Recreo Rehab

Heard last night was “bring your favourite RMTs to work day” 🏀
Huge thank you to the GOAT for showing us around and treating us to an amazing evening!

Last run club of the year 🏃‍♀️
We’re wrapping up the season with a coffee stop at
Big thanks to them for always being such generous hosts!

See you tomorrow at 9am 🥳

When the nervous system stays on high alert, pain and tension can start to linger.
Ear acupuncture is one way we can signal safety back to the body.

Some areas of the ear connect directly to the vagus nerve: the pathway that helps regulate heart rate, digestion, and the body’s ability to calm down after stress.

By stimulating specific ear points, we can send a message to the brain that it’s safe to relax. Over time, this can help reduce hypersensitivity, ease pain, and quiet the body’s protective response.

🧠 What the research shows:
✔️A 2012 study (Auricular Acupuncture and Vagal Regulation) found that ear acupuncture can influence vagal activity, impacting heart rate, breathing, and gut function. (He et al., 2012, PMC)
✔️More recent research shows that auricular stimulation can lower inflammatory markers like TNF-α and IL-6, which tend to rise when the body is under stress. (ScienceDirect, 2024)

On top of being relaxing, ear acupuncture is one way to help your system restore balance and support recovery.

Curious to try it?
Ask your practitioner if ear acupuncture could be added to your next treatment!

One of the hardest parts of living with persistent pain is making sense of it.
Most people assume pain = damage, but that’s not always true

Sometimes when your nervous system has been on high alert for too long, it can keep sounding the alarm even when no structural injury is present.

This can create a loop where pain pathways get “practiced”

You can still move your body safely when you’re experiencing pain! Strategic exercise, breath work, and safety-building routines helps your brain learn to let its guard down. Additionally, massage and acupuncture can be powerful tools to normalize sensation in overly sensitive areas.

Pain management isn’t only about fixing what hurts, it’s also about showing your body that it’s safe to move again.

🌿 Nervous System Notes

Labour Day always feels like a good time to check in with ourselves before fall routines pick up.

One of the biggest things I see in clinic is how overwhelming nervous system care can sound. When patients hear that stress, sleep, and recovery all play into pain, it can feel like another huge thing they need to fix.

But nervous system care can start very small!!

Try this gentle reset tonight:
1. Pause & Notice: Journal a few quick prompts

2. Create a Mini Evening Routine: Dim the lights, put your phone aside, and give yourself even 10 minutes of calm before bed.

Small steps like these help signal safety to your body and over time that’s how we invite change

A long overdue thank you to our friends at for hosting us after our last run club! 🏃‍♀️🥐

Every single bite was incredible, we’ll definitely be back.

If you’re in the midtown area, it’s a must try! This spot is already a favourite for many, and now we know why 🫶

Thanks to everyone who came out to our first run club last weekend! 🥳

Looking forward to seeing you all on June 1st. Help us spread the word and share with your friends!! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Last week I (Olivia) had the opportunity to attend the Isokinetic Conference in Madrid, where the world’s top minds in sport science and rehabilitation came together to share cutting-edge research and practices in musculoskeletal health.

The focus was on elite-level football, with presentations highlighting how the most advanced rehab strategies are being applied in high-performance settings. But what stood out most to me was the importance of translating this knowledge beyond the professional sphere.

As clinicians, we have a responsibility to take what we learn in these spaces and bring it back to the communities we serve, to grassroots sport, recreational athletes, and to the general population. Everyone deserves access to informed, progressive, and high-quality care, regardless of level of play.

We are inspired and excited to keep bridging the gap!

One year of Recreo!!
Thanks to everyone who’s supported us along the way, whether you’ve been with us since day one or found us last week. Here’s to year two 🧡

RUN CLUB IS BACK 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️💨
Lace up, we’re hitting the streets starting May 18th!! (full schedule on the next slide)

Details:
- 9AM | Meet at Redpath & Eglinton (SE corner)
- 5KM run: 2 pace groups (faster:5:30–6:00/km & social: 6:45–7:00/km)
- NEW 3KM walk group, bring your pups!
- Post-run: Grab coffee at a local spot

This year we’re mixing it up and showing love to different local businesses, tag your faves you want us to collab with!

Let’s move, connect, and caffeinate, can’t wait to see you there!!