By Dr. J 0 Comments Health Tips, Uncategorised

TORN ACL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been seeing many ruptured ACL patients in the past  few years, and I have seen great success with our rehab programs. But the question still remains… to cut or not to cut? My past experience aligns with the current research of the benefits vs risks of ACL reconstruction, the evidence is clear; just do it! I have seen too many patients that refuse the surgery and have multiple instances of “giving out” or aberrant movement inside the knee joint. This will lead to cartilage tears, meniscus tears, synovitis, other ligamentous damage, and eventually osteoarthritis later on in life. This is especially true for active population; don’t mention all the psychosomatic sequela associated with a torn ACL effecting your sports performance.

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Recovery Tips from the Winter Season

As we all know, the cold temperatures and dry winter season can wreak havoc to our body.  This includes drying out the skin on the hands and face as well as our hair.  Even though our feet are not directly exposed to the environment during the winter, the winter boots and socks can either dry out our feet or cause our feet to perspire more.

Dry feet can lead to itchy, rough heels and toes.  On the other hand, sweaty feet can lead to blisters, fungal infections and athlete’s foot.  Here are a few tips to remember:

1) purchase natural materials e.g. leather for winter boots to allow your feet to breathe as opposed to synthetic materials e.g. rubber.

2) apply urea-based moisturizers to the feet especially to dry, cracked heels and also after your shower so your skin will absorb most of the moisturizer.

3) purchase socks with natural fibers such as cotton to help wick away moisture and/or even keep an extra pair of socks to change in case of excessive perspiration to the feet.

4) this last tip is for the ladies:  if you are applying nail polish to the toenails year round, it may be best to give your toenails some breathing room as consistent application of nail polish to the toenails will reduce air flow to the nail thereby increasing your risk of getting a fungal toemail infection.

For more personalized information about your feet health, please feel free to book a consultation with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at the Form and Function Clinic.

 

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Does this baby make me look fat?

That was the link title of an eye-opening  Huffington Post article I recently read. It discussed a topic that people seem to overlook: pregnancy and body image issues. A healthy amount of weight gain during pregnancy is important for both the health of the baby and the mother. While there is a concern when too much weight is gained, more and more women are becoming over-focused on gaining too much weight. This can lead to dieting during pregnancy which is dangerous and may even lead to disordered eating that endangers both the mother and baby.

So before you decide to cut calories during your pregnancy, make sure you speak to a trained health professional who can help you make the best nutrition, self-care and lifestyle choices for you and your growing baby. If you are afraid or worried of how your body (and life) will change during pregnancy (and after), be sure to talk to your partner, loved ones, other moms, and a health professional trained in lifestyle counselling. This way you can get the physical and mental-emotional support you need to ensure a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum period, all of which will help you best take care of your baby into childhood and beyond.

 

 

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Health Tip: Battle of the Bulge!

Have you ever wondered why those veins around your legs are progressively bulging and protruding from the skin?  These varicose veins and they can be unsightly and bothersome.  Normally, these veins have valves to prevent the backflow of blood to the heart.  In varicose veins, the valves become weakened which causes blood to pool within the veins.  Hence, you will see varicose veins as being gnarled and enlarged.

They tend to occur most often in the legs and feet due to increased pressure to the lower portion of your body.  Some of the risk factors include age, pregnancy, family history, obesity and prolonged standing and sitting for long periods of time.  Varicose veins as well as spider veins can sometimes be just a cosmetic issue; however, for others, it can present to be painful, aching and uncomfortable.  They are also a sign of circulatory problems and can lead to more serious problems in the future.

While there is no way to completely prevent varicose veins, compression stockings can help to improve blood circulation to the feet and prevent blood from pooling at the legs.  They can also help to prevent blood clots and help to relieve symptoms of heaviness, swelling, aching and pain.  Compression stockings come in a variety of different styles, strengths and sizes.

For further information, please book a consultation to see Jennifer Lam, Chiropodist at the Form and Function clinic.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Health Tip: Battle of the Bulge!

Have you ever wondered why those veins around your legs are progressively bulging and protruding from the skin?  These varicose veins and they can be unsightly and bothersome.  Normally, these veins have valves to prevent the backflow of blood to the heart.  In varicose veins, the valves become weakened which causes blood to pool within the veins.  Hence, you will see varicose veins as being gnarled and enlarged.

They tend to occur most often in the legs and feet due to increased pressure to the lower portion of your body.  Some of the risk factors include age, pregnancy, family history, obesity and prolonged standing and sitting for long periods of time.  Varicose veins as well as spider veins can sometimes be just a cosmetic issue; however, for others, it can present to be painful, aching and uncomfortable.  They are also a sign of circulatory problems and can lead to more serious problems in the future.

While there is no way to completely prevent varicose veins, compression stockings can help to improve blood circulation to the feet and prevent blood from pooling at the legs.  They can also help to prevent blood clots and help to relieve symptoms of heaviness, swelling, aching and pain.  Compression stockings come in a variety of different styles, strengths and sizes.

For further information, please book a consultation to see Jennifer Lam, Chiropodist at the Form and Function clinic.

By Dr. J 0 Comments Health Tips

Diaphragmatic Breathing for Better posture

diaphragmatic breathing,

For those of you suffering from neck pain, poor posture and stress, this might be a good fix to help with creating a better posture.

1)      Lye on your back, relax and put one hand on your chest, and your other hand on your stomach.  Take five deep breaths, and try to notice which hand rises more predominantly.  If you find the hand over your chest rising more than the stomach, it shows that you rely on your chest and poor posture muscles instead of using your diaphragm to breath.

2)      Practice your breathing protocols with 3 sets of 60 seconds of breathing with your stomach rising and pushing into your hands.  This will not only reduce your transient stress levels and increase breathing efficiency, but also reduce the over activation of bad posture muscles such as the Scalenes and Levater Scapula.

3)      Progress to 3x 5 minute protocols after a week. You will feel less stress and have better posture in no time.

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Tips for High Heel Wearers

High heels make the girls look taller, slimmer as well as look good with any outfit they wear.  However, the newest trend of heels are creating more compression and pain to the sides and the balls of the feet.   As you increase the number of hours you wear heels, you are increasing the risk of getting hammer toes and bunions to your feet.  The bunions don’t just occur to the inside of the feet but also to the outside of the feet.  Although bunions are mostly hereditary, they are usually exacerbated by tight-fitting shoes.

If you are spending most of your time standing on your feet and wearing high heels that day, it would be better to have a pair of flat shoes or walking shoes so that you can change into when you are off your feet.  Even wearing flat shoes the next day would help to relieve pressure to the toes.

Of course, wedge heels are always better than stilletto heels as they provide more stability to the feet and are able to distribute pressure evenly at the front of the foot.

For further information, regarding the health of your feet, please book an appointment with the Chiropodist, Jennifer Lam at the Form and Function Clinic.

 

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

The Power of Positive Thinking

We often think that being healthy is only about physical health, but naturopathic medicine recognizes that mental and emotional health plays a huge role in how you feel physically.  Today’s health tip is about the power of positive thinking.  The concept is simple, but proven to be true: when you are able to see your life in a more positive light, you feel better physically: for example pain can decrease and sleep can improve.

Unfortunately, when life presents us with challenges, it can be hard to think positively. One thing that helps is to keep a gratitude journal.  At the end of your day, write down 3 things that you are thankful for. Do this every night for an entire month. When you actively try to find things to be grateful for, you will stop focusing on the negative things in your life, and be able to see the positive things. This will leave you with a more positive outlook on life which can lead to decreased stress hormones, causing you to feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.

As the well-known motivational speaker Anthony Robbins says “Change your expectation into appreciation and everything changes.”

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Safety Tips When Doing a Pedicure

A pedicure is always a great way to pamper and groom your feet.  Be aware as you can walk out of the salon with an infection due to improperly sterilized tools and contaminated footbaths.

The American Academy of Dermatology is warning consumers about the health risks associated with pedicures.  These health risks include athlete’s foot, nail fungus, bacterial infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) which is a potentially serious antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection.

Before you decide to indulge in a pedicure, take note of the following tips:

1) book your appointment in the morning as the instruments and footbaths are typically the cleanest at the beginning of the day.

2) pedicure disinfectants usually take at least 10 minutes to work so ask the person booking your appointments the gap they have in between appointments.  If the footbath is being used on one person after the other, you may be vulnerable to infections.

3) don’t shave your legs right before your pedicure as slight nicks and cuts may leave your skin at risk for bacterial and fungal infections.

4) don’t let them cut your cuticles as they are a protective barrier that prevents bacteria and fungus from entering into the body.

5) bring your own nail polish as the brushes are rarely sterilized.  You may be putting yourself at risk for getting fungal toenails.

Finally, salons may not be able to properly smooth down calluses (the dead skin on your feet) and corns.  They may create open wounds/sores that are prone to infection.  Especially if you are diabetic, it may be best to be treated by a Chiropodist/Foot Specialist.  For more information, book an appointment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Autumn is here….is your immune system ready or not?

Regardless of whether or not you decide to get this year’s flu vaccine, here are 3 tips that can reduce your risk of catching not only the flu, but also the common cold and other viral or bacterial infections because they strengthen your immune system and your body as a whole:

  • Avoid Refined Sugar: Evidence shows that refined sugar depresses the immune system.  This is vital for this time of year, with treats from Halloween and the holiday season quickly approaching.  LIMIT your refined sugar intake to prevent infection and AVOID refined sugar altogether when sick to promote a speedy recovery.  Refined sugars include not only the obvious candies and junk food, but also any white, refined and enriched bread products, pastas, cookies, crackers, cakes and pastries.
  • Deep Breathing:  Studies prove that stress (via stress hormones) reduces the immune system’s ability to fight infection effectively.  Start to reduce the stress in your life by practicing basic abdominal breathing for 5-10 minutes of relaxation daily. This can reduce your risk of infection and strengthen your lungs.
  • Rest!!  Research has repeatedly shown that a lack of sleep leads to depressed immunity, which explains why you are more susceptible to viral infections when you do not get a good night’s sleep.  Sleep is particularly important during any viral infection, since energy must be saved for the immune system to overcome the virus.

If you suffer from chronic stress, anxiety, insomnia or constant sugar cravings and would like an individualized treatment plan to support, boost and balance your immune system naturally, Dr. Odette would be happy to work with you this fall season.