Spring and summer are typical times for allergies to trees, grasses, pollens, and dust to manifest increased symptoms. Simply rinsing nasal passages and eyes with a normal saline solution several times a day is a quick way to reduce symptoms before they become worse. Use of allergy medications (sprays and tablets) can help reduce symptoms further. There are many people who suffer from allergy-like symptoms who do not have the typical immunoglobulin response on testing. These sensitivities and intolerances still need to be identified and treated in order to obtain long-term symptom relief and allow the immune and detoxification systems to work properly.

Total knee replacement is the most definitive treatment for advanced osteoarthritis. This procedure is typically done in a hospital setting, with 3-5 days of hospital stay. In recent years, it has become clear that healthy individuals can be discharged from the hospital on the day of their surgery, to safely and conveniently recover at home. Having surgery done at a medical centre provides a welcome alternative to hospitals. This can help reduce complications associated with hospitalization, and for many patients, the convenience and comfort of being at home with family is much preferred over the rustle and bustle of a busy surgical ward.

These days, it seems that everyone is going “keto” – restricting carbohydrates and eating lots of fat. The resulting appetite suppression and weight loss can be dramatic and significant. But is it healthy? Keto from bacon and sausage without any vegetables – probably not. Well-formulated keto with avocado, olive oil, and plenty of veggies could be healthy and sustainable. More seriously, for 25% of people, keto causes their LDL cholesterol to soar, increasing their risk for heart disease. To be safe, learn about “healthy keto”, consult with your healthcare provider, and check your LDL cholesterol response to keto.

The terms core training and core strengthening have been used interchangeably in both the physiotherapy and fitness industries, yet there is a significant difference between the two. Your core is the area between your breathing diaphragm and your pelvic floor. Core training exercises focus on restoring the timing and sequencing of your deep muscles to reinforce an optimal pattern of muscle activation (motor learning). Core training helps to make the right connections between your brain and your core. Once core training has restored deep muscle function, core strengthening exercises can be added to further improve function and performance. There is a difference, come and see for yourself.

Symptoms are a sign that something is damaged or dysfunctional. When it comes to neck and lower back problems, the root cause of symptoms is often the result of joint misalignment. Spinal misalignment is caused by either trauma or our very sedentary lives (sitting, driving, and using technology). Generally, trauma will cause immediate symptoms – pain, numbness, tingling, stiffness, or tightness. But if you have no symptoms, are you healthy? Sedentary causes of misalignment (like sitting) can take months or years for symptoms to develop. The damage slowly accumulates and eventually causes symptoms, which can lead to more chronic health concerns. Don’t allow your symptoms (or lack thereof) catch you off guard. Get your spine checked by a chiropractor today.

It’s wedding season; a time when couples happily tie the knot and begin to take the first steps towards consolidating their finances. Once the excitement of the wedding is behind them, couples will have to decide how to merge what were once two very distinct financial lives into one. What works best for some couples doesn’t work for others, so it’s important to have an open discussion about spending, debt, budgets, and bank accounts. A skilled Investment Advisor can work with couples to determine their financial habits and take the stress out of mingling their money as they move forward.

Trauma isn’t only military service, abuse, natural disasters, etc. Those are “Big T” traumas, but there are many “Little T” traumas like car accidents, witnessing a crime, or sudden death of a loved one. Trauma is anything that overwhelms our capacity to cope. Left unprocessed, those long-ago traumas can still affect our perceptions and decisions today. It’s uncomfortable to address them, certainly, but that is the only way to be released from their grasp and move forward. EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help this process faster than traditional talk therapy, without the need to talk much about it beforehand.

In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks and damages its own tissues, often without a clear cause. Examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and more. These diseases can affect all areas of the body. Naturopathic approach to autoimmunity includes looking the at the person as-a-whole. Many aspects of a person’s health can be investigated to help restore balance to the body. The areas of the body that need support include immunity, inflammation, gut health and toxicity. These need to be treated in order to maximize healing and balance the autoimmunity.