Community News
Meet Your Practitioner

Meet Mandy Fraser – Individual and Relational Therapist/Yoga Practitioner (BAH, MMFT, they/them). Mandy is an experienced clinician specializing in helping people navigate relationships. They teach coping skills to regulate strong emotions so that we can work on safely unearthing root causes of problematic patterns. Mandy enjoys helping people connect to their true selves; prioritizing creating safety so clients can experience vulnerability without being overwhelmed. As a member of the queer community, they are passionate about working with 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. Whether the issue is related to gender/sexual identity, or you simply want to experience therapy in a queer affirming space, they would love to support your process!

Runner’s Knee?

“Runner’s knee” is commonly used to describe two types of injuries of the knee, iliotibial band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome. Both fall into the category of overuse or repetitive strain type injuries. They can occur in isolation or in combination, but both have been shown to be related to poor running mechanics and improper training volumes. What’s the solution? First step is a proper diagnosis by your healthcare practitioner. This should be followed by strength and mobility exercises to improve biomechanics, adjustment of training volumes as needed, and possibly gait analysis and footwear adjustments if it is deemed necessary.

Innovative Hearing Technology

Technology can change our lives and hearing aids are no different. Thanks to technology, devices to help individuals with hearing loss are far from the bulky and difficult ones of the past. There is a huge variety of hearing aids to suit the specific hearing profiles of an individual; these can be discrete, easy to use and adaptable. The new smart digital hearing aids feel less like a crutch and more like an accessory. In fact, it is difficult to distinguish between hearing aids and the earbuds that so many people have in their ears.

Needing Orthopedic Surgery?

Are you at your wits end? Are you in pain and tired of waiting for knee, hip, or spine surgery? ONZ Spine specializes in more than 10 years of assisting thousands of individuals in traveling to Germany for orthopedic surgery. Have you been told you are too young for knee or hip replacement? Dr Wolfram Steens at ONZ Spine in Germany can do up to 4 knee and hip replacements in a person’s lifetime, staring at a young age, if necessary, thanks to their state-of-the-art technology. Newly available to Canadian patients is knee cartilage replacement – with use of technology not yet available in Canada.

Product Review:

Evolution Trillium Series Walker. The Evolution Trillium Series Walker is one of the most comfortable, safe, and easy to use walkers on the market. The Trillium offers a removable quilted padded seat cushion and wide back strap that’s as stylish as it is comfortable. With an all-new cable-free braking system, the Trillium provides both easy maintenance and effortless handle height adjustment. Choose from three walker models in the Evolution Trillium series, offering sizes to suit anyone: Trillium Mini, Trillium Regular, and Trillium Tall. The Trillium also includes a foldable and removable collapsible basket, lightweight wheels, a contoured backrest, and many colours to choose from!

Acupuncture and Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world today, and the number of people who have diabetes is growing dramatically. Keeping Type 2 Diabetes under control requires a lot of daily effort and working with a team of health care professionals who care about you. Acupuncture has been shown to help improve many types of disease related to endocrine function. Research has indicated that acupuncture treatment can help to reduce fasting and after-eating blood sugar levels, increase insulin production, and reduce insulin resistance. Regular follow-up appointments can result in a better maintained morning fasting blood glucose.

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!

Keep Your Pet Cool This Summer

Heat exhaustion can lead to brain damage, organ failure, and death. Here are a few tips and reminders to keep your pets safe. Don’t let them play hard on hot days and make sure they have access to fresh water. Before walking your pets, test the temperature of the pavement. If you can’t hold the back of your hand on the pavement for 10 seconds, it is too hot for your pets’ pads. Never leave your pet in a vehicle, even for “just a minute” while you run errands. Studies have shown that, even with the windows partially open, interior temperatures can rise to over 38 C in about 7 minutes at 31 C.

Prevent Hearing Loss

Protecting your hearing is the best way to prevent hearing loss. Custom hearing solutions are available to match any lifestyle. For example; *Water Enthusiasts – Swimming or simply taking a shower can result in water trapped inside the ear canal, potentially resulting in irritation or infection. Custom hearing protection keeps the water out. *Hunters – A single gunshot can cause permanent hearing loss. Custom hearing protection is specially designed to prevent against impulse noise. *Music lovers – Listen to music with custom hearing protection that maintains the sound quality and allows you to enjoy rich, natural sound.

DIY vs Professional Teeth Whitening

Over-the-counter products have the potential to whiten the teeth, but these products are vastly inferior to professional teeth whitening performed at the dentist’s office. The main differences between in-store and in-office bleaching are the properties and percentage of the peroxide tooth bleaching solution, and custom trays made in house. In-store tooth bleach is weaker and therefore not as effective in removing stains. We fit you with a custom tray, which enables the bleach solution to reach the crevices of your teeth which would otherwise be missed by whitening strips. As well, custom fitted trays pose less risk of leakage of the bleach solution to the surrounding tissues which can cause irritation.

Men and Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a disease that renders bones porous and frail, causes over 30,000 hip fractures annually in Canada. While most people associate osteoporosis with women, around 25% of these fractures occur in men. To help prevent osteoporosis, make sure to exercise regularly, suited to your health. This will encourage bone cell renewal. If you are not getting enough nutrients from your food, you may require a dietary supplement such as calcium and vitamin D, which are crucial for bone health. Speak to your Pharmacist for more information. LifeSmart Health | LifeSmartHealth.ca