Getting the Most out of Laser & the Package of 10

laser

Why include Laser in your treatment Plan?

Adding light energy to injured areas jumpstarts healing, and shortens healing times. It is effective following acute trauma, as well as slow to heal and chronic injuries. It stimulates and accelerates the healing process and prevents the development of adhesions which can occur when healing is slow or delayed.

Our bodies have light receptors, situated within cells, which are able to absorb light energy of specific wavelengths to stimulate cell function… very helpful when the body’s normal reaction to injury and disease is to depress function. For best results, it is used throughout the healing process. Laser also decreases pain, improves mobility and sleep, and reduces the requirement for pain and anti-inflammatory medications.

Physiotherapy

It is not necessary to have physiotherapy to access laser therapy; but it is a good way to start – and our best recommendation for your care. For all muscle and joint pain conditions, the site of pain does not always match the cause of pain. A physiotherapy assessment confirms the appropriateness of laser as well as best application sites and protocols. An alternative to physiotherapy oversight is assessment by a nurse practitioner. This is particularly relevant for those who are seeking care for other than muscle and joint pain conditions; e.g. gout, lymphedema or post-herpetic neuritis (shingles).

Why 10 lasers?

Based on the accumulated statistics from many Bioflex users, 10 is the average number of treatments a client requires to meet treatment objectives. Long-standing and degenerative conditions require an average of 20 treatments, in our experience. Hence, a 10 treatment package. It seems to be the best offering, considering that some clients will require more than one package.

A typical treatment plan starts with 3 lasers a week, which can be on successive days. This takes advantage of the cumulative benefits of laser, and allows for early improvements to be noticed. After the early concentration of laser, treatments drop off to twice a week, once a week and less frequently…depending upon your response to treatment.

Stay the course!

It is highly recommended that you complete your treatment plan. Laser is most beneficial when it is applied throughout the active healing stages, typically 4 to 8 weeks, depending upon the type of tissue injured, e.g muscle, ligament, bone etc. Degenerative and nerve related injuries may take even longer, or benefit from maintenance laser following and active treatment plan. We urge you to stay the course, because your condition can relapse when treatment is discontinued before the active healing stages are completed.

Safety and Treatment Precautions.

Low intensity laser is a very safe treatment option, with only clear danger associated with direct application of the laser probe to the eye. It is for this reason that you use eye shields when the laser probe is being used. It is customary to avoid the lower abdomen and back during first three months of pregnancy, the thyroid and sites of known cancer, but research is not clear in these situations. Some medications increase sensitivity to laser, but are not in themselves contra-indications.

We NEED your input to progress treatment protocols!

Responsiveness to laser is an individual thing, similar to an individual’s response to sunlight – tanning or burning. Our laser techs will ask you before the start of each treatment how you felt after preceding treatment. If we overstimulate, you will experience a temporary sensation of increased sensitivity and possibly pain. About 10% of clients will experience immediate review and their treatment protocol remains unchanged. No change following treatment is harder to interpret…usually we will repeat the treatment once before nudging up the treatment protocol.

When you’re more sore after treatment…

we see this as a sign your body is responding to treatment….we’ve stirred up the inflammatory process. Generally, patients describe feeling better after 12 to 18 hours. This is important information to give us because it may be necessary to adjust your treatment protocol. If you are more sore, ice and tylenol are recommended. If you are really concerned, you may contact us at info@monasteryhealth.com or call the clinic at 709-757-3313.

If you should find you have more pain following treatment, use cold packs and mild pain medication, such as tylenol, to help settle the inflammatory response.

Massage

Finally, massage enhances the effect of laser by improving circulation and lymph drainage in the area. If there are areas of adhesions, super tight muscles or trigger points, these are identified for later treatment. Massage is not a compulsory part of the laser experience, but we find it most helpful to treatment results. We recommend adding it after you’ve had 4 laser treatments, as this helps to clarify treatment response.

For further information on the conditions we treat and services we offer, or to book an appointment please call 709-757-3313
Email: info@monasteryhealth.com

Monastery Health Physiotherapy Plan of Care/Treatment Plan

hurts

During the last few minutes of your initial assessment, your therapist will review your assessment findings and develop with you a treatment plan. Some milestones include:

Frequency & Duration of Treatment

Your assessment findings and general health status determine the time requirements for care – how many treatments, over how many weeks. For best results, it is important that care continue throughout the healing process to diminish the likelihood of re-injury

Choosing your Treatment Goal(s)

Your lifestyle demands and treatment goal(s), determine the content of your treatment plan. Although pain reduction is important, it is not generally the best treatment goal. We have observed that our clients achieve better outcomes when they focus on an activity or a future planned event rather than pain; such goals can keep you motivated when progress slows or the treatment plan just seems very long! Examples might be completing the Signal Hill hike, a European holiday, carrying groceries from your car to your kitchen, or working on your computer for an hour – the choice of goal is yours! A question we will ask you is: “What activity or planned event is most compromised by your present pain?”

Choosing Early Modalities & Exercises

Most treatment plans contain measures for pain relief as well as recovery or restoration of muscle function and a rehab plan for return to activity. In our clinic, laser is our modality of choice, for early care. It provides pain relief and accelerates healing (an average 40% faster); and allows an earlier start to rehab efforts. Isometric, posture and positioning exercises contribute to pain relief and are started early. As a general rule, we observe that, when an individual reports a 50% to 60% reduction in pain, the requirement for laser subsides, laser sessions become less frequent, and the focus of care shifts to muscle function and strength.

Focus on Muscle Function & Rehab

As pain recedes, the focus changes to muscle function. Re-assessment is necessary to identify muscle issues which may have been masked by pain during initial assessment; and to set up the rest of the treatment plan. Exercises become more challenging, and a rehab framework is introduced. For many of our clients, this occurs at the 4 to 6 week mark, although more serious injury or chronic pain presentations may need more time before their treatment plan is updated.

Preventing Recurrence

We observe that some clients ‘drop their guard’ or become a little less committed to their home exercise programs as pain decreases. For this reason, we view this phase of care as the most risk prone, with respect to achieving a successful treatment outcome. Over-stressing healing tissue is an obvious risk, but a more subtle risk is associated with not fully correcting muscle alignment, balance and strength. This risks future joint health, and early arthritic changes.

Who needs a Maintenance Plan?

Maintenance plans are recommended for our clients who have arthritis and for those who have not fully restored muscle function. For those with arthritis, this often involves an occasional laser, as this has research support for its ability to delay progression of arthritis. For those who are working to improve muscle function, occasional treatment sessions provide for re-assessment and modifications to exercises needed to work towards treatment goal(s).

Feedback, always!

Good health and many of your future plans require good muscle function. In today’s world, physical therapy is not a ‘one and done’ event. Good muscle function requires close monitoring because of the stresses of our digital world; and it needs continual attention. To achieve your treatment goal(s) and maintain post-treatment function, we need your feed-back!. Please tell us your observations and response to exercise recommendations, including the bad stuff. We will keep you well informed and help you achieve your treatment goals.

For further information on the conditions we treat and services we offer, or to book an appointment please call 709-757-3313
Email: info@monasteryhealth.com

New Sports Initiatives and Health Care Services in St John’s NL

laser

It’s a wonderful Fall Season in St John’s and the nearby Avalon communities! Everyone is moving:

  • Competitive gymnasts in Mount Pearl;
  • Hockey, soccer and rugby teams of all experience levels in every corner of the Avalon,
  • The Lakecrest Independent School physical education students (across from us)
  • Those resuming fitness routines at the Works
  • Hiking enthusiasts racking up miles on the Signal Hill trails, etc

It seems everyone is on the move.

There’s a special buzz in our neighborhood created by the recent opening of a new sports venue “The Cove Bouldering and Cafe”

www.covebouldering.com

It is centrally located on LeMarchant St, next to the Urban Market. It is a safe, whole body workout for just about everyone. Many of their training programs focus on youth, starting at 9 years of age. They also offer complimentary introductory sessions, small group and private coaching sessions for adults of any age.

Beyond a salute to an active lifestyle, bouldering offers a great opportunity for post Physio or post Rehab fitness. Many of our clients are not as active as they would like to be and understand that fitness is one of the markers for healthy aging. A repetitive strain injury or a diagnosis of early arthritis can be a wake-up call, prompting a more active lifestyle after a successful course of physiotherapy. Bouldering challenges both mobility and strength; and it’s fun! Early bouldering training programs take into account an individual’s fitness level, and can be safely undertaken by most people. Thumbs up for bouldering!

If you live an active lifestyle and participate in sport activities, injuries are a fact of life. They range from minor cuts, bruises and abrasions, sprain/strain injuries of all degrees of severity, fractures, contusions, etc. It is also normal, even desirable for individuals to adopt a do-it-yourself approach when they first take note of persistent aches and for minor injuries. From the perspective of this physiotherapist, a d-i-y attitude is fabulous. It is informative, promotes engagement when a physiotherapy treatment plan is necessary and can truly focus on client goals. A relatively new source of on-line information is PhysioCheck. It has a tremendous library of muscle and joint injuries and pain conditions and early d-i-y recommended treatments. The following is their description on ‘climber’s finger’. It is easy to navigate to other injury descriptions once in the database.

Climber's Finger

Another consideration for injury management relates to persistent and disabling pain, slow-healing injuries and injuries which involve an arthritic joint. Too often these injuries stop participation in well loved activities and sports. These injuries are effectively treated with low intensity laser therapy. The beneficial effect is described as photobiostimulation, and it occurs when low level light energy is absorbed by injured tissue. New injury healing is significantly accelerated, enabling faster rehab, recovery and return to activity. More chronic injuries are stimulated to restart the healing process, and can progress to normal healing. More information on laser therapy and photobiomodulation can be found in the link.

Laser Therapy and Photobiomodulation

Part of injury management may involve the requirement for bracing or joint support. Whether the goal is to protect a joint while participating in a sport or to rest / immobilize the joint when participation is harmful, acquiring a brace in St John’s NL has been difficult. Local stores offer limited selections of braces and other health care supplies, and since Covid, supply has been an issue.

The Physio Store offers a solution to both supply and selection. This on-line Canadian store offers good quality, affordable braces, fitness and other healthcare supplies, with access to expert advice with respect to selection and fit, door to door service and a good return policy…. Check it out!

These braces are appropriate for some of the more common climbing injuries, to fingers and to the knee, and are a sample of what is available through on-line order.

For further information on the conditions we treat and services we offer, or to book an appointment please call 709-757-3313
Email: info@monasteryhealth.com

Benefits of Foot Massage

benefits of foot massage

benefits of foot massage

Could you rub my feet? Please?

I’m sure at some point in our lives, we’ve asked this or had someone ask us this question. There’s something about having a foot massage that makes us feel relaxed, and sometimes energized.
A major component of all our medical foot care treatments is a moisturizing foot massage after the feet and nails have been treated.
This is the relaxation part that most clients wait impatiently for during their treatment, because regardless of how ticklish or sensitive their feet may be, a foot massage always feels good. Many clients who are new to foot care treatments often do not realize that a foot massage happens, and are pleasantly surprised afterwards!

There are many benefits to a foot massage that nurses consider when providing foot care treatments.

  1. Improve circulation- increases in sedentary lifestyles have led to reduced use of foot and leg muscles which in turn decreases circulation. A foot massage helps stimulate the blood flow and gets the oxygen moving around your body. This can be extremely beneficial for diabetics and people who have Raynaud’s Syndrome or other circulatory
    disorders.
  2. Relieve foot (or other body) pain- A foot care provider who has some experience in reflexology can not only make your feet feel great, but can help relieve pain that you may be having elsewhere in your body. Reflexology is an ancient healing practice based on the principle that the reflex points in your feet correspond with certain organs and body systems. Therefore, a foot massage may actually help take away that annoying pain in your hip or shoulder
  3. Improved psychological well being- Certain reflex points on your feet correlate with relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression
  4. Healthier feet- A foot massage helps stimulate muscles in the foot and ankle, lessens stiffness and increases strength and flexibility
  5. Helps to reduce edema/swelling- Stimulation of lymphatic system with light and gentle strokes can significantly help reduce swelling in feet and lower legs by pushing excess fluid out of smaller vessels and out of the body
  6. Overall relaxation, improved sleep, and stress reduction

Sources:
www.health.harvard.edu
www.mayoclinic.ca
www.canadalymph.ca

Foot Care

footcare Monastery Health

It’s coming up on sandal season….are your feet ready? Or are you suffering from thick heels, long nails, super dry skin, and embarrassed to show your feet in public? 

footcare Monastery Health

During winter months, we typically spend more time indoors, wearing fuzzy socks and blasting the heat. While it may be cozy and comfortable at the time, it can be doing some damage to your feet in the form of dry skin and cracked heels. Dry skin is not uncommon during the winter, and the colder air, combined with the increased indoor temperatures, often leaves your feet dehydrated and begging for moisturizer.

The next question is- how do you treat it, and how do you prevent it from continuing to happen?

First of all, it is important to ensure that you do not have an underlying medical condition contributing to your foot issues. Sometimes, dry skin and cracked heels are linked to psoriasis, eczema, diabetes, thyroid issues, or biomechanical concerns such as flat feet or heel spurs. 

The temperature of your shower or bath is another consideration. Hot water can damage keratin in the outer layer of your skin, preventing skin cells from retaining moisture. A cool or warm shower is always best for your skin. 

Do you soak your feet? Research shows that foot soaks can have relaxing and soothing benefits, but can also contribute to dry skin. Foot soaks should be in warm water, and for no longer than 10 minutes a couple of times a week. Epsom salts in the water can also help with exfoliation of dead skin cells. 

How about thick, calloused and cracked heels? There are a number of factors that can contribute to split heels, including dry skin secondary to extreme temperatures (either hot or cold), diabetes- which can impair blood flow, barefoot walking, obesity, the use of harsh soaps and cleansers, standing for long hours and wearing shoes that are ill-fitting. But there are also ways to manage this before it begins to cause soreness and discomfort, and interfere with your quality of life. 

Our certified foot care nurses can help you manage dry skin and cracked heels, especially if you have difficulty reaching your feet safely; have issues with your eyesight and cannot see your feet properly; if you are considered high risk (if you have diabetes, are taking blood thinning medication, an oncology client, etc.); or if you have broken skin on your feet. You likely require more specialized care and treatment than you can provide yourself at home. We can file and remove calloused skin that causes cracked heels, and recommend products that will help keep things under control, which in turn, leads to happier, healthier feet.