Exercise
Superior exercise therapy
Do you have a nagging injury that is not getting better? Are you looking to increase your sports performance? Do you have neck pain caused by staring at a computer too long? Getting a superior exercise program designed by an Integral physiotherapist can help!
Therapeutic exercise is the specific retraining of a muscle or muscle group that has either been damaged through trauma, the “never fun” car accident, or simply not performing properly due to bad posture or poor stability. Sometimes referred to as muscle balance, the aim of therapeutic exercise is to restore the relative strength of the muscle to ensure proper support from active structures. Many people with pain have a muscle dysfunction; the aim of an Integral therapeutic exercise program is to maintain the correction provided by other techniques such as active release technique or intramuscular stimulation for the long term.
My visit to Integral was terrific. They were able to fit me in with a very qualified physiotherapist, Kate, who took the time to find out why I was there and then develop a great exercise program for me to follow. Integral Physio is very professionally run and the people work together to provide the very best experience ever.
Vivian Carter
Exercise therapy can include
- Cardiovascular exercise, like biking or treadmill activity
- Specific muscle strengthening
- Specific muscle flexibility
- Sport specific exercises
- Practising patterns of movement to promote the order of muscle recruitment
- Practising specific functional tasks in a safe, pain-free way
Tips for daily exercise
If you are deskbound
You may have tightened hamstrings, lower back and posterior neck pain. Be sure to take breaks to walk around to keep fluid from pooling in the legs and do some targeted stretching for your legs, back and neck. Stretches should always be pain-free and gentle.
If you spend a lot of time at the computer
Ensure your workstation is set up to promote proper posture. Correct postural alignment minimizes the amount of extra work your neck, shoulders and back do throughout the day. This in turn can decrease tension, eyestrain, headaches and upper back pain. You should also consider a stand-up desk as we believe in “standing up to a sit-down world”.
If you do a lot of walking or lifting
Take the time at the beginning of the day to warm up and stretch to avoid injury. If you are unsure about a task ask for assistance and approach new duties with caution until you know how your body will react.