Category: injury prevention Winnipeg

Posted on by

Winnipeg weather can be dangerous too; ice, falls, car accidents, back pain…get Physiotherapy 2022

As the weekend storm moves off the Prairies… but as our fore-Fathers discovered, Winnipeg weather can be dangerous too; just today another car accident where the conditions and poor preparation cause injury.

Falls can diminish your ability to lead an active and independent life. About one third of people over the age of 65 and almost half of people over the age of 80 will fall at least once this year. There usually are several reasons for a fall. We can help you reduce your risk of falling, and better your performance through Universal design. We can assess your biomechanics at home, on the job or even during sport; like golf, running and curling.

Balance, together with ‘core’ training can enhance your ability to perform, avoid injury, especially like those from falls.

Aging is a natural process that encompasses biological changes that tend to be associated with the development of joint pain or that may limit the ability to work with joint pain.  In addition to arthritic joint degeneration, aging is associated with loss of muscle mass and muscle function.  Functional loss is influenced by changes at the cellular and molecular physiology level.  These changes may reduce joint stability and impair normal joint motion that affect the ability to tolerate specific work postures and repetitive motion.  With a loss in muscle strength, the same level of physical effort places a greater demand on an individual relative to her/his capabilities.

The relationship between aging and joint pain in the workplace is complex and influenced by a number of factors.  For example, national surveys of workers across a wide variety of occupations indicate that not all older workers (50 years and older) report a greater risk of joint pain.  Older workers at greatest risk tend to be in jobs that have high physical demands.  And once an injury has occurred, it may take longer for an older worker to return to work.  In spite of these factors, studies indicate that older workers suffer no decrease in overall job performance.

Osteoarthritis, and the pain associated with degenerative disc disease in the lower back can be alleviated with laser therapy. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact your Physio.

An in-person or virtual assessment should be completed before starting any exercise program

You can perform at your best when prepared
Posted on by

Snow, garbage, warm winds and bags of leaves in Winnipeg, need Physiotherapy?

Our first snow fall has come and gone in Winnipeg, unfortunately for those who lost their hydro in the first blizzard of this winter season in Manitoba, it dragged on for 4-6 days. Sounds like our garbage collection woes this October, as Winnipeg introduces the automated, curbside, private company collection, not to mention a shortage of paper bags to dispose of the fall leaves. Snow, garbage, raking leaves, the dreaded fall cleanup can all lead to acute, or even chronic back injuries.

My ergonomic tip for you this fall season; switch the way you do things, especially those repetitive tasks, the raking, the shovelling, switch direction, go from right to left and vice versa. Avoid the pitfalls of the weekend warm winds, get it done, but pace your work and enjoy the time outdoors, stretch occasionally; hands on your hips, bend backwards comfortably and repeat.

Next, we’ll talk about whiplash injuries; what to expect from MPI and driving ergonomics for the ice n snow of winter.

Posted on by

Winnipeg Soccer, as outdoor ends, indoor begins and the knee injuries need Physiotherapy

It’s almost the end of September in Winnipeg, and its all too common on the soccer field and basketball court.  An athlete jumps to get the ball, lands and blows out a knee. And most of that time those athletes are girls. Girls are four to six times more likely to suffer a certain kind of knee injury than boys, according to Mayo Clinic research.

Your Physio Winnipeg always concentrates on proper training, biomechanics and technique of exercise, otherwise, why do it if you’re going to hurt yourself.

When an athlete cuts, pivots or jumps, the athlete puts stress on the ligaments of the knee; Medial, Lateral and especially the Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL in the knee.  If the knee collapses inward during these moves, that ligament can tear, along with severe injury to the surrounding soft tissue.

ACL injuries are especially a problem for girls, possibly because of the angles of their leg bones or imbalanced muscles around the knee. But proper biomechanics, education and training can help prevent ligament injuries.

Train to jump properly, and actually practice to inherit a good habit; “Legs shoulder width apart. you have to jump as high as you can and when you land you have to land straight and your knees can’t go in or out,” explains Winnipeg physiotherapist, Chris Bisignano.

At the heart of research now is jump mechanics and landing mechanics.  These drills teach how to move more safely and will strengthen the muscles around the knees.

Ligament injuries can mean a trip to the operating room and reconstructions are not minor.  Recovery can keep you out of the game for nine months to a year.  But injury prevention training, and cross activity training can keep kids in the game. Westwood High School in Winnipeg, actually has a “high performance training or phys ed” class for its athletes. “They give their kids some training techniques I would never try in practice,” says Bisignano, “but its excellent training to be involved in to prevent injury”.