6 Important Questions to Ask Your TMJ specialist in Edmonton
Discover the key questions to ask your TMJ specialist in Edmonton to better understand your symptoms, care options, and what to expect moving forward.
How to Improve Balance and Reduce Dizziness with Vestibular Therapy in Edmonton
Discover how vestibular therapy in Edmonton can help improve balance, reduce dizziness, and restore confidence in movement with expert care.
How Vestibular Therapy in Edmonton Can Help Restore Balance and Wellness
Maintaining stability is essential for daily movement, yet dizziness and imbalance can disrupt even the simplest activities. Vestibular therapy in Edmonton offers a structured approach to managing these challenges, allowing individuals to regain steadiness and improve overall function.
5 Ways to Manage Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Musculoskeletal Therapy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome impacts daily life, causing discomfort and reduced hand functionality. It arises from compression of the median nerve, often due to repetitive movements, inflammation, or poor ergonomics.
5 Signs That You Should Visit a TMJ Specialist
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort in your jaw, head, or face, you may be dealing with a condition known as TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). This condition can cause a variety of symptoms that affect your jaw joints and the surrounding muscles.
Neurological Physio in Edmonton: Conditions Treated and Uses
Neurological Physio in Edmonton (NPT) is a specialized field of therapy aimed at improving the function and quality of life for individuals with neurological disorders. This branch of physical therapy focuses on the rehabilitation of individuals who have experienced damage to their nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. By employing a range of therapeutic techniques and interventions, Neurological Physio in Edmonton helps patients regain their mobility, strength, and independence. Here’s a look into the conditions treated and the uses of neurological physical therapy. Conditions Treated Uses of Neurological Physio in Edmonton Conclusion Neurological Physio in Edmonton plays a crucial role in the management and rehabilitation of individuals with neurological conditions. By addressing specific impairments and functional limitations, Neurological Physio in Edmonton helps patients achieve their maximum potential and improves their overall quality of life. Whether through improving mobility, enhancing daily functioning, or preventing complications, the therapeutic interventions provided by neurological physical therapists are integral to the comprehensive care of individuals with neurological disorders.
Living With Arthritis? Treat It Naturally
Living With Arthritis? Treat It Naturally Home Blog Pain Relief Doesn’t Have to be in the Form of Drugs! If you are living with arthritis, you don’t have to opt for risky measures to find pain relief. It is fairly common for people who suffer with arthritis pain to resort to expensive surgery, steroid injections, and prescription medications to cope with their pain. Sometimes, these treatments can actually benefit patients with severe arthritis. More often than not, the better route to go involves physiotherapy and natural treatments. Arthritis does not discriminate either, and although it tends to be found often in elderly patients, it can affect anyone at any age. According to a study on Arthritis Society “About 20% of the population 15+ has arthritis, or 1 in 5.” If you want to learn more about how physiotherapy can benefit you and decrease your arthritis pain, give our office a call today. What can I do to avoid arthritis aches and pains? When living with arthritis, it is important to understand that if you don’t want to feel the pain you’ve always experienced, you will have to learn new ways to move around. It is not always easy to know what movements or actions bring on your painful twinges though — sometimes just standing up too quickly can cause arthritis in your knee joints to tense and twist in an unexpected way. This is why learning new ways to move is helpful; it can aid you with avoiding these unwelcome symptoms. Your physiotherapist can teach you which motions lead to discomfort, and show you how to avoid them and further protect your joints. These joint protection techniques can be as simple as carrying a purse with a particular kind of strap to take pressure off your wrists. Another example is getting out of your car or into the shower in a different way. Your physiotherapist will make sure you have a solid understanding of what is and is not OK to do at home as far as keeping your joints unaffected. Physiotherapists don’t just focus on the big stuff though! If you have arthritic fingers, your physiotherapist can show you how to carry objects with your palms instead of grasping them with your fingers. Physiotherapy can also give you access to new gadgets and technology that make daily tasks much less challenging for you as well. Focusing on painful joints It is true that sometimes the best remedy for arthritic joints is to get some bed rest. However, it’s very impractical for many of us to take long bouts of rest in bed or at home away from work. There’s also the fact that not getting enough exercise or activity into your daily routine can worsen the condition by weakening your muscles. Thankfully, there is a solution to this! Your physiotherapist will know how to isolate a painful joint by bracing it. Bracing provides natural pain relief for patients with arthritis. Treatment may include wrist splints or neck collars, depending on the central location of your pain. No matter where your pain might be, there is a specialized treatment option for that joint! Enhancing your range of motion Stiff joints are no fun for anyone, but for people struggling with arthritis, a stiff joint equates to a painful joint. If a patient with arthritis attempts to push their affected joint out of its range of motion, they will inevitably experience many uncomfortable sensations. These painful twinges can be downright agony to deal with on a daily basis, which is why it is important to increase flexibility and range of motion. This can be achieved through physiotherapy. Range of motion treatment usually involves flexibility and strength exercises, which gradually allow your joints to become more limber and strengthen supporting muscles. Manual therapy for pain relief Manual therapy is the part of physiotherapy that involves hands-on treatment. This kind of treatment both pampers arthritis patients and eases their discomfort. Pain relief treatment in manual therapy often forms a large portion of a physiotherapy session for someone with arthritis. Heating pads, ice packs, massage, and even certain kinds of machines all play a crucial role in relieving aching joints. As mentioned above, your physiotherapist may alternate between heating pads and ice packs to naturally relieve your pain. They might also use ultrasound machines to send soothing heat waves deeper into your painful joints. Targeted massage techniques also boost circulation and creates a warming sensation for areas affected by arthritis. Discover our holistic pain relief methods today Ready to find natural and safe pain relief? If you want to find new ways to combat your arthritis, contact Creekwood Physiotherapy today to learn more. A physiotherapist on our team can do a thorough assessment of you, and get you back on track to where you want to be: pain free. Source: https://arthritis.ca/about-arthritis/what-is-arthritis/the-truth-about-arthritis Table of Contents
Get Back to A Comfortable Life With PT
Get Back to A Comfortable Life With PT Home Blog Find the Relief You Need with Physiotherapy If you’re living with daily aches and pains, you’re not alone – but you don’t have to continue living this way. Is your everyday life being affected by acute or chronic pain? Are you struggling to recover from back pain, joint pain, or an injury caused by a car accident? Whatever condition you might be facing, our clinic doors are open. We encourage you to call us today and schedule an appointment with one of our physiotherapists. Our physiotherapists specialize in improving human movement and flexibility. We offer many non-invasive, natural, safe modalities and techniques to help our patients. Our goal is not only to treat your pain symptoms but to find the source of your pain and eliminate the issue once and for all. Read these five ways working with a physiotherapist can help you get your active, normal lifestyle back! 1. Enhancing multiple aspects of your life, including mobility and performance. Our physiotherapy team can manage your injury and assess any underlying conditions now, as well as help prevent injury in the future. Physiotherapy can also improve your core stability, endurance, coordination, agility, and other physical skills that can better your athletic performance. This is vital for young people who are very active or involved in athletics, as well as elderly people trying to avoid age-related health problems. 2. Getting to the source of your pain. Your physiotherapist’s ultimate goal is to identify and solve underlying issues contributing to your painful condition. These issues could very well be increasing your risk of chronic pain. A physiotherapist won’t just mask your pain the way prescription medication will. Common factors of underlying conditions include scar tissue, range of motion limitations, shortened muscles, impaired body mechanics and ergonomics, problems moving certain muscles, and improper posture. If these kinds of issues go untreated, best-case scenario, your pain relief will be short-term. Through patient education services, exercise programs, and other treatment techniques, your physiotherapist can address the symptoms and causes of your condition, and get you back on track to leading a healthy, active lifestyle. 3. Avoiding risky pain relief measures, such as opioids. Did you know that the CDC actually recommends utilizing the benefits of physiotherapy before even trying opioids for acute and chronic pain management? It’s a no-brainer! The current opioid abuse epidemic in our country suggests that these potentially harmful drugs are frequently overprescribed. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, “Recent estimates indicate that 9.6% of Canadian adults who used opioid medications in 2018 reported some form of problematic use (e.g., taking in amounts greater than prescribed, tampering with the product before taking it or using to get high or improve mood).” Treatment modalities used in physiotherapy are also “evidence-based,” meaning they are tested in scientific research studies in order to ensure that they are effective and safe. Again, this just goes to show that there is little to no risk to start your physiotherapy treatment. 4. Avoiding harmful side effects. Physiotherapy techniques require less downtime, can be changed, and are safe for use on people of all ages. As opposed to solutions like medications and invasive procedures, physiotherapy services have a very low risk of side effects while remaining highly effective for reducing soreness, inflammation, pain, and swelling. Physiotherapy is also helpful with recovery in regards to injury, illness, and disease. Why opt for negative side effects of over-the-counter medications and opioid prescriptions when something much safer is available to you? 5. Receiving an individualized treatment plan, just for you. Choosing the physiotherapy route means your plan of care and recovery will be completely customized to fit your needs. The main objectives of any physiotherapy care plan are to address a patient’s physical goals, pinpoint and treat the pain source, optimize the patient’s ability to function independently, and set him or her up for long-term success. These outcomes can be achieved through the following kinds of physiotherapy techniques: Manual therapy, such as joint mobilizations and massage therapy Therapeutic exercises Dry-needling, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, diathermy, orthotics and prosthetics, and kinesio taping Neuromuscular re-education, for example, balance training Your physiotherapist will conduct a thorough checkup and look at your medical history. Then you’ll receive an individualized treatment plan, and the healing can begin! Your plan is adapted to address your specific needs and ideal lifestyle. The success of the plan relies on your feedback throughout the treatment process, which gives you more control in your recovery. Make your move toward a more comfortable life today! Discover the holistic methods of physiotherapy today! Are you ready to find some long-lasting relief and stop settling for constant discomfort and pain? Contact Creekwood Physiotherapy today to schedule an appointment with a physiotherapist. You don’t have to keep dealing with your pain alone, and there are so many more options for pain management out there! Table of Contents
Managing Life Around Stress-Related Headaches? We Can Help
Managing Life Around Stress-Related Headaches? We Can Help Home Blog Are You Living Life Around Stress-Related Headaches? We Can Help Stop Letting Your Headaches Control Your Life! Find Relief with Physiotherapy Are you planning your daily life around persistent tension or stress headaches? If so, you don’t have to live that way any longer. Tension headaches involve the sensation of a “band of pressure” around your head, as well as tenderness and achy feelings. Stress headaches come from muscle tension and emotional stress. Stress headaches are no joke, and sometimes, a pill just doesn’t cut it when it comes to getting rid of one. The reasoning behind headaches has left many medical professionals baffled as well, however, according to Physiopedia, “researchers think that tension-type headaches occur due to an interaction of different factors that involve pain sensitivity and perception.” Luckily, physiotherapy can provide relaxation and posture correction to alleviate symptoms associated with these kinds of headaches. Receiving therapy will not only give you relief from your current pain but also decrease the number of stress headaches you may experience in the future. Headaches and posture Did you know that the ways we stand and sit can influence how much pressure we’re putting on our muscles? It’s true. Poor posture can compress muscles and nerves in the shoulder, chest, and neck areas. These are the areas that trigger painful tension headaches, so it’s important to make sure you’re checking your posture often and sitting up straight if you’re at a desk! Your physiotherapist will demonstrate to you the proper ways to move, stand, and sit. They will also be able to evaluate your posture and show you how you can improve it to place less stress on your overworked muscles. There are many modifications a physiotherapist might suggest for you to carry out at home or in your workstation. Raising your computer monitor, getting a special computer chair with lumbar support, or even purchasing a rubber mat to stand on while doing dishes in your kitchen are all simple suggestions a physiotherapist could make. All of these changes can have a positive effect on your posture. Headaches and flexibility The less pressure you put on the major muscle groups in your neck and shoulders during the day, the more you’ll be able to move those areas. This can also alleviate some of your stress headaches and make them easier to deal with. Your physiotherapist can show you moves that will stretch your neck as well as loosen up your chest and shoulder muscle groups. Doing these stretches regularly helps limber you up overall and keeps your muscles from getting too tight. Pain relief through manual therapy Not all prevention techniques have to be done in your physiotherapist’s office, but your physiotherapist will know how to give a more targeted approach to your stress-related headache pain. Switching between hot and cold compresses is a very simple but effective strategy. These kinds of compresses can be used along with gentle electronic pulse wands to soothe muscles and ease the strain. Manual therapy can also include targeted massage to treat your headaches. Soft tissue mobilization helps to relax tense muscles, and massage can provide immediate relief. Relaxing the muscles in and around the head can prevent the chain of events that result in painful contractions. Patients with chronic tension headaches report a dramatic decrease in overall pain after receiving manual therapy. They also experience headaches less frequently. As an added bonus, people who get regular therapeutic massages report getting a better night’s sleep, which leads to less stress during the day. Physiotherapy massage also helps ease the emotional stress that causes you to tense those muscles. Who doesn’t like getting a massage? Strength training for the upper body When it comes to keeping you supported throughout the day, your back, neck, and shoulders do a lot of the “heavy lifting.” These muscles will get overworked if they’re not strong enough. Physiotherapy treatment for the neck and upper back muscles involves resistance training to build up the muscles. For many patients, having strong upper body muscles means fewer (and less intense) stress headaches. Exercises to prevent these headaches might start with chin-to-chest nods to build up strength in your neck. Resistance bands and free weights may also be involved to build up your shoulder and back muscles. Your physiotherapist will be able to do a full assessment of your abilities to find out which method works best for you. Discover effective pain relief for stress-related headaches Ready to make your chronic headache days a thing of the past? We’ve got you covered. We all think we know exactly how to relax…until it comes to our health depending on it. Then we might need some help! So if you’re suffering from constant stress-related headaches and want to learn more about relieving the frequency and severity of your own, contact Creekwood Physiotherapy to learn more. We can set up an evaluation for you to see one of our licensed physiotherapists, and figure out a course of treatment to help you relax your muscles, sleep better, and get back to enjoying life without pain. Table of Contents
Have You Head of Pre-Hab? Chances Are, You Could Benefit!
Have You Head of Pre-Hab? Chances Are, You Could Benefit! Home Blog Everything You Need to Know About Pre-Hab It’s no secret that undergoing physiotherapy after an injury or surgery will help you heal faster. But what if there was a way to avoid injury and prevent surgical intervention in the first place? Pre-hab or preventive rehabilitation allows patients to heal better following surgery, speed up the healing process and, in many cases, avoid injury in the first place. Contact our office today to meet with a physiotherapist. He or she will decide if pre-hab is right for you. Pre-hab, explained The term pre-hab is short for preventative rehabilitation. A physiotherapist typically uses pre-hab in two ways. First, they can teach targeted exercises and stretches to patients who are at risk for serious injuries. Second, pre-hab is a form of physiotherapy used prior to surgery to speed healing and recovery. Pre-surgical rehabilitation resides under the category of preventative care known as “pre-hab.” The purpose of pre-hab is to get the body as ready as possible for a challenging situation. If you choose to participate in this practice, you won’t be alone. A study done by the APTA shows that out of the 5,852 patients who received rehab, 52% of them did rehab before their surgery. During this process, the patient will work directly with the physiotherapist to improve the strength, durability, movement, and overall functionality in the areas and areas around where the surgery will take place. The process of pre-hab can vary based on which practice you go to, but for the most part, the goals remain the same. These include: Improving the overall health of your body to reduce the risk of complications during surgery Teaching you about the surgery and the path to recovery Preparing you mentally for the surgery Pre-hab for injury prevention Pre-hab is one of the best ways to avoid injuries in patients at risk of developing serious movement disorders. Many people with physically challenging jobs can find that exercises, stretching, and pain-relieving techniques learned in physiotherapy can help them succeed in their work. This is particularly true in occupations where there are high incidences of particular injuries. This form of physiotherapy usually addresses places where the injury is most likely to happen. For example, military members are more likely to develop foot, knee, hip, and back problems due to the rigors of training and fighting. Pre-hab will alleviate many of these injuries by teaching correct lifting techniques, proper posture, and successful core strengthening exercises that keep service members strong and healthy. The same can be said for construction workers, firefighters, factory workers, or other extremely physical workers. Additionally, both pro and amateur athletes find that working with a physiotherapist pays off well, far before an injury occurs. Focusing on areas that are stressed by day-to-day activity and poor habits, a physiotherapist looks at the most injury-prone areas and helps you fix any issues before you get injured. Even if you look at a screen most of the day, pre-hab can help! Working with a physiotherapist will help to reinforce your core strength and correct your posture, keeping you balanced, healthy, and strong. Physiotherapy is also one of the best ways to start an exercise routine. Based on strength, agility, and balance, pre-hab will help you prevent injuries while you begin the process of getting in shape. Pre-hab for surgical recovery When it comes to going under the knife, a lot of people are afraid of what happens after the stitches have been sewn. This is particularly true of someone who has had a total joint replacement. Faced with the prospect of time in a rehabilitation facility, many people choose to delay joint replacement surgery for fear of a lengthy, painful recovery. Physiotherapy prior to surgery can reduce the chances of needing inpatient rehab by 73%. Patients who are healthier before surgery often reach physical thresholds faster than patients who are not. Within 24 hours of surgery, anyone with a complete replacement of the knee is expected to walk 500 to 1000 feet with the help of a walker. Those who consult with a physiotherapist before surgery are more likely to fulfill this criterion. These patients are typically stronger and have better blood circulation. Physiotherapy will also teach you many of the movements, stretches, pain-relieving techniques, and strengthening exercises they will need in their rehabilitation. Ready to begin treatments? Physiotherapy is the best place to start if you are considering surgery or if you need to fine-tune your daily life. Contact Creekwood Physiotherapy today to schedule a consultation and find out how our pre-hab services can benefit you! Table of Contents
