What is heel pain? What causes your heel pain? Heel pain could be from any reason either your inflamed plantar fascia causing plantar fasciitis or any abnormal bony growth causing heel spurs. To get in further details plantar fasciitis is an irritation and inflammation to the tissue that runs at the bottom of the foot extending from the heel to the toes, causing heel pain. It supports the arch of the foot which helps in shock absorption. On other side, heel spur is when a bony outgrowth forms on the heel, which causes heel pain while walking and standing. What are the causes of heel pain? Causes are not limited to high and low arches causing irritation to the plantar fascia with running, jogging, playing any sports, prolonged standing and walking. Also, any strain or tear to the fascia. As a result, if this condition is…

What is a Chronic low back pain? Although commonly used word for being in pain for a long time is ‘Chronic’, I would like to call it ‘Persistent Pain’. Because, the word Chronic seems to have a very negative connotation to it. Also,  It is a general belief that if you have ‘Chronic Pain’, you will have to live with pain forever! If you wish to get more knowledge about persistent pain, please visit this link. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/Living-with-persistent-pain Chronic pain speedometer Case review of chronic low back pain Let us take an example here of a person who has had low back pain, for many years. They have had an X-ray and an MRI done which shows some minor degenerative changes. There is no major nerve compression. However, there may be some minor disc bulges which their family doctor mentioned is normal for the age.  As a…

Pain Relief from Aging It is important for seniors  to stay active to make sure they remain strong and independent through the later years of their life. Many seniors also develop joint and muscle pain as they age and staying active can really help manage these symptoms. Let us discuss about some exercises to get pain relief from aging. However, if you need to know further what are the changes happening to your bones and muscles visit this link. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/ageing-muscles-bones-and-joints Here are some exercises that seniors can do at home to help with pain relief! Sit to Stand Sit to stand activity  Start by sitting on a firm chair.  Get up from the chair and get into a standing position without using your hands for support.  Stay standing for 2-3 seconds and then slowly lower yourself back into the chair without using your hands.  Repeat this movement…

  What is Migraine and how does it feel? Migraine is type of headache which radiates to jaw, eyes, one of face and neck and shoulder sometimes. It can cause throbbing and severe sensations on your one side of face including jaw and eyes and forehead. Sometimes, it is accompanied by other symptoms like pressure in back of head, pulsating sensation on face, sensitive to noise, light, nausea and vomiting. Migraine management is of utmost important from the time you start experiencing it. Symptoms: Migraine attacks are long lasting depending on the patient. It can vary from hours to days. Sometimes, it is severe enough to interfere in your daily life and work life. Sign and symptoms: Pressure/tension in different area of head, usually in back of the head Difficulty in Concentration Nausea and sometimes accompanied by fever Vomiting Sensitive to noise Sensitive to lights Flashes on face Visual disturbance…

PELVIC PAIN AND PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION What is pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction? There are a number of conditions which cause pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. We have discussed a few of those conditions here today. Fortunately most of the conditions are treated with physiotherapy interventions. Pelvic pain and dysfunction Common conditions related with internal pelvic structures: Provoked vestibulodynia: In this your pelvic area is very sensitive to touch or pressure. You will feel pain with light touch, pressure, inserting tampons, wearing tight pants or intercourse. urinary urgency Vaginismus: You feel difficulty and/or pain with vaginal penetration. This will lead to avoidance of sexual activity or internal pelvic examination. Bladder pain syndrome: You feel pain and pressure with urge to urinate at any time. You will get an increased urge to urinate. Symptoms usually starts with bladder infection. Dysmenorrhea: You will feel painful cramps with…

If you have a fracture, it means you have broken a bone.  Fractures are common injuries and they can happen to people of all ages, from the very young to the very old.  Common areas where fractures happen include shoulder, spinal vertebrae, elbow, wrist, knees and ankle.  Majority of fractures occur with trauma to the bone – either from a fall or a blunt force. How do you know that you have a fracture? Most people can usually feel that they have broken a bone because the signs and symptoms can be very obvious.  These include: Swelling or bruising over a bone Deformity around the injury area, such as arm or leg Pain that gets worse with any movement or added pressure Inability to put any weight through the joint Protruding bone through the skin (in the case of open fractures) Is it always obvious that you have a fracture?…

Pelvic health in men is a topic lacking attention, recognition, and research.  More specifically, issues with the pelvic floor affect many men and can be very disruptive to their lives.  Consequently, pelvic floor physiotherapy helps us accept, understand and treat the pelvic related issues for men. Causes of pelvic health issues for men There are several pelvic health issues for men.  For example, some of the common problems faced by men are: Incontinence 1 in 9 men are incontinent Incontinence means loss of urine in small volume or dribbling by coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, exercise or transitional movements. Risk Factors for incontinence include Obesity, Chronic illness, Medication, Smoking, Chronic straining, Radical Prostatectomy, and Prostate enlargement Consequently, there are a lot of social issues related to incontinence, including: Decreased self esteem Depression Isolation Reduced social activity Reduced/Disrupted physical activity Erectile dysfunction  There may be physical or psychological factors that could cause…

There are more and more people who are using physiotherapy services to help them recover from their injuries and pain conditions.  However, there are also a lot of people who do not understand what physiotherapy can offer.  Physiotherapy plays an important role in keeping people healthy and active. What is physiotherapy? Physiotherapy is a health care profession that helps people regain their strength and function.  A Registered Physiotherapist will do an assessment that helps them understand the nature of the patient’s problem.  They will then develop a treatment plan.  More specifically, the treatment plan will address the limitations that is not allowing them to live out their best quality of life.  The main goals of physiotherapy is to restore, maintain and improve strength, function and movement. What kind of symptoms can physiotherapy help treat? Pain Decreased range of motion Weakness Limited flexibility Loss of function Poor balance Dizziness/Vertigo What kind…

The custom knee braces are useful for many reasons.  The most common reasons are to correct alignment or stability of the knee.  Therefore, the brace allows people to continue to be mobile and active despite their knee injury or pain.  At PhysioNow, we have custom knee braces available from DonJoy, Breg and Ossur.  A Registered Physiotherapist with training in knee braces  will recommend and measure the brace that’s the most appropriate for the needs of the patient. Types of Custom Knee Braces There are different types of braces for different types of knee conditions.  The custom knee brace needs to be specific to the condition for it to be effective.  Some examples of the types of custom knee braces include: Brace for ligament instabilities The main ligaments of the knee that give the knee stability are the ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL.  These injuries occur during sports or recreational activities…

2021 is definitely an interesting year to reflect on.  The Covid-19 pandemic certainly creates a new and different challenge for physiotherapy.  Let’s have a look at the most popular reasons why people came in for treatment at PhysioNow in 2021! Reason #1:  Neck & Back Pain Neck and back pain are definitely the most common symptom that led people to PhysioNow in 2021.  This was due to several different factors.   The most important being that majority of office staff shifted to working from home.  This means that they are working in home offices that are not always ergonomically correct.  Additionally, most people who work from home end up spending more time sitting in front of their screens without getting up and moving around.  As a result, stiffness in the back is produced and continues to progress and become painful. Reason #2: Shoulder Pain Shoulder pain is another popular reason for…