Home – Made Roller For Muscle Pain

home - made rollerAs most of you may know, I am one of those people that likes to be creative. What I mean by this is, if I can make it at home, why go buy it from the store. As a result, when it was recommended for me to use a roller for neck tension, I sought out another means to accomplish the task without having to purchase an expensive roller. I was able to make one at home using only a couple of materials, and have found that I have received benefit from my make-shift roller. But before I give you the instructions on how to make one from scratch, here is some back ground information on “Rollers”.

Background

Foam rolling is a form of “soft – tissue” or “myo-fasical” release. In short, it helps your muscles to relax. In some individuals who experience chronic pain, one of the sources of that pain can be due to tight muscles. Rollers can provide a way for muscles to relax (and thus reduce pain), and also is beneficial for:

  • Breaking up adhesions
  • Delaying onset of muscle soreness
  • Quicker post – workout recovery
  • Increased flexibility and range of motion
  • Improve arterial functioning
  • Decrease pain

If your health care provider has recommended a roller for you, you might also be able to make one at home (as these can sometimes be quite costly). As a result, the following presents how to make a roller at home.

Materials Needed

  • 1 sock – preferably longer than an ankle sock and free of holes.
  • 2 tennis balls of equal size

Instructions

  • Take the two tennis balls and place them in the sock so that they are side-by-side.
  • Tie a knot at the end of the sock that is open so the tennis balls stay in the sock.
  • Make sure that the balls cannot move around in the sock easily.

And that’s it! Based on your particular case, this may be enough or not enough to achieve the benefits of a roller. Therefore, you should discuss with your health care provider if this approach is enough to achieve the benefits of a roller.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

 

 

 

Stretches for the Office Worker/ Student

For this week’s blog, I chatted with Katelyn Butler Birmingham about different stretches that one can do if they work at a desk all day. These stretches are great for those who are students, work on a computer a lot, or work at a desk for extended periods of time.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Does Acupuncture Hurt?

For this week’s blog, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Chris Habib ND who asked the question, ” Does acupuncture hurt?” Below I have provided the You Tube link where I answer this question and demonstrate what receiving acupuncture might look like.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

The Benefits of Exercise

Many people know that exercise is good for you, but what exactly is it good for other than getting that “beach body”. Aside from helping maintain or gain a healthy weight, exercise has also been shown to have the following benefits:Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitn

  • Boosts energy
  • Encourages healthy sleep
  • Relieves stress
  • Improves mood
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol
  • Reduces sensation of pain through release of endorphins (natural pain killers)
  • Reduces risk of future disease such as heart dsease and cancer
  • Enables more time in nature – causing more exposure to fresh air

Even as little as 30 minutes a day for 3 days of the week has been shown to have benefits for one’s overall health. With having more of a focus on being active, one might be better able to achieve their health goals.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.