Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and a major cause of joint pain and disability. OA is a degenerative disease affecting the cartilage and bone surfaces of a joint. With age, injury, or just wear-and-tear, joint cartilage will become thinner, allowing more pressure between bones. This causes pain, which could stop you from doing the things you enjoy most. In the early stages of OA pain, a knee brace has been found to be very successful in pain management and improved mobility. Having your bracing needs assessed and fit by a certified orthotist will ensure your best chance of success. B.D. Mitchell Posthetics & Orthotics, MitchellPAndO.com
Community News
The Cancer Journey
When patients with cancer are treated in an integrative approach with Chinese and conventional medicine, several factors are taken in account such as the patient’s conditional environment and lifestyle factors that played a role in the evolution of the cancer. The treatment interventions from the conventional medicine view are generally cytotoxic and carry predictable side effects, depending on the specific intervention. There are several treatment principles that Chinese medicine uses to interact with conventional medicine cancer treatments: Fu zheng Qu xie, to strengthen the constitution, improve the immune system, and eliminate pathogenic factors to allow the body to heal from within; Huo xue Qu Yu, which refers to the activation of blood circulation, which may prevents metastasis; Qing Re Jie Du, to describe the clearing of heat, and toxins; and Ruan Jian san Jie, which refers to the softening and dissolving of cancer masses. Dr. Ross Ralph, Dr. TCM, R.Ac., DOMP., Courtenay Healing Centre, CourtenayHealing.ca
Achieving Long-Term Weight Loss
The road to successfully losing weight is not an easy one. There are many challenges and choices that await the individual who wishes to embark on such a journey. Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method focuses on education, improving health, and lifestyle change. The key component that Ideal Protein provides to clients is personal weight loss coaching, along with education. Providing clients with one-to-one support and encouragement helps the individual implement lifelong changes that enhance well-being during their weight loss journey.
Losing weight is not just about dieting and looking good, it’s about making permanent lifestyle changes that result in healthy and long-lasting results. Alma Naranjo, SuccessWeightLoss.ca
Have you Explored Hypnotherapy?
Did you know that hypnosis and hypnotherapy have been around for a long time? According to The Wellness Institute [www.wellness-institute.org], “Hypnosis is one of the world’s oldest sciences. Amazingly, ancient hieroglyphics show that the Egyptians were using hypnosis as early as 3,000 B.C. There is evidence the Greeks and the Mayans understood it and used it as well.” You can visit their website for more background information on the subject and to explore numerous articles describing how hypnotherapy has helped people with various concerns, including PTSD, depression, migraines, addiction, weight problems, anxiety/stress, OCD, grief, cancer, childbirth, sleep, and even dementia. Dave Kelch, BPsych, DipMHA, OptimumWellnessFactor.ca
Stressed about Stress?
Stress is often thought of as something that happens to us. However, stress is a response to an event and therefore mostly within our control. A major study found that when people view unpleasant physical sensations, like a racing heart and nervousness, as helpful instead of harmful, the risk of heart disease, stroke, and early death diminishes greatly. How can we change our mind about stress? By intentionally subjecting ourselves to a healthy stressor. Fifteen minutes of intense exercise releases endorphins – our body’s natural pain killers and stress fighters – which helps us associate a positive feeling with stress-inducing events.
Need a Creativity Boost?
The benefits of floatation therapy are numerous and far-reaching. Perhaps the most universally appealing is floating’s tendency to enhance creativity, learning, and memory. From students to artists to working professionals, most of us would love to experience a boost in our ability to think, learn, and solve problems. Floating can do just that. Study after study has shown that time spent in a float cabin enhances our cognitive powers. Since all external sources of distraction are removed, floating provides an extreme form of rest, and this appears to amplify the positive effects of letting our mind take over. Erik Zaremba, Float House Victoria, FloatHouseVictoria.com
Exfoliate Naturally with Enzymes
What is an exfoliant? An exfoliant is a product that helps detach the outer layers of the skin, removing trapped debris and clearing the way for oils to flow naturally. Enzymatic exfoliation is a plant active based therapy, mainly from fruits. Why exfoliate? Exfoliation is an important tool against rough and dull skin. Also, dead cell proteins will clog the pores, increasing the chance of breakouts and acne. Enzymatic exfoliation is gentle and has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it particularly good for sensitive skin. Enzymes work at a deeper level; improved smoothness and texture, and minimized lines and wrinkles result from regular enzyme exfoliation. Christopher Laidlaw, DMK Skincare, DmkSkinCentres.com
Do the Side Hustle
Have you ever thought about a side hustle? A little something on the side that would not interfere with your regular job or home life, but would provide something extra to the budget so that you could use less credit or none at all. Perhaps you want to save for a holiday or new appliance, or to give yourself a spa treatment. What about dog walking, painting, house or pet sitting, tutoring, yard work, and even joining focus groups? With gift-giving season approaching, it would be great to have the funds ahead of time, and side hustles can help you avoid holiday debt. Doris Minervini, Abakhan & Associates Inc., Abakhan.com
Rhythm from the Inside Out
Digestion, blood pumping through our veins, and breathing are just a few of the functional rhythms inside us that we rely upon to live. When we are unwell, we sometimes say that we are feeling ‘out of sorts’ or ‘out of sync’; it is a bit like losing one’s rhythm. We know when we have found it again because we feel more ‘in the groove’. Music therapy can be helpful in re-discovering that intrinsic rhythm when retrieving it ourselves is a struggle (as with mood and social cognitive disorders; rehabilitation from brain injury, stroke, or heart attack; cerebral palsy; Huntington’s disease; etc.).
Nejama Ferstman, MTA Certified Music Therapist, ShiriMusicTherapy.ca
Do the Side Hustle
Have you ever thought about a side hustle? A little something on the side that would not interfere with your regular job or home life, but would provide something extra to the budget so that you could use less credit or none at all. Perhaps you want to save for a holiday or new appliance, or to give yourself a spa treatment. What about dog walking, painting, house or pet sitting, tutoring, yard work, and even joining focus groups? With gift-giving season approaching, it would be great to have the funds ahead of time, and side hustles can help you avoid holiday debt. Doris Minervini, Abakhan & Associates Inc., Abakhan.com
Resilience Is Critical For A Happy Life
Charles Darwin once said: “It’s not the strongest or the most intelligent that survive, but those who are most adaptable to change”. Control is an illusion that we all wrestle with in our own way. The “good” and the “not so good” comes and goes in everyone’s life, with the only real constant being change. One of the biggest source of unhappiness lies in not being able to adapt to the change that comes into our lives. When we dwell and cling to the dissappointment of unmet expectations of what was supposed to happen but didn’t see coming, it makes it more difficult to adapt, shift and change course. Being able to shift gears, grieve and welcome new direction and possibility opens flow. What we choose to focus on affects our happiness and how empowered we feel in the world.
D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, A Souls Journey, Souls-Journey.com
