Welcome the South Vancouver Physiotherapy Blog!

Through our blog we educate and offer suggestions on topics that relate to physiotherapy and healthy living.

groin strain

What is a Groin Injury?

The groin, perhaps because of proximity, isn’t a region that is mentioned often in polite conversation. Because the groin is an area of the body that…

what is a heel spur

What is a Heel Spur?

Do you suffer from heel pain? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many people try to ignore the early signs of heel pain and keep on doing the…

core stability

Why is Core Stability important?

Your core refers to the midsection of your body, front, rear and sides; it connects the upper and lower regions of your body. The core’s major muscle…

RICE method

Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation – The RICE Method Explained

RICE is the acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. It’s a mnemonic, or memory device, that helps you remember quickly what to…

contusion

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…

whiplash

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

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…

degenerative disc disease

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…

muscle cramp

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…

calf strain

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…

osteoarthritis hip

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…

hamstring injury

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…

facet joint syndrome

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…

post concussion syndrome

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…

spinal stenosis definition

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

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…

tmj disorder

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…

carpal tunnel wrist

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

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…

IMS intramuscular stimulation

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 causes

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…

health insurance policy

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

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…

high ankle sprain recovery time

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…

rotator cuff injury symptoms

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…

shoulder bursitis

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…

Registered-massage-therapy

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…

pinched nerve

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…