Spring is a season for change. Spring is energizing. It makes us want to dust, and clean. To throw open windows to a fresh, cleansing breeze. We organize that garage, get rid of that clutter, and clear out that drawer. Spring is also the time to grab a pen and paper and do some inner spring cleaning. Are there patterns of thinking that we need to challenge? Are there habits that are holding us back? Are there goals we want to reach and mountains we still want to climb? Time to spring forward and get moving!

Trigger points are sensitive points in our soft tissue that can be painful. These muscle “knots” can occur anywhere in the body and patients may complain of tightness and pain in the upper back, neck and head area such as tension headaches or migraines. There are various ways of releasing the muscle tension and reducing aches and pains. Some of the common treatments are pressing and holding these trigger points with massage or dry needling techniques (IMS). Other effective but lesser known treatments to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches are trigger point injections or therapeutic Botox. Ask your doctor which options are best for you!

A chiropractic adjustment takes a misaligned joint of the spine and gently and specifically moves it towards a more neutral position. Joints become misaligned because of many common daily events – the effects of sitting, lifting, poor posture from using technology, and physical traumas all contribute to misalignment. The misaligned vertebrae cause strain on the surrounding soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and the delicate nerves that emerge from the spine), causing pain and dysfunction. A chiropractor can tailor the type of the adjustment to meet any patient’s needs, ranging from gentle manual techniques to low-force instrument adjustments.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life and will undergo treatment and surgery that can affect their mobility and strength. Physiotherapy is a useful intervention after any stage of diagnosis. If physiotherapy can be done before surgery or other treatments, this can help prepare the body for healing later on. When recovering from surgery, physiotherapy can assist with pain management, mobility, and strength, and can include exercises done at home. Physiotherapists can also recommend exercises that increase energy levels when going through treatments like chemotherapy. Think of physiotherapy as another way to heal and move on from cancer.

Skin ages and becomes loose and less elastic as we grow older due to a reduction in fibroblast cells, which build the collagen proteins that keep our cells connected tightly. Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a safe and chemical-free way to trigger new collagen production. A hand-controlled device with tiny, shallow needles punctures the outer layer of the skin at 1000 times per second to create mild damage that will stimulate your body to produce new collagen and elastin. This process can be used all over the body, not just on the face, to treat wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and more!

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is commonly seen in sports such as soccer, rugby, and skiing. Although many individuals initially recover well, the ongoing instability often prevents return to sports and leads to further knee injury, and the risk of developing future osteoarthritis becomes increased. Bracing is rarely sufficient. Surgical reconstruction performed early, within 3-6 weeks, helps to minimize the risk of further injury. ACL surgery should be treated as an urgent matter: assessment, diagnosis, and surgery can usually be completed within a few weeks. The athlete, elite, or weekend-warrior can then start early rehabilitation to maximize the benefits of the knee reconstruction.

Processed food, sedentary lives, lack of sleep, unceasing stress, dissolving relationships, and collapse of purpose take a massive toll on our health and enjoyment from life. Most healthcare costs are linked to lifestyle-related diseases and nearly all top causes of death are due to chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine combines an acknowledgment of these facts with evidence that lifestyle interventions such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress reduction, and smoking cessation can prevent, manage, and reverse disease. Using evidence-based medical assessments and leveraging personal health coaching, lifestyle medicine can help people take control of their health and optimize long-term vitality.