Breathing pattern disorders (BPDs) include a range of abnormal respiratory patterns, such as shallow breathing from our upper chest, or hyperventilation, where we breathe too quickly. Breathing dysfunctions impact our energy levels, mental clarity, chronic pain conditions, and overall wellbeing. As with all our care at Move Authentically, our breathing assessments/treatments are patient-centered, research focused to determine the source of your breathlessness, and to ensure the best path forward. During your sessions, a movement scan will be utilized to further understand how well your breathing and movements are synced. While in-person assessments are ideal, virtual appointments are possible. Often the breathing follow-up appointments can be completed virtually.

What can a breathing assessment help with?

• Dysfunctional Breathing Pattern/Breathing pattern disorder
• Incontinence
• Asthma
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• COPD
• Balance
• Long COVID
• Chronic Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Chronic pain
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Low back pain

To learn more about dysfunctional breathing read our blog here: Breathing Pattern Disorder Treatments in Kingston, Ontario (moveauthentically.ca)

Cupping therapy is a practice in which special cups are placed on the skin to create suction. This suction effect causes the tissue beneath the cup to be drawn upwards. This action increases blood flow to the area, which can help draw healing nutrients into the area, and flush away any swelling or toxins. Cupping can create some bruising, however, there are ways that your therapist can reduce the risk of this occurring.

What can Cupping help with?

• Decreasing pain
• Reducing swelling and edema
• Decreasing muscle knots and tension
• Stimulating lymphatic drainage

IASTM is a myofascial intervention used to treat soft tissues. This treatment is applied with tools, which can be made of a variety of materials. Typically, stainless steel is used, and the tool has bevelled edges to penetrate the tissue. These tools have different contours, which allow a variety of body parts to be treated effectively. The goal of the treatment is to create microtrauma to the tissue, which draws blood flow to the area to assist in the healing process.

What can IASTM help treat?

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
• Heel pain/Achilles Tendinitis
• DeQuervain’s Syndrome
• Scar Tissue
• IT Band Syndrome
• Ligament Sprains
• Trigger Finger
• Shin Splints
• Muscle Trigger Points
• Golfer’s Elbow

Acupuncture originated in China and has been practiced for thousands of years. It involves inserting fine, sterile, single-use needles at various depths, into specific points in the body. According to traditional Chinese Medical Theory, acupuncture points are located on meridian lines and one’s overall health relies on uninterrupted balance of these channels. Acupuncture helps to restore flow or chi throughout the body, which helps reduce pain and illness.

What can acupuncture help treat?

• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches, including tension and migraine headaches
• Low back pain
• Nerve pain or neuropathy
• Neck pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Menstrual cramps

Dry Needling is a Western Medicine technique that uses acupuncture needles and is an effective treatment for muscular pain and myofascial dysfunction. This treatment involves inserting acupuncture needles into a muscle’s trigger point or muscle knot. Trigger points are irritable, hard knots in a muscle, that can refer pain to many areas in the body and can cause difficulty performing your day to day tasks. Dry needling is most effective when used in combination with other treatment modalities such as myofascial release, joint mobilizations, and home exercises.

What conditions can be treated with dry needling?

• Neck and back pain
• Headaches
• Arm pain (ex: shoulder impingement, rotator cuff dysfunction, golfer’s elbow)
• Buttock and/or leg pain (ex: sciatica)
• Muscle strains
• Knee pain
• Calf tightness

The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a movement based diagnostic system, designed to clinically assess 7 fundamental movement patterns in those with known musculoskeletal pain. The assessment provides an efficient method to systematically find the cause of symptoms, not just the source, by logically breaking down dysfunctional patterns and diagnosing their root cause as either a mobility problem or a stability/motor control problem.

This systematic process allows clinicians to clearly match their intervention to the main problem of the patient. This model efficiently integrates the concepts of altered motor control, the neurodevelopmental perspective, and regional interdependence into musculoskeletal practice.

Myofascial release is a very effective hands-on soft-tissue technique that has been used successfully for over a hundred years to treat difficult injuries and pain. This treatment technique aims to reduce muscle spasms or knots, improve blood flow and circulation and increase flexibility. Myofascia is dense tissue that encases all of your muscles and bones. This outer covering is called fascia which is very strong and looks almost like a spider web. It is a continuous weave of a network, which has no beginning or end.

In a normal, healthy state the myofascia has the ability to be fluid and move without restriction. However, when you experience physical trauma/pain, and inflammation it can lose its pliability.  As it becomes restricted it can be a source of tightness elsewhere in the body.

Myofascial release can directly change, and improve the health of the fasica. This hands-on technique promotes blood flow, which breaks down scar tissue, relaxes the muscle and the fascia, and decreases the pain and dysfunction.

Myofascial release can effectively help with:

• Low back pain
• Neck Pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Arthritic conditions
• Sports injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee and hip pain
• Calf pain and tightness