Chronic Airway Disease, Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (COPD), & Asthma

A Colles fracture is a common injury that occurs when you fall on an outstretched hand (FOOSH), resulting in a break in the distal radius—the bone at the base of your wrist. This type of fracture can be painful and limiting, but with the right care and rehabilitation, you can regain full function and mobility.

What is a Colles Fracture?

A Colles fracture typically happens when you try to break a fall with your hands, leading to a break in the radius bone just above the wrist. This type of fracture often causes the wrist to appear deformed, with the hand tilted upwards—a characteristic “dinner fork” appearance. In some cases, the fracture is displaced, meaning the broken ends of the bone are out of alignment, which may require surgery to correct.

Treatment for a Colles Fracture

Treatment for a Colles fracture usually begins with immobilization. If the fracture is not displaced, your wrist will be set in a cast or splint for about 6 to 8 weeks to allow the bone to heal. In cases where the bone is displaced, surgical intervention may be necessary to realign the bones and stabilize the fracture with plates, screws, or pins.

After the cast is removed, you might notice stiffness, weakness, and reduced mobility in your wrist and hand. This is where physiotherapy plays a crucial role in your recovery.

How Physiotherapy Helps After a Colles Fracture

Physiotherapy is essential for restoring strength, flexibility, and range of motion in your wrist and hand after a Colles fracture. At PhysioActive, we take a comprehensive approach to your rehabilitation, focusing not only on the injured wrist but also on the entire arm, including the elbow and shoulder, to ensure a full and functional recovery.

Restoring Movement and Strength: Our physiotherapists will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that includes targeted exercises, stretches, and manual therapy techniques. These are designed to gradually restore the strength, flexibility, and range of motion in your wrist and hand, helping you return to your normal activities as quickly and safely as possible.
Reducing Pain and Swelling: Post-cast, it’s common to experience residual pain and swelling in the affected area. Our therapists use techniques such as manual therapy, ultrasound, and specific exercises to help reduce pain, minimize swelling, and prevent stiffness.
Preventing Complications: One of the risks after a Colles fracture is the development of complications such as stiffness or muscle weakness. At PhysioActive, we focus on preventing these issues by ensuring that your rehabilitation is thorough and comprehensive. We also provide education on how to perform daily activities safely to avoid re-injury.
Holistic Approach: What sets PhysioActive apart is our holistic approach to rehabilitation. We don’t just focus on the wrist; we assess and treat the entire kinetic chain, including the elbow and shoulder, to ensure that all related joints and muscles are functioning properly. This approach helps to prevent compensatory issues and ensures a smoother, more complete recovery.
Personalized Care: At PhysioActive, we understand that every injury and every person is unique. That’s why we tailor our treatment plans to your specific needs and goals, ensuring that you receive the care that’s right for you.

Why Choose PhysioActive?

Choosing PhysioActive means choosing a team that is dedicated to your recovery, with a focus on personalized care and holistic treatment. We are committed to helping you regain full function, reduce pain, and return to the activities you love with confidence.

If you’ve suffered a Colles fracture, don’t wait to start your recovery. Contact PhysioActive today to schedule your assessment and begin your journey to full recovery. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

What Improvements Can You Expect?

By addressing the underlying factors that contribute to COPD, our approach can lead to significant improvements in your symptoms and overall quality of life. Clients often experience:

Enhanced breathing capacity: With improved rib and diaphragm mobility, along with better breathing techniques, you may find it easier to breathe deeply and efficiently, reducing feelings of breathlessness.
Reduced fatigue: By strengthening your respiratory system and improving CNS function, you can experience a boost in energy levels, making daily activities more manageable.
Better exercise tolerance: As your breathing improves, you’ll likely find that you can engage in physical activities with greater ease and less discomfort, allowing you to participate more fully in a personalized exercise program.
Faster recovery: We incorporate healing energy modalities to support your body’s natural healing processes. These modalities provide external energy to your system, which can dramatically speed up recovery and help maintain a higher level of energy throughout your treatment.

Why Choose PhysioActive for COPD Care?

At PhysioActive, we believe in treating the whole person, not just the symptoms. Our comprehensive approach to COPD care is designed to address the root causes of your condition, providing you with the tools and support you need to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. By combining advanced therapeutic techniques with personalized care, we help you achieve better outcomes and a more fulfilling life, despite the challenges of COPD.

If you’re ready to take control of your COPD and explore a more holistic approach to your care, we invite you to contact us today. Let us help you breathe easier, live better, and experience the difference that comprehensive, compassionate care can make.

Understanding Chronic Airway Disease: Signs and Symptoms

Living with chronic airway disease can be a daily struggle, affecting every breath you take and limiting your ability to enjoy life to the fullest. This condition encompasses a range of respiratory disorders that obstruct the flow of air in and out of your lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Understanding the signs and symptoms of chronic airway disease is crucial for managing the condition and seeking appropriate care.

What is Chronic Airway Disease?

Chronic airway disease is an umbrella term for several long-term respiratory conditions that cause narrowing, inflammation, or obstruction of the airways in your lungs. The most common forms of chronic airway disease include:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): This condition typically includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which cause airflow obstruction and make it difficult to breathe.
Asthma: A condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, often triggered by allergens, exercise, or stress.
Chronic Bronchitis: Persistent inflammation of the bronchial tubes, leading to mucus production, coughing, and breathing difficulties.
Emphysema: A condition where the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) are damaged, reducing the surface area available for oxygen exchange.

These conditions can develop over time and are often associated with smoking, exposure to environmental pollutants, or a history of respiratory infections.

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Airway Disease

The symptoms of chronic airway disease can vary depending on the specific condition, but there are common signs to watch for that may indicate a problem with your respiratory system:

Shortness of Breath: One of the most common and distressing symptoms, shortness of breath can occur during physical activity or even at rest. As the disease progresses, you may find it increasingly difficult to catch your breath, making everyday activities challenging.
Chronic Cough: A persistent cough, often accompanied by mucus production, is a hallmark of chronic airway disease. This cough may be worse in the morning and can be triggered by cold air, exercise, or irritants.
Wheezing: Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound that occurs when you breathe, typically caused by narrowed airways. It’s often more noticeable during exhalation and can be a sign of airway obstruction.
Chest Tightness: Many people with chronic airway disease experience a feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest, which can be uncomfortable and may worsen with physical exertion.
Frequent Respiratory Infections: Chronic airway disease can make you more susceptible to respiratory infections, such as colds or pneumonia. These infections can exacerbate your symptoms and lead to further complications.
Fatigue: The effort required to breathe with chronic airway disease can be exhausting, leading to persistent fatigue and a general feeling of being run down.
Bluish Lips or Fingertips (Cyanosis): In more advanced stages of chronic airway disease, the reduced oxygen levels in your blood can cause your lips or fingertips to take on a bluish tint. This is a sign that your body isn’t getting enough oxygen and requires immediate medical attention.

Why Understanding These Symptoms Matters

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of chronic airway disease is the first step in managing the condition. Early diagnosis and treatment can help slow the progression of the disease, improve your quality of life, and reduce the risk of complications. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical advice and explore your treatment options.

At PhysioActive, we’re here to support you on your journey to better respiratory health. Our comprehensive approach to care goes beyond just managing symptoms—we focus on improving your overall lung function, reducing airway obstructions, and enhancing your quality of life through personalized treatment plans. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you breathe easier and live better.

Holistic Approaches to Improving Asthma and Chronic Airway Disease (CAD)

Living with asthma or chronic airway disease (CAD) can be incredibly challenging, but there’s more that can be done beyond traditional medications and inhalers. At PhysioActive, we believe in a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of these conditions and supports your body’s natural ability to heal and function optimally. By integrating osteopathy, chiropractic care, manual therapy, autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, stress management, and improving rib, lung, and airway function, we can help you breathe easier and improve your overall quality of life.

Osteopathy: A Whole-Body Approach to Respiratory Health

Osteopathy is a gentle, hands-on therapy that focuses on the interconnectedness of your body’s systems. For those with asthma or CAD, osteopathic treatment can be particularly beneficial in addressing restrictions in the chest, ribs, and diaphragm. By improving the mobility of these structures, osteopathy helps to enhance lung function and ease breathing. Osteopathic practitioners also work to release any tension or adhesions in the fascia and muscles surrounding the lungs, which can reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and improve overall respiratory efficiency.

Chiropractic Care: Aligning the Spine for Better Breathing

Chiropractic care is another powerful tool in managing asthma and CAD. The spine plays a crucial role in protecting the central nervous system, which controls every function in your body, including breathing. Misalignments in the spine, particularly in the thoracic region, can impede the nervous system’s ability to communicate with the lungs and airways effectively. By correcting these misalignments, chiropractic care helps to restore proper nerve function, which can lead to improved airway control, reduced inflammation, and better overall respiratory health.

Manual Therapy: Releasing Tension and Improving Function

Manual therapy involves a range of techniques designed to relieve tension, improve mobility, and enhance the function of your body’s soft tissues. For individuals with asthma or CAD, manual therapy can focus on the muscles and fascia of the chest, back, and diaphragm. By gently mobilizing these tissues, manual therapy helps to increase lung capacity, reduce tightness in the chest, and improve the movement of air in and out of the lungs. This can make breathing easier and more comfortable, reducing the strain on your respiratory system.

ANS Regulation: Balancing the Nervous System for Better Control

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls many involuntary functions in your body, including your breathing rate and the constriction of your airways. In conditions like asthma and CAD, the ANS can become dysregulated, leading to overactive responses that trigger breathing difficulties. By working to balance the ANS through techniques such as craniosacral therapy, biofeedback, and mindfulness practices, we can help your body respond more appropriately to stressors, reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and improving overall respiratory function.

Stress Management: Reducing Triggers and Enhancing Well-Being

Stress is a known trigger for asthma and CAD symptoms, often exacerbating breathing difficulties and leading to more frequent flare-ups. By incorporating stress management techniques into your treatment plan, we help you reduce these triggers and improve your overall sense of well-being. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxation strategies can help calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and improve your body’s ability to cope with stress, leading to better control over your respiratory symptoms.

Improving Rib, Lung, and Airway Function: Expanding Your Breathing Capacity

The mechanics of breathing are crucial in managing asthma and CAD. When your ribs, lungs, and airways are functioning optimally, your body can take in more oxygen and expel carbon dioxide more efficiently. Our approach includes exercises and therapies designed to improve the mobility of your ribs, enhance the elasticity of your lungs, and open up your airways. By strengthening the muscles involved in breathing and ensuring that your chest and diaphragm can move freely, we help you achieve deeper, more effective breaths, reducing the effort required to breathe and improving your overall lung function.

A Comprehensive Approach for Lasting Improvement

At PhysioActive, we believe that managing asthma and CAD requires a comprehensive, personalized approach. By combining osteopathy, chiropractic care, manual therapy, ANS regulation, stress management, and targeted exercises to improve rib, lung, and airway function, we address the root causes of your respiratory challenges and support your body’s natural ability to heal and function. This holistic approach not only helps to relieve symptoms but also empowers you to take control of your health and live a fuller, more active life.

If you’re ready to explore a new way of managing asthma or chronic airway disease, we invite you to contact us today. Let our team of experienced practitioners guide you on your journey to better respiratory health and a higher quality of life.