Tag Archives: registered physical therapists mississauga

Exercise, General Category, Health and Wellness, Physiotherapy, Seniors

Osteoporosis: The Breakdown Of Bone Tissue

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Osteoporosis

This is a condition that causes the breakdown of bone tissue. This leads to a decrease in bone density. This bone loss leads to an increased risk of bone fragility and fractures. The bones of the hips, spine, wrist and shoulder are most likely to suffer such fractures. According to Osteoporosis Canada, the number of fractures from osteoporosis is more than heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer combined.

The diagnosis is made using a bone scan test. The individual’s bone mineral density result is compared to that of an average young adult. A score is calculated. The score tells the individual how much their bone mineral density differs from the average young person. The World Health Organization uses the scores to categorize the condition. As the score decreases, the risk of fractures increases.

  • Normal: > -1.0
  • Osteopenia: Between -1.0 and -2.5
  • Osteoporosis: <-2.5
  • Severe Osteoporosis: <-2.5 and fragility fracture (fracture that is caused by an injury that would normally not fracture bone)

Treatment focuses on maintaining bone mineral density. The goal is to decrease fracture risk. Registered Physiotherapists Mississauga can play a very important role. They can educate individuals on how to live safely with their condition. A Registered Physiotherapist can provide several strategies to reduce risk. They can suggest adaptive equipment such as using reachers and other long handled devices. This causes less stress on the spine.

Facts About Osteoporosis

Modifications of the environment, such as changing the height of shelves and moving those items used more frequently to waist or shoulder level are also recommended. Activity and movement modifications may involve using lighter weights. Selecting different footwear and advice on what positions to avoid can be helpful. Lastly, an exercise program designed specifically for each person’s impairments is also very important in reducing the risk of fractures. Lifting weights can help to increase bone density. This would help to reduce the risk of fracture.

Registered Physiotherapists Mississauga can help to set up a program of light weight lifting. Weight lifting should be done at least three times per week. This will help to increase bone density. This can be a challenging condition to live with. It can really have a negative impact on quality of life.

The good news is that it certainly does not have to. A Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga can help with management strategies. We can help you to continue to lead an active life! The goals of treatment are: to reduce fracture risk, increase activity, and maintain your healthy lifestyle!

Call today to book an appointment with our highly trained Registered Physiotherapists Mississauga at 289-724-0448! Get started today!

Falls Prevention

Falls Prevention

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Falls Prevention

Seniors are one of the most at risk groups of people for falls. This can be due to many different factors. Some of the most widely recognized are poor health, decreased strength, poor balance, poor vision and altered mental state. Any one of these factors can result in a fall. In most cases it’s a combination of several of these factors that puts seniors at most risk. A fall can lead to a whole range of different injuries. This includes sprains and strains. It also includes more serious injuries such as dislocations, or fractures. Falls can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions. This could lead to heart attacks or strokes from the trauma. Previous falls can also lead to substantial fear of falling. This can prevent people from venturing outside the home and being active. This in turn, can lead to a poor quality of life.

Preventing Falls

Falls prevention is a very important type of rehabilitation that can be provided by a Registered Physiotherapist. The major parts of this Registered Physiotherapy program would include: education and an exercise program. The program would work to increase overall strength and improve balance for those at risk. Education needs to bring awareness about specific risk factors and how to minimize them.

Falls Prevention

The Physiotherapist would also assess balance and look for the presence of Vertigo. In the case of poor balance, a gait aid, such as a cane or walker may be recommended. Special exercises for vertigo may be given if it is present. Footwear may also be assessed.
Lastly, the type of home, the number of stairs, the presence of area rugs and any other types of clutter would be addressed to make the home a safer place. The physiotherapist would design a specific strengthening program. This would aim to improve endurance, function and mobility. It would also work to improve balance so that an individual is less likely to fall.

All of our qualified physiotherapists at PhysioNow can provide falls prevention Physiotherapy and prevent serious injury. This can really improve the overall wellness and quality of life for seniors. Our goal for you is to keep you doing all of the things that you enjoy doing! Call today for your Falls Prevention Assessment 289-724-0448.

acupuncture, Exercise, General Category, Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy, Sports Taping

Golfer’s Elbow

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Golfer’s elbow

Golfer's Elbow Treatment

The muscles that help to bend the wrist and fingers are called flexor muscles. These muscles form tendons and get attached at the elbow level. When you develop Golfer’s elbow, it becomes painful and inflamed at the attachment point on the inner elbow. Golfer’s elbow tends to occur after a period of repeated overuse. The bone of your elbow is like a boney bump at the end of the bone where the muscles get attached. Golfer’s elbow may be acute or chronic. Generally when it is acute, there will be pain, swelling, redness and warmth. Some of the symptoms involve pain in the elbow that spreads up or down the forearm. You may also feel weakness in the forearm. Pain may start suddenly or develop gradually over time.

Treatment for Golfer’s elbow

Treatment varies depending on the stage of inflammation. The best way to reduce the problem is to treat the symptoms with Registered physiotherapy. A good physiotherapy treatment program should begin with pain reduction. This can include ultrasound, laser, interferential treatment, acupuncture, and/or registered massage therapy. Sports taping can be used as an option. Physiotherapy treatment should include briefly reducing the activities that caused the pain. Physiotherapy treatment for Golfer’s elbow should also include a proper brace such as the “Bandit” brace that takes the pressure off the injured tissues. The “HAWK” tool is another option. It can be used to break down any scar tissue that has developed. This speeds up the healing time! The final stage of physiotherapy treatment should include strengthening the forearm muscles, and showing you stretches to do prior to activities.

PhysioNow provides full physiotherapy programming to treat Golfer’s elbow at both Mississauga locations.

We can help! Give us a call if you would like to book an appointment today!Golfer’s elbow

Acupuncture
General Category, Health and Wellness, Manual Therapy

Acupuncture

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Acupuncture

Acupuncture

Pain is an alarm signal of the human body. When dealing with pain it is important that underlying causes are understood and dealt with. However it is desirable to relieve pain in the shortest amount of time. An acupuncture practitioner can deal with these underlying causes thru acupuncture.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of therapy in traditional Chinese medicine. This states that any sign of disease is an imbalance between ying and yang forces in the body. Acupuncture promotes the flow of life force energy and therefore brings balance to the human body. Acupuncture commonly includes manual stimulation of needles. It may also include electrical acupuncture. In this case, an electrical stimulator is connected to a needle.

Acupuncture can be effective in so many different conditions. The conditions that we treat in our Mississauga physiotherapy clinic are: Headache, Bell’s palsy, tennis elbow, OA (osteoarthritis), Low Back Pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain & Muscle related joint disorders.

Acupuncture has a much lower incidence of poor effects in comparison with many western treatments e.g. drugs like antiinflammatories/ cortisone injections which have possible harmful adverse effects. The ill effects associated with acupuncture are: Minor (bruising, bleeding, nausea, broken needles, worsening of symptoms) Major (infection, perforation of organs). These ill effects can be avoided when treatment is carried out by a well trained Registered Physiotherapist. This includes proper sterilization techniques. It also includes sound knowledge in anatomy and physiology. Treatment frequency is usually 2-3 times/wk which lasts for 15min up to a max of 30 min duration.

Acupuncture may be used together with other treatment modalities such as interferential therapy, ultrasound, exercise, or mobilization techniques by a Registered Physiotherapist. A full assessment by a Registered Physiotherapist will allow for a proper diagnosis and treatment options that are the best for each patient.

If you are interested in learning if acupuncture may help with your symptoms, please call to make an appointment with our Registered Physiotherapists Mississauga today!

Low Back Pain Prevention
Exercise, General Category, Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy

Low Back Pain Prevention

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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!