Why do I have back pain? If you have had low back pain, you are not alone.  Back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work.  Even school-age children can have back pain.  Having some tips for back pain will help people manage their symptoms on a regular basis. Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain.  It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Low back pain is caused by common causes like: Poor posture Sitting for long hours Awkward movements Excessive use of lower back muscles causing overuse injuries Inappropriate ways of lifting weights Trauma Frequent Bending Forward Degenerative conditions What are the types of back pain? There are two types of back…

  Physiotherapy for ankle sprains is an important part of recovery.  There are many different types of ankle injuries.   Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries that lead people to seek out treatment at PhysioNow.  However, some people choose to let an ankle sprain recover on its own without the help of a Registered Physiotherapist.  Unfortunately, this can prevent full recovery of the injury and result in long term issues with the ankle. What is an ankle sprain? An ankle sprain happens when there is injury to one of the ligaments of the ankle.  More specifically, a ligament is a soft tissue structures that connects a bones to bones.  Ligaments provide stability to the ankle joint.  This means that they keep the ankle secure and able to react to a variety of movements and forces. There are 3 main sets of ligaments that help stabilize the ankle: Lateral ligaments…

What causes knee pain? Managing knee pain is a common concern for many people.   It can feel too difficult and there is always a fear of making the pain worse. Especially, when knee pain can be caused by several different reasons.  For example: Muscle and tendon strains Ligament sprains Bursitis Osteoarthritis Meniscus tears Patellar-femoral pain Dislocations Post-Surgery What can I do to help manage my knee pain? There are several things that you can try to help reduce or solve your knee pain on your own.  Apply heat or ice An easy home remedy for managing knee pain at home is applying either heat or ice to the area.  However, there is always some confusion about whether heat or ice is the better option.  As a general rule of thumb we say:  If there was a sudden trauma and the area is showing signs of inflammation, such as swelling and…

What is Acupuncture? Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.  It involves inserting very thin/fine needles into certain points on your body targeting the nerves or energy points in the body.  This treatment helps to reduce pain and improve function.  At PhysioNow, many of our physiotherapists perform acupuncture treatment for many orthopedic conditions.  One of the most common reasons, patients seek out acupuncture is for the treatment of headaches. Types of Acupuncture and its benefits for headaches There are 2 types of acupuncture: Chinese Acupuncture This approach stimulates specific pressure points, which restores the flow of positive energy throughout your body and removes the negative energy that is causing pain. Western/medical Acupuncture This type stimulates various systems of your body (for example, the nervous system and vascular system) to promote a healing response. The points where needles are inserted stimulate the nerves to release hormones such as…

What is Massage Therapy?   Massage therapy offers many benefits for recovery.  This type of treatment involves the hands-on manipulation of the soft tissues of the body.  These tissues include:  Muscles Tendons Connective tissues Ligaments What is the purpose of massage therapy? The purpose of massage therapy is to help improve the physical condition of the body.  This is achieved through by improving: Tissue flexibility Joint movement Circulation Stress Are there different types of massage therapy? Swedish Massage Most common type of massage therapy It involves soft, long and kneading strokes of the muscles This type of treatment may also include joint movement and stretches The focus of Swedish massage is the relaxation of the muscles Deep tissue Massage This type of massage aims to get into deeper layers of the soft tissues It uses deeper pressure and may be more painful than a Swedish massage but can be helpful…

Cancer Rehabilitation What is Cancer? Cancer rehabilitation is an important part of a patient’s cancer recovery journey.  But it is important to understand what it mean to have cancer. Firstly, the normal, healthy cells of our body go through stages of development, maturity, and death.  Importantly, cell death is part of the normal life cycle of tissues.  In short, this process allows for the removal of older and damaged or abnormal cells from the body and the addition of new healthy cells.  However, with cancer, the old, damaged, or abnormal cells do not go through the process of death.  That is to say, they continue to accumulate and grow, spreading into surrounding normal tissues.  Moreover, these abnormal cells are capable of surviving and can do a lot of damage to the body.  Consequently, cancer cells can: Invade surrounding healthy tissues Develop their own blood supply Eat away at bone Add…

Whiplash What is whiplash? When your neck is suddenly and forcefully jolted forward or backward, there is a possibility that you had a whiplash. It typically causes an intense stretch on the soft tissues around your neck, beyond the normal range of motion. As a result, there is acute pain, stiffness or tightness around your neck. Whiplash injury There are different categories of whiplash. The Quebec Classification of Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) classifies it as-• Grade 0: No complaints about the neck. No physical sign(s).• Grade I: Neck complaint of pain, stiffness or tenderness only. No physical sign(s).• Grade II: Neck complaint AND musculoskeletal sign(s).• Grade III: Neck complaint AND neurological sign(s).• Grade IV: Neck complaint AND fracture or dislocation. What are the causes of whiplash? Most commonly, whiplash is caused during car accidents. However, it can also be caused by other reasons like–Fall from a…

Shoulder Pain Shoulder pain is a common problem for many people.  It can happen to people of all ages from children to the elderly.  The pain can be very severe and cause a lot of limitations with work and activity.  Shoulder pain is one of the top 5 reasons why people seek out physiotherapy and massage treatments. What Causes Shoulder Pain? There are several reasons why people suffer from shoulder pain. Trauma Any type of direct or indirect trauma can produce shoulder pain if the arm and/or shoulder is involved Motor vehicle accidents Falls Sports injuries Violent incidents Poor office ergonomics Many people who work in offices spend majority of their time sitting  in front of a computer for long periods of time.  Additionally, many offices do not always provide optimal ergonomic setups for their staff.  Over time, as a result, this may lead to the development of pain and…

FIBROMYALGIA Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition. It is often associated with widespread symptoms including fatigue, pain and sleep disturbances.   Causes and Risk Factors It is unclear as to what causes fibromyalgia. However, there are some causes which might be increasing your risk of getting fibromyalgia: Genetics- You could be ay a higher risk for fibromyalgia if it runs in your family Stress- Emotional or physical stresses have been known to aggravate or cause this condition Age- Women have been found to be at a higher risk Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: The symptoms may vary from individual to individual but, following are some of the commonest symptoms- Fatigue- One of the commonest symptom is fatigue Pain- Pain that lasts > 3 months and widespread pain at several sites in the body Sleep disturbances-  You could have sleep disturbances or non restorative sleep (sleeping for long but not feeling rested) Reduced exercise…

IS POOR POSTURE THE CAUSE OF YOUR PAIN? Did you know that current research suggests 80% individuals will experience back pain at some time in their lives? There are several causes that can lead to back pain-degenerative changes, herniated discs, poor posture, pulled/torn muscle /ligament around the spine, kidney stones or many other pathological causes. Of all these various causes, there is one thing that can be controlled and taken care of by you-POSTURE!   WHAT EXACTLY IS A POOR POSTURE? Any position that places our spine in unnatural curves (most often a C shape) instead of the normal S shape curve is a poor posture (see picture below). S shaped curve allows for equal weight distribution as well as flexibility of the spine. Poor posture is known to affect not just the spine but also the surrounding ligaments and muscles. Prolonged poor postures lead to a lot of pressure…