Injury Prevention: Strategies to Prevent the Most Common Injuries
Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 1 and 44 years.[i] In addition to the devastating human cost, this major public health challenge also represents a huge economic burden. In 2018, injury in Canada resulted in $20.4 billion in direct health care costs and $29.4 billion in total economic costs.[ii] Physiotherapists play a huge and critical role in injury prevention and management. In this article, I discuss the most common causes of unintentional injury, including injuries at home, work and sports, as well as provide an overview of some of the strategies you [...]
Healthy Aging: A Holistic Approach to Aging Well
Getting older is a natural part of life. How you feel as you get older, however, depends on a number of things that are actually within your control. A healthy lifestyle and healthy behaviors can make a big difference in how you feel as you age. In this article, we will examine a holistic approach to healthy aging that includes modifying exercise and diet and managing risk factors. What is Aging? Aging is a multifactorial process, determined by genetics as well as other factors such as diet, exercise, and exposure to environmental toxins. Gender, socioeconomic status and psychological factors [...]
What is a Support Brace & When Should You Wear One?
As a physiotherapist, I am often asked if a support brace or sleeve is warranted after an injury and if it can make a difference in the person’s recovery. Support braces are sometimes recommended by healthcare professionals. Because they can be purchased at a pharmacy, people sometimes purchase them when they are experiencing pain in a specific area of the body without understanding their purpose or whether it will actually benefit them. To help you better understand what support braces do, how they work and when and how to use them appropriately, I will provide a physiotherapists perspective and [...]
Fit Fathers: Reimagining the Dad Bod
The third Sunday in June marks the day to celebrate fathers for all that they do and mean to us. Whether your dad worked tirelessly to provide for your family, or you are the one grinding it out to raise your own, I see you dads out there and I salute you. We also salute those who are going to be fathers, were once fathers, and the father figures in our lives! Originally coined in 2015 by then college student Mackenzie Pearson in internet media company known as The Odyssey, the Dad Bod has become a term of endearment [...]
How to Motivate Older Adults to Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the most important things older adults can do to maintain good health and independence. Yet, it is clear that as an aging population we are not getting the recommended amount of exercise to reap those benefits. As a registered physiotherapist, I need to know how to motivate older adults to exercise in a rehabilitation setting. I also try to encourage my clients to change their exercise behaviours long term and stay active as they age. To better understand why so many people, especially older adults, continue to avoid something that is so clearly beneficial, [...]
Foot Pain: Types, Causes and Physiotherapy Treatment
Our feet do so much for us. They take us places. They ground us. But we likely don’t think about them very much until they hurt. Foot pain is a common occurrence that left untreated can lead to permanent structural changes and disability. Injury, overuse or other conditions can cause inflammation to any of the areas of the foot. It is estimated that 75 percent of Canadians will experience foot problems of varying severity at one point in their life.[i] In this article, we explore the common types and causes of foot pain, discuss the effect of footwear on [...]