Breathing is arguably one of the most important processes – it is literally life-sustaining. So why do so many of us need to be reminded to breathe, and to breathe properly?     If you watch an infant breathing, it is perfection. Their little bellies expand as the diaphragm drops down on the inhale, and contract passively as they exhale. Their ribs move up and out as they fill their lungs, and down and in […]

Challenge yourself to get active this spring and participate in the Ottawa Physio Race on Saturday, May 3. There are options of a 2km, 5km or 10km walk/run along the canal this year. The Ottawa Physio Race began in 1988 as a way to raise awareness of the physiotherapy profession and to raise funds for the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. Now, 26 years later, the race remains an opportunity to raise awareness of physiotherapy, as […]

  Icing an acute injury may be a thing of the past. New research is suggesting that our bodies’ natural inflammatory response that results in symptoms such as swelling, redness, reduced range of motion and pain may actually be helpful in the healing process. Tissue damage sets off an immune response, similar to what happens when germs enter the body. This immune response is known as inflammation. When germs enter the body, the immune systems sends […]

…..well not directly – we actually have the collarbone, scapula, and humerus in between, but recent research is suggesting we take a much closer look at what’s happening around the neck in our patients with lateral epicondylitis, or more commonly known as “Tennis Elbow”. A recent study coming out of the University of Queensland, Australia, and published in the Journal of Manipulative & Physiologic Therapeutics, has found a greater prevalence of bilateral cervical spinal dysfunction (or “neck problems”) […]

OC3, in conjunction with Adishesha Yoga Zone, is now offering a Postpartum Yoga Program for new Moms. The program will be led by registered physiotherapist and certified yoga instructor, Shelagh Haynes. The cost of the program is covered by most private health insurance plans.   Why Postpartum Yoga? After the changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy and delivery, and with the new physical demands of caring for a baby, many women experience pelvic […]

The city of Ottawa has initiated a zoning study with the aim to determine suitable sites for commercial businesses within residential neighbourhoods.   We at OC3 are actively following the developments of this study, with the hope that the city will identify our clinic location (102 Lewis Street) among those to be rezoned to allow mixed or commercial use. Our clinic has been open for over two years.  The majority of our clientele live or […]

A recent study coming from the Division of Graduate Studies at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (and published within the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics 2014; 37(1): 22-31), looked to determine whether cervical spine adjustments caused a reduction in vertebral artery blood flow.  The vertebral artery is the main source of blood to the brain, and vertebral artery dissection is often the cause of stroke in young adults. The study involved 10 male participants, and […]

Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains, explains in this brief video [1] the connection between hydration levels and the characteristics of our fascia (connective tissue that supports and surrounds muscles, blood vessels, nerves, of the body) as we age. Essentially, dried out fascia = fraying of the connective tissue = stiffness = increased likelihood of pain and injuries. Keeping our tissues hydrated is crucial to keeping them young and supple. How do I keep my tissues hydrated, […]

I love coffee, but that wasn’t always the case.  Growing up I couldn’t stand the taste of it, but slowly, I progressed from Cafe Mocha’s, to Tim’s flavoured Cappuccino’s, “Double Doubles”, and finally to black coffee – probably too much of it I also love to run, and over the years I’ve had a mental dual between the coffee loving side of my brain, and the side that keeps whispering “don’t drink so much coffee […]

A randomized clinical trial [1] supports the use of trigger point dry needling (TrP-DN) for acute mechanical neck pain. [2] Participants in the study were divided into 2 groups – one group received one treatment session of TrP-DN, the other group received no treatment. The treatment group had less neck pain, more active cervical spine range of motion, and could tolerate more pressure over the C5-C6 facet joint both 10 minutes after treatment and 1 […]

  Despite giving women the allusion of sexy legs and backsides for years, I am always trying to enlighten my fashionista sister about the potential dangers of wearing high heels. She argues that they complete her outfit, which may be true (what do I know about fashion?), but now at least I have some scientific evidence out of Poland to strengthen my argument against wearing pumps as everyday footwear.       A study by […]

“Sit up straight!”. Most children have heard this phrase from a parent or a teacher, but how many of them actually know what it means? Often, the child will over-correct his or her posture – stiffening supporting muscles by puffing the chest out and arching the lower back – just to make the nagging stop, only to return to a slumped C-shaped curve within a minute or two. Although it’s been a while since I […]

As a part of the federal budget passed earlier this month by the government of Canada, appointments with Naturopathic Doctors are now exempt from GST/HST.  This means that GST/HST is no longer charged to patients on appointments fees that are booked with their Naturopaths. For more information on how Naturopathic Medicine can help to improve your health, or to book an appointment, please call 613-290-6115.  Graham Beaton is the Naturopathic Doctor at Ottawa Collaborative Care […]

A new Australian study published in 2013 by Coombes et al. [1] looked at the effects of corticosteroid injections and physiotherapy as treatments for lateral epicondylalgia, aka “tennis elbow”. Lateral epicondylalgia is a painful, and often pesky, condition in which the tendons of the forearm extensor muscles that attach at the outside of the elbow (the lateral epicondyle) become painful from overuse. Overuse of these muscles can come from a variety of activities, such as […]

Complimentary and alternative therapies are becoming an increasingly popular choice for the treatment of headache symptoms in both adults and children.  In a recent review paper by Schetzek S, Heinen F, Kruse S et al., the author’s aim was to summarize the current evidence existing around the various alternative therapies used in the treatment of childhood primary headache syndromes. Following a review of the literature, the following findings and conclusions were made: strong evidence exists supporting […]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a painful condition of the wrist and hand that results from compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway on the palm-side of your wrist; the tunnel is made up of your 8 small carpal (wrist) bones and a thick band of tissue known as the transverse ligament. The median nerve can become compressed in this narrow space due […]

Ginger isn’t just for tummy aches or a mix for Canadian rye.  Researchers have now discovered that ingesting three grams of either ginger or cinnamon daily for six weeks can lower blood levels of IL-6, the gene primarily responsible for our muscle soreness following a run.   Both ginger and cinnamon consumption resulted in lower IL-6 levels, however reduced muscle soreness was only reported in the group consuming ginger. One of my favourite drinks (winter […]

As reported by the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention, osteoarthritis (OA) is more physically limiting then lung disease, heart disease and diabetes mellitus.  In particular, osteoarthritis of the knee  is quite common and can be extremely limiting and in many cases debilitating.   We know the elderly are more prone to slips and falls, and with an increased incidence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in today’s society, the importance of addressing pain and dysfunction in the lower […]

As published recently within the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sport, researchers in Luxembourg found that runners who regularly alternated between two or more different models of running shoes were 31% less likely to suffer from repetitive/overuse running injuries compared to those runners to stuck to a single pair of shoes.  By alternating between shoes, the feet and legs are forced to move in slightly different ways, thereby slightly changing which muscles (or more specifically […]

Pedorthists are like chicken soup for the sole. I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with Neil Rosenthal (Certified Pedorthist and Pedorthic Technician) at SoleFit this week. He began by asking me about my walking and running habits, history of injuries and other physical activities I’m involved in to get an idea of the journey my feet carry me through in a typical week. Then, he took a look at the running shoes I […]