Tag Archives: low back pain

Sciatica Treatment Missisauga

Sciatica Treatment Missisauga

Sciatica Treatment Mississauga is available at all of our PhysioNow Mississauga Clinics, www.physionow.ca.
Sciatica refers to back pain caused by an inflammation with the sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When something irritates or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg.

Sciatica Treatment Mississauga

Sciatica

Symptoms of Sciatica


The most common symptoms of sciatica are

• lower back pain that extends through the hip and buttock and down one leg.
• The pain usually affects only one leg and may get worse when you sit, cough, or sneeze.
• The leg may also feel numb, weak, or tingly at times.
• The symptoms of sciatica tend to appear suddenly and can last for days or weeks

Causes of Sciatica

• Sciatica is caused by irritation of the root(s) of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back)
• Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
• Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one)
• Pregnancy
• Muscle spasm in the back or buttocks

Sciatica Treatment Missisauga

Sciatic Treatment Mississauga involves treatments that focus on prevention and management of injuries or disabilities. Sciatica Treatment Mississauga helps to relieve pain, promote healing, and restore function and movement.
A Physiotherapist may focus on decreasing pain with either passive or active therapy.

Passive Physical therapy includes:

• Manual therapies
• Heat/ice packs
• Electrical stimulation, including TENS units
• Ultrasound
• Acupuncture

Active Physical therapy Mississauga includes:

• Movement based activities, including stretching and range of motion exercises
• Specific strengthening exercises
• Pain relief exercises
• Low-impact aerobic conditioning

Overall, Sciatica is a very debilitating condition which can affect your activities of daily living. Sciatica Treatment Missisauga at PhysioNow Mississauga consists of treatment from excellent registered physiotherapists. These Registered Physiotherapists Mississauga can help you to overcome your sciatica problem and improve your quality of life. Call today to get started! 289-724-0448, or Check out our website www.physionow.ca/areas-of-injuries/low-back-pain-treatment.

Low Back Pain Prevention

Low Back Pain Prevention

Low Back Pain Prevention

Low Back Pain Prevention

Low back pain is the most common injury that physiotherapists and massage therapists treat. In fact it is said that up to 80 % of us will have low back pain at some point in our lives; pain severe enough that we will miss time from work and/or taking care of loved ones. As always, the best medicine is to Low back pain prevention.

When it comes to low back pain prevention, there are many things that can be done to prevent injury including using the proper lifting techniques, proper posture and ergonomics at work, yoga – the list goes on. But the one I would like to talk about today is strengthening.

First, let me debunk a myth. Sit ups and crunches will not help with low back pain prevention. Weighted extensions and dead lifts will not help with low back pain prevention either. Although these are important muscles of the trunk, these muscles produce movement and power not stability. It is very rare to find a low back injury that is caused by not enough movement or poor power. Most low back pain is caused by disc injury, joint stress and postural issues. To prevent these injuries, stability exercises must be done.

The stability or deep core muscles lay deeper in the body and create a cylinder around the spine to support it and reduce joint stress. This layer of muscles can be strengthened by completing planks. Planks can take on many forms depending on the muscle strength you already have. Beginners should start on their elbows and knees, while the more advanced person can complete complex patterns of movement including commando crawling. Side planks are also an important option. For variety, working with a half or full ball can add a core element to your workout. Simple exercises include bridging or completing extensions on a ball.

Choosing where to begin depends on your current strength and if you are in any pain. Physiotherapists are expert at prescribing exercises, just ask and we will be glad to get you started. Call to book an appointment with a Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga today!

Low Back Pain : Massage Therapy

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain: Massage Therapy
As physiotherapists and registered massage therapists we treat low back pain – a lot. It is by far the most common injury that we see. Stats suggest that almost all of us will have back pain at some point in our lives. It is also the most common cause for missed days at work. But what causes low back pain?

Low Back Pain

The lumbar spine is very complex, therefore what causes low back pain cannot be answered easily. It is critical to have the spine assessed by someone who is trained to determine what structure is sore, and more importantly why. I have listed some of the most common causes of low back pain.

Common Causes of Low Back Pain

1. Disc herniation or bulge: The disc is a shock absorbing structure that sits between each vertebrae or bone of the back. The disc has a hard outside ring around a soft jelly middle. It is often compared to a jelly donut. Pain is produced when this jelly is pushed through the firm outer shell causing a bump in the circular shape. Sciatica or pain radiating down the leg is caused if this bulge hits a nerve.

2. Joint Stiffness: Each of the vertebrae have a joint connecting them to the bone above and below. Like many of the other joints of the body – the ankle, the knee – these joints will swell and become irritated if they are stretched too far or too much work is demanded of them.

3. Muscle Spasm: Often to protect the back, the muscles that run beside the spine will go into spasm. The purpose of this is to splint the back to allow the irritated area to rest. However, often the spasm can be much worse and more limiting than the initial low back pain. Massage Therapy can be very effective at releasing the muscle spasm and helping you to decrease pain.

These are just a few of the causes, and there are many more. If you would like to know the reason for your low back pain and perhaps more importantly how to treat it, call for an appointment with a Physiotherapist or Massage Therapist today!

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain

Low back pain is the most common injury that physiotherapists and massage therapists treat. In fact it is said that up to 80 % of us will have low back pain at some point in our lives.It is pain severe enough that we will miss time from work and/or taking care of loved ones. As always, the best medicine is to prevent pain. When it comes to low back pain there are many things that can be done to prevent Low Back Pain. This includes using the proper lifting techniques, proper posture and ergonomics at work, yoga – the list goes on. But the one I would like to talk about today is strengthening.
First, let me debunk a myth. Sit ups and crunches will not help prevent low back pain. Weighted extensions and dead lifts will not help prevent low back pain. Although these are important muscles of the trunk, these muscles produce movement and power not stability. It is very rare to find a low back injury that is caused by not enough movement or poor power. Most low back pain is caused by disc injury, joint stress and postural issues. To prevent these injuries, stability exercises must be done.
The stability or deep core muscles lay deeper in the body and create a cylinder around the spine to support it and reduce joint stress. This layer of muscles can be strengthened by completing planks. Planks can take on many forms depending on the muscles strength you already have. Beginners should start on their elbows and knees, while the more advanced person can complete complex patterns of movement including commando crawling. Side planks are also an important option. For variety, working with a half or full ball can add a core element to your workout. Simple exercises include bridging or completing extensions on a ball. Choosing where to begin depends on your current strength and if you are in any pain. Physiotherapists are expert at prescribing exercises, just ask and we will be glad to get you started.

Back Pain Avoidance–Raking Leaves Without Getting Injured

Autumn is my favourite time of year – Warm woolly sweaters, frosty morning spent in front of a fire and hiking in the beautiful autumn leaves. Of course, with these leaves comes raking. (Not a Canadian favourite.) How can we do this safely without causing shoulder and back pain? There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow.

Avoiding Back Pain

1. Warm up: Most of us know to warm up before we do sports, but raking can be just as hard on the body. A brisk 10 minute walk can do the trick.

2. Watch your technique: Step forward and back to collect the leaves. Stooping and reaching with your spine can trigger low back pain. Also, use your feet to turn. Bending and twisting at the same time can be very risky and can cause back pain.

3. Use your knees to lift: Although leaves are not usually heavy, the repetitive motion of bagging the leaves can also cause low back pain. Squat to pick up the leaves uses the big muscles of your legs and bottom to do the work. If this causes knee pain, talk to you physiotherapist for healthy and safe alternatives.

4. Take breaks: Switch activities every 10-15 minutes to let muscles rest. This can change from raking to bagging to weeding the garden. Although you are still working on cleaning up the yard, different muscles are in use, spreading the demand through the body.

5. Don’t do it all at once: Listen to your body, if it is telling you that enough is enough, then stop for a couple of hours, or even a couple of days, the leaves are not going anywhere.

6. Wear proper footwear: Damp leaves can be slippery. Make sure to wear sturdy footwear to prevent slips and falls.

7. Double check: if you have a heart condition, talk to your doctor before taking on this chore.