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Listen to Your Body!

Listen to your body. It sounds like an odd request doesn’t it? You’re probably wondering “What exactly am I listening for?”

Here are a few common examples:

  • Pain
  • Fatigue/Insomnia
  • Anxiety/Stress
  • High blood pressure/High cholesterol
  • Eczema/Allergies
  • Digestive issues/Bloating

These are all your body’s attempt to:

1) Tell you something is wrong internally;

2) Motivate you to make health and lifestyle changes to improve it.

To help you pay better attention to your body, try writing your symptoms down. Start with tracking:

  • When did my symptoms start?
  • What makes it better or worse?  For example, certain food, stress, and various activities can improve or worsen all of the above symptoms.

Listening to what your body is trying to tell you, through your symptoms, is the first step to helping you get your health on the right track.  The second step is seeking the guidance of a qualified health care professional who can assess and treat not only your symptoms, but the underlying causes of your health conditions, in order to support life-long health.

Naturopathic medicine is a proactive approach to health care that can improve many health conditions including the ones listed above, by integrating:

  • Comprehensive Naturopathic Assessment
  • Clinical Nutrition Counselling
  • Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
  • Lifestyle Counselling
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Homeopathy

Dr. Odette Bulaong, ND is offering COMPLIMENTARY 15 minute naturopathic consultations so you can learn how naturopathic medicine can help you achieve your goals in health and life.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Talk

Developing posture and locomotion the right way

Ever wonder why babies develop their posture and motor milestones in the same way at about the same time? Pediatricians use these milestones to determine if a baby is developing at an appropriate pace or if they are developmentally immature. A baby spends time at different postural stages (i.e. on their stomach, chest on all fours, etc.) until he/she is ready to progress. Nobody needs to cue or tell the baby what to do. They will sense, feel and develop the motor control necessary to move to the next step. This neurological program for us to develop posture and locomotion is a part of all of us…

Read Full June Health Talk Article on Posture and Locomotion

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Take a FIT break

Our bodies are built to move. Howver, we live in a time where many people have sedentary jobs that involve a lot of sitting. Prolonged postures can lead to many aches and pains, most commonly in the neck, shoulders and back. Try to take a few fit breaks throughout the day! They don’t need to be long, 5 minutes tops. Stand up and stretch, move your arms and legs around, take a little walk to the water cooler. Do something to break up that prolonged sitting posture. Your body will thank you later.

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Where is the source of my Knee Pain?

Many times the source of your knee pain is not the painful knee.  The knee is often a reflection of the mobility and stability you have in your ankle and hip.  Weakness, tightness and the inability to effectively control the muscles in your ankle and hip can lead to an overload of the structures surrounding the knee.  In addition, inability to stabilize your pelvis and core can also add more stress.  There are many parts of the body that must work together so that one area doesn’t overload.

At Form & Function we take a comprehensive approach to not only examine the painful site, but to look for other contributing factors that will lead to the overload of the structure in question.  If you would like more info about your injury please contact us.  Mention that you read the health tip on our blog and we will provide you with a free 15 min consult with our Chiropractor, Dr. Paul Oh.

(905) 604-9355  |  reception@formfunctionclinic.com

 

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Spring into the Season with Healthy Feet

The best time to remove dead skin around the feet (AKA calluses) is after a shower or bath.  Use a pumice stone or a foot filer to remove all of your calluses.  Do not use a nail clipper to take down your calluses as the calluses will grow thicker!  Use an exfoliating scrub around the soles and sides of your feet to eliminate all the dry, flaky skin from the winter season.  Make sure to apply an emollient-rich skin cream around the top and bottom surface of your feet to hydrate the skin and to increase circulation.  Do not apply any moisturizer in between the toes as this can increase your risk of bacterial infections in between the toes.

Most importantly, practice good foot hygiene by washing your feet with soap and drying them adequately, especially in between the toes.  If you suspect any nail and/or skin conditions on your feet, an assessment with a Chiropodist is recommended.  For further information, please book an assessment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Spring into the Season with Healthy Feet

The best time to remove dead skin around the feet (AKA calluses) is after a shower or bath.  Use a pumice stone or a foot filer to remove all of your calluses.  Do not use a nail clipper to take down your calluses as the calluses will grow thicker!  Use an exfoliating scrub around the soles and sides of your feet to eliminate all the dry, flaky skin from the winter season.  Make sure to apply an emollient-rich skin cream around the top and bottom surface of your feet to hydrate the skin and to increase circulation.  Do not apply any moisturizer in between the toes as this can increase your risk of bacterial infections in between the toes.

Most importantly, practice good foot hygiene by washing your feet with soap and drying them adequately, especially in between the toes.  If you suspect any nail and/or skin conditions on your feet, an assessment with a Chiropodist is recommended.  For further information, please book an assessment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

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Use your abs!

The transversus abdominis (TA) is one of your core stabilizing muscles. It’s like a corset that wraps around your trunk. It’s supposed to turn on in anticipation of a movement to get your body ready and stay on until you’ve completed your task. When it’s activated, imagine your trunk is like a washboard. Your limbs have an easier time doing when you want them to do. Now, when it’s shut off, imagine your trunk as a sac of potatoes. It’s extra effort just to do even a simple movement! Sadly, the TA often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s  hidden behind several layers of more famously known abdominal muscles.

For some people, due to less ideal postures, muscle imbalances or long standing back pain, their TA no longer fires appropriate or at all. The body compensates using other muscles which leads you down the path of injury. That means you may experience pain in your back, hips, knees, ankles! So above all, make sure you have strong, functional core stabilizers!

 

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Use your abs!

The transversus abdominis (TA) is one of your core stabilizing muscles. It’s like a corset that wraps around your trunk. It’s supposed to turn on in anticipation of a movement to get your body ready and stay on until you’ve completed your task. When it’s activated, imagine your trunk is like a washboard. Your limbs have an easier time doing when you want them to do. Now, when it’s shut off, imagine your trunk as a sac of potatoes. It’s extra effort just to do even a simple movement! Sadly, the TA often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s  hidden behind several layers of more famously known abdominal muscles.

For some people, due to less ideal postures, muscle imbalances or long standing back pain, their TA no longer fires appropriate or at all. The body compensates using other muscles which leads you down the path of injury. That means you may experience pain in your back, hips, knees, ankles! So above all, make sure you have strong, functional core stabilizers!