5 Key Ways Osteopathic Manual Therapy Can Help Back Pain
By Leann Mai, M. OMSC (Osteopathic Manual Therapist)
Struggling with Back Pain?
Here are 5 Ways Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) Helps with Back Pain:
- Restores joint mobility and corrects somatic dysfunction through gentle articulation and mobilization. Techniques like articulation (slow, rhythmic joint movements) and gentle mobilization gradually improve restricted motion in spinal segments, pelvis, or sacroiliac joints without any thrusting. This addresses biomechanical imbalances and reduces mechanical stress on tissues, leading to decreased pain and better range of motion.
- Reduces muscle tension and improves flexibility via gentle techniques to soft tissues that can apply sustained gentle pressure or rhythmic stretching to paraspinal muscles, fascia, and ligaments. This releases tightness, spasms, and trigger points, lowers guarding, and enhances muscle length/tone. Improving local circulation and decreasing the chronic strain that perpetuates back pain.
- Modulates pain pathways and promotes pain relief through gentle methods (e.g., myofascialrelease, counterstrain) influencing neurophysiological mechanisms and release of anti-inflammatory mediators.They calm sensitized nerves and provide relief without forceful input.
- Improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and supports tissue recovery enhancing blood/lymphatic flow and tissue oxygenation through gentle rhythmic pressures and releases, while modulating autonomic balance (favouring parasympathetic activity). This aids in clearing inflammatory byproducts from strained areas and promotes healing.
- Enhances overall body unity, postural balance, and autonomic regulation. Following osteopathic principles, gentle OMT addresses interconnected restrictions (e.g., thoracic, pelvic, or lower extremity influences on the low back) holistically. Restore balance, reduce stress-amplified pain, and improve global function/resilience.
The OMT approach is particularly suitable for those preferring or requiring gentler care (e.g., due to sensitivity, age, or preference), and they’re generally very safe with minimal side effects.
Psychological & Therapeutic Benefits of Handwritten Letters
By Swapna Viswanathan, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
For 15 years of my life, I wrote and received long, handwritten letters from and to my father, who worked abroad. We both used to eagerly wait for our letters. The sound of the post being dropped at my house, the feel of the stationery, collecting thoughts throughout the week to write to him about school, friends, life and to know more about his work, sometimes at the sea doing some engineering work that he describes in his letters. He introduced me to his lived experience with seasickness and the storms he witnessed during his first time stationed at a location with alternating calm and rough seas.
These letters were filled with love, hope, dreams, experiences, emotions, opinions, different perspectives on the cultures he encountered, knowledge of several festivals from faraway lands, and kindled our imagination. We still have all the letters treasured in albums with nostalgia.
In a world where most of us work on laptops, communicate through e-mails and social media, the art of handwritten letters or notes has gradually dwindled. On the contrary, we see a rise of mental health challenges with many who wish to reconnect with themselves, or the version of themselves which felt calm and safe. Balance is so significant here. Feeling calm and safe, having social connections, serving and feeling a sense of belonging to our expanding community, expressing ourselves, connecting with nature, and taking our time without rushing have become luxuries for many nowadays.
Handwritten notes, cards, letters to self and others, or just a small chit bring many benefits to our mental and emotional health.
Some benefits of handwriting or handwritten notes and letters are:
- Enhancing our emotional health
- Supports in depression and anxiety
- Slowing down to manage stress, process information, and emotional release by
confronting everyday stressors. - Increases self-awareness and fosters self-reflection.
- Creates Alpha and Theta waves connected to learning, which are otherwise not
present when one uses typewriting. - Promoting deeper connections with loved ones and others
- “One task at a time!” Writing letters to ourselves or others needs an intentional
pause. - Enhancing cognitive ability and memory
- Nostalgia by cherishing the letters to evoke these memories years later
- Exploring emotions while gaining clarity
- Handwriting letters and notes becomes therapeutic as information is processed
simultaneously. - Helps generate ideas and see the bigger picture.
- Processing information
- Handwriting stimulates a vast network of brain areas involved in cognitive processing, motor and sensory abilities, as well as deeper levels of learning and retention (Marano et al. 2025).
To share this art and knowledge with others seeking to enhance their emotional and mental wellness, Swapna Viswanathan is hosting a 1.5 workshop on February 7, 4-5:30 p.m.
Click here to REGISTER FOR WORKSHOP
Only 10 seats are available for each session. Open to pre-registered participants only.
Reference:
Marano, G., Kotzalidis, G. D., Lisci, F. M., Anesini, M. B., Rossi, S., Barbonetti, S.,
Cangini, A., Ronsisvalle, A., Artuso, L., Falsini, C., Caso, R., Mandracchia, G., Brisi, C.,
Traversi, G., Mazza, O., Pola, R., Sani, G., Mercuri, E. M., Gaetani, E., & Mazza, M.
(2025). The neuroscience behind writing: Handwriting vs. typing-who wins the
battle?. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 15(3), 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030345
Shen L, Yang L, Zhang J, Zhang M (2018). Benefits of expressive writing in reducing
test anxiety: A randomized controlled trial in Chinese samples. PLoS ONE 13(2):
e0191779. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191779
Finding Cool, Restful Sleep: Acupuncture for Night Sweats
By Anna Totzke, Registered Acupuncturist
Waking up hot, damp, and restless in the middle of the night can leave you feeling drained and frustrated. Whether your night sweats are linked to menopause, stress, or other health changes, they’re a sign that your body’s natural balance could use some support.
Acupuncture is a gentle and effective tool to help your body find that balance again — cooling from within, improving sleep, and helping you wake up feeling more like yourself.
A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective on Night Sweats
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sweating at night is often a sign that the body’s Yin energy — the cooling, calming, and nourishing aspect — has become depleted. When Yin runs low, Yang (heat) becomes more active, rising at night and escaping through the pores as sweat.
You might notice other signs, like:
• Feeling warm at night, especially in the chest or palms
• Restlessness or trouble falling back asleep
• Thirst, dryness, or hot flashes during the day
• Fatigue, irritability, or low back discomfort
From a TCM perspective, acupuncture helps nourish Yin, settle internal heat, and calm the Heart and mind (Shen). The goal is to bring your body back into a rhythm where sleep is cool, deep, and restorative.
How Western Medicine Understands Night Sweats
From a Western view, night sweats are often linked to hormonal shifts (like the changes in estrogen during menopause) or an overactive nervous system that keeps the body’s thermostat “on high” even at rest.
Research shows acupuncture can help by influencing the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature, hormones, and sleep cycles. It also affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and endorphins — calming the nervous system and improving temperature regulation naturally.
So while TCM and Western medicine describe the process differently, they share a common understanding: acupuncture helps the body re-regulate itself — cooling, calming, and restoring balance.
What the Research Says
Modern research supports what TCM has known for centuries — that acupuncture can offer meaningful relief for night sweats and hot flashes.
• A Cochrane Review (2013) found acupuncture was more effective than no treatment in reducing menopausal vasomotor symptoms.
• A 2015 meta-analysis published in Menopause reported that acupuncture significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats.
• A 2022 analysis in Supportive Care in Cancer found acupuncture helped women receiving breast cancer therapy experience fewer hot flashes and night sweats, with improved sleep and mood.
Across these studies, acupuncture was shown to be safe, low-risk, and effective for many people seeking support.
What to Expect in Treatment
During your initial assessment, time is taken to understand you — not just your symptoms, but your sleep patterns, stress levels, and overall energy.
Your treatment may include:
• Weekly acupuncture sessions (typically 4–6 weeks to start)
• Lifestyle and nutrition guidance to nourish Yin and reduce internal heat
Many people notice improvements in sleep and fewer night sweats within a few sessions. Others experience a gradual, steady change as the body rebuilds balance.
Finding Relief Naturally
If night sweats are interrupting your rest or leaving you feeling depleted, acupuncture offers a natural, evidence-informed way to help your body rebalance.
At TouchStone Health in Waterloo, we bring together the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the science of modern care — helping you feel cooler, calmer, and better rested.
Book your acupuncture appointment today to begin your path toward deeper, more restorative sleep.
How Osteopathy Can Help Relieve Sinus Infections Naturally
by Leann Mai, M. OMSC Osteopathic Manual Therapist
Osteopathy, a holistic manual therapy, can support sinus infection relief by addressing physical and functional issues that contribute to sinus congestion and inflammation.
Here are five ways Osteopathy can help:
1. Improving Sinus Drainage: Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can enhance lymphatic flow and sinus drainage. Gentle manipulations to the facial bones and cranial sutures may reduce congestion by mobilizing fluid buildup in the sinuses.
2. Reducing Facial and Cranial Tension: Sinus infections often cause tightness in facial muscles and cranial tissues. Osteopathic Practitioners use soft tissue techniques to release tension in areas like the jaw, neck, and skull, which can alleviate pressure on sinus cavities and improve airflow.
3. Enhancing Immune Function: OMT can stimulate the lymphatic system and improve circulation, supporting the body’s immune response. This may help the body fight off infection more effectively by boosting immune cell activity.
4. Relieving Associated Headaches and Pain: Sinus infections often cause headaches or facial pain. Osteopathy can address musculoskeletal tension in the neck, shoulders, and head, reducing pain through myofascial release or gentle spinal adjustments.
5. Improving Breathing Mechanics: Osteopathic practitioners assess and treat restrictions in the rib cage, diaphragm, or upper back that may impair breathing. By optimizing respiratory mechanics, these treatments can help clear nasal passages and reduce sinus pressure.
By addressing the root causes of sinus congestion rather than just the symptoms, osteopathy can be an effective part of your long-term wellness plan for clearer breathing and better overall health right here at Touchstone Health in Waterloo!
How EMDR Therapy Supports Emotional Healing and Inner Balance
by Swapna Viswanathan, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
At Touchstone Health, we understand that emotional healing can take many forms. One powerful and research-backed approach we offer is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy — a method that helps people process and release the emotional impact of difficult or traumatic experiences.
Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro, EMDR uses gentle, guided eye movements or alternating taps while focusing on distressing memories. This process helps the brain “reprocess” those experiences, allowing you to remember what happened without reliving the emotional pain.
How EMDR Works
During an EMDR session, you’ll work with your therapist to identify a target memory and the negative belief that’s tied to it — for example, “I’m not safe” or “I’m powerless.” While recalling this memory, your therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones). Over time, your mind naturally begins to store the memory in a healthier way, reducing distress and allowing a new belief — such as “I am safe now” — to take root.
The Benefits of EMDR
Research consistently supports EMDR as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related symptoms. It’s also showing promise in helping with:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression and emotional overwhelm
- Grief and loss
- Chronic pain or tension linked to stress
- Low self-esteem and limiting beliefs
- Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorder
- Insomnia
- Addiction
- Psychosis
- Mood Disorders
- Severe Stress Response
- Relationship challenges
- and more
One of the reasons EMDR is so well received is that it doesn’t require revisiting every detail of a traumatic event. The focus is on helping your brain process what’s stuck — gently and effectively — so you can move forward with greater ease.
Evidence and Recognition
Numerous clinical studies have shown that EMDR significantly reduces trauma symptoms. It’s recognized by the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association as an evidence-based treatment for trauma and PTSD.
Emerging research also suggests EMDR may support healing in areas such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, offering a well-rounded approach to emotional and physical wellness.
What to Expect
EMDR therapy follows a structured, eight-phase process that includes preparation, processing, and integration. You’ll always remain present and in control during sessions, with your therapist providing a supportive, grounding environment. Many clients begin noticing positive shifts after just a few sessions.
Moving Forward with EMDR
If you’ve been carrying emotional pain, recurring memories, or physical tension linked to past experiences, EMDR may help you find a new sense of calm and balance.
At Touchstone Health, our therapists are trained to guide you through this process safely and compassionately — helping you reconnect with your inner resilience and sense of peace.
564-572 Weber Street North, Unit 3A Waterloo, Ontario N2L5C6
