Acupuncture can be a safe adjunct to physiotherapy treatment. It can be used for pain relief for many common conditions. It involves the insertion of a thin acupuncture needle into the skin to increase circulation and cause a release of our bodies own natural pain relievers.
Custom orthotics can be useful in treating foot pain and dysfunction in the lower extremity. After a thorough examination to identify the individual needs of the client, custom orthotics are fabricated using molds that the Physiotherapist makes by casting the clients feet while the feet are held in a neutral arch posture. These casts of the feet are then sent off to a lab where a custom insole is fabricated that meets the individual needs of the person.
Dry Needling Therapy involves the insertion of a thin needle directly into the “knot” in a muscle or more commonly referred to as the trigger point in a muscle. This is done to stimulate the underlying muscle, fascia and connective tissue.
Some common immediate effects of dry needling include: improved length of the muscle, less tenderness over the sore area, pain relief, increased circulation, and improved range of motion around the area.
Dry Needling Therapy can be a powerful adjunct to a physiotherapy treatment plan and can be very useful for treating myofascial pain.
If attending the clinic is not an option, we do offer home visits which can be useful for people who have significant mobility impairments. For specific details regarding home visits, it is best to contact the clinic.
Manual therapy commonly involves the passive movement of a joint through its range of motion in order to reduce pain and reduce joint stiffness.
The two most common forms of manual therapy are joint mobilization and joint manipulation. Joint mobilization involves a slow, oscillating movement through range of motion of a joint. Joint manipulation involves a high velocity, short amplitude movement through range of motion of a joint commonly at its end range of movement. An audible release often may be heard with joint manipulation which is referred to as joint cavitation.
If appropriate, your Physiotherapist may include modalities in your treatment plan. Common modalities include the use of heat, cold, ultrasound therapy, and electro-modalities such as TENS and IFC.
Myofascial treatment can include soft tissue massage, trigger point release, hold relax techniques, and pressure through a muscle using strain and counter strain.
Commonly, these are active and functionally based specific exercise programs that are tailored to the needs of the client. These programs are targeted with specific goals of the individual in mind and the physical tasks that they are required to perform. These programs may involve progressive hourly programming in the clinic that have an emphasis on preparing the individual to meet the physical demands of returning to work after a prolonged absence. This can also be referred to as work hardening programming. Reconditioning and work hardening programs also focus on overall prevention of injury and re-injury.
For specific inquiries regarding reconditioning/work hardening programming, it is best to contact our clinic and speak directly to one of our Physiotherapists.
Some spinal conditions may be appropriate for the use of computerized traction/spinal decompression therapy. This therapy offloads the spine by using a specialized traction/spinal decompression table that adds a line of pull against the spine. Spinal traction is used to open up spaces between the disks and joints of the spine as well as relax the surrounding muscles.
This form of therapy is commonly used for the treatment of degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, and relief of spinal nerve compression.
Your Physiotherapist may prescribe certain specific corrective exercises to help improve your condition and improve your function. These may include range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, balance exercises, and stretching exercises. Certain forms of exercises may be targeted towards specific sports, general fitness, general mobility, work related injuries, or to improve athletic performance.
Depending on the person and the type of condition, some forms of exercises may be performed in the clinic and monitored closely by the treating Physiotherapist.
For more specific questions and inquiries regarding our services, or if you are unsure whether physiotherapy can help, it is often best to contact us or drop by our clinic and speak with a Physiotherapist directly.
