Monsoon Journal

By Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr. Adapted with permission from Multi-Health Systems & Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr. from Rehabilitation Education and Coping Pamphlet Series It is important to recognize that a certain degree of moodiness and depression is not unusual in response to an illness or accident that has altered one’s lifestyle. Symptoms of anxiety and depression may also be common when one is going through a difficult time due to stressors or any traumatic events that have occurred in life. As a person adjusts to his or her change in lifestyle and goes through the normal recovery process or overcomes the stressful event, many of these symptoms should gradually resolve themselves. The following are common symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and emotional upset: sleep disturbance, worry, sexual disturbance, reduced appetite, social withdrawal, poor emotional control (e.g., crying easily, losing one’s temper), increased heartbeat, increased perspiring, and reduced activity.

The strategies listed below may he helpful in dealing with these symptoms: Anxiety, Moodiness and Irritability Identify Sources of Aggravation By identifying the factors that cause your moodiness or irritability, you may be able to find a simple solution. Factors such as tiredness, certain topics of discussion, certain times of the day, certain medications, certain situations, or certain people, may be the primary triggers of your aggravation. Once you have determined these factors, you may be able to avoid them or develop specific ways of dealing with them. Practice Self-Talk When you feel yourself growing upset, try repeating to yourself statements such as, “stay calm”, “relax”, “cool down”, “I don’t have to get mad.” Praise yourself for your success with statements such as, “that was good”, “good job”, or “I did it.” Leave the Situation When you feel that you are becoming angry, frustrated, or upset, leave what you are doing and return to the task later.

If these uneasy feelings occur during a discussion, tell the individual( s) that you need to relax and that you will discuss the topic after you have calmed down. Use a Relaxation Technique You may try one of several programs available in books, on tapes, or through counselling, which have proven to be effective methods to assist in relaxation. Less formal techniques include counting to ten, taking a few long and deep breaths, taking a walk in a serene place, listening to soothing music, sleeping, or just finding a nice, quiet spot in which to relax. Exercise Regular exercise, and exercising when you are feeling upset, can help to reduce tension, frustration, and anger, which often lead to moodiness and irritability.

Discuss or Write Out Your Problems Discussing or writing down your problems and your feelings about things may make you feel better. You may wish to consult with a religious leader, family doctor, or professional for counselling. If your anger is at the point where either physical violence or injury to others is a concern, please seek professional help immediately. Depression: Feeling Sad or Down If you feel that your sadness is not a serious problem for you and that professional help is unnecessary, the following suggestions should be sufficient to assist you in dealing with your sadness. If you have experienced thoughts of suicide or feel that depression is a serious concern for you, seek professional help immediately. Exercise regularly. Remain active. Make a list of positive thoughts upon which to focus and negative thoughts to avoid. Do things that you are good at and that usually make you happy.

Discuss or write down your problems and how you feel about them. Seek out those things in life that are meaningful to you (e.g., friends, family, religion, volunteer work, devoting time to a cause). Avoid people who are negative, critical of you, or who are often depressed themselves. Change to a more pleasant environment (e.g., visit or call on a friend who is usually in a good mood, go to a late night movie, or take a pleasant walk). Have fun and think of things that are funny. Do something to help someone else. Take on simple, manageable tasks to focus your attention and give you a sense of accomplishment (e.g., clean up, organize a room, or mow the lawn). If you have experienced thoughts of suicide or feel that these emotional difficulties are becoming a serious concern for you or are lasting too long, seek help from your family doctor or a qualified mental health professional.

I love to eat cucs, but haven ‘t paid attention to how I feel afterwards or tried them for the uses below; wouldn ‘t be surprised of multiple uses though. AHEM!!! NOT TO CONFUSE YOU WITH ANYTHING ELSE I ‘VE USED CUC ‘S FOR TO KEEP ANTS AWAY, FOR SOME REASON AND IT SEEMS TO CONTROL THEM The Amazing Cucumber This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their  “Spotlight on the Home ” series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pickme- up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. (WOW)

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!! (DOUBLE WOW)

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don ‘t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber sliced rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don ‘t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don ‘t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a  ‘green ‘ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won ‘t leave streaks and won ‘t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!! Dr. George I. Traitses D.C., B.Sc.(Hon.), M.Sc., C.H.N., C.C.R.D., C.N.M., A.C.R.B. 1, C.R.A. 2914 Sheppard Ave. E., Suite 206, Scarborough, Ont., Canada, M1T 3J4 +1 (416) 499-5656 Fax: +1 (416) 499-5797 h t t p : / / w w w . i n f i n i t e - health.com http://www.secretropin.ca http://www.fastdna.ca http://www.3stepdetox.ca

By: Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr. *Adapted with permission from Multi-Health Systems & Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr. from Rehabilitation Education and Coping Pamphlet Series Difficulty with sleep is very common following many kinds of injuries, illness and during stress- ful periods in life. Pain, dizziness, stress, worry, medications, depression, change in daytime activities, and inactivity are all factors which can affect people’s sleep by waking them or prevent- ing them from falling asleep. The table below shows the three main types of sleep prob- lems, and provides a number of strategies to assist individuals in dealing with them: Strategies for Coping with Sleep Difficulties Control of Sleep Conditions This technique conditions the individual to “link” the bed with sleep, by allowing only sleep and sexual activity to take place in bed (as opposed to reading, crosswords, watching TV, eating, etc.).

” Go to bed only when sleepy and immediately turn out the lights. ” Do not, for example, read, eat, knit, chat, or watch television while in bed. ” If not asleep in 10-15 min- utes, get up and go to another room. Don’t go to bed again until sleepy. If not asleep in 10-15 min- utes, repeat the cycle as often as necessary. In order to develop a consis- tent bodily rhythm, get up at the same time each morning regard- less of the time you go to bed and no matter how you feel. ” Do not take naps during the day. ” Follow these recommenda- tions for at least 4 weeks. ” If desired, supplement this technique with other techniques. Sleep Scheduling Sleep scheduling is a tech- nique used to control an individ- ual’s bed time and waking time. It should result in falling asleep more easily and produce more consistent sleep-wake bodily cycles. It is especially helpful for people who keep irregular sleep hours. ” Avoid naps. ” Go to bed at the same time daily.

” Wake up at the same time daily. ” Do this for at least 4 weeks. ” If desired, supplement this technique with other techniques. Systematic Relaxation Training Systematic Relaxation Training includes a number of techniques, such as progressive muscle relax- ation, autogenic training, guided imagery, rhythmic breathing, or muscle scanning. If desired, the training techniques can be altered to suit an individual’s comfort. These techniques are described in many self-help books on relax- ation and stress management. ” Select one of the relaxation techniques.

” Practice twice per day before bedtime, adjusting the frequency to your needs. ” Use this technique also to help unwind at other times during the day. ” Practice for at least 4 weeks; 6 month’s practice is necessary for lasting results. ” If desired, supplement this technique with other techniques. Other Techniques Several other methods that have been helpful with sleep diffi- culties are described next. If you decide to adopt one of these methods, give the method the best chance by trying it several times over an extended time before deciding if it works for you. Repetitious Background Sound This technique makes use of simple repetitive sounds such as a fan, an audio tape of waves or raindrops or relaxing music to help lull the person to sleep. Paradoxical Intention In this technique, the individ- ual attempts to remain awake for as long as possible.

Imagery This technique combines focusing the individual’s attention on a specific relaxing scene or message, with deep relaxation. Sleep Charting Recording information about your sleeping habits can assist in determining factors that are help- ing or hindering your sleep. For Pain Related Sleeping Difficulties A support pillow may provide extra support for the neck mus- cles, preventing neck pain and headache that may interfere with sleep. Use of a hot or cold pack, hot bath/shower, or massage may help to reduce pain upon awaken- ing, and help sleep initially. General Tips to Cope with Sleep Difficulties ” Determine whether you are truly getting enough sleep. For example, ask yourself if you are experiencing fatigue during the day. If not, perhaps you don’t need as much sleep because of a less active lifestyle than you once had.

” Avoid consuming alcohol and beverages that contain caffeine, such as colas, coffee, tea, and cocoa, before bedtime. ” Do not eat too soon before bed time. ” Try different sleep positions. ” Adjust your pre-bed time habits by either avoiding or trying to take walks, chatting, or listen- ing to music, depending on what your current habits are. ” Do not take naps as they may affect your sleep by changing your regular sleep-wake pattern. ” Maintain a consistent bed- time on weekends as well as dur- ing the week. ” Avoid sleep medications as, eventually, most of them worsen a sleeping problem. ” Avoid worrying, thinking, or planning your next day/ week before going to bed. ” Get regular exercise, as well- toned muscles enhance one’s ability to relax. ” Turn the light off immediate- ly. ” Commit yourself to develop- ing a strategy and practicing it for at least 4 weeks before deciding that it does not work. Bear in mind that no single sleep remedy works for everyone. A comprehensive plan combining several techniques is often neces- sary. If the problem is ongoing, or if you feel that breathing difficul- ties may be causing you to sleep poorly, speak to your family physi- cian about the possibility of a sleep laboratory examination.

You may not have to be an Olympic athlete. It could be on the dance floor as you twist and turn, or perhaps on a sandy beach. You could just be taking a step or it could be as intensive as running a sprint. You could be young or old, inactive or an ath- lete. Whatever the mechanism of injury may be, an ankle sprain can happen to the best of us. It can happen quickly, painfully and limit our mobility for days and even weeks. All it takes is an awkward movement or an uneven surface. Caused by the sudden twisting movement of the foot, an ankle sprain is one of the most common orthopedic injuries. The ankle consists of several bones and joints interacting together, with muscles and ten- dons supporting the complex.

A sprain is actually an injury to the ligaments, which are elastic, band-like structures that hold the bones of the ankle joint together. In the ankle, there are ligaments on the inner and outer aspects of the joint complex and they pre- vent excessive turning and twist- ing of the joint. In normal move- ment, the ligaments can stretch slightly and then retract back to their normal shape and size. A sprain results when the ligaments of the ankle have been stretched beyond their limits. In severe sprains, the ligaments may be partially or completely torn. Most ankle sprains are inversion sprains, where the foot rolls inward, thereby injuring the outer ligaments of the ankle. Sprains are graded depending on the level of the injury. While a grade I sprain may be the stretching of the ligaments, a grade III sprain would be the actual tearing of the ligaments.

The signs and symptoms of ankle sprains may include pain or soreness, swelling, bruising, diffi- culty walking and stiffness in the joint. These symptoms may vary in intensity, depending on the severity of the sprain. As soon as the injury occurs, the first thing to remember is the R.I.C.E principle - rest, ice, compression and ele- vation. The immediate goal is to reduce inflammation. See your physician and discuss pain relief options and perhaps the need for an anti-inflammatory. Sometimes, if the sprain is severe and the lig- aments are completely ruptured, you may require immobilization (cast) or even surgery. Once dis- cussed with your physician, start rehabilitation and physiotherapy as soon as possible. Immediate intervention can reduce pain and swelling, while facilitating recov- ery. Inaction will result in muscles losing strength and the ankle los- ing its stability. During rehabilitation and physiotherapy, the initial goal is to reduce swelling. Modalities such as Ultrasound or Electrical Stimulation, with the use of heat or ice can facilitate this.

Also you would want to return the mobility of the joint. This can be done through exercise or through man- ual therapy, where the therapist mobilizes the joints to minimize the stiffness. Initially, it may be necessary to use crutches to avoid weight bearing of the foot. Once the movement of the ankle has normalized, the goal of reha- bilitation is to stabilize the ankle complex. This is best done by strengthening the muscles around the joint. This process needs to be progressed appropriately and safely, without flaring up the injury and causing more pain and swelling. During the recovery of an ankle sprain, it is important to work on balance and propriocep- tion. Our feet tell the brain where we are in space.

On an uneven surface, our feet need to adjust to the changes quickly and safely. Gait training and specific exercis- es can facilitate these skills. Eventually, the rehabilitation process needs to be progressed in order to be activity specific. If you are a runner or a jumper, you will have to train the ankle to resume this high level of function, while preventing further re-injury. An ankle sprain can happen to anyone, anytime. The key is to minimize symptoms quickly and seek the appropriate care as soon as possible. This will facilitate recovery and prevent the injury from reoccurring.

By: Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr.

*Adapted with permission from Multi-Health Systems & Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr. from Rehabilitation Education and Coping Pamphlet Series Pain is one of the most diffi- cult symptoms with which to cope when one has experienced injury or illness. While the origin of pain is usually very real and results from a specific physical problem, one’s thoughts and feelings (such as anger, irritation, depression, and nervousness) tend to feed off of one another to complicate and prolong the recovery process. There are two main reasons that thoughts and feelings play such an important role in the recovery process.

First, feelings such as anger, fear, frustration, irritability, anxiety, and depression often bring about changes in the body such as increased muscle tension and poor posture, which can increase the pain experi- enced. These feelings are often brought on by negative thoughts about the overall situation. For instance, a person who believes that his or her condition or pain is “impossible to overcome,” and that it prevents him or her from doing “all that is meaningful in life” is likely to become anxious and depressed and may experi- ence worse pain and physical symptoms. By contrast, a person is likely to move forward more quickly and to better endure his or her symptoms when he or she accepts the situation and takes on a more positive attitude by think- ing, “I can overcome this,” “there are still many things I can do, a despite my pain,” or “this is an important learning experience.”

Positive Coping Strategies * Educate yourself. It is critical that you understand your symp- toms best as you possibly can so that you may have your fears addressed and have a more real- istic understanding of your pain and other symptoms. * For chronic “soft tissue” pain, use appropriate muscle strengthening, muscle stretching and general conditioning tech- niques as prescribed by your doc- tor or therapist. * Identify emotional road- blocks such as family problems, financial difficulties, workplace concerns, medication overuse, alcohol/substance use, anger control difficulties, loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

* Deal with emotional prob- lems as well as the physical ones. Seek professional help when nec- essary and talk to people who will listen and be helpful whenever possible. * Maintain and gradually increase your general activity level. Talk with your doctor or therapist about the safety of any activity that you are concerned could aggravate your injury. * Prevent muscle tension build-up. Muscular relaxation techniques, gentle muscle stretching (as indicated by phys- iotherapist), and other tension control strategies (e.g., change in posture, rubbing, self-massage) are critical in helping prevent muscle tension build-up during the day. Do these exercises once every 30 to 60 minutes each day.

* Keep your mind and body active. Distracting yourself from pain and other symptoms by keeping involved in things that you enjoy helps lessen the impact of pain and ward off anxiety, depression, and irritability. Increasing Your Activity Level Before you reject an activity because of pain or other symp- toms, carefully evaluate the activ- ities that interest you most. Use a goal-setting table and start by fill- ing in the “Can’t Do” column with any activities that you feel you are unable to do. Next, carefully think about whether or not it is really true that you cannot do this activ- ity. Perhaps you could do it by performing it a different way, by allowing yourself more time to do it, by accepting a less “perfect” performance from yourself, by permitting others to help you, or by determining if you would enjoy doing only a specific part of the activity. You may want to ask for someone else’s opinion, or a doc- tor’s or therapist’s advice about other ways that you can continue to get enjoyment out of an activi- ty on your “Can’t Do” list. Careful examination and evaluation of these activities may allow you to move an activity from the “Can’t Do” category into the “Maybe Do” or “Can Do” category.

Next, think of some other activities that you think you may be able to do, and place them in the “Maybe Do” category. Go through the same exercise of try- ing to figure out a way that you can do each of these activities by changing the way you used to do it, using special devices or aids, or perhaps revising high expecta- tions and doing the activity for enjoyment rather than to win. Again, ask for the help of family, friends, and professionals to iden- tify ways that you can continue to enjoy this activity while ensuring your safety. Finally, develop your “Can Do” list. This list should be a combina- tion of things that you have now moved from other lists as well as other activities. You can begin this list by identifying activities that perhaps you used to do but stopped doing because you became too busy with other things.

The list should include things that you’ve always wanted to try doing, and things that you already enjoy doing. You should also consider activities related to your “Maybe Do” or “Can’t Do” lists. For example, if you can no longer play baseball you might want to begin coaching a little league team, or go and watch some games. Selecting Goals, Pacing Activities, and Rewarding Your Efforts It is important that you select realistic, attainable goals that you can maintain and that will help motivate you to increase your activity level. You may begin by focusing on gradually doing more of the activities on your “Can Do” list. If your goals are set too high and you don’t achieve them, you may become both frustrated and disappointed, which may discour- age you from engaging in that activity in the future.

It is best to choose a goal that you know you can reach even on you worst day, and then stick to that goal for a good week or two (at least 6 times) before you increase the goal. For example, you may start to walk once around the block at first, because, although you can walk further on most days, you probably couldn’t do so on your worst day. This keeps you active even on your worst day and ensures that you’ll reach your goal, feel good about it, and keep up the good work the next day. Then, when you’re ready to increase your goal, make it a rel- atively small increase again one that you know you’ll be able to accomplish even on your worst day. Never increase your goal by more than about 10-15% of your previous target. And always make certain that you have achieved your goal several times in a row (and during several bad days) before setting the target higher. Finally, reward yourself well for your efforts on a daily or weekly basis, or based upon reaching various goals. A daily reward might include some small food treat or leisure activity. Treating yourself to a movie, a favourite magazine, some new clothes, or calling a friend long distance are examples of ways in which you might reward yourself once you’ve reached each new goal.

As New Year Resolutions are starting to wane, February comes right around the corner. Certainly one thinks of red hearts, valentine chocolates and roses. On a seri- ous and less sentimental note however, it is a great time to pon- der healthy heart awareness. February has been designated as the Heart Health Month and it is a perfect time to educate oneself and each other on the primary organ that really makes us tick. A muscular pump that beats more than 100,000 time a day, the heart along with a whole net- work of blood vessels, supply blood and nutrients throughout the body.

In addition, this system is responsible for removing wastes that are accumulated. With the narrowing of these ves- sels or the dysfunction of the heart, what results is cardiovascu- lar disease. Heart disease accounts for the most deaths in Canada and so it is an issue that has an impact on every person. Most importantly, it can be man- aged appropriately. The best way of managing this disease is by controlling the risk factors. They include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, stress, excessive alcohol con- sumption, physical inactivity and being overweight. It is important to assess your blood pressure/cholesterol levels regu- larly. High blood cholesterol will lead to a buildup of plaque in the artery walls, which will make it harder for blood to flow through- out the body. This buildup of plaque is called atherosclerosis.

If blood supply is slow or stopped in the heart muscle, what occurs is a heart attack. Depending on the amount of damage, this affects the hearts ability to effec- tively pump blood throughout the body. If blood flow is interrupted in the brain, what results is the death of the brain cells in that area, commonly known as a stroke. Depending on the extent of the damage, this can affect a person’s ability to walk, talk, eat, see etc. Living a health lifestyle is the best way to prevent the impact of heart disease. Making physical activity part of your daily routine for 30 to 60 minutes can lower your blood pressure and choles- terol levels. Find an activity that you enjoy, be it walking, biking or even rock climbing.

Moreover, when you feel energized and active, you are more likely to watch your eating habits or avoid smoking. Healthy eating will involve eating foods and snacks with lower salt intake and higher nutritional value. Meet with a dietician or a Naturopath to fur- ther educate yourself on the nec- essary principles. To get more information about being heart healthy, discuss with your physician your risk factors and prevention methods. Talk to your physiotherapist/kinesiologist about how you can improve your activity level, safely and effective- ly. A Naturapath or dietician in your community could further facilitate healthy eating. Ultimately, educate yourself and those you care about this Heart Healthy Month. For more infor- mation please check the website www.heartandstroke.ca.

When you consider that a shovelful of snow weighs 5 to 7 pounds, you realize how much weight you have to lift to clear your sidewalk or driveway - on average, several hundred pounds! Shovelling snow can be a pain in more ways than one. These tips will help keep your back in top shape: o Don’t let the snow pile up: If the weather report calls for sever- al days of snow, frequent shovel- ling will allow you to move small- er amounts of snow at once. It’s far less strenuous in the long run. o Pick the right shovel: Use a lightweight pusher-type shovel. If you are using a metal shovel, spray it with Teflon first, so snow won’t stick to it. o Push, don’t throw:

Always push the snow to the side rather than throw it. That way you avoid lifting heavy shovelfuls of snow, and sudden twisting or turning movements. o Bend your knees: As with any heavy object, you need to use your knees, and leg and arm