Physiotherapy Blog

Pain and injury can happen to anyone.  Most people have at least one injury or episode of pain in their lifetime. As a result, this leads them to seek professional help.  The most common types of injuries are related to muscle, bone and joints.  However, underlying diseases can also result in pain that leads people to seek Physiotherapy & Exercise. What are the different types of Physiotherapy & Exercise available? Physiotherapy Physiotherapists use their knowledge of the body to provide Physiotherapy & Exercise treatment. In addition, they assess, diagnose and treat symptoms from injuries. Massage Therapy Massage therapy is the…

Elderly Falls Prevention Elderly Falls prevention is a huge societal issue.  It affects many aspects of society including health care spending and caregiver stress.  As a result injuries and effects from a fall can be very serious, both for the patient and the family involved. Characteristics of the elderly Population There are some who have been able to maintain their mobility and strength and continue to stay healthy and active. Then there are those who are struggling with their day to day activities due to weakness and frailty.   There are also those who fall somewhere in between.  Those individuals…

A An ankle sprain is a common Sports injury which happens when the ankle stretches more than normal. This over stretch weakens the ligaments that hold the bones together. Ligaments are the fibrous bands that hold the ankle joint together. The ankle consists of 3 joints. The joints are between the lower end of two long bones in your leg. They are called the Tibia and Fibula. They attach to the two bones in your feet called the Talus and calcanium. Together with the muscles and ligaments, the bony ends on the sides of your long bones called malleoli provide…

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Pain                         Pregnancy and Pelvic girdle pain Pregnancy Related Pelvic Pain: Words Can Hurt Pregnancy related Pelvic pain can create great challenges. Imagine you are 32 weeks pregnant with your first child and you start to have pain in the low back and pubic area when you change position. Pregnancy related pelvic pain can happen when you sit, stand for longer periods or when you walk. The pain makes it very difficult for you to function. As a result, you may worry about whether you can continue to work and manage your household. Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain: Words Can Hurt Now imagine you have seen your health care provider and have been told that your pelvis is separating. They tell you this is because of the hormone Relaxin. Then you are told that you may need to put up with this until after you have your…

Pelvic Floor Muscles The Mysterious Pelvic Floor What is The Mysterious Pelvic Floor?? The Pelvic Floor. Perhaps you have heard this referenced before but did not have a definitive idea of what it was. Is it just a region in the body? A single muscle? Let us explore this very important topic. The Pelvic floor is a group of extremely important muscles located on the inside of the pelvis with a hammock like orientation. They attach to the tailbone (coccyx) at the back, the pubic bone in the front and span side to side. Functions: These muscles are involved in several complex functions but are often overlooked in their contribution due to their “out of sight, out of mind” presence. These functions include: 1. Bowel and Bladder Function and Support Assists in control of the bladder and bowel (helping to prevent incontinence) in males and females. In females, the pelvic…

Acute Ankle Sprains Acute Ankle Sprains How do Acute Ankle Sprains happen? Acute Ankle sprains are common injuries in people of all ages. They can happen in many different circumstances. However, they always involve some type of fall or twisting movement to the ankle. For example: Going downstairs and missing the last step resulting in twisting the ankle Landing on the ankle in a twisted position after coming down from a lay-up in basketball or in a Sports Injury Slipping on an icy street while walking In all of these situations, the ankle gets a sudden movement and/or trauma that causes it to twist more than its normal range of movement allows. Acute Ankle Sprains What structure gets injured with an acute ankle sprain? The structures that are injured with acute ankle sprains are the ligaments around the ankle joint. Ligaments are…

Shoulder Injuries Shoulder Injuries Shoulder injuries are a common problem for many people. It can happen to people of all ages from children to the elderly. The pain from shoulder injuries 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 Registered Massage Therapy 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 workplace ergonomics – For people who work in offices, they may spend the majority of their time sitting in front of a computer. If the desk set up is not properly, then this may start to produce stress and…

Accident Rehabilitation What is Accident Rehabilitation? Motor vehicle accidents happen everyday in Ontario.  As a result, they produce a lot of pain, disability and stress for those involved. The impact can be quite debilitating. Accident rehabilitation is treatment that is given after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. It is important to seek out Registered Physiotherapists who are experienced in Accident Rehabilitation to ensure proper recovery. At PhysioNow we offer high quality Registered Physiotherapy and Registered Massage therapy treatments to help you recover from your injuries. Registered Massage Therapy Who is entitled to receive Accident Rehabilitation? Any person who has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Ontario is entitled to receive Accident Rehabilitation benefits . This would include if you were a pedestrian hit by a vehicle.  It would also include coverage for treatment if you were involved in…

            Patellofemoral pain syndrome Patellofemoral pain syndrome happens when your knee cap does not track properly.  The knee joint consist of two joints.  The tibiofemoral joint which is between the two long bones in your leg and the second one is the patellofemoral joint.  This  is between the femoral condyle (end of thigh bone) and the knee cap. The cartilage on the back of the knee cap glides on the cartilage on the front of the condyles of the femur. The knee cap usually sits in a snug groove at the end of the thigh…

Sciatica Sciatica Sciatica is a term that gets used quite frequently in the physiotherapy world. This refers to pain, tingling and/or numbness that goes down the back, hip or entire leg. Who can get Sciatica? It can happen to both younger and older adults for a variety of reasons. For some, it starts after a traumatic event like a slip and fall or after a motor vehicle accident. It can seem like pain develops out of nowhere for others. Pain can start gradually then suddenly increase in severity. The majority of the time, sciatica is a condition that starts with some mechanical changes in the low back that build up gradually over a period of time. What is Sciatica? The term sciatica itself refers to irritation of the sciatic nerve It is the largest nerve in our body This nerve has its roots at the lower…