The main goal of an initial assessment is to determine possible causes of your injury or impairment. We also ask: What can we do to remove or alleviate the pain?
One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes, you may be a bit sore after an assessment. This is largely due to the fact that we’ve probably just moved your body in ways you’ve been avoiding due to discomfort or pain. In order to determine a course of action, we as therapists trust in functional movement assessment techniques to help us get you back to the best version of yourselves as quickly as possible!
What to Expect
- Our initial assessments typically consist of a 1 hour one-on-one session with a therapist, and 99 percent of the time, treatment will be provided on the first visit as well.
- The therapist will review your health history as well as pose a series of helpful “red flag” questions with the purpose of eliminating any sinister causes as the root of your injury/impairment.
- Expect to move! Our bodies were designed to do so and chances are, you’re here to figure out what is keeping you from pain free movement.
- It’s always a good idea to come dressed in non-restrictive clothing so that when a therapist is assessing your squat for example, you’re not going to be doing so in a suit or skirt.
- If you have any diagnostic imaging available to you (x-ray, MRI), we will be happy to have a look at that with you.
- Homework is probably going to be assigned. Getting you back to feeling great will require your active participation and expectations will be set out for you by your therapist. We are always available by phone or email if you ever have any questions or need clarification on what your homework is.
The initial assessment is the first step in getting you back in action. Just remember, we want to see you as little as possible, but as much as necessary to get and keep you pain-free and functioning well.
2 months ago my husband and I made a very big move. We sold our home in Labrador, packed up our truck and our camper and hit the dirt road (literally) to move to Ottawa. I worked as a physiotherapist for 9 years at the hospital in Goose Bay, so accepting a job with Whole Therapy was a huge change for me. I was very nervous and excited and obviously was wondering if I had made the right decision.
Fast forward 2 months and I can say with absolute certainty that yes we made the right choice. My husband and I, along with our 14 month old daughter Emily, absolutely love Ottawa. We love to run, hike, cycle, canoe, and camp, so Ottawa has been a fantastic fit for us. But even more important is I love my new job. My coworkers are fantastic and have taught me so much in just a few weeks. I have met a lot of really cool clients and I love working with the team here to help people reach their goals as fast as possible.
One huge benefit to working at Whole Therapy is that the staff here not only work together to help each other’s clients but they also work together to help each other. I have been running competitively since I was in high school. Over the years I have completed 9 half marathons, 2 full marathons and a bunch of 5 and 10km races. 
Back home in Labrador I was a member of the Trappers’ Running Club Executive where I helped organize the annual Trapline Marathon (it’s a Boston qualifier and a fantastic race if anyone wants to experience a run in the rural north!) I helped organize and lead the running clinics for the Trapline and I offered education sessions on running form, injury prevention, stretching, etc.
So needless to say I am a runner and am very passionate about the sport. After moving to Ottawa I joined Run Ottawa and I immediately started exploring different running routes and trails around the city. I was having some persistent issues that seemed to start while I was running pregnant with my daughter in 2017. These issues particularly occurred during/after tempo runs, interval training or races:
- Stitches under my ribs during my higher intensity training sessions that were just completely ruining my runs. Everything I did to stop them failed. I tried to eat at least 2-3 hours before running, do a good warm up, breathe deeply through the stitch. Nothing seemed to work.
- My hamstrings were just destroyed after speed work. They were so tight, sore and stiff.
- The area around my C-section scar just felt, for lack of a better word, ugly! Very achy and empty if that makes sense.
My first race in Ottawa was the 5km RBC Run for the Kids in the middle of September. I had a great race but again all 3 of the above issues definitely limited my pace. When I came to work that Monday and chatted to my co-workers about how the race went, I became the client instead of the therapist and it was awesome!
Jamie took me into the gym and focused on why my hamstrings were working so hard. Turns out my glute max was extremely weak especially on the left which meant my hamstrings had to work overtime to compensate. He gave me some homework which included single leg bridge reps, step downs and reverse plank on the stability ball with knee extension. He also worked on my breathing technique which he figured was the cause of my frequent running stitches.
Mel got her hands on me to work around my C-section scar. Emily is 14 months old so it has definitely healed, but I learned after that session that it was not so much the scar tissue causing the “ugly” sensation but the very tight hip musculature surrounding it.
My second race in Ottawa was the 10km Ottawa Fall Colors Run. I ran stitch free, I felt my glute max was definitely working harder than it had been a month ago which meant my hamstrings weren’t totally exhausted following, and I didn’t have the ugly C—section scar feeling!
I still have a lot of work to do over the winter months but I can say with confidence that I think I will be able to run some personal best times next year with the help of my fantastic coworkers!
If you are a runner and you want to run as efficiently as possible, the off season is coming up and it’s a great time to book an appointment and be assessed for any muscle imbalances you may have!
While other people are “scared” by the skeletons, spiders, ghosts, and pranks, Nutritionists are more scared by what traditional Halloween sugary foods are doing inside your kid’s body. Remember, it’s ok to indulge in treats once in while; but don’t forget to practice moderation.
Check out the tips below to help you take the scary out of Halloween’s sugar rush:
Focus on the experiences: Halloween is supposed to be about the spooky, scary and paranormal, not the sugary, salty and high-in-cholesterol. Enjoy a classic Halloween night with the kids: take them to a haunted house, go on a ghost walk around the city, visit a pumpkin patch and choose the perfect pumpkin to carve, or simply watch a scary movie. These activities were once the quintessential Halloween must-dos — let’s bring them back from the undead.- Instead of giving candies and chocolate, pass out other fun items such as glow-sticks, mini bags of (organic) popcorn, or even fun spooky accessories … think vampire teeth, plastic spider rings, or spooky stickers.
- Wait to buy your candies – buy them the day of to avoid being tempted. Buy less than you think you need to avoid leftovers. You can also buy the ones YOU don’t like, that way you will not be tempted to eat them.
- Make sure you have a super healthy dinner before you send your kids trick or treating, they will be less incline to eating candies or chocolate while they are trick or treating.
- Send your kids with a smaller bag or a small Halloween bucket, that way there will be less to manage.
- Go through the bag and ration the candies and only allow them sweets on special occasions. You can mix small bits of chocolate with air-popped popcorn, that way they will get less sugar in one bite.
After you’ve had fun carving your pumpkin, save the seeds and make a healthy snack with the pumpkin seeds.
ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sprinkle of chili powder (you can also add paprika & cumin)
- Sprinkle of sea salt & garlic powder
- Wash the seeds, toss them with the olive oil and mix well. Add your spices & mix again. You can also change up the spices to your taste!
- Lay them out on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden. Just watch them so they don’t get too brown.
Enjoy!
Carole Woodstock, RHN
www.fuel4lifenutrition.com
Look beyond the Chia Pet and discover the new milenium’s superfood!
The 1980’s Classic
In the 1980’s did you own a chia pet? Ever think that there might be a gold-mine of nutrition in that plant and terracotta animal you were watering? Time to flip that chia pet on its head…
Chia seeds are grey/black in color and can easily be mistaken for poppy seeds. You can find them at the health food store, Bulk Barn or in the organic section of your local grocery store. They might be more expensive than other seeds but become cost effective because they are universal: you can add them to just about any meal or dish. But why would you want to introduce chia seeds into your life? Well, get ready for this: they contain 3 times MORE IRON than spinach, 5 times MORE CALCIUM than milk, 7 times MORE VITAMIN C than oranges and 15 times MORE MAGNESIUM than broccoli. Chia seeds are a great source of FIBER, rich in PROTEIN and OMEGA 3.
These miracle seeds also help balance blood sugar (so you have sustainable energy and don’t crash), are gluten free, and loaded with anti-oxidants. So you’re convinced, but where to start? Chia makes a great stand-in for eggs (one egg = 1Tbsp chia seed soaked in ¼ cup for 5 minutes; it will become gelatinous, just like an egg). Having no flavor, you can easily add chia seeds to any baking, sprinkle in your salads, mix into your pasta sauce, spoon into your porridge, and whirl into your smoothies.
Want a healthy dessert for your kid’s lunchbox? Try this chocolate pudding: mix 1/2 cup of chocolate almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk), 2Tbsp chia seeds and a dash of cinnamon. Add sliced bananas and wait… in a few minutes (approx. 30mins) the chia will change the consistency and expand and voila, instantly happy chocolate gulping smiles staring back at you.
Stay healthy with Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia seeds!
Carole Woodstock, RHN, FIS, NCCP
I’m not easily motivated anymore. I used to snap to attention the minute I saw a quote – any quote. The door of my room as a teenager was full of silver-penned wisdom in a spiral pattern. I gobbled up inspirational speeches like I was starving.
These days, it takes more to move me. I’ve become a little desensitized to the parade of stock photos and inspirational phrases marching across my social media feeds. I understand that I Am Worthy. I get that I have to Persist to Succeed. So now what? I need some more good life lessons to chew on!
When I decided to go to the Can Fit Pro Fitness Conference this year, I was apprehensive but excited. Surely someone there could motivate me. I wanted to be moved.
I wasn’t disappointed. Having trouble being motivated? Try this:
- Surround yourself with ‘better’ people. Stronger people. More flexible, more educated, more worldly, more affluent. It’s true what they say: if you’re the best in the room, you’re in the wrong room. I took an advanced flexibility class. I took a Pound: Rockout/Workout class. I learned about reflexive stabilization during the gait cycle (I know, sounds intense!). All of these seminars pushed my comfort zone, challenged my brain, and reminded me of how much I don’t know. It was bliss.
If you’re the best in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
- Watch other people get motivated. Five of us shared an apartment. We were able to have some down time in between sessions together, sharing what we learned from our various experiences. The excitement in people’s faces and voices when they just clicked with some piece of knowledge or resonated with someone’s lecture is amazing. It’s like watching a kid open birthday presents. I get filled up by that glow, and I saw it everywhere. Lightbulbs were almost literally going off in people’s heads everywhere I looked. Looking at the ways others were moved lit me up.
Meeting of the nerd-minds between sessions.
- Hit all the senses. Simply reading motivational quotes doesn’t do it for me now. But sitting in a room hearing Petra Kolber talk about Detoxifying Perfectionism using her own real life examples as well as motivational quotes is. Listening to a pump-me-up song is fine, but what’s better is holding onto a pair of RipStix and drumming the ground like a seasoned Rockstar while the music thumps through the room. Watching a Zumba class from outside the gym studio is cool, but feeling the collective energy of the dance and the music as you pass by one on the trade show floor is So. Much. Better.
Waiting to rock the Pound class.
While I didn’t digest major life-altering messages this weekend, the content within the CanFit conference left me with lots to mull over. And despite my sensitization to motivation, I found that I was definitely spurred into action by what I saw, heard, and experienced.
Until next year, CanFitPro!
About the Author: Jen Wright is an RMT and the owner of Whole Therapy. She is an avid gym-goer and loves to lift heavy stuff. She sees clients of all ages and stages, especially those who are engaged in bettering themselves. She believes that pain-free is possible. For more about Jen, click here.
When you are training in the heat and sweating buckets, it is important to replenish lost electrolytes. Physical function may hang in the balance if electrolyte levels remain low after a workout. Resulting symptoms can include muscle fatigue, dizziness, and nausea. But the right sport drink can get those electrolytes back in the body, no sweat.
Commercial sports drinks contains load of sugar, which slows down the rate at which water enters the blood. They also are typically loaded with artificial ingredients, which isn’t doing your body any favors.
The best way to replace electrolytes is through real food. Instead of reaching for a commercial sports drink, try this electrolyte option that is good for your health and will save you money!
HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE DRINK (Like homemade Gatorade)
– 1 cups of coconut water (unsweetened) – 1⁄4 cup of your favorite fruit juice (unsweetened) or fresh lemon or lime juice – A pinch of sea salt
Coconut Water is packed with electrolytes! Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes.
Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts.
It has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink. Ounce per ounce, most unflavored coconut water contains 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams (mg) of potassium, and 5.45 mg of sodium compared to Gatorade, which has 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams of sugar, 3.75 mg of potassium, and 13.75 mg of sodium.
Fuel4Life will help you optimize your health and energize you for life!
www.fuel4lifenutrition.com
Carole Woodstock, RHN, FIS, NCCP
Gratitude is an emotion we typically don’t pay much attention to in our busy lives. We’re vaguely pleased or feel lucky when things work out well, but that’s about it. Turns out that’s a big mistake. We’re missing out on something really important; and it’s free. Research shows that being consciously mindful of gratitude makes people feel better in every way; physically, mentally and emotionally.
Each time we experience gratitude, it reduces stress and inflammation in our entire being, while promoting healthier mind states and immune responses. Why is this so important? The U.S. Center for Disease Control, estimates stress plays a significant role in 90% of all health issues.
Our daily lives and memories are filled with scenery of all types. Some attractive, some not so much. Imagine standing on a hill with two choices. We can watch the sun rise or turn the other way and take in the local dump. Either way, we’re standing in the same place, but the views and our reactions to them are very different. The emotion of gratitude changes what we notice about our lives and surroundings. In fact, recent research in major depression has shown just the act of looking for something to be grateful for has positive benefits; even if patients couldn’t find anything at that moment. Just the attempt, helped change the focus.
Try this fascinating little experiment today. For the biggest impact, share the results each day with someone close to you; a partner, friend, family, co-worker. For two weeks, commit yourself to recording at least three things you’ve noticed you’re grateful for each and every day. It doesn’t matter how big or small the experiences they are, as long as you become aware of some feelings of gratitude each time. Nerds like myself can even track the changes in their moods and sense of wellbeing; physically, mentally and emotionally. Simple to use tracking tools will be sent at no charge on request.
Sometimes we need something more substantial. Tools such as Emotional Freedom Techniques that act like a marriage counsellor between our conscious and subconscious minds are hugely useful. Please don’t hesitate to contact the author to explore these and other effective tools and resources available to you.
Yours in good mental/emotional health.
The above is for information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
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Author: David E P Gilbert. David is a highly experienced Integrative Therapist specializing in anxiety/depression, stress, burnout, grief, trauma, Post Concussion Syndrome and self-sabotage. He’s based at Whole Therapy and ECOSYS Wellness Center in Ottawa ON. Canada. Being trained in a number of modalities including Emotional Freedom Techniques and PTT (Picture Tapping Techniques), he works with clients both in-office and via phone or video cam across North America. Work so powerful it’s guaranteed
Lower back pain. Every branch of medicine seems to have a different take on what to recommend. A new study published in the May 18th edition of JAMA Network Open sheds light on the subject with a direct comparison between usual non-chiropractic care, and usual care with chiropractic.
Dr Christine Guertz DC, PhD and colleagues enrolled 750 American active duty military service members with lower back pain from three different military bases. 375 members receive medical care as usual from their physicians. The remaining 375, received up to 12 chiropractic treatments of the lower back and surrounding areas along with usual care. Chiropractic care sometimes involved the use of the additional tools and techniques often utilized by chiropractors in their practice.
Analysis of the data showed that the addition of chiropractic lead to significantly greater benefit than standard medical care alone. This new data reinforces the recent recommendations put forth by the American College of Physicians. They now recommend inclusion of spinal manipulation along with other non-drug treatments often used by chiropractors as first-line therapy for both acute and chronic lower back pain.
If still considering whether to try chiropractic, Dr Rory Turner, Dr Damien Marion, and Dr George Surko of Whole Therapy are all highly skilled and experienced chiropractors who would be happy to answer your questions.
Yours in good health
David Gilbert – Integrative Therapist.
Author: David E P Gilbert. David is a highly experienced Integrative Therapist specializing in anxiety/depression, stress, burnout, grief, trauma, Post Concussion Syndrome and self-sabotage. He’s based at Whole Therapy and ECOSYS Wellness Center in Ottawa ON. Canada. Being trained in a number of modalities including Emotional Freedom Techniques and PTT (Picture Tapping Techniques), he works with clients both in-office and via phone or video cam across North America. Work so powerful it’s guaranteed
Molly helped me run the hills today (in her snowflake jammies)
I’m training for a spartan race in July. It’s a bigger one than I’ve done in the past – 15 kms instead of 5. The race takes the participants up and down Calabogie Peaks, winding through 25 strategically placed obstacles along the way.
I will have to scale walls, crawl through mud, carry sandbags, throw spears, and climb ropes in my quest for the finish line.
This race will mark my return back into the realm of Being Strong, as it’s the first true test of my endurance and overall fitness since having my daughter, Finley last year. I was sedentary most of the pregnancy due to an SI joint injury, and my postpartum recovery was long and tedious as a result. There were many times over the last year when I worried I’d never be able to feel strong again. I heard a lot of “Well, you HAVE had a baby…” and “Your body really isn’t ever the same”, and “You ARE 36 now, that’s quite a few years since the last baby…”
Despite the naysaying (from others AND from myself) I pushed on with my training, stubborn in my resolve to feel capable like I once did. I looked to Trainer Jamie for help with strategic strengthening. I relied on my workout partners Bailey, Ana, and Yvette to set the bar high and motivate me with their own fitness levels. And I used my colleagues at Whole Therapy and their various chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage skills along the way when I inevitably needed my joints and muscles worked on.
And here I am, at 7am on a Saturday, 6 weeks from Race Day, with my running shoes on and my water pack on my back, looking up Mooney’s Bay hill. I’m “sprinting” (read: sloooowly running) up the hill ten times, which will likely make me want to barf. But I’ll do it anyway. Because so far, even with the obstacles of having a baby, being injured and out of shape, and being older, being strong is so much more important than giving up.
Most journeys feel metaphorically like they’re an uphill battle. This one literally is. But with a lot of training, and a little luck, I can use my success with this upcoming race to prove to myself that not only am I physically Strong Again, but I’m also mentally able to bounce back from a weak mental state to a strong, confident one.
Wish me luck.
About the Author: Jen Wright is an RMT and the owner of Whole Therapy. She is an avid gym-goer and loves to lift heavy stuff. She sees clients of all ages and stages, especially those who are engaged in bettering themselves. She believes that pain-free is possible. For more about Jen, click here.