Description
About Nikki Silva
Nikki N. Silva is a dedicated Physiotherapist. Practicing at Confederation College - Lake Of The Woods Campus - Kenora in Kenora, ON, Nikki Silva is committed to high-quality, patient-centered care aligning with College of Physiotherapists of Ontario standards. Nikki Silva's focus is providing comprehensive assessment and treatment for a broad spectrum of musculoskeletal injuries, pain conditions, and movement dysfunctions to help patients of all ages restore function, manage pain, and improve their quality of life. Nikki Silva serves a diverse range of patients, tailoring treatment plans to meet individual needs and goals.
Nikki N. Silva completed their degree in Physiotherapy from University of Manitoba (Graduating Class of 1999). With extensive clinical experience, Nikki Silva is committed to ongoing professional development and evidence-based physiotherapy practices. Nikki Silva has a particular interest and further training in areas such as General Physiotherapy Practice and general physiotherapy.
Nikki Silva's practice philosophy centers on a patient-centered approach, actively involving individuals in their treatment planning and goal setting. Nikki Silva empowers patients through clear education about their condition and practical self-management strategies for lasting results; promoting preventative care and long-term wellness for the Kenora community through proactive physiotherapy. Nikki Silva offers consultations in English.
Common Health Concerns Nikki N. Silva Addresses
Nikki N. Silva provides skilled physiotherapist care for a variety of health concerns, including but not limited to:
Back Neck Pain
- Postural Back/Neck Pain: Muscular pain, trigger points, and tension headaches resulting from habitual poor posture, which can be addressed with postural re-education, exercises, and ergonomic advice.
- Herniated Disc / Sciatica / Radiculopathy: Sharp, shooting, electric-like, or burning pain that travels along the path of a nerve due to issues with intervertebral discs or other spinal structures.
- Spinal Stenosis Symptoms: Often age-related changes leading to pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs with walking (neurogenic claudication in lumbar stenosis) or in the arms/hands (cervical stenosis).
Sports Injury
- Ligament Sprains (e.g., ACL, MCL, PCL, Ankle Ligaments): Stretching or tearing of ligaments (the strong, fibrous bands that connect bones to each other at joints) due to sudden force, twisting, overstretching, or impact. Common in sports involving jumping, cutting, pivoting, or collisions. Examples include ACL/MCL tears in the knee or common ankle sprains.
- IT Band Syndrome (Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome): An overuse injury resulting from repetitive friction of the IT band over the lateral femoral epicondyle (at the knee) or greater trochanter (at the hip).
- Stress Fractures (Activity-Related - Conservative Management/Rehab): A bone injury resulting from an imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation due to repetitive mechanical loading, often seen in runners or athletes who rapidly increase their training.
Common Musculoskeletal
- Knee Pain (e.g., Patellofemoral Syndrome, Meniscal Issues - conservative, Ligament Sprains): Pain, swelling, clicking, locking, or instability in or around the knee joint from various causes like ligament sprains (e.g., ACL, MCL), meniscal tears (managed conservatively), or patellofemoral (kneecap) pain.
- Shoulder Pain (e.g., Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy, Impingement, Frozen Shoulder/Adhesive Capsulitis): Pain, weakness, or restricted movement in the shoulder joint, often experienced with overhead activities, lifting, reaching behind your back, or sleeping on the affected side.
- Wrist and Hand Pain (e.g., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, Strains): Pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or stiffness in the wrist, hand, or fingers, often resulting from overuse, repetitive tasks, arthritis, or specific conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or De Quervain's tenosynovitis.
This list offers examples of conditions commonly addressed. Diagnosis for physiotherapist is based on individual assessment, so if your specific concern isn't listed, please contact the clinic. Nikki Silva can assess your needs.
Nikki N. Silva's Physiotherapy Services
- General Reconditioning & Fitness Programs: Structured physical activities and exercises aimed at helping you safely regain strength, stamina, and confidence in your body's abilities, tailored to your current level.
- Personalized Therapeutic Exercise Prescription: Evidence-based exercise programs designed by your physiotherapist, including instruction and progression, to optimize your recovery and enhance your physical well-being.
- Core Stability & Strengthening Training: Developing control, strength, and endurance in your core musculature for improved functional performance, pain reduction, and prevention of re-injury.
- Strength & Conditioning for Rehabilitation and Performance: Targeted exercises using resistance (such as bodyweight, resistance bands, free weights, or gym equipment) to build muscle strength, power, and endurance, tailored to your specific rehabilitation needs or performance goals.
- Neural Mobilization Techniques (Nerve Gliding): Improving the mobility and health of your nervous system to reduce pain, restore sensation, and enhance overall function.
- Manual Therapy (Joint Mobilization & Manipulation): Hands-on physiotherapy focused on mobilizing restricted joints and soft tissues to promote healing, restore normal biomechanics, and alleviate pain.
Note: This list highlights some key services. For a full list of therapies offered by Nikki Silva, or to discuss your specific needs, please contact the clinic.
All services are provided in accordance with the scope of practice for Physiotherapists in ON and the standards set by The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
Achieving Your Health Goals with Physiotherapy Care
At Confederation College - Lake Of The Woods Campus - Kenora, physiotherapy is focused on helping individuals like you achieve significant improvements in health and daily activities. Nikki Silva frequently helps patients work towards goals such as:
- At Nikki Silva's physiotherapy practice, individuals with general muscle strains and pulls from overdoing it at the gym or in the garden are guided towards feeling more energetic and less weighed down by physical discomfort. The focus is on enabling you to once again participate fully and comfortably in activities you enjoy, such as sleeping soundly through the night without being woken by pain or discomfort.
- Struggling with the frustration of recovering from a burn and needing help with scar mobility and movement? Nikki Silva develops individualized physiotherapy programs specifically aimed at achieving enhanced pelvic floor function and control (for relevant conditions). This is key to helping you get back to doing walking up and down several flights of stairs without issue or breathlessness with confidence and significantly reduced discomfort.
- Patients struggling with feeling like my joints are just 'wearing out' and getting harder to move can find dedicated and compassionate support from Nikki Silva. The therapeutic focus is squarely on achieving a deeper understanding of their condition and how to manage it proactively for long-term well-being, using a range of physiotherapy services to facilitate a return to meaningful daily activities such as performing self-care tasks like hair washing or reaching their back.
- Nikki Silva frequently assists patients in overcoming the effects of an old ankle sprain that never seems to fully heal and still feels weak. A carefully designed physiotherapy program, potentially including specialized manual techniques and progressive exercises, targets enhanced ability to participate in social and community events and supports your enthusiastic engagement in desired activities like spending hours gardening comfortably, without subsequent back or knee strain.
Your personalized physiotherapy plan, developed with Nikki Silva, will be designed to help you reach your specific functional and wellness objectives.
Clinic Location & Accessibility
Nikki Silva practices at Confederation College - Lake Of The Woods Campus - Kenora, situated in a physiotherapy clinic in the central Kenora neighborhood of Kenora. The clinic is conveniently located near nearby parks and community recreation facilities and is accessible via local public transit routes. Our clinic is accessible. Street parking and nearby paid lots offer convenient options for visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Physiotherapy in Kenora
- Do I need a doctor's referral to see a Physiotherapist in ON?
- In Ontario, you typically do not need a doctor's referral to see a physiotherapist. This is known as direct access. However, while a referral isn't legally required to book an appointment, some private health insurance plans may require one for coverage. It is strongly recommended that you check with your insurance provider before your first appointment to understand their specific requirements.
- Approximately how many physiotherapy sessions will I need?
- The number of physiotherapy sessions required varies greatly from person to person. It depends on several factors, including the nature and severity of your condition, how long you've had the issue (acute vs. chronic), your individual treatment goals, your body's unique response to therapy, and how consistently you are able to follow your prescribed home exercise program and self-management advice. Your Physiotherapist will discuss a proposed treatment frequency and estimated duration after your initial assessment and will continually re-evaluate your progress with you.
- Is physiotherapy covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) in ON?
- OHIP generally does NOT cover physiotherapy services provided in private clinics. Publicly funded physiotherapy is available through specific programs (e.g., post-hospitalization for certain conditions, for children/youth, seniors, or through Community Physiotherapy Clinics/Family Health Teams), but eligibility is restricted and waitlists may apply. Most Ontarians will need to rely on private insurance or pay out-of-pocket for physiotherapy in a private clinic. It is essential to check your private insurance coverage and eligibility with OHIP directly.
- I have private health insurance. How does that work with physiotherapy payments?
- Many private health insurance plans offer full or partial coverage for registered physiotherapy services. We recommend you contact your insurance provider directly before your first appointment to understand the specifics of your plan. Key things to check are: your annual maximum for physiotherapy, any per-visit limits or co-payments, whether a doctor's referral is required for reimbursement, and if your plan allows for direct billing by the clinic. If our clinic offers direct billing and your plan allows it, we can often bill your insurer directly for the covered portion. You would then be responsible for any co-payment or remaining balance not covered by your plan at the time of service. Please bring your insurance card and all necessary policy details to your first appointment. If direct billing is not possible, we will provide you with an official receipt that you can submit to your insurer.
- Is there anything specific I should bring to my first physiotherapy appointment?
- It's helpful to bring your health card, any referral letters from other healthcare providers if you were referred, and any reports or images from relevant medical tests (X-rays, MRIs, etc.) related to your condition. If you have private insurance coverage for physiotherapy, please bring your insurance card or policy details for billing purposes. Comfortable attire that allows for easy movement during the assessment is also recommended.
- Will I be given exercises to do at home?
- Absolutely! Home exercises are a vital part of your rehabilitation journey and empower you to take an active role in your recovery process. Your Physiotherapist will carefully select and teach you exercises specific to your needs. These exercises help to reinforce what's done in the clinic, manage your condition effectively, and ensure you continue progressing towards your goals even when you're not in a session.
- Is physiotherapy treatment supposed to be painful?
- While some physiotherapy techniques might feel uncomfortable or cause a temporary increase in soreness (similar to muscle soreness after a new workout), especially when working on stiff joints or tight muscles, it should not be excessively or intolerably painful. Your Physiotherapist will discuss what sensations you might expect with different treatments and will always aim to adjust the intensity and techniques to ensure you are as comfortable as possible while still achieving therapeutic benefits. Constant communication about your comfort level is very important.
Clinic Contact & Licensing Information
Confederation College - Lake Of The Woods Campus - Kenora
900 Golf Course Road
Kenora, ON, P9N 3X7
Phone: (807) 468-3121
Nikki N. Silva is regulated by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and Physiotherapy Act, 1991 in ON and is a registered member of The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
Registration Number: XXX74
Verify registration with The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario: https://portal.collegept.org/en-US/public-register/display-member-contact/?id=fa8b749f-8c02-e811-813c-480fcff44541
Always consult with your primary healthcare provider before starting any new treatment program.