TheraTouch Physiotherapy

TheraTouch Physiotherapy A unique Ottawa based physio clinic that offers General Physio & Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Services

Do you know the early signs of arthritis? Many people think it only comes with old age, but arthritis can begin much ear...
08/30/2025

Do you know the early signs of arthritis? Many people think it only comes with old age, but arthritis can begin much earlier, often with quiet signals that are easy to ignore. Catching these signs early can protect your joints and keep you moving with less pain.

The first sign is joint pain. It may appear as a dull ache after activity or sharper pain during movement. If it lingers or keeps coming back, it’s worth paying attention to.

The second is stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods. If you need extra time to loosen up before you feel comfortable moving, your joints may be warning you.
The third is swelling or tenderness. Inflammation can make joints feel puffy, warm, or sensitive to touch. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times it’s subtle but either way, it’s a sign you shouldn’t ignore.

The fourth is reduced range of motion. Movements like bending your knees, twisting your wrist, or lifting your arm might suddenly feel harder or more restricted. Everyday activities can start to feel like a challenge when arthritis is developing.

So what should your first response be? Instead of brushing these signs aside or pushing through the pain, listen to your body. A physiotherapist can assess your joints, guide you with personalized exercises, reduce discomfort, and help protect against further damage. Early intervention makes a big difference. You don’t have to wait until pain takes over your life to take action.
Your joints are whispering. The question is, are you listening?

Many women live with it in silence, often feeling like they’re alone or that “something must be wrong” with them. But th...
08/28/2025

Many women live with it in silence, often feeling like they’re alone or that “something must be wrong” with them. But the truth is, vaginismus affects far more people than most realize and understanding it is the first step toward healing.

💡 Many women go years without realizing what’s happening. They might think their body is “too small,” “too tight,” or simply “not made for s*x.” Some may even avoid intimacy out of shame or anxiety. But vaginismus is not rare, and it is definitely not something you need to endure quietly.

Why does it happen?
Vaginismus can stem from several causes past pain, fear of pain, anxiety, trauma, stress, or even cultural or societal conditioning that makes s*x feel “wrong” or unsafe. Sometimes, it can appear without any clear reason at all. What matters most is not why it started, but that your body is protecting itself in the only way it knows how.

Here’s the hopeful part: vaginismus is treatable. Pelvic floor physiotherapy helps you retrain your muscles, release tension, and reconnect with your body in a safe and supportive way. Therapy may include education, relaxation techniques, breathing work, manual therapy, and gentle exercises to gradually reduce fear and build comfort.
You are not broken. You are not abnormal. And you are definitely not alone.

💬 If you’ve ever felt pain, burning, or a “wall” sensation during intimacy or tampon use, your body may be trying to tell you something and that something could be vaginismus. Opening up the conversation, asking questions, and seeking help is the first brave step toward healing.

Have you ever thought about what your pelvic floor really does for you every day? Most people only notice it when someth...
08/26/2025

Have you ever thought about what your pelvic floor really does for you every day? Most people only notice it when something feels “off” like leaking when you laugh, pain during intimacy, or a heavy feeling in the pelvis. But the truth is, your pelvic floor works quietly around the clock to keep your body supported, strong, and in control.

Your pelvic floor supports your bladder, uterus or prostate, and re**um, holding them in place and preventing prolapse. It gives you control over your bladder and bowels by contracting when you need to “hold it in” and relaxing when you decide it’s time to go. These same muscles also play a big role in s*xual function, adding to sensation, comfort, and or**sm.

But that’s not all. Your pelvic floor is part of your deep core system, teaming up with your diaphragm, back, and abdominal muscles to stabilize your hips, spine, and pelvis. It also manages pressure in your abdomen every time you cough, laugh, sneeze, lift, or exercise protecting your organs and spine with every move.

When these muscles weaken or become too tight, your body often lets you know through leaks, heaviness, or pain. Those signs aren’t something you just have to live with they’re signals that your pelvic floor needs care.

Your pelvic floor is more than a “bathroom muscle.” It’s your hidden foundation for strength, confidence, and quality of life. The more you understand it, the better you can take care of it.

Have you noticed any of these signs in your own body? You’re not alone, and help is always available.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a condition that causes pain along the thumb side of your wrist when the tendons responsi...
08/23/2025

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a condition that causes pain along the thumb side of your wrist when the tendons responsible for thumb movement become irritated and inflamed. This pain often starts at the base of the thumb and can spread into the forearm, making everyday tasks like lifting your phone, turning a doorknob, or even picking up your baby feels surprisingly difficult.

🌿 What causes it?
Repetitive movements are the most common cause. Texting, typing, lifting, gaming, or playing certain sports can all overload the tendons. New parents often experience it from frequently lifting and holding their babies, which is why it’s often nicknamed “mommy thumb.” Arthritis, hormonal changes, or wrist injuries can also increase the risk.

🌿 What helps relieve it?
Resting your wrist and avoiding repetitive strain are essential first steps. Applying ice helps reduce swelling, and a wrist or thumb splint can keep the tendons supported. Gentle stretches and movements can ease stiffness when introduced gradually.

🌿 How physiotherapy helps
Physiotherapy plays a key role in recovery. A physiotherapist uses hands-on therapy, soft tissue techniques, and modalities like ultrasound to ease pain and inflammation. They also guide you through specific exercises to restore strength and flexibility in your wrist and thumb, helping prevent the pain from returning. In severe or persistent cases, your doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory medication or injections, but most people improve well with physiotherapy and lifestyle adjustments.

🌿 The brighter side
With timely care, De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is very treatable. Addressing it early means you can get back to lifting, typing, and moving with comfort instead of pain.

👉 If you’ve been noticing nagging wrist pain that won’t go away, it’s worth paying attention—your hands and wrists work hard for you every day, and they deserve proper care.

🌿 The True Pillars of Lasting Health 🌿Your health isn’t built on quick fixes or short-term habits. It rests on a strong ...
08/21/2025

🌿 The True Pillars of Lasting Health 🌿
Your health isn’t built on quick fixes or short-term habits. It rests on a strong foundation; three powerful pillars that work hand in hand to keep your body, mind, and energy in balance.

💤 Sleep – Your Body’s Reset Button
Sleep is more than “just rest.” It’s the time when your body repairs damaged tissues, recharges energy, and restores balance in your brain and body. Good sleep improves memory, strengthens immunity, regulates mood, and enhances focus. Without it, even the healthiest diet or most consistent exercise won’t give the results you deserve.

🏃 Movement – Your Natural Medicine
Movement is life. Every stretch, walk, or exercise you do builds resilience in your muscles and joints, improves circulation, boosts your energy, and strengthens your heart and lungs. Movement doesn’t have to mean a gym membership. It can be dancing in your living room, walking after dinner, or practicing targeted physiotherapy exercises. Staying active also helps protect your mental health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and keeps your body mobile and flexible as you age. Remember: Motion is Lotion!!!

🥗 Nutrition – Fuel for Growth and Healing
Food is not just about filling your stomach, it’s about fueling your body to function at its very best. Proper nutrition supplies essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, and energy that your cells need for repair, growth, and defense.

✨ Together, these three pillars create the foundation for a healthier, stronger, and more resilient you. At TheraTouch Physiotherapy, we don’t just treat symptoms, we guide you toward building habits around sleep, movement, and nutrition so your recovery lasts and your quality of life improves.
Your journey to true well-being begins with balance. 💜

🌸 Your First Physio Appointment, Explained 🌸Starting physiotherapy can feel a little uncertain  but at TheraTouch Physio...
08/19/2025

🌸 Your First Physio Appointment, Explained 🌸

Starting physiotherapy can feel a little uncertain but at TheraTouch Physiotherapy, we make sure your very first visit is about comfort, clarity, and care. Here’s how your journey unfolds with us:

💬 Stage 1 – Assessment and Discussion
We begin by listening to you. You share your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, and goals. This is where we get to know your story, because your healing starts with understanding who you are, not just what hurts.

👩‍⚕️ Stage 2 – Physical Examination
Next, we gently assess how you move. Your posture, strength, flexibility, and any painful areas are checked to uncover the root cause of your discomfort. This step is about connection between what you feel and what your body shows us.

📋 Stage 3 – Diagnosis and Plan
Once we gather the pieces, we explain everything clearly. No jargon, no confusion. You’ll leave with a diagnosis that makes sense and a personalized treatment plan designed to meet your body’s needs and your lifestyle goals.

🤲 Stage 4 – First Treatment and Advice
Your recovery begins right away. Whether it’s hands-on therapy, guided exercises, or special techniques, your first session sets healing in motion. We also equip you with practical advice so you can continue supporting your recovery at home.

✨ At TheraTouch, we believe your first physiotherapy appointment should leave you feeling informed, supported, and hopeful not overwhelmed. It’s not just about treating pain; it’s about giving you the confidence and tools to take back control of your health.
Your journey to recovery begins with just one step and we’ll walk with you all the way. 💜

Why am I leaking?If you’ve ever had to cross your legs before a sneeze, skipped certain exercises because you were worri...
08/14/2025

Why am I leaking?
If you’ve ever had to cross your legs before a sneeze, skipped certain exercises because you were worried about “accidents,” or made a mad dash to the bathroom only to still leak a little, you’re not alone, and it’s a sign your pelvic floor may need some attention.
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissue that sit at the base of your pelvis, acting like a supportive hammock for your bladder, bowel, and in women, the uterus. These muscles work together to keep you dry by helping your bladder stay closed until you choose to go. But when they’re weakened, overly tight, or not working in coordination, leaks can happen.

Common causes include pregnancy and childbirth, hormonal changes during menopause, high-impact activities like running and jumping, chronic constipation, repeated heavy lifting, or even years of posture and breathing habits that put unnecessary strain on the area. And here’s something many people don’t realise, leaking isn’t always from weakness. Sometimes the pelvic floor is overactive, meaning it’s too tight and can’t relax when it should, which also leads to leaks.

The good news is, leaking is treatable. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a proven, effective way to retrain these muscles, restore their coordination, and improve bladder control. With a personalized program, you can get back to living without fear, laughing without crossing your legs, exercising without hesitation, and trusting your body again. Your pelvic health matters, and help is closer than you think.

Our pelvic floor is more than just a hidden muscle group, it’s the foundation of your core strength, balance, and athlet...
08/12/2025

Our pelvic floor is more than just a hidden muscle group, it’s the foundation of your core strength, balance, and athletic performance. It works hand in hand with your deep core and breathing muscles to give you the stability, control, and power you need in every movement. Whether you’re sprinting, lifting, jumping, or switching direction in a split second, your pelvic floor is working quietly behind the scenes to keep you strong, aligned, and injury-free.

But intense training, repetitive impact, or poor movement habits can put this muscle group under strain. Over time, this can lead to signs like urinary leakage during exertion, pelvic pain or heaviness, hip or lower back discomfort, and even a drop in your overall performance. And it’s not just a women’s issue, male athletes can also experience pelvic floor dysfunction through groin pain, testicular discomfort, or difficulty controlling the bladder or bowel.

A strong pelvic floor isn’t simply about tightening or doing endless Kegels. It’s about teaching it to work dynamically and activating when you need power, and relaxing when you need mobility. When your pelvic floor is trained to respond to the demands of your sport, you move more efficiently, protect yourself from injury, and perform at your peak for longer.

If you’ve started physiotherapy but feel like progress is slow or your symptoms keep coming back, it might not be your t...
08/10/2025

If you’ve started physiotherapy but feel like progress is slow or your symptoms keep coming back, it might not be your treatment, it might be what you’re unknowingly doing outside the clinic. Healing isn’t just about showing up for your sessions. It’s about what you do in between. Here are some common mistakes that could be slowing down your recovery:

Feeling a bit better doesn’t mean you’re fully healed. Going back to intense workouts, long hours at your desk, or lifting heavy things too early can undo progress and re-aggravate the issue. Healing tissues need time and consistency, not overachievement.

Your physiotherapy exercises aren’t just a checklist, they’re the key to building strength, restoring balance, and preventing re-injury. Missing a few days here and there may not seem like much, but it slows your momentum and keeps your body stuck in old patterns.
Pain often returns because the root cause hasn’t changed. If you’re still slouching at your desk, clenching your pelvic floor, limping when you walk, or holding your breath during movement, you’re reinforcing the same stress your physio is trying to correct.

Physiotherapy is not a one-session miracle. It’s a process. Your body needs time to unlearn compensations, rebuild strength, and create new patterns. Trust the plan. Progress may be slow at first, but with patience and the right guidance, it becomes lasting.

Your physio is your teammate, so open communication is key. If something hurts, feels off, or isn’t working for you, speak up, we will listen!!!. Your body changes week to week, and your treatment should adapt with it.
The truth is, small mistakes can create big delays. But the good news? Small changes can create big wins, too. Stick with the plan, stay consistent, and trust your team, your healing is already underway.

Your pelvic floor is a powerful group of muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowel. It also helps with postur...
08/08/2025

Your pelvic floor is a powerful group of muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowel. It also helps with posture, core stability, and s*xual function. But just like any muscle group, it needs consistent, intentional care, especially if you’ve noticed leaks, urgency, heaviness, or discomfort. These three simple habits can go a long way in keeping your pelvic floor strong, responsive, and healthy;

Your breath and pelvic floor work as a team. When you inhale deeply, your pelvic floor naturally lengthens. On the exhale, it gently lifts. Holding your breath during movement or straining puts pressure on your core and pelvic organs. Daily belly breathing can reduce that pressure and reconnect your brain to your pelvic floor, helping it function better.

Going to the toilet out of habit not actual need teaches your bladder to signal urgency before it’s full. Over time, this leads to frequent urges and even incontinence. Instead, aim to go only when your bladder truly feels full. Trusting your body’s natural rhythm builds better bladder control.

Pelvic floor health isn’t just about doing Kegels. Some people actually have tight, overactive pelvic floors that need relaxation more than strength work. Others may need both. A registered pelvic floor physiotherapist can assess what your body truly needs and guide you safely through the right exercises and release work.
Small, consistent habits can make a lasting difference in how your pelvic floor supports you through daily life. And if symptoms have already started, pelvic floor physiotherapy can help you feel stronger, more in control, and more connected to your body again.

Let’s talk about Perimenopause.Perimenopause refers to the stage before menopause when your hormone levels, especially e...
08/05/2025

Let’s talk about Perimenopause.
Perimenopause refers to the stage before menopause when your hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate. As your hormone levels drop, the tissues and muscles in your pelvic region can weaken or become less elastic. The pelvic floor, which supports your bladder, uterus, and bowel, is particularly sensitive to these changes.

The result? You may start to experience symptoms that are directly tied to pelvic floor dysfunction. These can include bladder urgency, stress incontinence (leaking when you laugh, sneeze, or exercise), pelvic pain, constipation, painful intimacy, pelvic heaviness you can’t quite explain. These changes aren’t random. They’re often rooted in your pelvic floor, which becomes more vulnerable as your estrogen levels begin to drop. What you’re feeling is common, but it’s not something you have to simply accept.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy offers real, evidence-based solutions. At TheraTouch, we help you retrain and reconnect with your body. Whether your pelvic floor muscles have become too weak or too tense, we tailor your treatment to bring strength, balance, and control back into your daily life. You’ll learn how to move, breathe, and support your body in ways that reduce symptoms and improve function, with care that is personal, private, and completely built around you.

Perimenopause may be a transition, but it doesn’t have to mean discomfort or disconnection. With the right support, you can move through this phase feeling informed, empowered, and in control of your body again.

Address

2249 Carling Avenue Suite 201
Ottawa, ON
K2B7E9

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+16137098001

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TheraTouch Physiotherapy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to TheraTouch Physiotherapy:

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram