Super Bowl Fans Unite – Just Beware of Football Injuries!

Next weekend sees University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona as host to the 49^th annual Super Bowl! Football fans across North America will gather together in bars and living rooms, indulge in some football fare and many will even grab a ball and host their own super bowl playoff game in the backyard or local park. But if you are like one of the many fans out there suffering from football injuries, the thought of an impromptu pickup game can leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Although most are mild to minor, and are often the result of contact, there are a still a vast number of common football injuries that plague players no matter the level of play:

• Injuries to the knee and leg

• ACL/PCL injuries
• Various sprains and strains
• Shin splints
• Pulled muscles, groin or hamstring
• Head, neck and shoulder injuries
• Concussions
• Torn rotator cuff
• Shoulder separation or dislocation
• Foot and ankle injuries
• Ankle sprains and strains
• Achilles tendonitis
• Back Injuries
• Muscle strains
• Lower back pain

So what are you to do if you’ve sustained one of these and suffer from the pain on a regular or intermittent basis? As many football injuries are minor, and thus don’t require surgery (just make sure to visit your sports medicine specialist to have a professional diagnosis – don’t attempt to diagnose or treat yourself - EVER!), there are some really effective treatment options available that can get you back on the field.

Physiotherapy – the manual manipulation of the injured area can go a long way towards recovery and rehabilitation of a football injury. It works to increase flexibility, strengthen muscles and reduce pain and swelling.

Chiropractic treatment – by adjusting and manipulating misaligned joints, chiropractic treatment can be incredibly effective in not only significantly reducing pain but also restoring normal function.

Concussion management – concussions can be incredibly difficult to diagnose, so even the slightest indication of a head injury should be looked at by a trained physician. Proper concussion management can determine whether a concussion has been sustained, and treat the injury accordingly, helping an injured player return to work and play safely.

If you have sustained a football injury, your best bet for recovery is to visit a sports medicine clinic. A physician trained and experienced with treating sports injuries specifically can assess your injury and use their vast knowledge and appreciation for your love of the game to get you back to peak performance levels as quickly as possible.

For more on treating common football injuries, or any other sports related injuries, please contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine today by calling 416 800 0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.

Back in the Game: Treating Pain with Sonocur Shockwave Therapy

When we suffer from pain, no matter the source or location, often our immediate solution is to stop taking part in physical activity. If pain makes your favourite sport unenjoyable, stopping all together is a sad but all too common choice made by many of us. On the other hand, some of us decide to play through the pain, not seeking treatment until things have gone far past bad – which isn’t always the best decision either. Instead of ignoring the pain or foregoing your favourite pastime, perhaps it is time to think about an alternative solution to treating the pain: Sonocur shockwave therapy.

What is shockwave therapy? A non-invasive yet highly effective form of treatment, during Sonocur shockwave therapy treatments, high-intensity sound waves are sent into the tissues of the impacted area of the body. It won’t cause tendon damage and there is no downtime following treatment – you don’t need to take time off work or sit on the bench for an extended period of time. Shockwave therapy is conducted by a medical professional (a physiotherapist or chiropractor most often), trained in applying this form of treatment to achieve maximum results. The number of treatments will depend on your unique situation, following a thorough assessment of your individual injury.

What are the benefits? This type of therapy has a number of different positives, including helping to increase metabolic activity, accelerating new blood vessel growth and scar tissue breakdown, decreasing inflammation, stimulating the reabsorption of calcium deposits in tendons and stimulating the natural healing process of the body. Together, this all works to greatly reduce pain.

Sonocur Shockwave therapy has been shown to assist in the treatment of a number of different ailments, many of which are quite painful and can keep you from your favourite sport for a lengthy period of time, if not indefinitely. Included in this list are:

• Tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow (epicondylitis)
• Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
• Biceps Tendonitis
• Jumper’s Knee (patellar tendonitis)
• Runner’s Knee (iliotibial band syndrome)
• Quadriceps tendonitis
• Achilles Tendonitis
• Plantar Fasciitis and others

If you are suffering from any one of these ailments, Sonocur shockwave therapy may just be the treatment that affords you real relief. As a non-invasive method with little to no downtime, it can be an effective means to getting back on the field without pain holding you back.

For more about Sonocur shockwave treatment and its many benefits, please contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine today by calling 416 800 0800 or visit www.aesm.ca. 

Are You Eating the Right Way for Healthy Weight Loss?

We are officially in 2015 now, and that means many of us are still (hopefully) adhering to those New Year’s resolutions we set for ourselves a little over a week or so ago. And for many of us, those resolutions mean getting back in shape and shedding those few extra pounds that may or may not have added up as a result of the holiday season. But with many other things, there are both good and bad ways to go about this. Are you going about healthy weight loss the right way?

One of the first things we think about when it comes to healthy weight loss is food, and for many this involves reducing our fat intake. However, as Sarah Ware, registered dietitian, discusses in this video, avoiding fats all together is not the best approach: http://www.healthchoicesfirst.com/category/nutritionists/fats/nutritionist-fat-in-our-diet.

According to the video, “Fat is essential in our diet and it is one of the three macronutrients that make up the main components of our food…eating fat alone will not cause you to gain weight.” Wait, what? 

Fat itself is not what causes you to gain weight? No, the right fats are actually going to help you stay on track.

If you want to lose weight, the healthy way, cutting out fats isn’t going to help, especially not long term.

One of the most effective ways to change your diet for healthy weight loss is to work with a registered dietitian, one who can work with you to develop a strategy based on your own food preferences that meets all of your dietary needs – and that means including the right types of fat.

For more about healthy weight loss strategies that will actually help you lose the weight and keep it off, please contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine today by calling 416 800 0800 and speaking with our registered dietitian, Stefanie Senior, or visit us online at www.aesm.ca.

#1 New Year’s Resolution: Getting in Shape

With the winter in full swing, it can be easy to opt for a cozy day spent on the couch with hot chocolate versus spending time outside exercising. However, the advantages of regular exercise are just too great to ignore in exchange for small creature comforts. We are not saying that you need to spend the entire winter out of doors, but regular exercise is known to have a great many benefits: reduced risk for heart disease, lower blood pressure, and many other benefits.

Knowing how tough this can be, we’ve compiled some tips to help get you on your way to getting in shape over the long winter months.

Change your perspective – one of the hardest parts about exercising during the winter is getting over that “but it’s so cold outside” hump. Sure, it may not be 25 degrees outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the weather. If you just think about it differently, winter can offer a wide array of activities that might just surprise you. For example, instead of thinking about a walk in the cold, think about how gorgeous the winter scenery is, or how refreshing it is not to be sweating through your shirt the first moment you step out the door.

Set a goal. When you’ve set a goal, this can greatly increase your chances of following through with your getting in shape plans. Developing a strategy for regular activity, and then setting small goals throughout the week/month, can really help to motivate and get you excited about your progress.

Try something new. For many of us, the thought of heading out into the snow invokes not so fond memories of frostbite and frozen toes. But maybe this is just a result of the activities you were taking part in. Try something new, such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing or curling. These can offer a fun and exciting change from the norm – and help you stay pumped.

Dress for the occasion. The other major player in the fight to forego winter activities is the fact that many of us prefer not to have to brave the cold – being brave innately requires some sort of sacrifice, and in this case that sacrifice is usually the toasty warm fire and some slippers. When prepping for cold day exercise, dress accordingly and you might be surprised just how warm you remain. The usual players (hat, mitts, winter boots) all play a role, but also consider the activity and how much exertion is required – too many layers and you’ll sweat, too few and you’ll freeze. Also, make sure to wear clothing made of synthetic materials that will not retain the moisture and or leave you feeling uncomfortable.

Getting in shape and staying active in the winter can require a bit more thought and effort when compared to the summer months – but the pay-off is worth it. Just use these tips to help start you off and get back in shape for the New Year.

For more tips about getting in shape this winter please contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine today by calling 416 800 0800 or visit us online at www.aesm.ca.