“Just a minute while I go get my scraper…” my colleague said to his patient. I thought about what might be going through his patient’s mind. What is a scraper? Will I have any skin left when he is done? Is it really as bad as it sounds? My colleague was referring to a small plastic device that was triangular … Read More
Gua Sha vs. Cupping – Which one is better?
Is Old the New “New?” An estimated 4.5 million Americans visit the emergency room or doctor’s office because of an adverse reaction to medication, and an additional 2 million individuals already hospitalized experience an adverse drug response. This statistic resonates with many people, therefore in Western society there is a movement away from medications and invasive procedures to relieve pain … Read More
The Evidence and Science Behind Gua Sha
Centered around a mysterious, invisible set of energy pathways and with techniques that baffle the Western mind, traditional Chinese medicine can seem esoteric, to say the least. In that regard, gua sha, the therapeutic method of scraping the skin to alleviate pain and improve health certainly doesn’t disappoint. An ancient and maybe one of the earliest known medical practices, gua … Read More
How a lack of sleep is directly related to obesity
It always seems easier to look for the latest pill, diet, or training program, but what if the key to you burning fat is something as simple as sleep? There are 3 reasons why getting more sleep will increase fat burn for you. 1. Decreased cortisol levels Cortisol is your body’s fight or flight mechanism. Whenever your senses feel that … Read More
Swedish vs Deep Tissue vs Shiatsu vs Sports Massage: What’s the difference?
Have you felt stressed out lately because of pressure at the office? Or you recently suffered an injury by accident and you want to reduce pain? Either way, there’s an answer to these problems that often help – a massage! Massage therapy is a manual manipulation of soft tissues in the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues. It involves rubbing, manipulating … Read More
5 Tips to Keep You Injury Free in the Gym
Everyone loves getting a good workout in, but if you want to be able to do this for years to come, you need to make sure that you’re preventing any possible injuries. Injuries can strike at any moment and very often, can mean spending two or more weeks away from all physical activities. If you’re hit hard, frustration will set in … Read More
IASTM/Graston Vs. Deep Tissue Massage – How are they different?
As a Chiropractor, I’ve known about the Graston technique for a long time, but over the last few years, other similar treatments and tools have started becoming popular. These include Gua Sha, Hawk Grips, the Echo Muscle Reliever etc. Whether we are referring to Graston, Gua Sha or any similar tool, these all fall under the IASTM umbrella and therefore … Read More
Steroid Injections for Relieving Shoulder Pain – Everything You Need to Know
The shoulder is a complex joint that relies on many muscles, tendons and ligaments to hold it together. The shoulder can develop a multitude of conditions. Common ailments that can occur are tendinitis, bursitis, rotator cuff syndrome, frozen shoulder (also known as adhesive capsulitis) and degenerative or inflammatory arthritis. Inevitably, all of these conditions will develop varying degrees of pain, … Read More
The One Page Guide to Pre-Workout Nutrition
Have you ever wondered when and what you should be eating before your workout? This article will break it down for you so that your energy levels peak during your session. It’s important to note before we start however that some days you’ll have more intense workouts than others, and anything that goes down your throat in the hour before training is … Read More
Gua Sha vs. Graston – What is the difference?
There are a variety of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Techniques in the world of rehabilitation and musculoskeletal care. The two very popular and different techniques are Gua Sha and Graston. The main idea for both these techniques is to heal the body by intentionally producing micro-traumas in specific regions to bring heat to the area. Although both tools are addressing … Read More