Tag Archives: Wellness

Exercise, General Category, Health and Wellness, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, Physiotherapy, Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga, Registered Physiotherapy Mississauga, Urinary Incontinence

Female & Male Pelvic Pain

Leave a comment

Female & Male Pelvic Pain Female & Male pelvic pain

There are various conditions which are treatable under male and female pelvic pain.

Vulvodynia

Pain that affects the entire vulva
Symptoms
• Burning
• Stabbing
• Stinging
• Itching
• Sensitive to touch and pressure
• Functional limitation (Sex/ tampon/clothes)

Vestibulodynia

The vestibule is where the vulva (area of the skin on the outside) meets with the vagina. It is an extremely sensitive part of your body.
Symptoms:
Hypersensitivity on light touch, such as during intercourse and on insertion of tampons.Some women have pain but are able to tolerate penetrative sex. They may have soreness and tenderness. This may include soreness with tight clothes and even light touch to the area.

Dyspareunia, Vaginismus, Dysmenorrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Endometriosis

Endometriosis

Vaginismus: Inability to penetrate due to spasm of the muscles
Dyspareunia: Painful vaginal penetration in the absence of disease
Dysmenorrhea:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Abdominal Pain or discomfort, At least 3 days per month in the last 3 months.

Irritable Bowel Syndromes

Pain is associated with 2 or more symptoms:
– Improvement with defecation
– Onset associated with a change in stool frequency
– Onset associated with a change in stool form

Anal Disorders

Men have pelvic pain!

• Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
• Interstitial Cysts
• Bladder Pain Syndrome
• Levator Ani Syndrome
• Urethral Syndrome
• Coccydynia
• Pudendal Neuralgia
• Anal fissures

Physiotherapy Treatments for Female & Male Pelvic Pain

Kegel Exercise

Connective tissue massage

Dermoneuromodulation or non?nociceptive input
Improve mobility of affected areas
Down regulate the sympathetic nervous system (nervous system restore and relax)
Nutrition
Behavioural techniques (manage stress)
Movement Therapies
Kegel exercises depending on the type of muscle tone and condition.
Contract relax and Reciprocal inhibition techniques
Add mobilizations–? massage with movement

As you can see, there are many things that can be done to help with Female & Male Pelvic Pain. PhysioNow can Help! We have fully trained Pelvic Health Physiotherapists to help with all of these conditions. Call today to book an appointment!

General Category, Health and Wellness, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, Physiotherapy, Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga, Registered Physiotherapy Mississauga, Seniors, Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Tract Infections

Leave a comment

 

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!

General Category, Health and Wellness, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Registered Physiotherapist Mississauga, Registered Physiotherapy Mississauga

Pelvic organ Prolapse

Leave a comment

Pelvic organ Prolapse

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is a very annoying problem. Pelvic organs, such as the uterus, cervix, bladder or bowel, may protrude into the vagina because of weakness in the tissues that normally support them. It is a disorder described as a protrusion at or near the vaginal opening. This may or may not cause perineal pressure. This condition is aggravated by standing and relieved by lying down.

Causes of Pelvic Organ Prolapse:

Vaginal child birth
Advancing age
Increased body weight
Hysterectomy
Chronic straining
Abnormalities of connective tissue
Connective tissue repair causes some women to have disruption, stretching, or dysfunction of the connective-tissue attachments of the vagina, or both. This can result in prolapse.

Symptoms of Pelvic Organ prolapse:

The symptoms can vary, depending on the type of prolapse. Generally, people have several complaints. These include bladder, bowel, and pelvic symptoms. Symptoms can include Urinary retention. They can also include changes in bowel function. Many women with pelvic organ prolapse have no symptoms, and do not need treatment. When pelvic organ prolapse causes symptoms, options include observation, conservative pelvic health physiotherapy treatment, and surgery. You can also use a pessary. A vaginal pessary is a removable device placed into the vagina. It is designed to support areas of pelvic organ prolapse.
http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/placement-of-a-pessary

Treatment for pelvic organ prolapse:

NO effective prevention strategies for prolapse have been identified. However, options include weight loss, and reduction of heavy lifting. There are also various treatments used for constipation. These options can be discussed with your pelvic health physiotherapist. Other treatments include surgery, mechanical devices and pelvic floor exercises.

Conservative management approaches include giving lifestyle advice and delivering Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises are often used in cases of mild to moderate pelvic organ prolapse. Simple instructions are not considered adequate training for a Kegel exercise program (Bump et al 1991). The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada recommends that proper performance of Kegel exercises should be confirmed by digital vaginal examination or biofeedback. This can be done by a skilled Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. PhysioNow has the ability to do this type of treatment at all of our Physiotherapy clinics in Mississauga.
Electrical stimulation with sensor probes can also be used for pelvic floor muscle strengthening.
Kegel Exercises

Finally, it is IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND that pelvic organ prolapse is not a gynecological disease but a FUNCTIONAL problem. Pelvic health Physiotherapy can Help! Call PhysioNow today!

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

Osteoporosis: The Breakdown Of Bone Tissue

Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

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.