Hi everyone

Today I want to talk about when to put ice or heat !!!! This is a topic that comes up everyday in my clinic. Some people swear by heat and others by ice but what to put and when?

The basic principal to remember is that for acute injuries everywhere on the body ICE should be applied. Patients always know to put ice on a knee or a twisted ankle but when it comes to the back or neck for some reason people think of heat. I like to explain to patients that the principal is the same whether it is an ankle or the back. When you just injured yourself your body will have an immediate reaction which is called inflammation. The goal right away is to try and reduce that inflammation. Ice is the best natural anti-inflammatory you can find and the best thing is that it is cheap! You can use a bag of frozen peas and apply it for no more then 15 minutes or so at a time. You do not want to freeze the area because then your body will react oppositely and send more blood to the area and the inflammation will then increase. So the principal is 10-15 minutes on and 10-15 minutes off. Ice is definitely the best thing to reduce blood flow, swelling and PAIN to an injured area.

Hi everyone

I do realize I have not written in a long time but life has been too busy!! I am working hard on my last paper for my master and it will be all done! However, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the Olympics. This is such an incredible period for all the professional athletes that devote their life to their sport! Coming back every 4 years we get a chance to see the top athletes perform and be part of their amazing moments!  All these athletes work so hard to train and be ready for that day they will compete in the Olympics. Chiropractic plays a big role in keeping the athletes to the top of their performance! In the last Winter Olympics in Vancouver, there was a whole clinic of chiropractors working with other specialist for the athletes. It was actually a first for the chiropractic profession. Here is an interesting link to describe what happened in Vancouver!

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100205005508/en/Chiropractic-Care-Included-2010-Olympic-Vancouver-Winter

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Hi everyone! 

First of all, I wanted to wish all of my patients Happy New Year! Time sure flies! I have not even had a chance to write my blog yet and wish you all the best for 2013! It is already the beginning of February and a month has passed since the beginning of  2013. WOW!  I can not believe it! Life sure has been busy with my family! We love winter sports and try to stay busy even if the thermometer drops down quite low below zero! This is the key to make sure the winter passes rapidly! First thing we know is that spring is here and we did not see the winter! My kids are active in the local ski team and are racing across different mountains in the Townships! Besides downhill skiing, we go snowshoeing with our new dog or cross-country ski and then relax in front of the fire.

I wanted to mention a few things that happened in the New Year. First, I was very happy  that the Association of Chiropractors of Quebec had decided to sponsor an athlete  that is performing in the freestyle competition Mikaël Kingsburry!   He is the spokes person for the Association and a user of chiropractic for a very long time. He does say that chiropractic has helped him stay at the top of his game!  Many people think it is normal for athletes to get treated but what we should remember is that we are all athletes at some level and should take care of  our body! It should be a priority.  Most patients usually always wait until they are suffering alot before consulting and I am always amazed that they waited that long!

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