Lauren Wills our Registered Massage Therapist and Victoria Spaurel our registered Acupuncturist are combining their services, and are offering any one who books both a 60 minute massage and a 60 minute acupuncture session between May 15th and May 19th, 25% off both services.

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Acupuncture

Acupuncture

Victoria has had tremendous success assisting patients to reach their health goals. She uses a narrative approach to patient interviews, which helps build trust and enriches her understanding of the concerns at hand. Treatments are always designed and paced to suit her patients. Victoria enjoys working closely with people of all ages and walks of life to create a realistic treatment plan for each individual.  An Initial visit is $85.00 + HST, a subsequent visit is $75.00 + HST

 

 

massage

Massage

Lauren is a determined young lady, who is more than willing to put the time, effort, and energy into her treatments. She has always believed in and promoted a healthy lifestyle. Lauren believes that everyone should be graced with a balanced mind and body. She believes in living a healthy lifestyle and that balancing your mind, body and soul is important and easily over looked in our fast pace modern lifestyles.  A one hour massage is $90.00 includes HST.

To book your appointments, please call us at 250-382-0018!

 

 

When we first met her, Laurie came into our office very upset, fed up and feeling like nobody could help her, and that we probably couldn’t do anything much for her either. Her doctors had told her to learn to live with the constant pain she’d been experiencing for several years, and were apparently baffled by her condition.

Laurie told us that the pain had taken over her life. She could no longer work, and her marriage was not doing well. Her relationship with her teenage daughter was also very bad. Laurie said she knew adolescent girls were tough to cope with, but she also knew that they needed some attention, and Laurie was unable to interact with her daughter on most days because of the pain. She felt guilty and inadequate because she felt like a failure, both at work and in her family life.

A friend had suggested that maybe we would pay some actual attention to her symptoms and would help her to attain some level of health and freedom from pain. She was hesitant because she’d never been to a chiropractor, and wasn’t quite sure what the experience would be like.

We took a complete medical history to determine if there were any obvious or subtler areas of trauma. The evidence suggested that Laurie was suffering from myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a painful problem characterized by “trigger points” of pain, and a limited range of motion in the affected area. It’s also a condition that is exacerbated by stress. Ironically, in her worry and fear over finding a way to pain relief, Laurie was inadvertently worsening the condition.

Laurie could point out where the pain spots of her myofascial pain syndrome were located, and we were also able to readily identify the knobby points of muscle tissue in each place where she said she was hurting so badly. A trained and experienced doctor of chiropractic can find these trigger points by touch.

We devised a Recommended Action Plan, including regular chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy and some good lifestyle changes that Laurie needed to commit to, such as some simple exercises she could perform and a regular plan of walking for at least three times each week. We cautioned Laurie not to expect an instant cure, but instead to look for steady improvement if she followed our recommendations.

After several weeks, and to her obvious amazement, Laurie said the pain was starting to disappear. It wasn’t totally gone, and she still had some bad days. But she also had some good days too, something she hadn’t seen for years! We slightly increased the time and the distance that Laurie should walk and told her to continue the simple exercises. We also reduced the care as scheduled to twice a week. Laurie agreed to this plan.

Laurie’s situation has improved markedly since then, and soon we may even go to once a month should her progress continue at this level.

In other news, Laurie’s relationship with her husband and daughter has greatly improved. For example, now that her pain has diminished so much, she’s been able to pay attention to her husband. (Much to their mutual delight!) Also, instead of fixating on her pain alone, she can listen to what troubles him as well as share the joy he experienced with a recent promotion on the job. She even went out to dinner with him and his colleagues, something she hadn’t done for years! Her daughter is still a teenager, and teenagers can be quite a handful. But now that Laurie can respond to what her daughter needs (not always giving her what she wants, of course!), her relationship with her daughter has also improved.

The pain has abated so much that Laurie has been able to return to work part-time, which has been good for her pocketbook and for her self-esteem. Laurie reports that she, her husband, and her daughter are all very grateful for the chiropractic care that she received in our office, and it has given her back her life, all because her friend referred her to our office. Who do you know that may be living needlessly in pain?

(We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay, feel better and look younger! Don’t be a stranger. Call us and we will assist you in putting together a custom maintenance plan.

Our Victoria clinic offers tips on how to reduce yoga injuries, starting with how yoga offers great health benefits by enabling you to develop your flexibility, strength, and balance. For most healthy people yoga is a safe form of exercise, however yoga injuries can occur.

Most yoga injuries result from overstretching and strain from repetition; certain types of poses can increase your likelihood of being injured if you have the following conditions such as severe osteoporosis, high or low blood pressure or being pregnant.

Victoria Clinic Offers Tips on How to Reduce Yoga Injuries

Yoga

Here are some tips to help you reduce your risk of injury from yoga.

– Don’t learn yoga on your own. Work with an experienced yoga instructor to learn the proper way to perform the poses.

– There are many different types of yoga so before beginning any new type of yoga, ask about its physical demands. Talk with the instructor and others who do that type of yoga.

– Remember to learn the basics, such as proper breathing and how to maintain balance, before attempting more ambitious poses.

– As with any exercise, warming up is essential: cold muscles can increase the chance of an injury, also if you don’t understand a particular pose, ask to see it again and don’t feel embarrassed if you need to ask further questions.

– Stay hydrated during your sessions, especially if you are practicing Hot Yoga, which is done in a warm, humid room.

– Yoga should never hurt, so if you start to feel dizzy, faint or any type of pain, stop the pose immediately. You can then ask your instructor for a modified pose.

Consult with your health care provider before starting a yoga program if you are pregnant or have a pre-existing health condition. Your health care provider can help you decide what type yoga exercise is safe for you.

Our Victoria clinic offers tips on how to reduce yoga injuries, and we would like to leave you with this thought. Yoga is a perfect exercising routine in itself; it pacifies the mind, and keeps the body healthy.

Finding the right Health or Medical Clinics Victoria BC means you need to choose a clinic that is best suited for your needs.  You have a responsibility and right to check therapists, physicians, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors and any practitioner out very carefully before going to their office.

Health & Medical Clinics Victoria BC

Health & Medical Clinics Victoria BC

Here is a list of questions to get you started.

  • Make sure to pick a clinic that is convenient to your schedule, including access to parking.
  • Is the clinic staff friendly and helpful and are they good about returning calls?
  • How easy is it to reach the practitioner?
  • Will the clinic make exceptions for emergencies, and will they take walk in appointments?
  • Can the clinic take care of your needs in a timely manner?

You should feel comfortable with your practitioner and the office staff.  Also think about how you are treated once you are in the treatment room.

  • Is the practitioner present and really listen to you?
  • Is the practitioner asking questions and do they have the information and knowledge to help you?
  • Does the practitioner invite you to be involved in your care?
  • Do you usually feel better and more hopeful after each session?

Diversified Health Clinic is leading the way in aesthetically functional design, combined with cutting edge technology for a non-clinical, compassionate experience for practitioners, patients, visitors and staff; so finding the right Health or Medical Clinics Victoria BC has never been easier.

Please call 250-382-0018 to book a tour of the clinic or to book an appointment.

Are you ready for some spring golf?  Time to dust off your golf clubs, clean out your golf bag, and tee it up!  As most golf injuries are due to overuse, proper warmup is essential for peak performance.

Here are some of the most common golfing injuries:

Low Back Pain

The rotational stresses of the back swing can place a tremendous amount of pressure or strain on the spine, discs and muscles of the lower back.  Because the swing is one direction, overtime  this can lead to more serious problems of sciatica (pain down the leg) , disc  injuries, and degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis.

Regular chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression,and  myofascial release  are all treatments that work well to stabilize the lower back and maintain a healthy spine and allow pain free range of motion.

Golfer’s Elbow

This injury also known as medial epicondylitis  occurs when there is inflammation of the tendons on the inside of your elbow.  Repetitive motion leads to pain and point  tenderness at the elbow, and pain when striking the ball.  Strengthening and stretching the forearm muscles, and slowing down your swing can help take some of the strain away.  Try squeezing a tennis ball, or doing simple wrist curls and reverse wrist curls with a small hand weight.  Shockwave and myofascial release are treatments that are fast and effective in helping heal up the tissues in that area.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a common injury in the elbow as well as the shoulder.  The bursa is a fluid filled sac that acts as a cushion between the bone and skin.  With overuse, it can become inflamed and swell, making range of motion very painful. RICE, rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation is a common the treatment for bursitis, as well as lase r and ultrasound to decrease the inflammation.  Many people get bursitis and tendonitis mixed up and are unsure of the diagnosis.  Dr. Crowle can evaluate the area and effective come up with a treatment plan for you.

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

The shoulder is often affected in golf.  People often experience pain when the arm is lifted away and overhead.  Overtime  tendonitis at the shoulder can make regular golfing very difficult.  Some people with chronic shoulder issues develop Frozen Shoulder, where their range of motion is very painful and they are not able to lift their arm in the full range of motion above their head.  Frozen shoulder is a long process and can take up to a year to regain full range of motion. Chiropractic adjustments, Shockwave and moyofascial release are all affective  in relieving pain, and helping you to continue golfing as you are healing .

Other Repetitive Injuries

Many golfers experience knee  pain due to the twisting of the swing, and the sideways force at the knee.  Meniscus injuries, as well as osteoarthritis over time can cause problems  in the knees.

Carpal Tunnel  is inflammation of the nerves and soft tissue of the wrist and  Dequervain’s tendonitis of the base of the the thumb are also prominent injuries in golf.

Tips on how to prevent these types of injuries:

Get to the course early. You need enough time to take care of your business in the golf shop, use the restroom, change your shoes, etc.  Remember, your warmup routine sets the tempo for the day, so move slowly and relax.

Begin warming up on the putting green. Putting is 40-percent of golf and the putting stroke is the slowest and smoothest of all strokes in golf, and then spend the next 10 minutes hitting chips around the green with a tee as a target.

Begin your full swing warmup with stretching. Stretching can improve your range of motion and light calisthenics such as jogging or jumping jacks will help get the body prepared.  Use your club to stretch your arms, shoulders and spine side to side and twisting.

Keep hydrated (water) on the course, and don’t ignore the early warning signs of pain and tenderness in these areas of your body.  Overtime they can get worse and become chronic issues, and lead to arthritis and degeneration.  Remember if you fail to warm up properly you are setting yourself up to fail when you play.

Having regular chiropractic adjustments and assessing the spine and extremities for weakness and imbalances can keep golfers injury free and back in the game.

Guest Article

Natural health practitioner encourages a diet for change and a transition diet is helpful when a person has regularly eaten meat, sugar, salt, white flour products, and very few grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, sprouts, seeds or nuts. In other words, a transition diet helps with the change from an unhealthy diet to a healthy diet. If a person has regularly eaten natural food, a cleansing program is much easier to follow.

Changing eating habits is very hard to do, and few people are willing to undergo this change until they are forced to in order to save their lives. How much easier it would be if a change took place before serious illness. Meat, chocolate and caffeine drinks are stimulants. Sugar also creates a stimulant feeling but is often followed by low blood sugar, which can lead to depression.

Natural Health Practitioner Encourages a Diet For Change

Diet For Change

In order to re-balance the body the cells need to be cleansed of food residue that has collected through the years

Changing our diet after years of bad habits and unhealthy eating is very difficult. We like the food we are used to eating, and many of them are “comfort foods”. It is hard to change, but it can be done. Any change in your diet needs to be undertaken gradually, eliminating one food at a time. Start by eliminating red meat and salt from the diet. This will begin the cleansing process. Any time a food that has been eaten regularly is given up, the body will began to cleanse. As foods are eliminated from the diet, our taste for those foods will diminish. At the same time, as a more natural food diet is eaten regularly, those nutritious foods will become very satisfying. When salt is given up, the taste buds will change and natural food will be enjoyed more. Adding more brown rice and whole grain will help the transition when eliminating red meat.

Suggested Transition Diet Menu

Before breakfast you can use supplements that are needed for whatever condition you have. If you have candida, take acidophilus first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) and use appropriate nutrients, foods and herbs that go along with candida. If you have hypoglycemia, eat the appropriate diet, along with supplements and herbs to strengthen the body and overcome this condition.

Breakfast, first thing in the morning, should consist of fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, grapes, pears, apricots, apples or citrus fruit. After an hour you can eat a hot cereal, millet or a brown rice dish or a protein drink. Fresh fruit juices or vegetable juices can also be used, and they should always be diluted with half pure water.

Lunch should consist of salads using sprouts of all kinds, grain soups, steamed and raw vegetables. Use brown rice and millet dishes. You can also drink fresh tomato-vegetable juices.

Dinner should be lighter than breakfast and lunch. You can drink fresh vegetables juices, steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, brown rice and millet dishes along with fresh salads.

Our natural health practitioner encourages a diet for change, but there are more changes you can incorporate into your daily life that will promote better overall health, such as exercise and getting enough rest. Our health care practitioners at Diversified Health are always available to discuss any health questions you may have.

Have you ever sat in a medical clinic, and felt nervous, sleepy, or just plain depressed? Drab colours, no plants, and stagnant air that can make a setting feel dead.

Diversified Health Clinic

Recently I had the opportunity to step into the inviting space at Diversified Health Clinic. What caught my eye? Well, I had seen their website about a week prior to my visit, and was curious about the unique curved wooden “ceiling-wall” structure which graces the reception area. I was given a tour of the office, and was impressed with the fact that the entire clinic is built with eco-friendly materials. There’s even a wall portion comprised entirely of plants!

As a mental health therapist, I am acutely aware of the mind-body connection. In my own office I have added cheery colours, living plants, shells, and soft lighting. Comfortable seating and nurturing art complete the picture. It’s hard to imagine a client being able to relax and share their feelings in a sterile, cold environment. Similarly, a person needs to be able to feel comfortable when receiving any kind of physical treatment – whether it’s massage, chiropractic treatments, physiotherapy, or acupuncture.

Besides creating a welcoming environment – what else can a practitioner do to reduce a client’s anxiety or trepidation about seeking help? I encourage my clients to do some simple meditation exercises. These can be as short as 10 minutes, and often involve a focus on the breath. Brain science is just beginning to catch up with what Tibetan monks have known for eleven centuries. The latest scans of the brain indicate that meditation helps aid communication between the amygdala (which alerts us to perceived danger) and the prefrontal cortex (which thinks it over and decides what to do). When that communication is enhanced, we are able to calm ourselves, and are much better able to handle stress of any kind. In addition, the ability to self-soothe is considered by many marriage counsellors to be one of the best indicators of a successful relationship.

Today I listened to Sharon Begley, Wall Street Journal science writer, describe how we are coming to a new understanding of our capability for change – real and lasting change to “deep-seated emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems.” There is also hope for people affected by stroke, depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and age-related changes. We are living in exciting times indeed!

Caron Smith is a counsellor in Victoria, B.C. She provides services to individuals and couples.  She can be reached through her website Smith Counselling or by phone at 250-885-1610.

Headache Free is Possible says Natural Health Practitioner

Headache Free is Possible

Headaches are common, but they are not normal;and being headache free is possible says a natural health practitioner. By finding the cause of your pain, chiropractic care can give you relief to a discomfort that disrupts your life and often makes everyday tasks unbearable.

Headaches are one of the most common problems/symptoms that affect us. Headaches are also one of the most common symptoms, and there are numerous types of headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, trauma headaches, sinus headaches and rebound headaches.

Other common problems that induce headaches are infections, hangovers, stress, fatigue, physical or emotional trauma, problems in the pelvis and lower back, and a malfunction in the upper spinal bones in the neck, affecting nerves, muscles, and blood supply to the head.

On the surface, headaches seem to come in a variety of forms – throbbing, pounding or stabbing. Chiropractors believe that most headaches are ultimately caused by the overloading of the nervous system.
There are an estimated 4.5 million Canadians spending upwards of $60 million dollars each year on over-the-counter and prescription drugs in search for a permanent solution. For some, the medication works, but for many the relief obtained is temporary.

Powerful drugs numb the nervous system so pain doesn’t register and can cause adverse effects on the stomach, liver, and kidneys. For anyone who is suffering from a recurring headache (two-three times a week), it is important to recognize it as a serious sign that something is wrong. Please remember that the headache itself is not the problem.  However, the headache is only a symptom that something else is wrong. Although a quick relief to the pain, drugs provide only a short-term solution to the problem, while the underlying cause of the headache goes untreated.

Migraines are one of the more painful types of headaches often leaving the sufferer in bed and immobilized. Most migraine sufferers notice symptoms that occur before the headache actually hits, such as visual changes, dizziness, muscle contraction, nausea, etc. The headache itself may last from a few minutes to a few days.

The chiropractic approach to headaches, especially repetitive headaches, is to take a good case history. Through the case history and consultation, we can determine patterns and possible causes. A good example would be a headache that begins several weeks after a car accident. In the majority of cases, we will find the problem is usually caused by one or more subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae) in the neck.

It is important to know that a headache is a warning sign. The more frequent or more severe the headache, the greater the warning sign. Headaches that happen every day or almost every day are called rebound headaches and are caused by overuse of pain medicines. Often these headaches begin early in the morning. The location and severity of the headache may change from day to day. People who have rebound headaches also may have nausea, anxiety, irritability, depression, or problems sleeping.

Talk to your healthcare practitioner about the medicines you are taking. You can safely stop taking some medicines right away; while other kinds of medicine have to be slowly reduced. After stopping the headache medicine, it is common for your headaches to get worse for a few days. Do not make changes to your drug plan without talking with your doctor.

Make an appointment for an assessment or to discuss any questions you might have regarding headaches; and imagine what your life would be like pain free! Remember that headache free is possible says a natural health practitioner.

Your spine is made up of vertebrae and discs, so finding relief from a herniated disc with a natural health practitioner like a doctor of chiropractic makes sense.

Discs are like soft cushions between the bones of the spine. The discs in the spine let you move your backbone. When a disc between two bones in the spine presses on the nerves around the backbone, it’s called a herniated disc. The word “herniate” means to bulge or to stick out. Sometimes this is called a ruptured or slipped disc.

Find Relief from a Herniated Disc with A Natural Health Practitioner

Find Relief from a Herniated Disc

Herniated discs are most common in the lower part of your spine referred to as the lumbar spine. This area is constantly absorbing the impact of bearing the weight of the upper body.  The lower back is also critically involved in our body’s movements throughout the day, as we twist the torso in rotating side to side and as we hinge the back in flexion and extension while bending or lifting.

When part of a disc presses on a nerve, it can cause pain in the back and the legs. How bad the pain is depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. In most people with herniated discs, the pain spreads over the buttocks and radiates down the back of one thigh and into the calf. This is known as sciatica because the pain travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. Some people have pain in both legs, and will feel numb or a tingly sensation in their the legs or feet.

Here are some signs  If you have a herniated disc, the painful symptoms will worsen:

  • After you have been sitting down or standing for a long period.
  • During the night.
  • When you laugh, cough or sneeze
  • When you walk, even a short distance.
  • When you bend over backward

Becoming active as soon as possible is very important. Exercises can be helpful. The goal of exercise is to make your back and stomach muscles stronger. This will ease the pressure on your disc and make you hurt less. Ask your practitioner about safe exercises for your back, and start these exercises after your back is a little stronger and doesn’t hurt as much.

Spinal Decompression is painless, drug-free, non-surgical  treatment that has numerous published scientific studies reporting its’ effectiveness at 86% to 94%, and most people who have a herniated disc are better in about 4 – 6 weeks.

Spinal Decompression provides relief to severe back and neck pain sufferers by gently reducing the pressure within spinal discs. The bones of the spine are slowly and methodically separated and as the vertebrae are separated pressure is slowly reduced within the disc until a vacuum is formed. This vacuum “sucks” the gelatinous center of the disc back inside thereby reducing the disc bulge or disc herniation. Significant disc bulge reduction removes pressure off the spinal nerves and drastically reduces pain and disability. This “sucking” vacuum also pulls much-needed oxygen, nutrients and fluid into injured and degenerated discs allowing the healing to begin.

What can you do to help prevent a herniated disc?

Good posture (standing up straight, sitting straight, lifting with your back straight) can help your back by reducing the pressure on your discs.

  1. Bend your knees and hips when you lift something, and keep your back straight.
  2. Hold an object close to your body when you carry it.
  3. If you stand for a long time, put one foot on a small stool or box for a while.
  4. If you sit for a long time, put your feet on a small stool so your knees are higher than your hips.
  5. Don’t wear high-heeled shoes.
  6. Don’t sleep on your stomach.

If you or someone you know needs to find relief from a herniated disc with a natural health practitioner, please call Diversified Health Clinic for a free consultation.

In our constant quest to live better and longer, we seek out and devour every morsel of “how-to-health” news we find; so take Victoria health services health quiz & myths and see how you score!

The challenge lies in finding the truth that is obscured by all the hype. Health myths are as stubborn as ink stains.Passed down from generation to generation or created anew, they refuse to fade away. We have heard them so often we just assume they are true; “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, “The sun causes skin cancer”, “Milk does a body good”, “Fish is good for you.”

Take Victoria Health Services Health Quiz & Myths

Photo credit: students.ubc.ca

Test your myth knowledge and take our quiz. Then read on to find out about some of the biggest myths in health news today. (True or False)

  1. Sea salt healthier than ordinary salt.
  2. Bananas are more fattening than other fruit.
  3. Butter has more calories than margarine.
  4. Brown bread has more fiber than white bread.

Answers to this quiz:

  1. False, but sea salt contains more iodine.
  2. False, the amount of fat in bananas is the same as other fruits, but they do contain high levels of carbohydrates, so watch the size.
  3. False, butter has the same caloric value.
  4. It depends on whether it is “brown” dyed flour or wholemeal. Only whole meal has more fiber.

MYTH: Sun Causes Skin Cancer

Experts and the media bombard us about the “dangers” of the sun. This is one of the most inaccurate myths that persist among most Canadians. Unfortunately, this myth has contributed to massive amounts of disease and illness in our society because we all need sunshine to stay healthy.

Can sun exposure cause skin cancer? Absolutely. An appropriate amount of sunlight exposure actually prevents cancer. Exposure to the sun provides many benefits such as promoting the formation of vitamin D. There is also strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS, colon, ovarian and breast cancers.

This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we want. You must exercise caution. At the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to as little as 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

REMEMBER TO NEVER BURN, THAT IS THE KEY.

Using sunscreen is not a good way to limit your sun exposure, in fact, sunscreen is the LAST thing you want to put on your body, and sunscreen does not stop skin cancer. Sunscreen is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your system and increase your risk of disease. A far more logical solution is to consume large quantities of whole vegetables will increase antioxidant levels in the body and will provide protection against any sun-induced radiation damage.

MYTH: Whole Grains are good for you

Whole grains are better for you than refined grains, but whole grains are still not something that most people should be eating. Well over 50% of Canadians could benefit from severely limiting or eliminating all grains – refined, whole, sprouted or otherwise—from their diets. This is because nearly everyone with high insulin levels benefit from avoiding grains. People in this group would be anyone who has or is overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

The majority of Canadians fall into one or more of these categories. If you are purchasing whole grain, organic sprouted bread, more than likely, it will not move your body toward health, and you are better off avoiding it. The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination should be.

Grains to eliminate include: Wheat, Rice, Spelt, Rye, Barley, Oats, Corn, Potatoes (they digest more like a grain)

Highly processed grain products are not recommended, and these would include:  Breads, Chips, Pasta, Pretzels, Cereal, Waffles, Bagels, Pancakes, French Fries, Baked goods

The next time you have a health question,  you can re-take Victoria health services health quiz & myths, or you can ask the practitioners at DHC, for a trusted source for health information that you can rely on.