The Sitting Solution

By Carla Cranbury, PT

Let’s face it, we sit a lot. Between working, commuting, and watching television, the Canada Health Measures Survey found that most Canadian adults spend 9 hours and 48 minutes of their waking time being sedentary. Most of us know that physical activity is good for us, but did you know that just sitting less (regardless of exercise) can also be beneficial in the long term?

A study published in 2009 followed more than 17 000 Canadians for 12 years. Over the twelve years they compared the participants’ daily sitting time and leisure time physical activity with mortality rates of various causes. What they found was that the amount of daily sitting time was positively associated with mortality rates from all causes, except cancer. Basically the more people sit, the higher the risk of mortality. This even includes people who are physically active, showing that high amounts of sitting time cannot be compensated for with exercise, even if it exceeds the current minimum physical activity recommendations.

Other studies have echoed similar findings. A seven year study reported that people who spend less than half their time sitting have a lower risk of mortality than those who spend more than half their day sitting. Another six year study reported that women who spend 16+ hours sitting per day have an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease compared with women who sit for less than 4 hours a day.

These studies are not to say that physical activity is not important – it still is, and it is still beneficial for your health. Physical activity also contributes to decreased time spent sitting.  What these studies are saying is the physiology associated with excessive sitting is different than the physiological benefits of exercise, and therefore excessive sitting cannot be compensated for with periods of exercise.

So now that you know, what can you do?

If you work at a desk most of the day, sitting can be hard to avoid. Some options are:

• Ask your work if they can accommodate an ergonomically sound standing desk
• Take frequent breaks from sitting to walk around
• Go for a walk on your lunch break
• Walk to your co-workers desk to talk to them instead of sending an email
• Park at the back of the parking lot to get a few extra steps
• Take the stairs!
• Take frequent standing breaks throughout the day
• Discover new ways to be active during your leisure time – ditch the TV and get outside

It’s the small changes to your daily routine that can add up and make a big difference. The best time to start is today!

References

Katzmarzyk, Peter T. et al. “Sitting Time And Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, And Cancer”. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 41.5 (2009): 998-1005. Web.

“Directly Measured Physical Activity Of Adults, 2012 And 2013”. Statcan.gc.ca. N.p., 2017. Web.

Manson, J.E., P. Greenland, and A.Z. LaCroix. “Walking Compared With Vigorous Exercise For The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Events In Women”. ACC Current Journal Review 12.1 (2003): 29. Web.

Weller, Iris and Paul Corey. “The Impact Of Excluding Non-Leisure Energy Expenditure On The Relation Between Physical Activity And Mortality In Women”. Epidemiology 9.6 (1998): 632-635. Web.

Shin Splints

Medial tibial stress syndrome, commonly called “shin splints”, is a term used to describe pain and tenderness felt on the inside, lower border of the shin bone. Shin splints are commonly experienced by athletes who take part in activities involving repetitive running and jumping, particularly after a sudden increase in activity level (either duration, distance or intensity). The repetitive stress placed on the bones, muscles and joints of the lower leg during these high impact activities may result in irritation and inflammation of the shin bone (tibia).

Shin splint pain is usually described as a dull ache. It usually develops slowly over time, first being noticed at the end of activity. Some athletes may complain of pain at the beginning and end of activity, but not affecting their performance. Over time, pain will commence during activity and eventually may be felt during regular day to day activities such as walking. As shin splints progress, they also make the lower leg sore to touch.

There are a number of factors that may predispose an athlete to develop shin splints including: flat feet, rigid arches, muscle weakness, and/or muscle tightness. Other contributing factors may include running downhill, running on hard surfaces, running in worn-out footwear, or playing sports with frequent stops and starts (e.g. basketball, squash, tennis). While the pain presentation is often similar across individuals, there are a variety of bio-mechanical abnormalities in the pelvis, hips, knees, and ankles that can also lead to the development of shin splints.

Proper treatment requires a detailed assessment by a registered Physiotherapist to identify and target the contributing factors as well as the location of pain. Treatment includes rest, ice, specific joint mobilizations, an individualized stretching and strengthening program, and if needed a gradual return to regular activity. During recovery, aerobic fitness can be maintained with low impact activities such as swimming and biking. If left untreated, the repetitive stress on the tibia may result in a stress fracture yielding a longer recovery time.

A physiotherapist can perform a full assessment to determine the exact cause of an athlete’s pain and develop a treatment program to relieve pain, facilitate return to activity, and prevent future injury.

Massage Therapy for Injury Prevention

When muscles become tight and sore, seeking out the help of a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) is always a smart idea. But, why wait until things get bad before working with a RMT? Massage therapy is not only effective in relieving existing pain and discomfort, but it is also an important step in preventing symptoms from occurring in the first place.  Using massage therapy to help you address issues such as muscle imbalances, posture, repetitive strain injuries and stress can prevent future injuries and pain from affecting your daily life.

Massage therapy can be used to help maintain good posture by addressing shortened, tight or sore muscles. Good postural muscle balance is important because an imbalance in the muscles surrounding a joint can cause discomfort and thus lead to injury. Posture is affected by the way you hold your body when sitting, standing, or moving. Improper posture over time leads to changes in muscle length. Possible consequences of poor posture include neck, shoulder, and back pain, or headaches and jaw pain from increased stress on muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. Muscles will become shortened and tight from being in a slouched position, and the muscles on the other side of the joints will become lengthened and weak from constantly being stretched. When this kind of muscular dysfunction occurs, joints and ligaments are not receiving the support they need from the surrounding muscles. Without this stability, the joints and ligaments become more vulnerable to injury. The resulting muscle imbalance limits range of motion, changing the way the body moves, which will affect work or sport performance. Regular massage therapy can be used to restore neutral posture and decrease muscle tension.

Repetitive strain injuries occur when the same motions are being repeated frequently. Common sites for repetitive strain injuries are in the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and low back. These types of injuries can be avoided by ensuring there is good muscle balance in the areas of the body that are being most frequently used. This will ensure the joints, ligaments, and tendons are being properly protected from injury.

Stress is one of the most common causes of tight and painful muscles seen by massage therapists. When your body is stressed, the natural reaction for your muscles is to tense up. This is the body’s defense mechanism against injury or pain. Stress can be physiological (ie. from chronic painful conditions), or emotional. Prolonged periods of stress and muscle tightness can cause abnormal muscle tension, as well as mental/emotional symptoms such as irregular sleep patterns, anxiety, and mood disorders. Receiving regular massage therapy has been proven to help relax muscles and restore normal muscle tension, as well as improve sleep quality, mood, and relieve anxiety.

Seeking preventative care from your Registered Massage Therapist is vital to maintaining normal range of motion, correcting posture, and reducing stress. Working with your massage therapist on a consistent basis throughout the year will ensure problem areas are identified before they become painful, and therefore prevent further injuries.

BodyTech Physiotherapy 519-954-6000

 

Why is massage therapy a good idea for everyone?

Many people think of a spa like setting when they think of massage therapy, however, a Registered Massage Therapist can work in many different locations including a physiotherapy clinic.

Massage therapy can be useful in combination with physiotherapy or as a sole treatment option depending on the issue. Even when there are no specific problems, massage therapy is a great option for the prevention of injuries, particularly for those individuals with sedentary jobs.

Massage therapy in combination with physiotherapy is an excellent option for many people. Often an injury involves more than one type of tissue, such as muscle, joint, tendon and/or ligament, and would benefit from a variety of treatments. Massage therapy can help facilitate physiotherapy treatments by addressing other components such as shortened, tight or sore muscles. This allows the physiotherapist to focus on function and mobility, as well as stretching and strengthening exercises.

As an exclusive treatment option massage therapy can help with many conditions either chronic or acute to relax and alleviate sore muscles. In addition, massage can help prevent injuries. For individuals that spend their day at sedentary work stations these positions and postures can predispose you to many aches and pains. Massage therapy can help maintain good postural health and muscle balance.