How Music Therapy Can Treat Parkinson’s, TBI, Stroke
During the month of March, we would like to take the opportunity to spread awareness of the breadth and benefits of music therapy. Music therapy is an increasingly accessible form of therapy that provides holistic treatment for a variety neurological rehabilitation goals. Neurological Music Therapy (NMT) techniques are effective with a range of populations such as Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, stroke and more. Some clients may benefit from receiving NMT treatment alongside their existing rehab therapies. Although you may be hearing about NMT for the first time, research and clinical studies supporting the effects of using music clinically in [...]
Maintaining Heart Health with Spinal Cord Injury
Most spinal cord injuries occur in individuals under 30 years of age. This, along with medical advancements have allowed people with spinal cord injuries to have an increased life expectancy compared with past generations. Those with SCI are consequently susceptible to the same chronic diseases as the general population, including cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in persons with SCI[i]. While some of the same barriers exist to exercise, such as motivation or finding time for exercise, people with spinal cord injuries have additional challenges such as inaccessible equipment, and challenges [...]
Physical Therapy for Babies’ Gross Motor Skills Development
I am often asked questions about developmental milestones by parents who are anxious or concerned about their baby’s development. The truth is that every child’s development is different and milestones might be reached within a wide range of what is considered normal. If you are curious or concerned about your baby’s development, our pediatric physiotherapist, Janna Marvyn, can perform a comprehensive assessment of your child’s gross motor function. The assessment will evaluate your baby’s posture, strength (sitting, standing), movement (rolling, crawling, cruising, etc), flexibility, balance, coordination and sensory processing. A summary of the assessment will be provided in a detailed [...]
Physical Therapy for People with Dementia
Today, more than 500,000 Canadians live with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada estimates that by the year 2031 this number will rise to over 937,000. The prevalence of this disease has made education and training for health care professionals, care providers and family key to providing quality care. At Propel Physiotherapy, our extensive experience working with people living with a a range of brain injuries and illnesses has helped to prepare many of our therapists for addressing the challenges facing this specific population. Many of the strategies we use are pertinent to both groups. Strategies for Managing Symptoms We [...]
Lower Back Pain Treatment
One of the most common issues people come to our clinic to get addressed is lower back pain. It’s not surprising when you consider that up to 85 percent of working people can expect to experience some form of lower back pain during their lifetime.¹ Specifically in Canada, the lower back medical costs are a significant strain on our workforce’s productivity and a massive cause of missed workdays.² The good news is that an active physiotherapy program can help people get back to work and their regular routine with more lower back resiliency. We see clients with a wide variety [...]
Adaptive Sports Provide Ways to Enjoy Winter
It’s that time of the year when many of us are bracing ourselves for the inevitable onslaught of cold winter weather. While you may shiver at the thought, the cold, snow and ice shouldn’t spell an end to your physical activity. It may be time to consider adaptive sports. The winter season is too long, in Canada, to deprive ourselves of the many benefits of regular physical activity for such an extended period. This is especially true for persons with physical impairments and disabilities. Exercise provides some major benefits like: Strengthening the cardiovascular system Regulating fuel use in our bodies [...]