Shift Bodywork and Performance Care

Scoliosis Assumptions
In school we were taught to assume. Stretch muscles on the concave side of the scoliotic curve and strenghten the convex side.
What if the tight muscles on the concave side are weak? Should we be stretching a muscle with already reduced neural drive? What if the "locked long" muscles have an increased neural drive? Should we strengthen these further? Is it possible to find a combination like this? Of course it is. How about we forget the assumptions, and assess the patient without bias.
Yesterday a 17 year old elite 800m runner came in with bilateral ITB syndrome, painful calves, neck pain, and anteriorly rotated right shoulder. This was all blamed on a 22 degree thoracic scoliosis curve to the right.
Her right internal and external obliques were SO fired up that they were inhibiting her left core (QL, psoas, glute max). Since she would always run after school, after she had been sitting for hours on end, I also found bilateral iliacus with an increased neural drive turning down the neural drive to bilateral glute max. How this girl was running and competing at such a high level without an engaged glute max and a left core continues to blow my mind.
After releasing her right obliques and bilateral iliacus, everything came on line. Tension in the neck improved (didn't touch her neck), her shoulders game into line, and hips became level. No more ITB pain during gait.
I did not assess her spinal alignment. I assessed her motor capabilities. Her previous Chiropractor adjusted her spine 3 days per week for over a year and it never produced the results she felt after she was able to activate her left core and glutes.
LESSON: Don't make assumptions on the motor integrity of scoliosis patients based on the curve! Take it into consideration but don't let that bias dictate the treatment plan. Treat what you find! Not what you see

Anti-inflammatory Meals and the role of Naturopathic Practitioners.
At Shift, we believe that true wellness begins from the inside out. Dr.Jardine, ND, is excited to share a powerful tool to support your health journey: his specially designed the Good Food Good Mood e-cookbook. This guide is your key to understanding how an anti-inflammatory diet can reduce inflammation, ease joint pain, help shed excess weight, balance mood, and promote healthy aging and energy.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, he knows that food is medicine. An anti-inflammatory diet not only helps prevent chronic issues but also enhances your overall vitality. That’s why he created meal plans and delicious recipes that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine; all focused on decreasing inflammation and nourishing your body.

Here’s what you can expect from the Good Food Good Mood Cookbook:
- Recipes that help prevent inflammation-driven joint pain
- Meal plans to support weight management and healthy aging
- Delicious, nourishing foods that promote longevity and vitality

To support your health goals, Dr. Chris is offering a Free copy of this e-cookbook with your initial visit with him at Shift. This is a wonderful opportunity to take control of your health with personalized guidance and delicious, anti-inflammatory meal ideas. Chris looks forward to working together to unlock your best health through nourishing food and targeted support. In the meantime, try this recipe out and let us know how it goes!

OATMEAL PUMPKIN BARS
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 9 dates diced

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Mix all ingredients until well combined. Spread into the baking pan.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars.

Pelvic floor therapy can make a profound difference in quality of life. 

Your pelvic floor is ¼ of your core and plays an important role in bladder, bowel, s*xual, and spinal health. The role of your core is to create intraabdominal pressure to stabilize your spine for activity.  When these muscles are not functioning well, symptoms can show up in unexpected ways: chronic low back or SI joint pain, tailbone pain, urinary leakage, frequent UTIs or yeast infections, pain with s*x, constipation, pelvic pressure, or a feeling of being “out of control” in your body.

Issues like leakage during exercise, pain with intimacy, or chronic pelvic discomfort are not “normal.” They may be common — but they are treatable.

Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t always exhibit pelvic floor symptoms, but when it does, it can be debilitating.  Shift saw a case where a woman described disruptive bladder urgency very frequently, along with persistent back pain.  She had a tough labour and delivery previously with a lot of tearing and stitching.  On testing, we found that her anterior pelvic floor was overworking, for an underworking transverse abdominal muscle (2 sides of the same core).  Two weeks of a simple 2-minute re-patterning routine solved the bladder urgency and set up her core to start supporting her back.  

Shift is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for people of all genders, including 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Everyone has a pelvic floor, and everyone deserves compassionate, evidence-based care.

So fun to support in her first lifting competition at sponsor a great event. Training under the expertise of and fuelled by , this gal rocked her first comp. Thanks for the comp intel 💪

Dorsa takes a comprehensive, biopsychosocial, and whole-person approach to physiotherapy, grounded in the belief that effective care begins with understanding the person behind the injury. She also brings Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy back to Shift.

Growing up as a competitive swimmer and volleyball player, Dorsa has always valued movement as both a challenge and a form of expression. Today, she continues to explore new ways to move through Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mountain hiking, and training for her first marathon. These experiences reinforce her belief that growth often happens at the edge of discomfort, and that perceived limitations are often opportunities to learn, adapt, and evolve.

Dorsa collaborates closely with each patient to establish meaningful, individualized goals and believes that every patient encounter is an opportunity for shared learning. By integrating thorough assessments with motor control principles, she develops treatment plans that are both evidence-informed and tailored to the unique needs of the individual. Her goal is not only recovery, but empowerment—equipping patients with the understanding, tools, and confidence needed to move well long after formal treatment ends.

In her clinical practice, Dorsa believes that no goal is too small or too ambitious—whether it’s reaching the top shelf in the kitchen, returning to recreational sport, or taking on a triathlon at 50. She maintains that the only true limits are the ones we haven’t yet learned to navigate. Online booking link in bio!

✨She’s BAAAAAAACCCKKK!✨

After a year of mat leave, Kaylin is returning to Shift.

If you need a refresher, Kaylin grew up playing multiple sports including field hockey, volleyball, and soccer, but thrived in rugby. She was a member of the Women’s Ontario Rugby team where she won a silver medal at the Canadian National Finals. She has worked with various sports teams including the Italian Men’s National Rugby Team, Rugby Canada, and was the head trainer for Toronto men’s Balmy Beach Rugby Club for three years; leading them to two championships. Whether it be her passion for sports, massage or holistic health, she offers her clients a wide range of therapeutic treatments that provides the highest level of patient care.

https://shiftbodywork.janeapp.com/ #/staff_member/8/bio