If you’ve been thinking about seeing a physiotherapist in Mississauga Heartland, it may be time to go see one. With restrictions beginning to ease, we’re able to book more appointments. At The Health First Group, we follow a very thorough sanitization process between appointments. Unlike others, we keep a gap between appointments to properly sanitize our rooms and ensure the optimal safety and comfort level for our next patient.

It’s important to note that when you’re seeing a physiotherapist, you’ll be given a customized rehabilitation program fit for your needs. Our physiotherapists in Mississauga Heartland actively listen to all your needs prior to assessing you and creating a customized plan. Our goal is to help you get back to your normal lifestyle and routine. Thus, getting you to your best functional capacity. This can be accomplished through several means such as manual therapies, therapeutic massages, electrical machines, equipment, and home exercises. We’ll go through each of these options so you’re fully aware of what each one may consist of.

Manual Therapy

Hands-on approach to physiotherapy, where physiotherapists manipulate joints and apply pressure to muscles to bring relief to pain. Manual therapy is often used to help increase range of motion.

Therapeutic Massages

Ultrasound: When a patient comes to The Health First Group with musculoskeletal issues such as tissue injuries or muscle spasms, we often recommend therapeutic ultrasound. Ultrasound is often used to help with tissue healing through the stimulation of blood circulation and cells.

Inferential Therapy (IFT): IFT is a type of electrotherapy which sends continuous electric pulses in order to stimulate your nerves and disrupt the pain signal in the affected areas. Thus, allowing for the reduction of pain and in swelling in those areas. IFT is often used to help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation through continuous stimulations deep into the tissues.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): TENS is similar to IFT where it sends electric pulses to stimulate nerves and attempt to block the pain signal in the affected areas. However, it sends periodic electric signals instead of continuous. TENS is also a lower voltage of electric current versus IFT.

Electrical Machines

Shockwave Therapy: Shockwave therapy produces an intense and short energy wave which travels faster than the speed of sound. These waves trigger biological effects which allow for tissue healing and regeneration. Shockwave therapy is known for fast pain relief and mobility restoration. Shockwave therapy is an interesting physiotherapy treatment and has been gaining a lot of popularity in Canada over the years.

Cold Laser Therapy (CLT) / Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) / PhotoBioModulation (PBM): Cold laser therapy stimulates tissue repair, reduces inflammation and edema, eliminates pain, increases nerve regeneration and collagen production, through non-toxic, painless, and non-thermal lasers. At The Health First Group we use Theralase which has been proven to produce efficacy rates of >90% through over 4000 clinical studies.

Equipment

Swiss Ball: The use of a Swiss ball allows one to improve their balance and core strength. It is often used as a rehabilitation treatment in physiotherapy for those in a motor vehicle accident, intensive care, or acute care.

Home Exercises

Stretching: Home exercises can always be a fun way to speed up recovery. Before beginning any sort of home exercise, it is very important to stretch. Stretching allows for the increase in muscle flexibility, improves posture, helps prevent injuries, and gets you ready for exercise. You can learn more about the different types of stretching over at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by reading the following articles: types of stretching and how to stretch.

Swimming: Swimming is a type of aerobic exercise which helps if you’ve suffered from sprains, strains, and tears. Swimming allows for the relaxation and loosening of your muscles, easing your pain, and improving mobility.

Walking: Walking is always healthy! Even if you don’t do it to speed up a recovery, you should walk frequent as it improves blood circulation, hormone regulation, and the reduction of stress. Especially during this pandemic, it is important to keep active and move around!

Weights: The use of weights helps increase range of motion allowing for strength rebuilding and the improvement of mobility. The use of weights should be directed by a professional so that your form is correct and you can prevent any injuries from happening.

Don’t wait while you’re in pain, request an appointment today at The Health First Group.

If you’d like to learn more about what physiotherapists do then we encourage you to take a read on the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) website. We would also encourage visiting the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) to learn more about physiotherapy.