If you were seeing Richard or Shauna and require treatment in their absence, please speak with us to arrange treatment with another therapist - we will be happy to help you choose a suitable alternative to meet your needs.

 

 

Monday & Wednesday: 12:15pm - 6:15pm
Tuesday: 7:30am - 1:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 9:00am - 1:45pm

 

 

 

 

 

On Monday October 30th, 2017, Ottawa received 56mm of rain, most of it falling within a 6-hour time period. The City of Ottawa's water management system was overloaded, and our parking lot became a fish bowl. The Pebb Building we work in quickly became inundated with water, which instantly shut down the elevator, phones, internet and electricity. Tragically, this event also completely derailed our hotly contested 9th annual pumpkin carving contest.

 

Unfortunately, there were some patients who we couldn't advise of the flood as we had neither phones, files nor computers! However, within 24 hours, Emily and Richard set up headquarters in Emily's living room and began the search for a suitable temporary OOST 2.0 location. 48 hours after the flood began, we had signed a temporary lease on the other side of Bank Street, and were mobilizing the team. Our entire staff pitched in packing boxes and moving everything into a truck. Aristotle said "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts". This was evident as the whole team donned head lamps and work gloves to bring our clinic back to life, one box at a time.

 

By Friday March 1st, just 4 days after the flood, we were open for business in our new location with phones ringing, emails being answered, and most importantly, our staff were servicing our patients and clients. We spent just over 4 months operating out of our temporary location (OOST 2.0) and moved back to our original location of 2197 Riverside Drive, Suite 601 on March 5th, 2018.

 

Our entire team is grateful to all of you who stuck with us during this whole ordeal. Whether you missed an appointment, had an email go unanswered, or even just read about the disaster, we're happy you've kept relying on us as part of your health care team.

 

 

To prevent this from ever happening again, the Pebb Building has gone to great lengths to make upgrades and changes. Faulty pipes outside have been replaced and the basement windows which let the water in have been cemented over. Garden boxes with summer flowers now line the perimeter of the building and the front lobby has been totally renovated.

 

Every day, both new and familiar faces continue to walk through our door to consult our trusted staff. It's events like this that make you truly appreciate both the people you serve and the people you work with.

 

A huge shout-out to those who went the extra mile to help us out: our whole OOST team for jumping in without any hesitation to help us move (up and down 6 flights of stairs..) and bearing with us during the 4 months we were displaced. Kinemedics for providing extra equipment. Zev, Dora, and the team at 20Vic for getting us into OOST 2.0 as quick as possible. Mel for helping us assemble IKEA furniture (on a Saturday, at that!). And Amanda, Asher, and Max for their help, patience, and understanding during this chaotic time. Thank you!

 

 

Signs that this could be developing are:

- pain under the foot with the first few steps in the morning

- pain when walking shoeless

- tenderness to touch (usually under the heel or arch)

 

If this arises, a physiotherapist can be consulted to help curb the issue quickly with manual therapy and exercise programming. Strengthening the small muscles that support the arch as well as the muscles on the sides of the ankle help prevent this condition from occurring. Stretching tight tissues in the arch and calf can also be beneficial. Plantar fasciitis left untreated can linger and be very unpleasant.

-SR 

 

 

Sara Roy, PT

 

 

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Low back pain is estimated to affect 60-70% of people in industrialized countries at some stage, and most of these go on to have recurrent episodes. It can be difficult to know what’s best for your painful back, or even to understand what is causing it. There is an endless supply of back braces, different types of therapy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation and painkillers on offer, so how does one know what is best to use?
 
For decades, clinical research has helped identify very specific physical testing protocols that help therapists understand whether the problem is a muscle, a disc, a joint or something else, and most importantly, what to do about it. Using this research in a clinical setting is called evidence-based practice, and it is the gold standard for getting people better.
 
Over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories have been shown to have limited effects and are not without side effects. For example, a large and well conducted recent study determined that Acetominophen (Tylenol) was “ineffective in the treatment of low back pain” and people using it demonstrate a fourfold increase in abnormal liver function compared to placebo (BMJ 2015;350:h1225).
 
Other painkillers or anti-inflammatories may reduce pain of recent onset in the short term, but back pain often returns since the underlying pain mechanisms have often not been addressed.
 
In most cases, there is a mechanical trigger to the onset of pain, or to put it another way, it is very unlikely that your back began to hurt for no reason. Unless this mechanical cause is identified and reduced or removed, the cycle of recurrent back pain episodes is likely to continue.
 
Movement and exercise prescription has been shown to be more effective than passive therapies such as ultrasound. Back and neck pain are not homogenous problems and the pain can come from a variety of different tissues and be caused by different loads. Each person will have their individual pain triggers, which is why a one-size-fits-all approach does not work and there is no single “best exercise”.
 
Successful rehabilitation relies on developing a comprehensive understanding of these triggers, so that they can be reduced or avoided which allows the tissues to calm down. Then, progressive loading and creating pain free movement patterns slowly improve the resilience of the back, allowing successful return to daily activities and sports.
 
At Ottawa Osteopathy & Sports Therapy, we use established, evidence-based protocols to guide our clinical impression and treatment plans. Our therapists have completed post graduate studies in advanced back care approaches such as the McKenzie and McGill methods, to help identify and reduce mechanical pain triggers and provide pain-free movement alternatives. We also present the most up to date research on back pain assessment and treatment protocols to sports medicine physicians as part of a continuing education program. This, combined with gentle manual therapy, is the key to our success in treating back and neck pain where other approaches have failed.
 
 
Tips to try if you have back pain:
 
Do you get pain when turning over in bed?
Try bracing your tummy muscles – imagine being tickled by 5 people at once, but you’re not allowed to wriggle or move. You’ll probably squeeze your tummy super tight. Another description would be to “lock” your torso to your pelvis. Then try to roll over without losing this muscle squeeze. We call this the log roll. If you can do this, and your pain is reduced, congratulations – you have found a strategy for reducing your pain.
 
How about pain when rising from sitting?
Try maintaining a small inward curve in your lower back whilst sitting (it’s the concave curve in your low back that should be visible when you stand up tall). If you can maintain that curve by using a lumbar support or rolled up piece of clothing whilst sitting, you should have less pain when you stand up. Try to take regular breaks from sitting as well. 4 sets of 15 minutes sitting with good posture may be much better tolerated than 60 minutes of sustained sitting.
 
Do you have more pain in the morning when you first wake up?
This may be a disc injury in your back. Try to avoid too much lifting or bending forward in the first 30-45 minutes in the morning. Simple things like walking around, showering, and standing to eat will give your back time to ease into the day before doing more difficult things like laundry, snow shovelling, or struggling with winter socks and boots.
 
Want to understand more, or have a question about your achy back or neck?

Call or email Ottawa Osteopathy & Sports Therapy and we will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. (613) 521-3222 neil@ottawaosteopath.com

 

- Neil
 
Neil Price (M.Ost, BSc. Hons, Dip. FTST) is a UK trained Osteopathic Manual Practitioner at Ottawa Osteopathy & Sports Therapy.

 

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