Tag Archives: Sports Injury

Exercise, Health and Wellness, Physiotherapy, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy Tips to Stay Active & Injury-Free This Summer

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Summer is finally here and it’s the season where people start to get a lot more active. As physiotherapists, we love to see people getting back to their sports whether its hiking, biking, running marathons, playing sports, or more! However, as people get back into the swing of things, we unfortunately see a rise in injuries around this time as well. Usually, we see a lot of overuse injuries, or strains and sprains, as people push their bodies just the slightest bit too quickly. To help combat this trend, PhysioNow has prepared a list of the best physiotherapy tips to stay injury free!

1. Increase the intensity and frequency slowly

Training to avoid injuries is like taking the stairs, one step at a time

It’s hard not to jump right in, but easing into your new activities is the best way to avoid an injury. Your body needs time to build itself up to where it was before. For example, for a sport, schedule rest days in between and play 2-3x a week for the first couple weeks before increasing the frequency. If you’re a hiker, you may choose to do some shorter or less intense hikes first before tackling the more challenging ones. Overuse injuries can end your season early, so its crucial to take good care of your body!

2. Listen to your body

Even with the strategies above, we can sometimes push ourselves too much. Most of us know how it feels when our body is too tired, something doesn’t feel quite right, or there’s an annoying pain or discomfort somewhere. This is your body telling you to take some time off! While it can frustrating to sit out on the fun, just remember that taking care of any issues preemptively will save you time. Even if it seems small, addressing it now can stop it from turning into a bigger issue and prevent you from losing time doing what you love!

3. Hydration and rest

If you’re doing outdoor activities during the summer, don’t forget to bring your water bottle! Drink consistently to keep your energy levels high and your body in top shape. Dehydration will decrease your performance and puts you at higher risk for injuries, heat exhaustion, muscle cramping and more. Take breaks in the shaded areas when you feel your body starting to heat up, avoid heat-related issues at all costs!

4. Addressing old injuries

If you have a previous injury, then you should be extra careful when starting up more intense activities. For example, you may consider giving that area some extra strength and mobility training prior to starting your summer activities. You may also want to consider supportive gear such as taping or bracing (off the shelf or custom) to offload some pressure. Ultimately, you may need some extra help in which case that’s where the professionals come in! Physiotherapy will help you address your issue and give you guidance on how to still make the most of your summer.

5. Warm ups and cooldowns

Ensure that you give yourself sufficient time before each workout or activity to warm up and then cool down your body. This allows your body sufficient time to start the processes needed for intense exercise, and then winding them down. This prevents a big shock to the body by giving it space to increase circulation, get the energy systems working, and slowly increase body temperature for a warm up, and the opposite for a cool down. Generally, we recommend more dynamic movements for the warm up, and more stretching in the cooldown to alleviate muscle stiffness.

6. We love cross training

While you may love your sport or summer activity, doing it every single day places a lot of stress on the same muscles, ligaments and joints, as you perform the same movements repetitively. To combat this, high level athletes will engage in something called cross-training. This is when you incorporate a variety of different movements and workout routines to give parts of your body time to rest while the others work. The benefits of this are allowing you to still stay active, building up whole-body strength, improves fitness, and reduces injury risk. Cross-training can look like anything you want it to as long as you’re switching things up, you can mix up running, hiking, swimming, weight training, racquet sports, dancing, and so much more!

Looking to get active this summer?

Whether it’s your first time or you’re a fitness enthusiast, we hope to see you getting active! If you have a pre-existing issue, or encounter a new sports injury during the summer, look for PhysioNow. We have an expert health care team including Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, Manual Osteopaths, Athletic Therapists and more! Our team is dedicated to your fitness journey from amateur to expert. With 10 locations across the GTA from Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, to Etobicoke, our team is there for you. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment!

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Concussion, Motor Vehicle Accidents, neck pain, Physiotherapy, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy, Vestibular Rehabilitation

How to Recover From Your Concussion With Physiotherapy

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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 from forceful blows to the body such as being tackled.

Concussions are not just the outcome of high-contact sports. Additionally, they are commonly seen in patients involved in motor vehicle accidents. It is important to diagnose and treat a concussion as soon as possible to increase the chances of a full recovery. 

What are the most common symptoms of concussions?

The symptoms vary greatly depending on the severity, a pre-existing history of concussion, and whether there was a loss of consciousness. Generally, more symptoms in higher intensities are associated with more severe headaches, especially if there was a loss of consciousness. Common symptoms include:

Changes in vision are common with a concussion, some may warrant a visit to the optometrist
  • Headaches
  • Balance problems
  • Difficulty regulating mood
  • Fatigue
  • Disorientation/confusion
  • Memory issues 
  • “Slower” thoughts
  • Nausea
  • Blurry vision
  • Light and/or noise sensitivity

As can be seen, there are a large number of symptoms that may or may not be present post-concussion. Concussions can affect a lot of different systems in the body including cognition, vision, balance, coordination and more. As a result, many different health care professionals may be involved during the duration of a concussion treatment.

How does physiotherapy play in role in concussion management?

Physiotherapy can play a significant role in the recovery process. After medical diagnosis, a physiotherapist will assess the primary symptoms of the neck, balance, visual system, and coordination system. We already discussed how not everyone with a concussion will develop the same symptoms. Accordingly, they will receive a personalized treatment protocol and plan. 

Musculoskeletal Symptom Management

First, neck and upper back symptoms are extremely common in concussion, particularly if the mechanism of concussion was a whiplash injury. Physiotherapists will treat these areas using manual therapy, mobility exercises, and soft tissue techniques in an attempt to reduce pain and headaches. Furthermore, concussions often affect the vestibular and visual systems. These, in turn, can lead to dizziness, balance problems, and difficulties with focusing the eyes.

Vestibular and Visual Symptom Management

Vestibular rehabilitation and oculomotor exercises attempt to retrain the brain to properly process vestibular motion and visual input. These may include habituation exercises, which slowly force the system to adapt and become less symptomatic over time. At the start, these exercises will be difficult and trigger the symptoms quickly. An important part of concussion management is knowing how much increase is okay, and when to take a break.

Back to School, Work, and Sport

In the past, it was assumed that rest, especially prolonged rest, is best for individuals who have suffered a concussion. The common image that people have of a concussion treatment is somebody sitting in a dark and quiet room, unable to do much. However, it is now well supported in the literature that light aerobic exercise, while respecting the symptoms, is the ideal path of recovery in early stages. Physiotherapists facilitate patients to resume activity with a structured, step-wise approach. This enables patients to have a framework to track symptoms and keep them under control as cognitive and physical activity demands are increased. Oftentimes, school or work are challenging for students or professionals to return to, as well as athletes returning to a sport. Physiotherapists help to gauge rates of recovery relative to cognitive endurance, visual tracking, and dual-task tolerance; all with the aim of having individuals enjoy a full recovery to daily activities.

Education

 Education is also a large component of physiotherapy. The parents or caregivers, and the patients themselves must be educated on symptom management, what to expect, and the time frames to return-to work/sport/school. Fortunately, there is good evidence that an early physio intervention leads to shorter recovery times, limits long-term complications, and assists with emotional well-being and additional return to their everyday life. If necessary, Physiotherapists may recommend a referral to a physician, occupational therapists, and other providers to provide patients with safe and confident return to sport and life. 

Looking for more help?

Look for PhysioNow! Our clinic has 10 beautiful locations with free parking located across the GTA. From Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, to Etobicoke, we have many expert clinicians ready to assist you in your recovery. Whether it’s a concussion, motor vehicle accident, or sports injury, we have the tools to get you back to your normal life. Book with PhysioNow today for you first assessment and treatment!

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Ankle pain, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Why is my Ankle Sprain not Healing? Know What’s Wrong

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An ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation, or the RICE rule, will be the go-to’s for ankle sprains. In most cases, ankle sprains heal between 4-12 weeks depending on the severity of the injury. Although the injuries will heal with time, a failure to seek treatment and physical rehabilitation for your ankle after just one injury is enough to leave it weaker. Consequently, this makes your ankle more vulnerable to future sprains or chronic instability. Interestingly, about 20% of ankle sprains are estimated to lead to chronic instability.

What causes you chronic instability after an ankle sprain?

After an ankle injury, there is damage to the ligaments, tendons, and potentially even the ankle joint itself. Here, the function of the ligament is to limit abnormal movement in the joint. Because of the injury, they will get lax (stretched out), making the ankle more unstable. Additionally, this will result in a loss of strength in the muscles, further increasing the instability of the ankle. Also, sensory receptors which communicate to our brain where your ankle is in space become impaired. Ultimately, this decreased sensation alongside structural weakness makes it hard to balance and control the ankle. This leads to chronic ankle instability.

How do you know if you have instability post ankle sprain?

Consider the questions below if you have ever sprained your ankle and feel that it has not been the same since.

• Does your ankle ever give out or feel like it might?
• Do you avoid walking on uneven surfaces out of fear of falling?
• Do you feel like you can’t “trust” the ankle?
• Do you try to avoid putting all your weight onto the affected ankle?

If you said yes to these questions, you may have chronic ankle instability.

Is it permanent?

Chronic ankle instability is not permanent. You can improve your ankle stability with the help of a Physical Therapist and an individualized exercise plan. However, if the injury is left untreated in its instability, it puts the ankle at risk for future injuries such as another tear, strain/sprain, or even a fracture. As a result of this, the first step to treatment will be a proper rehabilitation program with guidance from a health professional.

How is chronic instability treated?

Physical Therapists are the first step in the conservative management of chronic ankle instability. Due to loss of strength and proprioception, rehabilitation is very important. They perform a complete assessment of your ankle range of motion, strength, and balance assessing for any laxity or abnormalities, and guide you through the management.

Balance exercises

Exercises re-strengthen the muscles, increase ankle stability and balance, and retrain the body awareness of the ankle. Moreover, Brace and/or taping may be recommended to support the stabilization of the ankle, especially for individuals who are engaged in high-risk activities like sports.

Finally, where conservative options are failing and the instability continues to be persistent, surgery may be an option. These surgical options usually involve repair or reconstruction of lax ligaments, or a tightening of the capsule around the ankle joint.

What happens if your ankle sprain and injury are left untreated?

Unfortunately, the instability may worsen over time and you will have a much greater risk of reoccurring injuries. In addition, it results in damage to the bones and cartilage within your ankle joint as the muscles weaken and fail to sufficiently support the joint. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you seek treatment from an expert to treat the issue before it results in a severe injury.

If you are having any instability or weakness with your ankle, which is stopping you from pursuing any hobbies, book with PhysioNow today for an initial assessment and treatment. We have a team of highly qualified Physical Therapists that will be able to help your ankle recover!

ACL Rehabilitation, ACL Tear, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

ACL Rehab: How to Improve your Knee

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ACL rehab is very important for you to get back to your normal life as well as your athletic activities. Frequently, sports injuries lead to pain, inflammation, and instability in the knee that can interrupt your daily life. However, working alongside a Physiotherapist, you will be able to recover and participate in physical activities again.

How does an ACL Injury occur?

The most common mechanism of injury is non-contact, such as a twist on a planted foot, coming down badly from a jump, or a sudden stop. Usually, ACL tears are very common sports injuries such as in soccer, volleyball and more. Due to the nature of these sports, both fast paced and with lots of quick direction changes, it increases the risk of an ACL injury. Alternatively, ACL injuries may happen traumatically, with a direct force against the lower leg. As may be expected, these are more common with contact sports such as rugby and football.

What are the signs symptoms of an ACL tear?

  • Feelings of instability or giving out of the knee
  • Difficulty with weight bearing activities such as walking, stairs, squatting
  • Pain in and around the knee
  • Weakness and atrophy of the muscles around the knee
  • If other structures are involved, locking of the knee in a certain position

Is surgical repair required?

Surgical repair may be needed for a fully torn ACL depending on the severity of the injury and level of physical activities you want to return to. In both surgical and non-surgical cases, rehabilitation with a skilled Registered Physiotherapist is essential to recovery.

Custom knee braces for ACL rehabilitation

ACL REHAB
Custom Knee Brace

In addition, wearing a custom knee brace can allow you to fully support your knee without having to do surgery. Custom knee braces can be very helpful once the swelling around your knee is managed. These are very sturdy braces that can allow you to return to all or most of your previous activities without surgery. A Custom Knee Brace provides and substitutes as the support for the torn ACL ligament. There are several types of Custom Knee braces available in the market. The most popular brands are DonJoy, Bledsoe and Ossur. At PhysioNow, we carry off the shelf knee braces and Custom Knee braces from all of the major suppliers.

Check out this link for a few of the braces we currently offer at PhysioNow in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Etobicoke.

How can physiotherapy help after an ACL tear?

Primarily, the role of physiotherapy after an ACL tear is:

  • Pain control
  • Restore range of motion to the knee
  • Strengthen the affected muscles
  • Improve balance and motor control of the knee
  • Improve power, coordination, and speed in the context of your sport

Pain is controlled by using different modalities such as ultrasound and interferential therapy. A graduated exercise program will help you to improve your movement.
Here is another interesting article about ACL rehabilitation.

Exercises will focus mainly on:

  • Strengthening quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles
  • Proprioception techniques (you will likely lose some of your natural ability to balance after an ACL tear)
  • Improving mobility of the joint and stretching muscles around the knee

ACL REHAB
Possible ACL REHAB Exercises

Please do not attempt these exercises at home without the advice of your doctor or a skilled Registered Physiotherapist!

Looking for help with your ACL rehab?

If you or someone you know has had an ACL tear, we at PhysioNow would be happy to help! If you want to discuss Physiotherapy Treatment or to see if a Custom Knee brace might be helpful for you, please contact PhysioNow today!

Physiotherapy, Sports Injuries, Sports Taping

5 Benefits of Physiotherapy Taping

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What is Physiotherapy Taping?

Physiotherapy taping, also known as athletic or kinesiology taping, is a type of therapeutic technique used for rehabilitation and for enhancing sport performance. First, strips of adhesive tape are applied to the skin with the location depending on the area of injury or the goal of the treatment. A physiotherapist can help you apply the tape and teach you how to tape yourself at home as well!

Why do people receive Physiotherapy Taping?

There are many benefits to using physiotherapy tape, we’ll describe some common applications of taping to help you understand why taping has become so popular!

Physiotherapy tape being used to support an athlete after a shoulder injury
  1. Stability or support: While watching professional athletes, you may notice tape around their bodies. The tape acts as an external support and adds stability to a joint or muscle, minimizing the risk of injury. For example, many athletes have had repeated ankle sprains resulting in laxity, (allowing excessive movement) at the ankle ligaments. They may use tape to provide the support that their ligaments can no longer give. This can help prevent too much turning in or out of the ankle and limit their risk of re-injury.
  2. Pain Relief: Taping can provide pain relief to an injured area. It can improve blood circulation to the area where tape has been applied, reduce pressure on injured tissues, and can modify our nerve receptors to reduce the sensation of pain. As a result, it is often a popular treatment choice for overuse injuries as well such as tennis and golfer’s elbow.
  3. Postural Correction: The tape may be applied in a certain alignment to help an individual correct poor posture such as slouching or rounded shoulders. For example, the tape is applied in an upright posture with high tension. Next, when a person slouches, they feel the tape pulling on them as a reminder to sit back up. In this way, taping can help reduce and prevent posture-related pain and discomfort.
  4. Improved Awareness: Another benefit of taping is by enhancing our sense of proprioception. In other words, proprioception is our body’s ability to know where it is in space and its relative position. For balance, this is a very important ability to have. This helps individuals connect more with their muscles and joints, improving their ability to move.
  5. Non-restrictive: One of the favourite things about tape from our patients is it is non-restrictive. Unlike a brace, the tape is very subtle and allows them to move freely. The tape can stay on for several days at a time and will eventually come off on its own.

Where can I find physiotherapy tape?

Tape is relatively easy to find. You may look for it online or at some drug stores, pharmacies, and health-related stores.

There are many different brands of tape that you can use. Some of them are more rigid while others are more flexible. If you are confused on where to start, you can seek help from a sports physiotherapist. They can teach you the techniques for your specific goal and ensure you perform the tape job correctly.

Looking for more help?

Many different tape jobs exist and some of them can be trickier than others. Consider learning from a health care professional like a physiotherapist to ensure the tape has been applied correctly.

Look for PhysioNow! Sometimes a tape job isn’t enough to treat your condition and you want an expert opinion. We have experienced sports physiotherapists and athletic therapists that can assist you. Whether you want injury prevention, relief, or to enhance your performance, we have the skills to help you out. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment!

Foot Pain Treatment Mississauga, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Turf Toe: Recovering From Your Sports Injury

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What is turf toe?

Foot Pain Treatment Mississauga

Turf toe is a type of sports injury that occurs in athletes with a lot of pushing off or changes in direction in their sport. Anatomically, turf toe is a hyperextension injury of the joint of the big toe. Essentially, the toe is forced past its normal range of motion. Unfortunately, this results in injury of the joint and tissues around it.

How does it happen?

The big toe is one of the most important joints for generating speed and power in our lower body. When we land on or push off from a surface, the big toe is often the first or last point of contact. As a result, it undergoes a high amount of force. Injury can happen due to:

Turf toe
Some studies found a higher incidence of turf toe with players who played on artificial turf
  • Sports with quick starts/stops and changes in direction: This happens in a lot of sports like basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and more.
  • Inappropriate footwear: Having a pair of ill-fitting or overly flexible shoes can increase the risk of the toe being hyperextended
  • Type of terrain/playing surface: The name turf toe comes from increased chance of this injury occurring when playing on artificial turf.

What are the signs and symptoms?

  • Pain around the big toe
  • Big toe joint is sore and tender to the touch
  • Pain with movement of the big toe or with pressure on it
  • Joint may be swollen, red, bruised
  • Difficulty walking or running

How is it treated?

In the acute stages, turf toe can be treated with the RICE principle and it is recommended and safe to start sports physiotherapy as soon as possible.

  1. RICE
    • Rest: Modify your activities to include less weightbearing and avoid putting pressure on the joint as much as possible to give the joint time to heal
    • Ice: For 24-48 hours after the injury, applying ice can help manage the pain, swelling, and inflammation in the area
    • Compression: Applying compression to the injured toe can help limit the swelling in the joint.
    • Elevation: Keeping the foot elevated as much as possible will help stop fluids from pooling in the leg and creating uncomfortable amounts of swelling
  2. Sports physiotherapy
    • Physiotherapy is an essential part of getting you back to your sport as soon as possible and as safe as possible.
    • Modalities: For example, ultrasound, cryotherapy, laser therapy, or electrotherapy may be used to help with tissue healing, inflammation, and pain relief.
    • Manual Therapy: Your physiotherapist may use manual techniques like joint mobilizations, massage and more to help reduce stiffness, increase your range of motion, and reduce pain.
    • Exercises: Eventually, when your joint has healed enough you can start exercises. Your physiotherapist will help you determine an appropriate place to start. Additionally, they will tailor the exercises to your specific sport, and assess your movements to see if there are any deviations that may be increasing your risk of injury.
    • Back to play advice: Your physiotherapist will give you suggestions on how to go back to your sport safely. For example, you will not be able to jump back into play 100% at first, it may start by having you attend some shorter practices before eventually playing in some games.

Need help?

If you are experiencing a turf toe or any other kind of injury, look for PhysioNow! With locations across the GTA from Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Etobicoke, our expert physiotherapists are at your service. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment.

Exercise, General Category, Health and Wellness, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Marathon Training: 8 Tips to Keep You Injury-Free

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So you’ve decided to be part of the 1% that completes a marathon, an incredible achievement! Training for a marathon is demanding on both your physical endurance and mental resilience. One of the most common dangers comes from experiencing a sports injury during your training. This could be overuse injuries, strains, sprains, and more. Ultimately, these can hinder your progress and even affect you on race day itself. To help you keep your body as healthy as possible, here are some essential tips to avoid sports injuries while training for a marathon:

1. Start Slow and Build Gradually

  • Tip: Avoid the temptation to ramp up your mileage too quickly. Gradually increase your weekly mileage, and it is best to follow a structured program to avoid overtraining.
  • Why: Rapid increases in mileage or intensity are the most common cause of overuse injuries such as stress fractures, tendinitis, shin splints and more. Your body needs time to recover and adapt to the new loads you are placing on it.

2. Listen to Your Body

  • Tip: Pay attention to any signs of pain, discomfort, or fatigue. Don’t ignore persistent pain or push through it, it’s a sign that something may be wrong and need attention
  • Why: Ignoring pain or pushing through discomfort can make injuries and lead to longer recovery times. Additionally, addressing it early can save you weeks of pain and frustration.

3. Warm Up and Cool Down Properly

  • Tip: Always start your runs with a dynamic warm-up to increase blood flow and flexibility in your muscles. After your run, perform some stretches and easy mobility movements to cool down and improve flexibility.
  • Why: Proper warm-up and cool-down routines reduce the risk of muscle strains and improve overall flexibility and range of motion.

4. Implement Cross-Training

  • Tip: Incorporate strength, mobility, agility and other exercises into your routine. Cross-training activities like swimming, rowing, or cycling can your running muscles a break.
  • Why: Strengthening supporting muscles and varying your workouts helps prevent overuse injuries while still improving overall cardiovascular fitness

5. Good Footwear

  • Tip: Wear proper running shoes that fit well, are comfortable, and support your foot.  Replace your shoes regularly as they wear out.
  • Why: Ill-fitting shoes or worn-out gear can lead to foot injuries, shin splints, and other issues that may impact your training.

6. Stay Hydrated and Eat Well

  • Tip: Hydrate properly before, during, and after your runs. Maintain a balanced diet that supports your training regimen, including adequate protein and carbohydrates.
  • Why: Your body is burning a lot more energy now and needs the proper fuel to function at its peak performance

7. Rest and Recovery

  • Tip: Schedule rest days into your training plan to allow your body to recover and repair. Incorporate some deloading or lighter weeks to prevent burnout and overtraining.
  • Why: Rest is essential for muscle repair and growth. Overtraining increases the risk of injuries and can compromise your overall performance.

8. Seek Professional Guidance

Physiotherapists and can assist with sports injuries

  • Tip: If you’re new to running or have specific concerns about your training, consider consulting a professional like a physiotherapist.
  • Why: Professional guidance can help you develop a personalized training plan, correct your form, and address any underlying or current issues.

By following these strategies, you can reduce the risk of sports injuries and increase your chances of crossing the marathon finish line! If you are experiencing some pain while running, look for PhysioNow. We have many expert physiotherapists that would be happy to help you with your sports injury. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment. Happy running!

ACL Injury to knee
ACL REHAB, Knee Pain, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Torn Meniscus: What to do Next

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What is a torn meniscus?

Torn meniscus types Different types of meniscal tears, depending on location and orientation

The meniscus is a C shaped fibrocartilage in our knee joints, located between the tibia and femur. Importantly, they work as shock absorbers for the knee joint. Our knees are weightbearing joints and as a result, must withstand a lot of force. On each side of our body, we have one meniscus on the inside (medial), and one on the outside (lateral). Unfortunately, the medial meniscus tear is more common torn. Especially, in individuals who play contact sports and high impact sports.

How does a torn meniscus happen?

Usually, meniscal tears are traumatic, you can pinpoint the moment in time that the injury occurred. However, in rarer cases they can be insidious and feel like they happen without your knowledge. One of the main methods of injury are sports, a forceful direct impact or a sudden twist while foot is planted on the ground. Additionally, the incidence rate of meniscus injuries increases with age.

What are the risk factors?

  • Overuse
  • Osteoarthritis (OA)
  • Obesity
  • Age
  • ACL injury
  • Previous knee injuries, especially if they were traumatic

Signs and Symptoms:

It is important to note that meniscal tears often happen in conjunction with other knee injuries such as ligament strains/sprains. As a result, the symptoms often overlap with other each other.

  • Decreased and painful range of motion
  • Knee feels like it will give out
  • Popping sensation at the time of injury
  • Joint swelling
  • Crepitus
  • Locking in knee
  • Pain around knee joint
  • Stiffness
  • Antalgic gait ex. limping
  • Pain increases with weightbearing activity like walking, stairs and squats

Diagnosis:

After taking a detailed history about the pain and injury history, your health care practitioner will conduct a physical examination for your knees.  They will check your range of motion, strength, integrity of the joints, check your sensation, balance, and more. Then, they might send you for further investigations like x-rays, ultrasound or MRI if they think it is warranted.

Physiotherapy Treatment for a Torn Meniscus

Torn meniscus physiotherapy

Oftentimes, people think that meniscal injuries will heal over time on their own. In reality, the recovery process purely depends on the type and severity of the injury and symptoms being experienced. It is always recommended to be seen by a health care professional and undergo physical therapy to rehabilitate your knee after an injury. Ultimately, this will ensure your knee gets the proper care it needs and nothing severe will be missed.

1. RICE Protocol

  • Rest: First, let the injured knee rest by putting less weight/pressure on it
  • Ice: Additionally, use an icepack around your knees several times a day for 15-20 mins
  • Compression: Importantly, will help to reduce the swelling around knee joint.
  • Elevation: Lastly, rest your leg using a pillow or something similar to keep it elevated and minimize swelling

2. Protective Equipment:

Braces and crutches may be used depending on the severity of symptoms. Ultimately, they will help protect the joint and prevent the injury from worsening.3. Modalities:

3. Modalities

Modalities such as electrotherapy (IFC, TENS), ultrasound, and laser therapy may help decrease inflammation, manage pain, and help with the healing process.

4. Exercise Therapy:

As quickly as possible, we want to restore as close to normal range of motion in the knee. Then, strengthening of those muscles will make the knee stronger to resist future injuries.

  • Low impact exercises for cardiovascular training ex. biking
  • Isometrics exercises
  • Range of motion exercise
  • Stretching
  • Strengthening exercise of the joint muscles and areas around such as the hips, back and pelvic muscles:
  • Functional activity (ex. stairs, squatting, job specific tasks)
  • Balance and coordination training

5. Surgical procedure

Finally, in some severe cases, physiotherapy may not be enough to fully rehabilitate your knee, especially if the joint is being blocked by the tear. Thus, a consult with an orthopedic surgeon may be necessary to determine future treatment options for your knee. The meniscus may be able to be repaired, or you may require a partial/complete meniscectomy (removal of a part of the full meniscus).

If you are experiencing a knee pain or torn meniscus that is limiting you, look for PhysioNow! We have many experienced Physiotherapists across the GTA from Burlington to Etobicoke that can help you feel better. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment.

Ankle pain, Physiotherapy, Sports Injuries, Sports Physiotherapy

Rolled Your Ankle? 5 Exercises to Prepare it for Sports

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If you have had a sprained/rolled ankle recently, you may have felt like it isn’t quite the same anymore. Usually, after an injury, there is a loss in strength and coordination of the ankle. While this may not affect you as much in your day-to-day life just walking around, you can notice a difference when you play your sport. The following are a list of 5 potential exercises that may help your ankle get back in tip-top shape!

  1. Ankle Alphabets

After an injury, the ankle loses some fibers called proprioceptors. These proprioceptors give us our sense of proprioception, which is our ability to determine where our ankle is in space. For example, whether it is facing up, down, in, out, and to what degree. As you may imagine, this proprioceptive ability is essential to sports in order for us to jump and land safely, change directions quickly, and run.

Ankle alphabets are where you use your foot to draw the alphabet from A-Z. Imagine your big toe is the tip of a pencil, and you’re writing the letters in a space in front of you. To start, you may keep the eyes open so you can see what you’re doing. However, if you’re looking for a challenge, close your eyes and try to use just the sensation from your ankle to complete this exercise. It’s more challenging than it seems!

2. Balance on an unstable surface/Bosu Ball

Athlete balancing on bosu ball

Athlete balancing on a bosu ball during their ankle rehabilitation

When we’re playing sports or running, the ground is not always even footing. Subconsciously, your ankle is always making slight corrections for this. Unfortunately, after an injury your ankle may not be able to perform this as well. Ligaments are designed to prevent excessive movements of the ankle but with multiple injuries, they can become lax.  Thus, training on an unstable surface reteaches the ankle how to correct for the environment. Ultimately, this will reduce your risk of reinjury. Additionally, try adding in other challenges like catching and throwing a ball to really give yourself a workout.

3. Star Excursion Balance Test

The Star Excursion Balance Test is a rehab tool for ankle dynamic balance

The athlete stands in the middle on the indicated limb, and must slide the other leg out while maintaining balance

The Star Excursion Balance Test is one of the best exercises to use with athletes and physically active individuals. It is a challenging test that can also be used as a training tool afterwards. This exercise involves the balance, postural control, and proprioceptive systems.  First, the athlete begins by standing on one leg and trying to reach out with the other leg as far as possible in the pattern (see the image). Fortunately, this exercise requires minimal to no equipment which makes it a great choice to do at home.

4. Hopping and multidirectional movements

Once you return to your sport, your ankle will need to be able to withstand forceful movements in multiple directions. Some great examples of exercises might include skater lunges, fast lunges in multiple directions, step hops, running with pivoting, or quick starts and stops etc. Ultimately, there are many options to choose from.

5. Sport specific movements!

The best way to train for your sport is through practice of that sport! For example, if you have a sport on skates, you will need to practice being on those skates again in a controlled environment. Maybe your sport requires a lot of switching directions, or kicking a ball. Make sure you practice these things first! Don’t dive back into a competitive match right away but take the time to break up your sport into some smaller skills you can practice individually.

Need help?

If you are trying to recover from an ankle injury, it is always best to get assessed by a health care professional. Here at PhysioNow we have many knowledgeable Physiotherapists that can get you started on a rehabilitation program. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment.