Community News
What is Ozone Therapy?

Ozonotherapy or Prolozone Therapy is the use of medical grade ozone, a highly reactive form of pure oxygen, to create a curative response in the body. The body has the potential to renew and regenerate itself. When it becomes sick it is because this potential has been blocked. The reactive properties of ozone stimulate the body to remove many of these impediments thus allowing the body to do what it does best – heal itself. Ozone speeds healing, detoxification and enhances brain function. It activates the immune system; it stimulates damaged joints and degenerative discs to regenerate and it can dramatically reduce or even eliminate many cases of chronic pain.

World Hypertension Day

World Hypertension Day is Friday, May 17. It is an initiative of the World Hypertension League, an affiliate of the International Society of Hypertension. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of hypertension and to prevent and control this silent killer. The theme for this this year is Know Your Numbers. Do you know yours? The “textbook” normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Optimal blood pressure can vary and is based on several factors including your cardiovascular risk and age. Speak to your health care professional to learn about your optimal blood pressure numbers.

Ask The Expert

Q: My husband insists he has good vision because of all the carrots he is fond of eating. Is there any truth to this?

A: Yes, but probably not in the way he thinks. People truly deficient in Vitamin A or beta-carotene (as found in carrots) can suffer from poor night vision, but this is a real rarity in our community. Beta-carotene supplements were, up to recently, recommended to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Unfortunately, increased beta-carotene supplement consumption can increase the risk of cancer in smokers. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are related, but safer, supplements.

New in Your Community

Are you or a loved one looking for in-home health care services? Now serving Comox Valley, Bayshore HealthCare is one of Canada’s leading providers of home and community health care services. A proudly Canadian company since 1966, Bayshore HealthCare is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, dignity and independence of all Canadians, by providing customized care plans and solutions that allow clients to remain in the comfort of their own home. With Bayshore, it’s all about living life, independently with the right care and support to meet your needs.

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.).

What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

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.

Information and Energy are Key to Health

Have you ever considered that in a state of total wellness, the body’s cells and organs always know what to do, and do it perfectly? The latest science is revealing the mechanisms that allow the body’s optimal functioning, and also what can cause it to lose resilience and efficacy, and to even malfunction. All of the science, along with NES’s extensive research and testing, has demonstrated that the root cause of malfunction – as well as the source of optimal functioning – exists beneath the physiology of the body. We must look to the physics underlying our biochemistry.

Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Did you know hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used around the globe by world-class athletes and celebrities like LeBron James, Tom Brady, Justin Bieber, Floyd Mayweather, and Keanu Reeves for its improved healing effects? By increasing stem cell circulation, lowering inflammation, and decreasing recovery times, HBOT helps athletes stay on top of their game longer than ever. Others often take advantage of this therapy because it increases their collagen, improves their skin’s condition, and increases their metabolism, helping them to stay fit and trim. This affordable treatment can also improve brain function and help with sleep to improve daily life.

Physiotherapy After Cancer

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.

Do We Need to Clean Our Ears?

The outer ear can benefit from a good cleaning now and then but in most cases, there is no need to clean the ear canal with a cotton swab. During showers, enough water enters the ear canal to loosen any wax. The skin in your ear canal grows in an outward, spiral pattern. As it sloughs off, ear wax goes with it. Someone with heavy wax build-up may need a trip to the doctor. If you think wax could be affecting your hearing, contact your hearing professional. They can assess the situation by looking inside your ear with an otoscope and suggest your best course of action.

Treating Signs of Aging Skin

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!