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Kevin Durant
Achilles Rupture, General Category

Kevin Durant

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What happened to Kevin Durant?

Kevin Durant originally injured his calf in early May during the second round of playoff games.  The injury had been labeled a ‘calf injury’ and Durant has not been able to play for over 30 days.  After doing a shoot around with the team, the Warriors made the decision to allow Durant to play for Game 5.  Durant came out strong, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes of play. But things changed as he tried to do a crossover move and had to fall to the floor on the sidelines.  He was grabbing onto his lower right calf, more towards his Achilles tendon. In conclusion, from the replays, it looked like he may have torn his Achilles tendon.

What is the difference between a calf strain and an Achilles tendon tear?

  • Kevin Durant’s injury

Calf Strain : Did Kevin Durant have this injury?

It is possible that Kevin Durant had a calf strain to start.

The bulk of the calf is made up of 9 different muscles.  Three muscles work together to produce a downward movement of the foot. These 3 muscles attach themselves into the heel bone:

  • Gastrocnemius
  • Soleus
  • Plantaris

Other Muscles of the calf/ foot

The other 6 muscles cause knee, toe and foot movements in different directions.  These muscles are located deeper in the calf area. However, these muscles travel around the sides of the ankle and attach to different parts of the foot and toes.  These muscles are:

  • Popliteus
  • Flexor digitorum longus
  • Flexor hallucis longus
  • Tibialis posterior
  • Peroneal longus
  • Peroneal brevis

Sometimes injuries are labelled incorrectly.  Pain in the calf region is attributed to the first three muscles.  However, a calf strain could involve any one of the 9 muscles mentioned above.  As a result, it is up to the health professional to correctly identify which of the muscles are involved in the strain.

Severity of Calf Strain: What Grade did Kevin Durant have?

In general, a calf strain is caused by overstretching or tearing of the calf muscles.  This type of injury can occur suddenly or over time. The severity of the strain is graded by the amount of muscle damage that has occurred:

  • Grade 1
    • Mild or partial stretch or tearing of a few muscle fibres
    • The muscle may be tender and painful
    • Strength and function are maintained
  • Grade 2
    • Moderate stretching or tearing of a greater percentage of muscle fibres
    • A snapping or pulling sensation may be felt at the time of the injury
    • More tenderness and pain
    • There may be some visible bruising
    • Loss of strength and function
  • Lastly, Grade 3
    • Severe tear of the muscle fibres, commonly a complete rupture
    • A ‘popping’ sound may be heard of felt at the time of the injury
    • There is definite bruising and sometimes there is a visible ‘dent’ in the muscle
    • Severe loss of strength and function

Signs and Symptoms of a Calf Strain

  • A snap, pull or “pop” felt or heard at the time of injury
  • Pain and weakness in the calf area
  • Swelling in the calf area
  • Tightness
  • Bruising
  • Weakness in the calf when doing any weight bearing activities
  • Limping when walking

What is the usual Physiotherapy treatment for a calf strain?

Treatment for a calf strain is like that of any other muscle in the body.  The goals of the treatment include:

  • Reducing pain
  • Improving range of motion of the knee and ankle
  • Improving the strength
  • Speeding up recovery time
  • Returning to activities
  • Preventing re-injury

How long does it take to recover from a calf strain?

The length of time for recovery from a calf strain injury depends on the severity of the injury.  On average:

  • Grade 1: 10-12 days
  • Grade 2: 4-6 weeks
  • Lastly, Grade 3: 6 months after surgery

Achilles Tendon Rupture : Kevin Durant’s final injury

The gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles unite to form the Achilles tendon.  The tendon is a tough band of tissue that connects these three calf muscles to the heel bone.  When the calf muscles contract, the Achilles tendon is tightened and pulls the heel. As a result, the action allows the foot to be pointed down.  A complete tear of this tendon is called an Achilles tendon rupture.

Signs and symptoms of Achilles Tendon Rupture

  • Sudden and severe pain at the back of the ankle or calf
  • Sound of a loud pop or snap
  • Immediate swelling and weakness
  • Visible bruising and possible denting in the tendon

Treatment options for Kevin Durant’s Achilles Tendon Rupture

  • Non-surgical treatment
    • Rest
    • Crutches
    • Ice
    • Pain medication
    • Immobilisation for the first few weeks with a walking boot and heel wedges
    • Recovery may take longer but risks of surgery are avoided
  • Surgical Treatment

The choice between surgical or non-surgical treatment depends on different factors. A patient’s age, activity level and severity of the injury all play a factor.  In general, younger and more active people, especially athletes, choose surgical repair. In contrast, older and more sedentary individuals usually choose the non-surgical pathway.  In either option, rehabilitation is a lengthy and difficult process to make sure full function is returned.

So, what happened to Kevin Durant?

The Kevin Durant was out for over a month with an initial calf strain.  Due to the amount of time that he was out of the game, it’s likely that he had a grade II strain of his calf.  As a result, his return to the game resulted in a complete Achilles tendon rupture. In review, it makes you wonder whether he was physically able to return to play.  Did he have enough time for recovery from his initial injury to withstand the demands of the game?

Basketball is a sport that has a lot of pivoting, stop and go movements and bursts of high intensity activity.  In conclusion, it is possible to say that judging from how soon into the game the injury happened, that Kevin Durant was likely not fully recovered.

Professional Sports: Decisions for return to play. Should Kevin Durant have returned to play in Game 5?

However, in professional sports, there is a lot of pressure from all fronts to get a star player back in the game.  The team was down 3-1 and having Durant back in the game boosted their confidence and morale. As a result, the fans wanted the Warriors to win.  The organization wanted the team to hold on to their title again. In addition, Kevin Durant himself probably felt terrible that he wasn’t able to play and support his team.  As a result, all of these pressures likely led to the decision for him to play.

Unfortunately, our bodies are not always able to function like we want them to. In Durant’s case, his return to the game led to an even more serious injury, which required surgery.  In conclusion, after surgery he will have to endure a lengthy process of physical therapy and will likely be out for the entire next season.

Return to Play Decisions

This is an excellent example of the importance of return to play decisions.  Regardless of the sport and regardless of the injury, it is vital that the health and well being of the athlete is the top priority.  In conclusion, returning to play too soon isn’t worth risking a more serious injury. Lastly, a more serious injury can affect the athlete’s future participation in the sport.

Physiotherapy Treatment options for Achilles Rupture

If you or someone you know has experienced calf pain or an achilles rupture, our Physiotherapists at PhysioNow are here to help! We have treated many patients with exactly these injuries. Call today to get started on your treatment and get back in the game!

Physiotherapy for Neck Pain
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Physiotherapy for Neck Pain

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Physiotherapy for Neck Pain
Neck Pain

Physiotherapy for Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common problem for a lot of people.  Physiotherapy for Neck Pain is one of the top 5 reasons why people go for physiotherapy treatment.  People can get neck pain after many different types of activities.  Some of the most reported examples are:

  • Getting a kink in the neck after a bad night’s sleep
  • Feeling pain in the neck and shoulder area after doing some heavy lifting at home or at the gym
  • Feeling pain in the neck when using the computer for long periods of time
  • Feeling pain in the neck after an accident, such as a fall or motor vehicle accident


Assessment for Neck Pain

Signs and Symptoms

There are many obvious signs and symptoms of a neck injury.  Some of these include:

  • Pain in the neck
  • Restricted movement of the neck
  • Sensations of tightness or stiffness in the neck

There are also some not so obvious signs and symptoms of a neck injury:

  • Pain in the arm
  • Headache
  • Pins & needles in the arm
  • Numbness in the arm
  • Weakness in the arm and/or hand

Patients who experience these symptoms may think that they have an injury to their arm.  They may get worried because of the unusual pins and needles or numbness they are feeling.  However, most of the time these symptoms are coming from the neck.  An experienced physiotherapist will be able to make the connection between a patient’s arm symptoms and their neck pain. 


Treatment for Neck Pain

 

The treatment for neck pain will vary depending on the nature of the injury.  Your Physiotherapist will first start with an assessment to figure out what the problem is.  During the assessment, they will ask some questions about how the pain started.  They will also get details on how the symptoms behave.  Some examples of these questions include:

  • How long have you been feeling your pain?
  • How intense is your pain on a scale from 0 to 10?
  • Was there an incident that started the pain?
  • Where exactly do you feel your symptoms?
  • What kind of symptoms do you feel?
  • What kind of activities make your pain feel worse or better?

In conclusion, answers to these questions will allow your Physiotherapist to understand the nature of your injury.  They will then perform a physical assessment.  Finally, certain physiotherapy tests that will help them further understand your injury. 

Physiotherapy Tests for Neck Pain

  • Movement of the neck and arm
  • Tenderness of the muscles around the neck
  • Sensation of the arm
  • Strength of different muscles in the arm
  • Reflexes of the arm

In conclusion, once your Physiotherapist is done gathering all the information, they can come up with a diagnosis for your neck pain.

Treatment for Neck Pain


Treatment for Neck Pain

Using the information from the assessment your Physiotherapist will develop a treatment plan for you.  The treatment plan will include different methods to reduce your pain and improve your function.  For example, some common Physiotherapy treatment tools at PhysioNow include:


Interferential Current (IFC)

  • This is electrical stimulation that helps with pain management
    • There are 4 pads that are placed around the painful areas of the neck
    • Moreover, the strength of the current is dependent on your comfort level – stronger does not mean better
    • We ask you to indicate when you feel a strong, but comfortable amount of sensation
    • In summary, IFC distracts the body’s pain signals to give relief of pain
    • Lastly, this electrical modality is usually applied for 15 minutes
    • If you are interested in knowing more about Interferential Current Treatment, please check out this article .


Heat therapy

  • Heat is used as another pain management tool
    • As a result, it is usually combined with the IFC so that you can have both at the same time
    • At PhysioNow, our therapists use moist heat packs for heat therapy
    • As a result, moist heat is the most effective form of heat because it allows the heat to get deeper into the tissues
    • In summary, Heat therapy increases circulation, relaxes soft tissues and reduces pain and stiffness
    • In conclusion, heat is usually applied for 15 minutes


Manual Therapy

  • Manual therapy involves “hands-on” treatment by the Physiotherapist
    • As an Example, the most common forms of manual therapy involve soft tissue work, mobilizations and passive stretching
    • Moreover, soft tissue work helps reduce tissue tension and improves circulation in the area
      • There are a lot of muscles around the neck and when there is injury or pain these muscles become tight and stiff
      • This Soft tissue work around the neck is gentle to generally loosen these tissues
      • In addition, soft tissue work can also be very deep to work out specific tissue knots
      • In conclusion, your Physiotherapist will always consider your comfort for these types of treatment

Mobilizations

  • Mobilizations help decrease the stiffness in the joint
    • In short, there are 7 vertebrae in the neck and stiffness can develop at any level
      • Your Physiotherapist can apply different levels of gentle pressure to get the joints of the neck moving

Passive Stretching

  • Passive Stretching helps lengthen tightened muscles
    • For example, some muscles that most often get tight in the neck include the scalenes, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and levator scapula
      • Your Physiotherapist will be able to determine which muscles are tight
      • The stretches are usually held for about 20-30 seconds and repeated 2-3 times


Exercise prescription

  • Exercise prescription
    • In addition, Exercises are an important part of any Physiotherapy treatment
    • Special Exercises that will be given to you depending on your specific neck injury
    • The exercises can help get your joints moving, stretch the soft tissues and strengthen the muscles around the neck
    • Moreover, these exercises will allow you to keep treating yourself on a outside of your Physiotherapy appointments. This speeds up your recovery
    • As a result, we know that patients who perform their exercises on a regular and consistent basis will have the fastest results with their Physiotherapy treatment


Education

  • Education
    • In addition, Education is another important part of Physiotherapy treatment for neck pain
    • If you have a good understanding of your condition and treatment, you will have the best results with your recovery
    • Lastly, an experienced Physiotherapist should be a great teacher
    • For example, your Physiotherapist may suggest that you use a specific pillow for improved sleep, or suggest ways to maintain good posture during work hours

Massage Therapy for Neck Pain

We know that Registered Massage Therapy can also be a very effective treatment for Neck Pain. At PhysioNow, we have many excellent Registered Massage Therapists at all of our clinics.

In conclusion, using these Physiotherapy treatment options produces great results for neck pain.  Your Physiotherapist will work with you to help you achieve the best recovery possible and get back to doing the things you love.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing neck pain, please call today! At PhysioNow, we are ready to help!

Applewood Physionow, Applewood Sports & Physiotherapy Ltd, Erin Mills Physionow, Erin Mills Physiotherapy Ltd., General Category, Health and Wellness, Leakage of urine, Lorne Park PhysioNow, Lorne Park Sports & Physiotherapy Ltd., Manual Therapy, pain with intercourse, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, pelvic pain, PhysioNow, Physiotherapy, Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga, Registered Physiotherapy Mississauga, Urinary Incontinence

Prostatitis

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Prostatitis

Prostatitis

Prostatitis or Prostatodynia Physiotherapy

Prostatodynia or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) is a pelvic pain condition in men. This means ‘inflammation of the prostate’. There are two basic types of prostatitis, acute and chronic.

Acute Bacterial Prostatitis

Acute Bacterial Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate. This type of Prostatitis causes chills and fever. In this case, you need your Doctor’s attention promptly!

Nonbacterial or Chronic Prostatitis

The other is Nonbacterial or Chronic Prostatitis. This can be treated with alternative treatments such as Pelvic physiotherapy, exercises, lifestyle modifications etc. Investigations in this case show that bacteria and yeast are negative. The physical examination does not usually show anything unusual. However, the prostate may be swollen. What can make the problem even more confusing is that often young, otherwise healthy men develop this condition. Antibiotics, pain-killers, and medications prescribed are often not effective. Many men have been told that they must learn to live with the symptoms because a cure is not available.

Symptoms may include a few or all of the following:

• Pain in the testicles, or tip, shaft or base of the penis
• Pain at the perineum (the area between the testicles and penis)
• Urination Causes Pain
• Increased pain in sitting
• Pain or discomfort with sexual arousal, or during or after ejaculation
• You May notice Pain or discomfort above the pubic bone
• Urinary frequency
• Urinary urgency
• Pain before, during or after a bowel movement
• Decreased interest in sex

Treatment

The Pelvic Health Physiotherapist creates an individualized treatment program. Treatment is based on pelvic floor dysfunction, symptoms, and response to the treatments.

The following treatment programs and techniques may be involved in Pelvic Physiotherapy for Prostatitis:

Trigger point release therapy

Trigger point release therapy is also known as myofascial trigger point release. Trigger point release therapy is an alternative treatment for chronic prostatitis. It is often helpful for treating CP/CPPS symptoms that are associated with stress and tension of the pelvic floor muscles.

Trigger point release therapy is often combined with paradoxical relaxation therapy. This exercise method involves autonomic self-regulation. This decreases pelvic floor muscle tension. It teaches you how to release this tension. Paradoxical relaxation involves a specific breathing technique to help relieve anxiety.

Total body

Total body (exercise, chronic stress management, lifestyle) changes help relieve pain. It is important to know which foods make the symptoms worse. Try to avoid those foods. The most common foods that have been found to trigger symptoms include:

• Spicy foods
• Hot peppers
• Alcoholic beverages
• Acidic foods
• Wheat
• Gluten
• Caffeine

Check out this patient’s experience.

Please call PhysioNow today to get started on your recovery from Prostatitis.

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Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

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Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

What is pelvic health physiotherapy?

Pelvic floor muscles form the ‘bowl’ or ‘hammock’ that supports our lower back and pelvic organs (bladder, uterus/prostate and rectum).
Pelvic health physiotherapists have taken courses allowing them to perform an internal evaluation in order to assess the tension and strength of these muscles. Often there is too much tone of the pelvic floor leading to weakness.

What are common symptoms of pelvic health dysfunction?

• Leakage of urine with coughing, sneezing, laughing and exercise
• Urgent need to urinate or leaking before you get to the washroom
• Constipation/straining with bowel movements
• Heavy feeling or bulge in the vagina
• Pain in the pelvic or low back or genital area
• Pain with intercourse
Check out this link for more information.

Some benefits of Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

• Leave your house without worrying about your bladder
• Exercise without worrying
• Sleep through the night
• Learn to control urgency

What can I expect on my first Visit for Pelvic Health physiotherapy?

A medical history will be taken with a discussion of your concerns. Questions will be asked to further understand your symptoms. Your posture, muscles of your hip, low back and abdominal will be assessed for contributing factors such as weakness or tightness. In addition to the external exam, an internal exam of your pelvic floor (vaginally and rectally) may be included to assess imbalances and dysfunction of the muscles and soft tissues.
Based on the assessment findings and your goals, the physiotherapist will put together a treatment plan.

What can I expect for treatment with Pelvic health physiotherapy?

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Treatments Typically include,

• Correcting postural dysfunction
• Manual therapy
• Connective tissue release
• Pelvic floor muscle facilitation with breathing techniques
• Exercises for other core muscles
• Training for healthy bladder and bowel habits
• Education such as behavioural therapy/stress management

We have fully trained Pelvic Health Physiotherapists at each of our clinics ready to help you. If you have any questions, or would like to book an appointment, please contact the clinic .

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Urinary Tract Infections

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Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Bacteria then begin to multiply in the bladder. The most common UTIs occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra.
• Infection of the bladder (cystitis).
• Infection of the urethra (urethritis)

Symptoms

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
• Urine that appears cloudy
• Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine
• Strong-smelling urine
• Pelvic pain, in women — especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone

Check out this video for more information: http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/your-guide-urinary-tract-infections#1

Lifestyle changes:

Urinary tract infections can be painful. You can take steps to ease your discomfort until antibiotics treat the infection. Follow these tips:
• Drink plenty of water. Water helps to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria.
• Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices or caffeine until your infection has cleared. They can irritate your
bladder. These drinks tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate.
• Use a heating pad. Apply a warm, but not hot, heating pad to your abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort.
• Wear cotton underwear on a daily basis. Cotton underwear allows more air movement to occur. This keeps the urethra dry.
• Do NOT wear thongs. They track bacteria from your anus forward to your vagina (to the underwear section).

Physiotherapy Treatment

Physiotherapists that are trained in pelvic floor dysfunction can greatly improve a UTI patient’s quality of life. A typical approach includes training pelvic floor musculature, manipulative techniques and local heat. It also includes breathing and relaxation techniques. Lastly, treatment includes postural education, muscle coordination reeducation, and behavioral therapy.

• Reverse Kegel Down training
• Dynamic ROM program including dynamic stretching and core exercises
• Pain education
• Internal pelvic muscle work including trigger point release techniques
• Connective tissue mobilization

If you suffer from urinary tract infections, consider getting a consultation from one of our pelvic health physiotherapists today. They can help! Please call Physionow to book an appointment and get back to living a comfortable life!