Extended Therapy: Neuro & Chronic Pain Conditions

Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture and Laser Therapy

Our clinic is located in downtown St John's and is easily accessed by Mount Pearl and the communities in Conception Bay South.

This program is designed for clients in the St John's area and in rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, who will have need of therapy for a prolonged period, or on an on-going basis. It is flexible:

• with respect to the therapies included: any or all of physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and laser therapy;
• where care is provided: in-clinic, at-home and virtual care, any or all; and
• It is always organized to make the most of available financial resources.

Some of the conditions which require extended therapy include:

• Post stroke rehabilitation
• Post-concussion syndrome, etc
• Nerve related injuries
• Post MVA and general trauma conditions
• Arthritis
• Post-operative poor results
• Amputees
• Slow to Heal Fractures, like scaphoid fracture
• And other chronic pain presentations

As a team, we have a particular interest in our clients with conditions that require extensive therapy & rehab. We do get to know these clients well!…but also, it is very rewarding to be a part of a highly motivated rehab effort. Additionally, we are able to offer acupuncture and photobiomodulation (low intensity laser therapy), both of which add real juice to the healing process. It's particularly rewarding when a client with an ‘old' injury sees significant change when laser and acupuncture are added to their treatment plan.

We use the education and skills of our professions (physiotherapy, traditional chinese medicine and massage therapy) to assess problems, create treatment plans and treat our clients. We collaborate with Monastery Health to include nurse practitioner, medical foot care and kinesiology when these skills would benefit our clients.

Slow healing conditions and long treatment programs are well-served by low intensity laser and acupuncture. Laser therapy has a photobiomodulation effect on injured cells, providing ADP (cell fuel) directly to affected cells to stall, and sometimes reverse progression of arthritis.

Find out more about Bioflex therapy.

Acupuncture restores homestasis, which is the balance within the physiological systems which control all body functions. It has a powerful global effect, strengthens the immune system, and complements the targeted energy delivery of laser. Both laser and acupuncture have strong research support for the treatment of many muscle, joint, nerve and general health conditions. Both provide effective pain relief, improve mobility, reduce the requirement for pain medication and accelerate healing.

Find out more about acupuncture.

Post stroke rehabilitation

Ischemic or hemorrhagic, both types of stroke have life-altering consequences. For some, a TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a wake-up call to make life-style changes; life continues with medication and otherwise minimal change. For the more severely afflicted, post stroke recovery can be challenging and lengthy. The ischemic stroke correlates strongly with the well known risk factors like smoking and high blood pressure. For this population, acupuncture with its powerful rebalancing effect on homeostasis, can be an important part of a treatment plan. The less common hemorrhagic strokes benefit particularly from the targeted effects of photobiomodulation. In practice, all stroke recovery programs can benefit from both laser and acupuncture.

Most frequently, our clients are those who require rehab. They have completed the hospital based stroke program. They may continue with the community based programs, but they are highly motivated - many have future plans and want to work harder on their recovery. We can help these clients!

Arthritis

Arthritis means inflammation of a joint; and what our clients feel is pain in one or many joints. The diagnosis of arthritis is quite encompassing. It refers to ‘wear and tear' osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; psoriatic arthritis, etc. The ‘wear and tear' variety most frequently afflicts the weight-bearing joints, hips, knees and feet; and hands. Other kinds of arthritis are considered to have more immune system dysfunction. Laser and acupuncture have the ability to strengthen the immune system; and stall and sometimes reverse progression of many arthritic conditions

Our physiotherapists follow GLA:D Canada principles of education and exercise, where applicable. For other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid or psoriatic, physio treatment is more gently graded. While it is important to maintain mobility, it is equally important not to overstress acutely inflamed joints; and exercise intervention is closely monitored.

Nerve Related Injuries

Nerve Injuries have a unique healing process, described in the following article: Persistent Pain & Nerve Pain

Unless severely damaged, nerves will heal, slowly. Physiotherapy and massage throughout the course of healing is important to retain flexibility and mobility of muscles supplied by the damaged nerves. It may also facilitate accurate re-innervation, as the healing nerve reattaches to its target muscle. Laser therapy and acupuncture accelerate healing, strengthen the immune system and support homeostasis, improving the chances of regaining normal function.

Post-concussion Syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome is never quite the same for any two clients, as symptoms depend on what tissues were injured and to what extent; they can be quite variable. For all, though, recovery can be a very lengthy process, depending upon the extent of tissue damage and inflammation within the brain. The physiotherapy exercise part is important and very gradual, always responsive to fatigue, nausea, light-headnesses and many other symptoms associated with concussion. Massage contributes to muscle health, and can contribute to managing the emotional impacts of long recovery. Acupuncture strengthens the immune system and restores homeostasis. Laser therapy supports lymph drainage which clears inflammation waste products from the brain and accelerates healing.

Find out more about treatment for concussion.

Amputees

Surgical amputation of a limb, or part of a limb is a devastating occurrence, whether it's the result of trauma, cancer or vascular disease. It can also be among the shortest courses of rehabilitation, because the motor nerves are not often impacted by the surgery. This means that traditional rehab, aimed at gait retraining and restoring best function, can start soon after healing is complete. We wouldn't normally see a new amputee in the clinic, but if we did, acupuncture and laser would significantly speed healing. Sometimes, there remains clinical indications that support continued use of these modalities even in full rehab mode. Sensory nerve involvement can manifest as phantom limb pain. There is significant research support for acupuncture being an effective treatment for this condition.

All members of our team contribute to the best treatment plans for our amputee clients.