Russell Foster did a TED talk on sleep entitled “Why do we sleep?”. He says that in the past eras, sleep was welcomed and understood as a necessary cycle in our lives. In recent times since industrialization, the fact that we spend about 1/3 of our lives asleep is a problem --sleep has become a foe! Foster reflects that this sentiment has been summed up by people like Thomas Edison ("Sleep is a criminal waste of time and a heritage from our cave days."), and Margaret Thatcher ("Sleep is for wimps.").
As a neuroscientist, Foster supports what he feels are the two best theories for why we need sleep. Firstly, we sleep for physical restoration where the body’s metabolism changes gears -- doesn’t necessary slow down all that much, but rather changes to repairing and restoring and maintenance functions. Perhaps even more important, during sleep the brain undergoes a process of filtering and memory consolidation.
Sleep-deprived individuals have a greatly reduced ability to learn a new task, or laying down a memory and being able to later recall it. What's even more affected by sleep though is our creativity – if we are sleep deprived we are much less able to come up with novel solutions to complex problems. Foster says research shows that we can have as much three fold improvement in creative thinking after a good sleep! We know we come up with better solutions to a problem or a difficult situation after a good sleep. Isn’t that where the saying “sleep on it” comes from?
Foster describes how sleep deprivation is strongly correlated to obesity, and may be because the stress of being sleep-deprived causes increased levels in the body of the hormones cortisol and grehlin. Cortisol is a longer term stress hormone which induces adaptive metabolic shifts in the body, including the storage of abdominal fat. Grehlin is the hunger hormone and can be associated with an increased appetite.
What makes things worse, is the viscous cycle many create in trying to cope. Many use stimulants like coffee to keep awake after sleeping poorly – this then causes them to have a bad night sleep the next night. The caffeine in coffee is actually a drug that blocks the sleep signal the brain sends to the sleep centre. So it is not really a true stimulant, but is a sleep-blocker! And so then the cycle can continue with the use of depressants in the evening to get to sleep after using excess stimulants. People often drink alcohol before bed to wind down and then get to sleep. Or some use sleeping pills. Regardless, the problem with depressants is that they interfere with active nature of the brain at sleep that is sorting things out from the wakeful experience. Yes, depressants can get you to sleep, but they diminishes the quality of sleep by inhibiting mental consolidation. And so, exhausted, the need for morning time stimulants continues!
Foster says that research from the 1950s showed most of us were getting around about eight hours of sleep a night. Nowadays, were are down to six-and-a-half-hours every night. For teenagers, even though most need nine hours for full brain performance, many of them on a school night are only getting five hours of sleep! A rule of thumb to know if you are getting enough nourishing sleep is in how you use an alarm clock. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning (not just as a backup in case you don’t), then likely you are not getting enough sleep.
Watch Foster’s TED talk here where he gives tips on how to set yourself up for a good night’s sleep.
We help people with sleep issues at our clinic. We can help you relax both body and mind in a more natural way. We also rent out sleep-monitoring equipment for those who are more analytical, who would like to determine the quality of their sleep objectively from their brain-wave patterns. Also, we help people chart the experience of their life: their diet, use of stimulants/depressants, activities, stress, pain, moods, and yes, sleep duration and quality. In this process, one learns patterns that may promote or disrupt the quality of sleep, and systematically make changes to improve.
Are you sleep deprived? What are the larger health and life quality costs of needing an alarm? See how early you need to go to bed or what it takes to set sleep up so you don't have to rely on your alarm - see what it does to your waking life!
Practicing acupuncture in the modern world is not the same as it was for this self-contained system of medicine two thousand years ago. Oriental medicine evolved from an unique and well organized system based on an ancient knowledge and understanding of the human body. I am impressed with and appreciate the ability of Oriental medicine to map biologically active points of the body – in fact, it is evident to me and others that these very regions are used today diagnostically in modern medicine, discovered separately, and are referred to as viscero-somatic reflexes. Unlike modern medicine though, acupuncturists traditionally used these points for treatment as well as diagnosis.
Oriental medical protocols over the ages have been obediently learned and memorized by students of the old generations – this is the way of their learning. But now we require more scientific explanations beyond the original concept of “Qi”, or at least a more rational approach to integrate acupuncture within the modern context of science. Why?
Since the evolution of Oriental medicine our knowledge of the human body has vastly widened and deepened. Scientists have made a great progress in studies of human anatomy and physiology; they described and put on the map the immune and endocrine systems; they have made an immense step in biochemistry to explain mechanisms of energy cycles fundamental for all living creatures. Over the last 30 years scientists have been researching acupuncture. Most of the studies focus on outcomes (does it work or not?). Some research has focused on mechanism -- this a more difficult and inconclusive area of research. Regardless, now it is time to look at the traditional oriental model from the new angle and create bridges between ancient knowledge and knowledge we acquired during the last century.
Surprisingly, these bridges are not easy to build. When I started to study acupuncture I thought that it would be like a translation of the ancient language text into the modern one. However, it is not. We are slowly decoding traditional oriental medicine into a science perspective. There is a vast amount of basic research and understanding still required regarding how the mind and body work, especially in the area of pain.
Significant progress in testing and mapping the most responsive acu-reflex points in the context of anatomy was made by Matt Callison, an acupuncturist, an educator and the creator of SMAC (Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification) program. His very practical work has focused on the motor points - anatomically defined structures located at the site where the nerve enters the muscle. These points are most excitable and responsive and are located on all muscles. They are used to “reset” the muscle when there is some imbalance or pathology. Callison has compared motor points with traditional acupuncture points and confirmed that most of the motor points overlap or are in close proximity with traditional points. But for me the significance of his work is in the anatomical precision from a modern scientific perspective! Till now acupuncture points were located (mapped) in a relation to bone landmarks and sometimes tendons that could be palpated or observed superficially. The deeper soft tissues (muscles, connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves) are the main physical substance affected by acupuncture, but these soft tissues were not mentioned or learned by oriental medicine practitioners in any depth, since they were not understood or documented in ancient times.
While at a traditional acupuncture school, I myself was trying to analyze acupuncture points in reference to medical anatomical texts to compare location of the acu-points in relation to muscles and nerve routes; this was not an easy task! I know lots of acupuncturists who had the same kind of struggle trying to answer basic questions: What structures am I needling underneath this surface point? Why do I needle this point and not that one? Beyond memorizing the safety rules of cautions and contraindications, we still did not learn the underlying anatomy in a rigorous manner. It made us safe as acupuncturists, but unthinking from a modern point of view. Finding Callison’s sports medicine acupuncture program answered a lot of my questions about anatomy. As a practicing surgeon in Russia, I can truly appreciate the nuances in deeper structures, and how this can guide our practice, be it a surgeon, or an acupuncturist!
I have now graduated from Callison’s Sports Medicine Acupuncture Program (SMAC) in July 2014. SMAC is a thorough integrative program that helps acupuncturists achieve a better grasp of musculoskeletal pathologies and sport injuries to treat them with a better confidence and success beyond just a traditional approach. SMAC integrates modern muscle testing (that physiotherapists do) with postural assessments and traditional and modern acupuncture techniques. Part of this practical program is an intensive cadaver lab, where human bodies are studied in relation to the deeper structures needled in acupuncture. For me this has elevated my practice to a higher level, enabling better results in treating patients with complex problems.
Modern acupuncture represents one of many opportunities to bridge the gap between science and traditional practices. Not only does it promote the integration of acupuncture into modern medical protocols, but it allows acupuncture to evolve and grow beyond its traditions.
High Intensity Interval Training (HITT): Is it right for you?
by Nicole Lark BHK, PTS, TSCC-3
You may have heard or read about one of the recent trends in the ever-evolving fitness industry: High Intensity Interval Training (HITT). HITT workouts are often shorter in duration (e.g. 25 to 30 minutes) and the format is to complete a number of very short, high intensity bursts with a longer recovery period between intervals. For example, someone may go for a run or spin where they do 8 – 10 sets of 30 seconds as fast as they can with 30 seconds to one minute at a very light intensity in between to recover. Many athletes have incorporated this format of training into their program for years to optimize performance; however, it is starting to become more and more popular amongst the common exerciser.
There is growing evidence to support the benefits of intense interval training and that our previous mentality of having to do an activity at steady-pace for a longer duration of time (e.g. moderate paced run for 45 to 60 minutes) may actually be less effective. A McMaster University research group has published papers revealing that even as little as 4 x 30-second intervals with up to a 4-minute rest in between has produced a “doubling” of the subjects’ cardiovascular endurance.
Many people do not feel they have enough time to fit adequate exercise into their daily or weekly routine. However, regardless of the recent research literature supporting the many benefits of HITT style workouts, I only recommend it to SOME clients -- not all!
My major concern with this style of training (sometimes involving plyometrics, where muscles are exerted to their maximal tensile strength and length) is that the higher intensity increases the risk of injury, especially with individuals who are new to exercising or have not exercised regularly in recent months or years. It is not reasonable to ask the body to go from zero to full-capacity output at the snap of the fingers when you have only been challenging it to go from zero to only 10-30% for the last few years, or even decades. We need to learn to be patient and satisfied with taking small steps forward when it comes to reclaiming our health and fitness. Over time, when the body is familiar with regular physical activity and being pushed a bit more, then and only then, would I recommend incorporating HITT workouts into a weekly routine.
Furthermore, even seasoned athletes cannot perform HITT workouts all of the time; everyone needs sufficient recovery time allowing the body to rebuild and recover. They intersperse lighter workouts with harder ones. If athletes (or anyone for that matter) only did high intensity training, injury or burnout or illness would certainly follow, which in the end would only set you back further than if you approached training incrementally, building on more when your body was ready.
HITT workouts certainly can cut the amount of time someone needs to dedicate to working out so that you can spend more time with family and friends; however, for those who are new to exercising or for those whom exercise is not a regular habit, HITT will not be a shortcut; indeed, it will most likely set you back. Instead, safely start with mild or moderate intensity UNTIL the body is ready to endure the greater demands of higher intensity exercise.
If in doubt, seek informed guidance from an exercise professional. The highly qualified trainers at Breathe Fitness offer personal training, or alternatively, a functional movement screen, which allows for the creation of a corrective workout plan. This comprehensive program is specially designed for your current fitness level and can be performed either in your own home or at the
The words we use to describe our healthcare systems, for good or bad, reveal our biases. First of all, our current use of "healthcare" to name our mainstream medical system has a primary focus on managing and preventing diseases. So "healthcare" is clearly a euphemism, a term we reasonably use instead of "disease care" -- understandably, we want to be positive and promote the target idea of a life without disease or markers that predict a pathology!
Medical doctors and the immense system of support staff and technology development do the heroic work of saving lives and dealing with urgent and life threatening conditions that we simply couldn't have achieved only a few generations back. The average general practitioner simply does not have the time or resources (or training) to work with people in promoting and optimizing health beyond the idea of disease.
They may offer some lifestyle recommendations in passing, and even this is usually based on disease research. Regardless, the more personalized problem of optimizing each patient's health is not their main work within the short appointment - nor should it be! To restate it clearly: these are highly skilled and well trained practitioners who rule out the possibility of current or imminent disease or disease markers, and investigate further or refer to a specialist if they see any red flags that indicate a problem. This consumes most of their precious and limited moments in a consultation/examination. More or less I think most doctors are achieving what they are trained to do within their resources, time, and pay-for-service business model of the Canadian medical system. This is not to say we don't need a more integrated approach to health supported by the public system; but I would argue it is not doctors who should be doing this job.
In contrast, "alternative" healthcare describes other healthcare options like acupuncture, massage, naturopathic medicine, rolfing, or chiropractic, for example. These options are not usually medically funded or sanctioned by the mainstream public system, but are usually supported by private healthcare insurance plans or some private healthcare systems. So here is the problem with the word "alternative" --
it implies a separate procedure or ideology competing for or doing the same job of treating and managing diseases as our current medical healthcare system does. Indeed, the evidence for these "alternative" healthcare practices, show that they usually work to activate or promote normal healing responses, working toward optimizing health and healing. Rather than alternatives to the medical system, they should be considered as preventative and complementary to the disease management care of the medical system. Oddly, most of the research in alternative medicine is done within a disease or medical model framework, which sets the competitive stage accordingly, instead of using a more complex complementary approach to seeing these modalities in context to usual medical care.
This "alternative" misconception is perpetuated by both patients and practitioners alike by what I call "the end of the rope" phenomenon. Following many years of being in chronic pain or discomfort, patients of the medical system often say it has been unsuccessful to help them deal with a particular disease or injury. They then come to see an alternative doctor who they normally would have never seen initially, either because it was not regarded as legitimate in the mainstream system, and/or because they had to pay out of their own pocket for these private services.
People who seek true "cures" are often disappointed when they come to an alternative practitioner anyhow; they are still thinking in the old medical model way of disease management and magically eliminating symptoms without examining their own lifestyle and history. This goes further to promote the idea by the medical system that alternative procedures are indeed quackery, especially if they claim to compete with the medical system. If a cure was that simple or possible with these alternatives, then they would be "mainstream" as verified by both science and public experience already.
When success or improvement does occur with an alternate therapy in a way that did not previously with medical intervention, the judgment shifts. Now it is the medical system that is illegitimate, even though with great cost it exhausted all medical possibilities focusing on pain or symptom relief. Now when a significant and sudden improvement does happen here in the "alternative world", I believe it often may be because the client's body was very close to change -- also importantly, he or she was finally able and willing to make other necessary lifestyle changes that were critical for healthy change. If placebo was mainly at work, the placebo would have worked already within the medical treatment! Now though, a client meets the alternative doctor who takes the extra time to approach the problem differently, more holistically and specifically, from a detective's approach to support the client's responsibilities. The power of healthcare has now shifted from doctor to client. That's why our clinic is called, "The Acupuncture Turning Point", in which we intend to meet you where your health condition or injuries have come to be a turning point in your life.
I am clear about working with the best predictors of success in health: when one is ready to acknowledge or assess what is truly and often uniquely important, and collaborate on how to make changes that support a healthier life, mind, and body. Compared to a medical doctor, many "alternative" practitioners like myself and those in my team are uniquely situated to take the extra time to support people in determining what make things better or worse in their unique circumstances, in a very simple way. We acknowledge the heroic medical model of treating people based on scientific research and statistical probabilities, but instead, we work in safely facilitating a multidimensional approach to achieve systematic incremental improvements in health (not direct mitigation). We slow things down to implement restorative treatments and support awareness and positive lifestyle change. This takes time, since it addresses the unique (non-statistical) nature of someone’s problem -- and solutions! Ironically, I more often than not also urge clients cynical of the medical system to realize the need to go back for more medical investigation -- things may have changed and they need to become more informed and integrate both medical and health supporting practices within their lifestyle changes -- this is called "holistic" in my sense of the word. So here is an another word distortion -- "holistic" has come to be synonymous with "alternative" or "natural" or other terms that unfortunately deny the critical and necessary involvement of medical science and personal responsibility. I see a future where holistic becomes to be known as a "whole" system of knowing healthcare, acknowledging the complementary roles of both systems and a person's self-knowledge.
I administer acupuncture within a framework of promoting musculoskeletal function, and whole body and mind wellness. This usually means time to emphasize and support a client's commitment to engage in healthful activity, diet, and attitudes. In some American private healthcare systems, they are reducing medical costs and improving health by directing money away from medical interventions and offering health coaching services by non-medical people who build a relationship with a client to support the day to day reality of health choices. (listen here to the excellent CBC documentary about health coaches; Dr. Zubin Damania, CEO and Founder of Las Vegas-based Turntable Health). However, this shift requires a billing system where doctors are salaried and not based on pay-for-service. Discussions about this possibility are happening now regarding our own public system too, as the medical system and government is facing the unsustainable escalation of medical costs and technology, amid an aging population.
So when the medical system doesn't bring on a cure, or has caused new problems when it may not have fully dealt with old ones, I don't believe this means it has failed in the narrow sense. I would say that it means that we need to re-frame the responsibility of both health care and disease care from a broader perspective. We patients and practitioners in both the medical and "complementary" systems (notice how I didn't use the word alternative now!) need to carefully reflect upon the reality of what practitioners are doing and what we can or should expect from them and ourselves. We need a more complex, coordinated and integrated approach that goes beyond alternatives and competing interests.
Holistic does not mean alternative. We would all benefit from a whole system approach that fosters health itself at all stages of our lives, even when we have a disease or injury that requires heroic medical measures. It starts with each of us.
The New Year's Exercise commitment and injury- one reason it may fail
by Nicole Lark BHK, PTS, TSCC-3
Every December around Christmas and New Years clients ask me, “so, do you get lots of new people coming in January to workout?” and the honest answer is “no”. We tend to see a spike in new clients during the beginning to middle of February, but why? It is normally because of 1 of 3 reasons: (1) they tried on their own and realized they need more guidance because they are not getting the results they hoped for; (2) they wanted a month to exercise on their own before they felt comfortable coming to receive help from a professional; or (3) they tried on their own, got hurt, and are now seeking advice on how to recover from their injury and prevent further injuries from occurring in the future.
Breathe Fitness and The Acupuncture Turning Point often collaborate for their clients because of point 3. Many people have great intentions, and their enthusiasm gets the best of them, especially if they haven't been exercising regularly like they used to. They over-train in the beginning, often doing what they know they used to be able to do in younger years. They get injured, and then weeks turn into months in recovery mode, and this is enough to break the momentum of putting time aside for exercise and getting in better shape.
One of the more common injuries we see people with is shin splints also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). It is a common injury seen amongst runners and dancers but it is by no means limited only to those running or dancing. The symptoms of shin splints is normally along a continuum of a dull ache to intense pain felt between the ankle and knee on the front of the shin (i.e. the tibia bone).
Shin splints may arise when the lower leg has been overloaded, such as during running, where the feet are striking the ground repetitively for thousands or tens of thousands of time. The constant repetition eventually causes trauma to the connective muscle tissue connecting to the tibia, leading the tibia to endure more force, and which can inevitably result in inflammation and pain.
How does one prevent the lower leg and shins from being overloaded? It depends! The overload may be due to biomechanical irregularities, such as pronation (i.e. flat feet) at the ankle, a muscle imbalance, a weakness in stabilizing muscles (such as the gluteus medius), a weak core, or inflexibility and tightness in the ankle and calf muscles.
When a client of mine complains of having an history of shin splints, it is my job to detect what exercises are going to be most beneficial to prevent a re-occurrence so that the client is able to resume, or continue to exercise, without any pain and remain injury-free. An assessment of the mobility of the ankle, tightness of the peroneals, soleus and grastocnemius muscles, the strength and firing of the hip muscles, and the ability to control the core when moving, are just a few examples of what need to be assessed.
Quite often, I find clients are lacking strength in the stabilizing muscles of the hips; therefore, I will often include strengthening exercises for the gluteus medius such as side-lying clamshells (3 sets of 10-15 reps per leg) and rolling (self-massage using the foam roller or special massage tools) the lower leg to help loosen the calf muscles, thereby increasing the ankle’s flexibility and range of motion.
Finding the time and motivation to exercise is normally enough of a challenge in and of itself. Having any type of injury, minor or major, is always a set back. My job is to help ‘build my clients up’ during their workouts so when it comes time to play and have fun, they can do so with the confidence they are going to stay healthy and strong.
Meeting and understanding other complementary health professionals
by Gord Grant, PhD, RAc
Over the next months I am investigating healthcare practices outside of my own field to better understand the science and tradition behind them. I intend to share my findings with my clinical team, my clients, and the public, so that we can all make more intelligent decisions about our healthcare choices.
This past week I met with Dr. Michael Mason-Wood a naturopathic doctor practicing at “Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic” on the west side of Edmonton to learn about some of the techniques he uses in his practise. I was particularly interested in prolotherapy (or proliferation therapy) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy, so I am featuring this technique this month here and on my monthly visit to Global TV morning news where I discuss complementary medicine.
In Canada, prolotherapy is practiced by naturopathic doctors and some physicians, usually specialists in sports medicine. It has been shown to be effective in treating many conditions such as back and neck pain, tennis/golfers elbow, ankle pain, joint laxity and instability, plantar fasciitis, shoulder, knee pain and any tendonitis or ligament sprains.
In theory, the local inflammation effect of prolotherapy recruits growth factors to re-initiate connective tissue repair. Sometimes the original injury initiates these similar growth and repair processes, but the healing ceases before the tissue is optimally healed. In prolotherapy, a solution of dextrose (a simple sugar also known as glucose) is injected at concentrations above 10% to cause irritation and inflammation, along with a local anaesthetic like procaine, and sometimes other components to support healing. Prolotherapy can restart the healing process and cause ligament thickening, enlargement of a tendon or its connection to bone, and strengthening and shortening of a sprained or stretched ligament.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a more modern version of prolotherapy. The doctor extracts about 60 mL of the patient’s blood, concentrates the platelet component, and then reinjects this back into the affected joint or ligament or tendon in the same way as prolotherapy. These activated platelets better “signal” to distant repair cells, including adult stem cells, to come to the injured site to assist in repair. The injections can be painful, particularly in the first two to three visits since there is inflammation. With a prolotherapy treatment every 2 weeks, healing can occur in 1-2 months. The response to treatment varies with each individual and the extent of trauma to the ligament, tendon or cartilage, as well as individual rates of healing. Some people require a few treatments, while others may need 10 or more. And with a PRP treatment, the rate of healing may be improved even further. PRP costs several hundred dollars per treatment and is often twice the cost of prolotherapy alone, although it can be more effective, due to the requirement of specialized medical equipment to concentrate the platelets.
Most often, minor joint injuries heal themselves, since this is what the body is designed to do! An appropriate balance of rest and exercise are key factors that support coming back into full function. For more significant musculoskeletal problems that do not quickly resolve themselves, people often see their doctor for prescriptions of anti-inflammatory drugs, further investigation using imaging diagnostics, or referral to a physiotherapist or other specialist. Complementary modalities like massage and acupuncture can be cost effective ways of promoting and speeding the natural healing of an injury along the way. But for chronic musculoskeletal problems that are not resolving or improving over several weeks, despite medical care, proper rest, exercise and the use of other complementary therapies, prolotherapy and PRP are excellent options to explore.
For more information regarding injection therapies, see Dr. Mason-Wood’s webpage here http://drmasonwood.com/treatments/injection-therapies/prolotherapy-and-prp/
Beyond alternatives -- a sustainable, adaptable vision of healthcare
by Gord Grant PhD, RAc
The time has come. A turning point is happening in healthcare; although maybe not the one you think! The future is not about life extension through technology and micromanaging diseases -- at least not for the majority. Emerging from a former focus on disease detection and symptom mitigation is a network of progressive health professionals who will help reframe the very idea of healthcare itself. They represent a paradigm shift by both average citizens and healthcare practitioners alike. It can be seen in the evolving ways clients and healthcare professionals interact with each other. We are moving away from the current dichotomy of making choices between mainstream medicine or “alternative” practices, and facing more toward a legitimate system of complementary choices that people are making for better health.
Indeed we are in a time of many changes. Our modern wealth and scientific knowledge have enabled better and longer lives, and yet we are overwhelmed with more information than we can understand and use effectively! Ironically, modern day afflictions are closely aligned with changes of lifestyle and diet that the new era has afforded. Contemporary lives are now rooted in unhealthy choices that bring us to both insidious excesses and deficiencies. Excesses of fat, sugar, salt, and emotional stress on the one hand, and deficiencies of whole foods, basic nutrients, sleep, exercise, and bodily awareness on the other! But despite living longer than ever on average, we don’t live any longer than the longest lived people did before the scientific revolution. Sadly, many of us now will live out the last decades of our longer-than-average lifespan under intensive medical management for chronic and possibly preventable diseases. We no longer die of "old age"; rather we see old age as a prolonged battle against a series of chronic pathologies. What is our future?
I believe healthcare will continue advancing and struggling with treating diseases using more advanced and improved technologies and medicines. Often successfully, these innovations may prolong and improve life by compensating for multiple and compounding chronic illnesses. The big limitation with this strategy - it is immensely expensive and thus unsustainable. Advances in technology are growing exponentially, when the proportion of taxes and human resources available to contribute to healthcare is certainly not. Furthermore, even if we could afford them, these practices do not always improve the quality of life or address the fundamental elements of disease, health and well being.
The future is calling out for us to re-frame healthcare beyond alternatives – we must see beyond the dilemma of choosing disease management over supporting a healthy life. The turning point is beginning through redefining the role of the medical system and in the shifting agent of individual responsibility and informed choice. The way each person, family, and culture within our society-at-large fosters being in health becomes the foundation of this change. The future of healthcare will still require a technological vision toward disease management. But more critically, our healthcare efforts will come to depend as much on disease prevention, health promotion, and supporting unique solutions for each person to thrive.
by Gord Grant PhD, RAc and Alina Tousseeva, MD, RAc
Often this is the case with the prescription of pain medications, where the pain may be reduced, but the origin problem is not understood or resolved. Drug treatments often result in significant side effects or other costs in function. Muscle relaxants, pain and sleeping medications, and now antidepressants are even part of chronic pain management. Drugs may work at first, but they often don’t fully resolve the problem. Even when they do lessen the pain, the side effects can be substantial; new problems such as drowsiness or cognitive impairment, and a client’s reduced ability to perceive feedback from the body to prevent injury, become weighed against the cost of tolerating pain.
We believe this arena becomes a professional “no-man’s land” in the modern medical system, where people go from one specialist to another, seeking an answer and definitive diagnosis, and ultimately, a final solution to the pain. It describes not the inadequacy of our system necessarily, but rather, the immense complexity of the problem. Any one medical specialty, such as neurology, rheumatology, psychiatry, or orthopedics, may not fully understand or treat persistent and complex pain on its own.
But not mysteriously, pain is a normal and adaptive response to any major problem where the body is telling us something is wrong. This is so, not just for the superficial injuries one gets of the skin, or the sprains and strains we get to muscles and tendons, and the degeneration of joints in arthritis. It also applies of course to internal disorders. Everybody knows about the general aches and pains and muscle tightness when you get the flu. This is usually a normal response to any major pathology where the body is telling us something is wrong.
In the case of an acute flu virus invasion the response is quick and very noticeable. But often imbalances of health happen slowly and have complex origins – these can be difficult to link to a single specific internal problem. In this way, chronic pain is often a generalized reaction to accumulation of stressors, be it physical/metabolic exhaustion, environmental toxins, dietary deficiencies, persistent insomnia, chronic emotional stress, etc. More often, these stressors are presented in combination and interact with each other. Eventually, the issue is not just a pain message from the body, but turns into a chronic musculoskeletal dysfunction too. In the beginning these messages are adaptive, and represent a internal warning can create reflex protective postures. For example, a problem in the lungs pneumonia is sometimes perceived as painful and tight pectoral muscles. Here a person has his shoulders hunched forward to lesson the pain. This posture may be protective for an acute injury of the lung, but for chronic issues is not helpful. Here, over time tight chest muscles may restrict chest mobility and the vital capacity of the lung.
In the next blog we will explore the possible mechanisms that explain how we can perceive internal problems externally. These signals can be valid early detection systems that allow us to be in better tune with our health.
Injury rehabilitative, sports, relaxation and deep tissue massage -what's the difference?.
by Carl Parnham RMT
First of all, regardless of the objective of a treatment, a massage therapist is trained in using basic techniques such as “effleurage” (long gliding strokes) and “petrassage” –(kneading, circular motions, bending and picking up of the tissues).Basically, the goal of the treatment drives the way effleurage and petrassage are used (speed, force, angle, timing), where they are applied and the amount of time needed for assessment and evaluation. The treatment time needs to be anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hour depending on the nature of the problem, body size, muscle tone and different areas involved directly or indirectly with an imbalance.
So for most clients, a relaxation or a deep tissue massage will be the right match, especially if we are not dealing with an injury problem. An hour is usually adequate, or if a whole body focus is required, more like 1.5 hour. For athletes coming in for a sports massage, they we are usually dealing with chronic injuries and the techniques are more demanding on the therapist, especially with the greater muscle mass many athletes have. Regardless, in sports massage and injury rehabilitation, we are working harder and spending more time, both in treatment and out. One of the benefits of a clinic like ATP where we work as a team, for both practitioner and client, is that we collaborate in assessing and reviewing challenging cases that need a multidisciplinary approach. With sports and injury rehabilitation massage, we also take extra time to reassess and discuss a clients problem to come up with the best possible strategy for recovery and performance.
Deep tissue and relaxation massage services usually has a common goal of general pain management and well being through muscle tension release, restoration of circulation, and general stress reduction. It mainly involves slow to very slow strokes for warming the muscles and assessing the tissues. We use compressions to focus mainly on knots (usually motor points and trigger points). A 1 hour session usually cover one half of the body adequately, either from the waste up or the waste down. People have misconceptions about deep tissue massage, thinking that it should hurt, and if it didn’t, the massage therapist didn’t do his job. First of all, it shouldn’t have to hurt – the tissues need to be prepared and engaged as they are ready. If you are hurting, then the muscles resist a deeper touch. And second, there should be a realization that to achieve a deeper therapeutic goal takes some time. After 2 or 3 treatments your body starts to recognize the same touch and your muscles release easier and faster. Your muscles become “conditioned” and the connective tissue strengthens in response to a progressive “stress” of massage, and can now take more pressure. Here the massage therapist is able to go deeper and have a greater release of soft tissues.
With sports massage, it depends if we are talking post or pre-workout. Pre workout sports massage is mainly focused on waking the muscles up and helping prevent workout-related injuries. This treatment is actually a workout for the therapist! Here he or she is constantly moving, employing techniques that are fast and vigorous. It’s all about increasing blood flow to the muscles that with soon be challenged in sport. Increasing blood supply and oxygen levels in the muscle creates a stronger contraction of the muscles with less chance of injury. This treatment stretches the fascia surrounding the muscles allowing for a smoother glide of the muscles. When the work is being done we are also stimulating the proprioceptors -- these communicate with your brain about posture, movement and changes in equilibrium -- and if these are ready, your hand eye coordination is better (or hand foot, etc). A 1 hour treatment of the pre massage could possibly cover the entire body.
With a post workout sports massage, we are looking at reducing muscle pain from strain and lactic acid accumulation, speeding up recovery time and preventing injury. This kind of massage is very similar to deep tissue, however with a sports massage, we put more attention and detail into every stroke with a greater focus on tendons, ligaments, and subtleties that may not be as relevant when a client is not focused on performance. This treatment is all about muscle recovery and can take extra time depending on the focus. After a run your legs can become weak with the possibility of a spasm or cramp. A 1 hour treatment of the post would cover just shoulders and arms, back and glutes, or just legs.
With an injury massage, it depends on if it’s a recent problem (acute) or a long standing and recurring old injury (chronic). In an acute problem, we focus on quick recovery, so we do pain management, possible inflammation reduction and never work the area below the injury on limbs. If there is inflammation in the knee and you work the calf below, we may be releasing the unoxygenated blood and toxins to where it has no way of getting back to the heart which pumps it to the lungs and the rest if the organs like the liver and kidney. It’s like adding more cars to a traffic jam, yes the cars get through eventually but it’s only making the situation worse! If it’s a chronic injury our main goal is to restore function by enabling the body to move in the proper range of motion in training. We can go in and use cross friction fiber strokes to break up scar tissue and sticky adhesions of tissues that should be separate. This helps create better mobility and range of motion. In this case, unlike an acute injury, we work from the extremities up to the injury because now we can release the tension and the unoxygenated blood and toxins can flow through without getting jammed up with the main problem’s inflammation too.[TP1] The massage sets the stage for a client to heal faster by being able to challenge his or her tissues during workouts in progressively normal tensions and orientations. Treatment can vary depending on the injury, but are usually 1 hour – 1 ½ hours is required to focus on the injured tissues.
Meeting and understanding other complementary health professionals
by Gord Grant, PhD, RAc
Over the next months I will investigate and experience healthcare practices outside of my own field to better understand the science and tradition behind them. I intend to share my findings with my clinical team, my clients, and the public, so that we can all make more intelligent decisions about our healthcare choices. I will start by looking into naturopathic medicine, since ND’s are the general practitioners of complementary healthcare.
A few days ago, I visited “Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic” located in the Callingwood Professional Building (west side of Edmonton), where I met with Dr. Chris Bjorndal and Dr. Michael Mason-Wood. I learned that they like to take time with their clients to fully assess their condition, and have a very thorough intake process. Follow the link to see the form you would fill out when you visit them the first time!
In meeting with them it was clear that not only do they really want to understand a client’s problem, but also they want to see his or her health beyond the main complaint and work toward supporting health from a holistic framework.
Dr. Bjorndal explained the practice of naturopathic medicine to me:
What is naturopathic medicine?
“Naturopathic medicine refers to a distinct system of primary healthcare that uses natural methods to support and stimulate the body’s inherent self-healing process. It is a system of medicine that is based on prevention and promotes the optimum health and wellness of the individual by taking into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of one’s life when diagnosing and developing a treatment plan. Naturopathic Doctors view individuals as an integral whole where symptoms are seen as warning signals of improper functioning or imbalance in the body and with one’s surroundings. The objective of Naturopathic medicine is to address the root or underlying cause of disease, rather than to simply treat or suppress symptoms.”
What techniques do naturopathic doctors use?
“In treatment, naturopathic doctors use safe, gentle, non-invasive therapies including two or more of these treatment methods used either at the same time or sequentially, for the synergistic effect this has on health improvement. Specifically, they use therapies such as clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulation and lifestyle counselling to assist the whole person in healing. Some therapies offered at Natural Terrain are not offered by all NDs, such as prolotherapy, PRP therapy, and apitherapy. As with the other core therapies, these are all based on initiating natural and therapeutic healing responses of the body.”
How are naturopathic doctors trained?
“Naturopathic doctors have a minimum eight years of training: four years of university pre-medical sciences, then four years at an approved naturopathic medical college. Here they cover the same western medical diagnostic studies as MDs, which is followed by specialized training in several systems and modalities.”
How are naturopathic doctors regulated?
“NDs are regulated in Alberta by the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA). The CNDA defines the entry level and continued competence qualifications for Naturopathic Doctors in Alberta, and administers standards of practice and professional conduct, and investigates ND related complaints on behalf of the public.”
I hope to meet both Dr. Bjorndal and Dr. Mason-Wood again and experience their practice of naturopathic medicine first hand over the coming months, and will write more about it soon.
Contact Information:
Dr. Chris Bjorndal and Dr. Michael Mason-Wood
Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic
Callingwood Professional Building
200-6650 177St NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 4J5.
(587) 521-3595
http://www.naturalterrain.com/
You can go to the website of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta to find other registered naturopaths in Alberta: http://www.cnda.net/
Our move to the new clinic space has been an opportunity to re-examine our vision of what our work is aiming to be . I think anyone – individuals or groups, a single person or a community organization, a family business, or a corporation – can benefit from re-examining and stating their vision and reason to be from time to time. For us at The Acupuncture Turning Point, we declared that we intend to foster “Optimum, accessible, and sustainable healthcare for all, through quality services and partnerships, and the mindful integration of traditional and modern systems.”
A vision is supposed to bigger than you are, to be out of your reach, and to endure through the changes of time - otherwise, it is not a vision to strive for! However, no matter how noble or worthy, the risk of a vision that is too grandiose is that it can be perceived as either naive or impractical, or too unobtainable to translate into action and substance in the moment.
The ATP team is having renewed conversations amongst one another, both as a coordinated group, and with our clients. We are reaffirming our vision, the place beyond practicality and plans, but also, we are challenging each another to evolve how that translates into the tangible details of how we practice. In the work of healthcare, some questions are reoccurring and defining themes. We ask them of ourselves and others.
Are we curing people?
No; that is a powerful word that not even heroic western medical interventions use very often.
Are we helping people cope? Maybe for many, but this is often in the mindset of some clients, and not necessarily of our own vision for how we want to engage them.
Are we helping people come back to normal function, and be resilient? Yes, often, that has become a large part of our strategy and our success from the beginning. We treat each client as a whole person, looking at the many variables and factors that are important to each, to not only facilitate a return of “normal”, but also to support his or her awareness, confidence, and independence regarding goals in health and function.
But over time we have realized that our focus has been shifting toward helping people beyond resiliency. Being resilient is about coming back to “normal”, and the majority of clients we meet, simply never can go back in time to being “normal” as they once knew, for various reasons of their unique situations. Just like in our own personal lives as therapists, we meet people where life events have changed the nature and rules of the whole game. Situations arise in all of our lives that change everything - like getting an injury, be it an acute accident or an insidious chronic one, like getting a disease, which essentially may be resolved symptomatically and functionally, but has created a new vulnerability in body and/or mind. And the most profound game changing culprit is the unavoidable yet awkward (and often unspeakable) reality of growing older. Yes, our organs and tissues do have “shelf lives”, and they don’t just fully operate until the day we die. Fit or not fit, no matter how healthy and proactive we have been, we learn (or not) to let our body (and mind) go in stages, managing the process of becoming less capable. Here, the bumper falls off, or the engine doesn’t run the same any more, or the radiator leaks. Unlike our cars which we can go to the mechanic to get new parts, simply going to the doctor doesn’t fix us like new again.
Less obvious than aging, but still profound, are the impacts of our relationships over time, and the emotional and practical demands these put on us as whole people. Marriage and divorce, children, friendships fostered and lost, the death of loved ones, engaging a career close to our hearts, being under employed, or working for money to pay the bills each month, or simply struggling to have time for yourself beyond the growing obligations of life are difficult adjustments to make. “Game changers” come to us one by one in time, and often imperceptibly create a whole new sense of “normal” health and vitality.
So in the hub of these significant changes, we meet our clients. It is our growing awareness to practice in ways that support people adapting to the changes in their unique life circumstances. We facilitate people learning to thrive in their new lives, not necessarily returning to an old “normal”. Simply put, we help people when they are making critical and necessary turning points in their health and well being.
The “big picture” in my work all starts with postural assessment. The power of properly integrating a thorough postural assessment into a treatment can be astonishing! It goes far beyond the normal focus of symptoms of muscle tightness and pain.
Posture has been defined as a “synthesis of the positions of all the body’s joints at any given time.” Indeed, posture may be focused on positions of the joints, but it tells much more about how the muscles and related sinews are holding the joints. Long term muscle imbalance tells the story of your past injuries, and how you have overused them and compensated. They even tell us the story of your future pains and injuries if you don’t do something about it!
Sometimes people hold their body in unsustainable ways because of an imbalance that already exists -- but sometimes, it is a little habit that is predicting an imbalance being created. If she already isn’t, in time, the lady on the bus will start to experience neck tension, leading to specific neck and shoulder muscles being cramped and in pain, she may develop chronic tension headaches due to these imbalances. Certain very overworked muscles (upper trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboids, etc) are generating large metabolic wastes and demanding more nourishment. Yet ironically, the very blood circulation critically needed to remove wastes and bring in nourishing factors is now slowing and restricted due to the chronic tension! And the fellow waiting at the crosswalk, (let’s call him Jimmy), not only will his hip start to become (more) unstable but he is putting an unnecessary and immense amount of physical stress on his one knee, causing stress on the knee cartilage and ligaments and straining locally supportive muscle/tendons that control this joint.
The mysterious case of Jimmy: If we looked carefully, Jimmy may have a very common situation called the “Zig Zag effect”. So let’s say Jimmy comes to me with neck pain now, and headaches that have been stopping him in his tracks. His doctor has given him anti-inflammatory pain medications, but they have not solved the problem. And now things are worse. It’s costing him big time; chronic suffering with headaches, he’s not enjoying life (the doctor put him on a small dose of antidepressants too), sleep deprivation (he is trying, just for now, sleeping pills as well as a temporary aid), and lost productivity at work. He has other physical issues I see in his intake form, but really, his main and urgent focus is just helping him with his headaches. I take a bit of time though to do a postural assessment and I get a clear history of what has been happening to Jimmy over the last weeks and months. So, Jimmy twisted his right ankle while out running 3 months ago, and he developed a limp to take the weight off his right ankle and I see him put it all on his left leg. Over time, this new stress wasn’t likely well supported by his left knee. Although Jimmy’s ankle feels better than it did originally, but his knee has started to grind a bit and he is experiencing a mild arthritis there (he got anti-inflammatory meds for that too). Jimmy ‘s left knee pain causes him to compensate now and I see his stride and stance are distorted, now loading and stressing his right hip. Then this is where everything has escalated I believe; not only is this re-aggravating the original right ankle and left knee (making them prone to chronic re-injury if he ever wants to run again), but Jimmy’s right hip problem is transferred further up too! His left low back is subtly yet significantly twisted and torqued, and he is also transferring these distortions to his right mid back, then to his left shoulder, and finally to his right side of his neck. Bingo! I see it. Jimmy’s body has compensated sequentially, zig zag wise, since his ankle injury, leaving him with a chronic kink in his right neck, a dropped left shoulder, a raised right hip. I know no matter how many treatments we do on his neck, the problem won’t resolve unless we also address the stuff going on below too. We work on Jimmy’s back, hip and legs, and send him to our personal trainer for a few sessions to discover his workout plan for life. We are not just giving him temporary relief of his problem, but we are helping him focus on the root of the issue so that we can work to fully resolve it. We help Jimmy understand the problem, and build his trust by getting better results than anyone else who has just focused on neck and headaches. Just maybe, he’s ready to make a Turning Point! It’ll take some effort on Jimmy’s part; his lifestyle will need to change. Indeed, Jimmy got injured likely because of a weakened core sitting at his desk 10 hours a day and being overweight. The problem apparently started with the ankle in this story, but really, it was Jimmy’s loss of balance, strength and stability in his core muscles which made him vulnerable to twisting his ankle and not being able to compensate properly in the healing process afterward (but that is another blog!).
Everything is connected in the body, head to toe, foot to hand (and our lifestyle and attitudes on how we look after ourselves). The path to understanding the biomechanical dysfunction can be a long and sometimes a confusing road. The importance of postural assessment is that it can lead you in the right direction, not only to understanding and properly treating a problem like Jimmy’s, but also in predicting if a body is heading for pain and how to beat it before it goes bad!
Wikipedia says: “Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, domestic chores, and education.” It goes on to qualify it - “The distinction between leisure and unavoidable activities is not a rigidly defined one” and then further; “Certainly most people's leisure activities are not a completely free choice, and may be constrained by social pressures, e.g. people may be coerced into spending time gardening by the need to keep up with the standard of neighbouring gardens.”
I think Wiki is right to say that it is a hard idea to peg down, including the notion of “free” time!
In her book, “Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time” Brigid Schulte argues that despite having more “leisure time” than ever before, our society is clearly not benefiting from it. Moreover, she says we have contaminated the very notion of leisure. As a people, we are overwhelmed. Schulte’s insight is that the original meaning of leisure describes a state where you can sense your humanity. In this place, we intuitively take a clear census of our lives. From the original notion of leisure, each could affirm or remember what is important and uniquely essential. From here one can belong, fit into his or her own skin, and can make good decisions.
I really struggle with this concept of leisure. Many of my clients bring me impressive stories of their journeys to find the space and time to experience more of the essential and important things of their lives. And they tell me of how not doing this has affected their wellbeing and sometimes, their health. Myself, I can relate. I have a highly scheduled life. I own and run a busy clinic, which is the culmination of my passion and the idea of vocation, in the literal meaning of the word. Here, I engage a dynamic team and clients more hours than most do in a salaried job. I also teach courses at university, and frequently am a consultant to scientists helping them achieve research grants. I am a father to four children and a husband to Suzanne, my wife, my best friend. I have friends and extended family who are very important to me. I get involved with many “extra” projects which, although they stretch me sometimes, give me life, integrity, and energy. More often than not, they have changed my life for the better, positively impacting or influencing the people in my life. But life has cycles. Sometimes I am overwhelmed, or worse, don't see or deny the signs of strain; here my health, my resilience, and my capacity to be there for myself, let alone others, pays the price.
The painful and difficult dilemma comes when we face that we sincerely show what is important by giving our finite time, not just our good intentions. Lately, in the last few years, I am trying less to obtain any notion of “life balance” -- for me now, it conjures a goofy image of a clown juggling too many balls. Just slowing down is hard and not always convenient. The habit of having quietness and time to meditate has been critically important in my daily and weekly resilience and ability to focus and act on what is important to me. Yet for me, dealing with this time paradox means going beyond slowing down and balance. The contemporary poet, David Whyte, said it well in his book, “The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship”. He uses poetry to describe this long-standing problem humans have had in serving yourself, your career, and your key relationships in sequence, or by "multitasking", as if it were a balancing skill – doing this frames them as separate. He said that “separating these "marriages" in order to balance them is to destroy the fabric of happiness itself.” “Only by understanding the journey involved in each of the three marriages and the stages of their maturation”, he says, “can we understand how to bring them together in one fulfilled life.”
So when I look at leisure time, I choose to see it more as a certain way of thinking, or perceiving. Yes, it is still about finding “free” time to be with myself, or my family and friends (and my projects!), but it is more about how I approach them with the space and time that they need.
For me, and for most I think, we need to “set it up” and plan it if we are going to achieve leisure time. But at its root, it is a “freedom” of mind, where one can be authentic, spontaneous, and can stand down from performing for or impressing another. It is just being who you are. It could be by yourself, alone, or with a good friend, or with family – or not. It could be at work or on holidays, at a planned event or spontaneous and unexpected. But any of these people or activities, in and of themselves, do not satisfy what leisure necessarily is. It depends on your needs, your nature, and your particular circumstances and outlook.
One of my many projects is organizing a gardening expedition out of town with my family – yes, we call it an expedition. After reading Schulte, I realized this is getting close to her definition of leisure for me. Let me explain. I, or I and my family, leave for the day to a plot of land south of Beaumont (usually it’s Sunday, but it can be other days based on the needs of the garden and our needs for leisure).
We spend the day where there is no noise but the birds, and wind and sound of insects (various ones, including mosquitoes, but also 150,000 honey bees from our few hives). We do beekeeping, we dig, we seed, we plant, we water, we weed, we harvest, we eat and drink – we talk, we don’t talk. Hours go by. We come home tired, hot, scratchy and dirty; but rested in some deeper way. We come home having been together differently than if we had stayed at home busy on our cell phones and iPads and toys and games, or getting “chores” done. We come home having been lost in a place beyond busy, beyond boredom, beyond productive. We come home knowing what is important, each in his or her own way. We are feeling our humanity once again.
Losing weight while you are stressed may be harder. Ironically, you may have to eat even less than a unstressed person to loose the same weight. Is it just calories in calories out? Well, it depends on your metabolism.
Here’s a particular client’s situation that will explain what I mean. She gave me permission to describe to you her struggle and how we approached it work toward success. This woman came to see me at the clinic for help to lose weight. She was having trouble maintaining weight, let alone losing it. In fact, she recently gained 20lbs. She is a VERY physically active, exercising five or more times a week, running and doing lots of hot yoga. She was unable to understand why she still gained weight. After our initial consultation it was clear that many different factors could be contributing to her weight gain. She is middle aged and is approaching menopause, and was on some medication for hyperthyroidism. Her endocrinologist indicated that her thyroid hormone levels were balanced now and not the primary cause of her weight gain. But here is how I assessed and treated her from a whole person point of view....
Aside from the hormonal factors that may be contributing to a slowing of her metabolism, it become clear to me that she was under a lot of chronic stress. Her career had her traveling all the time. And key to my work with her, she was possibly over-exercising. And the hot yoga, although can be therapeutic, was another example of her asking the body to adapt to extreme conditions. The intense heat, humidity and activity combination over many years, throughout the different seasons, may be extremely taxing on her body.
In traditional Chinese medical terms, my diagnosis was ‘yin deficiency’, which is a common menopausal condition, especially with over exercise and chronic exposure to heat . In more conventional scientific terms, this long term stressing of her body and mind in many ways were likely elevating her cortisol levels, and put her body into a default “survival” mode. This long-term “fight or flight” set-point of the body can slow a metabolism to make it more efficient, since it is in a survival mode. Also, in this conservative state, energy can be directed away from vital functions like fertility, digestion, immunity. Generally speaking, we don’t feel well if our cortisol levels are high.
So when I suggested that she cut back on the hot yoga and reduce the intensity and frequency of her exercise, at first that did not make sense to her. So I explained about how her base line metabolism may be shifted into survival mode due to all the stressors she was putting on herself over time. She wanted to know what she could do. I suggested walking instead of running and restorative or yin yoga instead of a hot and more active yoga. She gradually came to embrace this idea of balance and it’s impact on her metabolism. The last time I saw her she said she is learning how to be “lazy”. Quietness, resting, slowing down are essential restoration states necessary in the ebb and flow of a healthy life. We live in a society where we say “how are you doing?” and we can brag back by saying, “busy, busy, busy!”. It is less applauded to talk about what we are not doing, especially if we are not “retired” and/or wealthy.
As my client is losing some weight now, her focus comes away from how much fat she is burning in exercise and hot yoga, but more about achieving balance and mindfulness in her lifestyle and eating habits. She needs to eat to meet the demands of her body, regardless of her metabolism being fast or slow. We know diets don’t work to keep weight off, unless they become permanent lifestyle changes in how and what we eat, responding to our body’s needs. If we slow down the eating (and living) process to listen to our body telling us when we are hungry and when we have had enough, we may not need to count calories, would we?
Hopefully this can be a turning point for her. With acupuncture to help her relax, along with some coaching suggestions to foster a balanced approach to activity and leisure time, her metabolism will become more balanced, and her overall health will benefit. I think that she has taken the first major step. It may make the weight loss journey seem longer, but it has become more about a journey health than simply about losing weight.
As I grow older (yes, I am only 25, but I feel like I’m getting older), I feel the stresses of life starting to take over. I’m working, and paying off my student loan, and my schedule is becoming filled with more resposiblities (my clients tell me it only gets worse when you take on more with family and as the career evolves). I notice now that when I try to workout it can be more of a chore; it becomes just another scheduled item, another responsibility. It’s work! I don’t want to work after I just got off from work!
I get bored at the gym. Sometimes even though I am sweating, I don’t even really feel like I’ve accomplished anything. It makes it easy for me to avoid exercise all together. Lately, I have been trying a radical approach – having fun instead!
I hear of a lot of parents out there driving their kids around to soccer games, but don’t play themselves anymore. I know life gets busy, but I decided to turn this trend around early in my life, and get involved in a fun sport. I see there are adult league soccer teams, badminton, football, even ping pong around the city! Yes, some are more demanding than others, but they can be a gateway out of exploring what is right for you and simply start moving. Some other ideas include going out to a rock climbing wall (there are lots of them in town now), dancing with your significant other (you can go dancing without shooters and beer, I know its hard to believe, but there are even special clubs that promote developing specialized skills in this!). And try swimming at one of our many rec centres – this is great for anyone with knee or hip problems, since it`s easy on the joints and water is very relaxing and therapeutic (expecially with a hot tub or sauna at the end).
There are many local fun activities we can do without costs: in fact you can save yourself some money by doing them! We have the most amazing river valley of trails that is great for cycling and hiking. Try to ditch the car and walk or ride your bike to work for the few months that we can be sure that it’s not going to snow! And why not walk more to shops or go places locally, any time of year even though we live in a city of snow? And, don’t forget couples, there are many ways you can workout together while having fun! ( Wink, wink). You can consider it multitasking, for those of you with busy schedules – being with your loved one and building your core muscles.
Now that I’m having so much fun playing basketball on a team, Monday is my favorite day of the week -- I wouldn’t give it up for anything! It wasn’t until I joined a sports group that I found out it’s not “workingout” anymore, it’s having fun. Find more fun and passion in moving and beat the gym duldroms.
“It was the last straw!” Have you ever used this saying? It is an ancient Arabic proverb dating back to a time when we used camels, or a similar animal like a horse or ox, for carrying our heavy loads.
The dictionary defines it as the very last thing one experiences in a long series of mishaps or disappointments that tips the balance to a final loss of patience, temper, trust, or hope. It is an apt metaphor I like to apply regarding our health, when a health problem emerges suddenly, or a sports injury occurs without any particular accident or trauma. Indeed, a cataclysmic failure of health can occur without clear warning. Oddly, the last correlated and reasonable cause - “last straw” - often seems relatively not potent enough to cause the problem on its own. Think of a woman who gets breast cancer after a stressful period in life; the stress is not enough to “cause” this is it? Or a guy gets back into soccer and his knee ligament gives out on a simple fall; it is not just that he is 40 and out of shape now? A 46 year old woman becomes clinically depressed after missing a promotion at work; she cannot blame menopause on her hypersensitivity, can she?
Unfortunately, the answer is not simple -- as I am sure most of us will agree. It usually represents a complex series of interactions between genetics, environment, personality, and the myriad nuances of cause and vulnerability over a long, long time. I believe it becomes our unique story of aging.
Let’s play with this last straw metaphor a bit more: so the capacity of our body (and mind) represents the camel. Who is the camel owner then? It could be our perceptions and interpretations of our health and ability to function - what we can and should be able to endure - and the subsequent decisions we make in our actions, consciously or unconsciously. A good camel owner knows that she needs to look after her camel of course. You know, feed and water him well, rest him, and not overload or push him past his limits. But camels grow old, and the game changes. They need a little more rest time between journeys, and yes, they may not be as strong and flexible as they once were in the years past. They need more time to heal when they are injured. A good camel owner pays attention to subtleties. She should be noticing his mood, and energy, and other things. Are there little warning signs that come long before the camel falls?
We accept that normal aging influences the capacity of the body to regenerate and adapt. Our lifestyle can accelerate or delay this natural decline in function. Hormonal changes in men and women can change bone density due to decline of sex hormones, digestion disorders that come with age, and immune capacity and general ability of the body to regenerate decreases over time (injury repair takes longer, tissues less elastic). Long term stressors can sometimes tip the balance negatively, whether it is environmental, nutritional, or emotional. Perhaps this is why we expect so much of our camel? Our expectations of capacity and endurance was measured some time ago when he was younger and more fit, or maybe he had less on the go? So our camel is changing over time and we are not adjusting to that reality. Even if we can influence this rate of change by being a good camel owner, we still need to be mindful of his current resilience. We need to be realistic to make adjustments in our expectations and have this reflected in our actions accordingly.
So I ask you to reflect upon the last time you got really sick or injured unexpectedly. This process of life assessment can help prevent the next “last straw” in your health, even if it will not be the same scenario as the last time. By paying attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle warning signs (even if they are unrelated to the main complaint), we can realize that disease and injury processes are complex, and unique to each of us.
Before your camel fell, did you notice the trembling in your camel’s legs? How about the strain in his eyes, or a lack of energy and general enthusiasm for things going on around him? Did his appetite change? Or maybe you’re not feeding him so well lately and giving him the rest he needs?
Regardless, we can not be a good camel owner all the time. It is a fair mistake to make to overload our camels sometimes, since we can be so preoccupied with going here and there, moving and selling carpets or straw, checking our scrolls to fit everything into our busy calendars. We often just don’t have the mind or time to see things differently and adjust. But when we slow things down, even just a little, each day, or each week, to observe the subtle messages our camel is sending, it just may be profoundly important! Not only to avoid injuries, but also to improve our overall health and wellbeing. Our careers, and the relationships that matter in our lives will show it!
by Jennifer Kotowicz HHP, RAc - Facial acupuncture, rejuvenation and weight loss.
We all know that the sense of smell evokes strong memories and emotions. Sometimes this can be an overpowering experience. Olfaction is a complex experience. My husband as a chef is particularly aware of this, and he really relies upon his sense of smell. He smells and tastes the ingredients of his creations, from start to finish, as he makes a dish. Aromatherapy, is the world of smell used therapeutically to affect or change emotional states. I use pure essential oils from plants, which are usually more expensive than synthetic fragrances, but I find them more authentic. It is self evident that they are truer to the smells we experience in the natural world.
Simply speaking, to experience aromatherapy you just smell an oil and take time to notice your reaction to it. This is very simple but very personal and depends on your unique response and preferences.
Generally, essential oils can be categorized in a number of ways. A simple way to organize them is into three groups like the perfume experts do, based on the nature of their chemistry and how we perceive them. They refer to them as “notes” like in music. I'll show you how to create your own blend combining the "science" of it with what is obvious in your favourite smells.
Top or head note. This is your initial impression of an odour, and represents the smallest molecules that evaporate the quickest. They are fleeting expressions. They are often seen as stimulating and energizing, bright and light in effect on our mood. Examples of this would be citrus oils (grapefruit or bergamot), ginger, or spearmint.
Middle or heart note: This is perceived just prior to the top notes disappearing. They represent larger molecules that don’t evaporate quite as quickly, and linger on a little longer. Middle notes are mellow and serve to balance, mask, and “round out” the experience. They can serve to soften or introduce the initial exposure to the later base notes, which can be unpleasant on their own. Lavender and rose are good examples of smells which have dominant middle notes, making them popular oils.
Base or root note: These are perceived before the departure of the middle notes, and are large, heavy molecules that evaporate slowly and linger for a longer time, even up to a day. They are perceived as complex, rich and deep, and sometimes musky. These earthy smell elements have the effect of being grounding and calming. Examples of smells with dominant base notes are the essential oils that have resins like sandalwood and cedarwood, or vanilla and jasmine.
These categories are very subjective and most oils have properties of all three levels. For example I have seen charts that classify neroli as both a top and a bottom note. By keeping this information about their general characteristics in mind, it is easier to blend them. If you want an energizing oil mix, say to impact low mood or depression, you can use an oil or make a blend with more top notes. If you want a grounding impact of the smell, as in a calming effect, you use a stronger base note formulation. The middle notes are important to better introduce the base notes, or extend the effect of the top notes.
You can receive the benefit of using these oils many different ways. If they are mixed into skin care products not only will they give off pleasant smells but also they often have excellent antioxidant properties that benefit the skin, and as such, can slow down the effects of aging.
But just because essential oils are natural, does not necessarily mean they are safe. 100% pure essential oils can be quite caustic and they can cause chemical burns on your skin if not diluted properly in a carrier oil. In my opinion it is best to do a bit of research on blending with carrier oils if you do want to use them topically. Using the oils for just aromatherapy purposes can be a bit more straightforward, since you don’t have to put them on your skin.
Below is an ingredient listing of the oil blend I use during my facial treatments. The essential oils are blended with specific carrier oils to create a lovely blend that will absorb well into the skin, balancing and improving its appearance.
Face and body oil: Cold Pressed Oils of Apricot, Organic Jojoba, Organic Rosehip, Wheat Germ, Evening Primrose, Vitamin E; Essential Oils of Lavender, Rosewood, Palmarosa, Carrot Seed, Frankincense, Sea Buckthorn, Rose, Sandalwood, Neroli.
At the clinic we are experimenting with incorporating aromatherapy into our acupuncture and massage treatments, where we create a positive association with the relaxing experience with a smell of the client’s choosing. It could be something they like that has a history of already working positively for them, or it could be something we experiment with in the session to find a smell that’s just right. They take it home with them and then can remember the strong experience of being looked after in the clinic, feeling relaxed and whole again. They can evoke that feeling again in the future just by smelling the aroma. Some of the strongest memories can be formed when coupled to smells, and this is the basis of aromatherapy too, not just the theory of what each particular scent element does. Have you ever been away from “home” for a long time, and return after years, to remember a flood of memories with a smell? Or, perhaps it is an old recipe that your mom used to make, or baked bread? What we are trying to do, is to help you create a positive neural patterning (look up the brain research on the amygdala!) between a smell and relaxation and wellbeing, that you reinforce at the clinic and at home. Perhaps you use the aromatherapy at home when you do meditation or yoga, or anything which makes you feel more like you’re living in your own skin again.
In then end, you will know what works for you, just by trying some things out. Have fun!
