Physiotherapy (PT)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), dizziness, and motion sickness.

Vertigo can often arise as a problem with the inner ear and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Vertigo can be thought of as a, “hallucination of motion”. When you experience an episode of vertigo, you may feel as though the room is spinning or that you are moving when you’re not.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), also referred to as, “positional vertigo”, is caused by loose debris within one or more inner ear canals. The loose debris in the inner ears, responsible for BPPV, are salt crystals composed of calcium carbonate, also known as otoliths.

These “ear crystals” may become loose as a result of damage to the inner ear that may results from a head injury, infection, age related degenerative changes, or other disorders of the inner ear. The presence of crystals floating within the fluid of the inner ear causes the brain to perceive that you are moving/spinning. BPPV can impair a person’s balance and it can put individuals, especially seniors, at a risk of falling.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts at least 12 weeks. The pain may feel sharp or dull, causing a burning or aching sensation in the affected areas. It may be steady or intermittent, coming and going without any apparent reason. 

Chronic pain can occur in nearly any part of your body, and severity and frequency of chronic pain can differ among individuals.  Chronic pain can be caused from an initial injury, such as a back strain or a pulled muscle. It is believed that chronic pain develops after the nerves become damaged. However, in some cases people experience chronic pain without having any prior injuries. The main goal of treatment is to reduce pain and increase mobility. Treatment may include low-impact aerobic training, strengthening exercises, pain relief exercises and/or stretching. This helps you return to your daily activities without discomfort. 

Our Physiotherapist can treat various causses of head and neck pain, such as: Concussions, Whiplash, Radicular pain, Acute and Chronic pain, etc

Neck pain is a que common injury: talk about a pain in the neck. There are many causes of neck pain which include postural issues, ruptured discs, pinched nerves, whiplash, arthritis and degenerative disc disease.  Each condition requires a thorough evaluation including review of any diagnostic imaging information.  Depending on the problem, various treatment options are available including exercises, manual therapy, modalities, etc.

Shoulder pain is any pain in or around the shoulder joint. There are four muscle tendons that connect to the shoulder that make up the rotator cuff. Together these four tendons stabilize the upper arm bone to the shoulder socket and allow the wide range of motion in the shoulder.

Our registered Physiotherapist can treat various ailments of shoulder also, such as: Rotator cuff, Frozen shoulder, acute injuries, chronic, etc.

Elbow pain is often caused by overuse or injury. Many sports, hobbies and jobs require repetitive hand, wrist or arm movements. Elbow pain can be the result of problems with bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments or joints. Elbow pain may occasionally be due to arthritis. 

Do you suffer from tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, or other elbow related pain? Let our registered Physiotherapist take care of you today!

Back Pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that may shoot down the leg. Sometimes it can come on suddenly – from an accident, a fall, or lifting something heavy, or it can develop slowly because of age-related degenerative changes in the spine.

Our registered Physiotherapist can treat all back pain (Low, Mid, and Upper)

• Low back pain (LBP) describes pain between the lower edge of the ribs and the buttock. It can last for a short time (acute), a little longer (sub-acute) or a long time (chronic). It can affect anyone. LBP makes it hard to move and can affect quality of life and mental well-being.
• Mid back pain (MBP) usually affects the lower thoracic spine where pain or discomfort can range from mild and brief, sharp and chronic that could last for months, averaging three months. The MBP occurs when any of the spine's structure has inflammation or irritation.
• Upper back pain (UBP) can occur anywhere between the base of the neck and the bottom of the rib cage. UBP may be caused by injuries or fractures, poor posture, disk problems or other issues, such as arthritis. People with mild to moderate upper back pain can usually manage their symptoms at home.

Hip Pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. You may not feel pain from your hip directly over the hip area. You may feel it in your groin or pain in your thigh or knee.

Our registered Physiotherapist can treat hip related pains such as: Gluteal, Bursitis, etc.

The sacro-iliac (SI) joint connects the iliac bone of the pelvis to the sacrum or the “tail bone”. The SI joint is very stable with very minimal movement in a normal healthy population. The joint moves the most in women of child bearing age to help accommodate pelvic space during childbirth.

In this population, the SI joint may twist in a painful position and can be re-adjusted with gentle exercises and/or manipulation.  It is less common in other populations and is often misdiagnosed when the real problem is the lumbar spine. Manual therapy, exercise and modalities can be used to relieve SI related pain and dysfunction.

Sciatica refers to irritation of the left or right sciatic nerves. The right sciatic nerve, originates from the right side the spinal cord in the low back, travels through the right buttock and down the back of the right leg. The same nerve pathway holds true for the left sciatic nerve, except it travels along the left side. 

Commonly, the sciatic nerve can become pinched or compressed and can cause symptoms of shooting pain from the low back or buttock into the leg as well as general low back and leg pain. Patients may also experience weakness as well as numbness and tingling in their leg and foot. Sciatica typically responds well to physiotherapy interventions including exercises.

Knee Pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Common medical conditions (like arthritis, gout and infections) also can cause knee pain. 

Some common strans of knee pain such as: Ligamentous injuries, meniscal injuries, acute, and chronic pain, can be treated by our registered Physiotherapist. 

Most cases of foot or ankle pain are short term and are caused by soft tissue injuries, such as sprains or strains. These should gradually heal with the help of simple self-care measures. Some common pains stem from acute and chronic injuries. 

Our registered Physiotherapist treat most foot and ankle pain such as Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Achilles Tendinitis, Spurs, Acute and Chronic pain, etc.

Sport injuries often occur as a result of a single or repetitive trauma to the body. Sport related injuries are various and often include concussion, fractures, ruptured or sprain ligaments, or strained muscles and tendons. The appropriate use of modalities, manual therapy and exercises (including sport-specific exercises) can be used to try and get you back to playing sports.

Osteoarthritis (OA) can occur in any joint within the body. Most commonly OA occurs in the knee, hip and thumb. OA is a result of the degeneration of the cartilage between articulating bones within a joint. With wear and tear over time, the articular cartilage thins which can result in pain, stiffness (often in the morning), and swelling.

Be sure to check out our new GLA:d program  specifically tailored to those who suffer with OA https://www.sparkrehabilitation.ca/gladprogram

Research has shown that patients that receive appropriate physiotherapy interventions that begin before a surgery, “pre-habilitation”, have often shown more favorable outcomes at the beginning, during, and at the end of post-operative rehabilitation. The name of the game is maximizing function before you go into surgery. Commonly knee replacements, meniscus repairs, hip replacements, rotator cuff repairs, spinal fusion and decompression surgeries may benefit from “prehabilitation”. Post-operatively, physiotherapy is very important to ensure you can achieve maximum range of motion, sufficient strength, balance and optimize your function. Therefore, physiotherapy can be critical in both pre and post-operative rehabilitation to maximize your functional ability.

Work Hardening is a specific therapy program that our Physicaltherapists can carry-out for worker's compensation clients who are injured and cannot work at full capacity. The program is designed to help injured workers get back to work by restoring their work-related function and tolerances.

A repetitive strain injury (RSI) can often occur from micro-tearing/stress to the muscles, tendons, joints, or ligaments and can worsen over time. RSIs can result from the most seemingly ordinary tasks. These include occupational demands, sports, household chores and other hobbies. These injuries can cause pain with movement and reductions in strength, coordination and function over time. Your physiotherapist will work with you throughout the healing process to remedy and improve lost and reduced function. Pain management, mobility, strengthening and functional activities as well as manual therapy and modalities can be used in RSI treatment.