Shockwave Therapy: What You Need to know

Shockwave Therapy Pickering

If you’ve heard of shockwave therapy but are not entirely sure of what this means, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about this very common treatment option. The most important thing to understand is that you will not be physically shocked, so don’t be alarmed by the name as it can be misleading. Shock wave simply means sound wave, so there is no need to be concerned because it’s essentially just another term that refers to this non-invasive treatment option that you can consider.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy is a non-surgical method that will provide you with results, and you will start to feel better after only a couple of sessions. This treatment option has actually been around for a while, and high-energy audible sound waves are introduced to the painful areas of your body during this treatment. This can include your shoulders, legs and arms, and if you suffer from acute or chronic pain, this type of treatment would be ideal as it is effective in reducing pain, and most patients will feel a difference after their sessions. Shockwave therapy can reduce pain, and while some patients will experience mild discomfort, you will notice an improvement in your quality of life, so this treatment is definitely worth a try.

How does Shockwave Therapy Work?

Shockwaves will speed up a patient’s healing process and will reduce pain because introducing sound waves to the body will cause one’s blood to become stimulated, and this will increase circulation, and your metabolism will become accelerated as a result. Tissue is regenerated after only a few sessions, and this would allow you to heal a lot faster than a patient who did not seek shockwave treatment. This form of therapy can help treat a number of conditions, including tendonitis, heel pain, tennis elbow, acute and chronic pain, muscle tension, neck pain, and so much more.

Is Shockwave Therapy Effective?

For the most part, shockwave therapy is very successful, and most patients will experience pain reduction after only a couple of sessions. Your healthcare professional will discuss your progress and provide you with their professional opinion regarding when to stop treatment.

If you are interested in shockwave therapy, Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic can provide you with more information. We will discuss your pain, and our team of experienced professionals will provide you with the relief you need. We will create a treatment plan based on your needs and conditions specifically and will reduce your pain while restoring your function and improving your performance. Whether you are looking for a naturopathic doctor or a chiropractor, we can help, so if you are in the Pickering or Ajax areas, contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Why to Choose a Naturopathic Doctor

Naturopathic Doctor Pickering

The holistic approach to wellness is known as naturopathy, and it has been known for a long time as nature’s gift to healthiness and harmony between our bodies and nature. Many of us want to be the healthiest versions of ourselves. This means that we want to be able to have access to healthy services and products at the click of a button. There is no doubt that traditional prescription medications will always play a role in our health. However, many Canadians are reaching towards a more balanced approach to their health between synthetic and natural. This is where naturopathy comes in. So here are some great reasons why you should consider visiting a naturopath.

Naturopathy focuses on prevention instead of giving a solution when a health issue arises. Naturopathy will focus on the underlying causes of a condition. It applies treatments that will work in alliance with the natural healing systems of our body rather than override them or work against them. Your naturopath will not only treat your health, but will also help you by discussing clear strategies that you can use to empower yourself and improve your life and overall well-being by minimizing your chances of illness from the get-go.

Naturopathy can assist with a variety of prevalent health conditions that are facing many people today. Naturopathy services can help you deal with health conditions like cardiovascular health, hormonal imbalance, fertility, menopause or degenerative illnesses like arthritis and it can also help you implement preventative health strategies.

Naturopathy uses non-invasive treatments and natural treatments. Your naturopath will use non-invasive and natural treatments to help tap into your own body’s natural healing capabilities. Your physical symptoms will be examined as well as your lifestyle and your overall health. Nutrition that incorporates whole foods and superfoods will be used to strengthen and nourish your body to give it everything it needs to heal itself. There are a range of practitioner-only administered products that are very safe to use and have a lot of research to back them up.

Naturopathy can work together with traditional western medicines. If you can locate a naturopathic practitioner who is able to work along with pharmacists and GPs to safely and effectively integrate evidence-based natural medicine with western approaches to medicine, then you can get the best of both worlds. Getting both types of approaches to health and medicine will be able to give you a treatment plan that is completely tailored to your health needs.

Combining prescription medicine and natural medicine might seem very complex at first, but if you go to trusted experts and get the right advice from them, then you can accomplish a successful health strategy. The key here is to do your research thoroughly so that you know what you are getting yourself into and so that you can be very well-informed. If you can find a pharmacy that works closely with naturopaths, you can achieve an optimum patient outcome and get the best of both worlds.

Shockwave Therapy at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic

Shockwave Therapy Pickering

Here at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic, one of our treatments, which we take a lot of pride in, is our Shockwave Therapy. Therapeutic shock waves have been around for decades, and were first introduced as a medical treatment that can eliminate kidney stones. A shockwave is an intense, acoustic wave that can travel faster than the speed of sound. As of today, shockwave technology has been used on millions of people around the world. It has helped to treat a myriad of musculoskeletal, neurological and soft tissue disorders. In addition, it also showed benefit in the treatment of certain tendon disorders, including rotator cuff tendinopathy, calcific tendinopathy, elbow tendinopathy, plantar fasciopathy, and Achilles tendinopathy. All of that being said, is shockwave therapy really worth it?

Results of a Large Systematic Review

A large 2015 systematic review investigated the efficacy and safety of shockwave therapy, and provided a review. It includes the following findings:

  1. Based on this study, Shockwave Therapy is effective. In fact, 88.5% of the trials that were observed exhibited better results than placebo or other alternative treatments.
  2. Shockwave Therapy is completely safe. No serious side effects were reported.
  3. For certain conditions, like plantar fasciopathy, non-calcific supraspinatus tendinopathy and calcifying tendonitis of the shoulder, Shockwave Therapy shows better effectiveness compared to other treatments.
  4. If local anesthesia is given during a Shockwave Therapy treatment, it can negatively affect the end result.
  5. At Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic, we use radial and focused shockwave therapy devices. Both devices have been found to be great, successful options.
  6. The notion that radial shockwave devices are ‘lower energy,’ while focused shockwaves produce a ‘higher energy,’ is false.
  7. It is best to spread the treatment across three sessions, once a week. 2,000 impulses should be applied each session, and it is to be done at the highest possible setting, one that the patient is able to tolerate.

Shockwave Therapy is a great solution for certain musculoskeletal conditions and has scientific evidence supporting it. It may cause some discomfort for patients, but it has been proven to be safe and no serious side effects or issues have been found either. Treatments don’t require a very long time or many appointments.


We offer many excellent, successful treatments at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic. Our Shockwave treatment in Ajax, Pickering, provides quick sessions and rapid results. If you’re in need of an appointment, we can guarantee that we will give the best shockwave treatment, thanks to our reliable staff and trusted expertise. Call us today at (905) 492-2739.

How Chiropractic Care in Pickering Can Help You Get a Better Sleep

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All human beings need sleep in order to survive, but many of us do not get enough of it. Having an improper sleeping pattern can go as far as to affect our day-to-day lives, including our mood, learning and memory, and physical and mental health. Years worth of scientific studies have even proven this to be true. When we do get the proper amount of sleep, our body becomes replenished and it keeps our heart healthy. In addition to that, sleeping regularly can reduce depression, chronic inflammation, and stress. There are many factors that can lead to sleeping poorly, including an uncomfortable mattress/pillow, too much caffeine/alcohol, snacking before bed, cigarettes, stress, injury/health ailment, etc.

Fortunately, this is an area that chiropractic care has experience in and can easily help with. Some studies have shown that there is an increase in levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone when the body’s circadian rhythms are disturbed. When these levels remain high for a long period of time, bone density and muscle mass become reduced. As a result, the immune system weakens, and fat accumulates in the abdomen area and begins to affect the thyroid gland. There are many over-the-counter medications that claim to help you get a good night’s sleep, but in actuality, they should never be considered a probable solution. This is because pills can often cause side effects and don’t always treat the problem at hand. In order to have proper sleep, you need to treat the actual cause and this is where a chiropractor can come in and provide the assistance that you need.

What is Chiropractic Care?

Here, at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic, we provide chiropractic care and wellness adjustments that are guaranteed to help you get the sleep that you are in desperate need of. The treatment that we provide improves the blood flow in the nervous system and corrects any misalignments or subluxations that may be located in the spine. This is a necessary treatment to undertake because subluxations compress the nerves, creating a lack of communication between the spine and the brain. It can then cause a stress response which affects the body by putting it out of balance and also making sleeping become a challenge. Luckily enough, this can be easily treated with our chiropractic care.

Regular chiropractic care can solve several problems that may be the cause of sleepless nights. Examples include back pain, breathing problems, and restless leg syndrome. After receiving regular wellness adjustments, many people are happy to see how much their sleep has improved. Regular chiropractic care can even go as far as to improve the symptoms and conditions of patients who are dealing with insomnia. Chiropractic care isn’t only exclusive to adults, but children can benefit from it just as much as well.

If you are in need of a chiropractor near you in Pickering or Ajax, make sure to call and schedule an appointment with us at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic. We provide various services, including and treat physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, shockwave, registered massage therapy, and more! We also treat all individuals and different fitness levels. We can’t wait to see you and provide you with the best sleep!

What Should be Included in My Rehabilitation Plan? APEX Physiotherapy & Chiropractic Provides Some Insight

Physiotherapy in Pickering

Effective physiotherapy is a long-term plan that aids in injury recovery as well as preventing injuries in the future. Physiotherapy requires consistent attention and commitment from both the patient and the doctor. What else needs to be included in your rehabilitation plan?

What Makes an Effective Physiotherapy Plan?

An effective physiotherapy plan has more than one moving part; each individual component needs to be considered and evaluated in order to be effective overall.

Individual

Each person is different and has different capabilities, and no two injuries are the same. There is no one size fits all rehabilitation plan. Some people may find it more helpful to have more frequent clinic visits, whereas others may prefer to do more work at home. Tailoring each plan to the individual is essential.

Reasonable

The activities and frequency need to be reasonable. In order for someone to actually follow through with the plan, the plan needs to be made up of doable activities. A 35-year-old man may have a different list of doable exercises than a 70-year-old woman with the same injury.

Long-term Goals

Each plan should have set long-term goals. If you broke your left arm and are now doing physiotherapy, your goal may be to gain strength that can once again parallel the strength of your right arm.

Scheduled Check-ins

No good rehabilitation is a one-and-done treatment. Check-in visits ensure that the work is being done and the injury is healing as it should. These check-ins are a time to evaluate which components of the plan are working and which are not.

Long-term Treatment and Prevention

While components of the rehab plan can be to address immediate issues, the majority of the plan should be about preventing similar injuries from happening in the future. This is done by building muscle and flexing joints and ligaments.

Variety

There must be a number of components to each person’s rehabilitation plan. Having a rehab plan of only exercises may not work for everyone. Incorporating strength training, massage, and even acupuncture might be even more effective.

Components

There are commonly five physical components of each plan.

Do’s and Don’ts

The do’s and don’ts section of a rehab plan will effectively outline what should be done and what should be avoided. Including specific and easy-to-understand examples in each plan will increase the effectiveness of the rehab plan.

Exercises

Strengthening exercises are a part of every single rehabilitation plan. The exercises will be tailored to fit each individual injury and person. Included exercises are meant to be built upon as time goes on.

Relief Stretches

Along with exercises, there should be a section for stretches that will ease pain and release tension. This section is important because, without it, you could be risking further injury.

Massage

Massages are a great way to move around any built-up fluid in the injured area and can help reduce swelling as well. Additionally, massages can provide pain relief.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a way to relieve nerve pain and inflammation in joints. Small needles are placed into the skin and pressure points which stimulates blood flow and can also promote healing.

Talk to the physiotherapists at APEX Physiotherapy and Chiropractic in Durham to get started with your perfect rehabilitation plan!

Everything You Need to Know About Your Sprains and Strains

Chiropractor in Ajax

One of the most common questions people ask whenever they hurt a part of their body is whether it’s a sprain or strain. They may seem similar, but there are distinctions between the two, and differentiating between them is actually easier than you think.

The first step is to understand the differences between a tendon and a ligament. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect bone to muscle, and ligaments are similar in that they, too, are connective tissues to tendons but instead of connecting bone to muscle, they connect bone to bone. When the tendons attaching your muscle to bone are stretched too far or torn, a strain will occur. When the ligaments connecting your joints are damaged, a sprain will occur. Your ankles, knees, elbows and wrists can be affected by this, and in most cases, the joint is so badly twisted that the tissues will become stretched or torn. The pain caused by a sprain can be mild or severe, and depending on the situation, some patients will require physiotherapy and possibly even surgery.

Whether you are suffering from a sprain or strain, physiotherapy can help you recover. Physiotherapists are experts when it comes to movement, so they will provide you with relief and will also help you prevent further injury in the future. A lot of patients who turn to physiotherapy will not require medications or invasive surgery because it is an effective treatment that is proven to work. When it comes to sprains or strains, physiotherapy treatments will first focus on pain relief as this is the primary goal. Manual therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, stretching and ice therapies are a few examples of the pain-relieving services you may receive. Your physiotherapist will provide you with one or several of these based on the severity of your situation and pain.

Once you finalize pain management, the physiotherapist will then heal your injury. They will help you regain your range of motion in the joint that was affected or will help strengthen the muscles that were affected by your injury. The last step will focus on preventing future injury because once you sprain a joint or strain a muscle, it’s highly likely that you may do this again, but a physiotherapist can help in this regard. They will recommend strengthening exercises and will help you build muscle around the injured area, which will lower your risk of injury in the future.

The experts at Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic will provide you with the treatment you need, so if you have a sprain or strain, do not hesitate to contact us because we can provide you with relief right away. Our physiotherapists are knowledgeable, skilled and friendly and will eliminate your pain, so schedule an appointment with us today!

Posture Perfect: How to Correct Your Back Pain

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Back pain is very common, and this type of pain can make it very difficult for you to perform your daily tasks. It is an uncomfortable condition that is both frustrating and challenging because it can be very limiting. The good news is that you can eliminate back pain, and chiropractic can help you move comfortably again.

One of the most common causes of back pain is poor posture, so if you slouch while you’re seated or lean forward at your desk, you may suffer from this type of pain. The same is true if you hunch over when you type, so you need to be aware of these actions as most people do them subconsciously without realizing the damage they are doing to their body. Proper posture is very important because it can affect the way your body moves. Regardless of whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, or running, proper posture is a must because it can allow you to move with ease, and you should be able to go about your day comfortably.

It’s common to forget about the way our bodies are positioned, and this is something that happens to all of us, especially when we are so focused on the tasks we are trying to complete. This can result in back pain, so you need to make an effort to maintain proper posture by positioning your body normally. When we feel drained, and our bodies feel tired, we can slouch and droop over because we cannot hold our bodies up. Contrary to what most people think, poor posture is not a result of laziness and is instead related to a physical weakness within our bodies. Our bodies can get tired of holding us up, and when this happens, our posture may suffer.

If you want to regain normal posture, we can help. Chiropractors specialize in movement so they can help you improve your balance, stability, mobility, and flexibility, all of which can result in better posture. They can help you eliminate your back pain, and their techniques and recommendations can have a positive effect on your posture. Orthopedic and functional testing will be a part of your initial evaluation, and this information will help your chiropractor identify the areas of your body that are causing your back pain. Once these details are clear, they will then create a customized treatment plan, which will be tailored to your specific needs, and this will focus on your posture and all the ways it can be improved. This plan can also help increase your strength so that you can achieve all of your physical performance goals. Most importantly, this plan can relieve you of your pain.

The experts at Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic can provide you with pain relief and can help you regain proper posture as well. If you’re ready to say goodbye to back pain and want to achieve a perfect posture, give us a call today!

Eating Right: A Simple Technique for Reducing Pain and Inflammation

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Pain in the body can be absolutely debilitating. Some of the most annoying pain is attributed to inflammation. Inflammatory diseases such as arthritis have no cure, and pain must be managed. Did you know that watching what you eat can actually decrease the amount of inflammation in the body? Like any physical journey your body goes on, what you fuel it with is more important than physical action.

Foods that you should avoid:

  • Sugar
  • High Fructose corn syrup (found in pop and other soft drinks)
  • Artificial trans fat
  • Seed oils
  • Processed meats (like smoked or canned meat, beef jerky)
  • Large amounts of alcohol
  • Gluten (Found in white bread and pastries)
  • Spicy foods

If you must eat these foods, try not to eat them right in the morning. The very first thing you put in your body in the morning is what starts off that day for yourself. If you put something that slows you down at first, you will have a hard time getting through your day without experiencing inflammation. Try and avoid these foods where possible, but don’t start off your day with them.

Instead of adding refined sugars to coffee or recipes, try adding natural sugars like honey or agave. To curb your pop craving, try sparkling fruit juices or carbonated waters. Avoid both trans fats and oils by baking rather than frying your food. Substitute canned meats for fresh ones like chicken or fish. A glass of wine here and there won’t kill you but avoid heavy daily drinking. Substitute white bread for whole grain, less refined options. Finally, Season your food with different spices, avoiding ones like cayenne, chili powder, or large amounts of black pepper.

Foods you should include:

  • Berries
  • Broccoli
  • Avocado
  • Peppers
  • Mushrooms
  • Turmeric
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Cherries
  • Fish
  • Beans

Most of the foods on the list are whole foods, the reason these foods are anti-inflammatory is not that they have any sort of magical powers. It is because they are not processed. The body’s immune system activates when foreign bodies are found in the gut and bloodstream, this is what causes inflammation. Feeding your body whole foods does not activate the immune system as much, which will decrease inflammation. For further clarification or other questions about your health and diet specifically, book a consultation with our naturopathic doctor!

In addition to making good food choices, take care of your body by getting enough rest, drinking enough water, and moving around. When getting over a soft tissue injury of any kind, seeking physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment is always a good idea. Let the practitioners at Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic help you get back moving on your feet!

What Is Pre-hab? And Why You Should Do It

Naturopathic Doctor Pickering

Bodily injuries can set you back majorly, especially seeing as recovering from soft tissue can be quite the process, not to mention extremely painful. While no one expects to be injured, you can never be too prepared for a situation or body damage that may come out of nowhere. That is why the idea of attending pre-hab is growing in popularity. Pre-hab is going to physical rehab or physiotherapy before you get injured. Pre-hab might include muscle stretching, acupuncture, mobility and flexibility training, as well as muscle strengthening. Here are some of the reasons you might want to consider pre-hab.

Prevention

Ever heard of the saying the best offense is a good defense? The same rings true when it comes to injuries. Attending physiotherapy when you don’t have a current ailment can strengthen muscles, expand mobility, and increase flexibility. All great ways to prevent soft tissue injuries. Strong muscles hold together joints and prevent overstretched ligaments. Strong muscles are also key to proper posture and limit the development of poor posture-driven ailments. While expanded mobility and flexibility helps avoid strains from stiff joints and ligaments.

Accelerated healing

If you do happen to incur an injury, your pre-hab experience will come in handy. Whether you are under large amounts of physical stress at work, or maybe you’re accident-prone, you might be anticipating an injury. With pre-hab, you will speed up the healing process time after said injury seeing as your body has already been stretching and strengthening regularly, in preparation for whatever injury is next. If there is an area you injure regularly, physiotherapists can target that specific soft tissue during pre-hab, so if you are injured there again, you will already be in the healing process.

Before surgery

It might sound silly, but preparing for surgery should include physiotherapy, that is if you want to spend a shorter time recovering. Joint replacement surgeries, in particular, like hip and knee replacements, benefit most from pre-hab. Once again patients are able to loosen up and strengthen their muscles before undergoing trauma. One of the most important things about post-joint replacement surgery care is to get the joint moving. It sounds crazy and a little painful, but, in fact, patients who have gone through pre-hab find this task much easier than those without.

So, whether you are preparing for surgery, working a strenuous job, or maybe you’re just clumsy, don’t wait for an injury to start seeing a physiotherapist. Call Apex Physiotherapy clinic today to book a consultation, and discuss the best pre-hab plan made just for you.

Physiotherapy: A Natural And Easy Solution To Shoulder Pain

Physiotherapist Near Me

Shoulder pain is not something you look forward to as you age. Unfortunately, shoulder pain is one of the most common joint pains that we experience as we age. Sure, you can take an anti-inflammatory or rub a topical cream on, but one of the most effective solutions is something you don’t need to swallow or rub on; it’s physiotherapy! Physiotherapy is an all-natural and easy way to relieve, manage, and even completely eliminate shoulder pains.

Why do I have shoulder pain?

Before determining what to do about shoulder pain, the cause of shoulder pain should be addressed. Shoulder pain can occur for many reasons, the cause will almost always determine how we go about with treatment.

First, determine if this is the first time you’ve felt this pain. Does it feel like anything that’s happened before? Is it sharp? Dull? Does it stay in one place? Is there anything that makes it feel worse or better? These are all questions your physiotherapist will ask to determine what is causing your pain.

Some conditions that may be the culprit include:

  • Arthritis

Arthritis in the shoulder causes stiffness in the joint and difficulty with mobility. Depending on the kind of arthritis, the bones are either breaking down or the joints are swelling.

  • Torn cartilage

Tearing cartilage sounds almost as painful as it is. Tears can happen in a number of ways, but all result in painful symptoms and decreased strength. With physiotherapy, the pain will decrease and strength will increase.

  • Stains/sprain

Spraining or straining your shoulder can happen at any point. It is when a muscle or ligament gets stretched too far, this can happen after a dislocation.

  • Pain from inactivity

If you have ever sat or laid down in one position for a long time, you know the crampy feeling you get in your joints when you stand up. That uncomfortable feeling is multiplied if a joint is immobilized for a long time, like after a fracture or broken bone.

  • Joint inflammation

Joint inflammation conditions like bursitis happen in joints of repeated activity, if left untreated, chronic pain will result. If you’re experiencing bursitis, you might feel an aching pain in your shoulder accompanied by redness of the skin.

What can physiotherapy do for you?

Physiotherapy as a practice boasts improved mobility, flexibility, long-term pain relief as well as increased joint longevity. Physiotherapy can be a combination of massage, acupuncture, exercises, and more. At Apex Physiotherapy and Chiropractic clinic, our professionals will develop a plan and allow you to feel as though your shoulder has aged backward! Call us and ask what we can do for you today!