Ready to Relieve Pain the Natural Way? Say Goodbye to Drugs with PT

Kick Pain Management Drugs to the Curb Today!

The world we live in today is heavily medicated. Go to any grocery store or pharmacy and you’ll find countless over-the-counter drugs. Doctors also consistently prescribe more extreme pain relievers, including opioids that have been widely abused over the years. Drug abuse is everywhere, and it is an ongoing battle that patients are constantly fighting.

If you’ve ever experienced an injury, you know it can turn your everyday life upside down. If it’s a car accident, a sports-related injury, a workplace injury, or even an unintentional fall, the pain from a sudden injury can make you feel helpless. To fight this, many people resort to pain-relieving medications, such as opioids. However, what many people don’t know is how much more damage these drugs do to their bodies than they realize.

If you’re struggling with chronic pain but don’t want to pump your body full of addictive drugs, you’ll be delighted to discover a better, safer alternative: physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is a natural and effective approach to chronic pain that can make you feel better in the long term. Let’s look at how this kind of natural treatment will boost your quality of life!

You can choose the natural path to pain relief!

Your physiotherapist is going to show you what to do but they don’t have to do all the work! In order for physiotherapy to be effective for you, you have to make an effort.

Our physiotherapists here will take the time to teach you about your pain and the value of maintaining your stretches and workouts at home for long-term relief.

However, at the end of the day, you make the decision to completely partake in your journey to get rid of pain!

How can a physiotherapist help relieve my pain?

Because everybody is different, and the pain levels of everyone are different, physiotherapy procedures must be as well! Depending on your particular condition, your physiotherapy pain treatment strategy may be different from anyone else’s.

Your doctor might decide to use massage therapy, heat, ice, ultrasound, or other therapies to relieve your pain and speed up the healing process if you are dealing with pain from a recent injury.

If you are able to get up and exercise comfortably, a physiotherapist will recommend simple stretching, walking, swimming, or cycling to assist with the mobilization process.

These kinds of physiotherapy are excellent for helping to restore mobility to soft tissues, allowing them to function more freely and comfortably. They are also excellent at keeping arthritic joints mobile and lubricated.

Strengthening exercises can repair and rehabilitate weakened muscles to avoid causing pain. Physiotherapy often includes certain exercises to help strengthen your posture, balance, and gait.

Why YOU should choose physiotherapy

If you keep up with the news on a daily basis, you’ve most likely heard about the dangers opioid medications pose. The nation is currently facing an opioid crisis.

Steroids are another dangerous class of prescription medication and pose many risks and dangers to your health. Epidural steroid injections are used to relieve pain but can cause arthritis in the hips, cataracts, stomach ulcers, elevated blood sugar, and nerve damage stemming from the injection itself.

Even ordinary NSAIDs such as ibuprofen are capable of causing liver problems and bleeding in the stomach, which is worrisome, because many people who don’t even have chronic injuries use these daily.

Physiotherapy can prevent you from having to deal with all of these unpleasant side effects. Some cases of severe pain might still require you to take medication, but physiotherapy helps plenty of patients decrease — or even eliminate — their dependence on pain medication.

Our physiotherapists will use a combination of treatment techniques to help get your pain condition under control, no matter if it’s from an acute injury, or a wound from a recent surgery.

Physiotherapy is a good option for you especially if you’re looking for ongoing chronic pain management that doesn’t include constant drug usage, or if you’re already on other essential medications and you’re worried about how they will interact with your pain meds.

Ready to get started?

It should be clear now that opioids and over-the-counter medications are not the only choices for pain relief.

There are a variety of treatment services available to you via physiotherapy. Our therapists are here, waiting for your call!

Contact BeActice Physiotherapy today to learn more about our natural options and get back to a drug-free, pain-free lifestyle.

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Say Goodbye Your Chronic Back Pain With These Helpful Tips!

Did You Know Physiotherapy Could Help Provide Chronic Back Pain Relief?

Do you periodically find yourself disabled by bouts of back pain? Do you experience ongoing back pain that never gives you a moment’s relief?

Whatever form it may take, chronic back pain can put all kinds of limits on your life — until you finally start taking the necessary steps to address it head-on.

But you don’t have to schedule major surgery or allow yourself to become addicted to prescription painkillers just to keep this lurking monster at bay.

Conservative strategies such as physiotherapy and smart lifestyle practices can help you manage your chronic pain for life. Ask our physiotherapist to evaluate your conditions and recommend specific treatments!

What exactly is chronic back pain?

If you’ve ever injured your back in a car crash, high-impact sports injury or work-related accident, you know just how bad back pain can get.

As horrendously painful as that acute back pain may be, however, at least it goes away at some point. Chronic back pain hangs on long after an acute injury or other ailment should have resolved it through healing.

Chronic back pain is pain that persists for three months and longer. This type of pain can be due to a variety of reasons, including arthritis of the spine, aging, disc problems and myofascial pain syndrome.

Technically, back pain is categorized as chronic if it continues for at least 3 months -and in many cases, chronic back pain can haunt sufferers for years. This is especially true if your back pain stems from an irreversible or progressive condition.

About 20 percent of people who have back pain will have it develop into chronic back pain with persistent symptoms. Chronic back pain ranks number three on the scale for the most burdensome conditions for Americans.

What caused my back pain to develop?

The first step in addressing your chronic back pain is having some understanding of its cause.

Chronic back pain can be caused by many underlying issues, from an acute injury that failed to heal correctly to chronic health problems such as:

  • Degenerative disc disease, a condition in which the spinal discs bulge and flatten
  • Arthritis in the facet joints that mobilize your spinal column
  • Chronic muscle or connective strain due to stress, overuse or repetitive motion
  • Muscle knots associated with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome and other chronic problems
  • Physical or postural imbalances that lead to chronic muscle strain and soreness
  • Congenital deformities such as scoliosis
  • Excess weight from obesity or pregnancy
  • Herniated discs that compress spinal nerve tissue

Chronic back pain doesn’t always limit itself to your back.

Conditions that involve pinched nerve roots may send pain and other odd sensations into your upper or lower extremities.

What can physiotherapy do for chronic back pain?

Don’t fall into the trap of feeling helpless against your chronic back pain. Our physiotherapist can analyze your current condition to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.

We can then prescribe, not just physiotherapy exercises, but an entire way of living that helps you maintain optimal day-to-day comfort. Here are some tips you can incorporate into your new pain-management routine:

  • Sleep differently – Switch to a different type of mattress or adjust your sleep position to minimize nighttime (and next-day) pain.
  • Exercise – Regular physiotherapy exercises to strengthen your core muscles (including the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis and lower back) can stabilize your spine and ease muscle pain.
  • Change your ergonomics – Move things around in your workplace so that you can reach frequently-needed items with a minimum of stooping, bending or twisting.
  • Pursue stress reduction – Yoga, meditation, and other stress-busting techniques can help you keep your back muscles relaxed.
  • Improve your nutrition – Emphasize anti-inflammatory foods, “nature’s medicine” for chronic pain. Our physiotherapist can also prescribe exercises to help you lose weight, thus taking pressure off of your spine.

The exercises your physiotherapist prescribes to you will help retrain the deep muscles of your back. Your physiotherapist will show you how to use the right spinal and abdominal muscles before beginning any exercises to stabilize the spine. Manipulation is another technique to alleviate chronic back pain. Short and rapid thrusting movements are done over a joint to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Ready to find relief?

Ready to learn more about how to fight chronic back pain? Contact Be Active Physiotherapy and Wellness today!

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Physiotherapy After Surgery Can Significantly Improve Your Recovery Process

Surgery Coming Up? Physiotherapy Can Help You Get Back to Your Life Faster with a great recovery process!

Facing surgery can be a little scary. Not only are you unsure how the operation itself will go, you may not be clear about what to expect once the anesthesia has worn off. Fortunately, our physiotherapist can walk you through the precise recovery process for your surgery.

Call today to schedule a consultation. In the meantime, these reasons to attend post-surgical rehab will shed some light on how physiotherapy leads to a better recovery.

1. Reducing the amount of scar tissue from surgery

Surgery and scar tissue go hand in hand. Anytime a surgeon has to cut layers of skin, fatty tissue, connective tissue, and muscles, they must repair them as well.

In the process of the body finishing what the surgeon started, scar tissue forms. Scar tissue forms from inflammation and irritation around joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, making it difficult for the area to move.

Once scar tissue has formed and solidified, it is difficult and painful to break. The sooner a physiotherapist can help create movement in the area that has been affected by surgery, the less scar tissue will develop, the less pain a person will have during recovery.

Even though physiotherapy is often uncomfortable right after surgery, it is far less painful than waiting to begin rehabilitation.

2. Moving safely and comfortably, as soon as possible

A physiotherapist will often begin the therapy process within 24 hours of surgery. Multiple studies have found that patients who are up and moving right after surgery have faster recovery times than those who are allowed to rest and recover before rehabilitation. Patients who have a knee or hip replacement are required to stand and walk within 24 hours.

Patients who have surgery on other areas of the body are often referred to a physiotherapist even before surgery, so they can begin therapy as soon as they are discharged from the hospital. The sooner you begin rehabilitation after surgery, the faster your recovery, the better your outcome.

3. A physiotherapist is a movement expert

We often forget that a physiotherapist is a medical specialist. Not only have they completed extensive training and education, they are also skilled diagnosticians.

In your first meeting, your physiotherapist will assess your current movement capabilities and discuss your surgical procedure. They will then schedule your post-surgical rehab appointments in a way that is appropriate for your goals and procedure.

Your first thought may be, “It’s too soon!” or “There’s no way I’ll be ready.” Trust their skill, experience and expertise. Committing to physiotherapy the way it is prescribed, with the recommended timing and order, will have you back to optimal health much faster than fighting the process.

Common reasons for surgery

People may require surgery for a variety of reasons.

It may be required to remove diseased tissues, fix a broken bone, implant an electronic device, remove an obstruction or to explore a condition for the purpose of diagnosis.

Common surgeries include appendectomy, Cesarean section, hip replacement, coronary artery bypass, and low back surgery.

Find relief after surgery with passive and active therapies

Once our physiotherapist has isolated the underlying cause of your chronic joint pain, we can prescribe techniques to help you start feeling – and moving – more like your old self.

Physiotherapy for joint pain may start with passive exercises, in which we move the afflicted joint for you to increase its pain-free range of motion.

Exercises that reduce the amount of weight on the joints can also be extremely helpful. For instance, we may recommend swimming or water walking as a means of exercising the hips and knees without also forcing them to bear your full weight.

Other types of exercises can also help you overcome your joint pain while improving joint function. Strengthening exercises help by reinforcing the muscles and connective tissues that serve the joint. Corrective exercises and neuromuscular re-education can help you maintain a straighter, more symmetrical posture.

Last but not least, physiotherapy offers a variety of helpful modalities beyond exercise. We may treat your joint pain with heat, ice, and manual therapies such as massage, just to name a few.

Looking for help? Contact us!

If you are facing surgery, don’t wait to schedule your appointment with a physiotherapist.

Not only will they be able to outline your rehabilitation schedule and recovery process, they may also have valuable insight into things you can do now to prepare for your surgery date.

Call our office today!

Desk Job Getting You Down? You Can Still Be Active!

Get active with These 5 Tips!

Sitting too much is simply hard on the body. Excessive sedentary behavior—common and seemingly “unavoidable” if you have a desk job—can increase the risk for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and other types of work-related musculoskeletal injuries. How much time do you spend in a chair or on a couch? Did you realize that sitting for 6-8 hours per day—or watching 3-4 hours of television—has been shown to increase the risk of chronic illness and early death? It’s stunning research, especially considering that the average American sits as much as 12 hours per day! It isn’t always easy to stay active, especially if you’re working a desk job. However, getting active can vastly improve your health, your comfort, your mobility, and your overall quality of life.

At our physiotherapy clinic, it’s our mission to help people move better and feel better—and minimizing chair time is a huge part of this.

There are several easy ways to increase your activity level that most people can include in their daily routine.

Talk to our physiotherapist staff if you’d like to set up an appointment and get going on a treatment plan that will help you start feeling (and standing) better than ever. In the meantime, check out these tips for increasing your physical activity during your workday.

Ready to get moving while on the job? These 5 tips can help get your more active!

1. Give yourself the option to stand

Many companies now offer sit to stand desks because they’ve seen the research: employees who get to stand more may experience increased job satisfaction, alertness, and productivity—while also reducing their risk for the physical effects of “sitting disease.”

Even if you can’t get an adjustable desk for your office, it may be possible to make your own DIY version with some sturdy boxes and other material. Get creative…and don’t hesitate to ask your supervisor or office manager about investing in adjustable desks or attachments.

2. Get help with technology

Wear a pedometer to track your steps and motivate you to get up and move around the office more often.

Also, consider setting a timer to go off once per hour to alert you when it’s time to take a break from sitting and get out of your chair.

3. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator

Physical activity may not be able to offset all the negative effects of sitting too much, but it may help some to get you more active.

Meeting the American Heart Association’s minimum recommendation of 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is important, but those “non-exercise” activities add up, too.

So: park farther away from the office, take the stairs, and if necessary, talk to a physiotherapist about custom orthotics and other strategies to make activity more comfortable.

4. Drink more water

Drinking at least one third to one half your body weight in fluid ounces per day can keep your body properly hydrated.

It’ll also force you to get out of your chair more, because you’ll find yourself needing to relieve yourself more often!

Keep a stainless steel or glass water bottle handle, drink regularly, and thank your body for the frequent signals that are sending you to the bathroom.

5. Get moving in your meetings

Instead of holding your meeting or phone calls while sitting in a boardroom, see if it’s possible to take that appointment on the move and talk while you walk.

Bonus: walking has been shown to boost creativity and problem solving!

When in doubt, physiotherapy has got you covered!

If you’re suffering with symptoms of an inactive lifestyle, physiotherapy can help. A physiotherapist can help you by providing manual therapies that can increase your flexibility and improve range of motion. An experienced therapist can also give you simple exercises you can do at home to become more active.

A physiotherapy program can be created that addresses your individual needs. It’s important to stay as active as possible to keep your muscles, tendons, and joints flexible and moving without pain and stiffness. You’ll want to add some type of exercise to your daily routine to keep moving.

You can pursue any or all of these aforementioned activities at your leisure, or you can ask our physiotherapist about integrating them into a full-scale physiotherapy program. The latter approach could prove especially wise if you’re rehabilitating an injury, unsure of your exercise tolerance, or battling a particular chronic pain issue.

Our physiotherapist can evaluate your health and prescribe the right activities for your needs and goals.

At the same time, you may be able to enhance the benefits of your activities with other safe, helpful modalities such as massage, ultrasound therapy, dry needling, cold and heat treatments, acupuncture or laser therapy.

These therapies can promote tissue repair, ease inflammation, reduce pain, and increase your ability to keep moving and having a great time.

Need more assistance? We can help!

The bottom line: sitting for too long just isn’t good for your body or your lifespan.

Our physiotherapy staff can help you manage an injury or condition that has limited your standing tolerance, and get you on your feet with greater confidence. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

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Stress-Related Headaches Don’t Need to Control Your Life Any Longer

Did You Know Physiotherapy Could Help with the Pains of Stress-Related Headaches?

Can you feel it? Starting with tension in your neck or shoulders and creeping upward through the base of your skull? You may have even tried stretching and optimizing your workstation, but if you are suffering from stress-related headaches, you know that the only relief comes from either reducing stress or taking medication.

Why live this way when a physiotherapist can help you relieve the pain and get rid of stress headaches once and for all?

Physiotherapy and headache relief

Physiotherapy is often the best treatment for stress-related headaches. Physiotherapy focuses on promoting relaxation and prescribed exercises.

Your physiotherapist can help you get to the bottom of your stress-related headache problem. Your physiotherapy treatment plan will likely include a combination of treatment methods, including, but not limited to:

  • Exercises that strengthen and loosen your neck muscles can help to ease the stresses that set off your headaches.
  • Chiropractic adjustment can correct skeletal misalignment issues that place your neck muscles under unnatural strain. These adjustments can also help to reduce headache attacks.
  • Laser therapy and massage therapy can both relax tight neck tissues and speed recovery to injured muscles.
  • Corrective exercises and postural/ergonomic changes can help you steer clear of “text neck” and other occupational headache triggers.
  • If your headaches are the result of a recent concussion, a carefully-administered course of physiotherapy can actually help you recuperate from that concussion more quickly.
  • Your physiotherapist can help you identify other headache triggers and suggest strategies for avoiding them in your everyday life.

A physiotherapist will address the pathophysiological aspects of the stress-related headache by implementing hands-on manual massage and soft tissue mobilization. Both increase the blood flow of tissue and reduce myofascial trigger points.

A physiotherapist may also perform soft tissue mobilization and hands-on manual therapy to alleviate the pain from stress-related headaches.

In addition, a physiotherapy treatment plan for a stress-related headache may include cold and heat therapy. The electronic pulse wands used for these ease muscle strain and provide a soothing relief.

Often, a physiotherapist will evaluate your posture in order to lessen the stress on muscles. They may also recommend lifestyle changes, at-home exercises and modifications to workstations at work and home. The goal of physiotherapy is to treat the root cause of your stress-related headache.

How can I tell if my headache is stress-related?

Stress-related headaches, also known as cervicogenic headaches or tension headaches, start in your neck and radiate to other areas of your body.

The back, side or top of your head may become painful. Your shoulder may start to ache on the same side where your headache began.

As a result, you may even experience weakness, dizziness or nausea.

What’s causing my stress-related headaches?

Stress-related headaches are often the result of stiff joints in your neck. As these joints become immobile, the soft tissue around them becomes tight, irritating the nerves in the area.

Once communication from the nerves is limited, your brain begins compensating in an attempt to return your body to proper function. As a result, you experience pain, stiffness, tension, even numbness and tingling.

Our sedentary lifestyle is partly to blame. According to one study by the Centers for Disease Control, one in four Americans spends more than 8 hours a day sitting down.

With more and more work happening at computer terminals, many of these hours are spent using poor posture as we slump over a computer screen and keyboard.

Of course, the natural solution has been ergonomically designed workstations that place your entire body into proper place before beginning work, but the sheer volume of time we spend sitting down during the day often contributes to the amount of stress-related headaches the typical person experiences.

How can physiotherapy help me find relief?

Most people associate physiotherapy with surgery. While it plays a vital role in recovery after going under the knife, physiotherapy is also designed to help you live a happier, healthier life.

A physiotherapist can examine not only your current shape, they can dive into the details of your work life to find ways to help you beat the sedentary slump contributing to your headaches.

First, a physiotherapist will take a detailed history, including an accounting of how you spend your time.

This will be followed by diagnostic testing that evaluates your muscle strength, balance, ability to stand, walk and sit, and your typical working posture.

Next, the physiotherapist will prescribe pain relieving manual therapy and stretches as well as targeted exercises designed to improve your posture and help fight the immobility at the root of your headaches.

Periodically, the physiotherapist will evaluate your progress and make suggestions for getting the most out of your physiotherapy experience.

Best of all, treatments are non-invasive and do not involve prescription pain medications that may make your symptoms worse.

Ready to say goodbye to stress-related headaches?

Still unsure whether physiotherapy is right for you?

Call our office to talk to our physiotherapist and find out how you can beat your stress headaches.

Ready to Say Goodbye to Opioids? Physiotherapy Has Got You Covered

With Physiotherapy, Pain Relief Doesn’t Have to be in the Form of a Pill!

Pain can substantially affect your ability to engage in even basic daily activities. You may feel that taking opioids to relieve the pain is your only choice. There are other options available, including physiotherapy, that can help you live a pain-free life.

Are you taking opioids to relieve pain? The National Institutes of Health states that the number of adults in the United States suffering from pain related health conditions has dramatically increased in recent years.

Call our office to learn more about how we can help you reduce or completely eliminate your opioid use.

Opioid use, explained

Opioids are a group of pain medications that work by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain. The perception of pain is then dulled or eliminated.

They are also classified as narcotics. Sometimes opioids are prescribed for pain when recovering from an injury or after a surgical procedure. There are several types of opioids that are often prescribed for pain.

  • Fentanyl
  • Morphine
  • Oxycodone
  • Codeine

These are also sometimes sold under brand names such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet. They can be administered in a variety of ways.

They are often taken in pill form but can also be taken by IV, an injection, nasal sprays, skin patches, or even as lozenges.

It’s extremely important that opioids, no matter what type or brand, only be taken as directed under a doctor’s supervision. While they may temporarily eliminate physical pain, they aren’t ideal for long-term use.

So, why are opioids so troublesome?

You may have been in an accident that left you experiencing chronic pain. Certain health conditions may also increase the likelihood of recurring pain.

While opioids are effective for treating pain, they have the potential to be highly addictive. The longer these medications are used, the greater the tolerance an individual has for them.

When an individual takes greater amounts of an opioid to receive the same effects, this can increase the risk of overdose.

Side-effects and symptoms of opioid use include nausea, constipation, and sleepiness. Long-term symptoms related to excessive opioid use could include impaired memory, inability to concentrate, or increased drowsiness.

Individuals may experience increased cravings for the medication when they stop taking it. Life-threatening symptoms associated with an overdose may include slowed heart rate, shallow breathing, and unconsciousness.

What if I have arthritis?

It is fairly common for people who suffer with arthritis pain to resort to expensive surgery, steroid injections, and prescription medications to cope with their pain. Sometimes, these treatments can actually benefit patients with severe arthritis. More often than not, the better route to go involves physiotherapy and natural treatments.

Arthritis does not discriminate either, and although it tends to be found often in elderly patients, it can affect anyone at any age. According to a study on JAMA, “[rheumatoid] arthritis (RA) occurs in about 5 per 1000 people and can lead to severe joint damage and disability.” Arthritis is also one of the top causes for disability in America. If left untreated by a professional, patients suffering with arthritis can experience extremely painful symptoms for long periods of time.

If you want to learn more about how physiotherapy can benefit you and decrease your arthritis pain, give our office a call today.

What can a physiotherapist do?

It’s always better to treat the source of pain than to mask it or simply treat symptoms. A physiotherapist may be able to help you reduce or even eliminate the amount of pain you’re experiencing.

This can help you reduce your reliance on opioids. Whether your pain is the result of an injury or a medical condition, a physiotherapy treatment program may be able to help. A therapist can evaluate your individual condition and create a program designed to treat your specific needs.

According to Move Forward, there are several specific ways physiotherapy can reduce pain. A therapist can prescribe exercises to improve muscle tone, increase flexibility, and help you move more effectively, which can all help reduce pain.

Manual therapy and dry needling may be able to ease pain in your joints and soft tissues. physiotherapy can also be used before and after a surgical procedure to eliminate any potential pain.

Find the relief you need with physiotherapy

Contact us or visit us in Oakville, ON to learn more about how physiotherapy can reduce your pain and eliminate your need for opioid medication.

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Joint Pain Can Cause Hindrances to Your Daily Life – Physiotherapy Can Help

Living with Joint Pain? Start physiotherapy today!

Do you have more trouble getting around during the day than you once did? Are you having trouble keeping up with basic demands of your job? Do you look for excuses to withdraw from some of your favorite activities simply because it hurts to move? Joint pain can turn even the most routine tasks into dreaded chores – or make them totally impossible to perform at all. You need to address this issue before it gets so bad that you can’t do anything. Fortunately, you can get much of the help you need through physiotherapy. Our physiotherapist can help you optimize your mobility without drugs or surgery, so contact us today!

Physiotherapy and joint pain – how can it help?

Most cases of joint pain will respond to conservative, non-surgical forms of care. But not all such forms of care are equally useful.

For example, you may have already noticed that pain-relieving drugs only go so far to ease your symptoms, while doing nothing to address their causes.

Our physiotherapist can help your joints function more normally, improving your musculoskeletal health, with greater pain-free freedom of motion as a natural result. Physiotherapy options for joint pain include:

  • Strength training to build up the strength in your joints’ supporting tissues
  • Lifestyle/ergonomic recommendations to help you perform daily tasks more comfortably
  • Massage, as well as heat and ice therapy to control joint pain and inflammation without drugs
  • Walking, swimming, or cycling exercises to keep your joints moving
  • Stretches to increase your joint flexibility

During your first visit with a physiotherapist, be prepared to talk about your symptoms. If your doctor has already diagnosed the condition that is causing your joint pain, your physiotherapist should know this.

Your therapist will need to know about the type of joint pain you are experiencing, the times of day when the pain is worse, and any physical activities that you engage in on a regular basis (for example, do you have a job that requires physical labor or sitting at a desk all day, or are you retired and less active?).

Your therapist will likely run you through a series of simple tests during your first visit. These will be done to test your range of motion, balance and posture. This information will be used to help create a customized physiotherapy regimen to help you relieve the joint pain, while strengthening muscles to help support the joints.

Your plan of physiotherapy will likely contain a combination of body mechanics work, exercises and manual therapy. Body mechanics involves teaching you the proper way to move, sit, stand, lift objects and engage in other daily activities, without causing pain to your joints.

The exercises will likely be low-impact to relieve pressure on the joints while strengthening your muscles, such as water aerobics. Manual therapy is a specialized type of therapeutic massage that your physiotherapist is trained in; manual therapy can help to soften tissues and relieve pain associated with your joint condition.

Are you experiencing these symptoms of joint pain?

Joint pain isn’t just annoying; it can be downright disabling or even dangerous.

If, for example, you can’t reliably turn your head to see traffic, you could easily end up in an auto accident. Stiff joints that affect stance and gait can increase your risk of falls.

Simply buttoning your shirt, cooking a meal, or writing a check may be beyond you. Joint pain needs to be slowed and reversed so you can continue to live the life you want!

Could one of these conditions be causing your joint pain?

If you’ve ever ruptured a joint ligament or fractured a bone in a joint, you probably experienced a lot of pain over a set, limited time period.

This is known as acute joint pain. But in some ways, chronic joint pain can be much more debilitating as it haunts you for months after month, and year after year.

This kind of joint pain is commonly caused or worsened by:

  • Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is a progressive, usually age-related degeneration of the cartilage that normally cushions a joint’s bone ends.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by abnormal immune system responses that attack the linings of joints, producing bouts of swelling, pain, stiffness, and joint damage.
  • Non-ergonomic working conditions – An improperly-positioned workstation or other awkward workplace arrangements can force your body into stressful, painful positions.
  • Excess weight – The heavier you are, the more pressure your weight-bearing joints must withstand. These pressures can lead to premature joint deterioration and joint tissue strain.
  • Musculoskeletal imbalances – If your muscles suffer from uneven development, you may be unable to sustain a symmetrical posture. This can create muscle spasms and trigger points that refer pain to the joints.
  • Degenerative disc disease – Age-related bulging discs, spinal stenosis, and other spinal changes can cause serious joint pain in the neck or back.

Why is physiotherapy better than surgery for joint pain?

According to Harvard Health Publishing,

“Trying physiotherapy before opting for surgery may be the better choice. You may be able to spare yourself the expense, pain, and recovery time of surgery, says physiotherapist Karen Weber, clinical supervisor at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Outpatient Centers in Braintree and Quincy, Mass.

There is growing evidence supporting that idea. In the past few years, studies have indicated that physiotherapy is just as effective as surgery for relieving pain and restoring function for people with arthritis in their knees or backs.”

Ready to find relief?

Want to get your everyday life back? Call our physiotherapist today or visit us in Oakville, ON!

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Chronic Pain Can Make Daily Life Problematic – Physiotherapy is the Solution

Solve Your Daily Aches and Pains with Physiotherapy

Chronic pain affects more than 100 million people in the U.S. and 20-30% of the global population, reports the National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention. Moreover, experts predict chronic pain will increase in prevalence as people age into later adulthood.

Finding relief for pain also continues to evolve, especially as health providers become more concerned over the use of narcotics and opioids to treat chronic pain.

However, understanding more about chronic pain and obtaining physiotherapy may alleviate your pain.

How can I tell if my pain is chronic?

Although pain is a natural way for the body to alert a person of a problem, it can rise to a heightened level. Chronic pain persists for weeks, months or even years, explains the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

When pain is unrelenting, it results in severe impacts on daily life. Chronic pain may include pain associated with arthritis, cancers, infection and even when no past injury or health problem exists.

Furthermore, chronic pain generally affects the back or a specific muscle group.

As stated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,

“While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years.

There may have been an initial mishap — sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain — arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. Many chronic pain conditions affect older adults.

Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself), psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system).

A person may have two or more co-existing chronic pain conditions. Such conditions can include chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, interstitial cystitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and vulvodynia. It is not known whether these disorders share a common cause.”

Why did my chronic pain develop?

Treating chronic pain means managing the original cause. For example, someone living with tissue damage from a past fall or accident needs to address the actual issue.

It could be a herniated disk, poor posture, obesity, arthritis, past fractures or nerve damage. The list seems endless. Of course, another cause includes damage to the muscle or a ligament, also known as strains and sprains respectively, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Moreover, certain health problems may increase risk for damage to joints and muscles as well, contributing to a loss of motion and the buildup of tension.

For those without a root problem, turning to medications can feel like the only solution. However, a quick scan of recent news reports reveals many dangers exist in medication treatment for chronic pain, especially opioids.

Physiotherapy and chronic pain relief

As opioid overuse became a public health crisis, health providers started to think about other ways to manage chronic pain.

According to Move Forward PT, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends the use of non-drug approaches overuse of prescription painkillers.

Unlike medications, which simply place a proverbial bandage over the issue, physiotherapy works to address the root problem. Since causes of chronic are often associated with damage to a joint or muscle group, improving the range of motion of joints may improve symptoms.

In this case, more movement of joints encourages the body’s natural response to improve mobility and muscle tone, endurance, and strength. As a result, pain decreases.

For people with known injuries, treating injuries with physiotherapy serves additional purposes. These include improving circulation to the joint and tissues to promote healing, as well as helping a person learn to move the joint without risking additional damage.

The long car ride is an example of how failure to move frequently contributes to soreness. Over time, the limited motion will cause pain during movement. So, routine treatment with a physiotherapist may reduce the risk for chronic pain, as well as improve symptoms for those living with it today.

Solve the issue of chronic pain with physiotherapy

Chronic pain does not always require advanced medication treatment.

Instead, physiotherapy and understanding more about the causes of chronic pain may be the best solution, and in fact, they carry less risk for injury, resulting in fewer side effects and elimination of the risk for addiction.

To learn more about how therapy could help with your chronic pain, schedule your appointment online today.

Dealing With Morning Achiness? Find Relief with Physiotherapy

Say Goodbye to Achy and Painful Mornings with Physiotherapy!

Are you suffering from aches and pains in the morning? Unfortunately, millions of people experience sore muscles and stiff joints in the morning.

There could be a variety of reasons for this, with the severity of pain ranging from mild to even severe in some cases. Aches and pains in the morning are not only uncomfortable, but can at least temporarily limit your mobility during the day.

Call our office to find out how we can help you eliminate aches and pains in the morning and throughout the day.

Physiotherapy and pain relief

Staying hydrated, eating healthy, and getting enough exercise can help reduce aches and pains in the morning. Working with a physiotherapist can also help.

A therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your current health, sleep habits, and medical conditions. A physiotherapist can also teach you exercises you can do in the morning when you first get out of bed. A routine prescribed by your therapist can target specific problem areas such as your back or shoulders.

A physiotherapist can also recommend different sleep positions that may be able to decrease the pain you experience each morning. A physiotherapy program can be created that will specifically treat your aches and pains. This could include manual therapy, hot and cold therapy, and sensory re-education.

Why am I experiencing aches and pains?

Accidents, injuries, and chronic health conditions could all be reasons for experiencing ongoing pain.

Aches and pains in the morning, however, could be the result of the following:

  • Diet – A diet that is high in fast food and processed foods can cause inflammation in the joints. Excessive amounts of sugar and red meat could also contribute to aches and pains.
  • Arthritis – If you’re suffering from any type of arthritic condition, pain and soreness may be more of a problem in the morning.
  • Inflammation – Chronic low-grade inflammation is sometimes the culprit when experiencing morning aches and pains. Inflammation and morning stiffness often increases with aging.
  • Poor Sleeping Positions – Aches and pains in the morning are often related to awkward sleeping positions. Sometimes pain is due to the wrong type of mattress or pillow.

There are several symptoms you might experience if you’re sore and achy in the morning.

Pain is often located in the neck and back area, although you may also experience pain in your legs, arms, and shoulders. Stiffness will often accompany morning aches and pains.

There’s a chance your morning aches and pains could be from your mattress

According to Spine Health, “Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen lower back pain. Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which contribute to low back pain.

Sleep comfort is also sacrificed if a mattress does not match one’s individual preferences. A mattress that provides both comfort and back support helps reduce low back pain, allowing the structures in the spine to really rest and rejuvenate during the night.”

While the Better Sleep Council recommends replacing your mattress every 7 to 10 years, the way you feel in the morning is a better indicator that it’s time to replace your sleep surface.

If your mattress was once comfortable but now seems to be at the root of your aches and pains, it may be time to replace it. Physical changes like injuries, surgery and weight change can also change your body’s position as you sleep, necessitating a faster change in your mattress.

What else should I know about morning aches and pains?

Feeling achy and sore in the morning can be different from other types of pain you experience at other times throughout the day.

After an intense workout you might have sore muscles from overexertion. If you’ve experienced an injury of some sort, this can also cause pain. Aches and pains in the morning occur after you’ve been sleeping for several hours.

Morning pain and stiffness is usually not a cause for concern. Harvard Health Publishing states that if stiffness lasts more than 30 minutes you’ll want to see a doctor. These could be signs of more serious conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica.

Find relief today!

Contact our office in Oakville, ON to learn how physiotherapy can help eliminate your aches and pains.

Sources:

Living With Achy Hips and Knees? Kick Your Pain to the Curb with Physiotherapy

Find the Relief You Need with the Help of a Physiotherapist!

Are your hips and knees in pain when you wake up? Are you in pain when you go to bed? Are the activities you do between sunrise and sunset impacted by chronic hip and knee joint dysfunction?

You don’t have to give up hope of living with less pain—or become reliant on the medicine cabinet, either.

At our physiotherapy clinic, we have an experienced physiotherapist staff who can help you find more ease, strength, and confidence in your day-to-day life.

We invite you to call us and find out how we can help. Read more to learn what we do every day for our patients in hip and knee pain!

5 reasons you should consider physiotherapy for hip and knee pain

1. Move with ease and without pain

Many of the impairments you and your physiotherapist work to correct—including weakness, poor posture, and limited range of motion—may have been caused or worsened by things you’re unknowingly doing.

This includes sitting too much, using poor body mechanics, breathing improperly, and having an ineffective ergonomic set-up at work. A physiotherapist can educate you about ways to move in more energy-efficient and safe ways to enhance the overall effects of your care and reduce the risk of re-injury.

2. Improve the health and fitness of your joints

When you see a physiotherapist for hip or knee pain, he or she may use joint mobilizations or manipulations to help promote healing and attract circulation to the inner joint surfaces.

These techniques have also been shown to reduce pain and improve joint alignment…and they feel good, too! When complemented with services like massage and the Active Release Technique, physiotherapy can help you get physical and mental relief.

3. Participate in treatment methods that are safe, effective, and non-invasive

You don’t have to rely on over-the-counter or prescription painkillers to ease those achy, stiff, swollen joints!

Physiotherapy modalities that have been shown to ease pain, reduce spasms, increase circulation, and promote healing include electrical stimulation, diathermy, cold laser therapy, dry needling, and therapeutic ultrasound.

4. Enhance your range of motion and improve your joint strength

Increasing muscle strength and mobility of the connective tissues around your joints (including the tendons, muscles, fascia, and joint capsules) will help your joints feel better and move better.

This can also help you improve your functional activity tolerance, which is essential for work, leisure, and simple daily function.

5. Reclaim your life!

According to the Arthritis Foundation, exercise is one of the best ways to manage hip pain and knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

By implementing some or all of the above interventions in a customized treatment plan, a physiotherapist can help you get back to regular exercise in a way that is safe and effective for you, based on your current abilities, goals, and needs.

This is especially helpful if you’re currently on a fat loss journey since being overweight is a major risk factor for knee and hip pain.

What’s causing my hip and knee pains?

Hip and knee pain can be caused by a great number of problems.

Some of these are related to musculoskeletal misalignment, poor posture, and/or excess weight; others occur as the result of natural aging or unhealthy sports/work habits.

Your hip or knee pain may stem from:

  • Infections
  • Bursitis, an inflammation of the friction-reducing sacs surround the joints
  • Tendinitis, or stretched ligaments
  • Osteoarthritis, a painful inflammatory condition involving deteriorated joint cartilage
  • Runner’s knee, an instability of the kneecap
  • Postural/alignment issues that throw your body off balance, straining the knees or hips
  • Traumatic injuries, such as dislocation of the joint

Our physiotherapist can often tell the cause of your hip or knee pain from its location.

For example, pain along the inside of the hip is more likely to be caused by a problem with the bones or cartilage. Pain along the outer side is typically caused by a problem in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments.

Ready to find relief?

The sooner you seek physiotherapy for knee or hip pain, the better. Research shows that patients who rehab their hip or knee pain with physiotherapy within 15 days of symptom onset have less need for pain injections, medications, or surgical intervention.

Tired of spending every day in pain?

Contact our clinic today to schedule an appointment with a physiotherapist and heal from the inside out.

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