Collingwood’s Fire Department is the first in Canada to channel waves for wellness.
A roll-up mat laid out on a bed is the latest addition to the department wellness program.
The mat is called a Seqex, and it uses Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy to help the firefighters detox, relax, and heal when necessary.
The device comes from Health Wellness Industries in Collingwood, where the owner and president Kim Sartor has built a business selling and offering treatments in the Seqex system.
The technology uses a magnetic field generator, one field is static, one is alternating. When both work together, they create what’s called ion cyclotron resonance. The effect is increased oxygen flow and cells that are able to move more freely and absorb what they need to repair and restore the body.
“In Europe, they call it ‘electroceuticals,’” said Sartor. “In Canada and the US, we test a lot of things by electrical methods (like an electrocardiogram) … So we know there’s an electrical side to our body, but we mainly treat biochemical.”
Sartor first learned of Seqex while watching a video during a visit to the Science Centre in Toronto. At the time, Sartor was suffering from chronic issues including asthma. She was suffering further complications from long-term use of prednisone. She was looking for answers and another way to treat her chronic conditions. The founder of Seqex was in Italy, so she made the trip across the ocean to meet him and learn more.
She has been to Italy 17 times in the last three years, and worked with Seqex to get Health Canada approval. Now the Seqex is a Class 2 medical device, which means it can be used without a doctor administering it – similar to a sleep apnea machine.
The Seqex reduces inflammation and encourages circulation, those two actions help the body become more efficient at healing and restoring itself.
Sartor said she’s seen it used in public healthcare in Europe as part of an integrated approach to medicine, not an alternative. It doesn’t take the place of medical treatments, but it can be a helpful addition to treatments even those as intense as chemotherapy and radiation, said Sartor.
Deputy Fire Chief Dan Thurman said it’s a good addition to the department’s wellness program.
“We always pride ourselves on a really great wellness program,” said Thurman. “We want people to live long, healthy lives … firefighters have a lot of aches and pains and chronic issues.”
The Seqex has been added to an available gym and sauna at the Collingwood Fire Department, which is used for detoxification following a fire. Firefighters are exposed to chemicals and toxins when they fight fires.
Thurman said the Seqex is convenient, since it can be rolled up and put on a chair or bed anywhere.
“It provides immediate and safe treatments by simply removing your boots,” said Thurman, adding the treatment won’t take a firefighter out of action so it can be done on a lunch break during someone’s shift. He’s been using one at home to treat a knee trauma and said he’s noticed a speedier recovery than expected.
The Collingwood Fire Department has been using the Seqex machine since December.
Firefighter Chris King said it’s helped him sleep better, and he’s used the microcirculation mode to help detox.
“It’s not a magic mat,” said King. “It’s just helping your body do what it’s supposed to do.”
Sartor said the ion cyclotron resonance frees up cells and optimizes them.
She no longer needs a puffer for her asthma.
“What you’re doing is, when you spin the cells, you make them become more permeable, you allow them to become more active and optimized,” she said. “If they’re all stuck together with no movement and no circulation, they don’t do what they’re supposed to do.”
Members of the public can try a Seqex machine at Sartor’s clinic through paid sessions. For more, visit the website here.
