During your first exam, your acupuncturist will spend time getting to know you and your health concerns. You may be asked a wide range of questions about your symptoms, eating, exercise, sleep habits, emotional state and anything that may offer insight into your health.
Your practitioner will also employ diagnostic tools that are unique to acupuncture and TCM such as tongue and pulse diagnosis.
You will receive a comprehensive diagnosis and a treatment plan that will explain your underlying imbalance, your time line of care and what types of treatment you will receive. Possible treatments may include using pins, using lasers, using AcuGraph, cupping, moxibustion, and ointments.

Are concerns about how you look or that you’ll be expected to do advanced poses keeping you from attending a yoga class? Yoga is a great experience for every body size and type, at any age. A few simple stretches of the hands, feet, legs, arms, torso, and neck done regularly can help you regain and maintain flexibility. Seek out experienced and empathetic instructors, who specialize in providing a relaxed and supportive environment where these stretches are complemented with safe, accessible balancing postures. With this support, a path to greater physical comfort and security becomes available and you experience only joy when fear and pain are gone!

If you’re starting to research home care options, you may hear terms and phrases you’ve never heard before. Here are a few common terms and what they mean:
-Aging in place describes the act of staying at home through one’s senior years.
-Home care includes many different types of care such as personal care, housekeeping, respite care, nursing, therapy, and hospital transition assistance.
-Respite care is the introduction of a professional caregiver to provide a family caregiver with a break, or respite, from their caregiving responsibilities.

At Ocean Chiropractic, Dr. Patrick Johnson and his team specialize in Chiropractic care using the Koren Specific and Torque Release Techniques. Along with Chiropractic care, Ocean Chiropractic is proud to offer a unique approach to custom orthotics and foot rehabilitation to the residents of the Comox Valley. As a chiropractor, Dr. Pat is trained to assess whether orthotics are right for you. “Our mission is to empower our practice members to make healthy and informed decisions and we will work collaboratively with you to develop a treatment plan to restore your health. We also strive to serve, love, heal and transform you beyond your greatest expectations.”

“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.

There are many misconceptions about the ‘right’ way to invest into retirement. Everyone has different ideas, needs and investing temperament. You may become very conservative when employment income ends, but you may not. Investing for growth (at least to some degree) is crucially important for most of us, as we will need growth to provide income and not erode purchasing power as we age. Many of us will also have 20-30 years (or more) dependent upon our own investments to meet our lifestyle needs. Seek out a Certified Financial Planner for an analysis and review of your accounts to see if your portfolio is optimal for your situation.

Sunny, summer days are in full swing! Hurrah! Have you stocked up on your sunscreen? Around 90% of cases of skin cancer are associated with exposure to solar and artificial ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Using a quality sunscreen can reduce your exposure to damaging UV radiation. You should choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects you against UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are responsible for the phototoxic reaction thought to be associated with squamous cell cancers and melanomas. UVB rays are responsible for sunburns. Look for products that provide you with adequate protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

How are you staying fresh and hydrated this summer? As the days continue to be warm and long it’s important to get enough water, fruit, and vegetables to keep your body refreshed. You may notice feelings of tiredness, headaches, and dry mouth which are all signs of dehydration. You may try flavouring your water (blackberries and mint, raspberries and cucumber, strawberries and fresh basil). Keep tabs on the colour of your urine: Light-yellow colour is a good indicator that you are hydrated, dark urine is the opposite. You can also combat dehydration with higher water content fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, stone fruits, watermelons, or smoothies.

Q; I do a lot of driving. Is it worth getting Transitions lenses? I’ve heard they don’t get very dark in a vehicle.

A: You’re correct, typical Transitions lenses need UV light to darken, and most vehicle windows and windshields block much of that wavelength of light. The lenses might still be worth it for all the other times you might enjoy some relief from the sunlight. If you really want them specifically for driving, it’s possible to obtain lenses which are not as dependent on UV light to darken, but these remain a little darker in all light conditions.