Physiotherapy Treatment

At ProActive Health, we get to the root of your problems to deliver long-lasting results. Using a specialized assessment and management system, we look beyond your symptoms to discover what’s really causing your pain.

In our experience, the obvious answer is not always the right one. Your body is connected by a complex network of sensory nerves and tissues (fascia), so an injury to one area can often cause pain and stiffness in entirely different locations. A lower back injury, for example, may cause pain in your hip, groin, thigh or knee. And the reverse could also be true – tight leg muscles or problems in your upper back may trigger painful spasms in your lower back.

When treatment focuses only on painful areas, the real culprit may be overlooked and symptoms may linger for months or years. That’s why it’s so important to have a comprehensive assessment as the first step in your treatment. Our evaluation and assessment process helps us identify the true source of your problems right from the start and customize treatments to your needs. We offer two types of assessment:

• Advanced diagnostic assessment – to correctly diagnose and evaluate the cause of your symptoms.
• Comprehensive physiotherapy assessment – to gather information that will guide the treatment and management of your problem areas and symptoms.

If you’ve had physiotherapy in the past and are frustrated with poor results, our advanced diagnostic assessment is the key to success. We’ll find and treat your underlying problems and get you back to health faster, while reducing your risk of recurring symptoms.

Our Multi-Disciplinary Team

Laurie McLaughlin and our team of skilled therapists are highly trained in performing patient assessments. Laurie McLaughlin specializes in orthopaedic physiotherapy and has additional training in analyzing the results of diagnostic imaging, such as MRIs, CT scans, bone scans and EMGs.

Comprehensive Physiotherapy Assessment

A comprehensive physiotherapy assessment helps us clearly understand and treat your problem areas. Your physiotherapy assessment will be conducted by your therapist and involves these important steps:

• A discussion of your medical history, including:
  • The cause of your injury
  • The type, severity and duration of your symptoms
  • Your medical conditions
  • Any previous injuries
  • A review of your medications
• A review of your medical reports and previous diagnostic investigations or images, if available.
• A visual and hands-on evaluation of your mobility, flexibility, strength, body alignment and patterns of abnormal movement.
• A discussion of your treatment goals and expectations. Feel free to ask your therapist questions or add comments during your assessment.

What Happens Next?

Once your assessment is complete, your therapist will share the results with you and make recommendations for the next steps in your recovery. At your request, assessment results will also be sent to your family doctor.

Recommendations may include:

• A customized physiotherapy program, tailored to your needs.
• Additional therapies, such as supervised exercise, core training, breathing therapy, massage therapy.
• An ultrasound diagnostic assessment of your core muscle functions.
• An evaluation of your breathing. Improper breathing habits can cause pain symptoms and contribute to a variety of health conditions.
• A referral for an evaluation to determine whether you require further testing or would be a candidate for surgical treatment.

Your therapist will discuss the proposed treatment plan with you to make sure you know what to expect and are included in all decisions about your care. We encourage you to ask your therapist questions at any time if you don’t understand or need more information.

If therapy is required, your therapist will typically begin some treatment immediately after your assessment.

What should I Wear for My Appointment?

We recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothing, such as shorts and a tank top or loose T-shirt to your appointment. To conduct your assessment properly, your therapist may ask you to remove or lift up certain articles of clothing. Try to wear clothing that exposes your painful areas and makes them easily accessible for your therapist.

Physiotherapy moves your life forward. Our experienced physiotherapists will help you recover faster, move better and feel healthier, so you can live life to the fullest. At ProActive Health, you can leave your pain behind.

Our targeted, one-on-one, hands-on treatments are based on the best clinical evidence available and we continually upgrade our skills, knowledge and diagnostic tools to give you the best results. We treat patients of all ages, with all types of health concerns. We also offer specialized programs for athletes, performing artists and pre-and post-surgical patients. Our goal is to enrich your quality of life.

A Holistic Approach

Our practice philosophy is based on a holistic approach to treatment. We take the time to conduct a detailed analysis of your whole body posture and movement to find the area that is causing your problem.

By treating the cause and not just the symptoms, we can help you get back to work and play sooner, with fewer visits and better long-term results. If you have chronic pain that has not been relieved by physiotherapy in the past, you can count on the expertise and advanced services at ProActive Health to find the source of your problem and help you return to an active, healthy lifestyle.

Treatments and Services

Our combination of treatments and services is unique in the GTA and has been developed to give you the best care possible.

Manual Therapy

All of our physiotherapists have taken advanced manual therapy courses and are highly trained at using their hands to diagnose and treat movement restrictions in the spine, arms and legs. Using specialized hands-on techniques, we can help reduce muscle tightness, improve joint mobility, decrease pain and improve function.

Fascial Mobilization

Fascial mobilization is a type of whole-body manual therapy used to treat muscles that have become shortened or tight. Stiff, tight fascia can cause widespread pain, restrict muscle and joint movements and pull the body out of alignment. Laurie McLaughlin has developed a unique approach to evaluating and treating fascial tissues. She has taught this specialized technique to the ProActive Health team and has given courses and lectures on fascial mobilization, both nationally and internationally. A combination of light and deep manual pressure, stretching and mobilization techniques is used to release tensions and loosen the restricted muscles. Fascial mobilization is effective in relieving pain and helping to
promote normal movement.

Exercise Therapy

Your rehabilitation program may include a program of prescribed exercises specific to your injury or health problem. Your physiotherapist will develop individualized exercises to help with strengthening, stretching and mobilization and will provide hands-on corrective feedback. Special emphasis will be put on tasks that improve your functionality at work and play, such
as lifting, bending and reaching. Learn more

Core Training With Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI)

Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging is a powerful therapeutic approach that lets you see your muscles in action as you exercise. By providing immediate visual feedback, this sophisticated technology helps you train the deep, stabilizing muscles of your core to increase spinal support, decrease pain, increase bladder control, improve athletic performance and enhance normal daily activities. Learn more

Breathing Evaluation And Management

Breathing is often overlooked as a vital component of health. Poor breathing patterns are very common and may develop in response to pain, stress or simply through bad habits. Breathing helps to regulate important aspects of your body chemistry, such as pH, electrolyte balance, blood flow and kidney function.

Improper breathing habits can compromise these functions, leading to a wide range of unexplained symptoms, such as persistent pain, poor muscle strength/endurance, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, chest pain and fibromyalgia. The negative effects of inefficient breathing patterns can be far-reaching.

Unique Expertise and Skills

Laurie McLaughlin is a noted authority on breathing management and has trained the ProActive Health team in Capnography, a specialized technique used to assess and improve breathing patterns. We are one of the few clinics in the GTA to offer this advanced service.

Capnography measures carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in exhaled air and has been used reliably for years in critical care settings, such as hospital operating and emergency rooms. This measurement provides valuable insight into respiratory chemistry and breathing mechanics.

At ProActive Health, we use Capnography to identify poor breathing patterns that may be contributing to your health issues or affecting your athletic performance. These inefficient habits may be triggered by different positions (standing, sitting etc.) and different activities (exercise, stressful situations etc.).

To identify your specific breathing difficulties, we perform our testing by putting you in a variety of positions and situations. Once we know what triggers your breathing issues, we will develop a treatment program to retrain you in proper breathing patterns through self-awareness, education and personalized breathing exercises.

Registered Massage Therapy

Massage therapy at ProActive Health is provided by a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) and is offered as part of an integrated, hands-on treatment plan to promote a complete recovery. Learn more

Therapeutic Acupuncture

Therapeutic acupuncture combines traditional Chinese therapies with Western medical science to deliver a variety of health benefits. Very fine needles are used to target specific points on the body to relieve pain, reduce swelling and stimulate tissue healing.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is different from acupuncture. It is a specialized needling technique that helps to reduce tightness in muscle bands and trigger points. Gently inserting a very fine needle into localized areas of tightness causes a reflex reaction that helps the muscles relax. Relieving tightness eases pressure on muscle and joint structures which, in turn, reduces pain,
muscle tension and inflammation.

Pre/Post Surgical Care

If you require orthopaedic surgery for your back, neck, hip, knee or other parts of your body, our customized pre- and post-surgical treatment plans are essential for a speedy recovery. Our therapists will provide recommendations, training and therapeutic exercises to help you prepare for and recover from surgery and ensure a risk-free return to normal activities.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Many people suffer from pelvic pain, incontinence and urinary frequency caused by pelvic muscles that are too weak or too tight. To prevent these common problems, it’s important to maintain the strength of your pelvic floor. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help you learn to contract, relax and strengthen these muscles more effectively. Your therapist may use techniques such as manual therapy, fascial mobilization, relaxation techniques and breathing
management to help train your muscles and improve pelvic support and bladder control. We may also recommend ultrasound imaging to strengthen your mind/body connection and let you see how your muscles are responding as you exercise.

Conditions We Treat

Injuries and Conditions

Sports Activities

Work Activities

• Ergonomic Assessments
• Posture (Sitting/Standing/Computer)
• Stress and Anxiety Management (Breathing Evaluation)

Lifestyle Activities

• Seniors’ health and conditioning
• Backpacks
• Gardening
• Snow Shovelling
• Posture
• Walking
• Stretching

 Performing Arts Activities