Overhead mobility can be explained simply as having adequate motion to allow the arms to be positioned overhead without compensation. Shoulder overhead mobility requires multiple moving body parts working together. Without adequate motion in the right muscles and joints, you run the risk of exposing other body regions to excessive strain due to compensatory strategies, for example, extreme extension through the neck, thoracic spine, or lumbar spine.

The biceps brachii muscle is a multi-joint muscle that spans both the shoulder and the elbow, meaning it has a role in movement at both of these joints. Its main action is elbow flexion (bending the elbow), but it also has many secondary actions such as forearm supination (turning the palm up), and shoulder flexion (raising the arm overhead).

A biceps tendon rupture denotes an injury where the biceps muscle is subjected to excessive loads and detaches from one or more of its proximal attachment sites.

The most common locations for a biceps tendon rupture are at the proximal attachment of the long head (where it connects to the glenoid labrum), and distally where the tendon inserts into the radius.

We get a ton of questions about skiing safely, To ski with confidence, talk with a physiotherapist who specializes in skiing. It should be someone who understands the forces of the sport, and who has personal experience doing it themselves. Your physiotherapist will perform a variety of tests, discuss your activity, and make recommendations. Enjoy your winter season skiing in Vancouver and throughout BC!

Pull-ups are a core training exercise for most climbers. The grip position used in a pull-up has a significant impact on which muscles are being used and therefore being strengthened. Understanding the anatomy and biomechanics of the different variations of the pull-up can help you more specifically target your strength training for specific muscle groups and movement patterns. This is particularly important for athletes with shoulder and/or elbow pain to ensure you are loading the different structures of the arm and shoulder appropriately.

Cervical disc herniation is a common source of cervical radiculopathy which may lead to sensory deficits, motor weakness, and/or radicular pain. The specific signs and symptoms of cervical vary based on which vertebral level is affected. This is because depending on where the herniation occurs, it will lead to compression of a different spinal nerve. The symptoms of cervical disc herniations are unique to each spinal nerve as each one innervates different muscles and areas of the body.

Learn more about neck pain and cervical vertebra health at our Main Street physiotherapy and massage clinic in Vancouver, BC

Just as it’s important to recognize the risk factors leading to a diagnosis of osteoporosis for early detection, it is just as important, once diagnosed, to recognize and address factors that contribute to unfavourable consequences of the disease.

Physiotherapy plays a huge role in the prevention and management of osteoporosis. Early treatment is imperative as a preventative measure to stop the deterioration of the bones as soon as possible, and therefore risk of fracture.

Visit our Main Street physiotherapy clinic where our Vancouver physiotherapists will assist with treatment and management of osteoporosis. Find out what osteoporosis means for you.

Flexor Digitorum Profundus (FDP) is a muscle that extends from our elbows, down our forearms, and attaches to the bones of our fingers via its tendons. The FDP muscle is involved in finger flexion (bending/curling our fingers) making it an extremely important muscle for climbing. Our FDP muscles are involved with a variety of climbing grips (crimps, pinches, slopers, jugs, etc.), and developing FDP strength is essential for climbing performance, but it is also one of the most common sources of hand, finger, or forearm pain and injury in climbers.

Without good ankle strength throughout the entire range of motion of the ankle, a climber may be able to get into positions requiring good mobility but will have difficulty moving out of them. Additionally, ankle strength and mobility are important for generating power for dynos, toe hooks, and heel hooks, as well as injury prevention — for example, preventing ankle sprains when landing on a crashpad, or tough heel-toe cams.

The bones of children and adults share many of the same risk factors when it comes to athletic injuries, however, because they are still growing, a children’s bones are more prone to a unique injury: epiphyseal fractures (growth plate fractures).

Through engaging in evidence-based practice, the physiotherapists at Elios Health will ensure you receive the best possible care when recovering from an injury and returning to your favourite sports and daily activities.

Part II of our series, “Recovery in Climbing.”

Can’t help but wonder - is there a difference in short, medium, and long-term recovery? Should you approach each differently? Short answer - yes.

Long answer - read on to learn more about how to maximize recovery from our Vancouver physiotherapy author Rachel Rubin-Sarganis.

Any serious athlete knows that recovery is just as important as the training itself. If you want to optimize your climbing performance, knowing how to limit fatigue and speed up recovery is as important as knowing how to perform a knee-bar, a finger jam, or drop-knee. Your ability to recover after a hard training session or working on a climbing project depends on numerous factors including age, genetics, and fitness level, but regardless of these factors, there are various tips and strategies that you can use to help enhance the recovery process!

Medial epicondylitis, also known as climber’s, golfer’s, or baseball elbow; is an overuse injury of the elbow characterized by pain from the elbow to the rest on the medial side of the elbow. The medial elbow region is prone to overuse injuries in climbing for a couple of reasons.

Physiotherapy will be an extremely important aspect of medial epicondylitis treatment. As climber’s and athletes, the physiotherapists at Elios Health are very familiar with medial epicondylitis and want to help you minimize the impact your symptoms place on your climbing and daily activities.

It’s the time of year for winter sports and snow-packed adventures. “Skier’s Thumb” is one of the most common hand injuries associated with winter sports.

To ensure success as you hit the slopes, read this blog post to learn all about the anatomy, symptoms, causes, and treatment options for Skier’s Thumb.

If you sustain a thumb injury this winter and are in the Greater Vancouver area, consult with us at Elios Health so that you can return to your winter activities safely. With the proper treatment and rehabilitation, we can help get you back to the mountains pain-free as soon as possible.

The knee is designed to move through flexion and extensions and facilitate the squatting motion. For most people, it should not cause knee pain, however, knee pain while squatting is a very common complaint.

Usually, the issue stems from poor movement patterns when performing the exercise due to muscle imbalances, limited mobility, and poor form. When left unaddressed, these issues can lead to acute and chronic knee injuries.

How do you know if your pain is just something from last weekend's adventure or a sign of something more long-term? In this post we look at signs and symptoms of chronic and acute injuries, and what to do when you think it is something more than leftover stiffness.

Acupuncture and intramuscular stimulation (IMS) can both be effective modalities for pain management. The two treatments are similar in that they both involve the insertion of a thin, single-use, sterile needle to stimulate healing. The two treatments differ in the way that the needles are used and the conditions that they address.

Massage therapy and physiotherapy are both helpful interventions to treat a variety of injuries and conditions. When you are experiencing pain or have suffered an injury, an important consideration is whether you should seek treatment from a physiotherapist or a massage therapist.