Here's to a healthy, happy start to 2025! Let's make it a year of moving well and often—together.

What's New @ Move Therapeutics?

Final Week to Register for Mom & Me Series!

Midwinter Hygge Wellness Retreat ❄️🕯️

Embrace the winter and immerse yourself in the warmth of self-care and connection at our Midwinter Hygge Wellness Retreat on Saturday, February 1, 2025 from 1:00-5:00pm.

✨ What Awaits You:

• Guided Nature Walk with Emily: Breathe in the crisp winter air as you reconnect with nature and let it inspire your own capacity for rest and resilience.
• Yoga Nidra & Journaling with Dana: Experience deep rest and renewal through this guided meditation practice, and be supported in the transition from the practice with gentle, reflective prompts designed to inspire clarity and gratitude.
• Self-Reflexology Workshop with Jess L.: Learn techniques from Jessica L. to soothe your body and mind with gentle pressure on points of the hand/foot.
• Mala Bracelet-Making with Jess P.: Craft your own meaningful mala bracelet, a keepsake to carry your retreat intentions forward.

Unwind, restore, and embrace the magic of midwinter with us. Your journey to hygge begins here. 🧘‍♀️✨

 Community Wellness Events Board

💌 How to Participate:

If you or your business have a wellness event planned for the upcoming month and would like to share it with our community, we warmly invite you to submit your event poster! Simply bring it to our front desk, and we'll post it 30 days before your event date.

Let's work together to create a vibrant network of resources, events, and support systems that uplift and inspire us all. Whether you're organizing an event or simply looking for ways to engage in wellness, the Community Wellness Events Board is here for you. Together, let's build a healthier, happier community—one event at a time!

Updated Office Hours for 2025

Fun Fact of the Month!

Hippocrates' Legacy: The Father of Modern Medicine and Physiotherapy

While Hippocrates is well-known for his teachings on massage as a therapeutic practice, Hippocrates also emphasized the critical role of physical exercise in promoting health and recovery. He believed that movement and exercise were essential for maintaining balance in the body, aiding recovery from illness, and preventing future ailments. His understanding of the connection between movement and health laid the groundwork for the idea that physical activity is medicine—a concept physiotherapists champion to this day.

Quick Tips:

Shoulder Pain

Exercise #1: Doorway Stretch

Stand in a doorway with your arms at a 90-degree angle, palms facing forward, and elbows bent. Place your forearms on the door frame and gently lean forward until you feel a stretch across your chest and shoulders. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. Slowly step back to return to the starting position. Repeat 2-3 times. This stretch helps to lengthen and loosen the muscles of the chest and front shoulder, which can relieve shoulder pain and improve flexibility.

Exercise #2: External Rotation with Resistance Band

Attach a resistance band to a door handle or other secure point. Stand with your side facing the door, holding the band with the hand closest to the door. Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees and close to your body. Slowly rotate your forearm away from your body, keeping your elbow fixed at your side. Pause for a second at the end of the movement. Slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10-15 repetitions, 2-3 times per day. This exercise strengthens the external rotators of the shoulder, which helps stabilize the shoulder joint and can alleviate pain caused by weakness or imbalances.

Exercise #3: Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

Stand or sit with your back straight. Extend one arm straight out in front of you, then bring it across your chest. Use your other arm to gently pull the extended arm closer to your chest, feeling a stretch across your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Slowly release and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Perform 2-3 times on each side. This stretch targets the posterior shoulder muscles and the upper back, helping to relieve tightness and improve shoulder mobility.

Women's Health:

Diastasis Recti: Focus on Return to Function 

Diastasis recti is a condition where the abdominal muscles spread apart due to stretching and thinning of the linea alba, the connective tissue that runs down the midline of the abdomen. Thinning of the linea alba is normal and occurs in 100% of pregnancies so that the body can grow a human (pretty incredible right!). Following pregnancy, it will take time for your body to build up strength and tension through the core and the linea alba. Quite often, tummies don't look quite the same post-partum, which can be distressing for many women. We advocate that women focus on regaining core function and strength, rather than focusing on "closing the gap". We often coach women to think about what your amazing post-partum body can do for you; from lifting heavy car seats, carrying your baby and pushing a stroller, just to name a few. You can still have a gap between your abdominal muscles and have no limitations with core strength and function.

Symptoms of diastasis recti include:

• A visible bulge or ridge along the midline of the abdomen, especially noticeable when contracting the abdominal muscles.
• Lower back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and poor posture.
• Weakness in the core muscles, making it challenging to perform certain movements.

How Physiotherapy Can Help

Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in the treatment and recovery from diastasis recti. Here's how:

1. Assessment and Diagnosis: A pelvic physiotherapist can accurately diastasis recti through physical examination, checking the width and depth of the separation.
2. Tailored Exercise Programs: Pelvic physiotherapists design personalized exercise programs to strengthen the deep core muscles, including the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor muscles. These exercises focus on proper breathing techniques and gradual core exercise progressions.
3. Manual Therapy Techniques: Techniques such as soft tissue massage and manual manipulation can help improve tissue mobility and alignment, facilitating the healing process. This is especially important for women who are recovering following a caesarean birth.
4. Education and Lifestyle Modifications: Pelvic physiotherapists educate new mothers on safe body mechanics for daily activities and lifting techniques. They also provide guidance on postural corrections and breathing strategies to reduce strain on the abdominal muscles.
5. Monitoring Progress: Regular follow-up sessions allow pelvic physiotherapists to monitor progress and adjust treatment plans as needed, ensuring optimal recovery.

Tips for New Mothers

• Start Early: Begin physiotherapy sessions as soon as your healthcare provider gives you the green light postpartum.
• Be Consistent: Commit to your exercise program and follow the advice of your physiotherapist for best results.
• Patience is Key: Recovery from diastasis recti takes time and effort, so be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, don't hesitate to reach out to our pelvic health physiotherapy team. Here's to a healthy and active postpartum recovery. Move well and move often mamas!

Jane App:

My Account - Your Patient Portal

There are lots of things that can be done from the My Account page!

- Update your username and password *OR* set up your account to log in with your social media account rather than having to remember yet another username and password

- Manage how you would like to receive reminders & notifications

- Complete intake and other forms

- View and manage their upcoming appointments

- Review all their past appointments

- Access all of past payment receipts 

- Join online appointments from here 

- Cancel or reschedule their appointment as needed

- Update contact information

- Choose to opt-in to marketing emails

Research Corner

*Double Feature*

Understanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Pregnancy

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition that causes tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hands and wrists. It often develops during pregnancy but is frequently overlooked because its symptoms can mimic normal pregnancy changes. If left undiagnosed or untreated, CTS can lead to long-term nerve damage, impacting a woman's quality of life both during and after pregnancy.

While there are well-established treatments for CTS in the general population, managing this condition in pregnant and postpartum women requires extra care. Pregnancy-related physical changes and the likelihood that CTS often resolves on its own after delivery limit the available treatment options.

This makes early diagnosis and a tailored management plan essential to prevent complications. Effective care involves a team effort, including general practitioners, obstetricians, hand specialists, rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Together, they can create a preventive and personalized approach to support women through their pregnancy journey and beyond.

For personalized guidance on prenatal or post partum exercise or to schedule a consultation with our physiotherapy team, please contact us: office@movetherapeutics.ca

Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38540982/

The Benefits of Longer Rest Periods
in Resistance Training

A recent study has highlighted the advantages of taking longer breaks between sets during resistance training. It found that resting for 5 minutes between sets (compared to 2 minutes) helps muscles recover better, leading to stronger performance and higher training volume. These factors are important for building muscle size (hypertrophy) and increasing strength over time.

In this study, eight healthy young adults completed two resistance training sessions with either 2-minute (short rest) or 5-minute (long rest) breaks between sets. The results showed that longer rest periods led to better muscle activation, greater force output, and more total work done. In contrast, shorter rests caused muscles to tire faster and resulted in lower performance during later sets.

Interestingly, longer rest periods also reduced the metabolic stress on muscles, as shown by lower blood lactate levels. However, participants didn't report a noticeable difference in how hard the workouts felt (perceived exertion) or in heart rate between the two rest intervals.

For those aiming to build muscle and strength, this research suggests that incorporating 5-minute rest intervals into a training routine may allow for better long-term results. While shorter rests may be useful for time efficiency or specific goals, longer rests seem to maximize recovery and performance, making them a powerful tool for strength and hypertrophy-focused programs. Find the study here!

Speaking of rest, it's not too late to explore the themes of rest and resilience at our Midwinter Hygge Wellness Retreat on Saturday, February 1, 2025.  Join us for a guided nature walk, yoga nidra, mindful journaling, guided self-reflexology, and guided Mala bracelet-making. This retreat offers the perfect blend of relaxation, mindfulness, and creativity. 

More details can be found here!