Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is caused by pressure on your median nerve. Your carpal tunnel is on the palm side of your hand and is a narrow passageway that the median nerve travels through surrounded by bones and ligaments. When your median nerve gets compressed at the wrist you’ll have symptoms such as swelling, numbness, pain, tingling and hand / arm weakness. This occurs in your thumb, index and middle fingers primarily but the hand, wrist and arm might become weak. Often you’ll feel symptoms of CTS first at night especially...
read moreManaging the Pain of Thumb Arthritis
Osteoarthritis of the basal thumb CMC joint, which is the joint that attaches your thumb to the wrist is usually the first place arthritis shows up in women. There are 3 general catagories to managing your symptoms 1) Options for managing your pain 2) Ways to modify the activities that stress the thumb 3) Increaing mindfullness and awareness. Today we’re going to cover what the options are for managing your pain. To manage your discomfort or pain there are several things you can do. If you have pain and swelling in your hand or thumb...
read moreBalance Exercises
Our balance is both dynamic and static. It’s controlled by the vestibular system in our inner ear and is assisted by our vison, postural muscles and reflexes. Movement stimulates our balance, but you also need your balance to stand stable, move, dance and do many things. To tune up your balance try the following activities starting with the first one and moving on to the next one. You can start with your sneakers on and progress towards doing them with bare feet. 1. Stand with your feet together -inside heels, arches and big toes...
read moreDon’t Let Tendonitis Wreck Your Workout Routine
It’s the first week of the new year and many of us have goals to take off that extra weight we gained over the holidays. This might be increasing your aerobic activity, adding more consistency to your Pilates and yoga practice and lifting weights to tone up your muscles. Whatever your exercise routine is just make sure you don’t overdo it. You’ll likely end up with tendonitis somewhere which will put a damper on your workouts. Just remember to do these few things as you exercise to prevent tendonitis from developing. Remember, tendinitis can...
read moreNo time? Try this Quick Workout
Does your hour-long workout at the gym or yoga and Pilates classes get pushed aside this time of year because of the shopping, decorating and gathering with friends? You can always make time for a quick 15 to 20 minute workout! You’ll feel better, burn a few calories and work off some of those cookies you’ve been eating. When you’re pressed for time just add these exercises to your day. Start by playing some lively tunes while you lightly stretch your muscles. Then, for those aerobic benifits, pick up the pace and get your heart...
read more3 Important Exercises You Should Do
If you’re 50+ consider incorporating these 3 principles into your workouts to help you remain active and injury free…well they’re actually good for everyone! 1. Be diligent about training your Core! The importance of having a strong stable core can’t be emphasized enough – it helps with balance, posture and quality movement. When doing exercises activate the core first by contracting the muscles, then move out from this stable center. This is key if you’re using hand weights or resistance bands, otherwise you’re at greater risk...
read moreGoing Hiking?
When your hiking, especially if the terrain is hilly or mountainous, you’ll want to strengthen your legs, especially your quadriceps before you go. One thing to bring along is your Nordic hiking poles – they’re great for hiking hilly terrain. Here’s some quick exercises to prep you for your hike. A great quad strengthener is to do a static hold like you’re sitting in a chair, but without the chair. You can do it with your back against the wall and slide your feet out 1 to 1 1/2 feet, depending on how long your...
read moreThumbs bothering you?
Thumb arthritis is common if your older than 40 and it’s especially prevalent in women. It occurs as cartilage wears away from the base joint of your thumb — also known as the CMC or carpometacarpal joint, that attaches your thumb to your wrist. Thumb arthritis can make doing all the various things we do with our hands difficult! It’s why the CMC joint is often the 1st place arthritis show up, because we use our thumbs every day in so many ways. The symptoms may include swelling, stiffness, decreased strength and range of motion, discomfort...
read moreNordic Walking -a great full body workout
The weathers warming up for those of us in winter climates. Maybe you’re getting out to go for walks and hikes more. One thing you might consider getting is some Nordic walking sticks and turn your stroll into a full body workout. I got a pair last summer and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I use my arms and core. If you’ve ever cross country skied you know what a great aerobic workout it is. Nordic walking is similar to cross country skiing in that it’s a full body workout. Think of it as an exaggerated...
read moreCarpal Tunnel Syndrome or something else?
How do you know if you have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)? Maybe you’ve notice some tingling or numbness in your fingers or hand. Perhaps you’ve got some pain or you can’t open jars as well as you used to because your muscles are getting weaker. What’s the condition that’s causing wrist pain, tingling or numbness? There are some common conditions that can cause these symptoms, so it’s good to know about them to rule them out. Rheumatoid Arthritis is one condition that can lead to hand pain and numbness and...
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