PHYSIOTHERAPY

Why Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is crucial when you experience an acute injury because it helps your body heal properly, safely, and much faster than rest alone. In the early stages of an injury, a physiotherapist can reduce pain and swelling through hands-on treatment, taping, and targeted modalities, preventing the area from becoming stiff or losing mobility. Guided movement and personalized exercises stimulate healthy tissue repair, restore strength, and keep the injury from worsening. Physiotherapy also identifies imbalances or movement issues that could lead to re-injury, helping you return to work, exercise, and daily activities with confidence. By educating you on what to expect, what to avoid, and how to progress safely, physiotherapy ensures your injury doesn’t become chronic and empowers you to recover fully and efficiently.

Consider your goals before treatment

  • What are your goals?

  • Decrease swelling?

  • Cold and flu symptoms?

  • Relaxation?

  • Decrease muscle pain?

Stages of Injury

Please make your therapist aware of any of the following throughout the entirety of treatment if it occurs.

  • burning

  • itching

  • tingling

  • overwhelming scents

Postural Imbalance

Postural Imbalance refers to a misalignment of the body when standing, sitting, or moving, where certain muscles become too tight while others become weak. This imbalance causes the body to shift out of its natural position, leading to extra stress on the spine, joints, and surrounding tissues. Which can create a lot of muscular compensations which can include forward head, rounded shoulders, scoliosis, and etc. Having awareness of which muscles get’s tight is a good way to prevent any compensations that might occur

Neck Muscles

These muscles often tighten due to poor posture, stress, long hours at a desk, and looking down at screens or even whiplash injuries.

  • Sternocleidomastoid

  • Masseter

  • Trapezius

  • Levator Scapulae

Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury that causes irritation and inflammation of the Achilles tendon—the large, thick tendon at the back of your ankle that connects your calf muscles to your heel. This tendon helps you walk, run, jump, and push off during movement

 

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Children

When we think of children, we often think that they are resilient and flexible, that they bounce back quickly from injury, and are less inclined to stressors. However, in today’s society, children are just as prone to lifestyle stressors. Peer and/or family pressure, school pressure, excessive use of technology, and of course sports and/or activity can all contribute to the stresses our children experience. 

Children are just as prone to muscle strain, overuse and injury. They are growing, building muscle, experiencing injuries, and potentially suffering mental and/or emotional stressors, just as an adult would experience. Most children however, don’t have the opportunity or time to rest and relax.

Massage Therapy can be a comforting non-invasive and gentle way to help reduce stress, reduce muscle tension and help with healing from injury. Massage can offer a multitude of benefits for children, promoting their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Massage can help alleviate physical discomfort and promote relaxation. It can ease muscle tension, soothe growing pains, and improve circulation, contributing to better overall health. It can aid in the development of body awareness and proprioception, helping children understand their bodies and how they move.

Beyond the physical advantages, massage can have a profound impact on a child's emotional state. It can reduce stress and anxiety, providing a safe and nurturing space for them to unwind. This may improve sleep patterns and enhance their mood and emotional resilience.

For children with sensory processing challenges or certain developmental conditions, massage can offer therapeutic benefits. It can help regulate sensory input, improve focus, and foster a sense of calm.

Additionally, massage can be a wonderful way for parents and caregivers to bond with their children. The loving touch and close interaction during massage sessions can strengthen the parent-child relationship, fostering trust and security.

In conclusion, massage therapy for children can be a powerful tool for their overall well-being. By addressing both physical and emotional aspects, it can aid in their growth and development while providing a comforting and enjoyable experience. However, it is essential to consult with a paediatrician or a qualified massage therapist before initiating any massage techniques on a child.

 

The Triceps Muscle

The triceps, or triceps brachii (Latin for three headed muscle of the arm) is a large muscle on the back of the upper arm. It originates from the infraglenoid tubercle (a small groove located on the lateral part of the scapula, below the glenoid cavity. It inserts into the olecranon process of the ulna bone (inside of the elbow) and just to be clear, it is the origin of the LONG head of the triceps. (Remember that the triceps has three heads!)

The entire triceps muscle is innervated via the radial nerve which passes through the radial groove. Out of all the muscles in the body, especially the shoulder muscles, the triceps brachii is often ignored and forgotten in a shoulder stretching routine.

It is an important muscle to rehabilitate and to prevent injury because functionally it holds the humerus bone in place and extends the arm. Also, since the long head attaches at the scapula, it serves a role in stabilization and adduction of the arm at the shoulder.

It is often the long head that adds to shoulder problems because of its origin at the lateral part of the scapula. When this particular muscle is tight it affects extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint.

A study showed that at 0 degrees shoulder elevation, the long head generates a significantly higher muscle force and muscle activation than the lateral and medial heads. But at 90, 135 and 180 degrees shoulder elevation, the medial head showed a significantly higher muscle force than the long and lateral heads.

Each head of the triceps brachii has a different pattern of force and activity during different shoulder elevations. The long head contributes to elbow extension more at shoulder elevation and the medial head takes over at 90 degrees and above of shoulder elevation.

So when a person experiences shoulder pain it can quite possibly be the triceps muscle because it crosses the shoulder joint and it is often seen as an arm and elbow muscle.

We know that the long head originates on the lateral part of the scapula, but the medial and lateral heads can indirectly contribute to mobility restrictions from fascial connections, which means that shoulder pain maybe connected to tricep pain near the shoulder, particularly from the long head of the triceps.

Regular stretching of the triceps muscle is recommended along with strengthening exercises. You can stretch the triceps muscle in several ways targeting the long head fires and the lateral fibres. The lateral fibres are often tight and prevent the arm from moving straight down and close to the ear. If a person has difficulty doing this they need to stretch the lateral fibres first.

Below are some good triceps stretches: