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The following is a list of common conditions treated at Queen West Physiotherapy & Acupuncture. This list is not exhaustive as there are many conditions that we can help improve, including headaches, jaw pain, and tennis elbow. If there is a condition which you want to know a little more about, please call us and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that usually occurs in a motor vehicle accident. It affects the soft tissue (neck muscles) but can also involve the spinal joints and ligaments, the jaw joints, and the upper, mid and low back. Other associated symptoms can include headaches, dizziness and anxiety.
Physiotherapy treatment should emphasize early return to usual activity and promotion of body movement. The most important principle is to prevent the condition from becoming chronic. Queen West Physiotherapy & Acupuncture offers a Specialized Treatment Program for whiplash. This includes a variety of physiotherapy treatments, acupuncture, massage therapy, exercise instruction and education. If you are hurt in a car accident and you have some questions, please contact us or your family physician.
We treat all types of sports injuries, ranging from ACL tears in the knee to simple sprains of the ankle or joint separations of the shoulder. Whether you have an ongoing problem from an old injury or you have just hurt yourself, we can help. Our experienced staff will accurately assess your problem and provide you with the rehabilitation that you need in order to return to your sport as soon as possible. Early recovery and active rehabilitation are important goals in the treatment of sports injuries; our clinic is equipped with a large gym and the appropriate tools to help you achieve these goals.
Please keep the following prevention tips in mind as they will help you reduce your injury risk:
- Participate in a conditioning program to build muscle strength
- Do stretching exercises daily
- Always wear properly fitting shoes
- Nourish your muscles by eating a well-balanced diet
- Warm up before any sports activity, including practice
- Use or wear protective equipment appropriate for that sport
Whether your sport is soccer, hockey, basketball or golf, after you have properly healed, we ensure that you receive the appropriate exercises and drills to prevent a re-occurrence and enhance your performance so that you can return to your sport in top notch shape.
If surgery is recommended (ie. Shoulder repair, back surgery) it is often advisable to strengthen the muscles around the joint before the date of surgery. This will speed up the recovery time after surgery.
In addition, physiotherapy treatments are often provided after the surgery in order to help decrease stiffness and pain and assist in returning the individual to complete independence and a more active lifestyle. Acupuncture is also of great benefit in many of these situations, to help control pain post-surgery.
At Queen West Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, our therapists work with many Orthopaedic Surgeons in the Brampton or the Greater Toronto Area.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
These injuries often result when stress is placed on a joint due to the same action being performed over and over. The two most common types of repetitive stress injuries are Tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon) and Bursitis (inflammation of a structure called the bursa which is a sac-like structure within a joint).
Repetitive Stress Injuries generally occur in those over the age of 30. The incidence of this type of injury is becoming more widespread as many jobs now require people to make repetitive actions such as typing, or clicking a computer mouse. It can also occur frequently in sports; some examples include Achilles Tendinitis in basketball or Tennis Elbow in tennis.
Osteoarthritis is often called a degenerative joint disease which makes many people uncomfortable. It should be thought of more as a condition rather than as a disease as it occurs in the normal population as they age. Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, causing pain and joint inflammation. Most commonly affecting those who are middle-aged or older, it can range from very mild to severe. It generally affects the hands and the weight bearing joints such as the knees, hips, feet and the back.
Treatment can involve an exercise program to keep the joints flexible and to improve muscle strength, heat and cold therapy, education regarding joint protection and a variety of other treatments including acupuncture and orthotics. For more information, please contact The Arthritis Society.
Neck pain can often be associated with neck stiffness, pins and needles in the arm, shoulder stiffness and related pain in the shoulder blade, head, arm, wrist and hand. It can be caused by a sprained ligament, pressure on a disk or a muscle strain. It often results from awkward positioning, lifting or stress related incidents in one’s life.
Treatment can involve education regarding stress reduction, massage, acupuncture, alteration of posture and work space and a variety of physiotherapy techniques and modalities (ranging from hands-on treatment to ultrasound, traction, TENS and laser).
Back pain can result from a variety of causes varying from a structural fault of the spine to pressure on a spinal disk to a simple strain of the back muscles. A back problem, in turn can cause sciatica in which nerve pressure is experienced as pain in the leg.
The important thing to realize is that back pain can most often be prevented by keeping the back muscles flexible and strong and by being careful not to bend forward either repetitively or while carrying heavy weight. Treatment can involve postural education, acupuncture, exercise instruction, joint mobilization (hands-on treatment by a physiotherapist), and a variety of other techniques and modalities.
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that lift the shoulder up above the head and rotate it toward and away from the body. These muscles can be affected in a variety of ways such as tendonitis, a tear, impingement of the tendon or even irritation due to instability of the humerus (arm bone) in the socket.
Treatment for these conditions can involve strengthening, stopping the aggravating action, taping techniques, acupuncture, hands-on methods by a physiotherapist, and many other modalities.
As there are many structures that can be affected in a knee, knee pain can result from a variety of causes. Some examples of knee conditions that require treatment are: a dislocated knee cap, quadriceps tendonitis, prepatellar bursitis, iliotibial band syndrome, ligament and cartilage injuries, Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease and osteoarthritis. Please call Queen West Physiotherapy & Acupuncture if you have any questions about these conditions.
Often, people complain of “clicking” or “grinding” and sometimes that the knee “catches” or wants to “give way”. Causes can include pronated (flat) feet, overuse or weak inner thigh muscles. Often, a muscle strengthening program is very helpful helpful as well as taping, orthotics, and a wide array of physiotherapy techniques.
Work Injuries can often cause severe and debilitating symptoms such as pain, numbness and tingling. These often lead to reduced worker productivity, lost time from work, and temporary or permanent disability. Common causes include poor ergonomics (job set up), repetitive, forceful, or prolonged movements or heavy lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying of heavy objects.
Others include prolonged faulty postures and exposure to vibration or an unsafe work environment. Physiotherapy addresses injury prevention strategies and goal setting in order to return to work within a reasonable time frame. If you are hurt a work, please take the appropriate steps in order to start physiotherapy as soon as possible.
Most people will not feel like exercising when their joints are painful, inflamed or stiff. However, a regular exercise program can help reduce stiffness and pain, increase flexibility, improve endurance, develop muscle strength, improve sleep and keep bone and cartilage healthy.
A physiotherapist can help tailor an exercise program to fit one’s needs. This would likely include three components: Range of Motion exercises, Strengthening exercises and Aerobic Exercises. Call us to book your appointment today.
Over time, the stress of poor posture and unbalanced motion results in muscle imbalance and joint wear. This begins a vicious cycle of more unbalanced motion and further joint breakdown.
Chronic poor posture results in constant muscle and joint stress. In physiotherapy, one is taught to stretch the overused muscles and to strengthen the neglected, weak muscles. Over time, new muscle patterns will eliminate pain and provide lubricated and strong joints. If you have poor posture, tight muscles and associated aches and pain, see your physiotherapist.
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whiplash |
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sports injuries |
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post-surgical conditions |
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repetitive stress injuries |
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osteoarthritis |
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neck & back pain |
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rotator cuff injuries |
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knee pain |
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work injuries |
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joint stiffness & poor posture |
