Category Archives: Massage Therapy

Muscle Contusions-Can Physiotherapy Help?

Are you familiar with the term contusion? A contusion is the medical term for a bruise. Muscle contusions are a result of direct impact or trauma to the area. The most common sites for this to occur are the thighs, knees, arms, or calves. This direct impact leads to muscle bleeding and fiber damage which is what causes the swollen and reddish-purple bruise appearance. Contusions can occur from any form of contact sport, rough play, falls, or accidents where the body bangs into a hard object. Muscle contusions are different from muscle strains, which usually occur from sudden fast movements or overworking a muscle more than it’s used to.

Contusions are graded by their severity as Grade 1, 2 or 3.

Grade 1 contusions produce minimal pain and swelling. You may feel some soreness and stiffness with movement, but your range of motion is likely unaffected.

Grade 2 contusions will likely have more consistent pain and swelling may be present. You may not be able to walk or move normally without experiencing pain. Your range of motion may be decreased.

Grade 3 contusions are the most severe. Pain with any small movement will be present and significant swelling will occur. You may need to use crutches to help you walk. Strength and range of motion are significantly impacted.

Physiotherapist Kristina working on range of motion after an arm contusion

After a contusion, a physiotherapist can provide you with education on how to properly care for your injury and promote healing at home. Physiotherapy can also help restore your range of motion and strength to the affected area through movement and exercises. For more severe contusions, manual therapy can gently mobilize the muscle and surrounding tissue to promote blood flow and good alignment of the healing muscle fibers.

If you have experienced a muscle contusion, schedule an assessment here and one of our physiotherapists will be happy to assist you.

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What is a Concussion and How Can Physio Help?

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. It can be caused by:

a blow to the head
impact from a fall
a sudden acceleration of the head and upper body (e.g., as your head and neck whip forward during a car accident). KEY NOTE – This means you don’t need actual head impact to have a brain injury! This is because the brain can still be injured by the impact against the walls of the skull.

Diagnosing a Concussion…

Signs (observable by others):

appears dazed and delayed in answering questions.
Easily confused, appears foggy.
Slow to respond, slow reaction times.
forgetful, no memory of the events prior to or immediately after the injury (usually short-term memory loss).
mood/behavior/personality changes (usually presenting as irritability and/or depression).
Loss of consciousness (rare).

Symptoms (reported by the patient):

Headache or “pressure” in the head
Nausea or vomiting
light sensitivity
noise sensitivity
Feeling foggy or in a daze
Concentration or memory difficulties
difficulty reading
unusual fatigue
disrupted sleep
low mood
Difficulty with balance/dizziness
Double or blurry vision
ringing in the ear
screen intolerance

Physiotherapists Testing For Balance and Vision Issues.

Signs and symptoms might not be immediately apparent. They may appear hours or days after the injury. Therefore, it’s important to keep checking in after a hit, fall, or whiplash-type injury for the rest of the week.

Sometimes, there can be more serious signs and symptoms indicative of a brain bleed that leads to a hematoma (a dangerous collection of blood that causes swelling in the area and compresses the rest of the brain).

When to call 911 / go to the ER:

One pupil is larger than the other.
Extreme drowsiness or not waking up.
A worsening headache
slurred speech, weakness, numbness, worsening coordination
continued vomiting.
seizures
loss of consciousness

Note – in infants and toddlers, any of the above signs, inconsolable crying, or continued refusal to feed should all be considered a red flag.

Timeline

Most concussion signs and symptoms resolve within two weeks. It is still normal to have lingering effects for up to 3 months.

However, it is always a good idea to get the concussion checked out by a medical professional (e.g., a family doctor) within the first week.

Do not wait to see if it will resolve before consulting your doctor. Concussions ARE brain injuries, and they can have long-lasting residual effects that affect your daily living.

What helps the healing process?

Get more rest than usual.
Pace your activities (e.g., break down into smaller chunks, take microbreaks, stop when symptoms increase).
hydrate more often.
Eat more whole foods and focus on food high in omega 3s and 6s.

Why you should see a Physio

Now that we’ve covered what a concussion is and its effects, let’s talk about why Physiotherapy can be an appropriate treatment.

Physio treatment involves:

Manual therapy (soft tissue and joint mobilizations).
Exercise therapy (range of motion, strength, stretch, cardio, balance, vision exercises).
education (on the recovery process, self-management strategies, relaxation techniques especially for improving sleep hygiene, return to work/sport/school).

Physiotherapist Kirsten Providing Manual Therapy on a Patients Neck.

An Example of Exercise Therapy to Work on Balance for a Concussion Patient.

A combination of these can help with post-concussive symptoms such as:

fatigue
Double or blurry vision
balance impairments
dizziness
neck pain
headaches
low tolerance for activity (e.g. school, screentime, sports)

Return to activity.

Rest is recommended for the first 24-48 hours with very limited screen time and no exercise. After the first 48 hours, depending on the severity of symptoms, general activity and screen time should be gradually introduced, increasing them based on the level of symptom aggravation (typically mild to moderate symptoms are normal, while moderate to high symptoms indicate the need to stop the activity and wait until symptoms have settled before resuming).

This includes a return to work, whether it is a return to a desk job or a job that is more physically demanding.

Return to sport.

The table below is taken from the Zurich 2012 conference CONSENSUS STATEMENT: McCrory, Paul, et al. “Consensus statement on concussion in sport: the 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Zurich, November 2012.

GRADUATED RETURN TO PLAY PROTOCOL
*Rehabilitation Stage*	*Functional exercise at each stage of rehabilitation*	*Objective of each stage*
1. No activity	Symptom limited physical and cognitive rest	Recovery
2. Light aerobic exercise	Walking, swimming, or stationary cycling keeping intensity <70% maximum permitted heart rate. No resistance training	Increase HR
3. Sport-specific exercise	Skating drills in ice hockey, running drills in soccer. No head impact activities	Add movement
4. Non-contact training drills	Progression to more complex training drills, e.g. passing drills in football and ice hockey. May start progressive resistance training	Exercise, coordination, and cognitive load
5. Full-contact practice	Following medical clearance participate in normal training exercise	Restore confidence and assess functional skills by coaching staff
6. Return to play	Normal game play

Bronte, Massage, Oakville, Palermo, Physio, Physiotherapy

Balancing the Body’s Harmony: The Ancient Art and Modern Science of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular, yet many people remain reluctant to use it as a form of treatment. So, what exactly is it, and how can it help you? We answer these and more below!

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique of inserting fine, one-time-use pre-sterilized needles into very specific points along the body to assist in pain management and healing of injuries. Patients often ask us if acupuncture is painful. The needles used for acupuncture therapy are extremely fine – patients likely feel a small poke but once the needle is inserted, most patients do not feel much pain.

How Does It Work? – Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture was developed more than 3,000 years ago in China. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), injuries or illnesses are believed to be the results of an imbalance of energy within the body, specifically within meridians, which are channels of energy flow throughout the body. Acupuncture is used to help restore energy balance by placing fine needles at specific points along these meridians.

How Does It Work? – The Gate Control Theory of Pain

Although acupuncture is an ancient practice in Eastern medicine, its use in Western medicine is relatively recent. Though the exact reason why it works is not totally clear, Western medicine has several different theories as to how acupuncture helps with injury recovery. One of those is the Gate Control Theory of Pain.

The Gate Control Theory of Pain outlines how pain signals reach the brain from the spinal cord. In simple terms, if the ‘gate’ is open at the level of the spinal cord, a pain signal can pass through, reaching the brain where the pain is perceived. If the ‘gate’ is closed, a pain signal cannot pass through, and therefore the brain does not perceive pain. So, using this theory, applying a non-painful stimulus when someone experiences a painful stimulus can activate the closing of the gate and decrease the pain signal to the brain. An example of this would be if someone bangs their knee against a hard surface. Usually, our first instinct is to rub the knee (a non-painful stimulus), which helps us feel less pain.

What Injuries Can Be Treated With Acupuncture

Acupuncture can help in the healing process of many muscle and joint injuries. However, it is important to note that it won’t exactly heal these injuries. For example, if a muscle is torn, acupuncture will not repair the tear. However, it can assist in the symptoms associated with the tear, primarily by decreasing pain. Acupuncture has been used to aid in the recovery of a number of injuries, such as rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow, and mechanical neck and back pain.

What Are The Risks Associated With Acupuncture?

The risks associated with acupuncture treatment are relatively minimal. The most common side effect is soreness and/or bruising in the region where the needles are inserted. The risk of infection is extremely LOW since the needles are pre-sterilized and used once. Some people might feel light-headed or dizzy after acupuncture treatment, so it is important to make sure you are well-hydrated and have eaten before your treatment session. If you are pregnant or have had other medical conditions (ex., cancer, stroke, etc.), there are certain points or areas that your practitioner will avoid. This is why it is extremely important to be thorough when reporting your medical history to your practitioner.

If you would like to learn more, ask your practitioner to discuss whether it would be an appropriate option for you, or book an initial assessment with us here!

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Is it Sciatica?

Chances are, if you’ve had back pain or leg pain, you’ve heard the term Sciatica.

So what is it?

Sciatica refers to an injury to or compression of the Sciatic Nerve. This is a very large nerve that originates in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg.

To give a bit of background detail… nerves innervate our whole bodies, and via electrical impulses, provide both power to the muscles and sensation to the skin. When a nerve is injured or compressed, we can experience symptoms of pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling.

Symptoms of Sciatica:

Pain that can go down the back of the leg (from the gluts, down into the back of the thigh, into the calf, and into the top or sole of the foot)

Numbness along the same area

Weakness in the leg with certain movements (e.g., does your foot get caught tripping as you walk? Are you able to walk on your toes?)

Tingling along the same area

Causes of Sciatica?

Disc bulges or herniations in the lumbar spine (the disc can press on the nerve)

Spinal stenosis (the canal through which the Sciatic nerve travels has narrowed due to arthritic changes and that can cause pressure on the nerve)

Piriformis syndrome (muscles in the glut area can get tight and compress the nerve as well)

If you are experiencing any Sciatic symptoms and they are not improving/worsening after 2-3 days, then Physiotherapy can likely help!

We do a thorough assessment to find the source of the nerve compression and provide:

Manual therapy techniques to relax tight muscles and help the nerve glide more easily

Additionally, manual therapy techniques can help take the pressure off from disc bulge or herniation and improve joint mobility

Exercise therapy to strengthen the back and core, stretch the tight musculature, and glide the nerve more freely

There are exercises we can show you that also help take the pressure off the nerve if the compression is happening in the spine

PT Kristina performing the slump test

If you’re not sure, you can always give us a call and ask one of our physiotherapists!

Other recommendations in the meantime:

Performing gentle stretches like the image above can help relieve symptoms!

Try ice or heat on your back or gluts

Speak to your primary physician regarding pain management options

Avoid exclusive backrest

If you are doing any exercises that aggravate your symptoms, STOP them temporarily

Reduce your general activity i.e. “take it easy” for the first few days

Alternate positions (sit, stand, walk) rather than doing one for a prolonged time

Do not lift anything heavy, e.g. >20 lb, especially from the floor

Do not ignore this issue for weeks because it likely WILL get worse and it will then take longer to heal…

If you would like to learn more or book your initial physiotherapy assessment along with treatment, book your appointment now.

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Don’t let your year end health benefits go to waste-Massage

The year 2022 is moving quickly as Halloween marks the last day of October.

Time does get away from us and things we have been thinking of seeking appointments for for ourselves often get put on the back burner. Most private insurance benefits end at the end of the calendar year and restart in January.

When it comes to treatment with a Physio, RMT, Chiropodist (foot specialist), and acupuncturist, people often think of seeing them when they have sudden or acute injuries, or after surgeries like knee replacements.

There are so many ways that these health care professionals can help benefit your quality of life.

Registered Massage Therapy (RMT)

Many of our patients see their massage therapists when they have tension in their neck and shoulders. They will also book RMT visits for low back pain and stiffness. Massage Therapists are so helpful with those things but they can also treat other things.

Sports Recovery / Maintenance:

Many runners, walkers, hikers, soccer players and hockey players benefit from seeing an RMT as they increase training frequency and difficulty. They find that treatment of the thighs, glutes, calves and feet help with recovery and injury prevention. People involved in weight lifting like CrossFit and HIIT training can benefit from regular recover massage on the back, chest, shoulders, forearms and quads etc.

Headache Management and Treatment

People who experience tension headaches and migraines keeping a regular massage schedule can help with the frequency and severity of headaches.

There are connections of muscles from our necks, shoulders and upper backs and even to our heads. Many people experience headaches when these muscles are tense, tight and sore. Having regular massage therapy can help break this cycle and keep those headaches less intense and possibly further apart.

Your RMT will also leave you with personalized advice for home care and self management for your headaches.

Help in Managing Stress

Often low back stiffness, and neck and shoulder tension has a driver behind them. Certainly last of motion and non-optimal posture on a daily basis can contribute to these issues. Booking regular massage in addition to other positive lifestyle habits can help manage these stress levels. Having set time during massage where you unplug, slow down your breath and feel your body relax into the treatment table helps downgrade your nervous system. People often comment on how they sleep better after they have had massage.

Your massage therapist may suggest a visit as well to a yoga therapist in breathing techniques, movement and meditation to help supplement your massage treatment.

Post-Surgical Massage

We often move less or have compensations in our movements when we are going through recovery. Massage Therapy can help prevent pain associated with these things as well as help with recovery from the surgery as well.

At a certain stage of healing, usually ascertained by your medical specialist you will be able to have massage in the direct area of your surgery. Some people will have scar massage locally of lymphatic drainage massage to address swelling. Earlier in healing and recovery you may benefit from massage on areas further from your surgery site.

For example, after a rotator cuff repair or a shoulder stabilization surgery, you may be asked by your surgeon to keep your arm in a sling. As the shoulder will not be moving it may be helpful to have massage around the shoulder blade and neck area, as well as the hand and forearm. Your massage therapist will make adjustments to your positioning and may even have you in sitting for some of the massage. As you progress through rehabilitation and start strengthening exercises having massage therapy as part of your recovery will be beneficial. Post total knee replacement surgery and total hip replacement surgery Massage would have the same benefits.

Massage can also be helpful after surgeries that may not be “orthopaedic” in nature. They can help with stress management, with pain and stiffness of the body, with swelling and lymphatic drainage as well as around the scar tissue. If you are unsure of how an RMT may address your particular needs after a surgery contact us at our North Oakville clinic or an RMT that is local to you.

Progressive Health Issues or During Treatment

Having massage can help with issues that present from progressive health issues like Parkinson’s disease and MS or during treatment of things like cancers. Whether it be stiffness or pain your massage therapist will work with your particular needs.

Pediatric Massage

Children should be covered under the benefits of their parents. Many kids complain of growing pains that can be associated with their knees, feet and heels. Massage Therapists often work with physiotherapists in treatment of Sever’s Disease and Osgoode Schlatter’s, jumpers knee and plantar fasciitis.

Many children are active in more than one activity or sport and with the amount of activity during growth spurts can have aches and pains in the body. Having Physio and Massage Appointments to work on these areas and have advise of home care can make sports, dance, and cheerleading seasons more pleasant and successful.

Parents are asked to be present during massage treatments.

Contact us to book your Massage Therapy appointment today. We are able to bill directly to most insurance companies. You can also use our online booking for most practitioners.

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Thumb Pain – from an Oakville Physio

For being a small joint, having pain or issues in our thumbs can cause us big problems!

Our thumbs help us grip, and grab in fine ad gross motor tasks. From carry a baby seat to holding your hand open in a baseball mitt, to knitting and chopping dinner, you don’t realize how important you thumbs are until you have thumb pain that prevents you from doing these things comfortably.

Even though it’s a small area, your Physiotherapist and Massage Therapist take your complaints seriously. Like all injuries and pains in the body your physiotherapist will take a thorough history of our health, habits, the onset of the issue and how it is presenting. They will take you through movements and special tests to rule in and rule out various issues and types of tissues.

Like many issues in the body thumb issues and pains can from the joints (where the bones meet), the tendons, the muscles, and the ligaments. In some cases it can be more than one thing contributing to the pain.

Chronic Thumb Pain / Issues

With chronic or ongoing thumb pain Physiotherapists often look to the joints or the tendons as a primary culprit.

Osteoarthritis (OA) – the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb can cause ongoing thumb issues. As Physiotherapists we look to patterns of pain. The thumb joint may have a squaring type of change and the joint line may be tender to the touch. Your physiotherapist will work with you on your goals to help you protect the joint, manage your pain and get you closer to activity. Having osteoarthritis does not mean you cannot improve your pain.

Tendinosis – The tendons of the thumb connect the muscles to the bone. They act as a pulley system. These tendons over time and with repetitive loads can wear and thicken. Although less common than other areas of the body this can be an issue in the thumb. Your physio or massage therapist may suggest working on these tendons and the surrounding muscles. They may provide you with exercises to strengthen the area as well. Sometimes modifying what you do can also be part of the trick.

Trigger Thumb – Having the thumb catch and get stuck during movement can be painful, or not. When you move your thumb into a fist and then try and open it it may catch or click. For some people, they have to use their other hand to open the thumb back up. This can also happen in the fingers and is aptly named “trigger finger”. This is also known as “stenosing tenosynovitis”. The tendons move through the tendons sheaths and a series of pulleys. In trigger thumb or finger, an enlarged flexor tendon gets trapped or caught up in the pulley system. The area of entrapment may be closer to the palm than the area that gets “stuck”. This area of entrapment can be painful, but is not always. Your physiotherapist or massage therapist will give you treatment depending on how this presents and how it is affecting your daily life.

Like most things, these painful thumb issues are best treated early. If you have been having thumb pain that is new, not going away, is impacting your activities of enjoyment, or is worsening, it is helpful to have a thorough physiotherapy assessment. If the issue has been there for longer or there has been an increase in pain, physiotherapists are also a part of your team.

Our next blog post will talk about more acute, or sudden injuries of the thumb.

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Massage is more than for Relaxation.

Many people equate RMT Massage Therapy with relaxation. There is nothing like slowing your day down and unplugging for an hour in a quiet room.

Our North Oakville RMT’s treat many people with tension from stress and work around their neck and shoulders, or low back.

As Registered Massage Therapists, they treat so much more than that also! Many of our patients that seek Physiotherapy do well when they see an RMT in conjunction with their Physio treatment. For example, frozen shoulder, the physio may spend more time mobilizing the shoulder and thoracic spine as well as stretching the shoulder and doing exercises with a person. An RMT will help immensely in working on the muscles and tissue in the shoulder, the chest and the shoulder blade. We often encourage patients to do their range of motion exercises after having a massage.

physio for shoulder range of motion for person with painful shoulder north oakville physio

The timing of Massage and Physio can help helpful too. Your Physio and Massage Therapist will let you know what they suggest and why.

Massage Therapy can be helpful when recovering and rehabilitating after a knee replacement surgery or hip replacement surgery. The RMT can help work on the muscles and tissues around the joint and the scar tissue. People also often find they walk differently or were de-conditioned prior to their surgery. Because of this they may have tension and soreness around the low back and hips. You RMT can also help with these types of muscle tension and soreness.

Registered Massage Therapists, like Physiotherapists are also able to formulate clinical judgement based on your physical presentation and suggest exercises for you. They may suggest and perform stretches and send you home with information to enhance your treatment session.

Have you recently gotten a cast off? You Massage Therapist can help work gently on an area to help enhance mobility and decrease stiffness.

cast on leg showing North Oakville Physio for broken bone , fracture, RMT, massage therapy

In order to reach your goals, it is helpful to have a few sessions with your RMT. They may suggest a weekly or biweekly session for a few weeks.

To book in with one of our awesome Oakville Massage Therapists contact us! We treat Massage Therapy clients from Oakville, Milton, Burlington and Mississauga. We are able to direct bill for most insurance companies for Massage Therapy and Physiotherapy as well, making it easier for patients.

Whether it be for relaxation and stress purposes or to treat a specific issue such as ITB friction syndrome, frozen shoulder, back pain, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis etc our RMTs are here to help you.

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Osteoarthritis & Physiotherapy

As Physiotherapists, RMT’s, Chiropodists and Yoga Therapists we see many people who have osteoarthritis. We may or may not be treating them for issues directly related to the arthritis.

What is Osteoarthritis?

There are many different types of arthritis. Some affect the joints, some affect the tendons, muscles and ligaments. Some affects specific areas, and some affect the whole body.

The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis or “OA”. This is a type of arthritis that affects a persons synovial joints. In OA, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones may have changes or be worn away. Joint changes in OA can (but not necessarily) cause pain, stiffness, inflammation and trouble with movement.

OA refers to the classic “wear and tear” of the joints. It is commonly seen in the knees, hips, low back, neck, the joints of the fingers and the big toes. The pain generally stays locally in the joint that it is affected by.

Risk Factors of Osteoarthritis Include:

Age
Female Gender
Obesity
Anatomical Factors
Muscle weakness
Previous joint injury (eg. sports or occupation related etc)

Primary versus Secondary OA

Primary OA refers to normal “wear and tear” of the joints. It generally starts showing in people between 55 and 60 years of age. Everyone is different in how they experience symptoms and IF they have pain and limitations. The above risk factors also play a role in this.

Secondary OA refers to a specific injury or trigger that may accelerate cartilage breakdown. Injury, obesity, a history of certain diseases like diabetes, marfan syndrome and other connective tissue disorders,

Signs and Symptoms of OA:

People with osteoarthritis may come into our Oakville clinic looking for treatment from one of our Physio’s, RMT’s or Chiropodists due to one or a combination of the following issues.

There may be a precipitating event that flairs up symptoms of OA like a fall or injury. A person may complain of local pain. The intensity of the pain may be variable. A joint with OA may have stiffness or a decreased range of motion. This can be from a combination of the joint as well as the soft tissue structures around it, over time.

A person with OA may hear clicking or cracking with movement of a joint that may or may not decrease as they move more. The noises may or may not be associated with pain. There may also be mild swelling around a joint with osteoarthritis.

Imaging and Arthritis:

In addition to the signs above some family doctors like to send people for X-rays to confirm their suspicions. X-rays show the joint surfaces and the space between the joints. This will show the thickness and smoothness of the cartilage.

X-rays can sometimes be a red herring.This means that sometimes there may be pain in an area and the imaging shows no joint changes or someone may not have any pain but X-rays show more significant arthritis.

Physiotherapy for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis / OAarthritis

Management of Osteoarthritis:

If you have OA and or the above symptoms, a physiotherapist is a key member of your health care team.

The treatment and education they will provide you should be focussed on your specific limitations, your lifestyle and your goals.

If a joint replacement like a total knee replacement (THR) or total hip replacement (THR) is in your future, we (physiotherapists) can BOTH help get you ready and help you with your recovery. Hopefully you will access physiotherapy early enough that we will help you delay or even prevent needing these surgeries!

Physiotherapists will help you with specific ways to add strength and mobility in an area. This will help with activities of daily living and pain. Fall prevention activities are very important in people with OA as there is a 30% increased falls risk in people with OA. Some of this may have to do with pain medications frequently prescribed. Physiotherapists can help both with a persons pain and pain management as well as longer term pain management strategies.

Massage Therapists can also help with pain and mobility in stiff joints.

Chiropodists can help with the joint alignment from the bottom up through the use of custom orthotics. This can help with both hip, knee and low back OA.

How WE can help!

Having Osteoarthritis does not mean you are destined for years of pain and problems. There is a lot that can be done conservatively to take action.

Oakville Physio showing exercise prescription

Our team at North Oakville’s Palermo Physio and Wellness centre is here to help not only with your aches and pains but also with prevention.

Our Registered Massage Therapists can work on joints and muscles that are stiff and uncomfortable. Many people book in for massage when they have pain and find value in booking massages at regular intervals.

Our Chiropodists provide thorough biomechanics assessments and gait analysis. They can give advise on footwear and measure and fit you for the best custom orthotics for you and your lifestyle and needs.

Our Physiotherapists will work with you to help you get stronger, move better and to work towards your goals. You deserve to have an amazing quality of life and we are here to help!

Contact us to see how we can help!

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Let’s Talk Snow Shovelling and Beyond

After a large snowfall, we often see patients in our clinic. From Physio to Massage, to Yoga, our practitioners are helping people with injuries and aches and pains.

We have shared blog posts in the past with snow shovelling tips (Click Here) to help prevent injuries.

While the advise still stands, it is often a surprise to people how challenging clearing the drive and sidewalk can be. People are often surprised by how they feel afterwards as well. The snow we got in North Oakville and the surrounding areas of Burlington and Milton was A LOT at one time on January 17, 2022. The Halton School Boards have their schools closed for a second day now.

BUT.

It is a good opportunity to be honest regarding how robust and resilient you are. Is there any activity you do in your week that helps to increase your robustness and resilience for tasks like this MASSIVE snow fall?

While going for walks and doing steady state cardio is fine. It is good for your heart, lungs, brain etc. It is NOT strength training. Including exercise that challenges your muscles in your week is what will prepare you for these types of tasks.

Snow shovel showing Oakville Physio and massage clinic

Whether you lift large amounts of snow all at once or do repeated smaller shovels, the net amount of snow is still the same.

If there is one thing our North Oakville Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists and Yoga Therapists can encourage people to do, it is to add global strengthening activities to your week.

PUSH

PULL

SQUAT

LUNGE

HINGE

CARRY

If you are new to these types of activities, are recovering from a surgery or health issue, or recovering from a surgery or are post part, our Physiotherapists are here to help get you started safely.

Kettlebells at Physio clinic in Oakville

If you are injured from this past snowfall our Oakville RMT’s and Physio’s are here to hep you recover with the goal of preventing the same thing from happening in the future.

Contact us to book in at our North Oakville Clinic serving Oakville, Milton and Burlington in person. We also treat physiotherapy patients virtually all over Ontario!

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How a Massage can Help with Stress

Many of our Oakville Massage Therapy patients first come to see one of our Massage Therapists for pain. When they are finished their RMT appointment they comment on how related they feel and sometimes are a little sleepy!

There are many reasons having regular Massage Therapy can help with stress.

First we need to acknowledge our nervous system. Our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is our fight or flight system. It is the system that responds with physical or mental stressors. It is helpful for us, but stops being helpful if we stay in the system longer then we really need. Our sleep may be affected as well as our general health when stress hormones stay circulating in the body.

Our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is our rest and digest system. This is the system we (should) revert to when at rest. One of our Oakville Physiotherapists does an excellent job exploring how these systems affect our pain experience in this blog post.

Relax - words to show oakville massage and physio

Massage Therapy can help with stress as it allows us to switch from our sympathetic nervous system to more of our parasympathetic nervous system. The whole experience can do this in many ways:

Unplugging – setting aside specific time for ourselves where we unplug from work, home and other distractions allows us to focus on ourselves.
Room Setting – having the lights lowered and non-stimulating music playing also calms the nervous system down.
Touch – non-invasive human touch helps tap into the parasympathetic nervous system.

Many of our patients identify this positive side effect of massage therapy. They then choose to book more consistent and regular massages with our registered massage therapists as well.

Contact us to book your next massage therapy session, whether it be for pain, injury recovery, or stress / relaxation. We are able to provide direct billing to most insurance companies.

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