Services

Sports Therapy

Sport therapy is a comprehensive term dealing with musculoskeletal injuries sustained form the participation in sport, injury prevention and training. This may involve developing flexibility and conditioning programs, taping, bracing, concussion rehab and use of manual therapy skills.

All of our services for the athlete assist in providing education, health promotion and counseling towards injury prevention.

Bike Fit

Bike Fit: Increased Comfort…Improved Performance…Injury Prevention



Comfort: No one likes to ride a bicycle that makes them uncomfortable. Most people don’t realize how adjustable bikes are. When your cycling position is optimally adjusted to specifically fit your body; with consideration for your strength, flexibility, endurance and riding goals, comfort becomes reality.



Improved Performance: Optimal positioning can have a significant effect on your performance. Factors that need to be considered for optimal position include those listed above, in addition to: body type, training habits, race/event duration, terrain, the ability to eat, drink and breathe while cycling, and aerodynamics. Only by considering each of these details can optimal rider position be achieved. This process takes time, experience and attention to detail.



Injury Prevention: A bicycle that is optimally fitted to you is safer to ride. Improper bike fitting can lead directly to overuse injuries, or prevent you from recovering from a pre-existing injury. This is especially important for those who spend considerable time on their bicycles. In addition, a proper bike fit will help ensure proper handling and braking while allowing you to see safely down the road.

Quoted from: www.bikefitphysio.com

Acupuncture

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Acupuncture is used to encourage natural healing, reduce and relieve pain, and improve function of affected areas of the body. It is a safe and effective, and is often successfully used as an alternative to medications or even surgery.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin and tissues, stimulating specific points on the body. There is NO injection of any substance and the treatment itself causes minimal discomfort. Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce “endorphins”, which are the body’s own pain relieving chemicals. Though it has been used for thousands of years in China, it has only been in recent years that the medical communities in Europe and North America have begun to study acupuncture and understand its effectiveness.

“Classical Acupuncture” was developed in China as a system of diagnosing and treating pain. As part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture aims to balance energy and blood in the body in order to keep it functional and healthy.

Anatomical” Acupuncture refers to a more modern approach taken by western trained therapists, including the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute (AFCI). When combined with knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology modern therapists can use acupuncture effectively.

Acupuncture is very effective in treating a variety of painful disorders, both acute and chronic. It is a therapeutic method used to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain and improve function of affected areas of the body.

Please refer to: www.afcinstitute.com for more information.

Shockwave Therapy

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave Therapy (SWT) is a technology using shockwaves to treat chronic and painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system.

It is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for those suffering from many joint and tendon disorders.

SWT sends acoustic shock waves into bone or soft tissue. This produces a controlled reinjuring of the tissue on a cellular level and breaks up scarring that has penetrated tendons and ligaments. In turn the body is allowed to regenerate blood vessels and bone cells – resulting in faster healing often to pre- injury level.

Who can benefit from Shockwave Therapy?

Everyone with a soft tissue injury can benefit, especially athletes. SWT provides a safe, non- surgical alternative for those suffering from tennis elbow, patellar and Achilles tendinopathies, plantar fasciitis, and calcified shoulder tendonitis.

How does it work?

Treatment produces an inflammatory response. The body responds by increasing metabolic activity around the site of pain. This stimulates and accelerates the healing process.
Shockwave breaks down scar tissue and possibly calcification as well. Transmission of pain is blocked.

What is the cost?

The Shockwave Therapy protocol is three treatments, one week apart, followed by a 12 week follow-up. The cost for the full session is $375.00, paid at the first visit.

Occasionally one additional treatment may be required. The cost for this additional treatment is $100.00.

A medical doctor’s referral is recommended for Shockwave therapy. Many Extended Health companies cover Shockwave Therapy – please check with your individual plan.

Will the treatment hurt?

Yes, the actual treatment can hurt. You can experience some pain, however, this is generally tolerated by most people. If you have any apprehension please discuss this with your therapist.

Will it hurt after the treatment?

There may be no immediate pain, but some discomfort may be experienced 2-4 hours after the treatment. In some cases it can last up to 48 hours and in very rare cases, the pain can last up to 5 days.

What is the success rate of this kind of treatment?

A successful treatment is considered when you have at least 75% reduction in pain within 3 months. Worldwide, success rates are around 80-90%.

For more information visit: www.shockwavecanadainc.com and www.schockwavecanadainc.com/papers.html

Personal Training

We all need a little help with exercise sometimes, whether you are just starting out or been at it for a long time. A trainer can help you set realistic goals, create effective workouts, and maximize you time while helping you stay within your own limits so you don’t overdo it. A trainer helps motivate you to push past those self-imposed limits, encouraging you to lift heavier, go longer and challenge yourself more than you would on your own.

If you have specific issues (arthritis, heart disease, old or new injuries, etc…) working with an experienced trainer, who in turn will work with your doctor, or physiotherapist, will create a program to help you heal injuries and avoid any further problems. Some Extended Health Programs will help cover personal training if is under the guidance of a physiotherapist. So Keep Fit and Have Fun!!

Athletic Therapy

Athletic Therapy is the assessment, prevention, immediate care, and reconditioning of musculoskeletal injuries by a Certified Athletic Therapist. Prevention includes musculoskeletal and postural evaluation, equipment selection, fitting and repair, warm-up, conditioning programs, prophylactic or supportive taping, and adapting to the activity environment and facilities.

A Certified Athletic Therapist assesses injuries and conditions, utilizes contemporary rehabilitative techniques, therapeutic modalities, soft tissue mobilization, physical reconditioning, and supportive strapping procedures to promote an environment conducive to optimal healing in preparing the individual for safe reintegration into an active lifestyle.

Quoted from: Canadian Athletic Therapists Association
For more information go to www.athletictherapy.org

Bremner Orthopaedic Bracing

Bremner Orthopaedic Bracing provides professional fittings and servicing of a wide variety of orthopaedic braces and supports, from off-the-shelf soft goods to rigid custom-made devices. They may be used in the treatment of injuries to most joints, including:

  • knee
  • ankle
  • foot
  • back
  • shoulder
  • elbow
  • wrist
  • fingers/ thumb

Braces may be beneficial for several reasons. They not only provide additional mechanical stability to an injured joint but they can also alleviate or reduce painful movements while the injury is healing, enhance the proprioception of the joint (the body’s way of providing valuable feedback to our brain for positioning), as well as give compression and improve circulation to the affected area. All of these benefits contribute to improved function and a faster return to activity.

Braces are used for many types of chronic and acute conditions such as:

  • ligaments sprains/tears
  • patellofemoral pain
  • patellar subluxations/dislocations
  • Osgood-Schlatter’s Syndrome
  • plantar fasciitis
  • tendinitis
  • osteoarthritis

Braces may be used post-operatively to immobilize or restrict mobility of the affected joint or functionally for returning to work or sporting activities. No brace is ever guaranteed to prevent all injuries and is most often used as an accompaniment to a proper strengthening routine.

Professional fittings include education regarding the purpose, use and care of the support, appropriate times to wear the brace, as well as correct placement and application of the device on the injured area. Servicing and warranties of each individual brace is guaranteed and included.

Custom knee braces are offered by these respectable orthopaedic companies:

  • Ossur/ Generation II
  • DJO Global (Donjoy)
  • VQ Orthocare
  • Cti

Each patient is assessed individually for the most appropriate custom made device based on their knee mechanics, natural alignment, soft tissue structure, and types of activities the brace will be used for.

IMS

Intramuscular Stimulation otherwise known as (IMS) is a total system for the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain syndromes (chronic pain conditions that occur in the musculoskeletal system when there is no obvious sign of injury or inflammation). IMS is grounded in Western Medical Science, and has a solid foundation in its radiculopathic model of pain, which is now supported by many experts in the field. The treatment, which utilizes acupuncture needles because they are the thinnest implements available that are designed to penetrate deep within muscle tissue, specifically targets injured muscles that have contracted and become shortened from distress. 

The treatment involves dry needling of affected areas of the body without injecting any substance.  The needle sites can be at the epicenter of taut, tender muscle bands, or they can be near the spine where the nerve root may have become irritated and supersensitive.  Penetration of a normal muscle is painless; however, a shortened, supersensitive muscle will ‘grasp’ the needle in what can be described as a cramping sensation. The result is threefold. One, a stretch receptor in the muscle is stimulated, producing a reflex relaxation (lengthening).  Two, the needle also causes a small injury that draws blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process.  Three, the treatment creates an electrical potential in the muscle to make the nerve function normally again.  The needle used in IMS, by stimulating muscle spindles, essentially becomes a specific and unique tool for the diagnosis of Neuropathic Muscle Pain.

The goal of treatment is to release muscle shortening, which presses on and irritates the nerve. Supersensitive areas can be desensitized, and the persistent pull of shortened muscles can be released.

Quoted from: iSTOP: The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain.
For more information go to www.istop.org

Athletic Taping

Athletic taping is used frequently by athletes to stabilize, maintain or strengthen soft tissue. Pulled muscles and tendons, along with sprained ankles or tissue injuries, are some of the most common complaints that athletes have while working out.  Athletic taping works by protecting your muscles and preventing unnecessary strain by keeping muscles and tendons firm.  It also prevents chafing and helps hold equipment, like pads, skates and other gear, in place.  Athletic taping can also be used to help minimize additional damage to existing injuries, particularly on the hands, feet and wrists, where many athletes are most vulnerable.