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Veterans looking to book for the first time or if you have been involved in a Motor Vehicle Collision please call our clinic to set up an Assessment.
PLEASE NOTE: When booking your first appointment with a practitioner, please always select an Assessment appointment.
PLEASE NOTE: Intake forms must be completed prior to your Initial Assessment appointment. Podiatry has a separate intake form.
PLESE NOTE: Wendy only offers 60 minute physiotherapy and osteopathy appointments. If you are interested in a 45 minute appointment, please contact the clinic to book.
Welcome to our online booking site
Acupuncture
What is Traditional Acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is a holistic approach to health based on over 2,000 years of development and refinement in the Far East. The tradition is as much about the maintenance of health as the management of disease. Western or medical acupuncture is a more recent development practiced predominantly by doctors and physiotherapists, which uses acupuncture techniques within their existing scope of practice on the basis of a western medical diagnosis. Although sometimes described merely as a means of pain relief, traditional acupuncture is actually used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. Its focus is on improving the overall wellbeing of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. The skill of an acupuncturist lies in their ability to make a traditional diagnosis from what is often a complex pattern of disharmony. The exact pattern and degree of disharmony is unique to each individual and so following diagnosis, the acupuncturist puts together a personalized treatment plan. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy – known as qi – moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin. The flow of qi can be disturbed by many factors, physical, mental and emotional: anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body’s own healing response and help to restore its natural balance.
What will happen on my first visit?
Your first consultation may be longer than subsequent sessions. The acupuncturist needs to assess your general state of health in order to identify the underlying patterns of disharmony and give you the most effective treatment. You will be asked about your current symptoms and what treatment you have received so far, your medical history and that of your close family, your diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and emotional state. Once enough information has been gathered to determine the likely causes of your problems, the acupuncturist can select the most appropriate treatment. To discover how the energies are flowing in your body, the acupuncturist is likely to feel your pulses on both wrists, noting their quality, rhythm and strength. The aim is to discover which energy channels need adjusting for your specific complaint to improve, and which require treatment to boost your overall energy and vitality. Stimulating specific acupuncture points may affect the functioning of certain organs in the body. However, those points may not be close to the part of the body where the problem is experienced. For example, although you may suffer from headaches, needles may be inserted in your foot or hand. There are around 365 such acupuncture points on the body. A properly trained and experienced acupuncturist will use a selection of perhaps ten or twelve of these for each treatment. It is quite usual for different points to be selected as the patient’s condition changes during a course of treatment.
The acupuncturist may supplement needle treatment with acupressure massage techniques particularly suitable for small children or for people with a fear of needles.
It is helpful to wear loose, comfortable clothing for your treatment and you should be aware that your acupuncturist may need access to points on your torso as well as on your arms and legs.
What does it feel like?
Acupuncture needles bear little resemblance to the needles used in injections and blood tests. They are much finer and solid, not hollow. When a needle is inserted, the sensation is often described as a tingling or dull ache. Needles may be inserted and immediately removed, or may be left in place for thirty minutes or more, depending on the effect required. During treatment, patients commonly experience a heaviness in the limbs or a pleasant feeling of relaxation. The benefits of acupuncture frequently include more than just relief from a particular condition. Many people find that it can also lead to increased energy levels, as well as better appetite and sleep, and an enhanced sense of overall wellbeing.
“Balancing the Body for Optimal Wellness”
A balanced body is a healthy body. Our goal is to optimize your health and wellness by balancing your entire body, mind and spirit. We believe that while ailments have localized or branch symptoms, they all have underlying root causes. These root origins are imbalances, which, over time, manifest in varying symptomatic problems throughout the body. We treat both the root and branch causes. Our treatment methods utilize thousands of years of Chinese Medicine to balance the whole person – body, mind and spirit. Balance is healthy.
Massage Therapy
What is Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy is the manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, to achieve a therapeutic response.
Massage Therapy is a comprehensive intervention involving a range of techniques to manipulate the soft tissues and joints of the body. The purpose of massage therapy is to prevent, develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function or relieve pain (Ontario Massage Therapy Act, 1991). It is a clinically-oriented health option that achieves undeniable results in the relief of an array of discomforts stemming from stress, muscular overuse and many chronic pain syndromes. There are tremendous benefits to be achieved through massage therapy treatments from a Registered Massage Therapist. Whether your need is to have a moment of relaxation, reduce muscle tension or attain relief from acute or chronic pain, a therapeutic massage can enhance your overall sense of emotional and physical well-being as well as your quality of life.
Massage therapy is the application of various techniques to the muscular structures, soft tissues and joints of the body that include applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, vibration, rocking, friction, kneading and compression using primarily the hands, although massage therapists do use other areas of the body, such as the forearms or elbows. In addition to manipulation techniques, massage therapists are also trained in hydrotherapy and remedial exercise. All of these techniques are used for the benefit of the musculo-skeletal, circulatory-lymphatic, nervous, and other systems of the body.
Do I need a Referral?
Every private insurance health plan group policy is different. Some policies require a referral and some do not. It is important to get in contact with your private health insurance company to determine what your specific policy plan requires.
Is Massage Therapy Regulated?
Massage therapy is not currently a regulated profession in Nova Scotia however, the Massage Therapists’ Association of Nova Scotia has been strongly advocating for the regulation of massage therapy in Nova Scotia for several years.
Our Massage Therapists
To find out whether massage therapy might help you, contact a Registered Massage Therapist at the clinic, or ask your physician for a referral.
Osteopathy
Why Choose Osteopathic Manual Therapy?
Osteopathic manual therapists assess and treat your body as a whole, not just the sight of pain and symptoms. This is primarily because: pain and symptoms do not always express the true nature of the issue you are having. Often there is more than one factor contributing to the pain or symptoms you are experiencing.
Therefore osteopathic manual therapists must assess all the inter-related systems of the body to determine the exact mechanism of injury, thus allowing osteopathic manual therapists to be more effective and efficient in their treatment. To be inclusive of the whole body we have four main treatment techniques: soft tissue manipulation, osteopathic articular technique, cranial osteopathy and visceral manipulation. For a more explicit/detailed explanation of each area of treatment please go to this website: http://www.osteopathyontario.org and click on the heading Manual Osteopathic Treatment Methods in the About Osteopathy section.
NOVA SCOTIA ASSOCIATION OF OSTEOPATHS (MANUAL PRACTICE) MEMBERS’ STATEMENT:
➢ We are members in good standing of the Nova Scotia Association of Osteopaths (NSAO)
➢ As a member of the NSAO, we are not an Osteopathic Physician, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO, formerly Doctor of Osteopathy), nor do we practice Osteopathic Medicine
➢ In Nova Scotia, Osteopathic Manual Practice is not regulated by the government, however the NSAO is actively seeking government regulation to protect the public and our profession
➢ Osteopathic Manual Practitioners are not members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS)
An Osteopathic Appointment
Your first appointment with an osteopathic manual therapist will consist of the following:
A full history taking:
This entails a complete history taking of your previous and current health status.
An examination:
The osteopathic manual therapist will perform a physical evaluation to determine your condition and ensure that you are safe to receive osteopathic manual treatment.
Osteopathic manual therapists will assess the structures of your body for: mobility, position, vitality/quality of tissues and develop a treatment plan.
Together, you and your osteopathic manual therapist will review the results of your physical examination and determine the appropriate treatment plan for you.
Be sure to wear comfortable loose fitting clothes such as shorts and a T-shirt, tank top or sports bra.
Who Benefits from Osteopathy?
We treat all ages and many different conditions, however we see many patients who have plateaued with other treatments. These include chronic spinal conditions, headaches, TMD and post whiplash/ MVA. We also treat babies and children.
Physiotherapy
One on One Treatment Approach
Our practitioners believe that one on one treatment can best speed your recovery and provide efficient, effective treatment. All of our treatment sessions are 30 to 60 minutes of one on one care in private treatment rooms. Our experienced physiotherapists are trained to treat a wide variety of injuries, both acute and chronic. Your first visit will consist of a comprehensive medical history and musculo-skeletal assessment to determine a physical diagnosis and complete a treatment plan.
Treatments may include the following
Manual Therapy
Physiotherapists use a wide variety of manual therapy techniques to increase joint and muscle mobility. Ken Long has extensive training in osteopathy and uses osteopathic manual techniques to compliment his physiotherapy practice.
Exercise
Our physiotherapists can design specific exercises to help you regain strength, stability, balance and flexibility. Our emphasis is to teach you appropriate exercises that you can continue at home or in a gym independent of us. Exercise programs help improve function following soft tissue and bone injury, and can help alleviate pain and stiffness secondary to surgery, degenerative changes and chronic health conditions. Exercise can improve and strengthen posture, enhance performance and promote health and wellness.
Acupuncture
Dry Needling
Our Physiotherapist, Natalie, is trained in Acupuncture and IMS dry needling. Dry needling techniques may be included in your treatment plan to reduce pain and inflammation, and is billed as part of your physiotherapy session.
Modalities
These may include ultrasound, laser, TENS, IFC, heat and cold. Modalities are used to help alleviate pain and promote soft tissue healing.
Education
This is an important part of physiotherapy practice as our goal is to teach you how to manage and prevent injury and disability. This encourages you to take an active role in recovery and health.
Regulations of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy practice is regulated by the Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists. The College’s role is to protect the public and ensure that standards of practice are met.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
Research shows that pelvic floor rehabilitation, when carried out by a qualified pelvic health physiotherapist, is highly successful and should be first-line treatment before surgery or medication. Women who are experiencing the following symptoms should consider consulting our pelvic health physiotherapist.
• Incontinence, leakage of urine or bowels (from coughing, sneezing, or not getting to the bathroom in time)
• Urgency (needing to go to the bathroom often, unable to wait to go to the bathroom)
• Bowel and rectal disorder (constipation, straining and pain)
• Pain in pelvic area, genital area or rectum (endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, hemorrhoids, frequent UTIs, etc.)
• Unexplained ongoing low back pain
• Pain during or after sex
• Pelvic organ prolapse (pressure, heaviness or bulging in the pelvic region)
• Pre- and post-pregnancy care, muscle re-education, pain management
• Scaring and abdominal weakness from c-sections
• Scaring from vaginal deliveries from tearing or episiotomy
Podiatry
Podiatrists are specialists in assessing, diagnosing, and treating foot and foot related disorders.
Foot pain and dysfunction can manifest in many different ways. We will develop a management plan that is right for you or a family member or friend.
Whether it is a thickened unsightly toenail, an infected ingrown toenail that requires surgical intervention, or perhaps a painful corn or warts – we provide effective solutions to your foot problems.
We are committed to providing exceptional footcare for all your footcare needs in a warm, caring environment and our focus is always on you, our valued patient.
Physio Pilates
Physio Pilates is a series of mat exercises instructed by a Physiotherapist. The exercises are modified from classic pilates to accommodate to rehabilitation needs. Physio Pilates is done through group physiotherapy sessions and is billable through most extended health benefit plans. Private sessions are also available. Direct billing for private sessions only at this time.
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Need Help? (902) 423-1085