Category Archives: Posture

Common Misconceptions of Yoga

It’s the beginning of another year and many people are getting back into workout routines and making goals for 2017.

It can be intimidating to

begin or resume an activity.

Our Physiotherapists often have people ask us about what is the “best” activity for them. Whether it be after a having a car accident, a back injury, or simply to get moving, Yoga can be a great option.

There are several misconceptions when it comes to beginning Yoga:

You need to be flexible to start yoga.

This is a common misconception. It’s easy to believe this when photos, websites and social media depicting yoga often show a person in a complicated and challenging pose. There are steps and progressions for challenging poses. Every body is different. Finding an instructor that can show you the best way to use available props and modify movements to best suit your body and situation is ideal. To start in small yoga classes and even in private yoga instruction even with the intention to progress to a home based or studio practice is ideal.

Use the straps and blocks to assist in your poses and movements to ensure optimal alignment and prevent injury. As a Physiotherapist, it is more important to be able to control your movement rather than over stretch.

Oakville Yoga Therapy, massage, chiropodist, physio

Yoga is for “hippies”

Yoga is for everyone. Seriously. It depends on what brings you to yoga, and what type of  yoga you are practicing? Certainly there is a mind-body component of yoga. There is nothing wrong with practicing yoga simply for the physical aspect, although many people feel a pull for something more.

Yoga is only for Women.

Yoga is not a feminine or masculine activity. It is an activity. Both men and women are welcome at studios. It really is about the individuals own practice and goals. There are some studios that have men’s yoga classes for a less intimidating environment.

This misconception can stem from the thought that you need to be flexible to do yoga. If this is an intimidating premise, start with one-on-one yoga or a men’s class.

Stones and flowers showing North Oakville Yoga and Physio clinic
Yoga is only for relaxation.

Certainly there are relaxing components of yoga, but this is dependent on the class or variety of yoga you are practicing. Is there a focus on slow and sustained movements or is it a faster flow. Try an Ashtanga class and you will realize that is is not a relaxation class.

Yoga can help a person develop range of motion, mobility, flexibility, balance and strength. This can be accomplished through body weight movements, sustained postures and repetition.

If relaxation is what you seek, yin classes, restorative classes, classes with longer shavasana, yoga nidhra classes or even guided relaxation may be the way to go. One-on-one sessions can help you accomplish these goals also.

Relax - words to show oakville massage and physio

You have to go to a studio to practice yoga.

Once comfortable and safe with the movements of yoga, a home practice is perfectly attainable. You can do occasional drop-ins or work one-on-one with an instructor.

Yoga is dangerous

Yoga is not dangerous. Like any new activity, people benefit from specific and individualized instruction from qualified teachers. People can get hurt from doing too much too quickly. Avoid trying to keep up or pushing beyond safe boundaries into pain.

There is no rush in progressing a practice. Ego is a dangerous thing. Yoga is safe. Know your body, be patient and be gentle. Approach the teacher an let them know you are new, or out of practice and they may keep a closer eye on you. I welcome gentle “adjustments” or corrections as feedback.

I can go on about yoga

misconceptions,

but you get the point.

Your experience with Yoga or any activity is what you make of it. Do the research and ensure you begin with a solid foundation. Invest in the foundation. Whether it be starting small group classes or one-on-one sessions that guide you into a home practice or a studio practice.

Ensure your teachers are the right ones for you.

Ask them about their philosophy regarding poses and props. Also what is their training? Traditionally a 200 hour yoga teachers training is industry standard to teach but “yoga teacher” is not a protected term like “Physiotherapist” or “Massage Therapist” or “Chiropodist” is. Ensure you teachers have at least that level of training, if not more, as well as a thirst for knowledge.

 

Feeling Dizzy? Ways Physiotherapists Treat Dizziness

We see many people at our North Oakville clinic who may be in for Physio, Massage, or Chiropody treatment for another issue who complain of dizziness or vertigo. These people may be getting up and down, onto or off of a treatment table, or simply bending over to tie their shoes, and complain of the room spinning. It then takes a few seconds to minutes to settle their symptoms.

Nearly a quarter of adults over the age of 65 report feelings of dizziness or vertigo, but a significantly smaller percentage actually receive treatment for it1. If you’ve ever experienced prolonged dizziness, you know what kind of impact it can have on your ability to do your job, enjoy your hobbies, or to simply complete the tasks necessary to maintain a life day-to-day. Some cases of dizziness or vertigo resolve spontaneously – that is, without treatment – and a person carries on as if nothing happened. Others require some form of intervention. At Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness, our Physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat several forms of dizziness and vertigo.

What Causes Dizziness?

Dizziness can result from any number of medical reasons including an infection, vascular issues, high or low blood pressure, medication side effects, and dehydration. Even though you do not require a Physician referral to attend Physiotherapy, it is a good idea to be screened by your Family Doctor if you are experiencing dizziness, just to rule out any big problems. Physiotherapists are better trained help with inner ear issues, whiplash injuries, and dizziness related to the neck.

How this all works:

The inner ear is a complex maze of fluid, tubes, and hair cells. They all work in concert to Oakville Physio cliniccommunicate to your brain where your head is in space. Close your eyes and tilt your from head to the side – you don’t need your eyes to tell you where your head is. If things worked that way, we’d have an awfully hard time getting around at night or when doing something that demands our visual attention. Under normal circumstances, this process runs quite smoothly. Sometimes, such as after an ear infection, a car accident, or for no reason at all, this system gets confused. Essentially, the signals being transmitted to the brain do not reflect the reality of the situation. As a result, your brain enters a cycle where it is compensating for what it thinks is a change in head position – except you haven’t moved. This mismatch of information can result in the feeling of spinning, or vertigo. If you have ever been car sick, this is usually the mechanism for it.

Bones of head and neck showing oakville vestibular rehab

Dizziness is a little more complicated. In our clinic, we treat primarily symptoms arising from the neck, usually as a result of car accidents or other trauma (although this can also arise for no obvious reason). Our nervous system works like a series of highways, with lanes constantly merging and exiting. Much like in traffic, a problem in one part of the system can impact other areas that do not appear to be directly connected. In our case, the first three bones in the neck share nerve pathways (highways) with many parts of the brain. This makes sense geographically as they are quite close. Stiffness or muscle tension/weakness in this area often can result in headaches, dizziness, or both, occasionally without symptoms of neck pain.

What we (Physiotherapists) do:

                During your assessment, your Physiotherapists will identify the source of the dizziness or vertigo. Treatment will usually fall into one or more of three categories

Balance Training

Because the body’s feedback mechanisms are thrown off, clients quite often need help with balance skills. If the brain is getting bad information, it is difficult to keep the body stable.

Balance on line showing how North Oakville massage can help

Manual therapy

If the inner ear is involved, we use special techniques to correct the flow of fluid through the ear. If it is the neck, we help to mobilise the joints of the upper neck and stretch and/or strengthen the muscles in the same area as needed.

Eye exercises

This is the weirdest one and the least intuitive. People experiencing dizziness or vertigo have been consistently shown in research to have worse eye reflexes than the average person2,3,4,5. They often struggle to track moving objects, focus on something coming towards them, or shift focus from one thing to another. Imagine not being able to wear your glasses or contacts for a day and you can get an idea of what this would feel like. We use specific exercise prescription to train the eyes to operate properly again. As the ability to focus and track objects improves, symptoms decrease. Much of the new research in this area is being done on people after experiencing a concussion, as the symptoms tend to be very similar.

What you can do

                If you or a loved one is experiencing dizziness or vertigo, do not simply write it off as a consequence of aging. Dizziness can be debilitating, but is very treatable. The longer you wait, the more difficult it gets to fix the problem. Have a discussion with your family doctor about treatment options, and consider an assessment by a Registered Physiotherapist.

Couple on bike showing seniors focused oakville Physio clinic

Glossary

Dizziness: A feeling of lightheadedness, faintness, or unsteadiness

Vertigo: A perception of movement or spinning, either of ones self or the environment around them

 

Tim Childs, PT

Registered Physiotherapist

MScPT, BA Kin

  1. Collerton J, Kingston A, Bond J, et al. The personal and health service impact of falls in 85 year olds: cross-sectional fi ndings from the Newcastle 85+ cohort study. PloS one.2012;7(3):e33078
  1. Gimse R, Tjell C, Bjorgen IA, Saunte C. Disturbed eye movements after whiplash due to injuries to the posture control system. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1996;18:178-186
  1. Heikkila H, Wenngren B. Cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility, active range of cervical motion, and oculomotor function in patients with whiplash injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1998;79:1089-1094.

               

Did you know Physio’s Treat TMJ Issues?

What is the Tempomandibular Joint (TMJ)?

The Tempomandibular joint (TMJ) is more commonly known as the jaw joint, and is located directly in front of the inner ear and below the temple. It is used many times throughout the day when we talk, yawn, eat, drink and chew, but only becomes noticeable when these activities become painful or difficult. If you place your fingers in front of your ear and slightly lower, then open and close your mouth, that is the TMJ you are feeling.

What Causes the the Jaw to become Painful?

TMJ dysfunction can stem from a number of different causes. The joint is complex, consisting of a fibrocartilage disc that sits between the joint surfaces. The joint is densely innervated with sensory nerves and therefore can be a pain sensitive structure if damaged or irritated. Most common causes include:

Derangement or displacement of the disc, muscle dysfunction and imbalance, bruxism

Oakville Physio showing how neck muscles and posture affect TMJ and jaw pain
Posture often Contributes to TMJ issues

(grinding of the teeth at night, leading to increased pressure and asymmetrical movement) or an occlusal problem with the teeth. TMJ dysfunction can stem from a history of motor vehicle accidents and associated whiplash and neck pain, a previous history of jaw or dental surgery, stress and anxiety causing tension and grinding of the teeth or poor cervical posture, putting the joint at a disadvantage biomechanically.

Other causes may include movement or dislocation of the disc between the joint or wear and tear related to arthritis. There are no comprehensive explanations that account for all of the causes of TMJ dysfunction. In many cases the onset of pain comes on slowly and without a direct or obvious injury. In these cases, symptoms likely arise from problems with the muscles of the jaw or with the joint itself.

What does TMJ dysfunction feel like?
  • Pain or tenderness in or around the ear when you eat, speak or yawn
  • Pain or tenderness in the face, around the jaw, neck or shoulders
  • “Locking” in the jaw in the open or closed position
  • Clicking or clunking when opening and closing the mouth
  • Difficulty eating hard or chewy foods
  • Deviations or shifting of the jaw when opening and closing the mouth
  • Headaches
  • Limited opening of the jaw and associated pain with yawning

Other signs and symptoms include toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

How Can Physiotherapy Help TMJ Dysfuction??

TMJ dysfunction is a less common issue seen in Physiotherapy compared to back or shoulder pain, and often some people are unaware that a Physio can help. The jaw is a joint just like any other in your body, and is put through much more stress throughout a day with talking, eating and speaking. Physiotherapy can help restore range of motion, improve the mechanics of the joint through mobilizations and motor control exercises, control pain and provide useful tips on bad oral habits! A Physiotherapy assessment of the TMJ will include:

  • Thorough history of the present problem, symptoms, aggravating factors and oral habits (grinding, clenching, etc)
  • Postural assessment
  • Examination of the jaw to assess range of motion, mobility, pain sensitive structures and muscle tone
  • Examination of the cervical spine, with particular emphasis on the upper cervical region
  • Assessment of motor control and movement patterns of the jaw
  • Treatment focused on joint mobilizations of the TMJ and upper cervical spine, motor control exercises of the TMJ, postural correction exercises and pain relieving modalities, such as acupuncture or heat therapy have been shown to be effective in the treatment of TMJ disorders

Claire Corbett, BScKin, MScPt

Registered Physiotherapist

Yoga Therapy at Oakville Physio clinic in Palermo medical building

The Physiotherapists at Oakville’s Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre treat and assess the TMJ using a variety of techniques that are dependent on the individual. Our Oakville Physio’s use range of motion techniques, joint mobilizations, soft tissue work, acupuncture and exercises to help with TMJ stiffness, TMJ “clicking”, TMJ pain etc. We can work with your dentist or orthodontist to with your jaw issue. Contact us to see how we can help you with your TMJ issues.

 

 

 

Osteoporosis: Are you doing enough? How Physio Can Help!

At our Oakville Physiotherapy, Massage and Foot Care (Chiropodist) Clinic we treat many people for injuries and aches and pain who also happen to have Osteoporosis (low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue) and Osteopoenia (a precursor for Osteoporosis). A Physiotherapist can be a key person to have as part of the health care team for those with Osteoprosis and Osteopaenia, in addition to your family doctor and Osteoporosis Specialist.  Exercise is recommended for those with Osteoporosis for many reasons including:

  •  Strengthening postural muscles to help prevent compression fractures (breaks) in the spine. (Think that progressive rounding forward of the upper back that is often painful)
  • Increased balance, core strength and lower body strength to help prevent falls that could cause fracture / breaks in fragile bones (eg wrist and hip fractures). A hip fracture depending on other health variables can often lead to a downward spiral of hospitalization, immobility causing Pneumonia.
  • Increased bone strength through weight bearing activity.
Kettlebells at Physio clinic in Oakville
Improve your function with Physiotherapy!

Osteoporosis Canada in 2014 released new exercise recommendations. Click HERE to find the specific guideline. They are comprehensive involving a variety of types of exercises to aim for overall health including:

  • Aerobic conditioning
  • Strength Training
  • Balance / Proprioceptive Exercises
  • Postural Training / Exercises

It’s not too late to begin an exercise and strengthening program to help increase function and decrease risk factors associated with having weak bones. Often people will participate in one aspect of the above list such as walking but not participate in any specific strength training, or do strength training but forget about balance exercises.

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Oakville’s Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre. Call Now to Book Your Assessment for a Customized and Appropriate Osteoporosis Exercise Program

5 Quick Desk Stretches to do at Work

BUT I’M JUST SITTING… THAT’S EASY RIGHT?

As you sit at your desk and read this you might be thinking to yourself, “I am doing one of the easiest things that I can do, sitting!” WRONG! Sitting still for long periods of time is one of the worst things you can do for your body. At our Oakville Physio, Massage and Foot Care (Chiropody) clinic, we see many people who work sedentary desk jobs and even students are reporting neck, shoulder and low back pain. This can be attributed to the positions they sit in, the way they answer the phone and just the fact that they are sitting down for long periods of time with no break in between. Our bodies are made to move!

Oakville Physio clinic showing neck pain, to help pain relief and increase function
Move at your desk! Don’t let your work be a pain in your neck!

Based on the response we hear from many people at our North Oakville clinic where people come for Physio, Massage and Foot Care, many people are likely thinking: “What am I supposed to do? I don’t have time to go and spend two hours at the gym every day to get myself moving!” – To which we respond: Don’t fret! It is much easier than you might think to relieve and prevent recurrence of the aches and pains that you are feeling. All it takes is a few minutes of your day!

At a maximum, after an hour of working you should be taking a small break. Either to do a stretching regiment or even to take a quick walk around the office to go and deliver a memo or to go grab a coffee from the break room! Visit a co-worker instead of emailing.

Here are 5 quick stretches that you can do right at your desk without even having to get up:

  1. The Toe Touch: Remain seated, extend your legs out and reach for your toes. Hold this for 20 seconds
  2. The Aerobic Reach: Extend each arm (one at a time) over head and to the opposite side and hold for 20 seconds on each side
  3. The Ceiling Gazer: Clasp your hands behind your back, push chest out and raise chin to gaze at the ceiling for 20 seconds
  4. The Head Tilt: Gently pull your head towards each shoulder with your hand and hold for 20 seconds (make sure to not pull too aggressively)
  5. The Up and Over Stretch: Clasp your hands together over your head and stretch upwards. Hold this for 20 seconds. If you would like to continue this stretch lean to either side (with your hands still clasped above your head) and hold for 20 seconds on each side.

Studies have shown that workplace stretching can improve flexibility and can also improve your sense of attractiveness and self-worth. It has also been shown to reduce that pesky pain by about 72%!!

As you can see it doesn’t take much and it doesn’t take long and workplace stretching can have many positive results! So take a break, take a stretch and take a stroll, your body will thank you! That reminds me… looks like it’s about time for me to take a break!

Oakville working injury prevention tios from a Physio - study tips from Oakville Physio near Bronte
Don’t let this be you at work! Let your Physiotherapist guide you in a stretching / self-care program for your job.

As with any stretching or exercise program it is advisable to discuss the appropriateness of the movements for your case specifically with your Physiotherapist or Family Doctor. The Physiotherapists or Massage Therapists at Oakville’s Palermo Physio and Wellness Centre would be happy to design a self-care program for you during your working day. Please give us a call! ~Sarah H.

Don’t Let Exams be a Pain in the Neck – Here are 5 Tips to get Through Exams!

This is a post from Sarah one of Oakville’s Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness Centres front end staff and a recent graduate of Kinesiology.

It’s that time of year again… exam time. The dreaded time of year where you have to take all of the information that has been thrown at you in the last 4 months and try to make sense of it. Everything else takes a back seat to studying… the gym, your diet, your social life. Studying always seems so hard to start and once you get going it is just as awful as you remember it being. It doesn’t have to be that bad though! Through my 5 years in University I learned a few tips and tricks to make this stressful time a little more bearable!

  1. Take breaks

Let’s be honest, studying can be boring. I know that I would find it very difficult to stay focused for very long. Then my mother enlightened me with a wonderful tid bit of information, she told me that your brain can only really focus for 20-30 minutes at a time and then I should be taking a break. This was wonderful news to me! That meant if I put in about half an hour of work I could justify watching that 5th episode of Friends on Netflix! I used this as a bit of a reward system. I would stay focused for about half an hour to 45 minutes and then I would get to take a break of my choosing, whether it was watching an episode of a TV show or going to gossip with one of my roommates. If I had put in a good chunk of time I would take an even longer break, something like going to the gym or going out for a quick bite to eat with a friend. Even on smaller breaks the most important thing is to move! Longer exercise periods can help you focus when studying but even a quick stretch will be helpful to help prevent aches and pains from sitting, writing and typing for extended periods of time.  This gave my brain a chance to absorb all the information I had just pumped into it. I found that using a reward system was very beneficial for me doing well in testing situations.

  1. Find a way that works for you

Not everyone studies the same way. There are many different ways to study. Here are a few:

  • Write out your notes
  • Read your notes out loud
  • Work in a study group

Some people need absolute silence while other people study better in a busy loud environment. For some people listening to music helps them to focus on the information in front of them while for others it is a massive distraction. Personally I needed silence to study because I liked to say my notes out loud to myself. I would start by writing out the notes based off of the review that I was (hopefully) provided by my prof. I would then read those notes over out loud a couple of times and then go back and ask myself questions that I would answer out loud. I was teaching myself and learning at the same time. I also found it very beneficial to go over the material with other people in my program. If someone didn’t understand something I was able to explain it to them in my own words which solidified the information.

  1. Don’t Cram!

This is a big one! My roommates used to be baffled at how long before an exam I stopped studying. Once I started getting bored of reading the content I stopped studying, because if I didn’t know it by then I probably wasn’t going to get it in the dwindling hours before the test. The best thing to do is stay focused and make sure you understand course content throughout the year. Cramming can also confuse you which will in turn stress you out and put you in a very bad place to be writing an exam. Even if you don’t understand everything 100% it is better to be writing in a relaxed mindset.

  1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

    Oakville Massage, Hot stone massage, Foot clinic, orthotics
    Hot Stone Massage

Burning the midnight oil might seem like a good idea but in actuality it is not doing you any good. You may think that you are benefiting yourself by getting all of those extra hours of studying in but your body AND your brain need to rest to be productive. You should be trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before a big test or exam. This allows your brain to store the information you have been shoving into it all day. You will wake up nice and refreshed and ready to tackle this big exam! It can be difficult to sleep when you’re stressed out. Going for a walk or to the gym or even treating yourself to a Massage can help!

  1. Think about the Exam

Put yourself in your professor’s shoes. What are they thinking? What do you think the exam is going to be like based off of your professor. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What have the previous tests been like?
  • What topics did your prof focus on?
  • What questions did they ask a lot?

There is always a lot of information to filter through when studying for a final exam but if you think back and go through your notes you will undoubtedly stumble upon topics that were talked about A LOT. There were things that your prof asked a lot of questions about or kept bringing up throughout the course. These will lend themselves to be good candidates for long answer questions. This is another thing to look at. What were the questions like on past tests? Was there a lot of multiple choice or are they someone who likes all of the questions to be in short answer format? This will help you tailor your studying to be beneficial for the class. Finally, use your College / University to your advantage. A lot of faculties have exam banks that students can use to study off of past tests from the course. Who knows, maybe your prof will even recycle some of those old questions!

Exams will inevitably be stressful and studying is never a fun or pleasant thing but it is possible to make it a little bit more bearable. These study tips are tried and tested by yours truly so give them a try and GOOD LUCK!  ~Sarah H.

 

Prevent Foot and Low Back Pain Caused by Standing!

Sitting posture and proper ergonomics is something we speak to many patients about at our Oakville Physio and Massage clinic. So many people spend a large proportion of their day sitting for their commute and at work that it can impact their back, neck, shoulders, hips among other things. Those who spend their day standing can also run into problems. Walking around the concrete floor at the National Women’s Show at the Metro Convention Centre for a few hours was enough to make my low back sore. I saw signs of the weekend taking its toll on various people from the Armed Forced Recruiter taking off her high heels, to those finding a spot to rest and stretch their backs out. Some booths such as Little Kitchen Gourmet had planned ahead and put down anti-fatigue type mats in their space. For work where you will be standing for long periods of time having anti-fatigue mats are an excellent way to offload your knees, ankles and low back. I would highly recommend this for hairstylists, barbers, some line workers, cashiers and even lifeguards standing in one spot on the pool deck. Unfortunately for many of us who spend time on our feet on hard surfaces this type of mat can’t follow us around. For this reason Lisa Clifford, Physiotherapist, and Foot Care Specialist Brittney Wirtz (Chiropodist), recommends supportive shoes that help absorb some forces and protect your feet and other joints from developing pain. Many people who wear work boots or spend a lot of time on their feet would also benefit from custom insoles / orthotics. Foot and heel pain can start by just being annoying and for some can quickly move to making it difficult to walk and weight-bare. This is turn can affect other joints in your body. A Chiropodist can asses your feet and how your arch falls to advise you on the best shoe for you.

Brittney Wirtz
A Chiropodist / Foot Care Specialist can help foot wear and foot care!

Texter’s Neck

First it was “Texting Thumb”, tendinitis caused by excess cell phone keyboarding, now it’s “Texters Neck”. As people spend less time on desktops and more time on their smartphones and tablets interacting through texting, emailing, and “googling”,  there’s been an increase in neck pain and  headache complaints.

Most people remember the adorable scene in Jerry McGuire where the little boy states: “Did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds!?”  8 pounds is a lot. We know that when we hold a weight and move it further away from our body it increases the lever arm and actually feels heavier. This is true for our head also. When we flex our head and neck forward it actually increases the weight of our head. This increased weight held over time, as we try to get to the next level of Candy Crush or Angry Birds, causes our muscles, tendons and ligaments in our neck and shoulders extra strain over time. This can cause pain locally and increased strain to the tissues leading to muscle tension and even headaches.

Keeping your phone or tablet propped in from of you, as well as decreasing the amount of time being spent using it at one time will be helpful. If you’re planning on spending a

There are many small neck muscles that can get fatigued and sore with forward head position.
There are many small neck muscles that can get fatigued and sore with forward head position.

longer period of time with a task consider using an actual work station that has been set up ergonomically. Physiotherapy and Massage Therapy can be helpful to alleviate pain and discomfort as well as to teach some postural strengthening exercises but if some changes aren’t made it can be a recurring issue.

Make sure to take time periodically to look up and stretch so texting and games don’t become a pain in the neck!

 

Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre provides personalized Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy and Chiropody foot care to Oakville and the surrounding areas.