Dr. Kirk Andrew- Advanced Physical Medicine

Dr. Kirk Andrew- Advanced Physical Medicine Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dr. Kirk Andrew- Advanced Physical Medicine, Medical and health, 2260 Walkley Road, Ottawa, ON.

Advanced and innovative treatments for a wide range of injuries.
- One of Ottawa's only FOCUSED SHOCKWAVE THERAPY clinics
- Also offering conventional Radial Shockwave Therapy, laser therapy, medical acupuncture, PEMF and comprehensive physical therapies

Focused Shockwave for Low Back InjuriesFocused shockwave continues to add supporting research to an already substantial ...
08/01/2025

Focused Shockwave for Low Back Injuries

Focused shockwave continues to add supporting research to an already substantial collection of papers as a succcesful and non-invasive for a wide-range of injuries.

Lumbar facet joint injuries are a common cause of low back pain. These injuries can cause significant impairments and can be recurrent.

Ensure the clinician you are seeing is using the correct type of shockwaves, as not all shockwave devices are created equal.

We are one of the few clinics in Ottawa offering FOCUSED shockwave therapy. We offer this service at a significant discount to our competitors.

The typical FOCUSED shockwave treatment in Ottawa ranges from $250-500 per session. We offer this treatment at a fraction of the cost of our competitors.

05/14/2025

Wang, Tiantian et. al. Effects of electromagnetic fields on osteoarthritis. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Volume 118, October 2019, 109282

01/22/2024

Nutraceutical Series: Vinpocetine

Considered a 'Nootropic', it is a derivative of the alkaloid vincamine (from the seeds of the periwinkle plant).

Has been clinically used in many countries for treatment of cerebrovascular disorders such as stroke and dementia for more than 30 years.

Currently, vinpocetine is also available in the market as a dietary supplement to enhance cognition and memory. Due to its excellent safety profile, increasing efforts have been put into exploring the novel therapeutic effects and mechanism of actions of vinpocetine in various cell types and disease models.

Recent studies have revealed a number of novel functions of vinpocetine, including anti-inflammation, antagonizing injury-induced vascular remodeling and high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, as well as attenuating pathological cardiac remodeling. These novel findings may facilitate the repositioning of vinpocetine for preventing or treating relevant disorders in humans.

Zhang YS, Li JD, Yan C. An update on vinpocetine: New discoveries and clinical implications. Eur J Pharmacol. 2018 Jan 15;819:30-34.

01/21/2024

Preventing ACL injuries

The ACL is a primary knee stabilizer ligament.

ACL injuries occur frequently in those who play sports involving pivoting. Common injury mechanism is combined valgus and internal-rotation trauma. Surprisingly, 60-80% of ACL injuries occur in non-contact situations.

Hip Strength

Increased external hip rotator strength was associated with decreased ACL injury risk. Thus, for every additional 0.1 N/kg BW increase in maximal external hip rotator strength, ACL injury risk decreased by 23%.

Hamstring Strength/Output

Reduced ST (Semitendinosis) pre-activity was the only neuromuscular risk factor disposing for ACL injury. Specifically, the risk of ACL injury decreased by 38% when ST pre-activity increased by 10%

Zebis, M.K., Aagaard, P., Andersen, L.L. et al. First-time anterior cruciate ligament injury in adolescent female elite athletes: a prospective cohort study to identify modifiable risk factors. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 30, 1341–1351 (2022).

Weniger, P. et al. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Improves Outcome after Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Hamstring Tendons, J Clin Med. 2023 May; 12(10):

Rodriguez, K. et. al. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Conservative Versus Surgical Treatment Cureus. 2021 Dec; 13(12)

01/10/2024

Shockwave for Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons that stabilize and move the shoulder joint. They are involved in most upper-body movements.

Rotator cuff tendinitis does not occur all at once. Usually, it happens over a long period with repeated irritation to an area. Often, this can be the result of physical tasks related to employment, sports and exercise technique/programming.

Symptoms are weakness, pain and loss of motion. Tendinosis can progress to a partial or complete tear of a tendon due to progressive weakening of the fibers.

Typical treatments (like cortisone injections) are not advised for long-term management, as “…corticosteroids are associated with increased risk of tendon rupture”. Cortisone weakens collagen matrix, often leading to compromise.

Verstraelen FU, In den Kleef NJ, Jansen L, Morrenhof JW. High-energy versus low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy for calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder: which is superior? A meta-analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2014 Sep;472(9):2816-25.

Poenaru, Daniela et. al. Biological effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in tendons: A systematic review, Biomed Rep. 2023 Feb; 18(2): 15. Published online 2022 Dec 29.

01/07/2024

Shockwaves are high-energy sound waves. They occur in the atmosphere during explosive events, for example during detonations, lightning strikes, or when aeroplanes break through the sound barrier.

It has been shown that shockwave therapy results in increased blood circulation and enhanced metabolic activity, leading to the activation of the body's healing process.

Focused Shockwaves also induce a variety of biological reactions resulting from the shear and pressure forces they produce. This mechanism of action is referred to as 'mechanotransduction'. As demonstrated by scientific evidence, it is responsible for the following effects:

- Increase in cell permeability
- Stimulation of microcirculation (blood flow)
- Reduction of pain fibres
- Release of nitric oxide (NO), which leads to vasodilation, increased metabolic activity and angiogenesis and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Antibacterial effect
- Release of local growth hormones
- Stimulation of stem cells

Focused Shockwave more difficult to produce than Radial 'pressure waves', thus there are fewer clinics offering this more effective option.

Shockwave is safe with little side-effects.

01/04/2024

Shockwave for Trigger Finger

Also referred to as 'stenosing tenosynovitis', TF is one of the most common causes of hand pain and disability. Symptoms include: pain, stiffness, weakness and a sensation of 'locking' or 'catching' when the digit is flexed and extended.

It is caused by swelling or hypertrophy of the tendon and/or sheath surrounding the tendon (interrupting proper gliding and pulley mechanism). Often the finger must be manually unlocked with the other hand.

Often invasive and risky surgery is recommended to treat TF. However, surgery is not usually required.

Shockwave Therapy treatment resulted in improved finger function and improved pain rating in both the short-term and long-term follow-ups.

Focused Shockwave is a more comfortable and more effective treatment option when compared to conventional Radial Shockwave.

Dr. Andrew is one of only a few practitioners in Eastern Ontario to offer Focused Shockwave Therapy.



Chen, Yu-Pin et. al. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Trigger Finger: A Randomized Controlled Study, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 102, Issue 11, November 2021, Pages 2083-2090.e1

09/19/2023

Cordyceps
Boosts Immune Function and Testosterone

Contains cordycepin, phenolic compounds, cordycepic acid, adenosine, proteoglucans, terpenoids, amphinol, steroids, ergosterol, etc.

Studies have demonstrated that CS has multiple pharmacological activities, including modulation of immune responses, inhibition of tumor growth, decrease of blood pressure, induction of cell apoptosis, and secretion of adrenal hormones.

Immunomodulation

Modifies the functioning of the immune system via the stimulation of antibody formation. This is often related to beta-glucans and other molecules, which can be anti-tumor, anticancer and antivirus.

Cordycepin is a bi-directional modulator with both suppressive as well as influencing effects on the immune system by regulating the adaptive and innate immunity.

Anti-inflammatory

Cordycepin has a chondroprotective effect of by preventing cartilage denegation as well as interfering the inflammatory response in osteoarthritis pathogenesis.

Testosterone

Cordyceps has been demonstrated to stimulate testosterone production in Leydig cells (thus can have increase in plasma testosterone level). Testosterone levels are correlated with numerous aspects of mental and physical health.

09/12/2023

The Popliteus Muscle- The Knee’s ‘Little Helper’

Despite its small size, the popliteus is a major stabilizing muscle of the knee.

Often overlooked as a critical stabilizer of the knee joint, the popliteus can commonly be involved with injuries of the knee.

Function of the Popliteus:
.."Locking" the knee occurs with extension during weight-bearing, rotating femur medially rotating on the tibia, allowing for full extension. When "unlocking" the knee, the popliteus causes flexion and lateral rotation of the femur on the tibia. This is why some refer to the popliteus as the "key" to the locked knee."

Relevant Anatomy:

"There are attachments between the popliteus and the lateral meniscus. When the knee motions into flexion, the popliteus retracts the lateral meniscus posteriorly to avoid becoming entrapped between the femur and tibia"

Thus, the Popliteus is an under-appreciated yet highly relevant muscle regarding proper knee function and biomechanics (and has relevance regarding knee injury treatment and prevention).

Hyland S, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Popliteus Muscle. [Updated 2023 Jun 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.

The Science of Shockwave TherapyShockwave therapy is classified under the umbrella of ‘regenerative medicine’. This clas...
09/11/2023

The Science of Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy is classified under the umbrella of ‘regenerative medicine’. This classification includes treatments that manipulate stem cells (fibroblasts) and activate inherent cellular growth factors to improve healing and promote tissue ‘regeneration’ (resulting in improved tissue quality via increased collagen synthesis and more resilient tendons/ligaments).

Focused Shockwaves are generated electromagnetically. This results in high-pressure energy waves that travel faster than the speed of sound.

Focused Shockwaves travels far deeper into tissues, causing a complex series of physiological effects. These include:

1. Activation of Stem-Cells that regenerate tissues, such as Fibroblasts (collagen), Tenocytes (tendon) and Chondrocytes (cartilage)

2. Angiogenesis: increased blood-flow to affected tissues via increased Nitric Oxide (NO)

3. Modulates Inflammation and Pain

Therefore, Shockwave Therapy reactivates and accelerates healing and improves recovery, especially chronic injuries where other treatments have failed.

There is now a plethora of research demonstrating the effectiveness of Shockwave Therapy for numerous injuries and conditions.



https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxDnRKBNgk9/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Concussion and Whiplash (neck injuries)Accumulating research demonstrates the impact neck structures have on causing con...
09/04/2023

Concussion and Whiplash (neck injuries)

Accumulating research demonstrates the impact neck structures have on causing concussion symptoms.

Testing demonstrates “(forces) causing a whiplash caused an impact on the brain comparable to that of a concussion.”

“Among the whiplash patients, all had symptoms described in concussion. Of the concussed players, all had neck pain”

“…upper cervical joint dysfunction in persistent concussive syndrome, with upper cervical pain, (we see) less endurance of the cervical flexor muscles, and an increase in cervical stiffness that could lead to tension headache. This would explain neck pain in mTBI and headache in whiplash”

The neurology of the vestibulo-cochlear, cervico-collic (VCR), and cervico-ocular (COR), vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR) is complex and beyond the scope of this discussion.

However, these sophisticated neurological reflexes are responsible for stabilising the head and trunk during head/neck movements, stabilising the gaze (vision) during head rotations and overall balance and equilibrium. Any injury or dysfunction to any inputs to these reflexes (neck proprioceptors, visual processing, vestibular processing) can contribute to balance disorders, vertigo and oculomotor disorders.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwx_UDLPxfj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Address

2260 Walkley Road
Ottawa, ON
K1H6X8

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 7:30pm
Thursday 12pm - 8pm
Friday 8am - 7pm
Saturday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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