If you’re trying to quit smoking once and for all, you’ve likely used a variety of products, from patches to gum to pills. The addictive qualities of cigarettes make smoking a tough habit to break, but there are safe and alternative measures you can take to remove this addiction from your life. Laser acupuncture is a non-invasive option that focuses on the three aspects of addiction: physical, using laser/electronic stimulation of acupressure points on your upper body; psychological, providing materials, tips, and one-on-one coaching; and detoxification, helping to eliminate cigarette toxins from your body.

What if this January we weren’t ONLY talking about losing weight, but instead also looking to achieve overall optimal health? By making a few positive lifestyle changes, including food choices, exercise, and stress management, you can reap the benefits of optimal health for years to come. Your hormones, genetic makeup, stress levels, and even your occupation can affect how you gain/lose weight. A naturopathic physician can offer hormone testing, genetic testing, and meal/diet planning, along with different treatments like IV vitamin therapy and acupuncture, to start you off on the right path to your individual optimal health.

While many children have some difficulty with math, some may experience dyscalculia, which makes understanding numbers and mathematical concepts an ongoing struggle that is often stressful and anxiety provoking. Aside from causing issues with solving traditional math problems, dyscalculia can also affect a child’s ability to manage their time or follow a calendar. Children with dyscalculia often require extra support in the classroom, which is something not all schools can provide. Taking advantage of programs that provide additional support outside of school can help children with dyscalculia grow their brains capacity for learning, which in turn can lead to improvements in the ability to understand math.

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!

Q: My hands and feet often feel cold. Can acupuncture help with this? A: This issue is quite prevalent in both males and females. Acupuncture can treat this by improving blood circulation. The traditional Chinese medical theory explains this by balancing the yin and the yang within one’s body. You can see the difference with one treatment, and multiple treatments will work to solve the root of the problem and maintain the improved circulation.

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.

Q: What is athlete’s foot? A: Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungal infection of the skin and usually appears in between the toes or in the arch area of the foot. Common signs and symptoms are redness, itchiness, and burning. Walking in wet public areas and wearing damp, dirty socks and shoes are common ways to get athlete’s foot. There are several over-the-counter and prescription medications that can treat the problem, though creams, ointments, or gels tend to be more effective than powders or sprays are. To truly eliminate the fungus, you should continue with the medication for an additional two weeks after the symptoms have disappeared.