Author: Julie Johnson

Pace to the finish line

As one of the newest physiotherapists at Physioworks, this is my first blog post and I have decided to share some insight into my own personal journey towards training for the BMO half marathon. I hope that you can take away some educational advice from a physiotherapists perspective but also some personal advice based on […]

Read More

Snowshoeing Memories

I had the pleasure of going snowshoeing for the first time a few winters ago and here is how I remember it: It was a perfect day of blue skies and sunshine amongst the scenic trails of Mount Seymour. I was a little nervous not knowing what to expect and also having our baby strapped to […]

Read More

Energize your body with the proper snack!

I was volunteering at a fencing competition when the parent of a young fencer asked me if I had any ideas for energy snacks her son could have that were healthy, not full of artificial sugar and that was vegan. I thought… challenge accepted! I tried out a number of ideas; some worked really well, […]

Read More

Referred Pain

Here are some scenarios I see as a massage therapist: “I had this chest pain that radiated to the arm last week but had gone to emergency and had all of the tests and nothing could be found.” Or “I have low back pain that keeps recurring intermittently for the last few years. But no […]

Read More

Sleep Well

With the leaves changing colour and the days growing shorter and colder, it seems like a great time to talk about sleep – I think the bears would agree! Although we aren’t aware of it in the moment, sleep is an active and complex process.  Sleep cycles through predictable stages during the night, beginning with […]

Read More

Hiking with Injuries

During August long weekend, I had planned to take on the Juan de Fuca trail. Unfortunately, 3 weeks before my hike I aggravated an old knee injury. The injury was not so bad that I couldn’t walk but it was definitely hard to hike up and down trails while carrying ~40 lbs comfortably. With good […]

Read More

Whiplash 101

What is Whiplash? Whiplash is a sudden acceleration-deceleration of the head, most often during a motor vehicle accident, can cause injury and strain neck muscles and surrounding soft tissues. This type of injury is commonly referred to as whiplash. In such an event, the neck and head are suddenly forced backward and then forward, putting […]

Read More

Pelvic floor health: Urinary incontinence

What is urinary incontinence? It sounds pretty straightforward, but here are the five classifications: 1. Stress: This is urine leakage that occurs with an increase in intra-abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting. 2. Urge: This urine leakage that occurs with an uncontrollable need to urinate and inability to delay the urge. This type […]

Read More

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath…. When you inhaled did your belly inflate? If so, great! You were breathing through your diaphragm. If not, you are among the many and all too common chest breathers. Throughout our lives many of us start using our chest to breathe. Stress, poor posture, excess weight and many other reasons, encourage […]

Read More

Injury Prevention for Cyclists

There has been a rapid increase in new cyclists hitting the road especially between the ages of 40-50 and is gaining even more popularity than golf, especially in the lower mainland. Former athletes with osteoarthritis and joint related conditions are turning to cycling as a means to keep fit without high impact. As the early […]

Read More