WHO NEEDS PHYSIOTHERAPY?
CHRISTMAS ISSUE
CHRISTMAS ISSUE
If you’ve experienced any hip or knee pain and are considering whether physiotherapy is a good choice for your health needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, then this indicates that you have proper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then you may need to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and physiotherapy could be helpful. • In a sitting position, can you comfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to rest comfortably on the opposite knee? If this is painful, or one knee constantly must be lower than the other, then this may be indicative of knee concerns that could be addressed with physiotherapy. • From a standing position, with your feet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all the way down so that your buttocks are almost touching your heels. If you aren’t able to do this, then physiotherapy may be helpful in improving your range of motion. • Standing near a wall or countertop, arrange your feet so that you are standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, as if on a balance beam, and see how long you can stand still. Can you balance for 10 seconds? If not, then physiotherapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. The goal of any physiotherapy program is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strength while reducing the general experience of pain. Unfortunately, hip and knee injuries often tend to linger. Every movement relies so heavily on the hips and knees that it makes it difficult to allow these joints to actually rest following an injury.
Exercise Essentials Try these movements if you are experiencing hip or knee pain. www.sosphysiotherapy.ca Physiotherapy provides targeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion. For more information, contact your physiotherapist to learn more about options that will suit your health needs.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
• 3 tbsp maple syrup • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats • 1/2 cup oat flour ground • 1/2 cup almond meal • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/8 tsp salt • 2 tsp Vietnamese 5% Oil • Cinnamon • 1/4 tsp Frontier allspice • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips • 1/2 cup dried cranberries & cherries
Strengthens Hips & Knees
Super volunteer Nicole Hendershot is demonstrating a challenging but very effective hip and knee strengthening exercise. A physioball is helpful here but you could use a beach ball or slightly deflated basketball. Lean into the ball such that the hip you are strengthening (Nicole's left) is away from the wall. Lift the inner leg slightly and hike your pelvis into the ball. You should feel like you are pushing into the ball using your glute muscle. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and keep your knee slightly bent and in line with your second toe.
• 1 ripe banana mashed • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 3 tbsp coconut oil melted • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. In a mixing bowl stir together mashed banana, pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup until well combined. Add in oats, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, chocolate chips and dried fruit; stir to combine. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden. Drop cookies by spoonfuls on prepared baking sheet. They won’t expand much, so feel free to press them down, slightly, and make them as uniform as possible to ensure even baking. Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.
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