Change your pain with food and nutrition.

Clinical studies and medical practice have increasingly focused on the role of body inflammation as a precursor and maintainer of chronic conditions.  As there are dietary factors that impact inflammation, it is important to know how food and nutrition patterns can reduce inflammation. There have been ways of eating that cultures around the world have shown to be healthy by a lower incidence of lifestyle diseases and longer life spans.

1:1 virtual consultation service is available to assist patients optimize their nutritional health to improve pain management. This is offered on a fee-for-service basis and reimbursable by many health plans. 

To register online, please click here.

The HealthPointe Electromyography (EMG) Clinic is a diagnostic clinic for patients suffering from muscle- and nerve-related disorders such as numbness of the hands or feet, weakness, or nerve related pain. The EMG Clinic is operated by a neurologist or physiatrist certified through the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists (CSCN). To access this clinic, patients must be referred by a physician or specialist.

Patients will undergo an assessment followed by a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS), which determines how well electricity moves through the nerves. Small, disc-shaped electrodes are taped to the skin and a low level of electricity is then sent through these electrodes. A computer will measure how quickly the signal passes from one electrode to another and assess the nerve and muscle function.

Based on the gathered information from the assessment and the NCS, patients may undergo a needle electromyogram study. This study uses a special needle that is placed into the muscle to measure how much electricity is generated by the muscle at rest and during active contraction. Typically, the needle may be put in several different muscles during the study.

The EMG Clinic physician will provide an interpretation of the study as well as diagnoses and further recommendations to the patient and referring physician.

Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) are exams requested by third parties (i.e., lawyers or insurance companies) to confirm the diagnosis of an individual’s injuries sustained during an accident. HealthPointe does not accept direct requests from patients for IMEs.

For a number of HealthPointe patients, the Intake Clinic will be the first place they visit. Upon receiving a referral from a patient’s physician, our medical team will assess which of our services will best suit a person’s unique case. If it isn’t readily obvious which services should be activated, or if the presenting case appears to be complicated and may require a number of services, the patient will be asked to come to the Intake Clinic for a pre-screening assessment.

The assessment, which lasts approximately 30 minutes, will cover all relevant medical history and include a physical examination to ensure all pertinent illnesses have been ruled out and addressed prior to more comprehensive assessments within the clinic. This process allows HealthPointe medical professionals to gain a fuller understanding of the individual’s circumstances and expectations.

After the assessment the attending physician will provide a plan for treatment. This may mean sending recommendations back to the referring doctor for treatment, or a plan of which HealthPointe services the patient will be recommended to pursue.

This assessment is typically completed by a family physician with expertise in sport medicine.

Additional Information for the Referring Healthcare Professional
Our Intake Clinic allows us to clarify your patients’ needs, and determine the best course of action to provide them help. The Intake Clinic generally has shorter wait times than many of our other services, however no treatment will be provided at the time of assessment. The resulting findings help us to determine which services they will most benefit from. You will be provided a full summary of our findings and any recommendations for interim treatment.

HealthPointe services are by referral only.

HealthPointe’s Medication Management Clinic is here to help patients navigate medication as a treatment for pain. They may be referred to this Clinic when already-attempted pain-management methods have failed to improve their function and quality of life.

Patients will see a physiatrist or family physician with expertise in medication management for a 30-60 minute assessment. The physician will focus on the patient’s medication, medical history, addiction risk assessment, and what his or her expectations are of a new medication management regime. Registered nurses assist with prescription refills and monitoring for the potential of addiction or drug abuse.

Our goal is to provide patients with a medication management strategy that will improve their overall quality of life by reducing their symptoms and allowing them to increase their physical activity and productivity.

After a patient starts on a HealthPointe-guided medication management strategy, Clinic physicians will ensure he or she is stabilized and their quality of life and function has improved. When those factors are confirmed, the patient will be discharged to a family physician for ongoing care.

Additional Information for Patients
Our clinic will take into consideration past medication use, effectiveness, and drug interactions while creating a plan for patients. This ensures we can better predict the effectiveness of medication options and select those we determine will best reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

The goal of the Medication Management Clinic is to reduce symptoms enough to allow an individual to become more active in an exercise program and maintain their psychological wellness.

HealthPointe’s Multi-Interdisciplinary Clinic is a comprehensive, collaborative team assessment of a patient when other interventions have failed to provide solutions. The Multi Clinic brings together an athletic therapist, a medications specialist, and a physiatrist to assess a patient with complex pain.

A patient will spend 30-40 minutes with each team member for a comprehensive assessment. A full assessment by the team can take up to three hours.

Our athletic therapist will assesses a patients’ movements: how well they move, their strength, and their function. The medications specialist reviews the pain medication, dose, and effectiveness of anything a patient may be taking. The physiatrist determines if any interventions are necessary, and also acts as the team lead who handles any follow-up sessions and recommendations to the patient.

Following the assessment, the three disciplines consult on the case and determine the next steps. Patients will be contacted by the end of the next day to book a follow-up appointment. In the follow-up session, the physiatrist will explain the cause of the pain and what the protocol will be moving forward. Review and follow-up with the athletic therapist and medications specialist will be determined on a case by case basis.

Our recommendations take into consideration cost effective, or free, community resources that address mental health support services, therapies, and general support networks.

The goal of HealthPointe’s Multi-Interdisciplinary Clinic is to provide patients with exercises and resources that empower them to feel better and eventually take control of their own lives and recovery.

The Neurology Clinic assesses and treats patients with various headache conditions. Patients must be referred by their physician or another specialist.

The patient can expect to have a 45 minute assessment with our neurologist on his or her first visit. This will involve reviewing the patient’s medical history, any previously attempted headache treatments, and a physical exam. It is helpful for patients to review and bring their medical history or medical records to the appointment.

If appropriate, the neurologist will typically start the patient on medication and schedule a follow-up appointment 3-4 months later. This ensures the medication has had enough time to take effect.

If needed, further neurological testing and diagnostic investigations like MRIs, X-Rays, and CT scans are done externally.

Additional Information for the Referring Physician
It is important that patients have tried appropriate headache therapies before coming to HealthPointe’s Neurology Clinic. Due to the demand, some referrals may be declined if the patients have not tried at least two preventative medications for several months.

When providing a referral please provide as much detailed information as possible, including all tests, investigations, and previous medications prescribed.

Rapid Assessment and Intervention Clinic allows physicians to refer patients directly for fluoroscopic and/or ultrasound guided injections and procedures.  Patients will have the opportunity to have an assessment and injection in the same day. HealthPointe will strive to see patients referred directly for fluoroscopic and/or ultrasound guided procedures within 4 – 6 weeks of receiving the referral.

The Sport Medicine Clinic is a subset of the general PM&R Clinic with a sport medicine focus. Our sport medicine physicians hold a diploma in Sport and Exercise Medicine (Dip. Sport Med) through the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). We treat patients who are 16 years of age and older who are coping with an injury due to recreational or competitive sports activity.

Typically, patients will come to the Sport Medicine Clinic directly by referral from a family physician, specialist, or physiotherapist.

During their first appointment, patients will be seen by a sport-medicine physician to gather a complete history, review existing X-rays or imaging, and to perform a physical exam. From this consultation, patients will be given an account of the problem and a plan going forward. This may include further diagnostic investigations or a management strategy that may comprise physiotherapy, medication, injections, modified activity, or other recommendations.

This assessment takes about 45 minutes, depending on the injury. Since each appointment and treatment is highly individual, the physician will follow up as needed.

Patients should wear appropriate clothing that allows the physician to see and handle the affected body part.

Additional Information for the Referring Specialist
Please provide as much detailed information as possible in your referral. This enables our team to easily assess and triage our patients.

Please include:

• Brief history of the injury
• Relevant diagnostic investigations
• A summary of treatment to date,
• Classify the injury as a sport-related injury or ongoing pain
• Classify the injury as acute or chronic

The HealthPointe Ultrasound Guided Injection Clinic utilizes ultrasound guidance to perform procedures to treat pain due to joint, tendon, ligament, nerve and other musculoskeletal conditions. Ultrasound guidance improves the accuracy of delivering medications (cortisone, Hyaluronic Acid, Platelet Rich Plasma, etc.) into the targeted structure, while avoiding hitting nerves, joint cartilage, or surrounding vascular structures. This ensures patient safety and comfort, and improves the effectiveness of the procedure.

In order to access the Ultrasound Guided Injection Clinic, patients must be assessed by a HealthPointe physician to determine the causes of the patient’s symptoms, response to prior treatments, and order any required diagnostic imaging.

Treatment may require single or multiple appointments, and each appointment takes approximately 20-30 mins. Patients are asked to wear appropriate clothing that enables the doctors to access the area(s) they are treating.

A follow-up appointment will be arranged to assess the response to the injection and determine the best course of action.

HealthPointe’s X-Ray Intervention Clinic offers a wide range of pain-reducing treatments to offer relief when other interventions and therapies have failed. The focus of our physicians in this clinic is to administer X-Ray guided treatments for patients dealing with persistent pain.

Patient’s will have an assessment by a HealthPointe physician to determine if they are a candidate for a procedure. Procedures may be diagnostic or therapeutic.

Diagnostic procedures are conducted to identify pain generators and to assess candidacy for therapeutic procedures. Once completed, patients are responsible for tracking their pain levels. If there is a reduction of pain, the treating physician will discuss therapeutic intervention options with the patient. If there is no reduction in pain, patients may be asked to return for further diagnostic procedures or to discuss non-interventional options.

If a therapeutic intervention is selected, an appointment will be booked. On the day of the procedure, an Intervention Clinic nurse or physician will do a brief clinical assessment to ensure the patient is still eligible. If everything is in good standing the doctor will perform the procedure.

Once the procedure is complete, the patient will be provided a plan moving forward. A diagnostic procedure will require a pain diary to be filled out by the patient and returned to the clinic. A therapeutic procedure will usually require a follow-up (nurse phone call or in-clinic with a physician) in 6 – 12 weeks.

It is important to be aware that these procedures do not change the underlying issue that is causing pain. Any procedure done in the Intervention Clinic is an attempt to reduce pain so that patients can return to an active lifestyle via an active rehabilitation program.