Welcome Joanne Pineau to our team!

Joanne Pineau is a  Certified Yoga Therapist of the Heart®Cardiac & Cancer Therapist and The Essential Low Back Program Certified Therapist

Since 1997 Joanne has helped hundreds of individuals improve and recover their health. She has extensive training in structural alignment, anatomy and pathophysiology of chronic pain, yoga for cardiac, cancer and debilitating diseases, the low back and stress reduction. A few years ago she researched and developed a very successful approach to help individuals with sciatic pain and published an illustrated manual available on Amazon that is now selling worldwide. Joanne is also the only Certified Yoga Therapist in Southern Georgian Bay trained to teach a clinically proven program for low back pain and she has an honours degree in biology.  

Joanne Pineau is available Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Bike Maintenance & DIY Repair at Synergy - July 5th from 1-5 pm

Cost is $20

Register by contacting the clinic or email lukijon@hotmail.com

Make Your Day Harder from Dr. Mike Evans

Dr. Mike Evans has produced numerous videos about everyday things we can do to create a healthier community. The latest in this series is a call to action to 'Make Your Day Harder'. If we all just tweaked our day to include things like riding a bike instead of driving, taking the stairs, getting up to turn off the lights instead of clapping or - my favourite - get a push lawn mower if you have a small yard, we could add more steps to our day and subsequently more years to our life. It's that simple. 

Join the movement!

 #MakeYourDayHarder and share with us what you do to 'Tweak Your Week'!

Rotator Cuff Injuries and Active Release Technique (ART)

The rotator cuff is made up of four major muscles and their tendons: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and the subscapularis. These muscles:

·         Are used to generate torque for shoulder movement

·         Act as dynamic stabilizers of the shoulder joint

·         Help to lower and provide stability to the humeral head (the end of your arm bone) that fits into the shoulder joint

Rotator Cuff (Shoulder) injuries can be caused by a variety of factors, including acute trauma, repetitive motions and muscle imbalances. In most cases of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis or Tendonopathy, the muscle has sustained micro-tears as a result of repetitive strain and over use. This is known as a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Rotator Cuff Injuries are commonly found in repetitive overhead activities like tennis, pickleball, swimming, paddling, baseball and house cleaning.

Our bodies are amazing at adaptation and so, to compensate for the stresses placed upon our muscles and joints, the body lays down fibrous adhesions between the muscles. We call these fibrous adhesions ‘scar tissue’.

This scar tissue is less stretchy and more fibrous than normal tissue and causes the muscles to gradually lose their ability to stretch. This, in turn, leads to weaker muscles that become more prone to injury. These scar tissue adhesions also restrict the muscles ability to slide freely past one another resulting in a disruption of proper biomechanics at the joint. Shortened muscles and tightened joints combine to impair coordination and reduce power – leading to further injuries. We call this the Cumulative Injury Cycle.

So what can you do about it?

Rotator Cuff injuries are traditionally treated with anti-inflammatories, ice, rest, stretching, electric modalities, exercises, surgery, steroid injections and ultrasound with varying results. There can be problems that often accompany these traditional treatments. Repeated use of steroids weakens tendons, which results in further biomechanical imbalances in the shoulder. Most traditional treatments provide only symptomatic relief from the pain and do not remove the restrictive adhesions that are the true cause of the problem. This means that while you might feel better in the short term, your rotator cuff pain is likely to return. This is where Active Release Techniques can really shine.

Active Release Techniques (ART) is a hands-on soft-tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves) technique that is based on a strong understanding of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. ART alters the tissue structure by breaking up scar tissue adhesions and restoring normal function to the affected areas.

ART treatments typically last about 15 -30 minutes depending on the number of areas of being treated and involve the practitioner using hand and thumb pressure over the area’s affected by scar tissue to break up the adhesions. This aids in restoring the muscle’s ability to stretch and glide resulting in healthier muscle tissue and a return to proper joint mechanics. For complete rehabilitation of the shoulder, once the adhesions have been removed, your health practitioner will prescribe specific exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff and restore proper muscle balance.

Synergy Health and Wellness Centre is one of the few clinics in Collingwood that offers ART treatments. Our Chiropractor, Dr. Laura Clemenhagen, would be happy to speak with you about whether ART would be a good treatment option for you. 

Synergy Welcomes Dr. Laura Vanderaa, Naturopathic Doctor and Yoga Therapist

Synergy Health and Wellness Centre is thrilled to announce our newest team member, Dr. Laura Vanderaa, ND! 

Laura graduated from the four year accredited naturopathic medical program at the Canadian College of Nautropathic Medicine (CCNM) after earning an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph. She now resides in Collingwood, Ontario and is pleased to offer naturopathic medical services in this community.

Laura utilizes a range of naturopathic treatments, including botanical medicine, acupuncture, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, cosmetic acupuncture, yoga therapeutics, and lifestyle counseling, to stimulate the innate healing wisdom of the body, mind, and spirit. She has a special interest in gastrointestinal health, women’s health, hormonal regulation, and mental-emotional well being.

As a naturopathic doctor, Laura uses both medical diagnostics and traditional methods to assess and treat health concerns naturally. She values the importance of individualized medicine to address and remove the underlying cause of dis-ease. Laura strives to work with her patients, encouraging them to take an active role in their health. Through education, empowerment, and example, she endeavours to guide her patients towards optimal health and balanced well being.

In addition to her passion for practicing naturopathic medicine, Laura has been practicing and instructing yoga classes in the community and private therapeutic yoga sessions for her patients. Her commitment to yoga as a healing art and a way of being has deeply influenced her approach to treatment and health.

Laura  is a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and is a registered and licensed naturopathic doctor with the Ontario Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy- Naturopathy. She welcomes new and returning patients. 

Dr. Vanderaa offers complimentary 15 minute consultations to see if Naturopathic Medicine is the right fit for you. 

Chiropractors and pregnancy - chiropractic care can help with low back and pelvic pain

Many woman report suffering from low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. In fact, so many woman report these symptoms that they are often considered a ‘normal’ part of pregnancy! What makes these conditions a potential concern is their high prevalence, their effect on quality of life and the common link to general back pain post-pregnancy.

Whether you are pregnant or past partum and breast feeding, your options for pain control are severely limited. This is where chiropractic care can play a huge role in pregnancy and postpartum care.

A recent study published in 2014 looked at the outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment. The most important finding of this study was that no serious adverse events were reported with chiropractic care – this means that chiropractic care is very safe for pregnant women. The other important findings of this study were that it suggested that a large proportion of pregnant patients with low back pain or pelvic pain reported clinically relevant improvement in symptoms with chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy and up to one year after delivery.

One week into the study, over half of the patients reported clinically relevant improvement in their pregnancy related low back and pelvic pain. At one year after delivery, 85.2% of patients were “happy” or “very happy” with their chiropractic care!

As someone who had chiropractic care throughout my entire pregnancy and who continues to seek chiropractic care at 10 months postpartum, I know that it has helped me have a (relatively) pain free pregnancy and good recovery outcomes.

In my practice, I have supported many women through their pregnancies and their postpartum period. In conjunction with physiotherapy to rehabilitate the pelvic floor and your birth professional (ob/gyn, midwife, doula), a chiropractor can be an integral part of your health team.

Call today for more information and to book your complimentary ‘Meet the Doctor’ visit to see if chiropractic care is the right fit for you!

References:

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D and Humphreys BK, ‘Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment’; Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014; 22:15

Learn to Run Program with Alex Barton, Athletic Therapist

Sign up information can be found here

Yoga classes are on a new night!

We have changed Synergy's Yoga Night to Wednesday nights from 7:30-8:30 to fit with demand. Wednesday night's class will be geared towards runners and running related injury and prevention to coincide with our 5km Run Program. 

Spaces are limited and sign up goes quickly - contact the clinic today to book your class!

Call: 705-446-5828

Email: info@synergywellnesscentre.com

OR - fill out this form:

Have You Been Diagnosed With A Running Injury?

Running injuries are very common and can be really annoying. It is important to get them looked at by your health care professional early on as they can easily progress and be difficult to treat.  

The following are some of the most common running injuries that can be helped with some simple hip strengthening:

●     Patellar femoral pain syndrome (PFS) – Runner’s knee

●     Iliotibial band friction syndrome

●     Shin splints

●     Hamstring strains

Strengthening the hip is key for rehabilitation. In this article, we will demonstrate three common hip strengthening exercises to help you recover and get back on track:

1) Clams

Lie on your side with your hips and shoulders in a straight line, stack your hips on top of one another and slightly bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 45 degree angle to your body. Place your hand on your hip and rest your head on your bottom arm. Keep your heels together as you slowly rotate your top leg in the hip socket opening the knee. Lift the knee as high as you can without moving your pelvis, hold at the top for 3 seconds and then slowly return to the start position.

This exercise helps to strengthen a muscle called Gluteus Medius. Gluteus Medius helps to stabilize the hip.

Try this 10 times for 3 sets

 

2) Monster Walks

Use a resistance band wrapped around your ankles or knees and lower your body into a squat.

Step 1- Step to the left in squatted position 5 times and then step 5 times in a squatted position to the right.

Step 2- Step in the pattern of an X while remaining in the squatted position in each direction. Repeat 5 times.

3) Bridges

Lie on the floor and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Squeeze your glutes/bum and tighten your abdominals. Lift your bum off the floor and hold for 5-10 seconds. Slowly lower back down to the ground. Repeat this 10 more times and try 1- 3 sets. This exercise works the glutes, core and hamstrings.

Getting it Right

Remember, this does not replace the advice of a health care professional. At Synergy Health and Wellness Centre we provide Athletic Therapy, Chiropractic Care, Massage Therapy and Yoga! We will assess your injury and try to determine the cause.

We will assess your:

●     Training – surface-type and distance

●     Flexibility

●     Alignment

●     Mechanics

For more exercises, injury rehabilitation, A.R.T, and orthotics come see us at Synergy Health and Wellness Centre where we will get you on the road to recovery!

Chiropractic adjustments help boost muscle function and prevent fatigue, study says.

February 23, 2015 Written by Canadian Chiropractor staff

New research into the effects of chiropractic care suggests it may have an important role to play in maximizing sporting performance and aid recovery from a range of conditions where muscle function has been compromised.

The New Zealand College of Chiropractic’s Centre for Chiropractic Research recently published a study in the journal Experiment Brain Research which demonstrates that following a full spine chiropractic adjustment session there was an increase in the subjects’ ability to contract one of their leg muscles.

The study shows an increase in muscle electrical activity readings of almost 60 per cent and a 16 per cent increase in absolute force measures. There was also a 45 per cent increase in the "drive" from the brain to the muscle (the degree to which the brain can activate that particular muscle) and a small, but significant, shift in the H reflex curve (a neurophysiological measure of spinal cord excitability).

“This study is the first to indicate that chiropractic adjustments of the spine can actually induce significant changes in the net excitability for the low-threshold motor units,” Dr. Heidi Haavik, chiropractor and director of research at the NZCC said.

“The results of the study also indicate that spinal adjustments can prevent fatigue, so we recommend chiropractic care to be a part of medical treatment for patients that have lost tonus of their muscles or are recovering from muscle degrading dysfunction such as with stroke or orthopedic operations.”

Haavik added the results suggest that the improvements in maximum voluntary contractions following the chiropractic adjustment session are likely attributed to the increased descending drive (i.e. from the brain) and/or modulation in afferent input. “These results may also be of interest to sports performers and we have recommended a similar study be conducted in a sports population.”

This work provides further evidence of the capacity of chiropractic care to address aspects of sensorimotor integration. The New Zealand College of Chiropractic’s Centre for Chiropractic Research is at the forefront of this groundbreaking neurophysiological research and is achieving these results faster due to the new Spinal Research Partnership Scheme.

The study was funded by a recent grant partnership between Spinal Research (formerly Australian Spinal Research Foundation), The New Zealand Hamblin Trust and the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. The study involved collaboration between the Centre for Chiropractic Research and world-renowned neurophysiologist, Professor Kemal Türker, from the School of Medicine at Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey.