Conditions

Physiotherapists are trained in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of conditions, and this list is by no means complete. If you have questions about your current condition that are not answered by the information on this page, please contact us to find out if physiotherapy may be right for you.

Acute Injury

An acute injury is usually due to a traumatic event, where it is very clear that tissue damage has occurred. If the injury is bad enough, ensure that you seek proper medical care (emergency room, or call an ambulance to get you there) before seeking help from a physiotherapist. Once we are focusing on our recovery, it can be helpful in the first few days to follow the BE CALM protocol.

According to the new research, we are overusing ice! The BE CALM Protocol provides a research based update to how we use ice after an acute injury.

We once followed the PRICE protocol after acute injury.

• Protect
• Rest
• Ice
• Compress
• Elevate

BE CALM, encourages us to:

• Breathe

• Evaluate

• Compress (Unless you suspect a fracture, the “C” is for crutches)
• Able Actions
• Elevation
• Minimal Ice

Chronic Pain / Persistent Pain

Chronic pain usually has an initial injury associated with it, but by the time it has become chronic, the tissue is usually healed. Once the tissue is healed, the pain exists because the nervous system continues to send danger signals reminding us to protect the previously injured area of the body. Because the current research is showing that pain becomes chronic because of an overactive nervous system, we are finding new and creative ways to assess and treat chronic pain. Pain is usually considered chronic or persistent when it has been bothersome for more that 3 months.

To get the full picture and to find out where your pain is coming from, the involvement of an overactive nervous system can be assessed with specific intake forms that we will have you fill out at the first appointment. The forms have also been used in the past to effectively assess whether or not an individual is at risk of having their acute condition, become chronic pain at a later date. Because of this, almost all the clients that come in to our clinic are screened with these questionnaires. Watch the video below for an introduction to understanding why we feel pain:

Arthritis

Arthritis is a comon condition that refers to the wear and tear that happens to our joints. This is a normal progression as we get older. It is important to know that arthritic changes in a joint do not always cause pain. This is exciting news, because, although we cannot change the arthritis, we can do many things to manage the pain and improve our function. Gentle low-impact exercise and a self-managed home program specific to your arthritis can make a huge difference, and help you to go from “just getting by” to “thriving!”

Cancer

Common side effects of all cancer types include: fatigue, weakness, decreased mobility. A physiotherapist can help with return to activity during and after cancer treatments with exercise and lifestyle changes. Physiotherapists are experts at exercise progression, making sure that the exercises introduced are appropriate for your current stage of recovery. After a thorough assessment, any physical limitations are targeted with specific exercises, and we also complete a thorough assessment for pain management.

Post-Surgical

If you’ve had a Hip Replacement or Knee Replacement you may benefit from seeing a physiotherapist before and after your surgery. Joint replacement surgeries are the most common surgeries that I will see clients before and after for physiotherapy, but, clients may benefit from a physiotherapists help with their recovery after a wide variety of surgeries. Depending on the area of the body where the surgery was performed, and the amount of scar tissue remaining from the surgery, you may be left with pain and decreased mobility for months afterwards. To take control of your recovery and speed up the healing process, see a physiotherapist. We coordinate your treatment plan with your surgeon to make sure you’re recovery is on track.

Post-Fracture

It’s never too early for physiotherapy after you have sustained a fracture. I prefer to assess individuals before the cast comes off to assess the joints above and below the fracture, as well as provide education and guidance in a self-managed home program. The types of things we go over are how to elevate the limb properly, and how and when to introduce exercises by paying close attention to the location of the fracture and what movements are restorative for your specific case.

Sprains

The most common sprain that happens is an ankle sprain, but any joint in the body can sustain an injury in the same way. A sprain occurs when a ligament stretches too far. A ligament is a form of soft tissue that connects bone to bone. The rigid structure of ligaments gives our joints added stability. Depending on how far the ligaments become stretched, the joint affected may require strengthening exercises to compensate for the laxity in the joint. If the ligament becomes stretched so far that it tears, surgery may be indicated to help support the joint, although this may not always be the case. A full assessment by a physiotherapist can help determine the severity of a joint sprain.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is defined as pain and inflammation of a tendon. Tendons are what attach muscles to bone and are made of soft tissue similar to ligaments. This condition can happen to any muscle in the body, and is often caused by overuse. Common names that are used to describe a tendonitis in a particular part of the body are: Tennis elbow, Golfer’s, and Jumper’s knee. The rotator cuff in the shoulder is also prone to tendonitis. As with ligament sprains, the severity of tendonitis can be determited by a physiotherapist after completing a full assessment.