Lateral epicondylitis, more commonly referred to as tennis elbow, is a condition caused by inflammation of the extensor tendons that attach into the outer elbow. It is a type of repetitive strain injury where the tendon is repeatedly overloaded, causing microtears within the fibres. Rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories are usually effective for initial pain relief. The use of a counterforce brace may also help with symptoms, as it will disperse the forceful pulling at the elbow when you use your wrist.
Helpful tip: While recovering from tennis elbow, be mindful to do most of your lifting with palms up (supinated) whenever possible.
Community News
Quit Smoking, Live Healthier
Smoking cigarettes can result in nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Quitting has both immediate and long-term benefits, including: lowering risk for various forms of cancer, including lung cancer, reducing risk of heart disease within 1 to 2 years of quitting, reducing respiratory symptoms (coughing, shortness of breath, etc.), reducing risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and reducing risk of infertility in women of reproductive age or complications during birth.
If you are thinking about quitting or are ready to quit, feel free to contact your pharmacist to discuss the various options that can help you stop smoking.
Your Child’s First Eye Exams
Optometrists recommend that babies have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age to ensure their eyes are healthy, eye alignment and eye muscle movements are developing properly, and the eyes are focusing together. A number of serious eye conditions exist that can be identified during their first eye exam. If left uncorrected, these conditions can result in serious vision problems. Vision development continues into the preschool years – depth perception, eye-hand coordination, and visualization skills. Doctors of Optometry recommend children have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school.
The Painless Facelift
A microcurrent facial is often referred to as a “natural” facelift. This safe and painless facial helps erase fine lines and wrinkles, while firming your skin and defining your features. A microcurrent facial emits extremely low-voltage electrical currents (hence, ‘micro’ current), which mirror your own body’s electrical currents, on a cellular level to repair damaged skin and stimulate collagen and elastin production. Cosmetic microcurrent is beneficial for improvement in the appearance of aged and slackened skin, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, dark circles and puffiness, enlarged pores, and muscle tone.
Exercise Your Brain
Just as physical exercise can make and keep your body stronger, mental exercise can make your brain work better and lower your risk of mental decline as you age. Play games you are not already familiar with that involve strategy, like chess or bridge, and word games like Scrabble. Try crossword and other word puzzles, or number puzzles such as Sudoku. Read newspapers and books that challenge you. Get in the habit of learning new things like recipes, driving routes, or a musical instrument. Take a course in an unfamiliar subject. The more interested and engaged your brain, the more likely you’ll be to continue learning and the greater the benefits you’ll experience.
Depressed? Fight Back with a Float
It’s not uncommon to feel the effects of depression during the winter and holiday season. Floatation Therapy can help in the treatment of depression in a number of ways. Physically, it helps to clear cortisol and stress from the body, allowing the body to deeply relax. Also, it is well known that Floatation Therapy releases endorphins, (feel good chemicals) which have a positive effect on mood. The high levels of magnesium, which are an essential and important mineral, also plays an important role in helping depression, as it is commonly depleted in those who suffer depression and effects brain chemistry, particularly serotonin. Floatation Therapy can be a wonderful way to introduce the concept of mindfulness and meditation.
Quit Smoking this Winter
As the weather gets cooler, the longing to get cozy and stay inside with loved ones increases. Having even one cigarette outside in the cold (and temperatures will keep dropping!) takes you away from this. Why not look for better ways to deal with stress and pain that allow you to stay inside and improve yoir health at the same time? Consider a cardio workout at the gym – this way you can blow off steam and pump healthy endorphins through your body. Then your loved ones will see you bettering yourself in ways that you may be proud they follow.
Celebrating a Life: Little Things Can Matter Most
A small gesture from someone else can virtually change your day. It’s the bus driver who waits for you or the sweet note from a loved one.
At Glen Eden, we support families facing great sadness and our task is to create a customized services, but it’s often “the little things” that provide comfort.
One time, we took note that the family reminisced about how dad always carried Tootsie Rolls for the grandchildren. As a surprise, we placed bowls of Tootsie Rolls in the visitation suite. The son was so deeply touched, he put a few candies in his dad’s pocket before closing the casket.
Trust Your Gut
Your immune system works hard to protect you from injury, illness, and disease. This process usually involves inflammation, a natural response to stress, tissue damage, and harmful stimuli like viruses, bacteria, and toxins. Inflammation functions similarly to an engine warning light, alerting you to the presence of a problem through symptoms such as heat, pain, redness, swelling, and/or loss of function. 85% of the immune system is located in our gut. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in vitamins A, C, and E and the mineral selenium provides your gut with the ingredients it needs to bolster immunity and achieve optimal mental and physical health.
Dentures and TMJ Pain
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder causes symptoms like popping or pain in your jaw and/or neck, headaches, problems with balance, and even hearing loss. One of the common causes of TMJ disorder is the displacement of the disc that cushions the bones of the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. Displacement of the disc may be caused by an incorrect bite, which means the teeth no longer fit together properly, and therefore the jaw joint and muscles cannot work the way they need to. A denturist will be able to determine whether there are issues with the bite and can provide proper-fitting dentures with an optimal occlusion.
Vata, Pitta, Kapha
Ayurveda, an ancient medicine system from India, uses the terms Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to describe imbalances that result in symptoms. For Vata symptoms, such as cold extremities, bloating, or gas, try soothing with warm, one-pot meals made of bone broth, basmati rice, root vegetables, spices, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar. If your symptoms are Pitta in nature, such as rashes, inflammation, or loose stools, try meals with cooked green vegetables, barley or quinoa, cilantro, and fennel. Kapha symptoms such as excess mucous, congested sinuses, or sluggish digestion may be soothed with warm, light meals with sautéed vegetables, cooked millet, and spices like ginger and black pepper.
