to be effective over the span of the year.

While neck pain can be the result of poor musculature endurance, the upper back or thoracic spine is often associated with neck pain and often overlooked when attempting to treat neck pain. It not only shares common muscular attachments with the neck and shoulder girdle but it is also associated in common movements such as rotation and lateral bending. Treatment protocols involving the thoracic spine (which included spinal manipulation) have been found to benefit patients with neck pain when combined with cervical range of motion exercises over the span of only 3 visits. Therefore, adding in a rehab protocol for the thoracic spine can indirectly help with your neck pain and further complement the training exercises for your neck. An example of a great thoracic exercise I give my patients is listed below.

• Foam Roller Mobilizations
  • On your back, hands and elbows together without pulling on the neck
  • Place foam roller perpendicular to your body along your mid back
  • Roll with a parallel body evenly on the back, working slowly over painful trigger point spots
  • Switch then to segmental mobs, gently extending backwards towards the floor at each level of your mid back
    • Inhale and exhale when going from flexion to extension to decrease tension.

References:

Ylinen et al. 2006- Effects of Twelve-Month Strength Training Subsequent To Twelve-Month Stretching Exercise in Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain
Roquelaure et al. 2014-Prevalence of Thoracic Spine Pain in a Surveillance Network
Cleland et al. 2007- Development of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Guiding Treatment of a Subgroup of Patients with Neck Pain: Use of Thoracic Spine Manipulation, Exercise, and Patient Education

By: Petra Najafee, Registered Psychotherapist

I see so many people tired, stressed-out, trying to cope with the kajillion stresses of daily life. Some are coping with anxiety or depression on top of all that. All this while (or because of) working a full day, every day, at the office, at school, or at home, without taking the time to de-stress. And if we keep this up, at some point our mental health is going to suffer. So, I’m going to spend the next few weeks offering some simple stress busting tips. They might not be earth-shattering, and they’re not going to fix everything but sometimes we just need reminders of the common sense stuff. And most of us need reminders about taking care of ourselves. As I often tell my clients, the big changes start with baby steps. So here it goes…

Tip #1: Go for Walk

Yup. It’s that simple. I know what you’re thinking….”I don’t have time to go for a walk!” Yes, you do. Even if it’s for 5 minutes. It will get your circulation going, it will clear your head, and you’ll be more productive when you get back to your desk. Sure, 15 minutes or even 30 minutes would be better, but 5 minutes will do. Now, I’m not talking about a power walk here. Just a stroll. Take the time to put aside whatever’s at work and just notice what’s around you as you walk. If you’ve got any green space near you, that’s even better. Any connection with nature has been shown to have a calming effect whether it’s listening to birds, noticing the colours of the leaves, or yes, stopping to smell the flowers. But if you don’t have a green space near you, that’s okay. You can still notice the colour of the sky, the movement of the clouds, the feeling of the breeze on your face. And every time thoughts of work start creeping in, just gently put them aside and remember you will have plenty of time to think about it later. But for the moment, you are just going to notice the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of what is around you while going for a nice stroll.

Try it for a week. See how it goes. And check back next week for tip #2.