Category Archives: Massage Therapy

Welcome Registered Massage Therapist Wojciech (Sikora)

The team at Oakville’s Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness in Oakville is excited to welcome RMT Wojciech (Voytek) Sikora to our team!!!

Wojciech Sikora is a Registered Massage Therapist who graduated from Kikkawa College (Hons) in 1996. He is also a 1990 graduate of The Physical Education Academy in Poland with a Master’s degree in teaching.

Wojciech (Voytek) Sikora
Welcome RMT Wojciech!!!

Wojciech is passionate about educating his clients and empowering them to take control of their own health and well-being. With a strong academic background and many years of clinical experience, he strives to provide custom treatment by providing a relaxed environment and listening and being mindful of each individual’s needs.

Wojciech has experience working and rehabilitating clients who have recovered from surgery, accidents, sport injuries, car accidents, chronic pain, vertebral disc issues and many other injuries.
He integrates traditional Swedish massage with trigger point therapy, deep and soft tissue massage, joint mobilizations and myofascial release techniques.
In his spare time, Wojciech enjoys travelling, canoeing, camping in the wilderness and skiing.

All ages showing age range of oakville Physiotherapy clinic patients

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Massage Hours are Changing! – Oakville Massage Therapy

Oakville RMT Josephine has expanded her hours!

Massage Therapist Josephine will now be available Fridays and every Saturday!

Her new hours are as follows:

  • Monday – 1 pm – 8pm
  • Wednesday – 1 pm – 8pm
  • Friday – 10 am – 9 pm
  • Saturday – 9 am – 2pm

Josephine see’s a wide variety of patients for Massage from infants and children and people all of all ages. She is able to do hot stone massage as well as acupuncture.

Happy Valentines day from Oakville Physio, massage, yoga, yoga therapy, foot clinic

Stay tuned as we introduce our 2 new Massage Therapists, Susan and Woyteck.

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Ways I Relax – Oakville Massage Therapist – Sarah

At our Oakville Physio and Massage Clinic, we encourage our patients to have some balance in their live, and yes that includes relaxation time! We are all so busy in our daily lives that we often have difficulty finding time for activities of enjoyment that help downgrade our nervous system. Here, in this continuation of our series – “How I Relax” – is our Oakville Massage Therapist, Sarah’s take on how she relaxes:

  • Working out – something about walking in the doors of the gym just lifts my mood and taking an hour to sweat on the elliptical or in a spinning class does wonders for taking your mind off whatever ails it at the moment

Runner to help massage therapist relax

  • Spending time sitting outside reading – either for my book club or the newspaper
  • Washing the dishes – odd to some maybe but it’s gratifying to get the job done and I use a nice soap with lavender in it for an aromatherapy touch
  • Taking a drive on a country road – if the weather is nice, I turn down the radio and open the windows so I can hear the birds singing

I try to keep a balanced view of life, in the words of Anne of Green Gables:

“ tomorrow is another day, fresh without any mistakes in it. If today wasn’t so great, there’s always tomorrow to try again”

Surprisingly I don’t go to massage to relax, I think my RMT (Registered Massage Therapist) friends will agree that we are all guilty of keeping our work hats on when we are the one on the table but maybe I just need some more practice!

Massage Therapy in Oakville, person having massage, physio treatment

Sarah Eskins RMT

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Physiotherapy – Not only for Treatment of Injuries

Our North Oakville Physiotherapy, Massage and Foot Clinic has many patients come in after an injury.  What many people do not realize is that Physiotherapists, and Massage Therapists absolutely treat people who have had an acute injury, or acute pain, but we do so much more than that.

May is National Physiotherapy Month – the “theme” for 2016 is “Healthy Aging”. A Physiotherapist is an ally in your health journey and can certainly help ensure that you age in a healthy way. At our Oakville clinic our Physios do use Manual Therapy, or hands on treatment, when appropriate that is only part of how we treat. A key component to an effective and thorough treatment plan is also education and exercise. This means that in some treatment sessions a patient may have 100% manual treatment, they may have 100% exercise treatment or exercise prescription, or they may (and probably should) have some combination of the 2. Notice I didn’t mention the percentage of education involved as it is a constant process with our Physiotherapists offering education on:

  • A persons particular issues (eg. what is arthritis, what is an acute vs chronic injury, should you protect a body part or should you move it etc)
  • The anatomy of an area
  • Tissue healing and tissue compliance
  • The benefits of a particular exercises
  • Feedback on movement, progress or an exercise
  • Breathing ….yes even breathing- something that most of us don’t have to think about but may not do well throughout the day
  • Expectation and goals of the person
  • etc
Yoga mat and exercise equipment looking out at Dundas and Bronte from our oakville Physio, massage and foot clinic
Palermo Physio and Wellness Centre in North West Oakville

The education based component of your Physiotherapy Treatment should not be overlooked and is a constant and evolving component of the Therapeutic relationship between a person and their Physiotherapist or Massage Therapist. Yes Physiotherapists treat:

  • Sports Injuries
  • Aches and Pains
  • Tendinitis
  • Post Fracture
  • Post Surgical Patients

But we also see people for:

  • Dizziness
  • Breathing issues (we can work in conjunction with speech language pathologists)
  • Post Stroke
  • Balance IssuesWeight Training from a Physio
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • TMJ (Jaw) issues
  • General Conditioning
  • Posture
  • Neuromuscular Issues
  • Pre-Natal and Post Natal Care
  • Headaches
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Scoliosis
  • Falls Prevention
  • Paediatric Care
  • etc

In all of the above issues that our Oakville Physiotherapists and Massage Therapists treat there is ongoing communication regarding goals, purpose of treatment and all would have some component of exercise prescription to help ensure you reach your goals.

All ages showing age range of oakville Physiotherapy clinic patients
Physiotherapy – for all Ages
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Foam Rolling

Foam Rolling: AKA that thing people do at the gym that makes them scream

No different from a schoolyard, the gym (and Physio) is prone to fads with people flocking to the latest and greatest gadgets. Some useful and some, not so much. I remember seeing my first pair of minimalist shoes about 5 years ago – which promptly spread like wildfire until every other person had a set of five fingers. More recently, TRX or body weight training came into fashion with many people at my gym signing up for the new classes. In the past year or so, more and more people in “traditional gyms” or “Globo Gyms” have engaged in foam rolling their glutes, hamstrings, quads, or any number of other body parts (foam rolling has been present in smaller CroossFit style “boxes” and in athletic circles for a few more years). These people can often be seen lurking in a corner of the gym making weird facial expressions (and occasionally overtly screaming) while they grind out (foam roll) their muscles. It is natural to wonder how, if, and why this technique is practiced as often as it is. The Physiotherapists and Massage Therapists at our North Oakville clinic even occasionally include it as self-care education / treatment for patients.

How foam rolling works is a difficult question to answer, mainly because there isn’t agreement amongst researchers as to the mechanism. Generally researchers fall into two camps:

  1. Those who believe in the mechanical effect
  2. Those who subscribe to a more neurological mechanism

The mechanical group has any number of theories. Some believe the foam roller helps to “liquify” fascia by heating it, which makes it more pliable1. Another group thinks fibrous adhesions form in the fascia which can be broken up by the roller2. Others theorize that the roller flushes water out of the tissue which makes it more willing to move3. The neurological group is equally divided, though their disagreements occur at a more cellular level well beyond the limits of this blog post4. When a consensus is reached, I’ll let you know.

Whether or not foam rolling works is a question highly dependent on your goal. The targets can be generally divided into three categories

  • Therapeutic (pain management)
  • Flexibility
  • Increased performance
Therapeutic

The pain management group is often trying to avoid Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, or “DOMS”. DOMS occurs 24-28 hours after intense, unfamiliar exercise. For most normal people, this is an unfortunate consequence of exercise that is ideally avoided (and for weirdos like me, a badge of honour). Foam rolling has been shown in three studies to be effective at reducing the pain people feel in the post-exercise period, both with objective and self-report measures. In two of these studies, participants foam rolled for 2 x 60 second sets per exercise – in this case, squats. To my knowledge, no studies have indicated foam rolling is harmful or increases the sensation of DOMS.

Weight Training from a Physio

 Flexibility

Flexibility is a more difficult goal to achieve. In general, foam rolling has been shown to increase joint range of motion (ROM) for up to 10 minutes following a bout of at least 10 seconds of rolling, but often more. The amount of pressure applied ranged anywhere from 13kg to the participant’s body weight with many options in between, none of which have been proved to be ideal. Unfortunately, these effects do not tend to last even upwards of 30 minutes. Some athletes or weight lifters take advantage of this short-term mobilizing effect to allow them to warm-up and perform their movements with an increased or more fluid range of motion.

 Performance

Finally, we look at performance. This has been assessed in a number of ways including bench press, vertical jump, squat, and lunge performance. Of the 9 studies that looked at performance in this review, only one showed a negative impact on performance. However, only one showed an improvement. The rest showed no change. Why is that helpful? For those of you who require an increase in flexibility to do whatever it is you want to do, foam rolling can help to give you a short term burst of flexibility which does not impede performance. Whether you fall into that group can be decided between you and your Physiotherapist. Your Physiotherapist can also advise you on how to best spend your time foam rolling for your goals and body structure.

 The Take Home

To sum it up, foam rolling can be a helpful maintenance tool for those with an active lifestyle. It likely isn’t the cure-all some people profess it to be, but it certainly isn’t harmful. It can help reduce DOMS, increase short term flexibility, and possibly improve performance should flexibility be an issue. If you are curious about foam rolling specifics such as how to do it, how long, how often etc, it is always a good idea to consult with your Physiotherapist.5

Oakville Physiotherapy, soccer warm-up, massage, injury prevention

Tim Childs, PT

Registered Physiotherapist

MScPT, BA Kin

  • Schleip, R. Fascial plasticity – a new neurobiological explanation: Part 1. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2003.7:11-19
  • Hedley, G. Notes on visceral adhesions as fascial pathology. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2010. 14:255-261
  • Schleip, R., Muller, D.G. Training principles for fascial connective tissues: scientific foundation and suggested practical applications. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2013. 17:103-115
  • Tozzi, P.. Selected fascial aspects of osteopathic practice. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2012. 16:503-519
  • Beardsley, C., Skarabot, J. Effects of self-myofascial release: a systematic review. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2015. 19:747-758

 

 

 

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Hot & Cold – Not just a great Katy Perry song

 

One of the questions we get most often in our Oakville Physio, Massage, and Foot Clinic is whether to use heat or ice. |This seems like an easy question with a clear cut answer for our Physios, Registered Massage Therapists, Yoga Therapist and Chiropodist to answer. Unfortunately, like most things in health care, the answer isn’t black or white, but rather a confusing shade of grey. Both heat and ice have been heavily researched for their therapeutic effects over the years, yet it doesn’t seem we are any closer in the Physiotherapy Profession to reaching consensus. For Physios, this makes a recommendation difficult, even for someone who is trained in the area.

It helps to know how these things work.

Heat

Without getting too detailed, heat works by stimulating nerve fibres which inhibit, or restrict, pain fibres. This is good. Theoretically, it can also increase blood flow to the area impacted – sometimes good. This is especially true for moist heat as opposed to dry (think how uncomfortable you get on a humid day).

Cup of tea from an Oakville foot clinic offering orthotics and footcare by a chiropodist

Cold / Ice

Cold works in the opposite direction of heat. It stimulates those same inhibitory fibres while also slowing down the conduction speed of actual pain fibres. As well, your body responds to cold by constricting blood vessels to the area – a protective mechanism that ensures the body survives, even if it means sacrificing an area of tissue on the outside of the body. This makes it more difficult for nerves to transmit signals that result in the sensation of pain.

Historically, clinicians have generally recommended ice for acute – meaning new – injuries,Massage, Deep tissue massage, RMT, Oakville as a way to control inflammation. Conversely, we have suggested heat for chronic – old – issues that need a little blood flow to get moving again. Unfortunately, these guidelines are mostly based on what we THINK happens, not on what we know from rigorous, peer-reviewed research. A pair of systematic reviews (studies which consolidate information from a large number of other studies that meet specific criteria) in the past decade suggest the cold has a minimal impact on function or level of disability after an ankle sprain.1,2 Another review was unable to detect a difference in the use of heat or cold in acute low back pain, though both seem to help with pain control.3 A more recent clinical review (like a systematic review, except it doesn’t necessarily cover all available evidence and is overall less rigorous) concluded that available evidence is inconsistent at best and recommendations should be based on clinical judgment.4

 But what does it all MEAN Basil?

What does all this mean for you? In a nutshell, it seems that both heat and cold are able to help control pain, but have minimal short and long term impacts on function or levels of disability. Neither seems to make people worse, and there does not seem to be a tremendous physiological impact either way. In short, use what makes you feel good. Cold is a good place to start for fresh injuries to joints in the arms and legs, while heat might be your default for back pain. Neither is required. Neither is strongly recommended. If it doesn’t work, don’t use it. If heat works better for your hand pain and cold for your back pain, go ahead. And then follow up with your friendly neighbourhood Oakville / Palermo Physiotherapist for an assessment and perhaps longer term solutions and management for your issue.

 

Tim Childs, PT

Registered Physiotherapist

MScPT, BA Kin

 

References:

van den Bekerom MP, Struijs PA, Blankevoort L, Welling L, van Dijk CN, Kerkhoffs GM. What is the evidence for rest, ice, compression, and elevation therapy in the treatment of ankle sprains in adults? J Athl Train 2012;47:435–43.Bleakley C, McDonough S, MacAuley D. The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Sports Med 2004;32:251–61French SD, Cameron M, Walker BF, Reggars JW, Esterman AJ. Superficial heat or cold for low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006:CD004750Gerard A. Malanga, Ning Yan & Jill Stark (2015) Mechanisms and efficacy of heat and cold therapies for musculoskeletal injury, Postgraduate Medicine, 127:1, 57-65, DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2015.992719

 

 

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Meet Our Team – Registered Massage Therapist Sarah

Oakville Massage Therapist Sarah initially graduated from The University of Western Ontario. At Western, she earned her Honours degree in English. After working in the corporate world for more than 15 years, Sarah decided to make a complete career change. She was interested in health care and wellness and decided to enroll in Ontario College of Health and Technology for Massage Therapy. She graduated from the Massage Therapy program in 2014. After successfully completing the registration exams, she is now a member of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario and a Registered Massage Therapist practicing at Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness in Oakville. While at school for Massage Therapy, Sarah learned a wide variety of techniques including fascial therapy, soft tissue release, joint play, trigger point therapy and general Swedish techniques and has a strong interest in the rehabilitation aspect of massage therapy. She enjoys working with and treating people of all ages and abilities and has taken a special interest

Oakville RMT, Massage therapist Sarah
Meet Registered Massage Therapist Sarah Eskins!

in pre and post-natal massage therapy treatment. Sarah also enjoys working with people with arthritis, post surgical patients and patients with sports injuries.

 

Sarah is a long time member of Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Oakville and a new member of the RMTAO. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking and playing tennis with her family.

To book a Massage with Oakville RMT Sarah – Please call (905) 582-9700 and for more information look at our website www.palermophysio.ca.

Massage Therapy in Oakville
Call Now to Book your Massage!
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What is Acupuncture?

At our North Oakville Physiotherapy, Massage and Foot Clinic, our Physiotherapists and Massage Therapists can and may suggest the use of Acupuncture as a modality to help compliment your treatment.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine involving the insertion of acupuncture needles into the skin at specific points on the body to achieve a therapeutic effect. Acupuncture is used to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain, improve mood, energy and improve function.

Acupuncture needles are solid, usually stainless steel, and measure from 13-70 mm in width. Two or three acupuncture needles would fit inside the barrel of a regular hollow needle used for injections. The needles are very fine, flexible and rounded but sharp at the tip. They are ‘atraumatic’, meaning that they do not have a cutting edge, allowing them to glide smoothly through tissues. Acupuncture needles are unlikely to cause bleeding or damage to underlying muscle and tissue.

How does Acupuncture work?

The insertion of acupuncture needles in the body at specific acupuncture points causes the release of the body’s own pain relieving chemicals known as endorphins. When a needle is inserted, it acts on the neurohormonal pathways by stimulating the peripheral nerves. These nerves send signals to the brain, which in turn releases endorphins. Endorphins block the passage of pain messages to the brain and increase the pain threshold, resulting in reduced pain, relaxation and restoration of the body’s own internal regulation system. Another hypothesis is that acupuncture reduces pro-inflammatory markers in the body, which helps to decrease pain and inflammation.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is thought to work by stimulating acupuncture points that release a flow of energy, called qi. Qi (chi) runs through 13 meridians, or channels, in the body and it is thought that pain is caused by a blockage of energy throughout these meridians.

What conditions does Acupuncture help?

Acupuncture can help with a number of different musculoskeletal injuries, including, but not limited to:

  • Hip and knee osteoarthritisStones and flowers showing North Oakville Yoga and Physio clinic
  • Sprains and strains
  • Tendonitis
  • Lower back pain
  • Sciatica
  • Shoulder pain
  • Tennis elbow
  • Carpal tunnel
  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Neck pain and headaches
  • Post-surgical pain

Does Acupuncture hurt?

While each person experiences acupuncture differently, most people feel only minimal discomfort as the needles are inserted and some feel no pain at all. Some people report a sensation of increased energy, while others feel relaxed.

Is Acupuncture safe? Are there any risks?

When practiced by a licensed, trained acupuncture practitioner, acupuncture is extremely safe. Precautions are related to clean needling technique including use of sterile needles and appropriate disposal of needles, as well as proper hand washing and skin preparation. Women in early pregnancy and hemophiliacs should be treated with caution. The risks involved with acupuncture are very minimal. Fainting, dizziness and vomiting are a risk but are more involved with patients experiencing anxiety and fear of needles. Infection is a risk associated with acupuncture but is decreased dramatically with the use of sterile, one time use needles and appropriate cleaning techniques used by the practitioner. If a needle is inserted too deeply, there is risk of puncturing an internal organ. Lastly, acupuncture needles can induce soreness, bruising and minimal bleeding at the acupuncture site. It is important to stress that these risks are very uncommon, and when treated by a trained acupuncture provider, these risks are minimal and the treatment is very safe.

What to expect with acupuncture treatment:

Some people obtain relief immediately, while some notice improvement after a few hours. Some people require a few treatments before noticing any change, while some people do not respond at all. The number of treatments required varies between each person and the condition being treated.

What to do before and after an acupuncture session

Have a light meal before treatment. It is best to avoid alcohol or sedatives for four hours before treatment and another two hours following treatment. Caffeine and cigarettes should also be avoided for about two hours following treatment. For painful conditions, avoid strenuous activity for 48 hours following treatment. Medication as directed by your physician may be taken as required.

In some cases your Physiotherapist or Registered Massage Therapist at our Oakville Physiotherapy, Massage and Foot Clinic may discuss with you how Acupuncture may help compliment your treatment. As with any direction of care the risks and benefits will be discussed with you.

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How Physiotherapy can Help after Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the team at our Oakville Physio, Massage and Foot Care Clinic wanted to pass along some information on the effectiveness of physiotherapy and exercise as part of the rehabilitation and healing process. Following mastectomy surgery, there is damage to the axillary region (armpit). This can cause a loss of mobility in the arm. Some women may also experience fatigue, weakness, pain, numbness and tingling after surgery. Exercise is an important part of recovery for breast cancer treatment and can help reduce these common symptoms.

Exercise can help you:
  • Begin your daily activitiesNordic walking to show treatment in North Oakville Medical for breast cancer treatmentKeep movement in your arm and shoulders
  • Improve muscle strength
  • Reduce stiffness in your joints
  • Reduce pain in your neck, back and shoulder
  • Improve overall well-being

Some simple exercises can begin the first week after surgery while the drain is still in place, but movement of your shoulders and arms should wait until the drain has been removed. Range of motion exercises and stretching can help prevent scar tissue build up and helps regain any lost mobility in the shoulder. Recent research also shows that exercise after a mastectomy can help reduce the occurrence of lymphedema.

After 6 weeks, strengthening exercises can gradually be added in to the exercise program. This may mean getting back to a previous routine of exercise, or learning some new exercises to start strengthening your upper body. Slowly starting household chores, gardening and yardwork are also ways you can build strength. It is best to have an exercise program specifically tailored to you, so speak to your Physiotherapist for a personalized program.

Aerobic exercise can be very beneficial in the recovery process and has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, maintain a healthy body weight, improve sleep, improve overall mood and well-being and decrease stress and anxiety. Examples of aerobic exercise are walking, swimming and cycling. When beginning an exercise program, start slow and gradually increase time and intensity as you feel comfortable.

Lymphedema is a potential side effect from surgery and radiation therapy that can appear months or years after treatment ends. Lymphedema is a build up of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues under your skin. This happens when lymph nodes that the fluid travels through are damaged or removed. Lymphedema is a serious complication and is important to treat quickly. If you notice any of the following signs, contact your doctor immediately.

Warning signs of Lymphedema:
  • Feeling of fullness, puffiness or heaviness in your arm
  • Decreased flexibility of movement in your hand, wrist or arm
  • Jewellery (rings and watches) feeling tighter than usual
  • Problems fitting your arm into your sleeves
  • Redness or increased warmth, which may mean you have an infection

Paths up stairs in Oakville Physio

A typical Physiotherapy session would be tailored around your specific issues and may use soft tissue techniques, stretching, heat therapy and other treatment tools to regain mobility and decrease pain. You will also be given a custom home exercise program tailored to your mobility and strength impairments depending on the time frame of your recovery. Our Oakville Physiotherapist Claire has a special interest in working with patients who have undergone surgery, mastectomies as well as other therapies.

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5 Ways to Make the Benefits of Your Massage Last Longer

At our Oakville Massage, Physio and Foot Care Clinic, patients access Massage Therapy for a variety of reasons; whether is be for tight neck and back muscles, to help relieve tension headaches, while recovering from joint replacement surgery to work on scar tissue,  frozen shoulder, or simply to help with relaxation and to decrease stress. When you are leaving your Massage Therapy treatment you will normally be given a set of instructions specific to you to help the benefits of your massage treatment last even longer.

Here are 5 ways to help make the benefits of massage last longer.
1. Postural Awareness

Many issues related to tension, tightness and repetitive strain are caused by positions we are in for hours at a time or repeat over and over. Often times these positions are less than ideal, for example hunching over a computer all day, doing a repetitive gripping activity, doing a repetitive lifting activity. Your Massage therapist will likely give you education in the best ways to sit and work to help optimize and maintain your treatment.

2. Stretches

Your Massage Therapist may provide you with stretches to help with musclTennis player doing mobility exercises from a Oakville Physio clinice imbalances and to maintain the length in some of the muscles they worked on with you. They will tell you how long to hold the stretch and how often to perform it.

3. Self Myofascial Techniques

You may receive instructions after your massage related to the use of tools to maintain the looseness in an area. These can include large elastics, foam rollers, lacrosse balls, golf balls etc.

4. Heat

The use of heat like a plug in hot pack or a microwavable can be helpful in maintaining circulation and increasing blood flow to an area. Your Massage Therapist may advise you to time your heating strategically prior to your exercises if appropriate.

5. Relaxation Techniques

Stress plays a large role in muscle tension for many people as well as experience of pain. Stress releases stress hormones in our body that can worsen our experience of pain. Relaxation techniques can help with stress as well as pain levels. Taking a warm bath, going for a walk, spending time with friends as well as guided relaxation techniques can be helpful.

Remember that not all of these suggestions may be appropriate for you depending on why you are seeking Massage treatment. It is best to speak with your Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) or your Physiotherapist regarding the best follow-up care for your particular case.

Oakville Massage, Hot stone massage, Foot clinic, orthotics

To book a Massage at our Oakville Massage Clinic call (905) 582-9700

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