Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession dedicated to working with people to identify and maximize their ability to move and function throughout their lifespan.
Specifically, physiotherapists improve clients’ quality of life by:
- Promoting optimal mobility, physical activity and overall health and wellness
- Preventing disease, injury, and disability
- Managing acute and chronic conditions, activity limitations, and participation restrictions
- Improving and maintaining optimal functional independence and physical performance
- Rehabilitating injury and the effects of disease or disability with therapeutic exercise programs and other interventions
- Educating and planning maintenance and support programs to prevent re-occurrence, re-injury or functional decline
- Physiotherapy is anchored in movement sciences and aims to enhance or restore function of multiple body systems.
The profession is committed to health, lifestyle and quality of life. This holistic approach incorporates a broad range of physical and physiological therapeutic interventions and aids.
To Book An Initial Physiotherapy Assessment CLICK HERE
Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialized physiotherapy program.
An exercise based approach to relieve the symptoms and discomfort of vestibular disorders. Dizziness, unsteadiness and balance problems can all be treated through a gentle exercise program tailor to meet the specific individual needs. Vestibular disorders are common and can affect people of all ages.
Most often caused by:
- Head trauma (motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries)
- Inner ear infections
- Illness or disease
- Aging
- Certain medications
- Concussion
Other symptoms may include:
- A spinning sensation (frequently with changes in head positions)
- Difficulty reading or concentrating (including working on a computer)
- Poor balance
- Motion sensitivity (quicker movements provoke dizziness)
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Sensitivity to bright lights and noises
- Decreased tolerance to crowds
- Blurring of vision with head movements
- Difficulty watching TV or movies
Throughout North America, people are getting better and returning to normal lives through vestibular rehabilitation.
To Book An Initial Vestibular Rehab Physiotherapy Assessment CLICK HERE
Pelvic floor physiotherapy refers to rehabilitation of those muscles which are involved in bowel/bladder function, sexual function and stabilization of the pelvic region in men and women. A Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist is specialized in the assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles. This includes evaluating bladder and bowel habits and reeducation as needed. This specialization is becoming more established in the literature as a first-line of defense against incontinence and pelvic pain. Pelvic health can be impacted by pregnancy, abdominal/pelvic surgeries, traumatic injuries, muscle strain, and postural/hip/low back issues.
Women’s Pelvic Health concerns:
- Leaking when laughing, coughing, sneezing, jumping, running, participating in sports
- Feeling of bladder urgency
- Painful sex, tailbone pain, painful periods
- Pain or incontinence associated with pregnancy or postpartum
- Physical or sexual changes since menopause
- Unresolved pelvic or low back pain
Men’s Pelvic Health concerns:
- Overactive bladder
- Incontinence since prostatectomy or have a prostatectomy surgery scheduled
- Chronic pelvic pain, non-bacterial prostatitis
- Genital pain, perineal pain, tailbone pain
- Pain with orgasm, ejaculation, or experience erectile dysfunction
Orthopaedic Division Review journal Nov-Dec 2014 “Ultimately pelvic health physiotherapy applies to all people – men and women – at any stage of life, including childhood. Pelvic health professionals can effect change at any time throughout the lifespan.”
To Book An Initial Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Assessment CLICK HERE
What to Expect on your first pelvic floor visit
Chiropractic is a dynamic healthcare profession passionate about helping an active population stay active and mobile throughout their years.
Chiropractic care is helpful for all populations and its benefits include:
- Improving joint mobility and/or stability in acute and chronic injuries
- Aiding in complete and patient specific functional movements
- Active rehabilitation for those wanting to return to optimal health and those searching for better whole body coordination
- Decreased muscle pain and tightness
- Diagnosis and holistic referrals if necessary for complete patient care
- Treatment of ligament, tendon, bone, muscle and sports injuries that often does not incorporate the use of adjustment based chiropractic technique, rather specializing in soft tissue techniques such as Active Release and Graston
Current chiropractic care involves a large base of techniques, individual to each patient, with the goal of educating each patient and empowering them with the exercises, stretches and rehabilitation movements required to keep them active and well for all their years.
To Book An Initial Chiropractic Assessment CLICK HERE
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have been safely and effectively used for more than 3000 years to treat a variety of health conditions. Acupuncturists believe that if we are in complete balance, we are healthy. As such, symptoms such as pain, insomnia, digestive issues and anxiety indicate that there is an imbalance that needs to be corrected.
To correct these imbalances, sterile, hair-thin needles are applied to various points on the body. Which points are used is dependent upon each individual’s particular complaints and circumstances – treatment is always tailored to the individual. Insertion of these needles can improve blood flow, relax muscles, release endorphins and endogenous painkillers, reduce inflammation, regulate various hormones and calm the central nervous system, thereby triggering the body’s natural healing response without negative side effects.
Adjunct treatments can include electro-acupuncture, trigger point release, cupping and gua sha, along with lifestyle and dietary suggestions.
Acupuncturists treat every patient as a unique being, and therefore each treatment is specialized. Your practitioner will assess any physical and emotional symptoms you present with, and make a specialized treatment plan for you. The effects of acupuncture are cumulative and the number of treatments required for healing varies depending on the duration, severity and nature of the complaint.
Conditions Commonly Treated With Acupuncture And TCM:
- Allergies / Asthma
- Anxiety / Depression
- Arthritis / Joint Problems
- Autoimmune Disease
- Back Pain
- Bladder / Kidney Issues
- Constipation / Diarrhea
- Cough / Bronchitis
- Digestive Disorders
- Drug Dependence / Smoking Cessation
- Fatigue
- Fertility Issues
- Gynecological Disorders
- Headache / Migraine
- High Blood Pressure
- Insomnia
- Knee Pain / Neck Pain / Stiffness
- Morning Sickness / Pregnancy Support
- Pain Relief
- Paralysis / Numbness
- Sciatica
- Shoulder Pain
- Skin Problems
- Sports Injuries / Injury Prevention
- Sprains & Strains
- Stress / Anxiety
- Tendonitis
- TMJ
To Book An Initial Acupuncture Assessment CLICK HERE
Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine. Naturopathic medicine is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention using natural therapies.
For general guidance on COVID-19 from the Naturopathic Doctors of Rise Health please click here to learn more
Naturopathic Services offered at Rise Health:
- Botanical medicine
- Acupuncture (traditional and biomedical)
- Clinical nutrition and orthomolecular medicine
- Pharmaceutical and bio-identical hormone prescription
- Thyroid assessment and treatment, including traditional, compounded and desiccated thyroid hormone.
- Diet and life-style counseling
- Hydrotherapy
- Homeopathy
- Naturopathic manipulation
Physical medicine and regenerative injection therapies including:
- Perineural injection (Lyftogt technique)
- Prolotherapy
- Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections
- Injections above may require ultrasound guidance at the discretion of Dr. Levins, Dr. Anstett or Dr. Bartoshyk
Intravenous therapies including:
- Myers vitamin cocktail
- ALA
- Curcumin
- High and low dose ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
- Colchicine (nerve root anti-inflammatory)
- Customized drips as needed
Standard Lab tests (via Lifelabs)
Functional lab tests:
- DUTCH hormones
- IgA/IgG food sensitivity testing
- Organic acids testing
- SIBO lactulose breath test
- Gut permeability testing
- Cyrex functional tests
A Naturopathic Doctor is a primary care practitioner that seeks to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process. A Naturopathic Doctor views the individual as an integral whole including the physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environmental and lifestyle factors affecting health. Symptoms of disease are seen as warning signals of systemic imbalances in the body. Thorough analysis of the above mentioned elements helps to identify contributory and causative factors in these processes. Naturopathic Medicine emphasizes disease as a process rather than disease as an entity. The primary goal is to treat the underlying cause of the disease. This approach has proven successful in treating both chronic and acute conditions. Treatments are chosen based on the individual patient, not based on the generality of symptoms.
Naturopathic doctors can also complement and enhance health care services provided by other health care professionals. They cooperate with other branches of medical science and the healing arts referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate. Naturopathic Doctors provide patients with a truly integrative form of health care. South Island (or however you want it referred to as) provides a unique environment where the patient has true access to many different paradigms of healing, ultimately enriching the journey to better, whole health.
To Book An Initial Consultation With A Naturopathic Physician CLICK HERE
WHAT IS PROLOTHERAPY?
Registered Massage Therapists (RMT) in British Columbia are trained in:
The assessment and diagnosis of soft tissue and joints of the body
The treatment and prevention of injury, pain and physical disorders
RMTs are dedicated to treating your symptoms of pain and dysfunction, including the underlying causes.
It is widely understood that massage therapy decreases stress and helps control pain. Perhaps less known is the effectiveness of massage therapy in treating deeper structures of the body such as ligaments, bones and joints, fascia, blood vessels, organs and other soft tissues of the body. Massage therapy can provide relief for many common conditions such as:
- Migraine headaches
- Whiplash
- Pregnancy
- Cancer
- Low Back Pain
- Stress Release
- Tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Sports injuries
And many other common conditions related to soft tissue and joint dysfunction.
To Book An Initial Massage Therapy Appointment CLICK HERE
Counselling is a collaborative and dynamic approach to self-compassion, healing and support. Benefits of counselling could include gaining personal insights, learning new ways to cope with or solve interpersonal conflicts, or changing unwanted behaviours. It can offer a space to explore difficult experiences, emotions, and can help you tap into your self-awareness and strength. It can allow an opportunity for a journey closer to self that finds new meaning in past experiences.
The following are some specific areas a clinical counsellor can help you in:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Pain
- Trauma
- Disordered eating: emotional eating and binge eating
- Grief and Loss
- Life transitions (including career)
- Identity and self-exploration
- Stress Management
- Mindfulness
- Workplace wellness (e.g., compassion fatigue, burnout, vicarious trauma, organizational health)
- Family dynamics
- Relationship support
- Creativity blocks
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Chronic illness, degenerative diseases (eg., cancer) and health traumas
- Self-esteem and body image issues
- Deepening overall satisfaction and reconnecting to joy
To Book An Initial Clinical Counselling Session CLICK HERE
Conscious, connected breathwork is both a psychoemotional therapeutic practice and an opportunity to deeply explore how the body hold’s a person’s historical stresses and traumas through habitual myofascial holding patterns, pain, and adaptions in nervous system regulation. It is a practice of returning to natural, unhindered breathing with relaxed exhales and no unconscious pauses in the breath cycle. Breathwork is a direct highway to the body’s autonomic nervous system, and an access point to examine the interface between the body and the mind. Through breath, one can evoke embodied (“in-the-body”) experiences to integrate old stressors, regulate one’s nervous system, and explore myofascial pain.
Pilates is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. Created by Joseph Pilates in the mid-20th century, the repertoire of exercises focuses on quality rather than quantity: integrating breath, mind and muscular effort to achieve an internal sense of correct posture and correct movement sourcing.
The beauty of the Pilates method lies in its versatility. The Mat and Equipment repertoire include variations and modifications to suit the needs of every body: from training professional athletes to rehabilitation patients, pre and post natal mothers to individuals dealing with structural challenges (ie scoliosis, osteoporosis, etc), teenagers to senior citizens.
Some of the benefits include:
- Enhanced functional fitness and ease of movement
- Decreased back, neck, shoulder and knee pain
- Increased muscular endurance and flexibility
- Increased core strength and awareness
- Increased pelvic floor control
- Low impact joint movements
- Improved balance and coordination
- Increased energy
- Stress reduction
“In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 you’ll see the difference, and in 30 you’ll have a new body” ~ Joseph Pilates
Rise Health offers two avenues of pilates practice:
- private sessions where a personal program is developed in response to the needs individual – increasing in challenge as the body is ready
- small group classes in the Matwork repertoire
To Book An Initial Pilates Session CLICK HERE
Restorative Yoga
The practice of Synchronizing Breath and Movement.
Classes and Therapeutic one-on-one sessions, both suitable for clients who are looking to get back into gentle movement, explore flow-style yoga and gain knowledge of proper/safe alignment.
Benefits:
- learn breathing techniques/tools
- build self-awareness and bodily cues
- boost confidence
- increase strength and flexibility
- improve joint mobility
- calm the central nervous system and more
Spinal traction is a form of decompression therapy that relieves pressure on the spine. Spinal traction is used to treat herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, pinched nerves, and many other back conditions.
As the name implies, a traction machine applies traction to the spinal column. Depending on where the pathology is, traction can be applied to both the lower back and the neck. This is usually done by wrapping a harness around the lower back or under the chin and base of skull. The harness is then attached to the machine that pulls at a controlled speed, rate and weight as set by the physiotherapist. Imagine the neck pulling in one direction by the traction machines and the body weight acting as a counter force. This results in the “lengthening” of the cervical spine.
As the spinal structures are gently pulled away from each other, the pressure within the structures such as the disc reduces, and the space from which nerves exit the spinal cord increases. Therefore, traction is suitable for conditions with compressive stress within the spinal structures like disc proplapses and nerve impingements.
Treatments are painless. In fact some individuals get immediate relief from their pain once decompression takes place.