Your Health, Our priority

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a medical science concerned with the assessment, maintenance, and restoration of the physical function and performance of the human body.

Physiotherapy does this by

- Improving and maintaining functional independence and physical performance.

- Preventing and managing pain, physical impairments, disabilities and limits to participation; and

- Promoting fitness, health and wellness.

Physiotherapy’s unique contribution to health care stems from its advanced understanding of how the body moves, what keeps it from moving well, and how to restore mobility.

How physiotherapy can help you?

Your physiotherapist provides valuable health care for people throughout life – from birth to old age.

Your physiotherapist can:

- Perform a thorough assessment to identify and determine the extent of your problems and address them using the best available treatment strategy.

- Identify the causes and any predisposing factors behind your condition and present a program designed to avoid reoccurrence of your symptoms.

- Provide rehabilitation following occupational or sporting injuries.

- Provide rehabilitation and exercise before and after surgery.

- Provide advice on exercise programs.

- Provide or advise on special equipment or supplies.

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy can be used to treat the acute or chronic stages of conditions such as post-surgical rehabilitation, repetitive strain injuries, sports injuries, sprains and strains or headaches and migraines.

In addition, massage therapy can help to decrease stress and control pain, and can be used to relieve discomfort associated with muscular overuse and many chronic pain syndromes.

South City’s registered massage therapists (RMT) employ a variety of techniques to enhance your health and well-being, including Swedish and neuromuscular massage, fascial release and craniosacral therapy.

What is Intra Muscular Stimulation?

Intra Muscular Stimulation or IMS is a scientifically based and proven technique for reversing the shortened muscles that cause musculo-skeletal pain. This pain is called neuropathic pain, and is difficult for doctors to diagnose and treat as it usually presents with no sign of tissue damage or inflammation. IMS uses instruments adapted from traditional acupuncture to stimulate shortened muscles. Which then results in muscle relaxation and relief from chronic pain.

How can IMS help you?

If you suffer from chronic pain and have tried medications, massage, traditional physiotherapy, osteopathy, or chiropractic and still do not find lasting relief, your pain could be caused by muscle shortening.

Muscle shortening produces pain by pulling on tendons, straining them as well as distressing the joints they move. This constant strain can press on and irritate the nerves. Leading to a condition now recognized as “super-sensitivity” of your nerves and nerve endings.

IMS can help this condition by inducing the shortened muscle to relax which relieves the pain. The effects of IMS are cumulative. With each treatment stimulating a certain amount of healing, until eventually, the condition is healed and the pain disappears.

In pain of recent origin, one treatment may be all that is necessary. In recent published studies of patients with low back pain, the average number of treatments required was 8.2.

How can Acupuncture help you?

Acupuncture can be very useful to alleviate and manage pain. Current research in pain management provides concrete neurophysiological evidence for the use of acupuncture in a wide variety of pain syndromes.

Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce its own pain relieving chemicals called endorphins. Which help to block pathways that relay pain messages from the body to the brain.

The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural abilities. Reducing inflammation and promoting physical and emotional well-being.

Several of our physiotherapists have specialized training in acupuncture and are accredited by the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute.

Note 1: IMS was developed by Dr. Chan Gunn a pioneer in the treatment of pain, and President of the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain based in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Gunn is also Clinical Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, US. In 2001, Dr Gunn was awarded the Order of British Columbia, and in 2002 he became a member of the Order of Canada, our Nation’s highest honor.

Note 2: IMS treatments can only be provided by a qualified health care practitioner – typically a Physiotherapist or Physician – who has been specially trained and certified in IMS. For further information please contact South City Physiotherapy at 519-763-2885, or see Dr. Gunn’s IMS website at: www.istop.org.

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopath treatment is a hands-on, non-invasive approach that encourages and stimulates the body to heal and repair itself by increasing circulation and realigning the body’s structures.

Osteopathy is the study of the human body as it functions in health and disease.

Osteopathy views the individual as a whole unit, it assesses and treats movement restrictions in your body tissues that prevent you from feeling and functioning at your best.

It focuses on the cause of pain and dysfunction rather than concentrating only on the symptoms.

Osteopathic palpation is a refined sense of touch that allows the practitioner to feel restrictions within the body.

Benefit of osteopathic treatment to name a few include:

- Removes the underlying cause of pain relieving muscle and joint pain and increasing joint range of motion.
- Relieves chronic pain; joint stress, body tension including headaches and migraines.
- Helps the body adjust to changes in hormonal levels, as well as structural changes experienced during pregnancy.
- Treats trauma experienced from motor vehicle accidents and sport injuries.
- Reduces scars and adhesions resulting from injuries or surgical procedures.

South City Physiotherapy is pleased to offer our community the benefits of osteopathic treatment. Come in for a consultation to see how an Osteopath can maintain your good health throughout all stages of life.