As professionals we want to help. From a holistic approach, we want to understand your concerns from a mind, body, spirit and emotional connection. Whether it be from body pain, low mood, or an interruption in sexual functioning, we seek to understand various factors that may be affecting you, preventing you from being your best self. We recognize that when people experience distress, this can impact other parts of their lives, and the people around them. Holistic health works to develop a map to healing that integrates support for the various parts of your health in order to promote optimal wellness.

“I see Dr. Johnson at Ocean Chiropractic for regular chiropractic treatments and asked him one day about my sore feet. I have advanced bunions and he suggested I try custom rehabilitative orthotics to keep my bunions from progressing. He took the time to explain how they worked and what I needed to do to help strengthen my feet! I would highly recommend talking to Dr. Pat about how orthotics could help you.” – Marilyn O.

Fall is my favourite time of year, I know many of you feel the same way. It’s a season both of reflection and of action, as the change of season often brings a change of activities. It’s also a time of ‘getting back to business’ for many and a good time to turn ones attention to financial planning matters. Given the state of global affairs, it would also be a good time to do a detailed review of your investments. This year has (until recently) seen spectacular returns across many asset classes, what comes next is never certain.

While setbacks are discouraging, they are a normal part of every healing process. Remember that ‘bad days’ are temporary, and with time and effort, you will take steps forward again. In the meantime, use ‘bad days’ as an opportunity to reflect on how far you’ve come. This used to be your everyday state. The fact that you no longer feel this way all the time proves your body is capable of improving! Similarly, use the ‘good days’ as inspiration and hope for what’s to come. Eventually, that good day will be your new normal.

Getting back to school can be an exciting time for kids and parents, but it can also bring about additional stressors that can impact your health. Emotions like frustration, anxiety, and sadness can affect everything from sleep quantity and quality, to our ability to cope with change. These emotions can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, and dizziness due to the disrupted circulation of blood and qi (vital energy). Acupuncture can get the flow of blood and qi moving again throughout the body to help the body and mind become balanced during this often-stressful time.

Aromatherapy can help: To a tissue add 10-15 drops of Grapefruit essential oil and place this tissue in the bottom of the school backpack – relieves stress and mental fatigue while bringing peace and relaxation. Add 5 drops of Spearmint essential oil into each gym shoe to keep them fresh – and help with nausea and digestive problems. Keep a few drops of Rosemary essential oil on a tissue in your pocket and pull out when needed – Rosemary can help with respiratory problems and is considered a brain stimulant. Send your children to school with the tools they need to succeed!

In addition to helping you stay lean and strong, a whole-body workout that includes resistance training will help strengthen your bones. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center reports that regular exercise is essential for treating and preventing osteoporosis. Bone is living tissue that can be strengthened with weight-bearing and weight training exercises. Exercising also helps us maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures.

A fundamental principle of yoga is that your body and mind are one and connected. Stress in one domain will affect the other and vice versa. Yoga can help you cope with stress and improve overall health and satisfaction with life. While all exercise is good for stress, yoga is different because it powerfully combines both physical fitness with an underlying philosophy of self-compassion and awareness. We actually release emotional energy effectively throughout our yoga practice, even if you’re not aware of it!