Modalities

Various modalities may be utilized as an adjunct to hands-on treatment in order to reduce pain and swelling and to promote healing. Modalities that are used include: Ultrasound - Ultrasound produces soundwaves that pass through the skin and cause a vibration of the local tissues. It has been shown to cause increases in tissue relaxation, local blood flow, and scar tissue breakdown. The effect of the increase in local blood flow can be used to help reduce local swelling and chronic inflammation, and, according to some studies, promote bone fracture healing. The intensity or power density of the ultrasound can be adjusted depending on the desired effect. A greater power density is often used in cases where scar tissue breakdown is the goal. IFC - Interferential Current is a direct electrical current that is used to relieve pain, reduce swelling and promote soft-tissue healing. Tiny electrical impulses are induced into the tissues in the area of the pain. Where these waves intersect below the surface of the skin, the low-frequency stimulation induces the body to secrete endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain-killers. Most patients find interferential therapy to be very beneficial and describe the treatment as being relaxing and having a “pins and needles” sensation. Ligament sprains, muscle strains and spasms often respond well to interferential current therapy. Heat - Heat treatments are used for sub-acute and chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues, and to stimulate blood flow to the area. Heat treatments for chronic conditions, such as repetitive strain injuries can be helpful before participating in activities. Ice - Ice treatment is most commonly used for acute injuries. If you have a recent injury (within the last 48 hours) where swelling is a problem, you should be using ice treatment. Ice packs can help minimize swelling around the injury. Applying an ice pack early and often for the first 48 hours will help minimize swelling. Decreasing swelling around an injury will help to control the pain. Ice treatments can also be used for chronic conditions, such as overuse injuries in athletes. In this case, ice the injured area after activity to help control inflammation. Never ice a chronic injury before activity.

Dry Needling/Acupuncture

Dry Needling Dry Needling involves the insertion of fine filament needles into neuromuscular junctions or motor points (trigger points) to stimulate the muscle. By releasing the trigger point, dry needling is able to bring pain relief and significantly improved function to athletes and patients with muscular pain. Acupuncture Acupuncture involves inserting fine filament needles into specific points on the body. Research shows that acupuncture stimulates the brain to produce natural pain-relieving chemicals (endorphins). These assist the body to heal itself and gain pain relief. K-TOWN Physiotherapy offers both acupuncture and dry needling as part of a physiotherapy treatment program. They can be used in conjunction with other treatment modalities (e.g. manual therapy and exercises) to achieve a beneficial outcome.

Exercise Prescription

Stretching, strengthening and stabilization exercises are a critical part of the rehabilitation process for most musculoskeletal injuries. Our therapists provide injury-specific exercises to help promote healing and return to pain-free activity and sport. Our rehabilitation equipment is extensive and includes: a squat rack with free weights, dumbbells and barbells, stationary bike, BOSU, rebounder for shoulder rehabilitation, medicine balls, TRX suspension training, fitter, and wobble boards/airex pads. If required, some clients may be given an injury-specific supervised exercise program designed to assist with their rehabilitation. Clinic-guided exercises allow the treating therapist to ensure that proper technique is used to maximize results. Our personal trainers and kinesiologists are able to guide clients through their prescribed exercises, ensuring proper form and safety

Pediatric Physiotherapy

Well Baby Assessment:

• For ages: 2 weeks to 12 months
• One hour assessment with Registered Physiotherapist
• Assess baby’s head shape & neck movement (Plagiocephaly and Torticollis)
• Assess baby’s gross motor skills and motor milestones using standardized testing tools
• Develop play based treatment plan and home program

Women's Health Physiotherapy

K-TOWN Physiotherapy is proud to offer Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy/Women's Health Physiotherapy at both their West and Downtown locations. The pelvic floor consists of the muscles, nerves and fascia extending from the pubic bone to the tailbone. These muscles contribute to bladder/bowel function, sexual function, and core stability. A pelvic health Physiotherapist will use both an internal and external assessment of the muscles and joints around the pelvis to identify dysfunction. Pelvic floor dysfunction can be caused by hypotonicity (weak muscles) and/or hypertonicity (tight muscles). The therapist will then create an appropriate treatment plan in accordance with the patient’s goals. A recent 2020 study by Uechi, N et al concluded that most women DO NOT have an accurate self-perception of a pelvic floor contraction when performed independently without an internal assessment. An internal assessment by a trained pelvic health physiotherapist allows for individualized and specific feedback and rehabilitation of the pelvic floor musculature. Pelvic Floor dysfunction can contribute to these common, but NOT normal conditions: - Urinary Incontinence (Stress, Urge, Mixed) - Prolapse of the bladder, rectum or uterus - Dyspareunia (painful intercourse) - Vaginismus - Vulvodynia - Persistent Pelvic Pain - Interstitial Cystitis or Painful Bladder Syndrome - Pudendal neuralgia Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy can also play an important role in pre and post-partum care to help prevent dysfunction, prepare the pelvic floor muscles for childbirth, and restore optimal pelvic health following delivery.

Home Care

We provide in-home treatment for those whose condition does not permit them to attend the clinic or would prefer the convenience of home-based physiotherapy. Clients can be treated in the comfort and privacy of their own home, allowing for the development of a personalized treatment plan customized to the client's living environment. Whether you are experiencing joint pain, recently had an operation or simply wish to improve your baseline mobility or balance, home-based physiotherapy is an option for you.

Sports Physiotherapy

Sport Specific Rehabilitation - Whether you are a professional athlete or the “weekend warrior”, our skilled therapists will get you back to your full potential. We’ll work with you to maintain or adjust your training schedule while helping you recover from your injury. Athletic Taping – Proper application can help prevent injury as well as protect the athlete from re-injury when returning to sport. The role of tape is to limit the movement in an injured joint to prevent excess or abnormal movement. In addition it should provide support to the muscles surrounding the joint that may be under additional strain due to the injury. Another benefit of taping is thought to be the enhanced proprioception (or kinaesthetic feedback) that the tape provides during movement (or in other words it is thought to improve coordination). For example if a taped ankle starts to invert (turn over) during a jump then the tape will restrict this and inform the body that it needs to contract muscles to prevent this movement in the ankle. Without this feedback the athlete may be unaware the ankle has started to invert and land on it badly injuring it again. Tape should only be used in conjunction with a proper rehabilitation program including stretching, mobility and strengthening exercises. K-Taping – This method is a holistic and drug-free therapy method that has an exceptionally wide range of applications. The concept that skin receptors can be used to influence proprioception, muscles and ligaments, and subsequently bodily functions, is the theory behind the application. K-Tape can affect proprioception and subsequently muscular function, without restricting the patient’s mobility. It can be used for an extraordinarily wide range of indications and is an effective support for many well-known treatment concepts. One of the major advantages of K-Taping is that the therapist can give patients a piece of K-Tape to take home with them. K-Tape is effective as long as the patient wears the tape. On-Field Coverage - K-TOWN Physiotherapy provides competition coverage for all sporting events. Coverage can include pre and post-competition coverage including prophylactic taping and warm-up treatment as well as pre and post-competition massage therapy. K-TOWN Physiotherapy is the Sports Physiotherapy provider for Kingston Area Secondary Schools Athletic Association (KASSAA) and also assists with St. Lawrence College Viking Varsity Athletics
Previous and ongoing event and team coverage: - Tim Horton’s Brier (2020) - Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championship (2015) - PGA Tour Canada – Great Waterway Classic (2014 & 2015) - Scotties Tournament of Hearts (2013) - Skate Canada International (2010) - St. Lawrence College Varsity Athletics - Queen’s Lacrosse - Queen’s Rugby - Queen’s Women’s Rowing - KASSAA High School Rugby - KASSAA High School Football - OFSAA Boy’s Soccer - OFSAA Boy’s Volleyball - OFSAA Boy’s Basketball - OFSAA Girl’s Basketball - Kingston Dragon Boat Festival - Judo Ontario - Impact World Tour

Consussion Treatment

Post Concussion Syndrome is defined as a variety of interacting neuropathological and psychological contributors that underlie and maintain post concussion symptoms. (Ontario Neurotrauma foundation 2013). A typical adult concussion should resolve spontaneously within 10 – 14 days. A child’s recovery is longer and can take up to 4 weeks to resolve. If symptoms do not resolve on their own then a trained Physiotherapist can assess an individual to identify the area of dysfunction and then create an individualized treatment plan to resolve the dysfunctions and progressively return the client to regular daily activities and physical activity. 85% of people with post concussion syndrome have a cervical or vestibular ocular dysfunction which are two areas we can assess and treat. An assessment would include an in depth look at the cervical spine, vestibular system, vestibular ocular reflex, and visual motor skills.

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave Therapy (SWT) is used in physiotherapy for pain reduction, increase in metabolism at cellular level, revascularisation and recovering normal muscle tone following various disorders. SWT is a non-invasive treatment that involves creating a series of low energy acoustic wave pulsations that are directly applied to an injury through a person’s skin via a gel medium. The concept and technology originally evolved from the discovery that focused sound waves were capable of breaking down kidney and gallstones. Shockwaves have proven successful in a number of scientific studies for the treatment of chronic conditions. SWT is its own treatment for a lingering injury, or pain resulting from illness, the purpose of the therapy is to trigger the body’s own natural healing response. Many people report that their pain is reduced and mobility improved after the first treatment. SWT is a modality that is becoming more common in physiotherapy. Using a much lower energy than in medical applications, SWT is used in the treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions, primarily those involving connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. SWT offers physiotherapists yet another tool for chronic tendinopathy. There are some tendon conditions that just don't seem to respond to traditional forms of treatment, having the option of SWT allows physiotherapists another treatment option. SWT is most suited for people who have chronic tendinopathies which haven't responded to other treatment. A physiotherapist will assess you at your first visit to confirm that you are an appropriate candidate for SWT. The physiotherapist will ensure you are educated about your condition and what you can do in conjunction with treatment - activity modification, specific exercises, assessing any other contributing issues such as posture, tightness/weakness of other muscle groups. SWT is usually done once a week for 3-6 weeks, depending on results. The treatment itself can cause mild discomfort, but usually only lasts a few minutes, and the intensity can be adjusted to keep it comfortable SWT therapy has shown to effectively treat the following conditions: - Feet - heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis - Elbow – tennis and golfers elbow - Shoulder - calcific tendinosis of rotator cuff - Knee - patellar tendonitis - Hip – bursitis - Lower leg - shin splints - Upper leg - Iliotibial band friction syndrome - Back pain - lumbar and cervical spine regions and chronic muscular pain Some of the benefits of SWT: - Excellent cost/effectiveness ratio - Non-invasive solution for chronic pain - No anaesthesia or drugs required - Limited side effects - New research shows that it can have a positive affect on acute pain After SWT, you may experience temporary soreness, tenderness or swelling for a few days following the procedure, as the shockwaves stimulate an inflammatory response. This is the body healing itself naturally, so it’s important not to take any anti-inflammatory medication immediately following SWT, which may slow down the results Upon completion of your treatment you can return to most regular activities almost immediately SWT should not be used if there is a circulatory or nerve disorder, infection, bone tumour, or a metabolic bone condition. SWT should also not be used if there are any open wounds or tumours or during pregnancy. People using blood-thinning medications or who have severe circulatory disorders may also not be eligible for treatment.

Manual Therapy

Many patients arrive at their first physical therapy appointment expecting to receive hot packs, modalities and instructions on how to complete a series of exercises. These modalities are warranted in many instances and most therapists would agree that exercise is needed to help restore muscle imbalances. All Physiotherapists at K-TOWN Physiotherapy have post-graduate training in Manual (hands-on) Assessment and Treatment. Research shows that manual therapy in combination with other treatments such as education and exercise, can help you to return to pain-free living faster. Some of our therapists have received the highest level of training that includes joint manipulation as a form of treatment. Joint manipulation is a high level, regulated skill that is proven to reduce pain and improve movement and function. More specifically, joint manipulation is the application of a rapid force movement that helps to create space (or gapping) of a joint. The gapping created helps to change the firing pattern of pain nerves, allowing a person to experience less pain.