It's a wonderful Fall Season in St John's and the nearby Avalon communities! Everyone is moving:
- Competitive gymnasts in Mount Pearl;
- hockey, soccer and rugby teams of all experience levels in every corner of the Avalon,
- the Lakecrest Independent School physical education students (across from us)
- Those resuming fitness routines at the Works
- Hiking enthusiasts racking up miles on the Signal Hill trails, etc
It seems everyone is on the move.
There's a special buzz in our neighborhood created by the recent opening of a new sports venue "The Cove Bouldering and Cafe"
It is centrally located on LeMarchant St, next to the Urban Market. It is a safe, whole body workout for just about everyone. Many of their training programs focus on youth, starting at 9 years of age. They also offer complimentary introductory sessions, small group and private coaching sessions for adults of any age.
Beyond a salute to an active lifestyle, bouldering offers a great opportunity for post Physio or post Rehab fitness. Many of our clients are not as active as they would like to be and understand that fitness is one of the markers for healthy aging. A repetitive strain injury or a diagnosis of early arthritis can be a wake-up call, prompting a more active lifestyle after a successful course of physiotherapy. Bouldering challenges both mobility and strength; and it's fun! Early bouldering training programs take into account an individual's fitness level, and can be safely undertaken by most people. Thumbs up for bouldering!
If you live an active lifestyle and participate in sport activities, injuries are a fact of life. They range from minor cuts, bruises and abrasions, sprain/strain injuries of all degrees of severity, fractures, contusions, etc. It is also normal, even desirable for individuals to adopt a do-it-yourself approach when they first take note of persistent aches and for minor injuries. From the perspective of this physiotherapist, a d-i-y attitude is fabulous. It is informative, promotes engagement when a physiotherapy treatment plan is necessary and can truly focus on client goals. A relatively new source of on-line information is PhysioCheck. It has a tremendous library of muscle and joint injuries and pain conditions and early d-i-y recommended treatments. The following is their description on 'climber's finger'. It is easy to navigate to other injury descriptions once in the database.
Another consideration for injury management relates to persistent and disabling pain, slow-healing injuries and injuries which involve an arthritic joint. Too often these injuries stop participation in well loved activities and sports. These injuries are effectively treated with low intensity laser therapy. The beneficial effect is described as photobiostimulation, and it occurs when low level light energy is absorbed by injured tissue. New injury healing is significantly accelerated, enabling faster rehab, recovery and return to activity. More chronic injuries are stimulated to restart the healing process, and can progress to normal healing. More information on laser therapy and photobiomodulation can be found in the link.
Part of injury management may involve the requirement for bracing or joint support. Whether the goal is to protect a joint while participating in a sport or to rest / immobilize the joint when participation is harmful, acquiring a brace in St John's NL has been difficult. Local stores offer limited selections of braces and other health care supplies, and since Covid, supply has been an issue.
The Physio Store offers a solution to both supply and selection. This on-line Canadian store offers good quality, affordable braces, fitness and other healthcare supplies, with access to expert advice with respect to selection and fit, door to door service and a good return policy…. Check it out!
These braces are appropriate for some of the more common climbing injuries, to fingers and to the knee, and are a sample of what is available through on-line order.
As the saying goes … it's a new world! And with it comes a new way of self-help, self-care and injury management. More than ever, it's a true partnership between physio client and physiotherapist. We are here when you need help! We offer a 15 min free phone consult to help you determine if we are the clinic for you. Call 709-753-0155 for more information.
The Avalon Laser Health Team
For further information on the conditions we treat and services we offer, or to book an appointment please call 709-753-0155, email: info@avalonlaserhealth.ca
