Welcome the South Vancouver Physiotherapy Blog!
Through our blog we educate and offer suggestions on topics that relate to physiotherapy and healthy living.
What is a Contusion?
There shouldn’t be any confusion about a contusion. In plain English, it’s a bruise. We’ve all had them, especially as children: bumping into the…
What is Whiplash?
Anatomically speaking, the mechanical forces that occur when the head and neck are whipped forward and back place major stress on the cervical spine.…
Abnormal Gait and Balance Problems
Walking takes strength, balance, sensation and co-ordination. Think about babies: first, they gain enough strength to raise themselves to their hands…
What is Degenerative Disc Disease
The discs that reside in our spinal columns are a vital part of our anatomy, acting as shock absorbers for our vertebrae and allowing our spines to…
How to Get Rid of Muscle Cramps
Given our reliance on muscles for movement, when a muscle cramps, we’re dismayed, because, for a brief period, they don’t function. A cramp is a…
How to Treat a Calf Strain
The most common injury to our calf muscle is a calf strain, which is also called a pulled calf muscle and a calf muscle tear. In actuality, the two…
What is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?
One of the most common ailments as we age is osteoarthritis or arthritis of the bones, often called “wear and tear” arthritis. Osteoarthritis can…
How to Heal a Strained Hamstring
Your hamstrings are crucial to your body’s motion. There are three hamstring muscles that extend from your buttocks to your knee. Those who have…
What is Facet Joint Syndrome?
Each vertebra has two facet joints, one on each side of the spine. They are the joints responsible for spine stability and flexibility and make it…
What is Post-Concussion Syndrome?
Hard hits to the head in any sport, including ice hockey and football, can cause mild traumatic brain injury, which is essentially how a concussion…
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis refers to the narrowing of the spinal canal, which houses the spinal cord, and the openings in it that provide passage for peripheral…
What is Sciatica?
Do you have pain radiating from your buttock to your calf? Perhaps you have discomfort running from groin to knee. Interestingly, both of these…
What is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)?
A TMJ disorder refers to problems with the jaw joints, muscles or fibrous tissues that connect them. TMJ disorders are most prevalent among women in…
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
On a daily basis, we don’t give much thought to our wrists, unless we are putting on a bracelet, affixing cufflinks or buttoning a sleeve. They are…
Laser Therapy for Pain
When you are hemmed in by pain, your options become more limited; you are unable or unwilling to use your body in many of the ways you once took for…
What is Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)?
You’re in pain and the sensation just won’t go away. You may have had an X-ray or an MRI that has not discovered any problem, but the pain continues…
Stiff Neck Remedies
Anyone who has ever had a stiff neck knows that they’re painful and awkward. The inability to turn your head sideways without pain makes everyday…
Extended Health Benefits Explained
Extended health care plans offer a variety of benefits, generally including dental care, eyeglasses, physiotherapy and massage therapy. The benefits…
What Is Kinesiology?
Many people get referred to a Kinesiologist for rehabilitation and recovery, after a motor vehicle accident or work related injury, or as part of a…
What Is a High Ankle Sprain?
A high ankle sprain differs from the mild sprain that occurs when you roll your ankle. The ankle joint is a complex one, because it is the location…
What is a Rotator Cuff Injury?
Should you be concerned when you hear those three words, rotator cuff injury? Let’s define the rotator cuff, discuss exactly what a rotator cuff…
What is Shoulder Bursitis?
You’ve caught that high fly ball winging its way toward left field with a leap and a grab. As you throw it to third base for the out, you feel pain…
What is Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy’s beneficial effect on the body and its ability to optimize health and well-being derives from its acting on the muscular, nervous…
How to Treat a Pinched Nerve
You can experience pinched nerves at a variety of places throughout the body. For example, you may have a pinched nerve in your wrist, causing carpal…
Herniated Disc vs. Bulging Disc
We don’t usually give our spines much thought – they are simply part of our anatomy. We know they help keep us upright, but that’s about all the…
Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow
How do you get tennis elbow? When playing tennis, you may grip the racquet too tightly or use poor technique, putting stress on the tendons…
Ankle Sprain and Instability
An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments, the bands of fibrous tissue that keep the ankle in place, are stretched or torn. It generally happens when…
Achilles Tendon Problems
Achilles Tendinitis is an overuse injury due to repetitive motion that can cause pain, inflammation or degeneration of the tendon. It is common among…