What is Vestibular Physiotherapy?

Written by: Rachel Grant, MSc PT, BKin

Vestibular physiotherapy is a specialized form of physical therapy aimed at treating balance disorders caused by issues with the vestibular system, which controls your sense of balance and spatial orientation. The vestibular system is located in the inner
ear and works closely with the brain to help you stay oriented and steady while moving.

When this system is disrupted, individuals can experience dizziness, vertigo, and difficulty with coordination, which can
significantly impact daily activities. Vestibular physiotherapy uses specific exercises and techniques to help retrain the brain to compensate for these disruptions.

Therapists may employ a range of strategies, including canalith repositioning maneuvers to help alleviate symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), balance training exercises to improve stability, and gaze stabilization techniques for people who experience visual disturbances when moving their heads. Vestibular therapy can also help treat post-concussion syndrome and symptoms associated from mild traumatic brain injury.

By addressing the root causes of dizziness and imbalance, vestibular physiotherapy can restore normal function, enhance quality of life, and promote confidence in movement again. Whether it's recovering from an injury or managing an ongoing condition,
vestibular therapy is a specialized option to get back to doing what you enjoy.

Book an appointment today to learn if Vestibular Therapy is right for you!

Common Hockey Injuries & Treatments

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]By: Active Sports Therapy

There are many hockey players that walk through our front doors at Active Sports Therapy with an array of injuries, however, there are a few that stand out as being quite common to a hockey player.

Concussions – Concussions are a big topic in the hockey world as a contact sport. They are one of the most common injuries that a player can sustain when out on the ice. It usually occurs from a big hit or fall, but a blow from an elbow or a stick can also cause concussion issues. Some symptoms might include dizziness, nausea, balance problems, headache, and mood changes. Concussions need to be taken very seriously, and medical attention and advice should be consulted immediately.

AST does have a concussion specialist working at the clinic, and here is an article she’s written with Three Things You Need To Know if You Have a Concussion

Groin Issues – This is another injury that goes hand in hand with being a hockey player and there are several muscles that can be affected in the area including the hip flexors and adductors. Since hockey players are often stopping and changing directions and performing a lot of agility related moves, these muscles are susceptible to injury.

At AST we can help assess and treat the root cause of groin issues as it may be related to an imbalance of strength between propulsive muscles and stabilizing muscles and assign exercises to help resolve the issue.

Broken Collarbones - Many hockey players will have a broken collarbone in their career. A doctor and an x-ray will assess the break and you’ll usually have to keep it in a sling for several weeks. If you work closely with your physician and physiotherapist, you can hopefully regain your mobility and full strength again. A physiotherapist can help with your recovery by working with you on your range of motion to ensure it is properly restored, giving you strengthening exercises to help restore what you’ve lost during the immobilization period, and use different techniques to help minimize scar tissue through different massage techniques.

Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries - When the ligament on the inside of the knee is overstretched, or even torn, it can result in a major knee injury to the MCL. There are many different grades of tears which you will have to have assessed by a professional in order to determine your way forward. A grade 1 tear can take a few days to a couple of weeks to heal enough to return to normal activities, a grade 2 can take up to 4 weeks to heal, and a grade 3 tear can take up to 8 weeks to heal. Most often, the focus is reducing the inflammation and the pain, keeping it elevated, as well as immobilizing the knee in a brace or cast to keep it stable as it heals. A physiotherapist can help with designing a program to help you get back on your feet. Exercises to bring back proper strength and range of motion in the knee. We also help our patients using Low Intensity Laser Therapy as it can help to improve healing in injuries and Active Release Techniques can help with pain and stiffness in the kinetic chain that may have developed while not being able to use the leg.

These are just a few of the common hockey related injuries that we see and successfully treat. If you’ve suffered from one of these injuries, please come and see us in Calgary.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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