physio

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

What is pelvic floor physiotherapy? It is the field of physiotherapy that aims to strengthen and optimize the functioning of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is the group of muscles, tendons, fascia (connective tissue), and ligaments that are located at the bottom of the pelvis. Its functions include:

1) urinary and fecal continence

2) support for the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, vagina, prostate, rectum)

3) sexual function

4) participation in breathing (synchronized movement with the diaphragm)

5) one of the stabilizers of the trunk and of intra-abdominal pressure (part of the core)

When there is weakness, abnormal tone, surgery, or injury that occurs in this region, it can affect one or more of its functions. Pelvic floor physiotherapy helps to address these issues through specific exercises, patient education regarding their case, and external or internal manual techniques. This domain of physiotherapy can treat various conditions:

  • incontinence

  • pelvic and genital pain

  • urinary issues

  • sexual dysfunctions

  • pelvic organ prolapse

  • post-partum

  • post-pelvic surgery

  • post-prostatectomy

Due to taboos and misconceptions surrounding the pelvic and perineal area, there are multitudes who live with problems in this important part of the body. For more information, ask a doctor or a physiotherapist.

514-963-0519

francisphysio1@gmail.com

francisphysio.com

Reference: Pain during sex? Incontinence or constipation? You might benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy – Health e-News (mcgill.ca)

Pelvic and Genital Pain

Did you know that certain types of pelvic and genital pain can be treated by physiotherapy? Certain nerves that originate from the lower part of the spine innervate the pelvic region. When these nerves become irritated, this can cause pain and abnormal muscle tension in the pelvis and the genital areas, which can lead to urinary or fecal incontinence. Treating the joints and muscles of the spine and pelvis can relieve the pain and address the incontinence. Consult your doctor to find out if physiotherapy can address your pelvic and genital issues. For further information or to book an appointment, you can reach me at 514-963-0519 or consult my website francisphysio.com

I am open despite COVID-19

I have made the transition to telerehab (virtual sessions) to be able to continue to help people who are experiencing pain or functional difficulties.

My goal remains the same: to help enable you as efficiently as possible to perform your daily and recreational activities.

Through virtual sessions, specific therapeutic exercises and tailored advice in accordance with your issues are the main modes of treatment. If necessary, a family member or a friend can perform certain manual techniques under my guidance.

We can treat various conditions via telerehab:

● injuries

● musculoskeletal conditions

● certain neurological issues

● headaches and dizziness

● cardiorespiratory problems

The fees are $25 per 15 minutes. For more information or to make an appointment, you can reach me at 514-963-0519 or by email frank_pt77@hotmail.com

Persistent pain in the upper and lower limbs

I have treated several patients suffering from persistent pain in the upper and lower limbs. Despite imaging exams that did not reveal lesions in the painful region, and despite having undergone other treatments, these patients continued experiencing symptoms. In most of these cases, the main cause of the issue can be found above or below the problematic area. As an example, pain in the elbow can be triggered by a biomechanical issue at the wrist, or originate from the neck due to the nerve connections. By a similar reasoning, a lack of hip or ankle joint mobility, or nerve irritation stemming from the low back, can lead to knee pain. A detailed assessment will allow us to formulate a treatment plan that will consist of manual therapy and specific exercises. For further information, or to schedule an appointment with me, please leave me a message at 514-934-2334 ext 509.

Headaches

There are certain types of headaches that can be treated by physiotherapy. Joint stiffness in the neck, and tension in the upper back as well as in the sub-occipital muscles located at the back of the neck and just below the skull can provoke headaches. The treatment regimen consists of manual therapy (joint mobilizations) and specific exercises. If, however, you are experiencing intense and unrelenting headaches, it is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor.

Calf pain

If you are experiencing pain in the calf, you must examine it for swelling, redness, and a temperature increase. Redness with an elevated temperature likely indicates a circulatory problem. In this case, it is imperative that you immediately go to the emergency room! If there is no redness, you can consult a doctor or a physiotherapist.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing involves the adequate contraction of the diaphragm while breathing in. Many people tend to overuse the muscles of the neck during respiration, which can lead to negative consequences:

 - pain in the neck and upper back due to excess muscle tension and stiffness in the spine and ribs
- a reduction in oxygen intake by the lungs due to the insufficient contraction of the diaphragm, which acts as a pump
- pain in the low back and the pelvic area resulting from a decrease in diaphragmatic contraction, which can contribute to a lack of muscular stabilization in the back and the pelvic region

A method for practicing diaphragmatic breathing:

- place the hands on the abdomen
- take a deep and slow breath through the nose while applying a light pressure on the abdomen with the hands to stimulate contraction of the diaphragm
- exhale slowly through the mouth

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3924606/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183256/

For further information, you can contact me at 514-934-2334 ext 509.

Does treating the mid-back affect the low back and the hip?

Throughout my extensive experience in treating back pain, it is clear that the mobility of the thoracic spine (mid-back) and rib cage plays a key role in issues in the upper and low back as well as in the pelvic region and the hip. Currently, I have patients experiencing pain in the lumbosacral area (low back) and the hip, who have greatly benefited from manual therapy (joint mobilizations) at the thoracic spine. I am also treating a dancer with pain and chronic stiffness at the lumbar spine, the sacro-iliac joint (between the base of the spine and the pelvis), and the hip, who experienced significant positive results from manual therapy and McKenzie exercises (specific repeated movements) targeting the thoracic region.

There are two main reasons for the effectiveness of treatments at the thoracic region for the lumbopelvic area and the hip: (1) The functional connectivity between the thoracic spine, the low back, and the pelvis means that these areas work in concert with each other to enable the execution of various movements; (2) the thoracolumbar fascia functions as a crucial muscular link between these different parts.

Pain and the Connectivity of Different Parts of the Body

Recently, I was treating a patient who had knee pain and difficulty doing certain sports activities. Radiological exams did not reveal any lesions in the knee. During the physiotherapy assessment, the knee pain could not be elicited. However, I found a muscle weakness in the hip/gluteal area as well as a significant lack of joint mobility in the foot. Thus, my clinical impression is that the issues in the hip and the foot were contributing to the knee pain, since the entire leg like other regions of the body functions as a whole, like a chain. In the end, without having to directly treat the knee, we succeeded in eliminating the pain and in significantly improving his athletic performance. In conclusion, in certain cases, the factors contributing to pain in a specific part of the body can originate from elsewhere due to the connectivity of various areas.

Physiotherapy and Sexual Function

Although sex is often a delicate and even a taboo subject, it is a significant part of human life and activity. With regards to physiotherapy, it is the "activity" aspect that is pertinent. Sexual intercourse involves most of the body, from the head to the feet. Musculoskeletal pain and nerve-related symptoms (tingling, numbness) can hinder sexual acts or be aggravated by the latter. As a health care professional, helping people improve their sex life by treating biomechanical issues forms part of the clinical skills of the physiotherapist. For more information, you can contact me at 514-934-2334 ext 286.

Shoulder Tendonitis

Shoulder tendonitis involves an inflammation of a tendon, the part of the muscle that attaches to the bone. Repetitive movements and positions or sudden awkward movements can lead to tendonitis.

Contributing factors often include faulty biomechanics, which is one of the main targets of physiotherapy. Anatomical components that can adversely affect biomechanics are joint mobility limitations in the shoulder or upper back region, erroneous positioning of the arm or the back during certain movements, and an imbalance in the strength of muscles in the upper extremity and the back.

Assessment in physiotherapy helps determine the factors causing pain, and a treatment plan is then formulated according to these factors and the patient's needs and goals. The treatment sessions often entail a combination of manual treatments, exercises, and advice regarding posture and the proper execution of specific movements. Consult a licensed physiotherapist to begin the process towards recovery!

My Tailored Physiotherapy Approach

Assessment in physiotherapy involves a systematic analysis of the problem at hand (pain, lack of movement, etc) in order to devise a treatment plan that is congruent with the patient's / client's goals.

My clinical approach consists of determining the contributing factors by evaluating the joint mobility (manual therapy), the movements that relieve and aggravate the symptoms (McKenzie method), and the biomechanics of the affected movements and activities (postural approach).

This detailed analysis allows us to establish the relative importance of the above methods in the patient's care, which is carried out through manual treatments, patient education, and prescribed exercises.