Hawkstone Physical Therapy

Dealing with arthritis pain that's limiting your life? There's hope.

GLAD™ (an evidence-based program) focuses on strengthening the muscles around arthritic joints. When the surrounding muscles are strong, they take pressure off the damaged joint and reduce pain significantly.

Here's how it works:
- Designed specifically for osteoarthritis
- Strengthens supporting muscles
- Improves mobility and function
- Reduces pain long-term

Arthritis doesn't have to stop you from doing what you love. Call us at (780) 930-1331 to learn more about GLAD and whether it's right for you.

Did you know? The average person sits for 7-10 hours per day and every hour of sitting actually negatively impacts your health.

Prolonged sitting:
→ Weakens your glutes and hip flexors
→ Stiffens your spine and hips
→ Reduces circulation and increases blood clots risk
→ Increases neck and shoulder pain
→ Slows metabolism and affects energy

The antidote? Movement snacks. Stand up, stretch, walk around, change positions every hour. Your body wasn't designed to sit for 8 hours straight.

Here's something cool: listening to music while you move actually makes the experience better.

Why?
🎶 Music reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure
🎶 It distracts from discomfort and fatigue
🎶 It helps regulate your pace and rhythm
🎶 It improves mood and motivation
🎶 It makes workouts actually fun

Next time you're stretching, walking, or doing any kind of movement, throw on a playlist. Doesn't matter if it's lo-fi, heavy metal, or 90s pop. Just pick what makes you want to move. What's your go-to workout song?

Summer workouts are amazing until you get sunburned, dehydrated, or overheated.

Here's how to stay safe while getting your outdoor fitness on:
🧴 Sunscreen is non-negotiable: SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours (yes, even if you're just walking)
💧 Hydrate like crazy: Drink water before, during, and after. Don't wait until you're thirsty
🧢 Wear protective gear: Hat, sunglasses, light-colored breathable clothing
⏰ Avoid peak sun hours: If possible, exercise early morning or evening (10am-3pm is peak UV)
🌳 Seek shade when you can: Even partial shade reduces UV exposure
❄️ Cool down properly: Don't jump straight into cold water if you're overheated

Your body will thank you for taking this seriously.

MYTH: "You need to stretch before working out to prevent injury." 🚫

TRUTH: Static stretching before a workout can actually reduce your performance and temporarily weaken your muscles. What you really need is a dynamic warm-up. Dynamic warm-up = movement-based prep (arm circles, leg swings, walking lunges, jumping jacks). It increases blood flow, wakes up your muscles, and preps your nervous system.

Save static stretching for after your workout when your muscles are warm and actually benefit from the stretch.

Smart warm-up = better performance + fewer injuries. 💪

Ever heard of Radial Shockwave Therapy? ⚡ It sounds intense (and it kind of is) but it's actually a game-changer for chronic pain.

Here's how it works:
⚡ High-energy acoustic pulses target injured tissue
⚡ The shockwaves jumpstart your body's natural healing response (like triggering a new injury, but in a good way)
⚡ They overload the nerves responsible for pain, breaking the pain cycle
⚡ Your body does the actual healing

We use shockwave therapy to treat shoulder pain, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, chronic tendon issues, and more.

Curious if it could help you? Call us at (780) 930-1331 to explore options.

Summer injury prevention starts now - not in July when you're already sore.

If you want to hike, golf, garden, and play with your kids this summer without pain, your body needs to be ready for it. That means:

💪 Building strength in the right places
🧘 Improving mobility and flexibility
🏃 Conditioning your body for the activities you actually want to do

We'll help you train smart so you can stay injury-free all season. Book your assessment at (780) 930-1331.

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If you've received treatment at our clinic, leave a review on Google (it only takes a minute!) to share your thoughts. Your feedback helps other patients!⁠ ⁠
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Quick question for Edmonton: what's bothering you more right now? 🤔

Tight hips from sitting all day
OR
Sore shoulders from your desk setup

Drop your answer below, we want to know what's actually slowing you down this spring! 👇

MYTH: "If I'm sore, I need to rest completely until the pain goes away."
TRUTH: Complete rest usually makes things worse. Gentle movement, stretching, and low-intensity activity actually help your body recover faster by improving blood flow and reducing stiffness.

The key word here is gentle. You're not trying to push through pain, you're trying to move through it intelligently. Rest when you need to, but don't confuse rest with total inactivity.

Your body heals better when it moves. 💚