Bioflex Cold Laser Therapy is a therapy that utilizes specific types of light to interact with tissues. The light source is placed in direct contact with damaged tissues, which allows the photon energy to penetrate through the skin surface and reach various deeper levels. Through this interaction, normal cell function is restored and your body’s natural healing process is enhanced. Bioflex Cold Laser Therapy is currently one of the most advanced laser therapy systems available on the global market. With over 20 years in business, and over 20 million treatments provided, they have maintained one of the highest reputations within the industry. Many professional sports teams are even turning to this treatment because in addition to helping with chronic pain, it also assists with diminishing the pain and speeding up the recovery of injuries.
As with many modalities, the rate at which individuals experience the benefits varies depending on the individual and the injury. While some respond very quickly, others may require more time. However, despite the variation in recovery time, a markedly enhanced recovery is always experienced across all individuals and medical conditions.
As a licensed therapy by Health Canada and FDA cleared, laser therapy offers patients a safe and effective treatment for a wide range of conditions. These include soft tissue and sports injuries, wound healing, dermatological conditions and a variety of musculoskeletal problems. To further support its use, the FDA has stated that there have been no contraindications to date.
As a fully certified massage therapist in Bioflex Cold Laser Therapy, I have treated a number of symptoms and conditions with extremely great results. Here are some of the treatable conditions that I can help with through the use of this treatment:
Sports and Soft Tissue Injuries
- Ligament, Tendon & Muscle Tears / Strains
- Knee Dysfunction: Meniscal / Ligament Tears
- Contusions / Hematoma
Back Problems
- Degenerative Osteoarthritis
- Multilevel Degenerative Disc Disease
- Sciatica/Radiculitis
Repetitive Stress Injuries
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
Wounds and Dermal Ulcers Inflammatory Conditions
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
General Problems
- Temporo-mandibular Joint Dysfunction
- Lymphedema
- Fibromyalgia
To find out more about this therapy, or if you feel you would benefit from this treatment, book in an appointment today and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Furthermore, to learn about clinical trials that were done, you can also head over to the Bioflex website at bioflex.com
Cory Boyd, RMT
Personal Trainer
Bioflex Laser Therapy Provider
Graston Technique Provider
Rapid NeuroFascial Reset Provider
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
Officially Running Out Of Room For Qualifications Guy 😉
Life is not perfect; your nutrition does not have to be perfect. Your liver, immune system, digestive system, intestinal system, and all other body systems will simply thank you for avoiding these as much as you can.
| Instead of: | Replace with: |
| Soft drinks | Mineral water with a splash of lemon or lime |
| Sports drinks | Homemade electrolyte drink: coconut water, a dash of sea salt & pure fruit juice |
| Refined sugar | Raw honey, medjool dates, pure maple syrup |
| MSG | Avoid packaged/processed – choose fresh foods |
| GMO | Check the labels and choose non-GMO, opt for fresh whole foods instead. |
| BHT/BHA | Avoid packaged/processed foods |
| Nitrate | Go fresh, grass-fed, organic if you can |
| Caffeine | Drink coffee in moderation or substitute with Dandy Blend |
| PHO – those are trans-fats | Avoid packaged/processed, choose fresh, cook with coconut oil instead of fragile oils, keep your nuts in the fridge or freezer so they don’t go rancid
|
| Pesticides – | Wash produce thoroughly with white distilled vinegar/baking soda/water or choose organic if you can
|
Minimize stress and enjoy life.
Carole Woodstock, RHN, FIS, NCCP
www.fuel4lifenutrition.com
**DISCLAIMER!!**
To get the full benefit of this blog, I suggest listening to “Eye of the Tiger”.
Ready? Alright, so this blog is all about POWER! And the importance of adding power exercises into your training protocol.
We all know what speed is, and we know what strength is, but what exactly is power and why should we care? Power is defined as the ability to exert the maximum force AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Therefore, we can’t have speed without power. Power is also related to strength.
So why increase the power of our muscles? It’s simple, when training to increase the power of our muscles, we’re training our central nervous system. Just one of the many functions of the central nervous system is to control the movements of the muscles. So, when we are training our central nervous system, say with power exercises, we are training our body to control its own muscles with precision and efficiency. This in turn means, we have better muscle endurance. We end up being able to do more exercises without feeling that muscle fatigue during our workout. This also means there will be less muscle soreness felt after the workout. This might be a hard concept for some people to wrap their head around, as people generally want to feel that muscle soreness after a workout. **As a side note, just because you don’t feel sore, doesn’t mean you didn’t put in the work at the gym, your muscles are just getting more efficient at taking that lactic acid away. **
Will our muscle mass increase and look more muscular when we do power exercises? No, and that is because power exercises use muscle fibers that we already have. Again, power exercises are training the central nervous system, not the actual muscle. Since power exercises don’t “bulk” us up, this makes them ideal to throw into the routine near a race. The increase in power will help with muscle endurance, and the added muscle bulk won’t weigh you down during the race. And if there are no races planned in the near future, power exercises are good to add in anytime.
If you want to add a day of power exercises to a workout routine, all you have to do is drop the weight, increase the amount of repetitions done and do every repetition as quickly as possible. If you find you’re still lagging in the speed, drop the weight some more. Don’t forget to take a break between the sets too! Don’t be afraid to even take a break between each rep if you need to. And if you’re doing a movement quick enough, you may need to take a break.
Here are two categories of power exercises you can try at the gym:
- Plyometrics are a group of exercises that promote high movement with a lot of muscle fiber recruitment in a short amount of time. The time when the body comes into contact with the ground needs to be short!
Example: Depth jump
- Speed-strength sets: This category of power exercises is when you perform multi-joint, full body lifts as quickly and explosively as possible, but with LIGHTER weight.
Example: Body-weight squat, cable row
There you have it. We now know why power is important (trains your CNS), what power does for our muscles (increases endurance), when do add power into our training protocol (any time or near a race) and different types of power exercises (plyometrics and speed-strength).
Now, go try it out and all the power to you! (sorry)
Dylan Crake
Registered Kinesiologist
Registered Massage Therapist
A healthy diet is an essential key to maximizing your brain’s potential after a brain injury. Poor diet can affect mood, behavior and brain function. Our brains need energy and nutrients for healthy brain chemistry, functioning of nerves, and correct neurotransmitter levels. A healthy diet becomes even more critical after a brain injury as you begin the recovery process.
The basics of a healthy diet
Fad diets come and go, but the essentials of a healthy diet remain:
Power up with protein
To help heal your brain, you need plenty of dietary protein. Aim for 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of your body weight. Eat lean, healthy protein sources like organic/free range poultry, fish, beans, legumes nuts & seeds
Eliminate sugar and other high-glycemic-index foods
Foods like white bread, white potatoes, and pasta increase blood sugar levels and inflammation in the brain.
Follow a no-grain or low-grain diet
Eat only gluten-free grains for at least 30 days (preferably 100 days) to see if symptoms are reduced. Gluten sensitivity is common and often undiagnosed, and removing it can reduce inflammation and get you back on track.
Eat more vegetables
A lot more (8-10 portions daily)! Adding non-starchy vegetables and berries, can reduce inflammation and feed health-promoting bacteria in the gut, which improve mood and cognitive ability.
Fuel With Healthy Fats
We still need fat in our diet, but if you are injured, this would be a time to dial in your fat sources and make sure they mostly come from unsaturated fats, such as nuts & seeds and nut butters (studies suggest nuts are associated with reduced markers of inflammation), avocados and olive oil that can work in our favor to reduce inflammation. Other healthy sources: those cleaner omega-3 oils; omega-3-rich fish like salmon, sardines, and anchovies. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, found abundantly in fish oil, are crucial for reducing brain inflammation, and building strong, flexible cell membranes. For the first few weeks after a concussion, supplement with up to 4,000 mg daily of a high-quality fish oil. Continue with 2,000 to 4,000 mg daily for three months after that.
Resist the urge to cut calories
Your instinct is probably to cut back on calories since you’re no longer working up a sweat every day. Resist that temptation and keep eating at the rate you have been. Your body heals from macro and micronutrients, so you need to keep calories up to keep supplies of nutrients up. Plus, the act of healing boosts your metabolic rate.
Alcohol, caffeine & other drugs
Excessive alcohol consumption can cause nutritional deficiencies as key vitamins and minerals are needed to break it down in our bodies. Most rehabilitation specialists will advise completely quitting alcohol use for at least a year or two after a brain injury, if not permanently. For those who do choose to eventually drink again, they are advised to drink in very moderate amounts only, and for family members to ensure it is not worsening any behaviours or other impairments after the brain injury.
Hydration is Key for Brain Health
Don’t get me wrong, both food and water are both very important. However, if you stop eating you will be able to fast for a while. Some people even do 30 days on just water with electrolytes! Stop drinking water, and you will only have a precious few days. When you get dehydrated, you will notice more severe symptoms than when you are just hungry.
Take your weight in pounds and divide by two, this will give you the amount of ounces you need. For example: 128lbs divide by 2=64oz (2 litres of water daily).
If you would like more information on post concussion nutrition, feel free to contact me at the clinic!
Carole Woodstock
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
FIS, NCCP
If I had a dollar every time I was asked what a Kin was, I would no longer actually have to work as a Kin! However, all these questions and puzzled looks and head scratches got me thinking, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT A KIN IS. So, I’m here to educate everyone on what I did to become one and what I am able to do now that I am one.
Sorry, you do what now?
A Registered Kinesiologist is a self-regulated health care practitioner. This means the Province of Ontario gives the College of Kinesiologists the right to regulate our own profession. This also means there are multiple steps required to be eligible to become a Registered Kinesiologist.
First, you need to complete a degree in Human Kinetics, Kinesiology or a similar degree that has to do with human health. Once you have successfully received your degree, you have to send proof that you’ve completed certain classes to the College of Kinesiology, including: biomechanics, ergonomics and statistics.
And then you study everything under the sun! Everything from orthopedic assessments, to sports psychology, and yes, even statistics. I spent about six months studying for this exam and wrote it May 2015. It was a 180-question multiple choice exam and totally worth it!!
As a R. Kin, I have the opportunity to produce personalized treatment plans and supervise clients in a multitude of settings (clinics like Whole Therapy, hospitals, fitness centres). I use my in-depth knowledge of biomechanics and anatomy to help explain movements to clients and why one type of exercise might be easier than others. There is also the need to know physiology as a R. Kin. Knowing exactly what makes the muscle fibers tick- or twitch- I should say, can help clients learn how to activate certain muscles groups and increase the size of the muscles, increase strength of those muscles and even increase endurance of those muscles.
Many Registered Kinesiologists tend to work in the rehab and prehab scene (like myself) but, we can also go down the occupational path where the focus can be on ergonomic assessments in the work place and creating return to work plans and accessibility management. It’s even possible for R. Kins to be a part of our government in the public health sector. R. Kins are essentially anywhere and everywhere.
What can you expect when you see a R.K in, like myself? The client’s goals and objectives for the treatment plan will be assessed. This allows the R. Kin to pinpoint where the client wants their focus. This is followed by the assessment, which includes: muscle strength testing, muscle length testing and stability testing. Once the assessment is complete, the R. Kin can use the results and the goals to form the personalized treatment plan. Upon the subsequent visits, the client and the R. Kin will work together to meet their goals. The R. Kin keeps track of the progress that is made each visit, and finally, the R. Kin will collaborate with any other health care professionals that are also working with their client. This ensures care from every angle and provides transparency for all health care practitioners involved as well as the client.
So next time you tell someone you’re on your way to your kinesiology appointment and they ask what that is? Let them know we’re a group of regulated health practitioners using movement-based science to help prevent injury, increase strength and help achieve your best, pain-free life!
Dylan Crake
R. Kin,
Registered Massage Therapist
Mobility doesn’t equal flexibility.
There I said it.
And static stretching has the potential to worsen an injury, if one is present! So how do we become more mobile? Why do we need mobility? and what even is mobility?
Mobility is about having the ability for joints to move through the full range of motion, with NO pain and ease of movement! It is essentially how you and your body move together. The more mobility you have, the more self-awareness you gain.
And, do you know what happens when you have more self-awareness? You know when something doesn’t feel right, sooner, within your body, such as a possible injury. Mobility means you catch the signs of an injury when it first happens, leading you to get the help you need and stop the pain in its tracks. Isn’t that amazing?!
We need to be mobile. Simple as that. We need to be able to move through day-to-day life in order to get from Place A to Place B. Surprisingly, strength training assists with this. “Hold up !” you might be thinking, “doesn’t increasing strength mean limiting the range of motion of those joints?” No! The stronger the joints, the more control you have over those joints, therefore more mobility you have! Therefore, if you want to get more mobile, get stronger.
Furthermore, when enhancing mobility in our bodies, it is important to do incremental changes. This allows the body to adapt slowly and not go “What the heck are you doing?!?!” when you decided to foam roll your quads for 30 minutes once a week.
Everyone benefits from working on their mobility. How do I know this? If you think about it, most people stay within a limited range of motion for the majority of the day (i.e., sitting at a desk). This means you’re essentially missing half of your range of motion at your hips during the day! Also, when most people are moving, they typically move in one direction, I haven’t bumped into anyone (yet) that walks side-to-side. This again, limits our range of motion! The limited range of motion can cause a decrease in the sought, after mobility, leading to faulty movement patterns, which then leads to loss of movement economy, therefore a loss of energy and can make you prone to more injuries! It’s a giant chain reaction.
So, what can you do to increase your mobility? Exercise and massage! The two things I know best. Some simple exercises to add in throughout your day could include:
- Leg Swings: swing your legs side to side, increasing your hip mobility and getting them to move in a direction they don’t normally move in
- Frankenstein Walks: Bring your legs up in front of you, with control, while walking, increasing the hip range of motion again, working on balance and proprioception.
- Walking lunge: Working on that hip range of motion, along with balance and proprioception.
- Deep-body weight squats: Get down as low as you can without toppling over. This is a great position to be in if you just want to hang out. Watching tv and a commercial comes on? Go into that deep squat, your hips will thank you.
- Getting up off the ground and going back onto the ground: This is an easy movement you can easily do throughout the day.
- Hitting the door frame when you walk through a door: This is working on the shoulder mobility, when was the last time you raised your arms above your head.
And what about massage?
Start incorporating self-massage with foam rollers, lacrosse balls and a softer balls into your everyday routine.
You can use the foam rollers on larger parts of your body, such as your back and hamstrings. Use the harder lacrosse balls, on more specific areas that are deeper, such as a trigger point in the upper trap and use a softer ball to work on the connective tissue covering the muscles to get nutrients into the fascia. The forearms are a good place to try that one! Remember to go up incrementally, only do self-massage for about 3 minutes whenever you can fit it in, in your day. This will also better prepare your body for a massage when you see a massage therapist, allowing you to reap the rewards better.
Now, when you go for your massage treatments with a massage therapist (such as myself), please forget the slogan “No pain, no gain”. This is absolutely wrong and no intense pain should be felt during a massage. Increased pain during a massage could cause the opposite effect of the intended results. Making your muscles go into protective mode and making them stiffer than they were before.
So remember:
- mobility doesn’t mean flexibility
- strength enhances mobility
And forget:
- No pain, no gain
And there you have it. Mobility is important in injury prevention, self-awareness, coordination and generally better movement. You can incorporate mobility exercises throughout your day, and it never hurts to see a massage therapist to get your tissue moving!
Dylan Crake
R. Kin,
Registered Massage Therapist
Good sleep quality and duration help protect us from cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, but how? For the longest time, it was assumed the fluids in the brain and spinal cord were isolated from the rest of the body. It turns out that was totally wrong and the reason is really important.
The brain shrinks and expands during the four stages of sleep. As this happens, the fluid filled spaces in the brain pump damaging waste products including misfolded Tau proteins associated with Alzheimer into the lymph system of the rest of the body for disposal. Good sleep also supports resiliency during times of perceived stress which in turn helps the body keep inflammation in check; another important risk factor for brain health.
A few simple tricks may help you sleep more soundly for the ideal 7-8 hours. These include: Having your bedroom already dark before entering, having a warm bath or shower before bed, meditating if you feel stressed or can’t unwind, avoiding caffeine after Noon if you’re sensitive to it, not eating a meal less than three hours before bed and wearing orange coloured glasses to block out the blue spectrum light for a few hours before bed. The pineal gland assumes it must be daytime if there is blue in the spectrum of light such as from computer screens and energy efficient bulbs.
Should these and similar methods not bring sound sleep, book an appointment with our Integrative Therapist David Gilbert. Pick up a free Health Pass from the clinic, to bypass the usual $80.00 initial assessment fee.
Yours in good mental/emotional health.
The above is for information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Author: David E P Gilbert. David is a highly experienced Integrative Therapist particularly focused on anxiety/depression, stress, burnout, grief, trauma or PTSD, Post Concussion Syndrome and self-sabotage. Being trained in a number of modalities including Emotional Freedom Techniques and PTT (Picture Tapping Techniques), he works with clients both in-office and via phone or video cam across the world. Work so powerful it’s guaranteed.
What is periodization?
If you’ve ever wondered what periodization was, and why you hear fitness trainers talk about it, then you’ve come to the right place for a little crash course on the wonderful world of periodization!
To begin, periodization is splitting up different training aspects into different cycles to meet different fitness goals.
The four phases of periodization that I’ll talk about include:
- Foundational
- Hypertrophy
- Strength
- Endurance
(there are more than just these phases when it comes to periodization, especially if you are a runner or cyclist, but I’ll be focusing on the above phases specifically)
Now, it’s important to start in the foundation phase, and from there you can move between the three other phases, depending on what you believe your body needs.
Foundational Phase: This is where primal movement patterns are observed and re-built. This is the phase where most of the teaching gets done. If you want to perfect your deadlift, hang out in this phase for a while.
Parameters
Load: 60 % of maximum strength
Sets: 2-3
Repetitions: 12-15
Duration: 2 weeks to forever
Exercises: Hip hinge, squat patterns
Hypertrophy Phase: This is where muscle tone and muscle mass are created. When completing exercises in this phase, you want to move slow and controlled. When planning out which exercises you want to complete in this phase, focus on having 80% of the exercises compound (push, pull) and 20 % isolated (tricep pulls, bicep curls). If you want to see results, it is important to do 12-16 working sets of a larger muscle group (quadriceps) in a week and 6-9 working sets for smaller muscle groups (calf muscles).
Parameters
Load: Moderate weight
Sets: 2-3, with positive fail
Repetitions: 8-12
Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets
Duration: 6- 8 weeks
Exercise: Front squat, Romanian deadlift
Strength Phase: This is where your body recruits more muscle fibres by adapting to the demand you impose on your body. The heavier the weight, the more demand on the body and the more the body needs to work to recruit all the muscle fibres. Interestingly enough, this is the phase where people see most weight loss.
Parameters
Load: Heavy weight
Sets: 3
Repetitions: 2-6
Rest: 2-3 minutes between sets
Duration: 6-8 weeks
Exercises: Bench press, deadlift, front squat
Endurance Phase: This is the phase where you will complete as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds OR you will increase time under tension by holding a position. The endurance phase can help build up cardiovascular strength, allowing your heart to pump more blood out to the body, when needed most.
Parameters
Load: Light weight or body weight
Sets: 3
Time: 20- 30 seconds
Rest: 15-60 seconds This increases time under tension
Duration: 6-8 weeks
Exercises: Burpees, squat hold
It’s important to remember that periodization does not have to be linear! You can travel back-and-forth between the phases, allowing your fitness planning to match your life and goals.
Which phase do you want to work in?
Dylan Crake
R. Kin,
Registered Massage Therapist
Hey everyone, Cory here! I wanted to take a minute to let you all know about this new tool I’ve added to my tool box. I can’t wait to put this into practice! It’s called Rapid NeuroFascial Reset!
So you’re probably asking..
What is Rapid NeuroFascial Reset?
It is a newer soft tissue movement based therapeutic technique. It addresses the central nervous systems role in alleviating pain, tension and restrictions within muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. It works to desensitize and calm hypersensitivity in the nervous system that causes pain.
Why choose RAPID?
Many clients choose RAPID because of the ‘rapid’ response to treatment. Provides individuals with the chance to return to their regular activities more immediately. Most painful conditions will be resolved in a few treatments.
There are a many conditions that can be remedied by RAPID including:
- headaches / migraines
- back pain
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- shin splints
- shoulder pain
- sciatica
- plantar fasciitis
- knee problems
- tennis / golfers elbow
- whiplash
- TMJ
- frozen shoulder
- bursitis
- bunions and arthritic joints
What is it like to receive a RAPID treatment?
Each session of RAPID is usually a combination of examination and treatment. Combining direct tension with specific patient movements treats abnormalities in problem areas. RAPID sessions may be uncomfortable during the movement phase of the treatment. This occurs as the neurological system is being stimulated to restore normal function.
Book a session today and experience more ease of movement so you can get back to enjoying life!!
Cory Boyd, RMT
Personal Trainer
Graston Technique Provider
Rapid NeuroFascial Reset Provider
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
Officially Running Out Of Room For Qualifications Guy 😉
Authors:
Robert and Sherry Routledge
We are free to think and say whatever we’d like. But did you know that your brain is always listening?
Studies by developmental biologists such as Bruce Lipton are showing over and over again that our brains hear what we say. Specifically, that our subconscious mind (the part that ensures we respond exactly how we are programmed) takes our words and beliefs and turns them into our actions.
Speaking from a body and pain perspective, what we believe and tell ourselves has a lot to do with how our injuries resolve!
In the clinic every day I hear people speak about themselves with language that is totally counterproductive to healing. Our beliefs shape our reality. As is such, believing we are broken leads to actions that reflect brokenness. Which in turn leads to more brokenness, (and – wait for it!) the reinforcement of our belief.
What do you believe that isn’t serving you?