Function Physiotherapy - Physiotherapy Ottawa
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60 is the new 40

14/3/2019

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two people walking down nature trail using walking poles
We sometimes hear people saying that they are “too old” to start exercising. After all, some believe it’s common knowledge that we “can’t build muscle” as easily as we get older. While there may be some truth to that notion, it is far from an excuse to not partake in regular exercise. Let’s dive in deeper and explain:
  • While it is true that our ability to build muscle reduces as we age, that is not to say that it can’t happen at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite! No matter what age you are, your body will benefit from exercise by building more muscle mass, increasing bone density, and toughening up ligaments and tendons. All these being extremely beneficial to our aging bodies.
  • What’s more, we generally tend to be less active as we age. This alone gives our body a tremendous potential to adapt and grow muscle!

As we near our 70s and 80s, it generally becomes harder to accomplish day to day tasks. Taking on an exercise program focused on functional tasks can help maintain or improve our independence through our everyday life.

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Furthermore, there are even more benefits to engaging in regular exercise as we age, such as:
  • Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes: research has proven that regular exercise decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes
  • Reducing risk of falls: Engaging in regular exercise has proven to effectively reduce the risk of falls. There are various activities which specifically work on balance, such as dancing and Tai Chi, which also doubles as a social activity!

One barrier to exercise is that we might get the wrong idea that exercise needs to be something very exhaustive when in fact, you might already be doing activities that count towards your weekly exercise goals. These might include walking, gardening, mowing the lawn, or shovelling snow. More intense exercise can include fast or Nordic walking and water aerobics, among other options. In the end, the best exercise is one that you enjoy doing and motivates you to move.

With that in mind, we hope see you exercising well into your retirement. If you have questions or would like to improve your ability to accomplish day to day activities, give us a call and book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists!

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Mythbusters - Why Running Isn't Bad For Your Knees

14/3/2019

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Runner from behind running down road
Many people have suffered from knee pain at least once in their life, while some suffer more frequently from knee osteoarthritis (OA). In an attempt to prevent faster knee degeneration, many people mistakenly avoid high impact activities for their knees - most frequently running.

Interestingly, however, running may in fact have quite the opposite effect on our knees. The repeated impact on our knees while running has actually been found to be beneficial! Repeated stress applied to the bones and cartilage in the knee (such as with running) creates tiny micro-tears, to which our body naturally responds by strengthening and solidifying our tissues. Research has demonstrated that recreational running decreases the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knees and hips (1).

However,
the jury is still out on the effects of running for those already afflicted by osteoarthritis, . While it was previously thought that running may worsen symptoms, a recent research study suggests the opposite (2). While this may be good news for arthritis-afflicted runners, further research is needed.


So with this wave of beautiful weather approaching, we hope that you’ll be encouraged to take up running this year! If you ran the previous years, take a minute to read our post about getting back in the swing of things this summer without injuring yourself.

References:
1. The Association of Recreational and Competitive Running With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Eduard Alentorn-Geli, Kristian Samuelsson, Volker Musahl, Cynthia L. Green, Mohit Bhandari, and Jón Karlsson. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (2017) 47:6, 373-3902.    
​2. Running does not increase symptoms or structural progression in people with knee osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative. Lo, G.H., Musa, S.M., Driban, J.B. et al. Clin Rheumatol (2018) 37: 2497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4121-3
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Celebrating World Sleep Day - Impact of Sleep on Health

14/3/2019

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Bed with blanket and pillows
March 15th is World Sleep Day! Who doesn’t like to sleep in on the weekend? Or wish they had an extra hour or two to sleep in Monday morning? Chances are, you’re more than familiar with those feelings, as most of us are. This is why it’s so important to discuss the impact of proper sleeping habits on our general health.
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As health professionals, physiotherapists constantly promote better sleep habits to our clients, as it plays an incredibly important role in injury recovery and pain levels. Andrew Koppejan, a registered physiotherapist in Alberta, even wrote a book about the impacts of sleep and how to integrate it in our practice.

A few points from his book that may surprise some:
  • Better sleep habits lead to lower risks of developing obesity, diabetes, and generally lower incidence of mortality.
  • For people with chronic pain, better sleep promotes a lower sensitivity to pain.

Poor sleep negatively impacts the symptoms of inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
With those in mind, why not take a moment to think about our own sleeping habits? There is no better time to tackle this than today on World Sleep Day! Here are a few tips to get you started. 

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We are proud to be a bilingual, inclusive clinic.
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Hours of Operation
Mon-Thur:  7:30am - 7:30pm
Fri: 7:30am - 6:00pm
Sat/Sun:  Closed
1185 Bank Street
​Ottawa ON
K1S 3X7

Expert care in the Glebe & Ottawa South.
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  • Home
  • ABOUT
    • About us
    • Meet The Team
    • Pricing
    • Careers
  • OUR SERVICES
    • Physiotherapy Services
    • Manual Therapy
    • Acupuncture
    • Concussions
    • Dry Needling
    • Jaw Pain (TMJ)
    • Laser Therapy
    • Pediatrics
    • Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
    • Running Assessment
    • Shockwave Therapy
    • Vestibular/Vertigo Therapy
  • CONDITIONS TREATED
    • Overview
    • BPPV
    • Golfer's Elbow
    • Pediatric Torticollis
    • Plantar Fasciitis
    • Tennis Elbow
    • Vestibular Neuritis
    • Rotator cuff
    • Sciatica
  • BOOK NOW
    • Schedule Assessment
    • Online Booking
  • CONTACT