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Category: Heatlhy Lifestyle

Total Sports TherapyNewsHeatlhy Lifestyle
How to treat back pain at home
By Admin 0 Comments Back Pain, Heatlhy Lifestyle

How to treat back pain at home

Effective Strategies for Relief

Back pain is a common issue that can affect anyone, at any age. Whether it's due to an injury, poor posture, or just the wear and tear of daily life, back pain can be a real burden. Fortunately, there are several effective home remedies and practices that can help alleviate the discomfort. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to treat back pain at home.

Stay Active

While it might be tempting to rest when you have back pain, staying active is crucial for recovery. Gentle exercises such as walking, swimming, or yoga can help improve mobility and strengthen the muscles supporting your spine.

Tips:

  • Walking: Start with short walks and gradually increase the distance as your pain decreases.
  • Stretching: Perform gentle stretches to maintain flexibility and reduce muscle tension.
  • Yoga: Focus on poses that strengthen the core and improve posture, such as Cat-Cow, Child’s Pose, and Bridge Pose.

Apply Heat or Cold

Applying heat or cold to the affected area can provide immediate relief.

Cold Therapy:

  • Use an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel.
  • Apply it to the painful area for 20 minutes several times a day during the first 48 hours.

Heat Therapy:

  • After the initial 48 hours, switch to a heating pad or warm towel.
  • Apply for 20 minutes to relax muscles and increase blood flow to the area.

Maintain Good Posture

Poor posture can exacerbate back pain. Pay attention to your posture throughout the day, especially if you sit for long periods.

Tips:

  • Sitting: Keep your feet flat on the floor, your knees at a right angle, and your back straight.
  • Standing: Distribute your weight evenly on both feet and avoid slouching.
  • Sleeping: Use a supportive mattress and sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Use Over-the-Counter Medications

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.

Tips:

  • Follow the dosage instructions on the package.
  • Consult your doctor if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking other medications.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Stress and anxiety can worsen back pain. Mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help reduce stress and promote overall well-being.

Techniques:

  • Deep Breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises to relax your muscles and calm your mind.
  • Meditation: Spend a few minutes each day meditating to reduce stress.
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and then slowly relax each muscle group in your body.

Stay Hydrated and Eat a Balanced Diet

Proper hydration and nutrition are essential for overall health and can help in the recovery process.

Tips:

  • Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
  • Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to support muscle health and repair.

Use Supportive Devices

Supportive devices can help maintain proper alignment and reduce strain on your back.

Examples:

  • Lumbar Support: Use a lumbar roll or cushion when sitting to support the natural curve of your lower back.
  • Braces: A back brace can provide additional support during activities that involve lifting or prolonged standing.

When to See a Doctor

While most back pain can be managed at home, there are times when you should seek medical attention:

  • The pain is severe or doesn’t improve with home treatments.
  • You experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs.
  • You have difficulty controlling your bladder or bowels.
  • The pain is the result of a fall, accident, or other trauma.

Conclusion

Back pain can be challenging, but with the right approach, you can manage it effectively at home. Stay active, maintain good posture, use heat and cold therapy, and practice relaxation techniques. Remember to listen to your body and seek medical advice if your pain persists or worsens. By taking these steps, you can find relief and get back to your normal activities. If you have questions about how to treat back pain at home contact our office at 480-272-7140.

By Admin 0 Comments Exercises, Glendale Location, Heatlhy Lifestyle, Mobility

3-Way Sciatic Nerve Glide

Have you experienced pain in the low back that travels into the buttock and back of the thigh? If so, you could be dealing with irritation to the sciatic nerve commonly referred to as sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the largest peripheral nerve in the body. Several lumbar and sacral nerve roots exit out each side of the spine and ultimately join together to form the sciatic nerve. With that in mind, there are several areas along its path where the sciatic nerve can become irritated causing this pain that radiates down the back of the thigh.

For recovery and good health, nerves require three main things:

  1. Blood Flow
  2. Space
  3. Movement

A great way to target all three components are nerve glides. The key to these are going to the point of discomfort but not necessarily pushing through it. The goal is for the nerve to gradually desensitize so might notice over time you are able to progress them a bit further before stepping into discomfort. Here we highlight a simple sciatic mobility drill that progresses in intensity throughout. We typically like to prescribe 10 repetitions for each movement, and these can be repeated several times per day. Feel free to give these a try and let us know what you think.

Impulse eating
By Admin 0 Comments Heatlhy Lifestyle , ,

How to Reduce Impulse Eating

How easy is it to reduce pulse eating? It’s happened to all of us. You know the feeling – you are away from home running errands, or you are out late because you had to stay at work longer. And you realize that you are hungry.  just a little hungry though. You haven’t eaten for hours, your head is starting to throb, and you can’t even think straight. Bottom line: you have to eat. Now!

As you survey your options, you realize that getting something to eat that is even remotely healthy is going to be nearly impossible. But you have little choice, so you grab a burger or a salad with “grilled chicken.” (Do you have any idea how much that piece of ‘grilled chicken’ has been processed and soaked and manipulated and transformed before it arrives in front of you?) Or a small order of fries just to get you through. Just like that you have put food into your body that will lower your immune response, raise your blood sugar, reduce your energy and contribute to weight gain.

It is a tough situation, and like I said, we’ve all been there. Sometimes you really do have to eat ‘right now.’ But over time, these eating emergencies add up and significantly impact your health and fitness achievement.

Emergency Preparedness
The answer is to stop having eating emergencies, and I will show you how to do this. It does take some planning, but it isn’t as hard as you might think.
The first step is to make a list of healthy, on-the-go foods that you enjoy eating. Make sure that you include things with healthy fats, protein and carbs (if it’s around your workout time). When you are very hungry, you need to have all the macronutrients covered in order to get quick energy, satisfy your hunger and clear your brain fog. This does not have to be a complete meal, but it needs to be balanced enough to substitute for one if needed.

Here are some ideas to help you get started.

  • Unsalted nuts. Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts. (These will provide protein and good fat)
  • Raw Veggies. They are crisp, juicy, cold and sweet and full of the micronutrients your body craves.
  • Cheese. If you eat dairy, having a small slice of your favorite cheese will give you a complete protein, a little fat and be very comforting. Remember: the goal is to tame the beast inside you that is calling out for a hotdog from the nearest drive through window. This is a mental exercise as well as physical!
  • Nut butters. Cashew, almond, peanut…find your favorite. Almond butter is great on a banana; cashew butter is perfect on whole grain crackers. Go ahead and put 7-8 chocolate chips on top if you want. This is a tiny indulgence that will go far to settle your craving.
  • Boiled eggs. Do you like cold, salted boiled eggs? They are a powerhouse of protein. Just be sure to get free range eggs.
  • Sardines. Yes, you read that right. If you like fish, you can buy small packets of wild caught sardines that travel very well.
  • Water. You have to drink water.

The second step seems obvious, but it has to happen if you are going to eliminate impulse eating: buy the food on your list. You have to get it in your house, so you have it when you need it.

The third step is to plan your food kit. This food has to travel with you, and you have to decide how you are going to transport it. The secret is convenience. If you only have five minutes to grab your kit on your way out the door before work, it has to be streamlined. Ideally you will leave yourself more than five minutes, but life happens.

Here are some tips to help you set up your food kit for ease and speed.

  • Small cooler. Purchase a small cooler that will hold an ice pack and several other things. Keep this in your kitchen so you can grab it on the go.
  • Plates, utensils, napkins. Whether you use paper/plastic or your everyday items, get a bag and put a couple of plates, some utensils and some napkins in it. You will use this same bag every time you use your kit, so it becomes a habit. It can be a plastic bag, a cloth bag or a paper bag. It doesn’t matter. The point is that you can grab this bag on your way out the door and know that it has what you need in it.Small storage containers or plastic bags. You need
  • Put one or two pieces of cheese in a container, and put only 7-8 chocolate chips in a bag. Toss some nuts in one container, some cut up fruit in another. Also, you don’t have to prepare everything in advance. In a pinch, you can eat a big bell pepper just like an apple! Just have a plan so you can get it fast when needed. Some things don’t have to be separately packaged, such as your nut butter. Just toss the whole jar in the cooler…if you can control yourself.
  • A tote bag or duffle bag. This bag will be your “picnic basket,” so to speak. Stuff everything into it that does not go into the cooler.
  • Water bottle. You need something to store a lot of water in.

Now do it!

You’ve done the hard part. You’ve figured out what foods will make you happy and help you through the emergency, you’ve stocked up on them, you have gathered what you need for transport and you have your water situation figured out. All that is left is making it happen. You have to take the food with you when you leave the house. The first few times you do this, it will seem complicated and tedious. But eventually, you will do it with little thought. It will be habit. That is why using the same cooler, the same bags and the same water container every time is so important. You will likely even find you grab the same foods nearly every time—it’s just easier. And it has to be easy, or you won’t do it. The happy result is that when you are out and realize you are hungry, you will not have to eat food from a restaurant. You will have an assortment of health and energy promoting foods at your fingertips.