The best way to prevent infection is to avoid tick-infested areas whenever possible, especially in the spring and early summer when nymph ticks feed.  Adult ticks are a bigger threat in the fall.  Ticks favour moist, shaded environments, especially leafy wooded areas and overgrown grassy habitats.

Top 5 Tick Habitat Precautions:

• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from getting inside your pants.
• Check your clothes for ticks often. Ticks will climb upwards until they find an area of exposed skin.
• Wear light coloured clothing to make it easier to spot ticks.
• Walk on pathways or trails when possible staying in the middle. Avoid low-lying brush or long grass.
• Apply insect repellent to your skin and clothing, especially at the openings such as ankle, wrist and neck.

Canada is home to many species of ticks, but the Ixodes Tick (known as the black legged or “deer” tick) is the most common Lyme-carrier.

Lyme disease is a challenge to diagnose and can be even tougher to treat. Whether you have reason to suspect infection, or you’ve just been diagnosed, it’s important to learn all you can about this complex illness.  The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation is a great resource, go to www.canlyme.com to learn more.

Lyme disease is preventable. By taking the right precautions and spreading the word, you can effectively protect yourself and your family from Lyme.

DID YOU KNOW...

• Canadians have become the second-largest consumers of prescription narcotics and other controlled substances per capita in the world, according to the International Narcotics Control Board.
• The Ontario Ministry of Health spent $156 million on narcotics for Ontario Drug Benefit Program recipients in 2009-10, for 3.9 million prescriptions. This equates to an average of over six prescriptions per person, and an annual cost of $260 per person.
• According to the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, drug overdoses have risen at an alarming rate, with deaths from oxycodone increasing 416 per cent between 1999 and 2004.
• The province of Ontario recorded 400 deaths from abuse of opioids such as oxycodone, morphine and codeine - twice as many as died in traffic accidents!
• In Ontario, there was an almost 250% increase in the number of emergency room visits related to narcotics between 2005 and 2011.  Those visits included everything from intoxication to withdrawal to overdose.

Patients seeking narcotic medications are a big problem in many hospital emergency rooms.  Many patients are presenting to the ER wanting refills – the reason being lost or stolen pills, but another common excuse is, “I accidentally spilled my pills down the toilet.”  Prescription of narcotics is restricted in many Emergency Rooms across the province.

If you are an individual who is prescribed narcotics for chronic pain management, it is imperative that you have your prescriptions renewed by your primary care provider rather than the Emergency Room.  It is your responsibility as a patient to make an appointment with your provider to have your prescription(s) renewed before they run out.

Your foot is a very complex part of your body. Each foot contains 26 bones, held in place by hundreds of ligaments, tendons and muscles. The average adult puts well over one million pounds of force on their feet every day. However, the foot acts as a complex set of shock absorbers that protect the body with every step. This is only one of many important reasons why you should take good care of your feet.

People with Diabetes
If you have diabetes you are at a greater risk of foot problems. In fact, diabetes can often first be detected in the foot. In addition to regular screening, be aware of these warning signs:

• skin colour changes

• elevation in skin temperature
• swelling of your foot or ankle
• pain in the legs
• open sores on your feet that are slow to heal
• ingrown and fungal toenails
• bleeding corns and calluses
• dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel.

To help prevent issues arising with your feet you should:

• wash your feet daily
• inspect your feet and toes daily
• wear thick, soft socks
• stop smoking
• cut toenails straight across
• exercise regularly
• visit your primary care provider for regular check ups
• be properly measured and fitted every time you buy new shoes
• wear appropriate footwear rather than going barefoot
• avoid wearing high heels, sandals or shoes with pointed toes
• drink in moderation
• avoid wearing anything that is too tight around the legs
• obtain help from a trained health care professional to remove calluses, corns or warts.

From the first baby steps you take and in all of the phases throughout your life, having healthy feet is important. You only have one pair of feet to last a lifetime so take good care of them!

What is a foam roller and how can it help to reduce soreness and pain?
A foam roller is a large cylinder-shaped object that is made of high-density foam.  It’s a type of self-massage used to release trigger points or relieve muscle tightness.  Foam rolling can be used as a “mobile massage therapist” to relieve everyday aches and pains, including chronic conditions.  

What are the Benefits?

• Improvement of circulation
• Improved flexibility
• Lengthening of ligaments and tendons
• Release of tight muscles
• Reduction in level of soreness after a strength training work out
• Stretching of areas that are hard to reach using deep pressure massage methods
• Prevention of injuries
• Promotion of an optimal range of spinal motion
• Breaking down of knots found in muscles and reduction of pain

The Temagami FHT will be launching a 6-week Foam Roller Workshop.  From your head, neck and shoulders to your feet, in this workshop you’ll learn simple movements and variations tailored to your specific condition(s) or recovery.  These skills will empower you to a new level of self-care.

These free classes are available to rostered patients of the Temagami Family Health Team.
For more information or to find out when and where the workshop is taking place,
please call (705) 569-3244.

According to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, to achieve health benefits and improve functional abilities, adults aged 55 years and older should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.  It is also beneficial to add muscle and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups, at least 2 days per week. Those with poor mobility should perform activities to enhance balance and prevent falls. 

As you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever.  Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain.  Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging.  And not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood, and memory. 

There are four building blocks to senior fitness:

• Cardio endurance:  uses large muscle groups in rhythmic motions over a period of time. Cardio workouts get your heart pumping. 
• Strength:  builds muscle with repetitive motion using weight or external resistance from body weight, machines, free weights or elastic bands. Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass, builds muscle, and improve balance – both important in staying active and avoiding falls.
• Flexibility:  challenges the ability of your body’s joints to move freely through a full range of motion.  This can be done through stretches to keep muscles and joints moving easily so they are less prone to injury.
• Balance:  maintains standing and stability, whether you’re standing still or moving around. Yoga, Tai Chi and posture exercises are all good exercises to gain confidence with balance. 

If you are 55 or older and are interested in participating in these free classes or have questions, please call Rhonda at (705) 569-2636 after 6:00 p.m. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and running shoes.

These free classes are being made possible with funding from the NE Local Health Integration Network.