Shouldering the burden of Injury

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the human body. As such it is very vulnerable to injury especially in sport. Most injuries to the shoulder involve muscles, ligaments and tendons rather than bones. Since the shoulder connects the arm and hand to the rest of the body, injuries to the shoulder can have a greater impact to daily living than other areas. Like other injuries, shoulder...Read more

What is the role of physical therapy in sport?

Most active Canadians will at some point in their life experience an injury related to their physical activity or sport. Knowing what to do and how to address these injuries so they don’t get worse is where sport physiotherapy comes into play. While many small injuries can be treated by a family doctor, quite often these and more complex injuries are referred to a physiotherapist. A...Read more

Exercise Associated Muscle Cramping

Muscle cramps are a common occurrence in sports and numerous other physical activities, where even highly fit athletes can experience slight to very painful muscle spasms. Any muscle can be affected but it commonly occurs to the legs, for athletes this can be debilitating and require some time off from training and competition. Theories are mixed in the scientific community as to why muscle...Read more

Need to Know Facts about Concussions

A concussion is a common head injury, also known as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) . It is an injury that is caused by the brain being shaken around inside the skull after a direct blow to the head, or a sudden jerking of the head or neck when the body is hit. There is a misconception that you have to be knocked out to sustain a concussion, when in fact any contact to the head or body that...Read more

Match Point: Treating and Preventing Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a very common sport related injury. Despite its name the injury can occur in a number of different sports. While usually a fairly minor injury, the resulting pain, discomfort, and potential weakness can prevent a person from participating in their activity of choice. Thankfully if the individual is knowledgeable, tennis elbow can be easily treated and potentially prevented. Before...Read more

The high impact of low iron

Iron is an essential mineral for both health and athletic performance . High performance athletes, because of their heavy training schedule, can rapidly decrease their body's iron stores. Iron deficiency , if left undiagnosed, can leave your body tired, flat and unable to train. Canadian Olympic athlete Paula Findlay experienced this first hand when she was diagnosed with anemia after her...Read more

Treating Tendon Injuries

Tendon injuries are common in the sport community and can affect amateur and professional athletes alike. Tendon injuries are most often the result of gradual wear and tear to the tendon from overuse, incorrect movement or aging. As debilitating as they can be, the good news is that when treated properly , minor to moderate tendon injuries can heal on their own. While almost any tendon can...Read more

Yoga Poses and Meditation for back pain

Yoga - the ancient physical, mental and spiritual discipline - has been found to be a great intervention for chronic back pain. And many high level athletes use yoga as a part of their training and recovery programs. The physical stretches are the most helpful part of the recovery but let us not forgot that the mental aspect of the discipline is quite beneficial to recovery as well. By holding a...Read more

Healing Shortcut

Following an injury, it is often hard having to sit out and wait to recover. This is when a new therapy has been called into play, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) surgery . The therapy consists of placing athlete’s blood in a centrifuge and reinserting it in the wound. The end result is healed tissue. This therapy is often claims to speed up recovery. However, studies published by the Journal of the...Read more