- Use-related pain
- Stiffness
- Crepitus
- Decrease range of motion and flexibility
- Instability, Weakness
- Deformity
- Swelling
- Local
Also read, Best Physiotherapy Clinic in Mississuaga
OA can be managed conservatively through physiotherapy or chiropractic interventions. Pharmacological or surgical intervention may also be of benefit depending on the severity of the joint. Assistive devices can aid in offloading the damaged joint. Physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment for osteoarthritis focuses on reducing pain and increasing physical function through education and exercises. An individualized exercise program consisting of stretching and strengthening the muscles surrounding the affected joint will improve the well-being of the individual.
Tell me more about the GLA:D™ for knee and hip osteoarthritis.
- Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D™), developed in Denmark, is an education and tailored neuromuscular exercise program designed for individuals with hip or knee osteoarthritis
- The program is unique because it provides education and targeted exercise that can be applied to movement in everyday activities
- The program is suitable for individuals with early to late stages of OA
- Decrease pain and stiffness
- Increase mobility and function
- Improve muscles length and elasticity
- Improve cartilage
- Reduce risk of injury
- Delay surgical intervention A physiotherapist and chiropractor can help identify the main issues affecting an osteoarthritic joint and create a treatment program based on your needs and goals.
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- Physiotherapy Etobicoke – Triangle Physiotherapy Etobicoke
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Re: Kevin Durant’s mid-game calf strain
Kevin Durant, Durantula, easymoneysniper, whatever you want to call him is a superstar basketball player and is regarded by many as the second-best basketball player in the world. Unless you have been living under a rock in Toronto, you should know his name and the impact of his eventual return to the NBA Finals. Moreover, if you’re a therapist like me, you may feel disgusted about the mismanagement of his return to the court on Monday.
Here are the facts:
- Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a right calf strain on May 8th, 2019, which many suspected was an Achilles strain to begin with. Grade 1 Calf Strain can take anywhere from 7-10 days to resolve. Durant was out for a whole month!
- Kevin Durant was cleared for practice on June 9th and he did so with his teammates (unsure of the extent of this practice as it was closed off to the media)
- After his practice, Kevin Durant is noted leaving practice with a slight limp and ice on his right Achilles (to help with possible pain/inflammation?)
- A few hours before tip off he is upgraded to questionable to play in game 5 of the NBA finals, and 90 minutes before tip off it is known that he is cleared to play and will start in game 5, with no minutes restriction. WHAT?
- Kevin Durant does indeed start game 5, and starts off hot connecting on his first 3 attempts beyond the arc and scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
- At 9:46 of the second quarter, Durant came up the court and tried to accelerate past Ibaka with his right foot planted, and that was enough. Durant fell to the ground holding his right Achilles.
- Teammates and opposing players help him back to the locker room, and post game Durant is seen leaving the Scotiabank Arena in a walking boot and crutches
- Durant is expected to fly to New York to have an MRI done, which many believe will confirm a right ruptured Achilles.
Also read, Physiotherapy Rehab Clinic in Mississuaga
What is an Achilles Tear/Rupture and what does it mean for Durant?
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. It connects your calf muscles to your heel bone and is used when you walk, run, and jump.
Achilles tendon ruptures can occur spontaneously in individuals and one symptom many people display is the pop or gunshot sound of their Achilles tendon rupturing. If you look in the video above, you can notice the pop of the Achilles and the subsequent vibration of the calf muscles accordingly.
Detailed in an article by Physio Works it states:
Achilles Ruptures occur mostly in middle-aged men, most of whom play recreational sports Injury often occurs during recreational sports that require bursts of jumping, pivoting and running.
They can happen in these situations:
- You make a forceful push-off with your foot while your knee is straightened by the powerful thigh muscles. One example might be starting a foot race or jumping.
- You suddenly trip or stumble, and your foot is thrust in front to break a fall, forcefully overstretching the tendon.
- You fall from a significant height.
Also read, Physiotherapy Rehab Clinic in Etobicoke
The biggest risk factor for Achilles tendon rupture is tendon cell death which occurs as a result of poorly managed tendinopathy.
As noted in the bold statements, these are the exact scenarios which led to the possible tendon rupture for Kevin Durant, with strong emphasis on the second statement!
While we don’t know the extent of Kevin Durant’s Achilles tear, we can only speculate that it is a complete rupture and thus provide this comparative timeline on his return to that of another NBA player, Rudy Gay, who tore his Achilles in 2017 at the same age, and has the body frame similar to that of Durant.
If the MRI on Tuesday confirms a complete tear and Durant follows a similar timeline to that of Gay
- Durant will undergo surgery to repair the tendon
- He will be on crutches and in a boot for the next six weeks.
- He will start physical therapy in two weeks and formal rehabilitation at eight weeks post-surgery.
- >12 weeks post he can begin sport specific training
- Return to sport is anticipated in 6 months
Now if Kevin Durant is able to follow the same path as Rudy Gay, what are the implications to his career? He was a free agent this year hoping to be signed to a max contract with the team of his choosing as every team salivated at the idea of signing him (Brooklyn, Knicks to name a few). Will teams take that gamble anymore? It’s Kevin Durant, so I am sure they will. Yet, he may be forced to stay in Golden State another year as he returns to the court to prove that he isn’t damaged goods. Keep in mind, numerous athletes in the past were never the same after facing a similar injury. Kobe is one that comes to mind, and this ultimately led to his retirement. Currently we see the same with Durant’s teammate Demarcus Cousins who went from being an all-star to a bench caliber player. Moreover, Rudy gay was quoted as saying that it took him almost a full year and a half to feel 100% again. Which scenario will apply to Durant? How long, if ever, will it take for him to be truly 100% again, as he sits in the prime of his career? All valid questions probably going through Kevin Durant’s head as he awaits his MRI results on Tuesday.
Also read, Physiotherapy Rehab Clinic in Oakville
Moreover, as we await the results of the MRI, I also question the doctors, therapists, and ownership of the Golden State Warriors on making the decision for Kevin Durant to return to Game 5. I get that the athlete has the final say as to whether they want to play or not (Kawhi Leonard comes to mind here ironically), but considering the immense amount of pressure put on Durant to help the Warriors avoid upset, and amplify his legacy, one can only point the finger at the medical and management team for allowing him to go out there. He was clearly still nursing a calf strain (and/or possible grade 1 Achilles strain). He was clearly not pain-free, nor was he recovered from a metabolic and vascular standpoint in that calf to Achilles region. So, was the chance at a three-peat really worth risking the health and career of one of the best players in the league?
I guess now that we know the outcome of that decision, all members involved will have to carry that guilt. Just remember therapists, don’t lose your credibility as a health care practitioner with unrealistic outcomes for some championship trophy, financial gain, or anything to inflate your ego. Always do what you clinically know is right for your client, and PLEASE educate patients that no pain no gain is not a real motto.
What is Autism?
Autism is a developmental condition, present from early childhood, that is characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. It is also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). People with ASD have delays and limitations in many areas. They may have low muscle tone, or have a tough time with coordinated muscle movement with activities like running, kicking, throwing, etc. These issues can hinder the smooth functioning of day-to-day tasks and ASD is almost certain to interfere with physical and neurological development.
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How can Physiotherapy help with Autism?
People with ASD often have physical symptoms that range from having difficulty with coordinated tasks to significantly lacking muscular strength. Physiotherapy can help children with ASD improve their basic motor skills like sitting, rolling, standing, and playing. They may also work with parents to show them techniques that can be used at home to help their child build strength and improve coordination.
For adults, physiotherapy may help in more advanced fine motor skills such as skipping, kicking, throwing, and catching. A physiotherapy session will assess the person’s overall motor function, identify difficulties, and provide an intervention to address the underlying difficulties. Strategies used as part of physiotherapy treatment can include:
- Specific exercises for building muscle strength and improving posture, endurance, motor skills, and balance.
- Recommendations to improve the person’s positioning, bracing, and taping skills.
- Feedback to improve body posture and range of motion.
- And complete support to participate in community-based physical activity programs.
Physiotherapists are trained specialists that deal with all the concerns related to Autism and can help teach a child or an adult to stretch shortened muscles or strengthen weaker ones. In some cases, a physiotherapy session can simply look like organized fun, and while it should be enjoyable, all of the exercises are geared towards functional improvement.
Low Back Pain/ Hip Dysfunction caused by poor posture
The average person’s work week consists approximately of 40 hours, for a lot of those the majority of that time can consist of them sitting at a desk on a phone or computer. That time doesn’t even factor in commute time as well as dinner and lounging at home. Experts say that the average person can spend more than half their waking hours in a sedentary state.
It is well known that sitting for long periods of time can cause a lot of negative effects such as strain on your cardiovascular system as well as an increase risk in colon cancer. But what a lot of people don’t know about it is the actual physical disorders that come with sitting for long periods of time, such as weaker/underused abdominal muscles, weak glutes whiles shortening your hip flexors making them tight and decreasing Range Of Motion in your hip. This muscular imbalance can begin to force other muscles that are not commonly used to become overworked and tired and furthermore contribute to a muscle imbalance, which can cause hyperlordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis, as well as a twisted pelvis. Tight low back muscles can pull and twist your spine which could lead to degenerative disk disorder (DDD), or a subluxation of one or several vertebrae. When you decrease the activity of muscles you begin to decrease the electrical activity going to those muscles which begins to make them weak and underdeveloped which could lead to atonic muscles. The decreased angle in the hip while sitting for long periods can cause a decrease in blood flow to your legs decreasing the amount of blood, oxygen, and nutrients that can feed your muscles making for leg cramps and sometimes swelling in the feet due to lack of venous return.
Luckily Massage and Physiotherapy can be used as a preventative as well as therapy for the many conditions that sitting for long periods of time can cause. The main focus of both is too focus on the muscular imbalance and to bring you back to your norm as much as humanly possible. Some of the main areas of focus during treating is to loosen tight hip flexors, increase neurological function in the low back, glutes, and abdominals, loosen up Para spinal muscles which will decrease the risk of DDD and subluxation of the spine. During a massage the pressure and direction of stroke will help to increase blood flow to your low back and hip as well as into your legs providing oxygen and nutrients to areas that are being malnourished due to lack of blood flow.
The best was to prevent any disorders caused by sitting to long is simply to stand up and move around. Experts say you should stand up for at least 5 minutes every hour to get muscles working and blood flowing. Staying hydrating is very important during any point of the day for it helps keep muscles elastic (including your heart muscles), the spine works like a pump while moving bringing fresh water to your vertebral disks keeping them hydrated. Some offices have implemented standing desks or the use of exercise balls in place of regular chairs which can keep workers constantly moving, keeping blood flowing and muscles working. Stretching and strengthening exercises are very important to maintain healthy muscles, stretching out hip flexors to maintain full ROM in the hip, strengthening core either by doing push ups or the plank, stretching out your low back and abdominal area by doing both the cat and cow pose, and finally strengthen your back by doing rows and one arm rows.
Written by: Sean Cameron, RMT
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/20140407/sitting-disease-faq
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/sitting-for-too-long-can-kill-you-even-if-you-exercise-study-1.2918678
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/much-sitting-linked-heart-disease-diabetes-premature-death-201501227618
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/05/08/sitting-too-long.aspx
Click HERE to book an appointment with a physiotherapist at one of our eight locations.
- Physiotherapy Etobicoke – Triangle Physiotherapy Etobicoke
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- Physiotherapy Clinics Mississauga – Triangle Physiotherapy Erin Mills