Check out Jules Sherlock’s (Ottawa postpartum fitness guru of Fitness with Jules) blog post on Ottawa Mommy Club’s website: “House of Cores“, featuring Shelagh Haynes, registered physiotherapist. The post details the importance of postpartum rehabilitation, from the inside out, after the changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy and delivery. Jules uses a clever metaphor of the body like a rental unit (in this case, space is being rented out to a growing baby for 9 […]

OC3 will be introducing monthly stress relief yoga classes taught by RYT Lynne Lessard. Classes will focus on reducing tension, anxiety and pain through yoga-based movement, breathwork and meditation. Classes will run on July 8th, August 12th, and September 9th from 7pm to 8:30 pm. Registration is required. You can find out more at https://www.oc3.ca/therapist-bios/lynne-lessard-ryt-registered-yoga-teacher/  or give us a call at 613-230-7891.

An article in the winter 2014/2015 edition of the local magazine, Ottawa Parenting Times, features input from OC3’s physiotherapist, Shelagh Haynes. The article addresses aches and pains common in new parents, and touches on the importance of restoring your body postpartum. Check out the article on pages 82-84 of the magazine here: http://www.parentingtimes.ca/wp-content/uploads/read-online/opt_winter_2015/index.html.   –  Your Ottawa Wellness Team at OC3*   *Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre (OC3) is a multidisciplinary, integrative health clinic in downtown Ottawa. We […]

In lieu of drop-in yoga, OC3’s yoga services will include the following pre-registered yoga programs: – postpartum yoga program (next session from January 5 – February 23) – spine care yoga (to start in January 2015) – yoga for athletic performance (to start spring 2015) Private and semi-private yoga sessions are also available. Please call 613-230-7891 for more information.

All OC3 yoga drop-in classes are cancelled for the month of November while Shelagh is on holidays. A new session of the postpartum yoga program begins January 5, 2015. Click here for more information.

OC3 yoga classes offered by registered physiotherapist and certified yoga instructor, Shelagh Haynes, will now begin the week of Sept 15th. Thanks for your patience as we work towards offering yoga services covered by most private health insurance plans. For more information, click here. See you on Monday, September 15th!   – Your Ottawa Wellness Team at OC3*   *Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre (OC3) is a multidisciplinary, integrative health clinic in downtown Ottawa. We are […]

In keeping with its holistic healing approach, OC3 is now offering yoga as an adjunct to traditional rehabilitation services, with the goal of helping our clients achieve optimal health outcomes. We believe that yoga can serve as a medium for healing in the context of conventional rehabilitation by blending ancient health wisdom with new age knowledge of multidisciplinary health management. Small group yoga therapy classes, led by Shelagh Haynes, registered physiotherapist and certified yoga instructor, […]

OC3 is once again offering the Postpartum Yoga Program for new Moms this fall. The program will run from September 8th until October 27th on Monday afternoons from 1:30-2:30pm in our new 3rd floor yoga space! For more information, check out the Postpartum Yoga page on our website: https://www.oc3.ca/postpartum-yoga-program/  

OC3 is now offering a new service – radial shockwave therapy.   WHAT IS RADIAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY? Therapeutic shock waves were introduced into medicine as a treatment for eliminating kidney stones 20 years ago. At the same time, a coincidental side effect of this treatment was discovered – accelerated tissue healing in the area. Essentially, radial shock waves work through the application of a high-energy acoustic pulse transmitted into the tissues of the affected area […]

OC3 is proud to welcome Megan Abraham, registered physiotherapist, to the team. Megan and Shelagh were colleagues for a corporate wellness program at the Ottawa Police Service in 2013. Megan’s skill and expertise in manual therapy and exercise prescription will be assets to OC3’s clients. Megan’s hours at OC3 will be as follows: Mondays: 3-6pm Wednesdays: 3-6pm Thursdays: 7-10am Check out her bio here: https://www.oc3.ca/megan-abraham-pt/ Welcome Megan! – Your Ottawa Wellness Team at OC3*   *Ottawa […]

As a physiotherapist and registered yoga instructor, I instinctively blend some of the principles from each discipline into my treatment plans. This combination of modern rehabilitation principles and ancient health wisdom provides the best of both worlds. Take tree pose for example – in one simple standing balance pose, you get to work on so many things at once. In tree pose, you are effectively: – strengthening the gluteus medius of the supporting leg – using the […]

I recently completed LJ Lee’s “The Sports Thorax” 4 day course focused on connecting the whole body and optimizing performance using LJ’s very own Thoracic Ring Approach [1]. This approach was developed as a unique way to connect the function of the thorax (thoracic spine and ribcage) to the performance of the rest of the body. The whole thorax has traditionally been ignored by clinicians – the focus was solely on the posterior aspect of […]

…our work family that is Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre (OC3) is very excited to welcome Cate Hachigian to our team. Cate is a registered massage therapist (RMT) and certified Pilates instructor. Cate has had the privilege of studying under Margot McKinnon of Body Harmonics in Toronto, completing Pilates mat and reformer certifications, as well as movement and exercise specializations in biomechanics, rehabilitation and Pilates for older adults. She is currently working towards an athletic specialist […]

New Moms – do you want to: – reconnect to your core after giving birth? – learn new postural strategies in your new, postpartum body? – reduce your neck/upper back/shoulder pain that comes from breastfeeding and carrying your little one? – prevent future incidence of incontinence and/or prolapse?     OC3 will be offering a summer session of its postpartum yoga program for new Moms. The program will take place on Mondays, from 1:30-2:30pm in […]

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that looked the effect of yoga on pain and functional disability in those with chronic low back pain suggests that yoga is likely an effective adjunct to treatment [1]. While the long-term benefits of yoga in the treatment of chronic low back pain remain uncertain, according to the 2013 study by Holtzman and Beggs, the short-term benefits are clear. Why is this so important?  According to the World Health Organization, low […]

From our chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and naturopathic team at OC3, we wish all participants in the Ottawa race weekend the best of luck. May the weather be beautiful (but not too hot), may the crowd’s be rowdy, and may you achieve whatever goals you’ve set! Stick to your hydration/fuelling plan, don’t go out harder then planned, and try and remember to have some FUN! GOOD LUCK!       Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre (OC3) […]

As a physiotherapist, I often get the question “should I stretch before or after my run/bike/soccer game/swim/tennis match/etc.?” My answer often begins with “The research shows that…” Using an evidence-based approach, I recommend a dynamic warm-up specific to the person and the activity/sport prior to engaging in physical activity, saving static stretches for post-workout and/or for rehabilitation purposes. A dynamic warm-up prepares the body for movement. In contrast to static stretching (think a standing quad […]

Our integrative injury clinic will be going through some changes during the month of  May.  Chiropractic, ART, and physiotherapy services will remain on the ground floor, but registered massage therapy and naturopathic medicine will be provided from the second floor of the building.  Our downtown clinic is also adding certified private and semiprivate (small group) Pilates classes, likely beginning at the end of this month.     Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre (OC3) is a multidisciplinary, […]

Turns out that my last post about breathing properly not only affects posture and alignment, but also athletic performance. Dr. Mitch Lomax at the University of Porstmouth in the UK has determined that inspiratory muscle training (i.e. working out the muscles that help you to breathe in) improves sports performance [1]. Twelve runners were tested to determine the effects of: 1) inspiratory muscle warm-ups: 2 sets of 30 breaths at 40% max inspiratory mouth pressure […]

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 […]