Tag Archive for: Physiotherapist

Mobility And Balance Issues At Any Age

Any one at any age can have balance and mobility issues.  These types of issues can be caused by an illness, injury, or as a natural progression as we age. When you are dealing with a balance or mobility issue you can increase the chance of sustaining an injury from a fall.  A physiotherapist can help to treat these symptoms and can help to increase your range of motion, strengthen your muscles, and improve your posture.

The physiotherapists at Diversified Health are trained to assess joint mobility, muscular strength, balance and gait patterns.  Part of their assessment is to identify deficits and come up with a program to improve such key issues as quadriceps and gluteus (thigh and buttock) strength. The practitioners will advise you on which specific strength, mobility and balance exercises would be most beneficial for you, and will make suggestions on functional ways to work on these exercises at home or at the gym.

Balance is dependent on core stability, hip and leg muscle control and visual systems. There are two types of balance; static balance when you are not moving, and dynamic balance when you start to move.

Related conditions poor balance can affect:

  • Achilles Tendon
  • Back Muscle Pain
  • Facet Joint Pain
  • Hamstring Strain
  • Knee Injuries
  • Muscle Strain
  • Overuse Injuries
  • Sciatica
  • Plantar Fasciitis

At Diversified Health, some specific exercises you might be shown include wall squats, bridging, or outer hip strengthening.  You might use tools such as balance boards, BOSU balls, the Vibe machine, and various other cardio or weight equipment. Other treatment options include: Gait Analysis, Ultrasound, Supportive Taping & Strapping, TENS Machine and Laser therapy.

The physiotherapists also educate regarding footwear, posture and general activity, exercise, and help you come up with a plan to incorporate all three kinds of physical activity (strength and balance exercises; endurance exercises; and flexibility exercises) into your daily life.
In most cases, your balance deficits can be quickly improved with specific balance or stability exercises.

 

 

 

 

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Why Go To A Physiotherapist?

iStock_000003913066Medium.jpg.1371742377.MVCACHE_LOREZIMAGE.0Why go to a physiotherapist? A physiotherapist is a health care professional that provides physical rehabilitation and pain relief to people with osteoarthritis, repetitive strain injury, whiplash and sports injuries. As primary health care professionals, physiotherapists combine knowledge of how the body works with clinical skills to diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.   A physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, and movement.

Physiotherapists are university trained medical professionals and primary care practitioners. This means that you do not need a doctor’s referral to see s physiotherapist.

If you have ever suffered from back pain, knee pain, neck strains, wrist and elbow pain, ankle or foot injuries and have used over-the-counter anti inflammatory, ointments, or ice, remember; if your pain persists more than one or two days, or if the injury is serious and affects your ability to perform day-to-day actions, you need to see a physiotherapist.

On your first visit  to a physiotherapist, the initial visit will take approximately 45 minutes. During this time the physiotherapist will talk with you about your medical history, including any medical conditions, ask about past and current injuries. The physiotherapist will then do a physical assessment and bio- mechanical exam to assess your movement and problem areas.  All of this information will help to determine the cause of your pain and dysfunction, and will help treat the injury most effectively and efficiently.  Subsequent visits can be approximately 30 minutes.

Types of therapies that physiotherapist use:

  • Cold laser therapy – Laser light therapy works by penetrating the laser light deeply into the skin, which stimulates cellular activity, helps to reduce inflammation, repairs tissue and accelerate the healing process.
  • eToims – is a surface electrical stimulation device that targets deep muscles to relieve myofascial pain and discomfort.
  • Ultrasound –  high-frequency sound waves are used to treat deep tissue injuries by stimulating blood circulation and cell activity, with the aim of reducing pain and spasms, as well as speeding up healing.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – device is used to deliver an electric current to the affected area, with the aim of relieving pain.
  • Manual therapy is a technique where a physiotherapist uses their hands to manipulate, mobilize and massage the body tissues.
  • Shockwave therapy – These high-energy mechanical pulses stimulate the breakdown of scar tissue and fibroblasts in the targeted area thus improving blood circulation and triggers an inflammatory response that promotes and stimulates healing.
  • Trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and/or intramuscular therapy (IMT)and uses dry needles to stimulate trigger points, diagnose and treat neuromuscular pain and functional movement deficits.

Please contact us at 250-382-0018 to find out if physiotherapy is right for you.

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