What Is Pre-hab? And Why You Should Do It

Naturopathic Doctor Pickering

Bodily injuries can set you back majorly, especially seeing as recovering from soft tissue can be quite the process, not to mention extremely painful. While no one expects to be injured, you can never be too prepared for a situation or body damage that may come out of nowhere. That is why the idea of attending pre-hab is growing in popularity. Pre-hab is going to physical rehab or physiotherapy before you get injured. Pre-hab might include muscle stretching, acupuncture, mobility and flexibility training, as well as muscle strengthening. Here are some of the reasons you might want to consider pre-hab.

Prevention

Ever heard of the saying the best offense is a good defense? The same rings true when it comes to injuries. Attending physiotherapy when you don’t have a current ailment can strengthen muscles, expand mobility, and increase flexibility. All great ways to prevent soft tissue injuries. Strong muscles hold together joints and prevent overstretched ligaments. Strong muscles are also key to proper posture and limit the development of poor posture-driven ailments. While expanded mobility and flexibility helps avoid strains from stiff joints and ligaments.

Accelerated healing

If you do happen to incur an injury, your pre-hab experience will come in handy. Whether you are under large amounts of physical stress at work, or maybe you’re accident-prone, you might be anticipating an injury. With pre-hab, you will speed up the healing process time after said injury seeing as your body has already been stretching and strengthening regularly, in preparation for whatever injury is next. If there is an area you injure regularly, physiotherapists can target that specific soft tissue during pre-hab, so if you are injured there again, you will already be in the healing process.

Before surgery

It might sound silly, but preparing for surgery should include physiotherapy, that is if you want to spend a shorter time recovering. Joint replacement surgeries, in particular, like hip and knee replacements, benefit most from pre-hab. Once again patients are able to loosen up and strengthen their muscles before undergoing trauma. One of the most important things about post-joint replacement surgery care is to get the joint moving. It sounds crazy and a little painful, but, in fact, patients who have gone through pre-hab find this task much easier than those without.

So, whether you are preparing for surgery, working a strenuous job, or maybe you’re just clumsy, don’t wait for an injury to start seeing a physiotherapist. Call Apex Physiotherapy clinic today to book a consultation, and discuss the best pre-hab plan made just for you.

Physiotherapy: A Natural And Easy Solution To Shoulder Pain

Physiotherapist Near Me

Shoulder pain is not something you look forward to as you age. Unfortunately, shoulder pain is one of the most common joint pains that we experience as we age. Sure, you can take an anti-inflammatory or rub a topical cream on, but one of the most effective solutions is something you don’t need to swallow or rub on; it’s physiotherapy! Physiotherapy is an all-natural and easy way to relieve, manage, and even completely eliminate shoulder pains.

Why do I have shoulder pain?

Before determining what to do about shoulder pain, the cause of shoulder pain should be addressed. Shoulder pain can occur for many reasons, the cause will almost always determine how we go about with treatment.

First, determine if this is the first time you’ve felt this pain. Does it feel like anything that’s happened before? Is it sharp? Dull? Does it stay in one place? Is there anything that makes it feel worse or better? These are all questions your physiotherapist will ask to determine what is causing your pain.

Some conditions that may be the culprit include:

  • Arthritis

Arthritis in the shoulder causes stiffness in the joint and difficulty with mobility. Depending on the kind of arthritis, the bones are either breaking down or the joints are swelling.

  • Torn cartilage

Tearing cartilage sounds almost as painful as it is. Tears can happen in a number of ways, but all result in painful symptoms and decreased strength. With physiotherapy, the pain will decrease and strength will increase.

  • Stains/sprain

Spraining or straining your shoulder can happen at any point. It is when a muscle or ligament gets stretched too far, this can happen after a dislocation.

  • Pain from inactivity

If you have ever sat or laid down in one position for a long time, you know the crampy feeling you get in your joints when you stand up. That uncomfortable feeling is multiplied if a joint is immobilized for a long time, like after a fracture or broken bone.

  • Joint inflammation

Joint inflammation conditions like bursitis happen in joints of repeated activity, if left untreated, chronic pain will result. If you’re experiencing bursitis, you might feel an aching pain in your shoulder accompanied by redness of the skin.

What can physiotherapy do for you?

Physiotherapy as a practice boasts improved mobility, flexibility, long-term pain relief as well as increased joint longevity. Physiotherapy can be a combination of massage, acupuncture, exercises, and more. At Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic clinic, our professionals will develop a plan and allow you to feel as though your shoulder has aged backward! Call us and ask what we can do for you today!