Sciatic is the term for pain that travels down the sciatic nerve. It can cause a sharp pain and numbness, that can start in the low back of buttocks and radiate down the back of the thigh into the lower leg or foot. Twisting, bending and even coughing can worsen the pain. It often only affects one side of the body, and the pain in the leg can feel worse than the pain in the back. Sciatica is specific to pain that is a direct result of something happening to the sciatic nerve.
Read MoreFrozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is characterized by stiffness in the shoulder joint and severe pain, which typically gets worse at night. Frozen shoulder can be classified as primary and secondary, with primary frozen shoulder often being associated with other diseases or illnesses, and secondary frozen shoulder occurring after shoulder injuries or surgery where the shoulder has needed to be immobilized for an extended period of time.
Read MoreAchilles tendinopathy is a condition of the Achilles tendon, that can cause pain, swilling and stiffness. The Achilles tendon is the band of tissue that joins the heel bone to the calf muscles. Achilles tendinopathy occurs when there are repeated small injuries to the Achilles tendon. The tendon is not able to completely heal after the small injuries, and that leads to damage building up. Once the damage has built up within the Achilles, that is when Achilles tendinopathy can occur.
Read MoreWhiplash describes a range of head and neck injuries that occur due to energy transfer in the neck from and acceleration-deceleration motion. The most common accident we attribute to whiplash is car accidents and rear end collisions, while it can also be caused by and forceful hit to the head or body.
Read MoreFingers have many joints that need to work seamlessly together to allow us to do important yet simple tasks like writing with a pen or typing on a keyboard. We use our fingers to perform many day-to-day tasks, so it is important to ensure our fingers are in good health. The constant use of our fingers, in particular repetitive motions, can create weakness and stiffness and sometimes pain.
Read MoreSleep is something everybody needs but can often cause a lot of stress when we find ourselves failing to fall asleep or wake up feeling poorly rested. This year has thrown routines off, caused us to face a reality we never expected and increased levels of anxiety, all of which has disrupted many peoples sleep.
Read MorePhysiotherapists can help anyone, from serious athletes, weekend hikers, to people working office jobs where they are stationary for the majority of the day. If you’ve had an injury or continue to experience pain, physiotherapy can be a great treatment option. On the flip side, physiotherapy can also help to prevent injuries by giving you the tools you need to build strength in your body and learn more about how your own body works.
Read MoreStretching can help to increase blood flow to muscles, help with flexibility and mobility, and helps decrease stress. Another thing stretching can do? Help alleviate period cramps and pain. According to an article posted on DoYouYoga “Over 80% of women suffer from period-related pain at some point in their lives”. Finding ways to manage and decrease period related pain is important to ensure that a period is the least disruptive as possible to our daily routines.
Read MoreWhen we exercise and stretch, we tend to focus on the large muscles in our bodies, like our abs, hamstrings and biceps. An increasingly used muscle group that we often forget to stretch and provide relief to are the muscles of the eyes. Our eye muscles can be stretched to relieve pain and promote blood circulation and recovery.
Read MoreThe “Yoga Glow” is a term that the wellness-world and beauty industry use to reflect the complexion of somebody who has just come out of a yoga class. Turns out, stretching may actually impact your skin! The skin is the largest organ on the body. It is comprised of living tissue, and it needs to stay elastic, active and nourished to be healthy, and give off that glow.
Read MoreOften, one of the hardest things to do in the morning, is to simply get out of bed. This problem is exacerbated if we have stiff muscles and joints. An article posted on Harvard Health, details how we can warm up our bodies before even getting out of bed.
Read MoreThe cool down occurs at that end of exercise. Often in exercise classes the cool down will be incorporated into the class, but when we work out on our own, we are responsible for incorporating our own cool down. Because it happens at the end, sometimes we may be in a rush and inclined to skip the cool down, or so tired we just want to lie down and not get up for a while. However, the cool down is a really important part of our workout, and something that we should try not to skip.
Read MoreAn article posted to Harvard Health entitled The Importance of Stretching spoke to a physical therapist to illustrate why incorporating stretching into our lives is beneficial. David Nolan, a physical therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says that “A lot of people don’t understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be daily”.
Read MoreMaintaining flexibility is important because it helps ensure that we are moving our bodies easily and safely. Our flexibility decreases as we age because our muscles get stiffer, and if they don’t get stretched out our muscles can actually become shorter. A shortened muscle then puts us at risk of muscle damage, joint pain and muscle strains.
Read MoreA lot of novice hikers get lured outdoors to experience the beauty of the great outdoors in the fall. Hiking is a low impact form of exercise and can be enjoyed all year round. Most people do not think of stretching before or after a hike. Many people forget the importance of stretching, when it comes to hiking. We often find ourselves so eager to get outdoors that we spring into hiking without properly preparing our bodies. Before long, we find ourselves hiking longer than anticipated and returning with a few aches and pains. Stretching before and after a hike can lessen the amount of soreness you experience after a hike. Stretching also gives you a greater range of motion and flexibility during your hike.
Read MoreStretching helps to reduce risk of joint pain, injuries, and muscle damage. Keeping flexibility in the joints and muscles is important for mobility and reducing pain. The areas often targeted are back, shoulders and neck. An area that is equally as important but often forgotten is the inner thighs.
Read MoreOften when starting a stretch routine, it is common to not know how long to hold each stretch, how many times each stretch should be done, or how many times a week we should stretch. In an article called The Ideal Stretching Routine posted on the Harvard Health blog, a panel of experts from the American College of Sports Medicine came together to help answer these questions.
Read MoreA bunion is a bump formed on the side of the big toe and it is a deformity of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint at the base of the big toe. It is a common foot ailment and usually progressively gets worse over time.
Read MoreCalf soreness is a common issue. Many of us will have felt the tight soreness in our calves when we have taken a step, after hard workouts or when we have started moving again after a period of inactivity. Calf tightness can lead to issue throughout the body like shin splints and unbalanced rotations of the feet and ankles.
Read MoreStretching can provide many benefits for the body, that go beyond just increasing flexibility. Shape.com released an article highlighting several reasons why we should stretch.
Read More
