Whiplash injuries are one of the most common reasons people seek physiotherapy following motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, or sudden trauma. While many people associate whiplash only with car accidents, the condition can occur anytime the neck experiences a rapid forward and backward movement. However, the vast amount of whiplash injuries do occur from MVAs, so it is helpful to know the procedure ahead of time. What is whiplash? Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden acceleration–deceleration force that rapidly moves the head forward and backward, similar to the cracking of a whip. This rapid motion places stress on multiple…

Is joint pain connected to the weather? Many people are surprised when their knees ache before it rains, or when their back feels tight on cold mornings. At PhysioNow, we hear these concerns every single week, especially during seasonal transitions in Canada. Us Canadians know just how our weather can swing back and forth. While some people assume it’s “just age” or “just arthritis,” the truth is more complex: Weather changes can genuinely influence your joints, muscles, and nervous system. Importantly, this does not mean your joints are damaged. Rather, it means your body is reacting to subtle environmental changes,…

Medical terminology can be a patient’s biggest nightmare. During a session, a lot of unfamiliar terms describing symptoms, conditions, muscles, and more can be used. Today, we will be discussing a process called centralization and peripheralization that is encountered a lot during physiotherapy. To elaborate, spinal and musculoskeletal pain and other symptoms can sometimes move, change location, or feel different with certain movements or exercises. The two important terms physiotherapists use to describe these changes are centralization and peripheralization. Understanding these concepts helps you understand your treatment, reduce fear, and improve your rehabilitation outcomes. What is centralization? Centralization occurs when pain that was felt farther…

A motor vehicle accident (MVA) can cause high degrees of neck and back pain, even if the impact seemed minor. Oftentimes, people will feel pain, stiffness, headaches, and/or reduced movement. Additionally, these symptoms may occur immediately, hours after, or even days or weeks after the accident. Thankfully, physiotherapy plays an important role in helping your body heal properly and prevent long-term complications. In Ontario, most people fall into the Minor Injury Guidelines (MIG) after a car accident that entitles them to $3500 of medical treatment, including physiotherapy. This is usually sufficient to treat less severe injuries such as strains, sprains and whiplash…

Better sleep, a goal that many of strive for day after day. Unfortunately, the struggle to get a good night’s sleep may be known to many of us. Tossing and turning, waking up with a stiff neck or sore back, or feeling exhausted even after a full night in bed, sound familiar? At PhysioNow, we often see patients who come for back pain or neck pain, but once we treat the underlying physical tension, they start sleeping better too. Ultimately, that’s because your body and sleep quality are closely linked. Physiotherapy helps your body relax, realign, and recover, so you…

Unfortunately, Tech Neck, or neck and shoulder pain due to devices, have quietly become one of the most common complaints we see in our PhysioNow clinics today. With the rise of remote work, longer hours on laptops, back-to-back virtual meetings, and constant phone use, many people are experiencing a new kind of discomfort known as Tech Neck. This condition is more than just stiffness, it affects posture, sleep, concentration, and overall well-being. What is tech neck? Tech Neck describes pain and tightness caused by prolonged screen time in everyday life. The human body is not designed to spend hours leaning…

Are you getting headaches from a stiff neck? Cervicogenic headaches (CGH) are a common but often misunderstood type of headache. Unlike typical tension or migraine headaches, CGHs originate from issues in the cervical spine (the neck) and affect the upper part of the body, including the head. As physiotherapists, we play a key role in identifying, diagnosing, and treating these headaches. In this case, treating the neck is the key to alleviating cervicogenic headaches. What are cervicogenic headaches? A cervicogenic headache is a secondary headache, meaning it’s a symptom of an underlying issue rather than a condition on its own.…

Concussions are one of the most prevalent and most misunderstood athletic injuries. Also known as an “invisible injury,” because it cannot be seen, but has a huge impact on brain function. Usually, a concussion happens when an individual suffers a direct or indirect force to the head that causes the brain to accelerate and decelerate rapidly within the skull. Unlike what people think, there does not have to be a direct blow to the head for someone to develop a concussion. While it can happen from a hit to the head from a ball, puck, or person, it can also happen…

What is cervicogenic dizziness? Cervicogenic dizziness is a type of vertigo or imbalance that originates from dysfunction in the neck, particularly the cervical spine. Unlike inner ear (vestibular) or neurological dizziness, this form of dizziness is related to how your brain interprets signals from the muscles, joints, and nerves in your neck. Key characteristics include: A sensation of unsteadiness or disorientation Dizziness triggered by neck movements or poor posture Often accompanied by neck pain, stiffness, or headaches What causes it? People who have cervicogenic dizziness will complain about issues with their neck as well. The upper cervical spine has rich sensory input that communicates with your brain to help control balance and spatial awareness. When there’s an injury (like whiplash), chronic poor posture (like from prolonged screen use and/or desk work), or joint dysfunction, the brain may receive conflicting signals — leading to dizziness. Common causes include: Whiplash injuries (common…

What is a cervicogenic headache? Firstly, the term “cervicogenic” means produced by the neck. Thus, cervicogenic headaches arise from structures in the neck. Namely, the upper cervical and atlanto-occipital joints are affected, and the resultant pain is perceived in the head and face.  The main symptoms of a cervicogenic headache are a combination of unilateral pain (more or isolated pain on one side), and diffuse shoulder and arm pain on the same side of the headache.  Why do these headaches happen? A cervicogenic headache is thought to be a referred pain from irritation in cervical structures. Specifically, it is the structures that…