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Headaches and Physiotherapy

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Have you complained of headaches that pound behind one eye?  Have you felt pressure at the front or the back of your head for hours that goes away with a Tylenol?  If you have, most likely you have suffered from a simple tension headache and physiotherapists can address the issue without taking medications regularly.  There are different reasons one individual could have headaches: sinus issues, blood pressure issues, exertion, migraines, muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, whiplash injuries, and concussions. Differential diagnoses are important to determine the cause and find the best treatment route.  Physiotherapy cannot help if headaches are related to blood pressure, hormones, or other hematological issues.  Your medical practitioners will need to take time to diagnose while you focus on exercising to improve general circulation and well-being in tolerance. Your physiotherapists can guide you through that.  On the other hand, when physiotherapists notice a headache is no
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How Exercise Impacts Sleep and Vice Versa

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Getting enough sleep is incredibly important for our health and insufficient sleep is associated as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, several cardiovascular diseases, obesity, poor mental health, depression, and accidents. Additionally , in general, getting 7-8 hours of sleep (for adults) is correlated with lower mortality and prevalence of disease (morbidity). Studies suggest that good sleep habits and moderate physical activity can benefit each other in a reciprocal relationship. However, about 1 in 4 Canadian adults between the ages of 18-79 years are not getting sufficient sleep (1 in 3 in adults aged 35 to 64 years). Poor sleep quality is also an issue in the Canadian population with about 50% of adults having difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep and 1 in 5 adults report their sleep isn’t refreshing. These aspects are negatively affecting the stress levels and mental health of Canadians . Among adults that report getting inadequate sleep, 36.3% have chronic stress
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I want to exercise but…

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I’m sure we’re all aware that exercise has a myriad of benefits for our health, wellbeing, and quality of life. The further along in my degree, the more amazing things I learn are associated with incorporating more physical activity into your daily routine and reducing sedentary (sitting) time. However, despite all the advantages I became aware of and all the negative outcomes failing to change my lifestyle can lead to, I was still struggling to find the motivation to exercise regularly.  In this blog, I want to highlight some of the information that helped me change my lifestyle and increase my physical activity level. Often we can acknowledge a need for change, whether it's because you find yourself winded going up the stairs, because of weak joints, or perhaps a desire to get stronger. We find some sort of burst in motivation but don’t know what to do with it. How much physical activity should I be doing? The recommended physical activity guideline for adults age 18 years a
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Soft Tissue Injury

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Soft Tissue injury   1. Muscle Strain A stretch, tear, or rip to a muscle or an adjacent tissue that can range from a mild tear to complete muscle rupture and usually  involves large force producing muscle. Healing time may depend on the level of severity of the injury which are as follows:       Grade I  Some muscle fiber tearing •  tenderness and painful movement but full range present    Grade II  Many torn muscle fibers •  active contraction is painful, usually a depression or divot is palpable, some swelling and discoloration result   Grade III  Complete rupture of fibers •  significant impairment initially with a great deal of pain that diminishes due to nerve damage   Muscular pain may be a result of: Muscle spasms or guarding are the reflex reactions caused by trauma. There are two types which are as follows: Clonic - Alternating involuntary muscular contractions and relaxations in quick succession Tonic - Rigid contraction that lasts a pe
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My Experience as a Student Physiotherapist at Freedom in Movement Physiotherapy

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Hi everyone, My name is Sarah, and I am a second-year physiotherapy student from the University of Toronto in my last week of my final internship of the two-year MScPT program. I have been completing my last 6-week clinical internship at Freedom in Movement Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre, and over my time here and my other placements, have learned several lessons that I want to share. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in physiotherapy. However, in my third year of my undergraduate degree when it came time to start thinking about applying to physio school, I found myself filled with a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty about whether I could get into the very competitive master’s program. The reason I mention this is because I am now experiencing similar feelings as I complete the program and enter my career as a physiotherapist. I am feeling excited and hopeful, but also am experiencing self-doubt about my ability to be a competent clinician. With that being
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