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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If You Are in Need of More Physical Activity, Try These 7 Tips

Get Moving Again with These Helpful Tips!

Did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services? Millions of Americans are risking serious health consequences simply because they do too much sitting and not enough moving around.

You may not find that information shocking, especially if you’re one of those 80 percent. What really might surprise you, however, is just how easily you can give your daily activity level a dramatic boost. Here are seven simple tips from our physiotherapist for adding some much-needed additional exercise to your life.

1. Take your dog for a walk.

Have you ever marveled at the sheer energy and endurance displayed by your dog? Dogs love to walk, run, play catch and explore.

Join in these activities, and you’ll find that your dog gives you one heck of a workout.

2. Get your workout in while watching TV.

There’s nothing wrong with spending some quality time watching your favorite TV shows or movies – but you don’t necessarily have to spend all those hours sprawled on your couch, motionless.

Consider getting a stationary bike or treadmill that you can use while you’re catching up on your stories. You’ll have just as much fun, but you’ll be working out instead of sacking out.

3. Opt for a standing desk.

Standing desks have become all the rage in workplaces, and for good reason.

Standing at your desk instead of sitting can help prevent unwanted weight gain, regulate blood sugar levels after meals, ease back pain, elevate your mood and energy level, reduce your heart disease risk, and add years to your life expectancy. You may even find that you get more work done!

4. Find a yoga studio near you.

Physical activity isn’t always a matter of running or jumping around at a frenetic pace. Yoga offers profound benefits to body and mind by releasing stress, stretching muscles, increasing your range of motion, and helping you master your breathing.

A yoga class offers structured learning as well as a positive social environment.

5. Discover the fun of a new sport.

Getting that extra activity doesn’t have to be a chore; it could just as easily take the form of new fun.

Have you thought of taking up tennis, golf, surfing, swimming, running, or a team sport such as soccer or softball? These sports all offer different physical benefits, and they all get you up and moving.

6. Ride your bike.

If that trip to the corner store takes too much time on foot, maybe it’s time you remembered how to ride a bicycle.

Cycling exercises different muscles than walking, making it a valuable complement to that discipline when you need to go a little farther and a little faster. It also provides you with a significant cardio workout.

7. When possible, walk instead of drive.

Many people automatically get into their cars even for a brief trip to the mailbox or corner store. What if you spent an extra few minutes each day walking instead of driving?

It might not sound like much of a workout, but walking increases the circulation, exercises your legs and feet, sheds excess pounds, keeps your joints limber, and helps to release stress.

Looking for more tips? Athletic training could help!

People most commonly turn to physiotherapy after sustaining an injury. You’re in pain, looking for relief and recovery, and trying to find the motivation to push yourself to get there.

Physiotherapists are trained to help you bounce back from your injury, with just as much strength (if not more!) than you had before the injury. They are dedicated to always helping you reach your peak, whatever that may be.

You can discover the benefits of athletic training with our physiotherapists. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Overcoming injuries. Physiotherapy treatments are some of the best ways to overcome an injury and find relief for your pain. Each treatment is designed specifically to the needs of each individual and the condition of their injury, consisting of exercises and strength-building activities that are unique to their recovery.
  • Refocusing strengths. A physiotherapist can help you focus on improving your strength in areas that you may not have considered. Many parts of the body influence each other, and strengthening one can help with the function of another. Rather than jumping directly into a new form of activity, it makes sense to train your body to react to the new form of stimulation by improving your muscular strength and range of motion.
  • Developing healthy habits. While a physiotherapist can help you reach physical goals, they can also help you work on general wellness goals, as well. For example, regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a strong focus on hydration are fundamental in improving your physical fitness level. A physiotherapist is a great resource to have when focusing on increasing strength and muscular functionality, as they can help you improve in all aspects of health and wellness.

Contact us today!

Are there activities on this list that you’d love to try — if only your body would let you? Physiotherapy could get you back in shape to get into better shape.

Contact our physiotherapist for a one-to-one consultation!

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Looking to Improve Your Physical Health? PT Has You Covered!

Physiotherapy Can Help Improve Your Health and Wellness!

Physiotherapy improves the physical health of people who have injuries, illnesses, and medical conditions. An individualized physiotherapy program is a conservative approach to managing these types of problems.

But it doesn’t do just that – it also improves overall health and wellbeing!

Evidence of the success of physiotherapy

Clinical studies support the benefits of physiotherapy for health conditions like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the ten most common illnesses. “Patients were recruited from the osteoporosis outpatient clinics of Klinikum Südstadt hospital and the University hospital of Rostock to engage in physiotherapy for osteoporosis.

Over a period of 3 months, 44 patients with osteoporosis completed a twice-weekly 30-minute intensive exercise program. The conclusion was that physiotherapy reduced pain and improved function, with the sling exercise patients benefiting most.

The combination of functional improvement and pain mitigation resulted in improved health. This study is just one of the many proving the health benefits of physiotherapy.

The 6 main benefits of physiotherapy

  • Decreased risk of heart and lung disease

Physiotherapy is a component of cardiac rehabilitation. To address pulmonary issues, a physiotherapist will help improve your health and quality of life through breathing, strengthening and conditioning exercises. physiotherapy also helps clear fluid from the lungs.

  • Help with conditions caused by age

With aging, the chances of developing osteoporosis or arthritis are increased. A physiotherapist is a trained expert at helping patients recover and manage age-related health problems like osteoporosis and arthritis.

  • Mobility improvement

With both passive and active treatments, physiotherapy improves mobility. Muscles are strengthened and flexibility is greatly improved. This way you can engage in activities and lead a healthy lifestyle.

  • Fall prevention and balance rehab

With physiotherapy, a physiotherapist will screen your risk for falling. Exercises will be given to improve your balance in real-life situations. Assistive devices will be given to ensure safe walking. And if you have a problem with your vestibular system, a physiotherapist will perform specific methods to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of vertigo and dizziness.

  • Possibility of avoiding surgery

When physiotherapy works to heal and reduce pain, the need for surgery is greatly decreased. “For some conditions, including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, treatment by a PT has been found to be as effective as surgery.”

  • Pain relief

Manual therapy treatments like soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, electric stimulation and targeted exercises help relieve pain and restore joint and muscle function. These types of methods also help prevent pain from coming back.

Passive physiotherapy vs active physiotherapy

Passive therapies

Passive treatments work to manage pain. The purpose of passive physiotherapy is to help manage and alleviate pain, so you can get back to the activities you love.

By eliminating pain first, the rest of your treatment program will be easier. Passive treatments are done first so you can focus on regaining your strength and function later on in your treatment plan.

Passive physiotherapy can include any combination of these specialty treatments, as deemed fit by your physiotherapist. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Manual therapy
  • Massage
  • Ice and heat therapies
  • Dry needling
  • Ultrasound
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Electrical stimulation, such as TENS Units
  • Iontophoresis

Active therapies

Active therapy focuses on targeted exercises and stretches in order to improve function in the affected area.

The purpose of active treatments is to provide exercises that the patient can do on their own in the later stages of their physiotherapy treatment plan. In fact, many active physiotherapy treatments are designed so the patient can perform them on their own, after their PT sessions are over.

Once your pain or discomfort subsides enough that your physiotherapist believes you are ready for active physiotherapy, he or she will set up an exercise schedule specific to your needs.

The exercises prescribed in an active treatment plan are all geared toward helping you gain back your flexibility, range of motion, and muscle strength. These exercises will help provide support to the painful area and will guide you further in your recovery process.

Discover the benefits of PT today

With physiotherapy, you get an individualized treatment plan to address your challenges, needs and goals. A physiotherapist will help you manage pain, improve chronic conditions, recover from an injury and prevent future chronic diseases.

A physiotherapist will also collaborate with other health professionals to ensure that you get the best of care. Patients are encouraged to be active participants in their treatment plan. All around, physiotherapy is designed to improve your health and help you engage in your regular activities.

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6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Physical Health

Do you experience tired, sore, or achy muscles throughout the day? Are you recovering from an injury or surgical procedure? Do you have a condition that brings pain to your bones or joints? Whatever the case may be, a physiotherapist can create a personalized treatment program for you, to help increase your energy and help you get back on track to enjoying your daily activities. Call us for information to see how physiotherapy can help you achieve better overall health and greater physical fitness. The tips below are easy ways you can get moving and help increase your physical health!

1. Increase your flexibility.

Many physiotherapy treatment programs are aimed at increasing your muscle and joint flexibility. Your physiotherapist can help you work through a variety of stretching techniques, and he or she may also use heat therapy to loosen tight muscles and tendons. Your physiotherapist may also suggest massage or breathing techniques to increase relaxation and flexibility.

2. Improve your balance.

Balance typically decreases with age as bones start to become more brittle, and there are also health conditions that could affect your balance. Improving your balance can help you avoid trips and falls that could potentially lead to a serious injury. Additionally, it can improve your ability to engage in and enjoy more strenuous activities that you may not have been able to do in the past. A physiotherapist can provide you with several different types of exercises to improve your balance, whether you’re standing, walking, or engaging in an exercise regimen.

3. Reduce injury.

Physiotherapy helps you recover quickly from injuries, but what most people don’t know is that it can actually help in avoiding injury altogether. Your physiotherapist can teach you several different exercises you can do at home and before you engage in physical activity in order to help prevent injury. If you’re recovering from a surgical procedure, your physiotherapist can also help you learn to walk and move in new ways that will help you stay active while reducing the chance of falls and injury during your recovery.

4. Try to avoid surgery.

With surgery, you always run the risk of blood clots, infection, and a lengthy recovery time. In many cases, physiotherapy can correct a problem without the need for surgery at all. Sprains, strains, dislocations, tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, and acute/chronic pain are just a few of the many ailments that a physiotherapist can help you with. Physiotherapy works in helping your body speed up its natural healing process, and while surgery is sometimes unavoidable, it’s almost always better to eliminate the need for an invasive procedure if the problem can be treated with physiotherapy.

5. Recover quickly.

If you’ve already had surgery, or if you have suffered from an injury, a physiotherapy program can be created to assist in your recovery. Your physiotherapist will put together a rehabilitation program that specifically addresses your needs, focusing on helping you recover as quickly as possible. This may include strength and range of motion exercises, in addition to any specialized treatments that your physiotherapist deems fit.

6. Stay active.

Even if you’re already in good health and involved in a variety of activities, physiotherapy can still be beneficial to you. Your physiotherapist can help you enhance your performance and give you advice on certain forms and techniques. If you are looking to get back into the activities you love, your physiotherapist can help you achieve that. You will work together to create a treatment plan that will help you reach your goals, and he or she will assist you in increasing your strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Whether it’s preventative physiotherapy, rehab, or therapy to improve your ability to walk and enjoy daily activities, a trained physiotherapist can help you achieve your physical fitness goals. After your evaluation, your physiotherapist will put together a treatment plan based on your needs, and he or she will encourage you during every step of your journey toward physical health. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation and get started on your path toward a healthier and happier life!

Sources:

https://www.movementforlife.com/blog/top-5-key-benefits-of-physical-therapy.php

https://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/four-tips-to-stay-active-independent-as-you-age

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