headacheMillions of Canadians suffer from headaches ranging from mild to debilitating.  But, what if you don’t want to reach for medication for your symptoms.  The next time you feel a headache coming on, here are some non medical approaches you can consider.

Acupuncture

The belief in acupuncture is that all headaches begin when the natural flow of chi is disrupted, and acupuncture can restore this energy flow by releasing  pain-reducing chemicals, such as endorphins.

Massage

For temporary relief,  get a neck, back, head, or shoulder massage. Holding tension in your muscles is a common cause of headaches and migraines.

Stretching

Headache-relieving stretches can help to relieve muscle tension which contributes to pain. Hold each stretch for five seconds, and repeat several times.

  • Range of motion for the neck (chin forward, upward, and toward each shoulder)
  • Shoulder shrugs (shrug up, up and forward, and up and back)
  • Neck isometrics (press palm into forehead and hold; press hand on each side of the head)

Yoga

The relaxation exercises found in yoga combine physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to boost relaxation and balance the mind, body, and spirit.

Lavender Oil

Lavender oil can be either inhaled or applied topically.  Placing one drop of lavender oil to every 236 milliliters of boiling water, and then inhaling the vapors, can help you to relax tense muscles.  Lavender oil can be applied externally without diluting it; such as on a pillow or your temples. Lavender oil can help you relax.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil has shown to be beneficial in relieving tension headaches. Peppermint oil has vaso-constricting and vaso-dilating properties, which can help improve and promote blood flow in the body.

Diet

Making changes to your diet and keeping track of those foods that trigger a headache or migraine can be useful for reducing the frequency of your headaches. Certain foods can effect the frequency and severity of headaches, including dairy; chocolate; citrus fruits; red wine, nitrates found in  products such as bacon,and foods containing  monosodium glutamate / MSG.

You can also try:

Apply an ice pack – Try placing it on your forehead, temples or the back of your neck.

Lie quietly in a low-lit room.

Improve your coping skills when it comes to dealing with stress. Chronic stress is one of the leading causes of headaches.

Deep breathing can help you unwind  – lie still while breathing in and out slowly, and be conscious of relaxing various muscle groups, working from your head to your toes.

If you suffer from frequent headaches, please contact your  doctor or health care practitioner.

With more than 200 viruses causing the common cold, you’re bound to catch a sniffle or two: Diversified Health shares six ways to boost your immune system.

Think Positive – Happier people are less likely to develop colds when exposed to cold viruses. People with high positive emotion scores produce just enough cytokine (a protein) to help recruit other immune cells to fight off infections.

Exercise Regularly – Taking a pass on exercise may increase your risk of catching a cold. Exercising at least 45 minutes five times a week can increase the immune fighting cells with each episode of exercise.

Victoria Clinic Indorses Six Easy Ways to Boost Your Immunity

Six Easy Ways to Boost Your Immunity

Snack on Yogurt –  Pro-biotics help promote a healthier immune system. To benefit, a person should consume between 1 and 10 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of active probiotics per day.

Eat your Veggies – Eating at least eight servings of brightly colored vegetables and fruits per day helps keep the immune system in top form, and prevents it from overreacting.

Give herbs and Algae a try – The herb ginseng has been proven to help prevent colds when taken as soon as symptoms develop.  Spirulina, a blue green algae, is available in health food store, is also promising. Some variations containing zinc and powdered acerola have high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential.

Boost your Vitamin D – People with low Vitamin D status are one and half times more likely to get a respiratory infection than those whose Vitamin D levels were higher. Health Canada recommends 200 IU daily for adults under age 50 and 400 IU for those over 50.

Acupuncture sessions support and strengthen immunity.  Scientific research shows that acupuncture increases the white blood cells in the body and moderates the immune system allowing it to react swiftly and strongly to threats.

A healthy body has a strong and effective immune system.  For more tips and strategies on keeping your immune system strong, please contact our knowledgeable  healthcare practitioners.

sore_0Mild muscle injuries create microscopic damage/tears to the muscle fibers,  and scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain.

Sore muscles are usually caused by doing an activity you’re not used to (like running a marathon when you normally jog just a few miles or you have quickly increased your exercise intensity level or length of your workouts.

One question most people have, is when you have sore muscles, which is better…heat or ice.  The best way to treat sore muscles is with cold therapy first and heat therapy later.

Cold Therapy:

Practitioners recommend icing the muscles immediately after activity to reduce blood flow to the area which will reduce the swelling and inflammation.  You should apply a cold compress/pack for at least 20 minutes, every four to six hours for up to 2 days.

Heat Therapy:

After the first day of soreness, heat can be applied to the inflamed area, which will help sore and tightened muscles relax and will promote blood flow and circulation.  Heat should be applied to the area for 20 minutes; up to three times a day.

Stretching The Muscles:

One of the best ways to prevent sore muscles is by easing your way into your activity or exercise routine.  This can be achieved by using those targeted muscles in lighter exercise than you are going to be performing in the following minutes.

The most important step you can do to prevent sore muscles is to have a cool-down phase after any workout or physical activity. Right before finishing, include at least 10 minutes of light aerobic work such as walking followed by stretching.  Stretching will also help to move the lactic acid out of your muscles.

Keep Hydrated:

If your muscles are sore from intense activities, your muscles are rebuilding themselves, and require lots of water.  Remember to drink water while you work out and throughout the day.

Therapies That Can Help With Sore Muscles:

Massage – is used to relieve pain by working on the soft tissues, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to improve muscle tone.  Massage stimulates blood circulation and assists the lymphatic system and improving the elimination of waste throughout the body. 

Acupuncture – is used to encourage the body to promote natural healing and to improve function. Acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles that will either change the experience of pain, or will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.

eToims – produces painless deep twitch contractions that stretch and relax damaged muscles. This produces an inflow of fresh blood and tissue oxygenation to tired muscles as pain-producing chemicals simultaneously outflow from affected areas.

Dry Needling – The aim of dry needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain. dry needling can reduce pain, while increasing flexibility and range of motion by: stretching receptor in the muscle by stimulation, and drawing blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process.

It’s normal to have sore muscles after you work out, or play sports, just make sure you take care of them!

ElectroAcupunctureElectro-acupuncture is the application of an electrical current to acupuncture needles to stimulate healing within the body.

Electro-acupuncture is similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during a treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body, and the needles are  then attached to a modality that generates a continuous electric pulse using small clips.

The electro-acupuncture device delivers about 10-80 milli-amps depending upon the selected setting.  Patients may experience a tingling sensation while being treated with electro-acupuncture, which is due to the current. The average treatment  length with electro-acupuncture is 10-20 minutes.

The benefits of using electrical stimulation are:

  1. Electro-acupuncture helps reduce total treatment time by providing continuous stimulus.
  2. It is easy to control the frequency of the modality, and it can be customized to produce a stronger current as needed.

According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, illness is caused when qi does not flow properly through the body. Acupuncturists determine whether qi is weak, stagnant or out of balance, which indicates the points to be stimulated.

Electroacupuncture is considered to be especially useful for conditions in which there is an accumulation of qi, such as in chronic pain syndromes, or in cases where the qi is difficult to stimulate. Using a gentle electrical current in conjunction with acupuncture needles is an alternative way to stimulate the point and enhance the qi.

Victoria Spaurel is a registered acupuncturist having graduated from the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria BC in 2005. Her passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy and diagnostic theory is deeply rooted in long-developed holistic beliefs in true health and wellness.

As a well-known acupuncturist; Victoria teaches at the Pacific Rim College of Acupuncture in Victoria BC and is a 20 year veteran to complimentary health care.  In that time she has developed a keen ability to identify and effectively treat patterns of disharmony with regard to the health of her patients. She is well loved by patients in her family practice and respected by her colleagues.

For more information on electro-acupuncture please contact our office at 250-382-0018.

sh_destress_photoHere’s our top ten list to help you simplify & de-stress your life!

1.  Create a “public” calendar. Whether you have a large family or there is just two of you, using a public calendar will let you take a “big-picture” look at a glance.  You will be kept in the loop on items such as, when the strata meeting is, or when to schedule a dental appointment. Being able to visually see what everybody is doing will reduce the chance of frustration or surprise.

2.  Run all the errands during your work week, and don’t save them for your days off. Take back your days off by scheduling your to-do list during the week; before or after work, or during lunch breaks.

3.  Say ‘yes’ less often. Over extending yourself complicates your life, and learning to say no when you don’t want to do something is one of the quickest ways to leading an uncluttered life.

4.  Delete social networking accounts you don’t use, and spend less time online.

5.  Automate your finances by signing up for automatic bill pay and take advantage of technology. Apps and online calendars can help you plan and track your schedule, birthdays, errands, and monthly payments, which will simplify your life and reduce your stress.

6.  Learn to ask for help!  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  You can hire someone, ask a friend or delegate it to a family member. You don’t have to do it all by yourself.

7.  Learn to spend more time with people you like/love:  Eliminate the “Debbie Downers” and the toxic relationships that aren’t working for you.

8.  Get more sleep!

9.  Eat more fruits, veggies, and whole foods.

10.  Start waking up a few minutes earlier and plan your day by visualizing your schedule for that day. Getting up 15 – 20 minutes earlier  will allow you to enjoy a cup of coffee, and take a few minutes to yourself.  This routine will get you mentally set for the busy day ahead.

When your body is healthy and strong,  you are able to handle the daily stress in your life.  Another action plan to help you maintain your immune system, is to incorporate sessions of acupuncture and massage throughout the year.

Diversified Health Clinic

Diversified Health Clinic

Early intervention is critical to a speedy recovery. Research has proven that people who seek therapy early after an injury have shorter recovery periods.

When you choose Diversified Health Clinic you will find experienced physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists  who work together to ensure our patients have access to the finest diagnostic tools, treatments and therapies available from each discipline, and work together to ensure optimal care for our patients.

Our Healthcare Practitioners Offer:

  • Results: Proven, one-to-one, evidence-based therapy
  • Coverage Options:  Chiropractic, Physiotherapy and Massage are covered by most insurance, with little to no out-of-pocket fees
  • Efficient Recovery:  We get you back to enjoying a pain free life as quickly as possible
  • Short & Long Term Relief:  We focus on the root cause of your pain, not just symptoms
  • Flexible Scheduling:  Convenient scheduling around work and home obligations
  • Prevention Strategies:  We show you how to keep pain from coming back – on your own
  • Experienced Practitioners:  Licensed practitioners who genuinely care about your health

At the Diversified Health Clinic, we take a team approach towards maintaining your health. Each of our specialists brings their particular set of skills to the partnership giving us the collective ability to treat a wide variety of diseases and conditions from a multitude of perspectives.

Early intervention is especially important if you have suffered an injury at work or have been in a car accident.  Read an interview with Dr. Gustavson where he discusses personal injuries experienced in automobile accidents.

 Whether you are a stay-at-home parent, an active individual or a professional athlete, the benefits of our custom, effective treatments will get you back to being pain free, improve your athletic performance and get you to the next level.

How to Get the Most From Your Next TreatmentHaving a successful treatment starts before you see your practitioner. On your next visit to your health care practitioner try incorporating these tips.

  • Getting adequate rest the night before your treatment is an important part of the healing process.
  • Arrive on time to your sessions.  If you arrive in a frenzied state, it will take you longer to relax.
  • Remember that your practitioner may have another appointment directly after your own and your treatment time will be cut short if you arrive late.
  • Wear clothing that will be comfortable during a treatment session.
  • Before the treatment begins, always give an accurate health update, and bring any relevant letters, imaging and/or scan results.
  • During a treatment, report any discomfort that you are feeling right away and don’t be afraid to discuss any concerns.
  • Remember to breathe normally throughout your treatment session.  If you are anxious about the treatment, your breathing will be shallow and limited.  Talking with your practitioner about your anxiety will help you relax.
  • Stay hydrated, remember to drink water before and after your treatment.
  • Don’t get up too quickly from the treatment table.  Getting off the table too fast, can make you feel dizzy or light headed.
  • Part of any treatment includes the moments after the the treatment is over.  Make sure you take enough time in the room to integrate and assimilate the results of your session.
  • Try to stay active after a treatment.  In most cases, movement after a session will help the treatment hold for a longer period of time.
  • Be honest with your practitioner;  if a treatment is not working let them know.  A good health care practitioner will choose another approach or modality to treat your condition.

Part of any good health care solution is being part of a team, and Diversified Health has numerous disciplines, treatment options, modalities and practitioners to help you get feeling better faster!

T_Seasonal_Disorder_enHD_1Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a mood disorder in which people experience depressive symptoms in the fall and winter months.

Our moods and energy levels fluctuate with the seasons.  Traditional Chinese Medicine understands these seasonal cycles, and that conflict in the body causes stress, which can result in SAD.

Low levels of vitamin D and limited exposure to ultraviolet-B on their skin,can also result in SAD.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that people experience at the same time every year.  Typically symptoms start in October and continue until April.  The symptoms include:

  • Irritability
  • Headaches
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Increased appetite/cravings
  • Lack of concentration
  • Decreased libido

There are many theories as to what causes SAD, and most of the theories involve light.  Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, is triggered by light, and that the decreased serotonin is the culprit.  Others theories involve melatonin, a hormone that affects sleep and mood, because it is affected by darkness.  In either case, light plays a role.

Acupuncture is a very effective option for treating SAD.  Anxiety, SAD, and other mood disorders respond very well to acupuncture.   Acupuncture has been proven to relieve stress and have a relaxing, calming effect on the body. Patients suffering from SAD will often feel immediate relief following a treatment. With regular, continued treatments, acupuncture can help to minimize and prevent SAD symptoms and help the body adapt to seasonal changes.

Acupuncture helps our bodies to regain its natural balance by correcting various systems that are responsible for sleep, energy, and immune system.

Advice for Seasonal Affective Disorder

  • Limit carbohydrates in the form of starches and sweets; add more protein and dark coloured vegetables to your diet
  • Avoid overeating or gaining weight
  • Exercise regularly by walking 15 minutes a day when there is the most sunlight
  • Work by a window to allow exposure to natural light
  • Go to bed earlier and get up earlier so you maximize daylight hours
  • Think positive – keep a gratitude journal

These are health-promoting strategies that will help to relieve your seasonal symptoms and improve  your health.

stress-and-acid-refluxLong-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health issues by raising your blood pressure, increasing your risk of having a heart attack, and suppressing your immune system. Ignoring the symptoms of stress can lead to anxiety and depression.

Physical symptoms from prolonged stress can range from headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pains, difficulty breathing and trouble sleeping.

Everyone deals with stress differently; the import factor is to find healthy ways  to deal with stress that work for you.

#1 most effective way to deal with stress – RELAX

Deep Breathing | Deliberate and mindful breathing will help your muscles to relax and make you feel less tense.

Massage | Booking even a short 30 minute massage focusing on the muscles in the back of your neck and upper back will help you feel less tense.

Time Out | Stepping away from the situation, even for a few minutes will have a beneficial effect on your mood. Going for a walk around the block can go a long way to decreasing your stress.

Grateful List | Make a mental list of 5 things you are thankful for. This will remove your focus from the stressful situation and will allow you to gain quick perspective of your life.

#2 Take care of your body

Sleep | 7 to 9 hours will help your body recover

Eat healthy | Eat fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Don’t fall into bad habits of junk food, and limit your caffeine or high-sugar snack foods.

Exercise | Getting physical activity helps relax your tense muscles and improve your mood.

 Avoid | alcohol, drugs, smoking

# 3 Involve your Health Care Practitioners

Be proactive – don’t wait till you can no longer cope.  Make sure that you talk to your health care practitioner, and work together to find a treatment plan that works for you.

Book a massage –  Clinical studies show that even a single 1 ½ -hour session can significantly lower heart rate, cortisol levels and insulin levels-all of which help reduce stress through massage therapy. On-going massage therapy can improve overall physical and mental performance.

Book an acupuncture session – The body secretes hormones into the bloodstream as a reaction to stress.  Acupuncture can block the chronic, stress-induced elevations of these hormones leaving you with a sense of calm & relaxation.

Book a Chiropractic session – One of the effects of chronic stress is prolonged muscle tension. This muscle tension can leads to a misalignment of the spine and the other joints in the body. These misalignments can cause common conditions such as; back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Chiropractic adjustments reduce nerve irritation, improve circulation, and release muscle tension.

Book a Physiotherapy session – can assist decease stress levels through manual therapy. Manual therapy involves manipulation of muscles and tissues in the body. This technique is used to reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, and carry fresh oxygen to tissues in the body.

Treatment by acupunctureNew York Times – Guest Article By Anahad O’Connor

According to a large new study in the journal Pediatrics, the short answer is yes — in the hands of a trained practitioner. The study, the first large-scale systematic review on the safety of pediatric acupuncture, found that about one in 10 children had experienced mild side effects, like bruising and pain and numbness at the puncture site. More serious side effects, like infections and nerve impairment, were rare.

Large studies in the past have generally focused on acupuncture in adults and found similar complication rates, with serious side effects occurring in about five of every million treatment sessions.

Acupuncture is one of the most common alternative medicines in the United States, practiced by about three million people — mostly adults — every year. But it is also used with growing frequency in children to relieve pain, migraines and other complaints. About 150,000 children in the United States underwent acupuncture in 2007, according to government estimates. Whether acupuncture poses any particular hazards to children, however, has not been entirely clear.

In the latest study, researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada focused specifically on children, combing through data from 37 international studies. The authors cast a wide net, pooling data from high-quality randomized trials conducted over the past few decades as well as single case reports of injuries.

Over all, out of 1,422 children and teenagers who were included in the analysis, 168 experienced “mild” side effects. More serious problems were rare and tended to be limited to clinics that did not adhere to strict safety standards, including 12 cases of “deformity” from damage to a muscle in the thumb, all reported from the same clinic in China between 1983 and 1989. In another case, a 15-year-old boy in the United States had to be treated with “an extended course” of antibiotics when he developed a fever after undergoing acupuncture and chiropractic treatment for back pain.

“I would say the circumstances in which the serious harms happened do not reflect the modern-day standard of training and credentialing,” said Dr. Sunita Vohra, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and an author of the study. “That kind of practice is not what would be expected in most places.” Most American states and Canadian provinces now regulate acupuncture to ensure certain standards of safety and certification, though the regulations vary by state.

The research, financed in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, did not try to answer whether acupuncture is actually effective in children. While some studies have shown that acupuncture can ease chronic neck and back pain and migraine symptoms in adults, “the amount of research done in kids is pretty minimal,” said Michael Waterhouse, the head of acupuncture at the University of California, Los Angeles, pediatric pain program. He added that the results he sees in children who are treated with acupuncture at U.C.L.A. “are as good as the results we get in adults,” though more research is needed.

“There have been some small studies on migraine showing it’s helpful in reducing their frequency and increasing endorphin levels, but that has not been repeated,” he added.

One study from Harvard Medical School in 2000 looked at the effects of acupuncture on a group of about 50 children, most of them teenagers seeking relief from migraines or endometriosis, a condition that can cause painful menstruation. “Most families found acupuncture pleasant and helpful, even for pain that had been very resistant to standard treatment,” the authors wrote. “Although some began with anxiety about the needles and misgivings about the treatment, many developed more positive attitudes over the course of treatment.”

The researchers nonetheless said they believed more research was needed before the results could be generalized to other young patients. “Most of the patients in this study were adolescents; younger children’s experiences might be quite different,” they wrote. “Future studies will need to examine children’s and families’ experience with acupuncture for the entire spectrum of illnesses for which it is used.”