Tag Archives: Wellness

Back pain – Do you need surgery?

Back Pain- do you need surgery?

Back pain is one of the most common injuries that we see at our office! Most pain medications barely touch the pain- they just take the edge off and knock you out. The good news is that back pain is  an injury that can be treated conservatively by a skilled physiotherapist! There are several different sources of back pain with the most common being disc pain due to a disc bulge or herniation. The source of the pain is often simple to diagnose.

Assessment can be completed quickly in one visit and treatment can start the same day. In my experience, more than 75% of patients are fast responders meaning that their symptoms can begin to lessen very quickly after the first visit. The trick to shutting off back pain is to identify the location and angle of the disc injury.  Very simple stretching exercises can then be performed to close down on the injured disc thereby rapidly shutting off the pain.

An experienced physiotherapist can identify the source of your back pain and help you get on the road to recovery.

99% + of patients can avoid surgery by participating in physiotherapy. Call today to book an appointment! We can help! An assessment will take about twenty minutes. The physiotherapist will look at movement patterns of your back. In other words, we try to see which movements make your back pain better and those that make your back pain worse. From that, we can usually figure out the best movements to make your back pain go away quickly. Its really simple if you see a physiotherapist experienced in assessing back pain. It is best if you follow up with your physiotherapist at least twice per week and perhaps three times per week depending on how fast the back pain is changing with treatment. In very short order, you should be back to enjoying all of your normal activities again. Some simple prevention exercises will help to keep you out of trouble. Your physiotherapist can show these to you before your treatment program is complete. Call today to get started!

 Back Pain

Low Back Pain

ACL Tear

ACL Tear

ACL tear

Do you have an ACL tear?  Should you have surgery to repair your ACL tear? This is one of the most common knee injuries. It is typical that if you have only a partial ACL tear- no surgery is recommended. Even if you have suffered a full ACL tear – the decision to have surgery is not always clear.

ACL tear

Factors to consider include: are you a competitive athlete in the prime of your life and do you plan to continue competing in your sport of choice? If the answer is yes, then more than likely, you are going to be advised to proceed with an ACL surgical repair.

ACL Tears

If you have a full ACL tear, but are not a competitive athlete, then the decision to proceed with a surgical approach becomes less certain. For many people, treatment with a skilled physiotherapist can help you to strengthen your muscles around the knee joint. This will support the knee for everyday activities without the use of a brace. You can then continue to participate in sporting activities with the use of a brace.

Braces are now available in lightweight comfortable materials that are reasonably unobtrusive and effective at protecting your knee from further injury. Bledsoe custom knee bracing is on the leading edge of sports injury bracing and can be purchased through our office.

If you decide to proceed with the surgery, be advised that the surgery is significant and the recovery typically takes between 6 to 12 months with the close supervision of a trained Registered Physiotherapist. Check out this link to consider if surgery is the right decision for you.

Surgery does not guarantee a perfect outcome – it always comes with the possibility of unintended consequences. A proper Physiotherapy rehabilitation program can mitigate these factors and assist you with your recovery! We have Sports Physiotherapists trained to do the post-surgical rehabilitation program at our offices.

Call today to book a pre surgical consult with one of our skilled physiotherapists or to get fitted for a custom knee brace. We can facilitate the decision making process if you wish. Call PhysioNow today to get started!