BodyTech Physiotherapy
1601 River Road East #30A N2A3Y4 Kitchener, ON, Canada

What a year it has been! As business owners, we always try to plan for the unexpected, but a pandemic was not something we could have ever anticipated. In March, we dealt with a province wide shut down which resulted in a clinic closure for 3 months. During this time, we faced many challenges and changes to the profession such as pivoting to virtual care. Upon our return to the clinic in June, as the pandemic continued, we returned with numerous new policies and procedures to... keep our staff and patients safe. As we approach the end of this challenging year, we are entering the new year in another province wide shutdown. However, this time, the profession of Physiotherapy has been deemed an essential service and the clinic will remain open to serve our community. We would like to thank our staff and all of our clients for your continued support as we navigate through this challenging time. Cheers to being resilient! Wishing you all a Happy New Year! #cheersto2021 #bodytechphysio #pandemic2020 #ayeartoremember See more

Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Holidays, please note our hours will be different over the holidays. Regular hours resume on Jan 4, 2021. Physiotherapy has been deemed an essential service and we will remain open during the province wide lockdown.

This year our annual Christmas competition was a virtual escape room with KW Escape! Teams had 60min to help a member of the KW escape team solve a series of puzzles and clues to escape from a locked room. Both teams escaped, but team one was victorious! #covid19teambuilding #bodytechphysio #alittlefriendlycompetition

Calling all golfers! Now you can golf all year long!

Flexibility is the ability of a joint or multiple joints along with the muscles and connective tissue around it to move through a range of motion freely and without pain. Flexibility is a very important component of physical fitness and overall function but it is often overlooked. Good flexibility is needed to maintain good mobility and posture. Flexibility is also important for muscle strength, balance and coordination. Muscles and joints have a range of motion, if you have ...decreased range of motion for a specific movement pattern, strengthening will not improve your performance. If you focus on flexibility first and then strengthening you will see an improvement in performance. Running is a great example of needing a good balance between flexibility and strength. Most individuals have limited hip extension or hip flexion. This lack of flexibility or range of motion can lead to poor endurance, or other compensatory injuries. Flexibility is needed for every activity and ensuring you have adequate mobility for the activity type will decrease your risk of injury. #bodytechphysio #flexibility #improveperformance #physiotherapy See more

Muscles support joints and help them move. Good muscular strength and balance helps to absorb forces and protect joints from excessive wear and tear. Muscle weakness or imbalance is often the cause of many dysfunctions such as limited mobility, instability, tendonitis, muscle or joint pain with movement or at rest. Muscular weakness and/or imbalances can result from: Poor posture Repeated activities... Lack of activity Improper form during activities Imbalances in exercise programs In addition to helping improve function and decrease pain, strength training has many benefits such as: Decreased joint pain Improved stability Improved range of motion Decreased stiffness Improved muscles balance Increased muscle endurance Increased bone density Increased muscle tone Increased metabolism Helps with weight loss When treating muscle weaknesses or imbalances it is important to do the correct exercises that will target the specific areas but at the same time, do not aggravate the issue. Slowly and gradually increasing the difficulty of the exercise is important when rebuilding strength, moving too quickly to a higher level exercise can create more dysfunction and cause more problems. Strengthening at a challenging but not too difficult is important to actually build strength. Muscles need to be challenged in order to gain strength, if the number of reps, level of resistance or exercise itself is too easy this will not happen. This is often something we see with assessing individuals with strength deficits, many people get stuck doing the same strengthening exercises over and over. Physiotherapists can help you gain strength and improve muscle balance and function at a level that is appropriate for you.

We are honoured to once again be nominated as Waterloo Region's favourite Physiotherapy clinic. Thank you for recognizing us! Voting is now open from now until September 27th. https://www.therecord.com/readerschoice/

In addition to exercise and stretching, massage is a great way to help maintain your mobility. Do you find yourself feeling stiff or tight, massage therapy can help!

Stress Incontinence (SUI) Do any of the following apply to you or someone you know? Leaking when you cough or sneeze Leaking when you laugh, or jump Leaking during intercourse... Avoiding activities you enjoy because you might leak during them Stress incontinence (SUI) is a loss of urine because of an increase in intraabdominal pressure. It can be caused by one of the above activities and many more. Stress incontinence usually results in the loss of only a little bit of urine but it can also involve more. These symptoms commonly arise in: Pregnancy Postpartum, especially following an instrument assisted delivery Menopausal or postmenopausal women High level athletes in high impact sports or sports involving an increase in abdominal pressure The loss of any urine involuntarily is not normal. SUI is often the result of a dysfunction in the pelvic floor muscles and there is something you can do about it. A pelvic health assessment will help to identify the issue that needs to be addressed. Call or email us for more information - our pelvic health therapist would be happy to answer your questions!

If you are a daily runner, alternating between two or more different models of running shoes may reduce your chance of injury by 39%. Alternating between different models of shoes will engage the muscles in your feet and legs differently, thereby reducing the chance of injury. Different shoes encourage variability in your foot strike, which has been found to be one of the reasons minimalist shoes also decreased the likelihood of injuries.

Vertigo is the illusion that you are moving - this can be a sensation of you or the room spinning, tilting or dropping when you are in fact staying still. It usually comes and goes with certain movements. Approximately 40% of adults will experience at least one episode of vertigo in their lifetime. Symptoms of vertigo may vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. They can affect many aspects of daily life and make you avoid activities that you normally enj...oy. Other symptoms of a potential problem related to vertigo: Problems focusing the eyes when moving Hearing loss or ringing in one ear Balance problems Feelings of unsteadiness or imbalance, especially when walking Nausea or vomiting Concussion symptoms: headaches, dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating The good news is depending on the type of vertigo you have it may be treatable by a Vestibular Physiotherapist. Some of these other symptoms may even last longer than the vertigo itself, and they are often also treatable with Vestibular Rehabilitation.

Happy long weekend! Please note that our clinic will be closed on Monday August 3rd. We will be open again on Tuesday, Aug 4th at 8am.

Pelvic physiotherapy focuses specifically on assessment and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that sits inside your pelvis. Their job is to: Stabilize the pelvis and spine Support the organs through both dynamic and stationary activities Allow you to control your bladder and bowel Assist with sexual function and enjoyment... The pelvic floor just like other muscles in the body can become weak, injured, or overactive resulting in dysfunctions such as incontinence, back pain or hip pain. Just as we can train other areas in the body, the pelvic floor muscles can be retrained to improve their function. The pelvic floor has an important role in the body’s overall ability to function as it is one of the four structures that make up the inner core. Pelvic floor dysfunction can present in a variety of ways including: Leakage of urine with any activity (coughing, sneezing, laughing, or jumping) Difficulty or inability making it to the bathroom on time (bladder or bowel) Having to pee more than 5-8 times/day A feeling of pressure in the pelvis Pain in the pelvic region Pain with sexual activity Chronic constipation At BodyTech Physiotherapy our pelvic health therapist has undergone advanced post graduate training in orthopaedics and pelvic health. A pelvic therapist has specific training to be able to complete an internal assessment in both men and women to identify specific muscle dysfunctions. The combination of orthopaedic and pelvic training allows the therapist to take an integrated approach looking at the whole body and how other aches or pains may be interrelated. This comprehensive approach ensures the most effective treatment to get you back to doing what you want to do!

Myth: With back pain I have to rest or it will make my pain worse. FACT: Your spine is supported by muscles. It is important to keep moving. Decreased movement can cause further weakness and tightness. Mobilization techniques as well as stretching and strengthening can help you resolve the pain and return to your activities sooner. Physiotherapists are trained in exercise prescription and can recommend appropriate exercises that will help to decrease your pain and improve your ability to move.

Some of our multi talented physios have donated their time and skills to make masks. We know you are busy, if you forget your mask or just need a new one we have them for sale at the clinic for $5. All profits will go directly back to the physios.

Great news! We are now offering 7am physio appointment times. Now you can start your day with Physio! If that's too early for you, we are still open until 8pm.

We've been nominated for Best Physiotherapy clinic under the Health and Fitness category in the Record Reader Choice Awards! Only the top 10 nominees move on to the final voting round. The nomination period ends on July 26, 2020. So many great businesses have been nominated and we are excited to be a part of that list! https://www.therecord.com/readerschoice/

STRATEGIES TO MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN Do you experience chronic pain and are wondering what techniques and strategies exist to help better manage it? Keep on reading below because this post is for you! Great news! If you read our post from Tuesday, you have already taken an important step towards the first strategy of improving the management of your chronic pain! Learning what pain truly is and understanding your pain experience can alter your perception. When you understand ...WHY you hurt, you hurt LESS! The next step is to try and modify your day-to-day activities so that you can be active without triggering pain. Remember the 3 "P's" = PLAN your day in advance and make sure not to pencil in too many tasks that may result in you feeling sore and tired after completing them all. PRIORITIZE which tasks are important and that need to be done today. PACE yourself throughout and remember to take frequent breaks as you need them. Learn how to move your body using the GRADED ACTIVITY PROCESS! 1 Select an activity that is meaningful to you. 2 Determine your tolerance to the activity before your pain increases more than 2 points on the 0-10 pain intensity scale. For example, you start a walk with 3/10 pain, how long does it take for the pain to rise to 5/10? 3 Begin your activity at a starting point below the activity tolerance (for example - 50% of tolerance). Let's say you could walk 20 min before your pain rose to 5/10. For the first week, walk 50% of that which would be 10 min. 4 Each week, gradually increase how much activity you do by 10-25%. So, in this example, during the second week, you would walk 1 min more (10% more of 10 minutes). Make sure to get a good night's rest each night. Adequate sleep helps your body to heal naturally and restores your energy sources. Adults should aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Try these tips and tricks today to take control of your pain experience!

WHAT IS PAIN Pain is like an alarm. Its job is to make us aware of a potential threat. Imagine you are about to touch a hot stove. You would very quickly register that it's hot and immediately pull your hand back. A pain signal traveled through the nerves to the brain to warn you of the dangerous threat. This information gets processed and then an action is decided upon. Your pain experience can be influenced by physical findings such as a stiff joint or tissue damage ...from touching a hot stove. But, it can ALSO be influenced by things like your THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, and STRESS LEVELS. Therefore, pain is not just a signal! It's an EXPERIENCE. Your pain experience is a sum of many parts. Imagine that you just stubbed your big toe on a wall, but, you also found out you won $1000 dollars in the lottery. Now imagine that you just got back home after being fired from your job and then stubbed your toe. You are much more likely to think that the pain was more intense in the second scenario compared to the first. Your mood and emotions play a massive role in influencing the pain you experience. Since your pain experience can be influenced by a variety of components, your pain "alarm" can actually be set off without having physical damage. Think about a fire alarm and someone smoking right below it. This will set the alarm off, however, there is no fire. Pain does NOT equal damage. When pain is persistent, the link between pain and damage becomes weakened. This means that your pain experience could be set off by your thoughts, stress, or emotions. Next time you experience pain, think about your current state of stress, how you feel, and what you were just thinking about. These could be playing a role on the intensity of pain you are feeling. Stay tuned for our post on Thursday for tips and tricks on managing chronic pain!

EXERCISES TO INCREASE ANKLE MOBILITY Try out these exercises to increase your ankle mobility and strength! Band Strengthening - 2x15 per exercise... Calf Stretch - 3x15-30s holds Heel Raises - 3x10 per exercise Single-Leg Balance - 3x30s per exercise Always make sure you have a stable surface nearby when doing these exercises.

Physiotherapy For Ankle Sprains Your ankle is designed to be mobile. There are 28 bones that make up the foot and ankle complex. These bones create several joints that contribute to mobility, but, they also create a part of the body that can be prone to injury. The most common ankle sprain is when you roll your ankle and your foot goes inward. There are several factors that can lead to an ankle sprain such as certain sports or jobs that place high demands on the ankles, dec...reased balance, or reduced strength. The good news - all of these can be changed and improved with the help of a Physiotherapist! There are several components to a successful rehabilitation from an ankle sprain and your Physiotherapist will choose the most appropriate options for you! Typically, your rehab will include a mix of the following: 1 Acute care management - Manage any swelling, bruising, and pain you may be experiencing with education, light exercise, ice, and elevation strategies. 2 Restore range of motion - It is important to remove any mobility restrictions in your ankle which may be done through manual therapy and exercise. 3 Foot and ankle strengthening - Strengthening the muscles that support the ankle and foot will improve your ability to absorb energy, respond to changes in direction, and enhance your overall stability. 4 Balance training - When you sprain your ankle, you interfere with the tissues that tell your brain where your body and foot are in space. In order to restore this, a Physiotherapist will provide you with progressive balance exercises. 5 Lower body and torso strengthening - Increasing the strength of your legs, hips, and torso will optimize your ability to absorb and transmit forces through your ankle. 6 Dynamic balance and strength training - Once you have laid the groundwork, more advanced sport/work-specific exercises are incorporated that challenge your ankle during real-life movements. Watch for our post on Thursday where we will go through exercises to improve your ankle mobility and strength.

Wondering what you need to know before your appointment with us. Visit our COVID-19 information page.

More great news!

More changes to our clinic procedures in preparation for reopening next week! Physical Distancing Procedures New plexiglass shield at reception. No waiting room. Patients are asked to arrive on time for their appointment and if early please wait in your car. ... Please call the clinic when you arrive to complete your phone screening. Treatment rooms will be assigned to allow for decreased risk and allow for sanitization time. Contactless payments are encouraged, invoices will be emailed only. Paperwork will be emailed to be completed prior to your appointment if possible. Treatments will be decreased by 5 minutes to allow cleaning time. Schedules will look different to limit the number of people in the clinic See more

EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR SQUATS As we learned from Tuesday's post, squats are an essential functional movement that we use during everyday tasks. Try out the following exercises from easiest to hardest! ... 1 Hip Hinge - 2x15 reps 2 Bodyweight Squat - 3x10-15 reps 3 Single-Leg Squat - 3x8-10 reps 4 Bulgarian Split Squat - 3x8-10 reps Remember: None of these exercises should cause any increased pain Master a good hip hinge first before trying the more challenging squats Always keep your knees pointing forward and in line over your toes.

New clinic procedures, more changes: COVID Precautions for Patients Patients will be directed to our hand washing station upon entering and again before exiting Patients are asked to wear a cloth or disposable mask while in the facility. Our therapists have volunteered their time and made reusable masks that will be available for $5 if needed. All proceeds will go back to our therapists. Arrive alone unless a support person is needed.... Patients will be directed to a designated treatment room to wait for their therapist to maintain physical distancing. Patients are expected to be in treatment ready clothing upon arrival. Avoid use of washrooms unless necessary. See more