South City Physio

South City is a 2017 “Platinum” Readers Choice award winner in the Physiotherapy / Athletic Therapy Clinic category.

Thank you to all our patients for your continued trust and support.

Your quality care is our priority, and it is so nice to know you appreciate us.

The staff of South City Physiotherapy

As of January 20, 2016, South City Physiotherapy is hiring the following positions;

• Physiotherapist,

• RMT,

• Please apply in confidence to francine@southcityphysio.com.

As South City celebrates 25 years of providing quality health care services to Guelph and area patients, South City Physiotherapy has moved.

We are now located at;

620 Scottsdale Drive, Guelph ON N1G 3M2

(corner of Scottsdale Dr. & Stone Rd – across from Stone Road Mall in the old KFC / Parties Plus location)

Our new facility has been designed to provide more effective services, and we look forward to showing you all the improvements we’ve made.

 We will be easier to reach using Guelph Transit, and as usual there will be plenty of free parking.

Please Note: Phone and Fax numbers remain the same!

Phone:   519-763-2885

Fax:       519-763-8745

by Ashlea Wilson

Registered Physiotherapist

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is inflammation of the joint and can present with pain, stiffness, redness and swelling. The Arthritis Society (1) describes OA as occurring when “cartilage (the tough elastic material that covers and protects the ends of the bones) begins to wear away”. This is problematic because there is a loss of joint space and decreased ability for the joint to absorb shock. There can also be the development of bony growths called osteophytes. And, all of this can result with bone on bone friction. This exacerbates pain, stiffness and swelling.

Fortunately, there are conservative treatment options to help people manage the symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis. Physiotherapy will focus on maintaining or improving your knee range of motion. While strengthening the muscles that help support the knee and improving your movement patterns to maintain the best alignment and reduce any increased load being placed on the joint.

You can also talk to your physiotherapist about bracing options available to help align and support your knee. There are pre-fabricated brace options or a trained physiotherapist can measure your knee to have a custom brace made for you. The objective of OA knee braces is to help off-load the area of the joint most affected by degeneration or OA changes. This can help decrease pain and limit further loss of cartilage. By restoring some of the joint space that is loss with OA. These braces can be worn during any recreational activities when people will be on their feet, and even in water.
Talk to your physiotherapist about these and other options to help you manage your knee OA symptoms. Keeping you moving pain free.

1. http://www.arthritis.ca/

by Craig Brown

Registered Physiotherapist

Participation of youth in sport has many great benefits like improving physical fitness, promoting positive social interaction and boosting self-esteem. Although participating in sport carries a risk of injury, certain steps can be taken to minimize the chance of injury.

In a five part blog series, I will be discussing various approaches that can decrease the chance of injury.  They include:

Part 1: Diversifying the Athlete’s sport participation

Part 2: Proper Warm Up

Part 3: Movement Screening

Part 4: Returning from an injury when Return to Sport Criteria is achieved

Part 5: Performing a maintenance exercise program

Diversifying the Athlete’s sports participation

Early specialization in youth sport is becoming more prevalent. The theory is that, by getting increased exposure to a sport at a younger age, the individual skills of the athlete will develop more quickly. The problem with this increased exposure to just one sport leads to the young athlete performing the same movement patterns, repetitively. This can lead to a higher incidence of injury due to this repetitive movement.

Dr. Neeru Jaynathi, a medical doctor out of Loyola University in Chicago, followed 1200  young athletes (age range 8 to 18) over a period of three years. The study found that more specialized athletes were 2.3 times more likely to get injured. Their specialization was based on a six point sport specialization questionnaire using if the athlete:

1.  Trains more than 75 percent of the time, in one sport

2.  Trains to improve skill, or misses time with friends

3.  Has to quit other sports to focus on one sport

4.  Considers one sport more important than other sports

5.  Regularly travels out of state (American study)

6.  Trains greater than 8 months/year and competes greater than 6 months/year

This study concluded that for youth to avoid sports related injury:

A)  Athletes should not compete in more hours of training per week than their age, and

B)  The amount of time in one sport should not be more than 2x greater than other sports/activities

The above recommendations reflect the benefits of diversifying the young athlete’s activity participation, in helping decrease their chances of injury. The addition of another sport into already busy lives can be difficult, but diversification does not have to involve another organized sport. Letting young people play other sports in school, or with friends after school can also help to prevent injuries down the road.

Over the past few years, prolonged sitting has emerged as a new health threat. “Sitting is the new smoking”, many headlines have warned.

The list of ills associated with hours of uninterrupted sitting includes neck and lower back pain, elevated risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions, which can occur as your muscles switch into a “dormant” mode that compromises their ability to break down fats and sugars. Surprisingly, exercising before or after work isn’t enough to counteract these effects – sitting all day is harmful no matter how fit and active you are.

But even as awareness of the problem grows, proposed solutions like regular activity breaks and adjustable-height desks have run into a stubborn problem: workplace culture. We should all be aware that psychology is as important as physiology in the fight against sedentary behaviour, and that programs designed to tackle the problem will be more effective if launched on an organizational, rather than personal, scale.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in January (January 2014 Volume 46, Issue 1, Pages 30–40), researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia found that employees who were given adjustable-height desks together with ongoing individual and organizational-level guidance, reduced daily sitting time by almost three times as much (89 minutes vs. 33 minutes), as employees who were provided with the same adjustable-height desks – but no individual or organizational level guidance.

The bottom line?  Be aware of the health risks associated with sitting for long periods.  If your job requires long hours at a desk, ask for an adjustable-height desk (or some other set-up that does not require you to sit all day) and suggest that your employer put a program in place to inform and encourage people to reduce the time they spend sitting every day.

Given the costs associated with sedentary behaviour – one study estimated that the least active employees are less productive by about three hours per week – this all-too-common workplace culture is something that employers would be wise to address.

The simple conclusion, is that we should avoid sitting for prolonged periods whenever possible.  If you must sit, it is recommended that you frequently change positions to ease the pressure on joints, muscles and discs.

For those already suffering with chronic low back or neck pain caused from past sitting habits – simply changing those habits now, may not be enough to resolve the pain.  When this kind of pain persists, be sure to consult a registered physiotherapist who is trained to assess your condition.  Your physiotherapist will teach you exercises designed to resolve your specific neck or back issues, and to show you how to stay active safely!

South City Physiotherapy is looking for a full-time or part-time Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) to start immediately.  Minimum of two years experience preferred.  Must be willing to work two evenings per week (until 8:00 p.m.)

You could work as an independent contractor, or an employee.  Please send resume and cover letter to francine@southcityphysio.com