From West 4th Physiotherapy associate Jennifer Macpherson Jennifer MacPherson attended the Continence and Pelvic Floor Re-education in the Female Patient Course at Women’s Hospital recently. The course was put on by three very experienced pelvic floor physiotherapists named Pat Lieblich, Penny Wilson and Suzanne Thompson. “I found the course had an incredible amount of information. I also now understand the huge need for pelvic floor physiotherapists to help identify women with pelvic floor issues ranging from stress incontinence to pelvic organ prolapse. I have realized the important role a physiotherapist … Read the rest of this post »
From West 4th Physiotherapy associate Marnie Giblin Minimalist running shoes have gained a lot of attention in recent years, but how exactly do they differ from more traditional shoes, and what does the evidence say about them? Minimalist shoes are clearly much lighter then traditional running shoes; the vibrum five finger barefoot runner weighs in at 6oz, the minimalist Nike free 7oz, and Nike Pegasus (one of the lightest neutral standard shoes) weighs in at 12oz. The other defining feature the this group of shoes is a low ramp angle, or height discrepancy between the heel … Read the rest of this post »
West 4th Physiotherapy associate Stuart Anderson speaks about K taping… The Tape and the Technique: K-Tape explained If you watched the London 2012 Olympics you may have noticed a great proportion of the athletes wearing tape on various parts of their bodies, often in blue, black, or ‘skin-tone’. These elasticized tapes have gained enormous popularity with competitive and non-competitive athletes alike. I’ve been using these products for a few years, and I recently completed the “K- Taping Pro” course. I’ve found K-tape to be helpful in treating my clients and … Read the rest of this post »
From Homes & Living Magazine, Feb/Mar 2013 By Catherine Roscoe Barr Prolonged sitting – specifically at computers, which many people do for work – can cause muscle imbalances, primarily tightness in the front of the body: shoulders, chest, abdominals and hips. Vancouver physiotherapist Dee Malinsky, at West Fourth Physiotherapy Clinic, suggests taking mini breaks during the day to stretch the muscles of the anterior chain to reduce tension and improve posture. Read the full story on the Homes and Living website (HLmagazine.com) to see three stretches for the anterior chain … Read the rest of this post »
I recently attended the IFOMPT congress in Quebec City. IFOMPT is the International Federation of Manipulative Physiotherapists It is an organization that was formed to promote high standards amongst physical therapists practicing manual therapy in the field of orthopaedics (http://www.ifompt.com). Every 4 years, the top manual physical therapists from around the world, gather to share information and techniques with their colleagues. I participated in an Explain Pain course from David Butler, the founder of the Neuroorthopaedic Institute in Australia (http://www.noigroup.com) and was not disappointed. No one is able to make … Read the rest of this post »
I have written in previous posts about the life changing consequences a fall can have for a senior. http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/1240 Falling remains by far the number one cause of injury among seniors and accounts for almost all (90%) of hip fractures and more than half the head injuries. A recent study done at Simon Fraser University here in Vancouver and recently published in the Lancet has looked at how and why seniors tend to fall. Cameras in long term care facilities provided the data. Analysis showed that 30% were due to … Read the rest of this post »
Back to school time parents so here is the back pack reminder care of an interview I did with HealthChoices.ca Before you buy a new backpack for your child, take a few minutes to consider more than just the style and colour. “A few minutes spent on the selection and proper fit of your child’s backpack for school can go a long way to ensuring a healthy posture,” says Matthew Powell, the clinical director of West Fourth Physio in Vancouver. “Look for a backpack that has a padded back to … Read the rest of this post »
Getting active again after chronic illness: PGAP (Progressive Goal Attainment Program) I will now be adding the PGAP program as a service at West 4th Physiotherapy Clinic. The PGAP program consists of weekly one hour coaching sessions with respect to goal setting and problem solving regarding return to activity, for up to 10 weeks. The program was designed by a team of health care practitioners and researchers at McGill University. Numerous research studies have shown it to be beneficial for preventing chronic disability and improving quality of life for people … Read the rest of this post »
A question from a member cyclist in my riding club Matt, Achilles tendonitis…got it during a hilly ride. After a couple weeks of ice for swelling and a disgusting grinding, creaking sound it’s getting better. Have not been back on bike yet though. I was told I may need to change location of my cleat. Thoughts? The Cypress challenge is approaching and we’ll see a few of these Achilles flare ups in the clinic over the next several months as training ramps up. In cycling, this condition usually comes as … Read the rest of this post »
Each year we look at where we can offer support through volunteering and community service. The Ride to Conquer Cancer is an event that we keep coming back to as a worthy cause and a great match for our skill set. It has fast become an annual event, raising millions of dollars for cancer research and introducing hundreds of people to the joys of cycling and physical activity in general. On June 16th and 17th this year the ride again goes from Vancouver to Seattle with an alternate extended route … Read the rest of this post »
A couple of posts ago we looked at the relationship between activity levels and health, the message being that when looking at health and lifespan it is more important to consider how much people do rather than how much they weigh. http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/1803 This was nicely confirmed by Dr Peter Schnohr, a researcher at the University Hospital in Cpenhagen. At a recent medical conference in Dublin he presented the findings based on data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. This study has been underway since 1976 and is ongoing, successfully providing … Read the rest of this post »
April/May here on the Left coast means the approach of Spring. Time for the keen hikers to get (even more) outside and start hitting their stride. With that in mind I was asked last week by a client who loves to hike how her aging knees were going to manage this year? And what is harder, going up hills or coming down? As usual, the devil is in the details. Going up hills you are doing more work so the aerobic system of the heart and lungs (cardiorespiratory system) get … Read the rest of this post »
