Physiotherapy

Keep Your Body Healthy & Pain-Free This Gardening Season

March 29, 2023 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

The secret to a healthy garden is a healthy gardener. Gardening is an active pursuit that can cause muscle strain to the lower back, shoulders, knees and arms, especially if you are out of shape and do not move properly.

To get the most of your gardening season, physiotherapists recommend following the following tips and techniques. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. Don’t be limited by the aches and pains!

Stretch! Before, During & After Activity

Stretching – as a warm-up, as a break during repetitive movement, and as a cool-down – helps you to move more easily, keeps your muscles flexible and relaxed, your joints mobile and relieves tension and strain.

When stretching, remember:

Movements should be slow and controlled, you should feel a gentle stretch of the muscle – stretching should never be painful.

Once you feel a stretch, hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds. Do not bounce or jerk, and repeat each stretch two or three times.

Do some shoulder circles, trunk rotation, and heel/toe stands. You might even ‘rehearse’ movements, like raking, as part of your warm-up. Then, take a few minutes to do the following stretches, and repeat them again at the end of your gardening activity. If you begin to feel a bit stiff while gardening, pause and do more stretches.

Stay In The Zone

Find a place and position that permits your body to work in a comfortable posture – and try to do your work within this “easy zone”. Activity outside your “easy zone” may cause sprains and strains. Avoid potential injury by:

Moving with your work – keep your work in front of and close to your body to avoid reaching and twisting.

Lift with your knees bent, keeping your back straight.

Spend More Time in Your Garden & For Longer Periods

To maintain your existing mobility, make every movement count. Add up all you do in a day and aim for a minimum of 60 minutes of movement every day.

To gain more mobility, you should plan activities throughout your day that keep you moving for periods of at least 10 minutes at a time.

Be realistic! Your body can only perform at the level of effort and endurance it is accustomed to. For maximum benefit, physiotherapists recommend regular physical activity and stretching to maintain your physical mobility throughout the year.

Consider Raised Beds

Amongst the many benefits of raised beds in a garden — a major one is that you do not have to stoop as much to carry out notable gardening tasks. Some raised beds can be even as high as your waist, allowing you stand as you garden.

Work Within Your Physical Strength

Standard safe lifting loads are 64 lbs. (about 29 kg) for middle-aged men and 28 lbs. (about 13 kg) for women, but a ‘safe’ lift is less than this when the load is difficult to reach or an awkward shape.

Pace Yourself!

Take a break, spread tasks over a period of time, and take time to recover between projects.

Rotate Tasks Regularly

Avoid over-use injuries by doing different activities throughout the day to reduce strain on major muscle groups and joints.

Use the Right Tools

Gardening tools and equipment are meant to ease work, not cause additional strain. Take measures to fit the tools to you, not you to the tools. Also:

Keep your supplies within easy reach – consider using an apron with pockets.

Use tools to reduce work – a wheelbarrow to transport supplies, an extended handle to reduce the reach, and tools with good grips or ergonomic handles.

When Raking or Hoeing

Keep your tools close to your body and your back straight to reduce strain. Use your arms and avoid twisting your trunk. Use long-handled tools suited to your height.

If you tend to bend over or reach too far while raking, consider using an ergonomic rake (available at garden centres). It will make the job easier and reduce strain to your back.

When Weeding or Planting

Do not bend from the waist. Squat or kneel on a kneeling pad. If you have difficulty getting up, use a kneeling pad/bench with a support handle for assistance.

Give your back, legs and knees a break from stooping and kneeling by using tools with long handles to help with the weeding.

Squat or sit on the ground to trowel, rather than bending over.

When Digging or Shoveling

Insert the head of the shovel vertically into the ground and step on the blade.

Lift small amounts at a time. Keep your back straight and bend at the knees. Avoid twisting. Use a wheelbarrow to move big or heavy loads.

Choose a shovel with a weight and handle length that is appropriate for your size and for the job you are doing.

Give your back a break by using a smaller shovel, reducing the temptation to lift large amounts of soil.

Spread heavy lifting and digging tasks over a week rather than a weekend, and spread major projects throughout the seasons. Take time to recover between them.

When Lifting or Carrying

Know your limits and lift properly: bend your knees, not your back. Keep the load close to your body. Don’t lift items that are too heavy for you to handle – get help!

Use a wagon or wheelbarrow to transport supplies and/or to move or carry heavy items.

A four-wheeled cart is sturdier and easier to use than a wheelbarrow.

Lift with your knees slightly bent and your back straight. Avoid twisting or reaching.

When Pruning Or Trimming

Get as close to your work as possible. Don’t stretch beyond your reach or past your stable footing. Rehearse the movement as a stretch first to test your ability and positioning.

Match the size of the gardening tool handle to the size of your hand. Choose tools that you can hold so that your hand remains positioned in line with your forearm.

Hold your tools in a loose comfortable grip. Holding too tightly may cause injury;

Be creative! Adapt or create your tools for ease and comfort:

Pad the handles of your gardening tools.

Use knee pads or a foam pad for kneeling.

Wrap a slippery handle with tape to improve your grip (hockey stick tape will do).

Selecting the right tool, for the right task, for the right gardener, is critical to creating a beautiful garden safely.

Physiotherapy & Chiropractic Can Help

Physiotherapists are healthcare professionals who help people of all ages and lifestyles gain and maintain their desired level of active living and physical mobility. With their understanding of the human body in action, physiotherapists are able to help you increase your mobility, relieve pain, build strength and improve balance and cardiovascular function. Physiotherapists not only treat injuries, but they also teach you how to prevent the onset of pain or injury that can limit your activity.

Neck Pain and Whiplash Treatment

February 17, 2021 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

What Is Whiplash?

It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 whiplash cases in Canada each year. Most occur from vehicle collisions, but whiplash can also result from sport or work injuries.

The term “Whiplash” refers to the nature of an injury, whereby sudden force is applied to your body, resulting in a rapid forward/backward motion of your head on your neck. There are several soft tissues of the neck and upper spine that can be stretched by this sudden motion, with effects ranging from local pain and stiffness in your neck; through to numbness, tingling, sleep or concentration problems; in addition to some anxiety about driving that can be part of the experience.

Recent studies indicate that most recovery will occur within the first 6 weeks following the injury, although 20-50% of people will continue to experience some ongoing problems that don’t resolve quickly. These issues could include ongoing pain or stiffness that interferes with your daily activity. An evaluation by a Physiotherapist is a great way to determine whether you are likely to recover in a timely manner, or if some formal rehabilitation may be needed to help improve your chances of a smooth recovery.

Do I Need To Wear a Neck Collar?

This question is best left to your Physiotherapist and should be addressed on an individual basis. In general, the current thinking suggests most people don’t require a collar and early movement in a comfortable range helps recovery. However, some people may benefit from occasional collar use for certain tasks, such as prolonged desk work or sleeping. Your Physiotherapist can advise you of the pros and cons of collar use to allow you to make an informed decision.

The Recovery Process

Some mild pain, stiffness, neck tenderness and a little driving anxiety are all normal reactions after a motor vehicle collision. However, if these are severe (for example, pain at rest that you would rate as greater than 6/10) or last more than a week following your injury, you should see a Physiotherapist for an assessment. Talk to your Physiotherapist about any concerns you may have. Expect the therapist to provide you with some education and teach you some exercises, movements or postures to help you recover. Your involvement in the recovery process is essential to increase your chances of a full recovery.

You can help yourself by performing frequent ‘good neck health’ practices. These could include postural awareness, for example: sitting tall, with your head squarely between your shoulders (not jutted forward), and your shoulders held slightly back and relaxed. Position your work surface so that you can maintain this posture. Adjust your seat height and keyboard position where necessary to reduce strain on your neck. Perhaps more important than having a good posture while you sit is changing your position frequently throughout the day. Changes in posture could be as simple as setting a timer that reminds you to look away from the screen and move your neck through a comfortable range.

Female Motorist With Whiplash Injury In Car Crash Getting Out Of Vehicle

How Physiotherapy Can Help

Physiotherapists support an active approach to the treatment of neck pain. Once the injury has been assessed to ensure there is no serious injury like a fracture or ligament tear, exercises may be prescribed to help you regain movement, strength, and ability to perform activities that are important to you. In addition, physiotherapists may assist with short-term pain relief through manual therapy, ice and / or heat applications and relaxation techniques. Education about neck pain, what to expect during your recovery, and how you can manage your neck pain are additional components of the physiotherapy rehabilitation program.

It is common for people who have experienced a neck injury to feel occasional pain or stiffness, even several years later. It is therefore wise to make ‘good neck health’ practices a part of your daily routine. While you do not need to constantly sit ‘perfectly’ straight, becoming aware of your postures, especially sustained postures that either increase or decrease your pain, and setting timers to remind you to move every hour or so is an example of such practice. Sleep can sometimes be difficult with neck pain, so finding a mattress and pillow that you find comfortable may be a worthy investment. Many stores will allow you to ‘test drive’ pillows and mattresses, so you may want to take advantage of that, to find one that works for you.

Below are some suggestions for ‘good neck health’ that you may wish to try. If you find any of these cause you discomfort, then stop and consult your Physiotherapist who can perform a formal assessment and offer you a personalized rehabilitation program.

STRETCHING

Gently tuck your chin in towards your chest and rotate your head toward one shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch in the neck muscles on the opposite side of your neck. Hold 10 to 15 counts and then relax. Do 5 – 10 repetitions on each side.
Gently tuck your chin in towards your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in the muscles along the back of your neck. Hold 10 counts and then relax. Do 5 -10 repetitions.

Keeping your mouth closed, slowly tilt your head back until you feel a gentle stretch in the muscles along the front of your neck. You may wish to support your neck by clasping your hands behind your head during this exercise. Hold for 10 counts and then use your hands to help you back to the starting position. Do 5 -10 repetitions.
Keeping your head in line with your shoulders and nose pointing forward, slowly bend your neck to the side until you feel a gentle stretch along the opposite side of your neck. Hold 10 counts and then relax. Do 5 -10 repetitions on each side.

STRENGTHENING

Tuck your chin and moderately push your head back against your hands or the floor (if lying on your back). Hold for 3-5 counts. Do 10-20 repetitions. Place your hand on the side of your head. Tuck your chin in and push your head to the side, against your hand, matching forces so that neither your head nor hand actually move. Hold 3-5 counts. Do 10-20 repetitions.

If you’re suffering from whiplash and need help to recover and natural pain relief make an appointment with one of the highly trained and experienced Physiotherapists at Target Therapeutics. We’ve been serving the Kitchener Waterloo community faithfully since 2006.

What Is Vertigo? How Do You Treat It?

October 1, 2020 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

Defining Vertigo or BBPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) and getting treatment in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Are you experiencing symptoms like dizziness when moving your head, imbalance when walking, visual disturbance when looking around, nausea from the perception of “the room spinning” around you?

You may have vertigo or BBPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo).

There are many other possible causes for these symptoms, like high or low blood pressure, low blood sugar, a viral infection of the ear (vestibular neuritis), migraines, stress, vision loss etc. However one of the most common causes that can be addressed through physiotherapy is Vertigo or BPPV, which is a shift of the little “rocks” (otoconia) found naturally in the inner ear, that helps us keep our balance.

Normally, when we move a certain way, such as when we stand up or turn our head, these little rocks move around. Sometimes these rocks move from an area in the inner ear called utricle into a neighbouring area, called the semicircular canals. When we move the head in certain ways, the rocks in the semicircular canal move as well. Sensors found in the semicircular canal are triggered by the little rocks, which causes a temporary feeling of dizziness.

We are more likely to develop BPPV when we are older. That is because parts of the inner ear start to degenerate, just like other parts of our bodies. Other possible causes of vertigo are ie. head impact, high impact physical activities, maintaining the head in the same position for extended periods of time, like holding the head down while working at the computer for hours on a daily basis.

The positive aspect of the BPPV is that it is a mechanical issue, and through some specialized exercises (Vestibular rehabilitation) we can help the loose “rocks” get back to where they belong. Once this is achieved, the symptoms should improve and, hopefully, clear out in just a few sessions. They should not return in the semicircular canals once they are back in their “home”, the utricle!

It is a good idea to come for therapy when the BPPV/Vertigo is active, as you can notice an immediate change in how you feel.

You can definitely expect a temporary increase in the symptoms for the duration of the treatment and it might be a good idea to have someone else drive you back home. Or simply make sure you are not in a hurry to leave the clinic after the treatment.

The treatments are booked one on one with the physiotherapist, for one hour.

4 Steps To Healthier Workstation Ergonomics

July 24, 2020 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

Many workplace injuries due to improper sitting posture at a computer desk can be avoided.

Here is a four-step checklist that you can carry out at your workstation, to make sure you’re comfortable, safe and productive at the office.

STEP 1: Your Chair

Push your hips as far back as they can go in the chair.
Adjust the seat height so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees equal to, or slightly lower than, your hips.
Adjust the back of the chair to a 100°-110° reclined angle. Make sure your upper and lower back are supported. Use inflatable cushions or small pillows if necessary. If you have an active back mechanism on your chair, use it to make frequent position changes.
Adjust the armrests (if fitted) so that your shoulders are relaxed. If your armrests are in the way, remove them.

STEP 2: Your Keyboard

An articulating keyboard tray can provide optimal positioning of input devices. However, it should accommodate the mouse, enable leg clearance, and have an adjustable height and tilt mechanism. The tray should not push you too far away from other work materials, such as your telephone.
Pull up close to your keyboard.
Position the keyboard directly in front of your body.
Determine what section of the keyboard you use most frequently, and readjust the keyboard so that section is centred with your body.
Adjust the keyboard height so that your shoulders are relaxed, your elbows are in a slightly open position (100° to 110°), and your wrists and hands are straight.
The tilt of your keyboard is dependent upon your sitting position. Use the keyboard tray mechanism, or keyboard feet, to adjust the tilt. If you sit in a forward or upright position, try tilting your keyboard away from you at a negative angle. If you are reclined, a slight positive tilt will help maintain a straight wrist position.
Wrist rests can help to maintain neutral postures and pad hard surfaces. However, the wrist rest should only be used to rest the palms of the hands between keystrokes. Resting on the wrist rest while typing is not recommended.
Avoid using excessively wide wrist rests, or wrist rests that are higher than the space bar of your keyboard.
Place the pointer as close as possible to the keyboard. Placing it on a slightly inclined surface, or using it on a mouse bridge placed over the 10-keypad, can help to bring it closer.
If you do not have a fully adjustable keyboard tray, you may need to adjust your workstation height, the height of your chair, or use a seat cushion to get into a comfortable position. Remember to use a footrest if your feet dangle.

STEP 3: Screen, Document, and Telephone

Incorrect positioning of the screen and source documents can result in awkward postures. Adjust the screen and source documents so that your neck is in a neutral, relaxed position.
Centre the screen directly in front of you, above your keyboard.
Position the top of the screen approximately 2-3” above seated eye level. (If you wear bifocals, lower the screen to a comfortable reading level.)
Sit at least an arm’s length away from the screen and then adjust the distance for your vision.
Reduce glare by careful positioning of the screen. Position source documents directly in front of you, between the screen and the keyboard, using an in-line copy stand. If there is insufficient space, place source documents on a document holder positioned adjacent to the screen.
Place screen at right angles to windows
Adjust curtains or blinds as needed
Adjust the vertical screen angle and screen controls to minimize glare from overhead lights
Other techniques to reduce glare include the use of optical glass glare filters, light filters, or secondary task lights
Place your telephone within easy reach. Telephone stands or arms can help.
Use a headset and speakerphones to eliminate cradling the handset.

STEP 4: Pauses and Breaks

Once you have correctly set up your computer workstation use good work habits. No matter how perfect the environment, prolonged, static postures will inhibit blood circulation and take a toll on your body.

Take short 1-2 minute stretch breaks every 20-30 minutes. After each hour of work, take a break or change tasks for at least 5-10 minutes. Always try to get away from your computer during lunch breaks.
Avoid eye fatigue by resting and refocusing your eyes periodically. Look away from the monitor and focus on something in the distance.
Rest your eyes by covering them with your palms for 10-15 seconds.
Use correct posture when working. Keep moving as much as possible.

If you’re sore, tight, or in pain and you think your desk job is the culprit, it can’t hurt to make an appointment with one of the highly trained and experienced Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, or Registered Massage Therapists at Target Therapeutics. We’ve been serving the Kitchener Waterloo community faithfully since 2006.

Physiotherapy & Chronic Pain Management

July 6, 2020 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

Chronic pain management can be a real challenge. The highly skilled physiotherapists from Target Therapeutics in Kitchener Waterloo weigh in on natural and lasting pain relief through physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy For Pain Management

There is no question that Canada needs to address chronic pain in a more effective fashion.

More attention must be paid to drug-free forms of treatment like physiotherapy. Studies confirm time and time again the effectiveness of physiotherapy for the management and resolution of a wide variety of orthopaedic syndromes that cause pain. In physiotherapy, patients take an active role in the treatment and they are empowered with strategies to increase their control over their pain.

Physiotherapy provides an avenue to address and treat the underlying cause of the pain instead of simply masking it with medication. Functional goals are set collaboratively with the patient to determine success.

Canada needs to do something about its costly opioid epidemic. Canada needs to take a more natural approach to pain syndromes that focus on alternatives to opioids such physiotherapy.

Does Canada Have an Opioid Epidemic?

OxyContin has annual sales of over $35 billion in the US! How? The book Crooked by CJ Ramin, explains in detail the conspiracy behind the opioid industry that continues on an international basis to this day.

The studies seem to deliberately fail to report on the true addiction and death rates related to these drugs

They ignore the fact that four out of five heroin users in the US report that their opioid use began with medically prescribed drugs. In 1986 a paper was published in the journal Pain concluding that opioids could be safely and effectively prescribed with relatively little risk of adverse effects.

It was stated that just 1% of the patients who were treated had become addicted. This paper was used by the pharmaceutical industry to promote to MDs the prescription of opioids. It was not until recently that the paper originally published in 1986 was denounced as incorrect and not a real “study”, however to date, that paper has been cited in 635 other studies.

In their propaganda, the industry marketed to MDs that opioid therapy for chronic pain was no different from providing insulin to a diabetic. It has taken two decades for the Cochrane collaboration to find no significant benefit for opioids over NSAIDs or over-the-counter Aleve. Finally, now the American Academy of Neurology states that the risks of opioids in the treatment of musculoskeletal chronic pain patients far outweigh the benefits.

Canada has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of prescription opioids in the world

A staggering 21.7 million prescriptions for opioids were dispensed in Canada in 2015 alone. In Ontario, there has been a 1,566% increase in methadone maintenance treatment enrolments in the last 20 years. This increase in treatments co-insides with the rise of opioid prescriptions, suggesting a strong correlation.

There is no question that in some cases, medication is a necessity. But it isn’t always and many medications come with so many serious side-effects that can be worse than the pain itself.

Find a Highly Qualified Physiotherapist in the Kitchener Waterloo Region

At Target Therapeutics, our expertly trained and highly educated physiotherapists work diligently with you to get you out of pain without causing more problems down the line. They are among the best physiotherapists in the Kitchener-Waterloo region and our years of service in our community speaks for itself.

Call to speak to someone or book an appointment for physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy & Chiropractic as Preventative Medicine

June 9, 2020 by Target Therapeutics Leave a Comment

As humans, we often have to be motivated in some way before we actually take to action on so many tasks. Life is busy and our “list” of “to do’s” can seem endless and can add considerable stress to our lives.

PAIN is not only a great motivator to call us to action to address the health problems we face, but it is also considerable stress. When we are in pain, our ability to function is compromised and it can become impossible to cross many things off that “list.”

It may be surprising to know that physiotherapists and chiropractors and massage therapists have extensive training not only in treating existing painful dysfunctions but in preventing these dysfunctions from manifesting by identifying predisposing factors and working on their correction.

Senior couple spending time in their garden on a sunny day, planting flowers.

An experienced practitioner brings so much to the table when it comes to prevention because they have spent abundant time dealing with the causal factors of physical dysfunction and addressing those factors effectively and efficiently with symptomatic patients. Good, experienced physiotherapists and chiropractors routinely treat many conditions that could easily be prevented with education or a stretch or two or a few sessions of manual therapy.

Part of the problem is individuals accept “pain-free” as optimal. This is false. The majority of individuals who invest in their health on a preventative basis whether it be with therapy or some form of suitable exercise will not only FEEL much better than the status quo — they will BE better than the status quo.

This investment will likely also make them more productive and less stressed on a number of levels and time frames.

Perhaps it is time to reassess your priorities. How important is your body to you? Is your body more important than your car? How much do you put into preventative maintenance on your car each year? How much are you investing in the longevity of your body?

You may have heard the saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I would like to provide a brief illustration of this as it relates to tight hip muscles.

Reduced flexibility of the hip musculature can come on for a number of reasons including past traumas, prolonged daily sitting postures, strength training, and degenerative disc disease. When the hip muscles are tight, the hip joint capsule can also become restricted and if this is not addressed, osteoarthritis develops and progresses.

When the hip capsule is tight, the knee joint, which is a hinge joint has to take on stresses for which it is not designed. This causes the cartilage of the knee joint to wear out (osteoarthritis) and the space between the thigh bone and the shin bone in the knee is reduced. Then the ligaments in the knee become lax because of the reduced joint space and the process of cartilage breakdown accelerates in the knee as it absorbs not only its own stresses but inappropriate stresses transmitted from the restricted hip.

Now an individual has knee pain for which they may seek therapy. This pain can be managed, but osteoarthritis is irreversible. Addressing the restricted hip now may reduce the knee pain to a degree, but stretching the hip with an unstable osteoarthritic knee is a substantial challenge.

Acupuncture and micro-current may now be necessary to loosen the hip in order to, in part, address the stresses prompting the knee pain. If this same individual saw an experienced physiotherapist before the onset of pain on a preventative basis years earlier, the hip restriction could have been identified before the onset of osteoarthritis in the hip and knee.

With 5 minutes of simple independent stretching 3 times a week, initially instructed by the physiotherapist and carried out at home by the patient, this scenario could have been averted. This is just one of many examples of the value of preventative physiotherapy and chiropractic care.

As regulated health care practitioners, it falls to us to serve our public by increasing awareness of the importance of prevention. Let us address your low back pain, hip osteoarthritis, etc., etc., before it becomes low back pain and osteoarthritis and curses you with debilitating symptoms and functional limitations. A much larger proportion of our caseloads should be patients who are attending for preventative measures to preserve physical health and optimal function.

Don’t let pain be your only motivator. Our practitioners are great “body mechanics.” Take the initiative to call us today — we can help not only take you out of pain but keep you out of pain before it starts.

Make an Appointment At Target Therapeutics Today.