What is RAPID NeuroFascial Reset?

RAPID is a type of massage that treats aches and pains by focusing on the nerves rather than muscle tissue. It’s a lotion-free technique, so the client remains clothed, and the treatment is movement-based to encourage the client to perform active motion. Everyone sits on a different pain spectrum, whether it’s having a hangnail vs a broken bone vs fibromyalgia. When you feel pain, whether it’s something slight or sharp, a recent and acute injury, or something that’s long-term and chronic, that pain sensation is coming from nerves that are excessively sensitive. What is normally expected is that when the brain processes this sensory information it reacts by kicking off an inflammatory response to start healing: your immune cells come flushing in and cause swelling to occur to protect and clean the area, but sometimes they aren’t flushed out and they end up contributing more to that increased nerve sensitivity. Your body then reacts by locking down tissues, causing a cascade effect starting with muscle tightness and restriction,  weakness, compensatory movements, bad movement habits and even more pain. The purpose of RAPID is to reset that nerve hypersensitivity back to neutral. RAPID works by exciting the nerves again to re-create that inflammatory process but make it better: it increases tissue hydration to allow them to slide and glide again, it cleans out the cells that are causing hypersensitivity to the nerves and it activates the body’s natural morphines for pain relief. The intensity of the technique along with the client’s active movements allows the body to downgrade the pain and reprogram the sensory information processed by the brain. This then causes an immediate change in how the body responds to what it’s now feeling. It’s for this reason that treatment lengths are shorter and the results last longer. Since RAPID mainly targets pain and restrictions in the body, and pain is not exclusive to any specific persons, RAPID can be used on just about everyone: from babies to pregnant women to the elderly, from super active athletes to those with more sedentary lifestyles. The intensity of the treatment is adjusted to each client, and modifications can easily be made for mobility issues. The technique also doesn’t physically alter tissues, it’s just changing the information from the nerves, so it’s able to be used for many conditions and contributes greatly to faster healing.  

What are the benefits?

RAPID offers the practitioner the ability to successfully treat the most complex painful musculoskeletal complaints that mainstream medicine offers little help for such as sciatica, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, bursitis, frozen shoulder, Baker’s cysts, back pain, migraines, TMJ-D, vertigo, tinnitus, arthritis, knee pain, golfer’s and tennis elbow and so much more.  

When and where did it originate?

RAPID was developed by Canadian Massage Therapists Robert and Sherry Routledge who have been successfully using their method to treat patients for well over a decade. Their goal as teachers is to empower other therapists to gain a new level of clinical success with their most challenging patients. RAPID helps the therapist to gain patient compliance by quickly eliminating even the most painful issues in their clients.  

To book an appointment, call 709-757-3310

Undiagnosed ADHD

ADHD

16 year old Johnny isn’t lazy – He has ADHD.

John just started Grade 11. Although the school year just started, his parents are already worried about him. John is smart and has always done well in school, but his grades started to slip last year and the trend continues. John is generally well behaved but seems to be floundering in school. He is disorganized, leaves everything to the last minute and just can’t seem to get his act together.

But John does want to do well in school. He wants to get his work done. He can’t seem to figure out why he procrastinates and leaves everything to the last minute. He sees his friends doing well on math tests and knows he could do the same, if he just studied and paid attention.

John’s parents have tried everything to get him on the right track. They’ve taken away his gaming system and his phone, told him to “buckle down” and have threatened to take away his extra-curricular activates. Nothing has worked. They are quickly running out of options and feel helpless to make things better.

What John and his parents don’t know is that he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). There are three subtypes:

  • Primarily Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD
  • Primarily Inattentive ADHD (formerly called ADD)
  • Combined Type ADHD

You can spot youth with Hyperactive ADHD a mile away. These are the kids in school who are fidgety, restless, and excessively active.

But the Inattentive type are another matter. These young people are not disruptive and tend to “fly under the radar” within the school system. They are often seen as bright children who, “just won’t apply themselves”.

Many Inattentive types can get by in school on their raw intelligence. They have trouble focusing and paying attention, but in their younger years they still manage to get good grades. But then, in High School, they hit a wall. They can’t skate along like they used to – they need to write essays and complete complex assignments – things that take time and attention. And this is often where they start to struggle.

 

Are you wondering if your child may have ADHD? Here are some points to consider:

  • If your family is going out somewhere, is this child always the last out the door?
  • Is your child easily distracted?
  • Has homework time become a “battle” in your home?
  • Are you constantly reminding them to get homework started? Are they constantly looking to “take a break”?
  • Do they start a homework assignment but can’t seem to finish?
  • Do they have difficulty completing tasks that are “routine but necessary”?
  • Is your child constantly late getting things done?
  • Do they leave everything to the last minute?
  • Do they often make careless mistakes?
  • Have you often thought that your child can get higher grades, “if only they applied themselves”?
  • Do you feel, despite these issues, that your child genuinely wants to do well in school and takes pride in getting good grades?
  • Have you often thought that your teenager may be somewhat immature for their age?

If you’ve answered “yes” to many of these questions, this may be indicative of something that requires further investigation. Clearly, not every child who is struggling in school has ADHD. Some children have undiagnosed learning disabilities and there may be a host of other possible explanations. However, three things are clear:

  • Most children attending school want to do well. If they’re not reaching their potential, they know it. But they often don’t know why.
  • Sticking the label “lazy” on a child serves no useful purpose.
  • If the only tool a parent has in their toolbox is “punishment”, then we need to find ways to support parents in exploring other options.

The school year has just started. Taking a “Wait and see – let’s see if he grows out of it” approach may not be the best strategy. There are many adults with undiagnosed ADHD. For those who are finally diagnosed in their 20s and 30s, many wish they had received treatment sooner.

Brian Kenny M.S.W., R.S.W.
Registered Therapist
Riverside Therapeutics

Anxiety, Depression, and your Morning Shower

Anxiety Depression, and your Morning Shower

Anxiety and depression are really two sides of the same coin- where you see one, you often see the other. For people suffering from anxiety/depression, just getting out of bed to start your day can be a chore. So, here’s what happens. You wake up, find your way to the bathroom, turn on the shower…and that’s when the ANTS start flowing. 

What are ANTS. They are Automatic Negative Thoughts. And they can be merciless. Here’s what it sounds like: 

“I have to get dressed and get to work. You wonder if your favorite shirt is clean. Which for some reason reminds you of that favorite shirt you had in high school. Which reminds you of that school dance you went to, the first time you wore that shirt. Which reminds you of the time you asked the cute girl to dance, and she said no, which reminds you of the stupid feeling you had as you walked away…”

So, you’re not 5 minutes awake, your standing naked in the shower and for some reason you will never understand, you’re remembering a time in your life when your self-confidence took a punch in the gut. 

Another great start to another morning. 

You’ll probably never see this in any textbook about anxiety/depression, but you’d be surprised how many people tell me they hate their morning routine. They wake up, their mind slowly comes to life, and then the negative thoughts start to flow. The negative thoughts that say:

Labeling: You’re not good enough.

Minimizing: Yeah, you’re a nice person, but nice guys finish last.

Maximizing: That joke I told yesterday really bombed, didn’t it, man I can’t do anything right. 

Mind Reading: The boss was just being nice to me; he really didn’t like my idea. I don’t know why I keep opening my gob.

Fortune Telling: There’s no way I’m ever going to get back in shape. It’ll never happen. I just can’t do it. 

Emotional Reasoning: That feeling in the pit of my stomach, that’s proof that I’m never going to meet someone. Other people can find love after a divorce, but they’re the lucky ones, it’ll never happen for me. 

Catastrophizing:  my gut tells me I’m going to flunk this test I’m about to take (emotional reasoning), I just know I’m going to fail (fortune telling) and my teacher will think I’m stupid (mind reading) and everyone will think I’m an idiot (labeling), yeah I’ve done pretty well so far in the course but so what? (minimizing) I’ll probably end up flunking out of school. 

Does this ring any bells?  I had a client a few years ago, his morning flood of ANTS became so troubling, he started showering at night. If that wasn’t possible, he’d skip the morning shower all together. 

Why does this happen? Frankly, I don’t know. It just seems to be a quirky feature of this two-headed creature. But we do know what you can do about it. 

If you’re suffering from anxiety/depression, your negative thoughts fuel your negative thinking. It’s a vicious cycle. If you spend any time on social media, you’re quickly told the solution to your problem.  Positive thinking. That’s the answer to all your problems. Just snap out of it. Turn your frown upside down. Look on the bright side. 

Anyone tired of hearing that? It gets old fast, doesn’t it?  So, what do you do? 

You learn the strategies of cognitive behavioral therapy and then you start your morning this way, engaging in Rational Self Talk:

“Okay, my Counsellor and I have talked about my anxiety/depression and how this leads to having a lot of ANTS. I used to take my ANTs at face value and believe them, merely because of sheer repetition in my head. I no longer do that. My Counselor has taught me a new motto, DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK”.

So, now each morning I step into the shower. I have no control over what pops into my head. I will not try to force these thoughts out of my head – that’s doesn’t work. I will notice these thoughts. But I will no longer instantly believe them. I will ask myself the question, “Is this negative thought fair, is it true? 

Yes, I’m about to take an exam. I’ve studied for it. No, I’m not going into this final with an A average, but I’ve been getting low to mid Bs all semester. It’s a tough course. In the past, I’d be standing here in the shower, fortune telling and catastrophizing, getting myself all worked up. I am anxious about this exam. I won’t pretend that I’m not. But if I was looking at this situation, as if it was happening to someone else, I think the only reasonable conclusion to come to, is that this person will probably get a decent grade.  That is a reasonable conclusion to make. It won’t make my anxiety go away completely, but it allows me to distinguish between a rational thought and an irrational, anxiety fueled ANT”. 

And that is the beginning of your journey, as you learn how to manage, (not control, but manage), your automatic negative thoughts. 

Brian Kenny

Mental Health Clinician 

Female Intuition – It’s Relationship to Anxiety


I am a therapist in private practice in St. John’s.
My Mom is 90 years old. Years ago, she told me the story of the time my sister, who by then was married with a child, came over to the house for lunch. Mom looked into her eyes and knew instantly that my sister was pregnant with her 2nd child.  Several weeks later, my sister announced to the family that she and her husband were expecting their 2 nd child. Mom’s response, “Yeah, I
already know”.

I’m not here to debate whether female intuition exists or not. I accept it as a real thing. You are free to believe something else.

But, here’s the thing. Female intuition is often the most accurate when you are observing something outside yourself. It’s that radar that tells you, as you’re walking to your car at night, that something is not quite right. It’s that feeling that you get, when you meet a guy for the first time, that he’s a “player”. It’s that feeling you get when you know someone is lying to you.

All these intuitions have one thing in common. They are about other people or situations involving your external environment.

Now, what does this have to do with anxiety?

We all have ANTS, Automatic Negative Thoughts, that fuel our anxiety. And there are different kind of ANTs:
Labeling: I’m stupid.
Minimizing: Yeah, I’m a kind person, but so are a lot of people.
Catastrophizing: I bet that mole on my leg is cancer.
Mind reading: My boss is scowling, what did I do wrong?
Fortune Telling: I just know they’re going to hate my idea.

And the BIG ONE, EMOTIONAL REASONING.

Emotional Reasoning is that feeling you get in your gut that tells you things, ABOUT YOURSELF. Female intuition is different – it’s about other people and your external environment. So, if you are a woman with social anxiety, and you are at a party where there are several strangers, you may get a knot in your stomach. To the person with social anxiety, this knot is “proof” that you don’t belong. It’s evidence that you shouldn’t be there. It’s telling you that others (Mind Reading) are wondering how you got invited. It’s telling you (Fortune Telling) that you’ll say/do something stupid. It’s that gut feeling that says you don’t make the grade and you should leave.

Of course, that knot in your stomach is not “proof” of anything. It’s merely a symptom of social anxiety. NOTHING MORE. But you interpret the knot as a sign that you don’t belong.

So, here’s the thing. You may have amazing female intuition. It may be deadly accurate about others, their intentions and about the external world around you. BUT, that doesn’t mean the negative things you believe about yourself are true.

As a therapist, I’ve worked with many women who have been through divorce who firmly believe, “I will never meet someone, it will never happen, I just know it”.
That is not female intuition. That is the Fortune Telling anxiety ANT messing with your head.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy forces us to examine our thoughts with an objective lens. It reminds us, ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Think”. Knowing the difference between intuition and ANTs is an important tool to manage anxious feelings.

 

Brian Kenny M.S.W., R.S.W.

Kinesiology – Now an option for Direct Insurance Billing

stjohns_newfoundland_kinesiology

One of Canada’s largest insurance providers is making Kinesiology a regular part of its plans – and then some.

Until 2019, Desjardins Insurance covered Kinesiology as part of its extended health benefits when clients asked for it. Now, however, the company has begun proactively offering Kinesiology as an option to all clients with 50 or more plan members.

On top of that, Desjardins has added Kinesiology to their new Healthy Weight program package – a program aimed at tackling Canada’s growing obesity crisis.

“As an insurer, we have to do everything we can to help our clients support their plan members who need help managing their weight,” says Martin Nadon, Product Manager, Health and Speciality Products. “Covering Kinesiology treatments is an integral part of how we’re going to do that.

“It can coach plan members on the safest and most effective physical fitness programs for their personal situation. It can also help prevent injury and frustration, and it will encourage them to keep up with their exercise programs and continue to progress.”

Motivating the change is the uptick in obesity in Canada. The percentage of Canadians who are overweight or obese has risen from 49% in 1978 to 64% in 2017. Today, one in four adults and one in 10 children are obese, creating greater risk for problems like diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol.

Associations such as the World Health Organization consider obesity a chronic illness, one impacted by factors like environment, genetics and lifestyle, among other factors. Desjardins estimated that obesity costs employers $7.1 billion* per year in healthcare and lost productivity.

Desjardins’ new Healthy Weight program aims to tackle that challenge. The program includes obesity drug treatments as well as support from key health professionals, including Kinesiologists, alongside psychologists and dietitians.

Desjardins recommends that claimants check their coverage information before submitting claims to ensure they are covered for Kinesiology treatments. Claimants should also ask about what maximums may apply, such as maximum fee per visit or number of treatments per year.

The Ontario Kinesiology Association is pleased to see Kinesiology increasingly being recognized by providers like Desjardins as a vital benefit. OKA will continue to work on behalf of members to further promote Kinesiology as an essential extended health benefit.

*source: “Obesity in Canada” Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, March 2016. / « L’obésité au Canada », Rapport du Comité sénatorial permanent des Affaires sociales, des sciences et de la technologie, mars 2016. 

Why do more women suffer from Arthritis?

Female-with-arthritis

ARTICLE:

Roughly one in four women have been given diagnoses of arthritis, compared with about one in five men, according to national health figures. But there are more than a hundred different kinds of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects both genders equally, though different joints may be affected in men and women.

Other arthritic disorders affect far more women than men, with rheumatoid arthritis affecting three times as many women as men and lupus, an autoimmune condition that affects many organs, including the joints, affecting nine times as many women.

Gout or gouty arthritis is more prevalent among men until the older ages, when women catch up and the incidence between the sexes evens out.

Thumb arthritis is more common in women, and can be very disabling. Women are more susceptible to thumb arthritis than men for a number of reasons:

  • Genetics. Osteoarthritis seems to run in families, and researchers have found specific genetic links among women for hand and knee osteoarthritis.
  • Hormones. Research suggests that female hormones have an effect on the cushioning cartilage that sits between the bones of the joints to allow smooth joint movement. Although the female hormone estrogen protects cartilage from inflammation, women lose that protection after menopause when estrogen levels drop.
  • Joint stability. Women’s joints are more lax than men’s—the bones move around more and are less stable within the joint. When joints have less stability, they are more prone to injury, and injuries can lead to arthritis.

When to seek treatment for your arthritis

Arthritis doesn’t have to spell the end of an active life. If you are experiencing worrisome symptoms or persistent pain, the physiotherapy team at Riverside Therapeutics can help. We work with you to identify your functional problems and develop an appropriate treatment plan.  Start your journey to healthier joints and a more active lifestyle. Call (709) 757-3310 or visit Riversidewellness.ca.

Foam Rolling is for Everyone

How often do I foam roll?

Generally, foam rolling large muscle groups (such as the quads, hamstrings, calves, etc.) can be done once or twice a day for 30 seconds up to a minute or more. The amount of pressure will depend on your level of soreness and your comfort level. Foam rollers vary in terms of softness and can range from being very soft, to very hard and stiff (for a deeper and more intense massage); therefore, it is best to try a few different types in order to get a foam roller that is suitable for your needs. Depending on the area being rolled out, this procedure can be a bit uncomfortable – but it should not be causing you any sharp or shooting pain when rolling.

When do I foam roll and why does it help?

Foam rolling can be done before or after a workout/exercise session of any kind (or both!). It can also be done periodically throughout the day, when you wake up, or before bed. It is also beneficial to foam roll when your muscles are feeling tight and sore, or when your physical therapist recommends it – such as part of your rehabilitation exercise program! After your workout, rolling out the main muscles used has been shown to decrease the incidence of muscle soreness post-workout by temporarily increasing blood flow to the rolled muscles. This increase in blood flow contributes to more rapid muscle restoration and healing post-exercise. Alongside some dynamic warm-up exercises, gentle foam rolling before working out has been shown to increase muscle flexibility without decreasing muscle force production. This means that you can still lift weights and move around normally during your workout with an increase in your joint range of motion.

If you have any questions about foam rolling and its benefits, or if you would like a personal review of a foam rolling exercise for your rehabilitation program set out by any of our physiotherapists, please contact us at (709) 757-3310 or online at www.riversidewellness.ca

What is Sciatica?

what-is-sciatica

What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica refers to a back dysfunction that involves the sciatic nerve leading to radiating pain into the leg. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When the sciatic nerve is being compressed or irritated, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg. Up to 90% of people recover from sciatica without surgery.

Symptoms of Sciatica

The most common symptom of sciatica is pain extending down one leg with or without back pain. The pain usually affects only one leg and may get worse when you sit, cough, or sneeze. The leg may also feel numb, weak, or tingly at times. The symptoms of sciatica tend to appear suddenly and can last for days or weeks.

How can Physiotherapy help?

Treatment for sciatica will differ depending on the cause, but there is a broad range of treatment options available. A physiotherapist will conduct an assessment to identify the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Treatment may include:

  • Spinal manipulation
  • Stretching exercises to alleviate sciatic pain by relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve
  • Strengthening exercises: low back, abdominal, glute and hip exercises can build a strong core to support the spine
  • Aerobic Exercise

If you are suffering with Sciatica, lower back or leg pain, don’t hesitate to call Riverside Therapeutics. Our therapists will put you on the road to recovery.
www.RiversideWellness.ca