Winter Physiotherapy
Mid-winter days are here, bringing chilly (and sometimes downright frigid) temperatures with them. While we'd certainly forgive you for thinking about pulling your favourite blanket around yourself and not emerging from your cocoon until spring arrives, making the effort to remain physically active is a better investment in your physical and mental health.
Engaging in regular physiotherapy during winter can help you manage some pre-existing health issues. We'll explore six reasons to maintain your physiotherapy routine even during cold weather in this post.
1. Manage weather-related health conditions by engaging in physiotherapy.
Especially for patients with issues related to their joints and bones, fatigue, swelling pain, stiffness and other common symptoms can get more challenging to control in the winter. For those with rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, asthma, cervical spondylosis and other conditions, we may recommend one or a combination of physiotherapy exercises, including:
- Specific physiotherapy stretches and exercises to manage and alleviate pain, optimize balance and coordination, and improve range of motion
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy for those diagnosed with dizziness, imbalance or benign paroxysmal, positional vertigo (BPPV), which can get worse in winter
- Sports injury treatment and prevention to prevent and treat acute and chronic sports injuries
Our physiotherapists can provide instruction and counseling to help you improve your general physical fitness and sense of well-being.
Of course, before recommending any exercises, we thoroughly assess your circumstances, physical abilities, pre-existing health conditions and more at our physiotherapy clinic in Orleans. Your physiotherapist can create a customized physiotherapy program to suit your specific needs and preferences.
2. Address aches and pains due to colds with physiotherapy.
Were you aware that physiotherapy has been shown to be effective in helping to remove mucus from your airway passages? Physiotherapy and massage therapy can also help you manage aches and pains brought on by many viruses.
In addition, our physiotherapists can help you develop a regular exercises program to help boost your immune system and cardiovascular health.
3. Add physiotherapy to your routine to help manage winter blues and seasonal affective disorder.
Shorter days, snowy grey skies and lack of sunlight during winter can take a toll on our mental health. A combination of a custom exercise regime, massage therapy and other aspects of physical therapy can help to prevent or treat symptoms of SAD.
4. Improve sleep by adding physiotherapy to your daily health routine.
Sleep plays a large role in our physical and mental health, and goes hand-in-hand with exercise to keep our brains and bodies in tip-top shape. Physical therapy can positively impact sleep, which can help you maintain a positive outlook during the winter season, and be rested, prepared and alert during your waking hours.
5. Prepare for winter travel and long flights by performing physiotherapy exercises.
Many people book their holidays and take a mid-winter getaway to warmer temperatures in January or February. But while sunny skies and beaches may await, many of us dread the pain and discomfort that can come from spending long hours in airports and on flights.
Your physiotherapist can develop a tailor-made program to help you manage flying-related health issues such as high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and lower back pain.