At the MaxFit Movement Institute we take an integrated approach
to your healing by incorporating complementary and alternative
medicine as well as conventional Western treatments. We
also integrate the very best of science with our philosophy
that life is all about movement. And we integrate you, all
of you, into your treatment – physically, emotionally
and spiritually – to achieve balance and sustained
health.
Movement Therapies
Chiropractic
Care
The Chiropractor views a person as a complete working system,
not a group of separate parts. Chiropractors believe that
the body has a built-in ability to heal itself. Chiropractic
care focuses on treating the cause of disease or pain. Chiropractors
view optimal health as a balance in physical, mental, social
and spiritual well-being. In a nutshell, chiropractic care
is about promoting lifestyle changes that lead to healthier
living.
Chiropractors treat muscle, joint and nervous system problems.
The goal is to restore you to your best possible function.
This, in turn, improves your overall health. Care may combine
several types of treatment such as soft tissue techniques,
joint mobilization and manipulation, exercises, posture
retraining and lifestyle changes.
Muscle, joint and nervous system problems are tied to many
causes:
- Repetitive movement
(such as computer work)
- Poor sleeping habits
- Improper lifting
- Poor sitting posture
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Work related injuries
- Lack of exercise
- Over exercise
- Accidental falls
- Stress
These injuries can cause damage to the body tissues. This,
in turn, may lead to inflammation and disability of the
injured area. If a person tries to continue using a damaged
joint or muscle, abnormal stresses will develop. This will
increase the chance of re-injury and further problems. Chiropractic
care works toward breaking this cycle.
What is joint manipulation?
Chiropractic care focuses on locating the joints of the
body which have lost their normal positions or motion. A
chiropractic manipulation is the use of a specific force
which is applied to a joint that is stiff, “locked
up” or not moving easily. This force, or thrust, is
usually followed by a cracking noise which is thought to
be the release of carbon dioxide gas from the joint. The
loudness of this popping noise has little meaning to treatment
and varies with each patient. There are many ways to restore
function to a stiff, fixed joint. Quick thrusts or slow,
constant pressure can be used. Increased function is believed
to improve circulation and to decrease irritation and pain.
Sometimes pain relief is possible with the first chiropractic
manipulation. However, often more than one treatment is
required before results are felt.
The following problems may be helped by chiropractic care:
- Back pain
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Should, knee, hip and
foot pain
- Sports injuries
- Neck pain
- Joint stiffness
- Pinched nerves
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Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a primary care, client-centered health profession dedicated to preventing and alleviating dysfunctional movement. Dysfunctional movement may be the result of accident, injury or illness, static positions or repetitive movement, or too much or too little activity. Pain, stress and aging may also be factors in developing dysfunctional movement patterns.
Physiotherapists work closely with physicians, as well as other medical professionals. Physiotherapists offer a detailed biomechanical assessment, looking not only at the painful area, but also at how other areas in the body may be linked to the painful area. As such, their goal is to determine and treat the cause of the pain, rather than simply treating the pain itself. This approach facilitates a speedy return to normal activities, and equips the patient with the knowledge of what to do to prevent, minimize or self-manage reoccurrences.
An individualized treatment program is developed based upon each patient’s injury or pathology and goals. Treatment may consist of:
- Manual therapy – mobilization or manipulation of the joints to restore normal range of motion
- Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) - using thin acupuncture-type needles to release chronically tight muscle bands with the goal of reducing pain, reestablishing optimal nerve and muscle function and restoring normal joint
- Acupuncture – to reduce pain, swelling, and muscle tension, enhance natural healing ability and improve energy and mood
- Soft tissue treatment – to address tight muscles
- Therapeutic taping and bracing – to support healing tissues or accelerate return to activity
- Exercise prescription – ranging from specific stabilization exercises, to high-level strength and balance retraining
- Postural re-education – to restore healthy postures and address issues in your work, school or athletic environment that may be contributing to poor posture
- Technique correction – to prevent injuries during hobbies and recreation, improve Electrotherapeutic modalities – to reduce pain, swelling and spasm and facilitate healing
Physiotherapy at MaxFit Movement Institute: Our physiotherapy service is distinguished not only by the quality of care available, but also by the fact that we offer treatment on a one to one basis. Patients can choose to book either a 30 or 60 minute appointment. You will receive the undivided attention of your physiotherapist for the full duration of your treatment session. This approach facilitates the development of a more comprehensive treatment plan, and allows for more productive treatment sessions with more time for patient education, manual techniques and supervised exercise.
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Integrative
Western Medicine
MaxFit works with allopathic physicians (MDs) that believe
health is more than the absence of disease. The traditional
western physicians that we work take a multi-disciplinary
approach to medicine to provide the maximum therapeutic
benefit.
For a number of years the western world has begun to appreciate
that human beings must be viewed as complex systems interacting
with their environment and a number of ways of approaching
this were developed over time. The current understanding
of this concept is called Integrative Medicine:
“Integrative medicine is a comprehensive, primary
care system that emphasizes wellness and healing of the
whole person (biopsycho-socio-spiritual dimensions) as major
goals, above and beyond suppression of a specific somatic
disease.”
Physicians in Canada are trained to diagnose and treat disease.
They are not necessarily trained to look for the cause of
disease, nor to address the underlying complex dysfunction
that ends up presenting as symptoms initially, and later,
if unchecked, as abnormal biochemistry, abnormal organ function
or pathological damage. Most therapy provided by allopathic
physicians is directed towards suppressing the symptoms
that appear. Often, this is very useful and even necessary
(e.g. pain from a broken leg or a heart attack) and there
is no doubt that we need emergency services to save lives
and get people out of serious trouble at times. But it is
not sufficient to stop at just putting the Band-Aid on the
symptom. Usually the body ‘ups the ante’ if
you ignore the symptoms or just try and cover them up.
All illness and injury have a causation process that has
resulted in the body presenting symptoms. Symptoms are the
body’s way of talking to you; your subconscious knows
there is an imbalance, but because you are a system that
has multiple influences affecting the function of your body,
it can only point in the general direction of the problem.
It is necessary to seek what is out of balance in order
to restore health.
MaxFit’s consulting western physicians share our belief
in integrating all aspects of the very complex human system
- the physical, emotional and spiritual – is the best
way to achieve balance and sustained health.
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Naturopathic
Medicine
Naturopathic medicine stresses the need to maintain good
health and prevent disease. Naturopaths believe that the
body has a basic ability to heal itself when given the right
conditions, and that disease is a symptom of body imbalance
and poor lifestyle choices. Naturopathic medicine treats
the underlying cause of illness. This is done by using natural
substances and therapies that heighten the bodies own healing
abilities. Helping individuals take responsibility for their
long term health is emphasized.
MaxFit works with Naturopaths to help our patients achieve
balance and sustained movement wellness.
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Mind/Body
Medicine
Our mind states—attitudes, emotions and beliefs—have
a powerful influence on our physical well-being. When our
mind responds to our external life with stress, our bodies
respond through changes in muscle tension, heart rate, breathing
and blood pressure. These changes—heart palpitations,
sweating, coolness, and body tightness for example—are
often interpreted as emotions, such as anger, anxiety and
fear. This response to stress is a healthy reaction to a
sudden danger, but when prolonged, the changes in our bodies
and emotions can lead to or add to long term physical problems
such as headaches, backaches, sleeping problems and a whole
lot more.
Research shows that you can learn to regulate your body’s
response to stress in a variety of ways. Working with your
body and mind can help you to restore and maintain your
body’s balance and work towards sustained movement
wellness.
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Traditional
Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for more than
3,000 years. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) see health as a state of harmony between mind, body
and spirit. Disease is viewed as a state of imbalance that
shows itself in different ways. Chinese Medicine emphasizes
a holistic approach that treats the whole person. It focuses
on health promotion, illness prevention and treatment through
natural remedies.
MaxFit works with practitioners of TCM, specifically those
who practice Acupuncture, one of several practices used
in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The concept of Qi (pronounced chee) is at the heart of Chinese
Medicine. The term is used to describe the vital energy
of your body. Qi flows through your entire body in invisible
lines of energy. It links up your body systems so that they
can work together. There are 12 main Qi channels or meridians.
Each of your meridians is connected to internal organs.
When you are healthy, Qi flows smoothly.
When Qi is blocked, other systems can be impacted and, therefore,
so can movement. Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the cause
of disease as an upset in the balance of your body and a
disturbance in the flow of Qi. The goal of acupuncture is
the correct the flow of Qi.
Thin needles are inserted into acupuncture points of your
affected channel (meridian) to improve the flow of Qi. This
brings your body back into a state of harmony. Because changes
in Qi often occur before physical disease, acupuncture can
be used to fix the imbalance before the illness starts.
Your acupuncturist will use needles to stimulate acupuncture
points. You will probably feel a prick when the needle goes
in. After the needle is in, there should be no further pain.
If there is discomfort you tell your acupuncturist, sine
a change in the angle of the needle will often stop the
irritation. The time that the needles are left in varies.
Generally, they stay in for about 20 minutes. Acupuncturists
use pre-sterilized, throwaway needles, so there is no risk
of catching any disease from unclean needles.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
The body needs fuel but getting the right fuel, in the right amounts, at the right time is the emphasis of nutritional therapy. Proper nutrition aids your body in reaching and maintaining optimal performance. Helping you understand your nutritional requirements and taking responsibility for fulfilling them is one aspect of MaxFit’s integrated treatment plan for our clients. Without proper nutrition, healing and movement will be impaired.
Assessment Forms: Nutritinal Consulting Intake Form Nutritional Consulting Release Form
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Massage
Massage therapy is the assessment and treatment of soft
tissue and joint disorders. Massage acts on the muscles,
nerves and circulation to prevent physical problems. The
MaxFit Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) use their hands
during treatment and may also use light, heat or corrective
exercises according to your needs. Massage therapy contributes
to enabling free movement by providing pain relief, reducing
stress, relaxing muscles, increase flexibility, increasing
circulation, boosting the immune system and generally improving
well-being.
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Aquatic
Therapy
Aquatic physical therapy is the fastest growing area of
physical therapy and rehabilitation. The benefits have been
recognized since Roman times when whirlpools and hot springs
were used. Today, you don’t have to travel to distant
hot springs to realize the benefits of aquatic therapy.
You just have to visit MaxFit! [Download Full Brochure]
MaxFit’s state of the art aquatic therapy unit, the
AqauCiser III, is a hydrotherapy chamber combined with an
underwater treadmill. Both the treadmill speed and water
depth are variable and can be adjusted to your fitness level.
The great advantage of the easy entry/exit Aquaciser III
is that you do not have be a swimmer to use it. The AquaCiser
III is one of only two such units in Canada! Aquatic Therapy
exercise is the application of therapeutic exercise that
occurs in the medium of water. Exercise in water has the
advantage of allowing a patient, unable to perform land-based
exercises, to begin exercising sooner than otherwise possible.
Water provides much greater resistance for exercise while
providing a supportive environment for non-weight bearing
on an injured lower
extremity.
Aquatic therapy offers patients a total exercise program
that includes activities for cardiovascular conditioning,
flexibility, strength, muscle endurance and muscular relaxation.
Aquatic therapy is an efficient and safe way to treat some
diseases and maintain health and wellness. Combining Aquatic
Physical Therapy with standard, land-based therapy shortens
the disability period.
The AquaCiser III can be used for:
• Recovery runs after intense training runs or races
• Soreness in joints and muscles after long runs or
strenuous exercise
• Water Running
• Walking and mobility problems
• Knee or ankle injuries
• Treatement for stress factures in pelvis and lower
extremities
• Rehabilitation following orthopaedic surgery
• Rehabilitation following knee and hip replacement
surgery
• Back and neck injuries
• Balance problems leading to falls
• Sports injuries
• Osteoporosis
• Maintaining fitness post surgery
• Poor circulation in legs
• Swelling or oedema in joints
• Arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other rheumatic diseases,
• Neurological problems: Parkinson’s disease,
stroke, multiple sclerosis and brain injury, poor
coordination, decreased balance, muscle weakness
• Exercising during pregnancy
• Muscle relaxation
• Obesity – escape the vicious cycle through
low-impact, pain-free exercise
Aqua
Thermal Yoga
MaxFit Movement Institute is excited to
introduce Aqua Thermal Yoga, a unique experience that integrates
the therapeutic benefits of hot springs and whirlpools with
the relaxation, deep stretching and focused breathing of
yoga.
The Aqua Thermal Yoga experience begins when you step onto
the AquaCiser III treadmill, one of only two units in Canada.
As you begin walking, the unit fills with warm water, which
facilitates a low impact warm-up exercise. Water temperature,
resistance and treadmill speed can be specifically controlled
to suit your needs. This unique combination of movement
and warm water deeply relaxes muscles and tissues, opens
and supports joints and stimulates the cardiovascular system.
After 10 to 12 minutes in the AquaCiser, you are ready for
an hour of yoga in the MaxFit Movement studio.
Aqua Thermal Yoga promotes health, well-being and inner
peace by integrating several yoga disciplines. Our aim is
to provide detailed instruction of yoga in a safe, encouraging
atmosphere where personal sessions addresses specific health
concerns and goals while accommodating all ages and bodies.
In addition to improving balance and flexibility, Aqua Thermal
Yoga enhances overall body strength, making it the perfect
complement to any fitness regime. You will feel relaxed,
renewed and rejuvenated after just one session.
Sound
for Welness
MaxFit patients will join team member
Lyle Povah for individual and small group "sound for
wellness" sessions in the Lighthouse office, as well
as Maxfit retreats, workshops and drumming and rhythm events
hosted within the larger community. An ever growing body
of research identifies drumming and music making as profoundly
enhancing our individual and collective health. Movement
and singing are inseparable companions to the African drumming
experience.
Using the drum and a variety of revitalizing sound techniques, individual sessions
will relax, re-energize and become the catalyst for self healing. Within community,
the drum circle offers an interactive rhythmical experience that provides people
of all ages and backgrounds with an opportunity to express their creativity and
individuality within a group setting. The experience is accessible to all, even
beginners and creates a powerful sense of community and connection amongst the
participants. The uplifting resonance of the drum nourishes us physically, emotionally
and spiritually, and becomes the vehicle upon which we can explore personal and
community issues.
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Yoga and Running: The Perfect Marriage
Runners love to run but this passion can take its toll. It’ so common to hear dedicated runners complain of tight muscles, strained tendons and joint pain simply because they do not have enough flexibility and core strength to prevent these ailments. Stretching is usually low on the list of priorities or considered a waste of time.
Practicing yoga is an effective way to prevent injury, improve running technique and rhythm hence improving running performance. Yoga and running have much in common- they both require practice, agility, patience and proper breathing techniques. The pain most runners feel is not from muscle and ligament sprain, but from the imbalances that running causes and exacerbates. Bringing your body into balance with yoga will create more physical ease, enabling you to run long and hard for years to come.
Yoga emphasizes focus, concentration and body awareness. Athletes need both strength and stability in addition to flexibility. The body/ mind connection of yoga both improves a runner’s ability to achieve goals and exceed past performance levels. Holding a yoga pose isn’t easy! Take a class and you’ll see that yoga can be just as challenging as running, and holding poses is a great way to build up muscular endurance, one of the most important assets of a good runner. As runners tend to be shallow breathers, yoga also emphasizes proper breathing, increasing lung capacity.
Last, but not least, yoga is more than just a series of stretches. It’s a lifestyle. The ultimate goal of yoga is healing, making it a perfect recovery activity after demanding runs and a great complement to your training for future runs! For the runner, one of the greatest intangible teachings from yoga is the ability to persevere. Perseverance becomes more real and crystal clear as one builds new stamina and spiritual strength from each pose, You just have to experience it.
What to expect:
Sessions will be one hour and the Hatha Flow Yoga technique will be used.
Hatha Flow Yoga is designed for people with varied yoga experience this Hatha Flow class will lead practitioners through a series of postures (asanas) breath work (pranayama) relaxation (sivasana) and meditation aimed to develop proper alignment and body awareness while focusing on working with physical ease.
Movement
Analyses
To provide a roadmap to healthy movement
we need to assess how you sit, where and how you sleep,
how you stand, how you run. We need to understand what your
life in motion looks like now and how could we help it look
better. We will conduct a complete biomechanical evaluation
and create a road map for healthy activity and living
We also offer specific Analyses and Prescriptions:
Running
Analysis
Most running injuries are caused by poor technique or specific
weakness. Conducting an analysis that is specific to running
can identify both. We can assess running technique for any
level of athlete, from competitive to recreational, from
national team to new runner. Both live and video recorded
running will allow us to examine your dynamic posture and
running mechanics and make recommendations for adjustments.
The Running Lab: A
detailed explination of MaxFit's Running Lab Programs
(PowerPoint)
Article by Dr. Kelsick: Anterior
Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention for Female Athletes (PDF)
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Exercise
Prescriptions
MaxFit provides functional exercise analysis to correct
abnormal movement, enable movement through strengthening
and prevent injury. We then prepare a personalized Health
Map for Activity and Living.
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Gait
Analysis & Custom Orthotics
A lot rests on your feet – your whole body in fact!
The foot is in constant motion and under constant pressure.
Your entire body weight lands on your feet up to 15,000
times a day. It is understandable that 75 per cent of the
population will fact foot-related problems at some point
in their lives. Problems with your feet result in subtle
changes in the way you walk and can cause a chain reaction
of adjustments in your posture and movement mechanics. Proper
orthotics can solve many of these problems. MaxFit uses
gait analysis, casting and a computerized system that captures
the motion and timing of your foot throughout the gait cycle
for assessment. The data generated is analyzed and 2D and
3D graphic images of your feet are generated. Diagnostic
software uses this data to create a prescription for custom
orthotics. Custom orthotics help restore normal balance
and alignment of your body by correcting foot abnormalities.
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Ergonomic
Evaluations
MaxFit offers ergonomic evaluations of the workplace or
living space. We employ a holistic approach to ergonomics
which insures that changes made to one part of your environment
will not be wasted by deficiencies in others.
Ergonomics has been defined as the study of humans “interfacing”
with their environment. That interface includes not only
the physical interaction of humans with things, such as
tools or work surfaces and machinery, etc., but also encompasses
the impact of environmental factors such as heat, light,
air, and stress. In addition to these interactions MaxFit
includes the concept of wellness in our definition of ergonomics,
which takes into account lifestyle, habits, exercise, general
health and overall attitude, into consideration. This thinking
makes our definition of ergonomics, and therefore our evaluation
and recommendations, more holistic.
Many workers suffer from workplace related musculoskeletal
injuries (repetitive strain, cumulative trauma disorders,
etc.), even those that have an ergonomically sound workstation.
Without a holistic approach to ergonomics their lifestyle
outside the workplace is not assessed and adjusted so poor
habits or negative impacts such as excessive stress or lack
of exercise will not be addressed. This means that the investment
made to improve their work environment may have been wasted.
Implementation of the wellness approach to ergonomics can
help avoid this.
MaxFit offers holistic ergonomic evaluations or whatever
space you spend time in. We work with companies or individuals.
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Shock Wave Treatment
Shockwave Therapy is a revolutionary new technology which provides non-surgical treatment for many conditions that historically could only be resolved through surgical intervention [Download Full Brochure]. Shockwave Therapy promotes healing of degenerated or injured tissue leading to reduced pain and an increase in joint function, and is clinically proven to be effective in resolving and treating a wide variety of medical conditions, improving the quality of your life.
For more information, please click on the PDF articles and testimonials below.
Successful Shock Wave Treatment. Article by Dr. Alfred Spleker and Dr. Sabine Spleker.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave for Chronic Patellar Tendinopathy. American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Compared with Surgery for Hypertrophic Long-Bone Nonunions.
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
Shock Waves in the treatment of stress fractures
Patient Information Brochure
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications On High-Energy Extracorporeal Shock Wave for Musculoskeletal Conditions
Radial Shock Wave Therapy in Calcifying tendinitisof the Rotator Cuff – A Prospective Study
Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Is Safe and Effective in the Treatment of Chronic Recalcitrant Plantar Fasciitis
Shock Wave Therapy for Treatment of Foot and Ankle Conditions
V-Actor Vibration Therapy Applicator.
Olympic gold with the help of STORZ MEDICAL’s MASTERPULS® MP100
Game Ready™ Therapy
As an athlete who has been injured countless times in my athletic career, I am familiar with the frustrations that come with injuries. The pain is a minor inconvenience compared to the frustrations of sitting out of participation and playing “the waiting game” until your body is ready to return to sport. Now there is a new therapeutic modality in Canada that speeds up the healing process: it reduces pain, muscle spasm, swelling and inflammation thereby allowing the athlete/patient to be able to have more range of motion at the injury site and complete more rehab exercises. This new modality is called the Game Ready ™. As our American neighbours tend to be ahead of us in medical technology and training regimens, Game Ready™ has been used by American and European professional athletes and medical professionals for many years.
The Game Ready™ is meant for injured and post-surgical patients who are trying to quicken their recovery so as to return to sports and leisure activity as soon as their bodies will allow. Game Ready™ implements components of the foundational practice of the RICE regimen (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) to treat acute and chronic injuries and assists in post-operative rehabilitation. The RICE regimen has been used for decades to treat acute and chronic injuries and assist in post-operative rehabilitation. The Game Ready™ uses a combination of adjustable ice and intermittent compression by controlling air pressure and fluid flow through a wrap that is specially designed for use on almost all body parts such as ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, lower back, hands and elbows. Based on NASA technology, the wraps work as a heat exchanger.
Applying compression to the site immediately after injury/surgery is most beneficial. It helps to limit that initial swelling that occurs immediately after insult to the area. Limiting edema formation allows for maintaining greater range of motion at the injured area and surrounding joint. This may help shorten the rehabilitation process, as you are closer to achieving your pre-injury normal range of motion at the injured site. Compression can also be used for chronic injuries that present with chronic or repetitive swelling. Compression of the edematous area is beneficial so as long as edema is present. According to clinical studies (available on the Game Ready™ website), intermittent compression has been shown to be more effective than static compression. The intermittent compression acts as a pneumatic pump. It pumps in new blood into the injured area while simultaneously flushing out the inflammatory cells and reabsorbing excess fluid. This process reduces edema, which improves the oxygenation levels and helps to enhance healing.
The cold therapy aspect of Game Ready™ reduces pain and muscle spasms. It can reduce tissue damage that usually takes place in injured tissue, as a result of secondary hypoxic injury, by slowing down the tissue’s metabolism and lowering the tissues’ need for oxygen. The cold therapy component of the Game Ready™ device can also be used for acute and chronic injuries, as well as post-surgically.
The Game Ready™ has a pronounced effect on quickening recovery and getting patients mobile again after an injury or post-surgical procedure. Individuals interested in using the Game Ready™ device may book an appointment to use the machine in isolation or incorporate its use in conjunction with their physiotherapy sessions at MaxFit Institute, including our state-of-the-art therapeutic modalities of shock wave therapy and/or underwater treadmill. For more information on the Game Ready™, please visit www.gameready.com.
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