Love to Cycle but Hate the Pain?

Why do I have pain when I ride my road/mountain bike?

Biking is a popular and fun sport - but it can also trigger pain and injury if your bike is not properly fitted.  After cycling have you ever felt numbness or tingling in your hands, pain in your neck, shoulders, hips, knees, feet or lower back?  Common causes are improper seat positioning, poor core strength or bike posture, improper cleat positioning or repetitive strain.  Many problems can be easily avoided by an upfront assessment and bike set-up by a qualified professional.  At MOMENTUM Physical Therapy, we have trained physical therapists who have supplemented their extensive knowledge of how bones and muscles work with specialized training on how to properly fit bicycles to their rider.  Improving something as simple as your cycling position or adjusting the foot to petal interface on your bike can make a huge difference to your cycling enjoyment.  Call MOMENTUM today and get ready for a fun, pain-free cycling session!

Stephen Uhrbach is the clinic owner and lead physiotherapist at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Ltd. located in Okotoks, AB.

Sciatica? What's that?

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica generally refers to any type of pain that travels down the back of the hip into the thigh and calf. This pain follows along the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve, which branches down the lower back and both legs. While there is no single cause of sciatic pain, we know that dysfunction in the low back, hips, groin, or legs can contribute to this pain.  Sciatic pain can vary widely from a mild ache to excruciating pain.  The pain may be constant or intermittent and range from tingling and numbness to a severe burning sensation.  To treat sciatica your physiotherapist will need to complete a comprehensive physical assessment to determine the root cause.  Once the origin of the pain has been identified, appropriate stretching, muscle mobilization, and strengthening exercises can often be prescribed to alleviate the symptoms.  If you are dealing with any form of sciatica, call MOMENTUM today to find out how we can help! 

Stephen Uhrbach is the clinic owner and lead physiotherapist at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Ltd. located in Okotoks, AB.

Important Exercises for ALL

What are the most important exercises to improve overall function?

Regardless of whether you are a professional athlete or recreational gardener our fundamental needs are still the same.  We all need the ability to lift objects, move our bodies and complete everyday tasks.  These movements all depend on our ability to stabilize our hips and core.  Any weakness in our hips and core can lead to awkward movements that limit our ability to function, and ultimately, lead to injury and pain.

"Core training" is a buzz term that is thrown around loosely in magazines and gyms.  So what is "core training"?  When done properly core training focuses on stabilizing our abdominal and gluteal muscles (our stomach and buttock muscles).  However, unknown to many, these muscles are not activated by sit-ups and crunches.  In fact, those exercises often lead to even further injury and pain.  Instead, glue bridges, front planks and side planks are the best foundational exercises to begin strengthening and training your hips and core.

If you are experiencing pain or injury, call MOMENTUM today.  We can work with you to help to develop you a core training program that will work to reduce your pain.

Stephen Uhrbach is the clinic owner and lead physiotherapist at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Ltd. located in Okotoks, AB.

Injuries and Heat

When do I apply heat to an injury?

Heat is generally used to relieve chronic pain or to treat injuries that do not show any signs of inflammation or swelling.  Heat increases blood flow to the tissues and can be effective for reducing muscle tightness and easing joint pain.  You can apply heat using hot water bottles, hot packs or heating pads.  When using heat always use a towel or other protective layer between your skin and the heat source to prevent burns.  Be sure to only apply the heat in intervals of 15-20 minutes.  In the case of tight muscles the best way to warm them up is to increase blood circulation through physical activity.  This an be done by taking a brisk walk or doing some cycling.  

Note that applying heat increased blood circulations and raises the temperature of the skin so it should never be used on acute injuries that are red, swollen or inflamed.  If you are in need of some rehabilitation for your injury in Okotoks, be sure to stop by and get a treatment from one of our registered physical therapists!

Stephen Uhrbach is the clinic owner and lead physiotherapist at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Ltd. located in Okotoks, AB.

Icing Injuries

When should I ice an injury?

The choice to use heat or ice depends on the injury that you've sustained.  However, there are a few good rules of thumb to remember.  Ice reduces inflammation, numbs pain and further prevents swelling.  Therefore, ice is most helpful right after the injury and for the first week when you tissue redness, warmth, swelling and brushing.  Sometimes it takes longer for the injury to heal, such as in the case of a fracture or surgery.  Basically you will want to keep applying ice until the swelling and warmth disappear and the injury site returns to normal.  Always put a protective barrier, such as a wet towel, between your skin and the ice and apply the ice for 15 - 20 minutes at a time.  The ice should be removed for at least one hour between icing sessions to minimize the chance of frostbite.  When it comes to injury management, many different factors can affect your recovery.  A physiotherapist can determine a course of treatment that will help maximize your return to normal activities.  Call MOMENTUM today to find out how we can help you gain your momentum! 

Stephen Uhrbach is the clinic owner and lead physiotherapist at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Ltd. located in Okotoks, AB.