Community News
Osteoarthritis & Exercise

1 in 6 Canadian adults has arthritis, the majority being osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a disease of the joint cartilage with multiple contributing factors including genetics, previous joint injury, body weight and muscle weakness. Pain associated with OA may cause individuals to avoid physical activity which can lead to secondary complications and worsening of symptoms. Physiotherapists are experts in exercise prescription for conditions such as OA and can help you safely engage in exercise in a way that can decrease pain, increase strength, allow continued participation in activity and possibly prolong the life of your joint.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss can often sneak up on you, as it tends to present differently from hearing loss related to other causes. Rather than making noises seem quieter, it instead causes a distortion in hearing, making it difficult to pick up certain frequency ranges. This is caused by the degradation of the Cochlea, which occurs from repeated, long-term exposure to loud noises. Things like using a lawnmower, listening to loud music, or using noisy equipment at work can all lead to noise-induced hearing loss over time. Avoiding noisy environments and using hearing protection can help prevent this issue.

Words to Live By

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

Benefits of Resistance Training

Many people associate resistance training with strictly muscle growth, but there are many other benefits from incorporating this type of training into your exercise regimen. Resistance training builds strength and tone to help protect your joints from injury. It improves balance to help you remain independent and reduce the chance of falls. Resistance training helps with weight management, as your body will burn more calories when you gain more muscle mass. Talk to your doctor to see if you are healthy enough to begin resistance training. An exercise professional can then help you develop a safe and effective program.

Optimize Your Golf Game!

Have you taken that first swing of the day and felt like things just aren’t moving right? Whether you are late for your tee time, focused on your first big drive, or catching up with your friends, it is easy to forget the importance of a good warm up. Your warmup can be the difference between a great day on the course, or a frustrating day with fifteen bogies and a strained rotator cuff. Even before trying your warm up swings, you should start with a routine of stretching and mobility exercises. This includes warming up your shoulders, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, hip mobility…and gets the blood pumping!

Need Cosmetic Dentures?

Teeth have three main functions: chewing food, lip support, and speech. The loss of your teeth can have negative effects on your self-confidence and your overall quality of life. Since your teeth provide structure and support to your cheeks, tooth loss can result in the sagging of your face. It is essential that your missing teeth are replaced as soon as possible. A new set of cosmetic dentures can instantly improve your appearance and remove facial flaws. Age is inevitable, but cosmetic dentures can help brighten your smile and make you feel young again!

Which Sunscreen is Best?

Summer is here! Have you been protecting yourself against sun exposure? When selecting a sunscreen, go for the “broad spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor of 30 or higher. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against harmful rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. Secondly, look at the ingredients. Physical blockers (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) provide the best protection and cause less skin irritation than chemical sunscreens.

Laser Treatment for Acne

Acne and acne scarring can affect one’s self-esteem and self-image, and most people who experience breakouts will notice some scarring. Luckily, there are treatments available that can help reduce acne breakouts, as well as the appearance of scarring. Laser treatment of acne reduces inflammation through photo-selective absorption and controlled heating. The laser safely destroys overactive sebaceous glands, accelerates the healing process, and stimulates collagen remodeling. This trifecta approach allows for significant acne transformations without risk, pain, or side-effects. The treatment is mostly used on the face, but can also be used on the upper torso, back, arms, and neck.

Product Review: Anti-inflammatory Releaf

ACTIVE RELEAF strives to inspire active wellness through the use of Mother Nature’s remedies. Offering a variety of applications from topicals, to tinctures, capsules and soaps, ACTIVE RELEAF’s plant based products can help support the inflammatory related pain of sore muscles and stiff joints. For fastest relief, their topical relief stick utilizes broad spectrum, cannabinoid-rich hemp plant extract combined with the additional power of essential oils increasing the anti-inflammatory properties to help combat stubborn aches and discomfort. To support more chronic inflammatory response from within, look to their tinctures and capsules for ongoing support.

Allergy Season Is Back

Many people suffering from head pressure, itchy eyes, and a runny or stuffy nose this allergy season will find only temporary relief, or no relief at all, from over the counter remedies. Alternative approaches, such as nutritional supplementation and Biofeedback focus on more than just symptomatic relief. They enable the body’s ability to remove existing allergens imbedded in the sinus tissues, thereby minimizing the histamine and inflammatory reactions. This stops the over-production of mucus that the body makes to try and push the allergens out. Take a different approach this allergy season – treat the cause, not just the symptoms.