Rosedale Wellness Centre

Alexander Technique is a way to feel better,and move in a more relaxed and comfortable way... in the way nature intended.  An Alexander Technique teacher helps you to indentify  and lose the harmful habits that have been built over a lifetime of stress and learn to move more freely.  It is a re-education of your mind and body, a method that helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension.  It can be applied  to sitting, lying  down, standing, walking, lifting and other daily activities.  The Alexander Technique may also be helpful if: 

• You suffer from repetitive strain injury or carpal tunnel syndrome.
• You have a backache or stiff neck and shoulders
• You become uncomfortable when sitting at your computer for long periods of time

www.alexandertechnique.com/

Traditional Chinese Medicine/ Acupuncture

The key principle that defines and connects all of Chinese medicine is that of Chi, or vital energy. The chi of all organs must be in balance, neither too active nor too dormant, for a person to be healthy.  The chi of the body's organs and systems are all connected in meridians or channels that lie just under the skin.  A Naturopathic Doctor will use Eastern herbs and/ or  acupuncture to assist the body in regulating the chi and achieving this balance.  Acupuncture is the use of very fine needles which are inserted into specific meridian points.  The practice of acupuncture has been around for over two thousand years and has proven to be very effective especially for pain relief and chronic illness.

Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors  www.cand.ca

Types of Massage:

Swedish Massage is done on a table with the client dis-robed and draped.  The massage is done with oil or lotion and combines techniques of sweeping motions, light to heavy pressure and soft tissue manipulation.  Swedish massage therapists follow anatomy and physiology to facilitate healing.

Thai Massage is a treatment that takes place on a mat, where the client is dressed in loose clothing. Clients are manipulated through stretching, assisted yoga postures, acupressure, reflexology of the hands, feet, face and ears, and deep tissue and myofascial release through pressing techniques and traction.  Thai massage practitioners follow a network of energy channels in the body to achieve healing. 

Shiatsu is a non-invasive therapy designed to stimulate the body's inherent ability to heal itself by which a trained practitioner presses thumbs, fingers and palms on pressure points all over the body.  Shiatsu training teaches students how to press correctly on all these centers of vitality in the body.

Hot Stone Massage is a specialty massage where the therapist uses smooth, heated stones, either as an extension of their own hands or by placing them on the body while the therapist massages other parts of the body.  The heat will warm and relax tight muscles so the therapist is able to apply deeper pressure. 

Sports Massage utilizes Swedish techniques to stimulate or fatigue muscles. Unique and specific strokes combined with a fast or slow tempo can essentially turn muscles "off" or "on". 

A pre-activity massage warms the muscles and increases circulation while a post-activity treatment  focuses on relieving tight muscles with deeper techniques while increasing circulation to help process lactic acid (by-product of exercise that creates muscle soreness) at a quicker rate.

Sport massage can be a beneficial option for athletes of all performance levels seeking to enhance their game, well-being and improve recovery time.

Pregnancy Massage is massage therapy specifically tailored for the expectant mother's needs.  It is also called a pre-natal massage.  Pregnancy massage has been found to reduce stress, decrease swelling in the arms and legs, and relieve aches and pains in muscles and joints.  It is a popular complementary therapy during pregnancy for back pain when choices for pain relief such as medication are limited.  

College of Massage Therapists of Ontario www.cmto.com

Osteopathy is drugless patient-centered treatment that enhances the body's natural ability to heal itself.  It is based on an extensive knowledge and understanding of the anatomy and the physiology of the body.  The Osteopathic Manual Practitioner uses a "hands-on" therapy that is based on a highly developed sense of touch.  Osteopathy applies the understanding of the relationship of one part of the body to all other parts of the body.  The Osteopathic treatment can ease pain, reduce  swelling and improve tissue mobility which helps the body function better as a whole. 

Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners www.osteopathy.ca

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure used in the treatment of varicose veins.  Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution or 'sclerosant' directly into the vein.  This solution 'scleroses' the vein - that is, irritates the inner vein walls causing them to thicken and seal off the vein.  Gradually the body converts the sclerosed vein into scar tissue which cannot be seen or felt.

 The initial consultation for varicose vein sclerotherapy is covered by OHIP.  On this visit, the type of treatments will be determined. 

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine.  The naturopathic philosophy is to stimulate the healing power of the body and treat the underlying cause of disease.  Symptoms of disease are seen as warning signals of improper functioning of the body and unfavourable lifestyle habits.  Naturopathic Medicine emphasizes disease as part of process rather than as an entity. 

Treating both acute and chronic conditions, naturopathic treatments are chosen based on the individual patient - their physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environmental and lifestyle factors.  In addition to diet and lifestyle changes, natural therapies including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, naturopathic manipulation and tradtional Chinese medicine/ acupuncture, may also be used during treatments. 

In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession's infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-art scientific research. 

Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors www.cand.ca

Athletic Therapy is a profession that provides a variety of services that assist active people who have sustained or could sustain an injury.  These services fall into three main areas:

Prevention: Athletic therapists employ many strategies to help active individuals avoid or minimize the possibility of injury

Immediate care: Many musculo-skeletal orthopedic injuries require immediate expert care, including injury assessment, first aid and transition into the health care system.

Rehabilitation: Post-injury, athletic therapy focuses on preparing active individuals to re-establish their pre-injury lifestyle through physical reconditioning, hands-on therapy and other rehabilitative techniques.

An athletic therapist is a certified member of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association and is qualified to use the letters CAT(C) after their name.

Canadian Athletic Therapist Association www.athletictherapy.org

Physiotherapy is a drug-free health care practice.  Physiotherapists work in partnership with individuals of all ages to break down the barriers to physical function whether that means working with patients pre and post surgery, helping people come back from illness and chronic disease, injury, industrial and motor vehicle accidents and age related conditions.  Physiotherapists  also play an important role in health promotion and disease prevention.

Ontario Physiotheraphy Association  www.opa.on.ca

Chiropractic is a non-invasive, hands-on health care discipline that focuses on treatment and preventative care for disorders related to the spine, pelvis, nervous system and joints. Chiropractors are primary care practitioners, trained to develop and carry out a comprehensive treatment/ management plan, recommend therapeutic exercise and other non-invasive therapies, provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counselling.  Your treatment from the chiropractor will often include exercise, diet and other healthy living suggestions to help keep you healthy and strong.

Ontario Chiropractic Association  www.chiropractic.on.ca/

Functional Chiropractic is Dr Haji's unique approach in which much of the focus is placed on assessing pelvic balance.  During the course of the assessment and treatment, he utilizes Functional Screens, muscle testing, Active Release Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, Vibration Therapy, in addition to the mobilizations/ manipulations.