We live in a society where computers and offices (both at work and at home) are commonly present. These elements are crucial in our lives, as they often make things very efficient for us. We heavily rely on computers and offices to get our tasks completed. Not many disadvantages, right?…

The irony of this of course, is despite computers making our lives easier, they have also made us dependent on them for long periods of time. With that in mind, postural and/or repetitive strain injuries are increasingly being reported and are things we see in the clinic every single day.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the onset of postural and repetitive strain injuries, including:

• Posture –
  • Posture is the most critical component. Slouching at the keyboard puts your spine and limbs in positions that contribute to increased strain and tension, as well as increasing the risk of eye strain
• Office set-up –
  • A poorly designed workstation, or one that does not fit you well, can contribute to the onset of RSI (e.g. reaching for the mouse or keyboard too high or low, wrists extended during keyboarding);
• Worker technique –
  • Pounding the keyboard, using your wrists to move the mouse, or gripping the mouse tightly increases the demands on the hand and wrist and can trigger or aggravate symptoms of RSI
• Work Habits –
  • Sitting for extended periods of time without changing position is hard on your whole body and is a factor in developing RSI.

(Source Material: Canadian Physiotherapy Association):

If you are feeling those aches and pains at the end of a workday, you may strongly benefit from a consultation with our Physiotherapy team. We would be happy to talk about ways we can alleviate your current aches, and more importantly, prevent additional injuries in the future!

Thanks!
The Physiotherapy Department

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Low back pain is one of the most chronic sources of pain amongst Canadians.
All back pain is not necessarily created equally, and from person to person the pain intensity will vary. What is constant though is that the pain can linger for a while without being treated effective by a good physiotherapy team.

Here are just some of the things that your Physiotherapist can do for you:

• Pain relief techniques – Electrical modalities, Thermal modalities, Acupuncture
• Exercise techniques – Teach you safe and effective stretches and strengthen exercises
• Mobilize/Traction your back for pain relief
• Massage techniques and soft tissue mobilization to relax the muscles
• Teach you good posture, lifting and preventative techniques

Let’s be honest, it may not take only one session to fix everything and make it all go away.
But you have to think about it, low back develops over MANY YEARS, so you can imagine how much of a challenge is to rehabilitate. Having said that, there is hope and relief on the way!

You have nothing to lose if it means protecting your back from chronic pain!
If you have any questions, please let us know!

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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One of the most common issues with the elbow is due to a condition called ‘tennis elbow’.

What is misleading about the term ‘tennis elbow’ is that, often the reason for the pain is not due to tennis or the elbow at all!

The usual pain associated with tennis elbow ranges from an ache to a sharp pain, and primarily is located on the outside of the upper forearm.  Believe it or not, but the reason for this pain can likely be blamed on your wrist!  Very often, individuals with careers or hobbies that involve a lot of wrist usage (painting, using a screw driver, people on the computer often, etc.) suffer from tennis elbow pain.  To be more specific, repetitive activities that involve the wrist going backwards are to be blamed for the pain.

Though different people may have different grades of tennis elbow, it is very common amongst most sufferers to have soreness in the elbow/forearm, difficulty lifting objects, and shooting pain in the forearm.  These issues can really hinder your daily activities!

The team at PHYSIOMED Don Mills have successfully treated many individuals with tennis elbow, and we hope we can do the same for you!

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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Shockwave therapy is a cutting edge treatment used at only a select few clinics in the GTA.  Extensive research has been done to show how well this therapy can work.

Dr. Robert Gordon, a Toronto area Orthopaedic Surgeon, has researched and fully supports the use of shockwave therapy for a wide variety of chronic injuries.  Dr. Gordon has even trained the staff of Don Mills Health Care to utilize this ground breaking treatment.

Besides the overall benefit of getting rid of your lingering injury, check out some of Shockwave’s other advantages.

5 Benefits of Shockwave therapy:

●      Non surgical treatment

●      No side effects

●      Accelerates the healing process

●      Shown to have proven results

●      Coverage available from most insurance companies for Shockwave treatment

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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Graston Technique (GT) is a treatment method used to correct muscle, ligament and tendonous injuries. It involves using instruments that can both detect and treat soft tissue problems! It goes beyond the conventional approaches that you may have seen before in physiotherapy.

The Graston Technique treatment has shown great results on various issues such as tendinitis, muscles spasms, sprains/strains, plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other soft tissue related injuries.

Some quick notes:
● Detection: Just like how a stethoscope detects and amplifies sound, Graston instruments use the same principle to detect soft tissue issues
● Treatment: The instruments are shaped so that they can break down scar tissue around your injured areas
● Time: Each session takes about 5-10 minutes using the GT instruments, and another 15 minutes or so to stretch and strengthen areas

For more information about your injuries and how Graston Technique can help you, come on in and talk to our Physiotherapist!

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As clinicians, it is our responsibility to investigate the different products out there on the market before recommending it for our patients or using it in the clinic.

The fact is, a vast amount of exercise equipment exists out there to help strengthen the core.  But unlike humans, exercise equipment is not created equally!

Though we had all the options in the world to choose from, we have brought in one of the most researched and effective pieces of equipment on the market – the MedX Core Strengthening equipment.

What makes this equipment so effective is the way it targets your true core muscles without letting your other body parts cheat for you!  In technical terms, this is called muscle isolation, and it makes a significant difference when training your core muscles.

Based on the research that we’ve seen, and the positive comments made by our current patients, we fully support the MedX Core equipment and know it can make a great difference to help strengthen up your core.

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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The benefits of exercise while rehabilitating from an injury or condition are numerous!

If you choose to work on cardiovascular or aerobic training, you can make gains in the areas of weight loss, blood pressure control and circulation.  Resistive training, on the other hand, can allow you to strengthen and tone your muscles.

Regardless of the training type, here are some tips to help you can use to ensure your exercise program is a successful one.

Tips:

●      Stay hydrated and take breaks during exercise sessions

●      Try exercising at different points in the day (morning, afternoon, evening)

●      Don’t exercise beyond the point of pain (don’t over-do it!)

●      Create a goal and work towards it!

●      Exercising is as much mental as it is physical…it’s a balancing act, so try to master both!

It’s easy to fall off track with an exercise program while rehabbing, because after all you’re human.  But try to follow the above steps and talk to your Physiotherapist about other things that will work for you!

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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Here is a quick look at what Physiotherapy can do for you:

• Maintain good blood glucose control
• Help achieve optimal body weight
• Pain relief
• Improve diabetic feet
• Prevention of further issues

Your Physiotherapist is very well trained with working with individuals with diabetes. Come on in and see what they can do for you. After all, you want to be proactive! Let’s not only address the current issues, but also prevent the future issues.

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The Physiotherapy Department

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Why is this the case?

There could be multiple causes but two common reason are:

• A build up of scar tissue
• Not enough blood flow to the area

That scar tissue needs to be treated so that your muscles and ligaments can heal normally. That is where the Graston instruments come in. They focus in on the scar tissue and break it up.

This treatment will then stimulate your body to send blood flow to the area. This is good because your blood will carry oxygen and the materials needed to remove the scar tissue.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to come in and talk to us. We’d be happy to talk to you about the Graston treatment and all the other options available!

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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What we mean by chronic are the aches and pains that have been bugging you for anywhere between a few months to many years.

Check out some of some of the conditions that Shockwave Therapy can treat!

Top 10 conditions that can be treated by Shockwave Therapy:

1. Plantar Fasciitis

2. Achilles Tendonopathy

3. Tennis Elbow

4. Jumpers Knee (Patellar tendinitis)

5. Stress Fractures

6. Calcific Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

7. Bursitis

8. Trigger Point Therapy

9. Non Healing Ulcers

10. Hallux Rigidus (Big Toe Stiffness)

If you have any of the above, come on in for a consultation. You don’t have to live with the pain forever!

Thanks!

The Physiotherapy Department

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