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Newsletter

Hello again!

What a fabulous summer.  In this newsletter, a look at shockwave therapy; the conditions it treats with great success and what you can expect from the treatments. Also: Do you pee a little when you laugh? You don’t have to. Our resident pelvic floor expert, Lynda Lawrence, talks about a few simple approaches that can fix this common problem.

If you like us, please take the time to rate us on Google, it really helps other patients to find us online.

Too busy to call? You can always book online through our website – simply click on the button to your left and it will direct you to our secure site.  Thanks for all your continuing support.

Cheers,

Kerry Maxwell

Street Parking

Remember street Parking is free until 9am on Hornby in front of the clinic. Take advantage of this and book those early morning appointments.

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy is a treatment used by physiotherapists as well as in orthopaedics, urolology and cardiology. SWT utilizes a high amplitude mechanical pulse to create physiological changes in tissue. It was originally used at high focused energies to break up kidney stones and gall stones but has been shown to be effective in the treatment of many chronic soft tissue ailments. Results of double blind studies have shown remarkable success treating tennis elbow, chronic tendonopathies of the knee, rotator cuff, achillies and hamstrings as well as plantar fascitis.

SWT works by stimulating new blood vessels and nerve cells. Creating microtrauma in the tissues re-establishes the inflamatory response required in tissues to heal, but which is absent in chronic conditions.

Because SWT is creating some mircotrauma in the tissues, it can be painful. It can also result in some redness or bruising in the area treated. As we are looking to re-establish a controlled inflamatory response in tissues; it is recommended you do not ice for 24 hours post treatment. The recommended course of treatments for most conditions is once a week for 3 to 5 weeks.

If you are suffering from chronic Achillies Tendonopathy or Plantar Fascitis. Give us a call or book online to see one of our therapists about Shockwave Therapy

How not to pee your pants laughing.

Some of you may have experienced the embarrassing situation of a small leak of urine (incontinence) when laughing with a full bladder, sneezing, running, doing jumping jacks, or performing deep squats. Incontinence affects people of all ages and can be linked to childbirth, menopause, back pain, prostate issues, and osteoporosis. It occurs when the pelvic floor muscles along with the other core and trunk muscles are not working optimally. Physiotherapy to re-train these muscles can help.

The pelvic floor muscles support the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, rectum), maintain continence of both urine and faeces, and are involved in sexual function.

To minimise leakage, it helps to contract the pelvic floor muscles- known as a ‘Kegel’ contraction, before you laugh, sneeze, etc. One way to do a ‘Kegel’, is to squeeze around the anus (as if stopping the release of gas) and then contract towards the pubic bone. However, just like any other muscle training exercise it is recommended to learn how to do ‘Kegels’ correctly since studies have shown at least 65% of people do them incorrectly.

Caution- not everyone needs to perform ‘Kegel’ exercises. Some people ‘hold on’ to their pelvic floor muscles too much, for fear of leakage, and may experience: a frequent need to ‘pee’, leak when they feel the urge to void e.g on opening front door, or have pelvic pain. A trained physiotherapist can determine if you need to learn how to relax these muscles first, before starting a strengthening routine.

If you would like to learn more about treating incontinence, Lynda Lawrence, our physiotherapist with extensive training in pelvic floor related concerns, will be happy to help you.

Therapist Profile

Kevin graduated from the University of Alberta obtaining his Masters of Science in Physiotherapy. Kevin has extensive background working with individuals with orthopaedic and sports-related injuries from his experience as a trainer for minor league hockey, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball teams.
He is certified with the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute and with the Brian Mulligan Mobilization with Movement Concept. He has also completed Level 2 postgraduate courses in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy. Kevin believes in active rehabilitation by providing appropriate exercises to the client as well as providing hands-on rehabilitation
Outside of work, Kevin enjoys weight-lifting year round, snowboarding in the winters and golfing in the summers.

Areas of Special Interest:

Clinic Happenings.

Summer has been full of changes for us.

We bid farewell to Andrew Ewert; he and his family have moved back to Ontario. Rather than bringing on a new therapist, a few of our part timers have come on to full time hours. You will now find it easier to make an appointment with Karma, Farhana and Shiva. They have each taken over part of Andrew’s caseload. If you are not sure who will be the best fit for you, give us a call and our friendly reception staff will help you decide.

In addition, our part time receptionist Valerie has returned to school full time. Her position has been taken by Betty. You will see her on Mondays and Saturdays at reception.

Now you’re caught up, we look forward to seeing you again

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