Common Conditions

Did you know that headaches are not a normal affliction in society? There is a root cause that upon careful investigation can lead to effective treatment strategies. At Active Body Clinic, we will attempt to define the cause of your headache and begin treatment accordingly. Our goal is to alleviate unnecessary suffering.

We commonly use neck massage, chiropractic adjustments when warranted, acupuncture, home stretches and/or dietary advice to effectively treat headaches.

The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are two of the most functionally important and frequently used joints in the body. It is with these joints that important processes such as chewing, kissing, speaking, sucking, yawning and facial expressions are carried out. Unfortunately, TMJ dysfunction is often a cause of numerous symptoms throughout the head and neck. It is through an understanding of the unique anatomy and biomechanics of these joints that we at Active Body Clinic can effectively assess and safely treat TMJ pathology.

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Impingement of the sciatic nerve can occur in multiple locations along its length. A careful and thorough examination is necessary to prevent incorrect treatment. At Active Body Clinic, we uniquely manage Sciatica with:

– Exercise therapy to encourage safe movement, to prevent range of motion restrictions and strength
  loss, to decrease pain and to increase endurance
– Manual therapy to correct abnormal tissue or lumbar disc function
– Chiropractic adjustments, when warranted, to increase specific spinal motions
– Acupuncture to normalize the sciatic nerve flow

Low back pain will affect most of us at some point in our lives. It may be for only a few days or it may occur repeatedly, never completely going away. In fact, four out of five Canadian’s will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, with those who have experienced it being ten times more likely to experience it again. Effective long-lasting treatment of low back pain is most dependent on determining the root cause(s). Often multiple causes are diagnosed upon assessment of this complaint due to the complex cause-and-effect nature of this condition. At Active Body Clinic, we will uniquely manage your low back pain with:

– Pain-relieving modalities and exercise aimed at increasing motion, increasing core-stability strength
  and encouraging safe movement
– Postural analysis and correction
– Manual therapy, including Chiropractic adjustments when warranted, to correct abnormal motion and
  resolve tissue tension
– Acupuncture analgesia to relieve pain

At Active Body Clinic, we know the difficulty that a stiff and painful shoulder has on your ability to function at work and home. With careful treatment we can improve your motion, decrease your pain, and teach you home exercises to prevent a reoccurrence. Our unique approach includes:

– Physiotherapy modalities to decrease pain and increase healing
– Hands on therapy to increase motion
– In-house and at home stretching and strengthening program
– Acupuncture to decrease pain and inflamation

Tennis elbow affects both tennis players and non-tennis players alike. It is an inflammatory condition that, in the early stages, can soon become degenerative. Pain can limit your ability to perform many activities. Key to recovery is seeking treatment in the initial early inflammatory phase. At Active Body Clinic, our unique approach to the management of this stubborn condition includes:

– Inflammation control from physiotherapy modalities and acupuncture
– A properly fitted elbow brace
– Manual therapy to correct healing
– Education regarding the keys to a quick and successful recovery
– Specific stretching and strengthening exercises to prevent re-occurrence

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Are you considering surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Have you yet to try modern drug-free and non-surgical approaches to cure this condition? At Active Body Clinic, we will help to determine the location of nerve blockage and provide unique treatment options including:

– Manual therapy to break up adhesions blocking nerve flow
– Acupuncture to normalize the nerve’s impulse transmission
– Physiotherapy modalities to resolve inflammation and speed up healing
– Exercise to normalize movement of the hand and wrist

Be advised that even some conditions are resistant to our treatment techniques and may one day require surgery, but you owe it to yourself to try our conservative and successful treatment first.

Pain localized at the hip must be properly diagnosed before effective treatment can occur. Proper initial diagnosis is so important because the hip pain may be originating from the mid or low back, the groin, or even the knee. At Active Body Clinic, we will first conduct a thorough examination of your complaint and will then provide integrated treatment including:

– Specialized exercises to restore normal motion and re-build lost muscle strength
– Hands-on manual therapies to regain correct motion and relieve pressure on the hip joint
– Treatment of other co-existing conditions to encourage the body to heal in unity
– Acupuncture to relieve spasm and pain

Knee injuries are common in people of all ages and activity levels. This occurs because the knee is unique in that it carries your full body weight but at the same time is responsible for a large range of movement. Pain can be caused by damage to the ligaments, cartilage, tendons or joints. Patellofemoral pain syndrome occurs when there is excessive friction between the surfaces of the kneecap and knee bones resulting in inflammation and pain.

At Active Body Clinic, we understand the complexity of the knee joint and will custom tailor an integrated therapeutic program to solve your pain consisting of:

– Physiotherapy techniques to alleviate pain, inflammation and swelling
– Specific exercises to restore lost motion and strength
– Acupuncture analgesia for pain control
– Soft tissue therapies to restore normal tissue health

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue running from the base of the heel to the balls of the feet. When the attachment of the fascia at the heel begins to tear away from the heel bone due to overexertion or poor foot biomechanics, pain is the primary symptom felt. Pain is commonly worse upon weight bearing after a period of inactivity, such as in the morning when arising from bed or standing after a prolonged period of sitting. Weight bearing pain occurs because the site of injury is healing with new scar tissue when not weight bearing and is then subsequently re-torn upon standing. Active Body Clinic’s unique approach to plantar fasciitis includes the use of:

– Day and/or night splints
– Modalities to reduce acute inflammation
– Manual therapy to correct biomechanical function and break up weak scar tissue
– Custom foot orthotics to correct a biomechanical deformity and/or corrective footwear for impact
  absorption
– Acupuncture for pain relief

The most common form of arthritis is Osteoarthritis. This common condition is caused by degeneration of the cartilage covering joint surfaces. This degenerative wear and tear can result in flaking of cartilage into the joint and can eventually lead to exposed bone rubbing on bone. This results in affected joints becoming painful, stiff and weak. Osteoarthritis can afflict any joint but most often occurs in joints of the knees, hips, spine and hands. Active Body Clinic’s unique approach to Osteoarthritis includes the use of:

– Specific exercise to help reduce joint pain, improve function and increase strength which will prevent
  further damage
– Physiotherapeutic modalities for pain management and inflammation control
– Education regarding energy and joint conservation techniques to maintain current function
– Acupuncture for pain relief

The Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a soft-tissue, pain amplification disorder that can cause significant functional impairment. At Active Body Clinic we will uniquely help you manage your pain by incorporating the following into our treatment plan:

– Manual therapeutic techniques
– Gentle and effective exercise prescription
– Education regarding correct posture, functional activity, relaxation, energy conservation and fatigue
management
– Potential referral for cognitive based therapy and medical management to successfully manage all
aspects of this disorder

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By far the most common conditions seen at Active Body Clinic, these injuries can happen to anyone – from those suffering a minor slip-and-fall to the weekend warrior. At Active Body Clinic we will uniquely integrate your treatment to include:

– Physiotherapeutic strategies resulting in pain relief and swelling control, thus ensuring quick healing
– Acupuncture for pain relief
– Skilled issue techniques, such as Active Release Technique or Graston Technique, to promote optimal
  tissue health
– Massage Therapy to relax and rejuvenate muscles

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo. Vertigo is a sensation that you’re spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning. The vertigo sensation can range from mild to intense dizziness and in the majority of the cases we have seen at our office it is rated by our clients as moderately to severely disabling. The BPPV is triggered by moving you head but can also occur while resting in bed.

At Active Body Clinic, we diagnose BPPV via the Dix Hallpike manuever. Once a confirmed diagnosis is made we treat BPPV with a series of movements known as Epley’s Canalith Repositioning Procedure. This consists of several simple manoeuvres for positioning your head with the goal of “unsticking” these particles from the vertigo inducing semicircular canals of your inner ear into an area where these particles can be naturally resorbed by your body.

Whether you are undergoing surgery for a knee replacement or hip replacement, a tendon or ligament repair, or have had surgery for a fracture, chances are Physiotherapy has been recommended by your surgeon to assist with your post operative healing and to return you to your daily activities.

At Active Body Clinic we will complete a thorough assessment of your postoperative status and, in conjunction with your surgeon, will determine an optimal treatment approach.. Our treatments typically begin with us providing hands on movements (manual therapy) to regain lost range of motion, to inhibit scar tissue formation and to assist with breaking down any pre-surgical or post-surgical adhesions that have formed in your soft tissues or joints.Our treatments quickly progress to teaching you an active home program so that you can assist in your own recovery by gaining flexibility and strength. Final phases of treatment include further strengthening, balance and stability exercises to begin returning you to your daily activities, including but not limited to returning you to your sports participation or to work.