blog 55 kotatsu image

Winter’s comforts

- Posted by Janet Penny in Topics of interest

Keeping warm can be a challenge during frigid winters. Our typical response is to turn up the heat.  There are ways of increasing your body’s heat without getting off the couch. Start with warming your feet and head to encourage heat to stay in your body. Nobody needs to know you wear socks and a hat at home. Continue with warming foods….soups, stews, teas made with cinnamon and ginger.  Hot chocolate made with dark chocolate offers your body anti-oxidants, fibre and a dose of feeling spoiled. Hot packs made with flax or oat are easy to heat in the microwave and can be worn as you move about the house.  Rock salt (inexpensive at the pharmacy) can be heated in the oven, poured into a pillow case and used to warm your feet, abdomen or tired shoulders and neck. Oversized, cozy blankets are perfect to insulate your body and keep…

blog 54 winter sports

Winter sports and your muscles

- Posted by Janet Penny in pain , Topics of interest

If you love snow and ice then you’re no stranger to the aches and pains that can accompany winter sports. Each sport uses specific muscles that typically get sore at the beginning of the season.  This soreness information can be used over the next few months to remind you what areas to stretch.

pain between shoulder blades

Pain between the shoulder blades

- Posted by Janet Penny in headaches , pain , stress , Topics of interest

Wherever your arms go, your shoulder blades go.  Given that our arms only work well in front of our bodies, the resulting rounded shoulders and forward-straining neck causes muscles between the shoulder blades to stretch and strain. That’s the long story.  The short story is aching and stabbing  pain around and under our shoulder blades that often shoots into the neck or down the arm. Help is at hand. Self-treatment of painful muscles is easily achieved with a tennis ball against the wall. or a focused massage therapy treatment can release pain-causing trigger points and get you back to full functioning. ][