For our last official blog post of 2022, we have decided to do a round up. The end of the year is always a good time to look back and reflect on where we focused our energies, what we accomplished and what we need to do more or less of in the coming year.
When we look back on major themes we focused on in our newsletters, our blog and through our social media channels, they were grounded in the work we do every day and inspired by our amazing clients and therapists.
It’s no surprise to see our company mission and vision so clearly represented in topics that range from the benefits of good posture and how to eliminate barriers to physical activity for people with brain injuries to the benefits of mindfulness training for older adults.
We had five new contributors to our blog this year for a total of 10 authors. The content team put a tremendous amount of time and consideration into developing topic ideas and articles that are full of relevant evidence-based information, important tips and takeaways and a source of inspiration to our readers and followers.
Here is a roundup of the major themes we had to talk about in 2022:
- Exercise
- Healthy Aging
- Injury Prevention
- Neurological Injuries
- Orthopedic Injuries
- Pelvic Health
- Pediatric Physiotherapy
- Looking Ahead to 2023
Exercise
Gone are the days when cancer patients were told to rest during and after cancer treatments. Research has shown conclusively that exercise has numerous benefits for cancer prevention, as well as during and after cancer treatment.
Exercise can be an effective tool in helping bring these rates down and improve the quality of life and overall health for people living with cancer. In this article, we examine exercise and cancer: the benefits, precautions and guidelines for prevention, during and after cancer treatment.
Menopause transition can bring a host of symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, changes to bone density and body composition, poor sleep and changes to mood. Exercise can have a positive effect on the symptoms and even impact the onset. Registered physiotherapist Kathy Mileski discusses exercise and menopause and reviews physical activity guidelines for people in this age group.
The benefits of walking are numerous. It is a fantastic way to keep fit and stay healthy. It is also an easy and free activity that the whole family can do. Learn more about the benefits of walking. Check out a great list of walking trails across southern Ontario that you can access year-round.
Running is a great aerobic workout with numerous benefits for your entire body. The truth is a running program can be designed for most able-bodied people regardless of age and fitness level. It’s all about assessing where you are currently in your aerobic fitness and building from there at a slow but steady pace.
Registered physiotherapist and avid runner, David Friesen explores the evidence around nine benefits of running that you can expect when you regularly engage in a running program, as well as how to get started with a running program today.
Healthy Aging
Running is a great way to stay healthy at any age. Although certain physiological changes occur as we get older, running has numerous benefits in the aging population. Learn how the body changes with aging, the benefits of running for seniors, potential injuries in the aging runner, and how to best train to avoid injury and optimize running performance.
Exercise has emerged as a key intervention in the fight against cognitive decline and dementia. In Canada, about two thirds of Canadian seniors living with dementia are women. We wanted to shed some light on how menopausal changes affect brain health and how exercise supports brain function during menopause and against the effects of aging.
Keeping on top of our health as we age can be difficult. Remaining physically healthy and mobile as the normal aging process takes effect on our bones, joints and muscles requires vigilance. Otherwise, daily tasks that we may have taken for granted in our younger years can become challenging or even impossible.
A spinal cord injury accentuates the barriers associated with aging and create greater challenges for an already overwhelming process. Here we look at five major changes a person with SCI undergoes as they age, and key strategies to support healthy aging for a person living with SCI.
Research around mindfulness has shown that it has benefits in several areas around aging including cognitive, physical, and emotional gains. It is actually possible to experience aging with greater ease and joy. In this article, mindfulness coach Kathy Mileski takes a closer look at the cognitive, physiological and emotional benefits of mindful aging.
Injury Prevention
To ensure a safe and pain-free return to activity after a break, whether it is after winter, an extended holiday, illness or injury, it is important to build up your strength and activity tolerance gradually. Simply jumping back into the full activity can lead to injury and a longer break from activity than intended. In this article, we discuss general guidelines for a safe return to activity, along with activity modifications, and individual strategies to help with your next transition into physical activities.
Each year several thousand Canadian workers are permanently disabled by low back injuries. Many others are unable to return to their former jobs. Whether it is your job to handle heavy materials like boxes, bags and equipment, lifting or transferring people in and out of chairs, washrooms or beds, using proper lifting techniques, as demonstrated by registered physiotherapist Alanna Holz in this article, and ensuring adequate rest between lifts is essential in mitigating the risk of injury.
Paddling at the cottage or on the city’s local waterways can feel more like a fun pastime than the rigorous sport we see at the Olympics. But registered physiotherapist Kathy Mileski warns not to let that fool you into thinking your body doesn’t require proper training to avoid injury and improve your overall enjoyment of the activity. Clinic executive director Kyle Whaley demonstrates proper warm up and strengthening exercises for paddling sports, safety tips around paddling and where to find waterways to enjoy paddling in your area.
Summer is an excellent time to get the kids outdoors to enjoy fun activities that help them connect with nature while meeting their daily physical activity goals. But summer fun can easily be spoiled when we don’t heed basic safety protocols. Whatever activity you enjoy with your children, there are ways to keep everyone safe and having a blast. Here are a few summer safety tips to help you keep the kids safe.
Neurological Injuries
Stroke recovery can be a long and challenging process. While the greatest changes often occur within the first six months after a stroke, significant changes can continue many years after a stroke or what is called chronic stroke. Neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain to rewire or reorganize itself can allow healthy areas of the brain to compensate for damaged tissues.
Physiotherapy plays a key role in fostering this recovery. In this article, registered physiotherapist Micheal D’Alessandro recounts a specific case of chronic stroke rehabilitation six months after the initial event.
The effects of brain injury are largely dependent on the location and severity of the trauma. The brain is a complex organ composed of three main parts; the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brainstem. These areas communicate via billions of neurons to control many of the body’s functions, like movement, speech, thoughts, and emotions. In this article, registered physiotherapist Kathy Mileski examines the structure and function of these parts of the brain, and as a result, how the location of the brain injury impacts the outcome.
Physical activity is an essential part of recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is substantial evidence to support the benefits of regular exercise for people living with TBI regardless of the severity and complexity of symptoms. Despite this evidence, adoption of an exercise program—and adherence to one—can be hindered by several barriers to physical activity.
Common barriers to physical activity and engagement in exercise can include but are not limited to: finances, transportation, time, self-confidence, body image, decreased initiation or motivation, and accountability. These common barriers are further intensified with a brain injury. Registered physiotherapist Hoong Phang gives us some essential tips to eliminating barriers to physical activity and exercise for people with brain injury.
Sciatica is a common cause of low back and leg pain. Between 10 – 40 percent of people will develop sciatica in their lifetime with the greatest incidence occurring in patients in their fourth decade. Although the pain can be severe, most cases resolve within weeks with non-surgical treatment like sciatica physiotherapy. Learn what causes sciatica, how it is diagnosed and non-surgical treatment options like sciatica physiotherapy can help improve pain and function.
Orthopedic Injuries
All people have slight variations in their posture due to naturally occurring developmental differences and environmental influences. The concept of “good posture” is highly debated, however there is agreement in the scientific community that optimal posture is unique to the individual, and takes into account their individual presentation, health history and goals.
It is the physiotherapist’s role to identify the individual client needs and tailor an intervention and therapeutic approach that best suits the individual. Here registered physiotherapist Hoong Phang examines the typical optimal posture, the benefits of good posture and why we should adapt this definition to the individual client.
The structure of the shoulder joint makes it susceptible to injury. Some common shoulder injuries include frozen shoulder, labral tears and rotator cuff tears. In this article, we look at shoulder joint anatomy, why common shoulder injuries occur as well as discuss symptoms, causes and treatment for these common shoulder injuries.
Every year, thousands of Canadians suffer from whiplash associated disorders resulting from motor vehicle accidents. These injuries can cause a range of symptoms from pain and stiffness to problems with concentration, anxiety and depression. Learn how whiplash treatment can be highly successful with early intervention that includes active exercise, education and manual therapy treatment.
Pelvic Health
Loss of bladder control resulting in involuntary leakage of urine is fairly common. In fact, it is so common that many individuals do not discuss their symptoms with their doctor and are not aware that urinary incontinence treatment is available. Our pelvic health team highlight the two most common types of urinary incontinence and how pelvic floor physiotherapy can help.
Sexual intercourse should not be painful. Inserting a tampon, or a speculum for a vaginal exam, may be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. Many people do not know that they can and should seek medical care for pain with intercourse.
Dyspareunia treatment from a registered physiotherapist trained in pelvic health like Christine Davies can help resolve symptoms and lead to pain-free intercourse. In this article, Christine discusses the causes, risks factors, symptoms, and dyspareunia treatment options.
Pediatric Physiotherapy
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of arthritis in children and adolescents. It is a chronic condition that causes pain and swelling in the affected joints. Learn how juvenile idiopathic arthritis treatment can help with maintaining and improving function and reducing symptoms so that kids can get back to doing things they enjoy.
Cerebral palsy is a movement disorder caused by abnormal development or damage to the brain during pregnancy, childbirth or infancy. Cerebral palsy physiotherapy aims to target the specific motor symptoms of cerebral palsy and reduce long term complications. Early identification and intervention are key for successful outcomes. In this article we will look at the causes, symptoms, and treatment for cerebral palsy.
Looking Ahead to 2023
Propel Physiotherapy is getting set to open a clinic space in the city of Peterborough at the beginning of 2023. After three years of delivering physiotherapy to the people of Peterborough and the Kawarthas, Northumberland and Hastings Counties solely as a mobile, community-based service provider, our team of therapists will now be able to provide clients with a full spectrum of care options.
The new space is located at 1600 Lansdowne St. West, Units 8 & 9. It will feature four private treatment rooms and an open gym area with more treatment tables and lots of specialized equipment. “My team is really excited to be able to provide that full spectrum of care for our clients – from home to the clinic and out in the community,” says clinic manager David Friesen. “We now have more flexibility to tailor plans to meet the individual needs of our clients.”
Hoong Phang sat down with David Friesen to discuss his journey to this point, what opening a physical clinic space in Peterborough means to him after being on the road for three years, and the direction for the new clinic.
Watch the full interview or read the transcript here.
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