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What does compression have to do with tendonitis?

When you are suffering from pain that is caused by inflamed tendons, it can seem like it takes forever to heal. Tendonitis can prevent us from doing many of the things that we usually take for granted in our daily lives.

In our clinic we like to encourage our clients to continue their daily activities. However, in some cases these activities or exercises may be preventing a full recovery. How does one know which movements are harmful or not?

This is a great video that clearly explains why some movements are worse than others for injured tendons. Our rehab experts at Physiotherapy Active Rehab have an extensive knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics. This allows us to assess your unique situation and make a plan for your optimal  recovery. If you have tendonitis and need a professional assessment, please give us a call.

 

Tendon Compression and Pain from RunningReform on Vimeo.

 

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My test results look bad! Should I worry?

As Dr. Greg Lehman mentions in his article (click on link below), we live in an amazing age where images can be produced showing us what is happening inside our bodies. This is a huge deal, but most of us take these technologies for granted. The first clinical MRI scan took place in 1980, but now having an MRI test has become a fairly routine procedure.

The broad availability of x-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI and other advanced diagnostics have revolutionized medicine. We have more diagnostic information available to us now than at any time in history. Information isn’t usually a bad thing, but is it possible to have too much of it?

I can’t count how many times a patient has come into my office with an MRI report in hand. They are completely stressed out about the seemingly terrible results. Do they always need to be so worried? Often they don’t.

As this article explains, these diagnostic findings often don’t have anything to do with the pain we are experiencing.

Structure is not Destiny

If you have any questions about your orthopedic test results, please give us a call. We would be happy to help you figure things out.

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How do I keep in shape while I’m injured?

So you’ve found yourself injured and not able to participate in your favourite sport or activity. This can be extremely upsetting when you have worked so hard to get into shape and maintain a level of fitness you are proud of. So what can you do to stay in the best possible shape while suffering from pain associated with condtions like tendonitis, shin splints, patellofemoral syndrome and plantar fasciitis?

Follow this link to a helpful article by Tom Goom, a well known UK physiotherapist who specializes in running injuries:

Cross Training During Injury

Following these helpful guidelines can mean a quicker and safer return to the sport you love. For help with recovery from your injury, please give us a call. We would be glad to help.

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The Importance of Exercise in Dealing with Back Pain

Movement is an essential part of our lives – everyday billions of people move from one place to another in pursuit of their jobs, hobbies, or simply to look at the world from a different point of view. All this movement is made possible by the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) that controls our muscles and joints.

Due to our hectic lifestyle it is possible to ignore the functional needs of our body and disregard its importance. However, we become aware of the delicacy of our bodies when they start to feel the effect of our neglect. The most common form of this is back and neck pain, which are often byproducts of poor posture, repetitive incorrect movements, lack of exercise, and trauma such as a fall or motor vehicle accident.

The combination of poor posture, incorrect lifting and bending, and our increasingly sedentary lifestyle has made back pain a modern epidemic. Grasping the significant effect back pain has in one’s life, it is important that we play an active part in ensuring that we deal with this epidemic proactively.

It is necessary to treat the physical basis of the problem. Consult your physician, health care provider, or physiotherapist to discuss the origin of your pain. Your health care providers can offer recommendations regarding pain-relieving strategies, such as exercises. They are generally easy to integrate into your daily routine and do not require any special equipment. Stretching, strengthening the core and low back muscles, and yoga are are all forms of exercise that may be effective for your back.

However, exercise alone is often not enough when managing low back pain. To minimize further injury or pain exacerbation, it is also important to eat a balanced diet, drink adequate amounts of water, and use preventative measure in your daily routine. Scrutinize your daily habits to ensure that you are not contributing to your pain. For example, simple things such as having an inappropriate work station and using incorrect body movements when lifting or carrying objects are likely to produce excessive strain on your back. Find a back pain therapist who can teach you how to keep your back pain-free.

Remember, preventing low back pain before its onset is they key to a healthier back!

 

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Treatment of Lower Limb Sports Injuries

The lower limb (or lower leg) includes the ankle and foot joints, which are frequently injured during sports that require running or jumping. Besides physiotherapy, there are other, complementary, ways to address the acute pain that results from an injury to any of these joints and return to your sport.

Sport podiatrists are health practitioners who specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions of the foot and ankle. The field of sport podiatry involves utilizing methods that reduce the risk of lower limb injuries. It encompasses orthotic insoles, exercise, the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and proper footwear to restore correct foot biomechanics.

Several causes of foot/ankle pain include, but are not limited, to:

  • Bio-mechanical abnormalities (i.e., foot alignment)
  • Worn or ill-fitting footwear
  • Increased training duration and/or frequency
  • Increased training intensity

Potential treatments:

Try orthotics – these are shoe inserts that reduce biomechanical abnormalities while you are walking or running. Benefits of orthotics include pain reduction, increased support, biomechanical correction, accelerated healing (due to reduced pressure to the affected joint), and injury prevention.

You should also discuss modifying your training or exercise program with your podiatrist, physiotherapist, and/or physician in order to reduce stress on the injured area.

 

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An In-Depth Look Into Physiotherapy Training and Its Practice

 

A Physiotherapist’s Education: Knowledge and Practice

Physiotherapists (or Physical Therapists) are university-trained health care professionals who practice in private clinics or hospitals using a wide range of skills and abilities – including manual (hands-on) therapy, exercise prescription, acupuncture, and orthotics assessments.

Becoming a physiotherapist has become a popular choice for many young people today. Physiotherapists are often referred to as “movement experts” due to their training, education, and vast knowledge of mobility dysfunctions. The musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary/cardiovascular, neurological, and integumentary systems are all closely studied by physiotherapy students in order to learn the functions of all body systems. Application of treatment procedures and principles is an important part in a physiotherapy program as well as the study of the theories behind these practices.

With a solid background in science and firm hands-on training, physiotherapists aim to restore an individual’s optimal physical function and movement. A physiotherapist’s work is very diverse. It usually involves working with individuals who are affected by illness, injury, or developmental disability, as well as those suffering from various pains and aches of the body.

The Work of a Physiotherapist: Your First Visit

Physiotherapists work in a wide range of medical and rehabilitation settings (such as acute-care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, residential homes, and private clinics), with various patient populations – paediatrics and geriatrics, patients living with or recovering from heart disease, stroke, and/or other complex medical diagnoses, athletes, expecting mothers, and any individuals with a physical injury or pain. The purpose of physiotherapy is to provide evidence-based treatment that will fit the needs of each individual in order to facilitate recovery and return to optimal functioning (see Specialty Areas of Physiotherapy below).

Upon meeting a client or patient, a physiotherapist will start with an assessment of his or her health condition. This entails reviewing the patient’s medical history, after which a physical examination follows. The information gathered during an assessment is imperative in order for the therapist to create an effective, individualized treatment plan that aims to meet the patient’s personal goals.

Duration of Physiotherapy Training: Not A Minute Wasted

To become a physiotherapist in Canada it is necessary to complete a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy (M.Sc.PT) in an accredited university. Potential students have a Bachelor’s Degree, usually in the sciences, which is mandatory prior to applying to the physiotherapy program. Some common courses that students take during their undergraduate studies to prepare them for a career in physiotherapy include biology, physiology, chemistry, anatomy, and statistics.

Generally, it takes approximately six to seven years of university-based education and training to become a physiotherapist. This includes, as stated above, approximately four years of undergraduate study and two years in a physiotherapy Master’s Degree program. Within the physiotherapy program students learn theory and participate in clinical internships in hospitals and clinics under supervision of licensed physiotherapists.

Specialty Areas of Physiotherapy: The Calling

Being such a diverse field, practitioners may choose to specialize in a certain branch of physiotherapy (for example, working with a primarily athletic population versus treating stroke patients in a hospital). Key global specifications include orthopaedic, neurological, cardiopulmonary/cardiovascular, geriatric, and paediatric branches of physiotherapy.

The role of a physiotherapist varies depending on the patient population and treatment goals. For example, goals of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy include helping individuals regain independence and improve endurance, as these patients typically experience shortness of breath during daily activities due to heart and/or lung disease. Physiotherapists frequently utilize manual techniques to assist in secretion clearance (i.e., coughing to remove excess mucus) and teach patients energy conservation strategies. Meanwhile, physiotherapists who specialize in the neurological population treat individuals who have disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and other conditions or diseases.

Orthopaedic physiotherapists undergo specific training that renders them experts in managing painful joints and muscles, fractures or broken bones, acute sports injuries, arthritis, sprains and strains, spinal injuries, and amputations.

Physiotherapists who work with a geriatric population treat conditions that affect the elderly, such as balance disorders, incontinence, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Conversely, in paediatric physiotherapy, the therapist evaluates a child’s specific impairment and creates a customized physiotherapy program to suit the patient’s specific needs.

Physiotherapy in Canada: The Regulating Body

The licensing and registration process in Canada is a multi-level process, governed by The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (www.alliancept.org) and the province’s College of Physiotherapists.

The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators administers the Physiotherapy Competency Examination, a licensing exam which has a written and a practical component. After successful completion of both components, a candidate is eligible to obtain his or her independent physiotherapy license.

Meanwhile, the province’s College of Physiotherapists regulates the practice of physiotherapists in order to serve the interest of the public. Please refer to the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for more information at http://www.collegept.org.

The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) is the country’s central voluntary professional physiotherapy organization. The main office is located in Toronto, Ontario, but CPA has branches in ten Canadian provinces and territories. Approximately 9000 physiotherapists from all over Canada are members. CPA’s objective is to further enhance excellence in physiotherapy training, research, and practice. Its mission is to “advance the profession of physiotherapy in order to improve the health of Canadians.” (Taken from http://www.physiotherapy.ca/About-Us).

 

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