Soft Tissue Release – Tri City Physiotherapy

What is Soft tissue release?

Soft tissue release is a therapy where pressure is applied on a muscle or connective tissue during movement to fascilitate a stretch or lengthening of tissue.

To maximize effect, the pressure is moved during the stretch to release different parts of the mucle or connective tissue.

Why soft tissue release?

The benefits include increases in venous and lymphatic drainage, increasing fluid absorption, mobilizing adhesions, breaking up scar tissue and helping overall collagen flexibility.

In all, soft tissue release combines stretch and massage which together have better effect on decreasing the size of the scar/painful area and helps organize the direction of the fibres which ultimatley lessens strain. The technique is rhythmic, relatively gentle and takes place in multiple planes to help create a greater range of motion overall.

Still confused or scared it will hurt?

Good youtube video showing how it is done on a hamstring.  Soft Tissue Release

Interested in knowing more.. or are in need of this type of therapy…

Call our staff to book your appointment now or to speak to a therapist.

519-620-2229

Supporter of GSM Tennis Club

Tri City Physiotherapy is proud to be a supporter of the all new GSM (Game Set Match) Tennis Club in Cambridge.  www.gsmtc.ca

We are going to be the provider of rehab and paramedical services to the club members and staff.  We are also planning in the near future on providing an injury prevention course for athletes (and non-athletes) of all ages at the club.  We feel that preventing injury is more important than fixing them once they happen.  Happy healthy and safe play is the key to a long successful sports career.

GSM Tennis Club is a brand new facility serving the entire waterloo region with state of the art flex courts (http://www.flexcourtcanada.ca/)  These courts are one of the best at providing a safe and orthopedic cushioned play while providing a very similar playing feel to hard courts.  They try to prevent the injury before it happens.

GSM provides year round play with the courts housed inside of a retractable bubble for play in the winter and open air in the summer.

We hope to see you out at the courts staying fit and healthy.  If you want to find out more about future injury prevention clinics call the clinic at 519-620-2229.

If you want to test out the courts call GSM at P: 519.896.7070   E: info@gsmtc.ca

See you there

2015 Best Massage and Physiotherapy

We just wanted to thank Cambridge for again nominating us for the readers choice awards best massage and physiotherapy clinic in cambridge.

We won the diamond award in 2014 for Cambridge in both categories and worked hard to keep the same high level of quality care for 2015.

Voting starts Sept 24 at http://www.cambridgetimeschoice.ca/

Remember to tell your friends to vote for us again.

Good Job team and thank you again Cambridge

Winner – 2014 Patients’ Choice Awards!

Another award for Tri City Physio, and we want to again thank the city and region for voting us the best physiotherapy clinic in town.

Tri-City Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation has won the Open Care (https://www.opencare.com) 2014 Patients’ Choice Awards!

They conducted an extensive review of all the clinics in Cambridge to determine the Top 10 and Tri City Physiotherapy was picked as the best. You can read more about the award and about open care at their  blog.

 

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness

https://vestibular.org/pppd

Interesting Article from the Vestibular Disorder Association giving some background information, symptoms and treatment options.

On of those options for treatment is physiotherapy from specially trained therapist. We at Tri City Physiotherapy have a specially trained therapist and work in conjunction with your family doctor or specialist to get you better and keep you feeling that way.

Treatments are covered by insurance plans just like normal physiotherapy treatments are. If you are unsure if you have coverage, or have any questions about the treatments. Call our friendly staff and we will do our best to answer your questions.

Put Nature’s Call On Hold!

Many of you have probably heard of the famous “Kegal” exercises.  Well, “Kegals” do NOT treat all kinds of pelvic pain and urinary incontinence.  If your pelvic floor muscles tend to be shortened, then kegals are not for you.  However, if you pelvic floor muscles are long and weak, then progressive pelvic floor strengthening and control  may be the right solution.  Now, you are probably wondering, “Well, how do I know if my pelvic floor muscles are short and tight or weak and long?

The answer to your question is pelvic floor physiotherapy.  Physiotherapists that have been trained in pelvic floor rehabilitation, will need to perform a thorough assessment which would help to determine what the right treatment plan is for you.  Your physiotherapist will ask you questions regarding how and when the problem started and get the details about what exactly you are experiencing.  Then, the next part of the assessment may involve a visual and manual vaginal and/or rectal examination in order to determine the source of the problem.  In addition to your pelvic floor assessment, your abdominal muscles, your low back and your hips may be assessed to see if there are any other factors affecting your pelvic function.

Patient education should focus on reassurance and the actual anatomy of the pelvis.  Treatment may take the form of exercise training: keeping a bladder diary; learning to use the proper muscles in the most proper way, behavior modifications, manual therapy to recover tissue mobility, and even changes in your diet.  The exercises will be specific to the problems that were found in your assessment: they could focus on strength, control and timing, and endurance, or even yoga and relaxation of an over active muscle.

Arm Bike / Ergonometer is here

I’m very excited to announce that Tri City Physiotherapy will now offer a top of the line upper body ergometer to offer an even wider range of rehab options for our patients.  An upper body ergometer is best described as a bicycle for your arms. Your hands hold pedals and your arms move around in circles as if pedaling a bike. You can sit or stand in front of the ergometer for a no-impact cardiovascular workout that uses only your upper body.

Upper body (arm) ergometers aren’t a gym staple, but they’re becoming more readily available in many of the top physical therapy offices, hospitals, and universities. These machines are targeted to meet the fitness and rehab needs of individuals who cannot use their legs for physical activity, either due to an acute injury or chronic pain, or for those patients with an upper body injury trying to return range or motion or strength to their upper body.  These machines offer a great cardio workout that uses the upper body instead of your legs.

Who can use an upper body ergometer?

  • Individuals with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, or lower body disability
  • Individuals with chronic pain in the knees, feet, ankles, or hips.
  • Individuals who need a low-impact exercise program
  • Individuals who are recovering from foot or leg injury/surgery and have clearance to continue working out, but can’t use their legs.
  • Anyone who wants to vary their cardio workout program

Shoulder Pain or Problems?  Just had upper body surgery?

No problems at all…  If you have shoulder pain, shoulder surgery, or any other upper extremity problem that may affect the strength or endurance of your arms, your therapist may choose to have you use the upper body ergometer while in the clinic. Also, if you have worn a sling while healing from injury, you may notice that the strength and endurance of your arms is impaired. The upper body ergometer can help you improve your strength and endurance to help improve the function in your arms getting you back to your regular self faster.

Is it Safe if I’ve had Heart attack, or Bypass Surgery?

If you have had a heart attack, cardiac problems, Bypass surgery, or pulmonary (lung) problems, your doctor may refer you to physical therapy for cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation. The upper body ergometer may be used to help improve your cardiac endurance or pulmonary function so you can quickly get back to normal activities.

Bypass patients still have to follow the standard restrictions for upper body exercises for the first part of their rehabilitation.  Once these restrictions have been removed by the supervising therapist in conjunction with the supervising physician, the upper body ergometer can be safely added to the rehab process.

Sci Fit Pro

We have ordered the Sci Fit Pro 1 http://scifit.com/proseries/pro1.shtml there is lots of good information on their website as well as lots of details about the machine.  Some of the features are:

  • Adjustable tilt head for all heights and ranges of motion
  • True , adjustable step-through accessibility
  • Bi-directional exercise
  • Iso-Strength safe, accommodating strength program
  • Very low starting resistance
  • Wheelchair platform
  • Fully adjustable seat

This model is compatible with the polar straps, so our cardiac patients can still monitor their heart rate using their straps.   Our non-cardiac patients can buy or bring their own polar straps to use with our machines.

For those interested in any of the scientific articles and research behind the upper body ergometer, please ask one of our staff members and we’d be happy to provide them for you.

We’re all excited and looking forward to adding this great piece of equipment into your rehab routine.

Physiotherapists: The Body Mechanics

To start, imagine driving down the road when you run over a big pot hole and get a flat tire.  Would the first thing that went through your head be “hmmmm, maybe it will get better on its own”?  Probably not.  Now imagine leaving that tire to “get better on its own”  for a week, a month or even a year.  Don’t you think that maybe this flat tire, which could have been fixed easily if it were taken care of initially, would cause further mechanical problems with the rest of your car?  The alignment, the gas mileage, not to mention the damage it would cause to the rims?

Now, instead of having a flat tire, imagine straining your shoulder while playing co-ed softball or while painting that  room that went out of style 10 years ago.  Wouldn’t it be a little easier to say “hmmm, maybe it will get better on its own”?  I bet it would be.  Don’t you think, much like how a flat tire would cause  further mechanical problems with your car, a strained shoulder would do the same to the rest of our body if left untreated?  My guess is that most of us would nod our heads yes, soooooo….. why is it that we treat our possessions better and more proactively than we treat ourselves?

If this scenario speaks to you, don’t let your next injury get the best of you.  Visit a physiotherapist so that your next flat tire doesn’t turn into a full body breakdown.