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Physiotherapy Access in Ontario

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Physiotherapy Access in Ontario : Why Advocacy Matters More Than Ever Physiotherapy in Ontario is at a crossroads. For years, physiotherapists have been working in a system that doesn’t always make sense to the public—or even to many of us within the profession. As conversations about advocacy, funding, and access continue, it’s worth stepping back to examine how we got here and where our collective efforts should be focused next. Advocacy vs. Lobbying: Where Are We Putting Our Energy? Within professional associations , we often hear about the need for “advocacy,” but what does that actually include? Advocacy can mean raising awareness, educating government officials, participating in consultations, and representing the profession in public discussions. These are essential, but they’re broad. Lobbying, however, is different—it requires a clearly defined agenda. Historically, we saw this with efforts around Bill 179 , which aimed to expand physiotherapists’ scope of practice . B...
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Preventative and Environmental Physiotherapy : Leading a Sustainable Healthcare System Wanda Chen Registered Physiotherapist, MBA Introduction The healthcare system faces increasing challenges, including rising costs, environmental degradation, and an aging population. Sustainability in healthcare has become a pressing concern, requiring a shift towards preventive care and environmentally conscious practices. Physiotherapy, a discipline focused on rehabilitation and preventive healthcare, can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. By integrating preventative and environmental physiotherapy, healthcare systems can enhance patient outcomes, reduce environmental footprints, and contribute to long-term sustainability. This blog explores the concepts of preventative and environmental physiotherapy, their significance, their benefits to public health, and their role in sustainable healthcare governance . What is Preventative Physiotherapy? Preventative physiotherapy focuses...
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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 physiothera...
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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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