Tummy Time for Babies
Physiotherapist Chris talking about tummy time for babies:
Book your free 15 min meet & greet with our physiotherapist Chris Dahiroc today!
Physio Assessment of a Newborn/1 month old
Paediatric assessment with our physiotherapist Chris Dahiroc.
Below is a portion of a Physio assessment of a 1 month old baby. Book your free 15 minute meet & greet in person or over the phone with our physio to find out if your baby or toddler may benefit from a physiotherapy assessment.
Cupping Therapy
Cupping involves the use of a container or vessel that is suctioned onto the skin. The suction is achieved by creating a vacuum via manual air pump or traditionally by fire (fire cupping).
Uses/Benefits:
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- Improves/speeds up recovery from muscle soreness
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- Mobilizes scar tissue
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- Loosens tight muscles and improves range of motion
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- Decreases pain
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- Improves local circulation
Cautions to cupping:
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- Due to the suction of the cups onto the skin, you may find local bruising where the cups are placed. These bruises will typically resolve within one to two weeks depending and are harmless.
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- If you are on blood thinners or have any conditions that cause you to bruise easily, please consult your practitioner first.
If you would like to discuss if cupping is right for you, contacts us to book a free 15 minute meet & greet with any of our Registered Massage Therapists or Physiotherapists.
Why strengthening the Gluteus muscles (buttocks muscles) is so important?
The glutes are an incredibly powerful and important muscle. There are three layers to the glute muscles: gluteus minimus, medius, and maximus. Today we are focusing on the gluteus medius.
The gluteus medius muscle is the gluteal muscle that sits just above the prominent bone at the side of the hip. The primary function of this muscle is to abduct the hip (bring the leg out), but perhaps its more important function is to stabilize the hip, laterally (from the outside). This muscle is especially active when standing on a single leg, which is important for movements including walking, running, and changing directions. Weakness in this muscle can result in pain, soreness, and injury to the hip itself, the IT band, and the knee. Try the following exercises to keep the gluteus medius strong and functional.
Gluteus medius strengthening Exercises: (See video below for demo!)
Clamshells: repetitions = 10, sets = 2, both sides
Hip hike: repetitions = 10, sets = 2, both sides
Side straight leg raise: repetitions = 10, sets = 2, both sides
Banded side steps: repetitions = 10, sets = 2
Let us know how these exercises are working for you, and if there are more ideas that are needed, or problem solving around your injuries or pain, do not hesitate to contact us! Book your Free 15-minute meet & greet today!
Disclaimer: Please note these exercises may not be right for you. Please discuss your concerns with your physio or healthcare provider before starting these or any new exercises.
What does the shoulder blade have to do with our shoulder moving?
Scapulohumeral rhythm: What is it?
Refers to the coordination between the shoulder blade (scapula – “scapulo”) and the humerus (the bone that runs between the shoulder and elbow – “humeral”) during shoulder movements. It represents the ratio of movement that is done by the shoulder blade relative to the amount of movement done by the humerus when lifting the arm.
What muscles are involved?
Movement of the scapula is aided by the serratus anterior, and the upper and lower fibres of the trapezius. Whereas, movement of the humerus is initiated by the rotator cuff muscles which includes the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major, teres minor, and subscapularis.
Image 1: Muscles Rotator Cuff (ref below)
What’s normal?
The action of raising the arm up and to the side (abduction) involves a 2:1 ratio of movement from the humerus relative to the scapula. So on an average abduction of 180 degrees – 120 degrees comes from the movement of the humerus while the remaining 60 degrees is achieved from the scapula.
What happens when the ratio is abnormal?
Abnormalities in this ratio is called scapular dyskinesia – which means an impairment in the scapular movement. When the scapula is moving abnormally it can lead to pinching of various structures within the shoulder causing pain when moving the arm.
What can we do?
When shoulder pain is the result of scapular dyskinesia the goals of treatment may include strengthening, stretching, and ultimately promoting proper scapulohumeral rhythm. Your therapist may test to see which muscles may be weakened or tight, assess for incorrect postures, and create individualized exercise prescriptions that allow for the restoration of proper scapulohumeral rhythm.
Contact us today to discuss if physiotherapy is right for you! Book your Free 15 minute meet & greet today!
By: Calvin Lee, Physiotherapist
References:
Image 1: File: Muscles Rotator Cuff.jpg. (2011, August 29). Physiopedia, . Retrieved 18:18, January 28, 2019 from https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=File:Muscles_Rotator_Cuff.jpg&oldid=44396.
Ankle injury and testing it’s impact on your balance
What to do following an ankle injury? How do you know if your balance has been affected?
Following an ankle or foot injury, proprioception can be negatively impacted and potentially increase the chance for future reoccurrence of injury or falls. Proprioception (or kinesthesia) is the sense though which our body is aware of where are our joints are in space. Common ankle and foot injuries that benefit from physiotherapy focused on strength and proprioception training include ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, post ankle/foot fractures and tendonitis.
A study (Willems 2002) published by the Journal of Athletic Training looked at the effect of proprioception and muscle strengthening exercises in individuals with chronic instability and suggested that emphasizing on proprioception and strength training in the rehab program can help prevent recurrent ankle sprains.
The video below shows 2 examples of how to test your ankle balance. Make sure to try those with a stable surface close by for you to hold on to if you lose your balance. If you are unsure please do not try them.
Physiotherapist assess your range, balance, strength and your gait. Based on the assessment we provide you with a treatment plan including the appropriate exercises to help manage your symptoms and avoid re-occurrence of injury.
Contact us today to discuss if physiotherapy is right for you! Book your Free 15 minute meet & greet today!
Reference: Willems, T, Witvrouw E, Verstuyft J, Vaes P & Clercq DD, Proprioception and Muscle Strength in Subjects With a History of Ankle Sprains and Chronic Instability, Journal of Athletic Training (2002) Oct-Dec; 37(4): 487–493
We now offer Concussion treatments!
We are excited to share with you all that we now offer Concussion assessments and treatments.
Homecare Physiotherapy
For more information in regards to Homecare Physiotherapy click here! Learn more about our Home Care physio Nancy Pereira.
Torticollis and Plagiocephaly: What is it? How can it affect your baby?
Torticollis is a turning and/or tilting of the neck causing restriction in the available range of motion. This can cause the neck to be turned or tilted away from midline and difficult to move the head to a particular side. For example, the neck at rest can be turned towards the right and tilted towards the left, giving the appearance of a “twisted” position. Torticollis with this alignment can make it difficult to move the head in the opposite directions: rotating left and tilting right. The causes of torticollis can be from pain, stiffness, head/neck injury, or muscle spasm.Torticollis can occur across the lifespan from newborns to adulthood. The difference for newborns and infants is that their skulls are largely cartilaginous and can be shaped. This combination of malleable shaping of the head and torticollis can result in a progressive flattening of a particular side or portion of the head due to any constant turning to a side, away from midline at rest. This flattening is referred to as plagiocephaly. Flattening can be congenital, developed in utero, or can be related to head position (i.e. with toricollis); in the latter case, the flattening is termed positional plagiocephaly and is often linked with torticollis. It is important to note that although toricollis and plagiocephaly affect the shape of the head, there are no direct affects on brain development or function.
If there are concerns with the baby’s neck range of motion or positioning, physiotherapy can help guide stretches and exercises to restore full range of motion. There are additional concerns with plagiocephaly, physiotherapy can help with establishing exercises are strategies to counteract this shaping.
Questions or concerns regarding your child? Book your 15 minute free consultation today!
Remember to take care of you!
The winter season along with the busy holiday period and getting back to our routine after all that can be a little draining for some. We don’t realize how much of our self-care routine we have put on hold. Pick a tip from the list below and try it out! If it doesn’t work for you try something else and share with us any other tips you found are helpful!
Just make sure you allow yourself to take that time for you! Feel free to comment with your tips as well!
1. Taking 5 mins in your day to close your eyes and focus on your breathing
2. Going for a short walk around your building (even march on the spot)
3. Calling and catching up with a friend
4. Looking around you as you walk to and from places (even if it’s around your house or office) and just allowing yourself to see what is going on around you. Practice Mindfulness.
5. Smile! The power of a simple smile can do wonders to our mood and even to those around us!
By: Nelly Temraz, PT.