Acute low back pain comes, then goes and is gone. Chronic low back pain is continually there for a very long time without break. What about acute episodes of low back pain that last a short while, but seem to come back every month or 2 or 3? Is it possible to finally end this […]
Common Golf Injuries and What to Do About Them!
The return of Spring means the start of another golf season in Canada. The fresh air, the smell of cut grass, and the feeling of making a clutch putt is second to none. As good as the golf experience can be, it’s easily ruined by either an acute or a nagging season long injury. Golf […]
Since when do physiotherapists order xrays?
In 2013, Alberta Health granted physiotherapists ordering privileges for certain types of diagnostic imaging (xray, ultrasounds and MRI). This was another step in the advancement of primary care practice for physiotherapy in Alberta. Including myself, CSA employees a number of these qualified PTs. “I have knee pain. So you mean I don’t have to see […]
I have Achilles Tendonitis! (No you don’t. And stop stretching)
Tendons are phenomenal structures. Our understanding of them has grown immensely in the past 25 years. In fact the proper care for tendon injuries has changed more in that time than perhaps any other injury that is commonly seen in physiotherapy. The Achilles tendon is particularly unique and notoriously difficult to treat when injured. Here […]
How Do I Know if I Need an Xray?
Did you know that in Alberta, physiotherapists who have taken the required training have the ability to request xrays, MRI, or ultrasound imaging for their clients? Often this can be helpful in determining the appropriate treatment and can help rule in or out certain conditions. How do you know if you need imaging? There are […]
Tennis elbow anyone?
Tennis elbow. It’s one of the most common yet complex musculoskeletal conditions affecting the elbow. The name might make you thing the condition is caused by playing tennis. In actual fact, studies shows it is more common in work related activities than in tennis players. The typical symptoms are pain in the outside of the […]
Get A Grip On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Do you have numbness, burning and tingling in your hands? Is the pain worse at night? Does the loss of grip strength make it difficult to hold things? Is it getting hard for you to do your job? If this sounds like you, you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS. What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve that runs down the underside […]
Chronic pain management: nutrition and diet
Management of chronic pain requires a multi-faceted approach. This blog will deal with the eating habits you can develop to help reduce the impact that your diet may have on your pain. It is generally recommended to avoid anything that is sugary and processed. Besides fried foods and candy, some unhealthy foods that are not quite […]
Ask the expert: Runners Knee
Runners Knee? What?? I’m a physiotherapist, and I recently started training for a half marathon. My training was going well until I felt a sharp pain on the outside of my left knee during a long run. I don’t remember hurting it. The pain came on suddenly. Now it only seems to hurt at the […]
Waiting for joint surgery? Stop waiting, and start rehabbing.
Why does our system think it’s OK to wait 14 months for joint surgery? The Alberta healthcare system provides excellent and timely care for life-threatening conditions. A sore knee or hip is considered not life-threatening, and therefore you get thrown in the queue to wait for joint surgery. What if that sore knee stops you […]
