Several types of physiotherapy are categorized and by particular deficiencies, illnesses, and conditions that cause disabilities. The three main types of physiotherapy are cardiothoracic, musculoskeletal, and neurological. This article will focus on the neurological physiotherapy.

In Physiotherapy, treatment is based on the findings of a patient’s assessment regarding his condition. There are several physiotherapeutic methods that can be facilitated depending on one’s assessment. One of these methods is Neurological Physiotherapy. This type of physiotherapy deals with more serious, nervous-system related medical conditions such as cerebral palsy or stroke.

The primary goal of this type of physiotherapy is on cultivating normal motor functioning or restoring impaired functioning. Cases such as muscle deterioration, stiffness, pain, paralysis, numbness, are often the patients’ neurological setbacks. Therefore, some essential foundations for neurological physiotherapy are muscular stimulation and relaxation.

As said beforehand, there are three main types of physiotherapy — cardiothoracic, musculoskeletal, and neurological. The first type deals with malfunctions caused by heart and lung problems like asthma and any chest surgeries. The second one, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, provides wellness against inflammatory and trauma conditions in the skeletal and muscular regions. Neurological physiotherapy, on the other hand, deals with disabilities that root in the brain or the nervous system.

One of the first things to consider before administering neurological physiotherapy is the patient’s muscle tone. Evaluation is done thoroughly before treatment and muscle tone is to be determined to make sure that the patient is capable of certain exercises required for this type of treatment. Balance and cognitive abilities of the patient is also determined. Based upon the patient’s capacity, the physiotherapist will administer the appropriate treatment activities.

Programs in neurological physiotherapy revolve in working the muscles through strength exercises and helping the patient with his range of motion. The therapist will help the patient in moving body parts in a calculated approach. The therapist will facilitate the patient in carrying out normal daily motions until such time when the patient’s muscles are strong enough while the brain acquires and get used to the movements.

Neurological physiotherapy takes time and patience before seeing success in treatments. Neurological deficits are chronic in many cases because often, they don’t cause physical damage. With perseverance and determination, individuals have a good chance in improving or even regaining their abilities back from a neurological deficiency.

Not only does this yield positive results physically, patients with successful treatments are also reported to gain positive psychological effects. On a deeper level, positive mental and psychological health are enhanced as the patient increases normal motor functioning — thus positive outlook, independence, and boost in self-esteem follows. Neurological physiotherapy, just like other methods are developed and innovated as new evidences emerge from studies.

Alevia Health and Wellness Center provides patients with holistic health care services in the best type of environment a patient could imagine. Alevia caters to individuals who seek health and wellness through services like chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, reflexology, naturopathy, homeopathy, custom orthotics, compression stockings, and Pilates. Feel free to contact us to find out more on how you can benefit from physiotherapy.

Starting with assessment of the patient’s condition, Physiotherapy involves evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a range of diseases. One type of physiotherapy is aquatic physiotherapy or hydrotherapy. Aquatic physiotherapy or hydrotherapy is a type of physiotherapy that involves water during the treatment for a low to zero impact on joints which leads to a more comfortable exercise. Another reason why aquatic physiotherapy is essential to some patients is because water provides a good amount of resistance for some exercises. At the same time, body weight is reduced when in water.

Aquatic physiotherapy can be performed in tubs or pools that are comfortable for patients who require special needs due to limited mobility or immobility. Patients who can no longer walk due to injuries in their legs can highly benefit from aquatic physiotherapy. It reduces the amount of stress on patients with leg injuries when performing exercises in water. It also strengthens weak muscles when done accordingly. People who benefit from this type of physiotherapy are the ones with heart or circulation problems, people with diabetes, heart attack, stroke, or those who are obese.

You may wonder what types of exercises are done in aquatic physiotherapy. Many of the movements are almost the same as the regular physical therapy exercise movements done out of water. Stretching and exercises are customized to suit every patient’s condition. Men and women of all ages can benefit from aquatic physiotherapy. Children who acquired disabilities or are late in developing motor and locomotor skills highly benefit from water physiotherapy. This type of physiotherapy can also be customized to help children achieve balance and walking abilities.

Aquatic physiotherapy does not only treat patients, but it can also be utilized to help an individual achieve skills in swimming. The exercises done in water physiotherapy can be used to develop and hone body movement and coordination in water thus the development of swimming skills. It can also teach disabled patients how to swim when modified in a way that suits the patient.

Remember that not all patients are suited for water physiotherapy. However, it can be highly effective and beneficial to people with special cases that require low impact exercises, or people that require the resistance water provides. Not everyone is suited for aquatic physiotherapy. People with fever, infection, open wounds, or people who may be sensitive to water temperature are not the best candidates for aqua physiotherapy. This may also be dangerous to some patients who are under special medication like those with high blood pressure. To be on the safe side, the licensed physical therapist should know the medical history and current medical condition of the patient to avoid untoward things from happening.

Alevia Health and Wellness Center provides patients with holistic health care services in the best type of environment a patient could imagine. Alevia caters to individuals who seek health and wellness through services like chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, reflexology, naturopathy, homeopathy, custom orthotics, compression stockings, and pilates. Feel free to contact us to find out more on how you can benefit from physiotherapy.

Starting next month Dr. Albert Varela from Alevia Health and Wellness Centre will  be hosting a monthly talk on a specific topic.

The first topic will be on reflexology coming up on  Saturday April 28 at 1pm.

Please call the Burlington Office at 905-315-9955 to reserve your seat

Address: 1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A , Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4X6

View on Map

Limited Seats Available.

What is Reflexology?

According to the Ontario College of Reflexology…

Reflexology is a focused pressure technique, usually directed at the feet or hands.  It is based on the premise that there are zones and reflexes on different parts of the body which correspond to and are relative to all parts, glands and organs.

Zone Theory is the foundation of foot reflexology and an understanding of the zones as a system for organizing relationships between various parts, glands and organs of the body and the reflexes are essential to reflexology and its applications.

Some of what will be covered in this REFLEXOLOGY PRESENTATION:

What is Reflexology?

History of Reflexology

The Benefits of Reflexology are

Who Can Benefit from Reflexology?

A Reflexology Session

What are the contraindications for reflexology treatment?

We all know that acupuncture originated in China. Being the pioneer in this type of traditional therapy, China is where you’ll find doctors that have been practicing this form of therapy for generations. Dr. Du Yuanhao is a 51 year old practitioner of acupuncture therapy together with a team of other doctors in Cinese Acupuncture Clinic Research. They make use of acupuncture for curing many types of diseases. After four years of thorough study on acupuncture, Dr. Yuanhao concluded that acupuncture can cure 461 types of diseases.

They found that most diseases that acupuncture is effective at are those of the nervous system, genitourinary system, the digestive system, bones, and skin. Some examples are dementia, skin rashes, stroke, enteritis, and diarrhea.

Points for acupuncture are in the flesh, which is why the treatment can be effective to diseases in muscles and skin Du said to Xianhua News Agency, “Besides, points are rich in nerves. Thus it can also cure diseases in the nervous system and other systems whose functions are directly controlled by nerves.”

Dr. Yuanhao is classifying the 461 diseases and will categorize them into three levels: those that can be cured solely by acupuncture, those that need acupuncture as the major treatment, and those that acupuncture will serve as the assisting treatment.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization listed diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture. The following are: stroke, sprain, sciatica, tennis elbow, rheumatoid arthritis, renal colic, post operative pain, periarthritis of the shoulder, temporomandibular dysfunction in dentistry, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, correction of malposition of fetus, low back pain, leukopenia, knee pain, induction of labour, primary hypotension, essential hypertension, headache, craniomandibular disorders, facial pain, acute epigastralgia, primary dysmenorrhea, acute bacillary dysentery, depressive neurosis, depression, biliary colic, allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

Acupuncture also showed therapeutic effect on the following diseases although further proof is still being studied: whooping cough or pertussis, vascular dementia, urolithiasis, chronic ulcerative colitis, tourette syndrome, tobacco dependence, tietze syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, stiff neck, acute spine pain, tonsillitis, sore throat, sjorgren syndrome, drug induced sialism, schizophrenia, traumatic retention of urine, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, recurrent lower urinary tract infection, primary raynaud syndrome, randicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome, pruritus, chronic prostatitis, premenstrual syndrome, postoperative convalescence, postextubation in children, polycystic ovary syndrome, thromboangitis obliterans, pain due to endoscopic examination, osteorarhritis, cocaine or opium dependence, obesity, neurodermatitis, post-herpetic neuralgia, meniere disease, male sexual dysfunction, lactation deficiency, labour pain, insomnia, hypo-ovarianism, hyperlipaemia, herpes zoster, hepatitis B virus carrier status, gouty arthritis, gastrokinetic disturbance, fibromyalgia or myofascial pain syndrome, female utethral syndrome, facial spasm, female infertility, eye pain due to subconjunctival injection, epistaxis, epidemic haemorrhagic fever, earache, diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent, craniocerebral injury, competition stress syndrome, cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, cardiac neurosis, cancer pain, bell’s palsy, alcohol dependency, acne vulgaris, and abdominal pain.

Alevia is a holistic care services center found in three locations in Ontario namely: London, Burlington, and Missisauga. Contact us now to know more about our services which include Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Laser Therapy, Reflexology, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Custom Orthotics, Compression Stockings, and Pilates.

According to a new study published online from Harvard School of Public Health last week, men who routinely missed breakfast had a significantly greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And men who ate only once or twice a day were also at increased risk for the disease.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity (especially abdominal obesity), inactivity, impaired fasting glucose (pre-diabetes), family history and increasing age.

The study followed 51,529 healthy men, aged 40 to 75, for 16 years. Dietary questionnaires were completed at the start of the study and then every four years thereafter.

Compared to breakfast eaters, men who skipped the meal were 21% more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the 16-year period, even after accounting for body weight.

In addition, men who skipped breakfast and followed a western-style diet – characterized by a higher intake of red meat, processed meat, refined grains, sweets and desserts – had an even greater risk of diabetes.

Eating three main meals per day, including breakfast, was the optimal pattern for protection against type 2 diabetes. Men who ate only once or twice per day – rather than three – had a 25% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Breakfast helps control appetite and blood-sugar levels. Studies show skipping breakfast results in increased levels of ghrelin, an appetite-related hormone, which can cause hunger and overeating.

Choose low-glycemic carbs

A breakfast based on quickly digested carbohydrates such as white bread, refined and sugary cereals, muffins and pastries causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin, which can trigger hunger and slow or even stop the breakdown of body fat.

Low-glycemic carbohydrates release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream and don’t produce a big amount of insulin. They include grainy breads, steel-cut and large-flake oats, bran cereal, oat bran, apples, citrus fruit, grapes, pears, nuts, milk, yogurt and soy beverages.

Include fibre

Breakfast should include at least five grams of fibre, preferably more. A fibre-rich breakfast has been shown to slow the rise in blood sugar after eating and improve how the body uses insulin.

To increase fibre at breakfast, choose 100-per-cent whole-grain breads, breakfast cereals with at least five grams of fibre per serving, and eat whole fruit instead of drinking juice.

Add protein

To put the brakes on your appetite throughout the morning, include at least one protein-rich food at breakfast such as yogurt, milk, part-skim cheese, cottage cheese, soy beverage, egg whites, turkey and salmon.

During the past month, consumers and media outlets have expressed outrage over a beef additive found in many products that resembles a “pink slime” in its manufacturing process.

The product, called “lean finely textured beef” (LFTB), is composed of carcass trimmings that have been warmed, centrifuged for fat removal and treated with ammonium  hydroxide gas to destroy pathogens such as E. coli. The product is then compressed into blocks and put in freezers prior to being used.

Though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) deems LFTB safe for human consumption, the public as a whole has rightfully been disgusted by the facts behind their daily meals and reminds us once again that we don’t always know what we’re eating — and that the way our food is produced can be seriously unsettling.

Ammonium hydroxide is still a chemical found in fertilizers and household cleaners, and can release flammable vapors. When mixed with certain acids it can become ammonium nitrate, a common ingredient in homemade bombs. Even more disturbing is that the presence of LFTB in food products is not listed on nutritional labels, making it almost impossible for consumers to detect.

Because consumers are now questioning LFTB’s nutritional content, manufacturer AFA Foods has experienced a drop in demand. McDonald’s, Wal-mart and other companies have decided to drop LFTB or give their customers a choice, and AFA Foods is now filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Education is a key element in exposing how our food is made and relying solely on government regulation is not enough to ensure full consumer consciousness.

Consumers should be allowed to dictate what products they put in their bodies, and attempts to keep the product in the food industry without public knowledge should be stopped.

What Can You Do?

The obvious step is to swear off ground beef or becoming a vegetarian.  If you can’t live without your grilled burgers and meatloaf, look for sources of organic, local beef, and ask for it to be ground by your butcher or grind it yourself.

Check out the video below on the Season Premiere of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution demonstrating how this “pink slime” is made:

A new report from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario concluded that smoking, excess alcohol consumption, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and stress can all collectively decrease your lifespan by seven and a half years.

It’s a staggering number. Unfortunately, the average person fails to understand the full impact of lifestyle choices by individuals.

It is not hard to find someone who smokes, drinks too much, eats badly, is inactive and is constantly stressed. These individuals have a life expectancy of 68.5 years for men and 71.5 years for women compared to people with healthy lifestyles who don’t smoke, have an occasional drink and exercise routinely, sweating away the stress who have a life expectancy of 88.6 years for men and 92.5 years for women. The roughly 20-year difference reflects the best-case scenario (no bad habits) versus the worst (all five bad habits).

The report did indicate that lifestyle choices are just part of the equation. There are other factors to consider such as one’s income, education, employment, stable housing and physical environment which all have a tremendous impact on health and life expectancy.

The new report goes on further noting that people living in Ontario’s poorest neighborhoods have a life expectancy that is 4.5 years less than those in wealthier neighborhoods, a significant “equity gap.”

What is interesting, is that the new report comes with an online tool, one that allows individuals to calculate the impact of their lifestyle choices and they don’t have to be all or none.

For example, a 40-year-old non-smoker who drinks moderately and eats consciously but can’t find time to exercise, for example, can, with a few clicks, see that finding time to be active an hour a day, could add five years to his or her life expectancy.

The good news is that the report did show that small changes can have a big payoff in life expectancy and quality of life which should be motivating to many.

Chiropractic Message on Dr. Phil Show March 15, Dallas, TX – Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, president of Parker University, appeared in an episode of the Dr. Phil show where he presented concepts of wellness and how chiropractic integrates into a healthy lifestyle. He also spoke about his new book, The Power of Self-Healing: Unlock Your Natural Healing Potential in 21 Days!, which includes information about living the chiropractic lifestyle of health and wellness. Dr. Phil, the popular daytime talk show, airs on more than 200 television stations across the U.S. and in more than 40 countries worldwide. The Dr. Phil show has a viewership of nearly 21 million weekly viewers, while online the show has more than two million unique followers per day.

“I’m so glad to have had this opportunity and I’m thrilled that so many people around the world heard about chiropractic and the body’s natural ability to heal,” said Dr. Mancini. “This was a tremendous victory for our profession. There is a movement starting and the time is now to get the message of chiropractic and natural healing to the masses.”

Dr. Phil McGraw, a clinical psychologist with 25 years in practice, provides advice and makes psychology accessible and understandable to the general public. Dr. Phil received chiropractic care from Dr. Mancini for years while he lived in the Dallas, Texas area and told viewers, “I got chiropractic treatment from you [Dr. Mancini] two or three times a week.”

Dr. Phil explained that Dr. Mancini didn’t just treat his back – which is a common misconception of chiropractic care – but, he also helped him with his overall health physically, mentally, and spiritually. He went on to introduce his current chiropractor in Los Angeles, Dr. Patrick DeFazio, a Parker alumnus, who talked more about chiropractic and how it helps relieve stresses on the body.

Dr. Mancini explained the body’s natural ability to heal. “Our bodies are self-healing and self-regulating, so that means that we are already born to heal naturally,” said Dr. Mancini.

In addition, he expressed the importance of taking control of your health and advised viewers to move their bodies and exercise regularly.

“We have to make better choices,” said Dr. Mancini. “Almost 80 percent of the diseases that we have today are made because of the choices we make on a physical plane.”

Later in the show, Dr. Mancini and Dr. Phil helped Joe, a guest on the show, overcome emotional and physical stress due to a traumatic childhood experience when a drunk driver hit his family’s vehicle, killing his father and sister, injuring his mother, and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Joe, now 45, was holding on to 40 years of anger and pain.

Dr. Mancini talked about the significance of chiropractic care for Joe and stressed the importance of forgiveness, explaining how it will assist him in moving forward and accepting what he cannot change.

Dr. Mancini also explained that chiropractors see patients as well individuals whose bodies are managing challenges in the way they were meant to, not as sick and vulnerable, individuals. “My job,” he stated, “is to try to figure out any possible way to naturally facilitate that self-healing inside of yourself and address the cause of the problem, not just manage symptoms.”

After the show, numerous people working on the set asked how they could find a local chiropractor or remarked how much they had learned about chiropractic. To celebrate this historic event, Parker University held a watch party on campus for students, faculty, and staff during the airing of the show.

You can watch the video below!!

Health Minister Deb Matthews’ move last week to delist the addictive prescription painkiller from the provincial drug benefits program is a start but it is also an admission of the health system’s failure to properly control a drug that was once aggressively marketed as something of a miracle cure for pain but has consequently caused an addiction nightmare.

OxyContin is prescribed four times more in Ontario than the rate of other provinces, measured in deaths, ruined lives, even growing numbers of babies born addicted. This failure encompasses everyone from the drug manufacturer to the provincial and federal governments, to doctors, to pharmacists to drug regulators and more. The Ontario government’s inability to come up with an electronic records system that could help doctors and pharmacists identify doctor-shopping addicts also bears a share of the blame for the mess.

“Over-prescribing and abuse of opioids – OxyContin in particular – is a problem in Ontario that we take very seriously,” Matthews said when she announced changes that would make it harder for doctors to prescribe OxyContin and OxyNEO, which will soon replace it (it will now be available only through the Exceptional Access Program).

Ontario should take the issue seriously — Canadians use more OxyContin than any country in the world aside from the U.S. “We have a culture of really dishing these drugs out,” said Benedikt Fisher, director of the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at Simon Fraser University.

Addiction experts, such as Dr. Irfan Dhalla of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, are calling for a national strategy to fight prescription drug addiction. It is not a tap that can simply be turned off by delisting OxyContin. It demands an active and co-ordinated role to help addicts get free of the drug, no matter where they live, as well as a thorough look at what went wrong with OxyContin.

Although synthetic opioids are not new, the introduction of Oxy-Contin in the U.S. and Canada very much changed the landscape of prescription drug use and abuse. In a Fortune article in 2001, Katherine Eban wrote that the U.S. had become a nation of pill poppers, specifically opioids such as Oxy-Contin. “Their chemical composition is such that the U.S. is just a few carbon molecules from being a nation of heroin addicts.”

About 15,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses in 2008 alone – among high-profile deaths involving opioid use was actor Heath Ledger, who had oxycodone in his system at the time of his death.

In Canada, the introduction of OxyContin was followed by a dramatic spike in opioid-related deaths, accorded to research done by Dhalla.

Although it is not the only opioid-containing painkiller, OxyContin is the biggest selling. The company that produces it, Purdue Pharma, generated $3.1 billion in revenue in 2010.

Dhalla told Fortune that “Purdue played a very large role in making physicians feel comfortable about opioids.” Part of that comfort came from Purdue’s claims that OxyContin’s time-release technology made it nearly addiction proof. In fact, addicts soon learned that the pills could be crushed and snorted or injected for a high similar to heroin.

Purdue eventually paid $635 million in penalties for misbranding the drug. It also faces class-action lawsuits and at least one state, Kentucky, is suing the company for restitution of Medicaid payments related to OxyContin. The company, meanwhile, has come up with a new, tamper proof formulation and has been spending “large sums of money” according to Eban, fighting abuse and law-breaking. It also continues to make record profits.

Here at Alevia, this issue directly affects us people seek for medications to ease their pain with dire consequences instead of seeking alternative therapies to help reduce and eliminate their pain such as physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, naturopath, etc.

A new study confirms the risk of aspirin and says that the supposed benefits of “an aspirin a day keeps the heart attack away” don’t apply to most people. In fact, according to the authors, people without a history of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attack or stroke) are unlikely to benefit from a regular dose of aspirin, given the associated risk of internal bleeding.

The research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, January 9, 2012, is the largest study to date on the effects of aspirin in people without established cardiovascular conditions.

Researchers from Professor Kausik Ray’s group at St George’s, University of London investigated the drug’s effectiveness in primary prevention and the prevalence of side effects. They also assessed whether aspirin had any impact on the risk of death from cancer among people considered at risk of cardiovascular disease.

They analyzed data from nine clinical trials involving more than 100,000 participants without a history of cardiovascular disease. Half of the participants took aspirin and half took a placebo. The average participant in the aspirin arm of these trials took aspirin for about six years.

The researchers found that aspirin in conventional daily or alternate day doses reduced the risk of total cardiovascular disease events by just 10% – and this was largely due to a reduction in non-fatal heart attacks. It did not result in a reduction in other cardiovascular disease events, including death from heart attack or fatal or non-fatal stroke.

The study also showed that this benefit was almost entirely offset by a 30% increase in risk of life-threatening or debilitating internal bleeding events. This means that while one cardiovascular disease event was averted for every 120 people treated with aspirin for about six years, one in 73 people suffered from potentially significant bleeding during the same period.

The lead author of the report, Dr. Rao Seshasai, said “the evidence that aspirin may prevent future cardiovascular disease events in people with established heart attacks or strokes is indisputable. However, the benefits of aspirin in those individuals not known to have these conditions are far more modest than previously believed and, in fact, aspirin treatment may potentially result in considerable harm due to major bleeding.”

Dr. Seshasai added: “There is an enormous interest in understanding the role of aspirin in cancer prevention. No evidence of benefit was found in the studies reviewed, but more research is needed given these were only of six years in duration.”

It is interesting to see that drug companies that make and market aspirin have tried hard to convince people that “an aspirin a day keeps the heart attack away” despite the researchers of the original study in 1988 never recommending the once-a-day aspirin regimen in the first place.

The pharmaceutical industry immediately began a massive press release campaign that distorted the research report. The press releases at the time gave the impression that the daily aspirin was a sure-fire way to prevent heart attacks. The news was picked up by most newspapers and even medical doctors began “prescribing” aspirin as a preventive measure.

Thanks in part to this deceptive marketing campaign, Americans take more than 25 million aspirin tablets every day. One hopes that with new evidence from this research paper, that people become more cautious about taking aspirin unnecessarily.

To read an abstract of the article, click on the following link:

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/archinternmed.2011.628

When it comes to taking care of your heart, it is as simple as eating nuts. Many people will be surprised to know that nuts are essential to a healthy diet and for those seeking to protect their cardiovascular system.

Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts have been proven to not only help one have a stronger heart, but it helps lower ones overall cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. Research has shown that people who eat nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet can lower their LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol levels in their blood. Research has also shown that people who have high levels of LDL can cause heart disease.

Eating nuts not only reduces one’s risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack but also improves the health of the lining of one’s arteries. Incorporating healthy nuts into one’s diet is very easy and simple. T

Need more convincing? Nuts also contain Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E and plant sterols. All of these also play a role in protecting one’s heart from heart disease and heart attacks.

Talk to health care professional such as a naturopath or chiropractor about the different ways you can start to incorporate nuts into your diet.

Traditional goals of practising yoga, including the attainment of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility, relaxation, and meditation, have evolved recently to include aspects of health we help our patients with – improving flexibility or general fitness, maintaining mobility, and injury treatment or prevention.

The combination of physical exercise, stretching and mental focus, in addition to emphasis on self-care, self-awareness, breathing and posture, makes yoga a potentially helpful tool in addressing many musculoskeletal pain syndromes, including low back pain.

Two recent studies have shown how yoga is safe and effective treatment option for those who have low back pain. One looks at how yoga impacts spinal disc health and the other evaluates yoga as a treatment for chronic LBP.

Yoga on Spinal Disc Health

In the first study, researchers compared MRI images of 18 individuals (non-yoga subjects) with those of 18 yoga instructors with at least 10 years of practice experience. Neck and low back MRI images were examined on all subjects, and the authors of the study graded the degree of degeneration in the discs.

The study found significantly lower amounts of disc degeneration in the yoga instructors group compared to the control (non-yoga) group.

Although this is a preliminary study, and more research is needed, the results are certainly interesting and promising. If we can reduce or even slow down the degree of degeneration in our discs as we age we may potentially have a significant effect on reducing or preventing low back and neck pain. Given that 80% of us will suffer from back pain at some point in our lives, this may be an effective way to help increase our chances of living a more pain-free life!

Reference:

Jeng C et al. Yoga and disc degenerative disease in cervical and lumbar spine: An MR imaging-based case control study. European Spine Journal 2011; 20: 408.413.

Yoga on Low Back Pain

In the second study, a total of 313 people with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to one of  two groups and all were given a back pain education booklet and “usual care” (which was not clearly explained by the authors of the study). Individuals in the yoga group also attended twelve 75-minute classes over the 3-month period.

The yoga group showed greater improvements in back function at the 3, 6, and 12 month follow-ups. Although the reduction in the low back pain symptoms in the yoga group was most pronounced at the 3 month mark, there was a significant reduction in pain that lasted across the entire 12 month period.

Yoga appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for individuals with chronic or recurrent low back pain. If you haven’t tried it yet, maybe now is the time to tray a therapeutic yoga class and say goodbye to your back pain!

Reference:

Tilbrook HE et al. Yoga for chronic low back pain – A randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 2011; 155: 569.578.

Alevia is proud to announce that they will be sponsoring two soccer teams.

They’re both called the Burlington Bayhawks. One is the Burlington girls under 13-C rep soccer team. Their direct website is: www.eteamz.com/burlingtonbayhawks. The Burlington Youth Soccer Club is: www.burlingtonsoccer.com

The other team is the Burlington boys under 13 A-rep soccer team. Their direct website is: www.soccerhammers.com. Same website is used for the youth soccer club as above.

Also, Alevia will be a divisional sponsor for the 24th Annual Erindale Tyke Hockey Festival from March 21 to April 1, 2012 which is done by the Erindale Hockey Association. It is the largest Tyke Festival of its kind in North America with over 900 participants and over 150 volunteers.

This Tyke Festival is in the Mississauga region.

Alevia every year supports the community it’s office locations are in. They love to give back to the community and the youth

When prepping for a running event, such as a marathon, there is no guaranteed way to prevent an injury from occurring. Muscles get tired; they pull on joints leading to sprains, strains, tendonitis and other kinds of injuries.

Depending on one’s schedule, health insurance benefits and their financial situation, it is crucial to incorporate some form of manual therapy in one’s training for a marathon or into one’s regular running routines. If one is unable to receive regular maintenance or preventive care, then at least seek a health care professional such as the ones listed below and more importantly, especially if one suffers from immediate pain or an irritating ache that has lasted for several days and won’t go away.

When looking for treatments from any of these health care professionals, it’s always a good idea to ask fellow runners or colleagues for referrals.

1) Chiropractors. It is best to find one who has experience working with runners so they know what areas to treat and how. Chiropractors treat back and joint problems through corrective manipulation. Many of them are also certified in soft tissue techniques, such as ART (Active Release Technique), an efficient way to relax soft tissue, primarily muscle and fascia.

2) Registered Massage Therapists (RMT).  Massages can range from being the relaxing kind, with little muscle penetration, or the therapeutic kind, where work is done at a deeper level within the muscles. Again, looking for a massage therapist that is registered is very important as they have been educated and trained to work extensively on many different conditions. Most RMT’s will focus on key running muscles like the mid and lower back, buttocks and legs.

3) Physiotherapists. Physiotherapists also use methods to promote healing in the body, but there are times when the patient does more work than just lie on the table. Physiotherapists will not only provide treatment but they give patients a number of exercises and stretches to perform at home. It’s also an ideal treatment for the do-it-yourself type patient or athlete.

4) Acupuncture. Acupuncture uses needles at various points in the body to reduce pain and swelling and encourage healing. Some of the above noted health care professionals may be certified in acupuncture, making one’s treatment a one-stop-shop place.

5) Osteopaths.  Osteopaths use a combination of techniques to promote healing and to return the body to normal function.

At Alevia, we are proud to have a one-stop shop that incorporates all of the above health care specialists that have experience in dealing with many running injuries.

If you suffer from any nagging or acute injuries or pain from running, please contact us for a consultation and see how we can help you.

There is more than meets the eye in the benefits of physiotherapy. Physiotherapy not only restores the physical condition of an individual, it also improves the quality of life by making a patient more emotionally stable and strong. Physiotherapy benefits include increasing your ability to function and move freely.  Infants, children, adults, and the elderly can benefit from physiotherapy as it covers neurological, cardiopulmonary, cardiac complications, and orthopaedic aspects of the body.

All age groups are susceptible to injuries like fractures, joint dislocation or disorder, and pain. Physiotherapy also helps in making post-surgery patients recover fast. Physiotherapy aids neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. Physiotherapy helps those who have cardiopulmonary conditions to gain strength, function, and endurance. As for children suffering from neurological disorders like cerebral palsy, physiotherapy helps in improving physical control, decrease deformity and spasticity, and improves the child’s functional independence. Physiotherapy may also be present in the treatment for paralysis, abnormal muscle tone, and weakness. However, physiotherapy is unable to fix permanent paralysis or malfunction.

Another benefit of physiotherapy is that it improves not only the physical body but the mental wellness as well. Physiotherapy helps facilitate strengthening, healing, increase in range of movement in the body, increase in endurance, lessen or remove pain, reduce or eradicate stiffness, and improve over-all mobility. Physiotherapy is popular among athletes who often face physical injuries due to the nature of their activities.

In this computer age, many people suffer from prolonged use of computer with the wrong posture of the body resulting to different kinds of body aches and pain like myofascial pain syndrome or MPS. Physiotherapy also helps in rehabilitating the affected areas of the body in this situation.

There are studies that also show that exercise with physiotherapy combined helps adults with cystic fibrosis in clearing sputum and over-all treatment. It showed that any treatment that involved physiotherapy whether alone or with exercise yielded significant improvement in the patients. There are also reported cases where physiotherapy exercise provides short-term functional benefit for patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty.

Perhaps the most common pain among the majority of the population is back pain. Back pain that has been constantly present for more than two to six weeks is enough reason to find ways in eliminating it. Even patients who have a very hectic schedule can maintain a moderate back pain exercise regimen that involves strengthening, aerobic conditioning, and stretching. These exercises can suffice as physical therapy for back pain relief.

-          Hamstring stretching is the basic and most simple form of exercise for a person who is suffering from back pain. Making it a daily routine will help improve your back in the long run.

-          Lumbar stabilization can also be done to strengthen the back and make the back more resistant to injuries and pain.

-          Walking, swimming, or bicycling can help a person’s overall physical condition. This is best done three to five times a week for about thirty to forty minutes. This will strengthen the body and more resistant to injuries and pain.

To get the most of physiotherapy benefits, contact Alevia http://alevia.ca/contact-us/ for more infomation.

If you’re looking for a top-notch massage therapy in Mississauga and Burlington, contact us at Alevia.ca to find out what is suitable for your condition. One of the services that our clients come back for over and over again is the deep tissue massage therapy provided by our registered massage therapists.

It is reported that massage therapy, when done correctly by knowledgeable experts is one of the keys in relieving stress and many other types of body ache. Massage therapy shows to have positive effect physically, emotionally, and physiologically too.

How does one develop muscle tension and pain? Heavy physical activities, repetitive movements, prolonged stagnant position, and incorrect bodily posture are the main causes of fatigue, muscle strain, and muscular pain. Taking over-the-counter pain reliever drugs will not provide long-term solution, rather, may even cause liver failure over time.

Massage therapy provides optimum relaxation and relief to your body muscles. It is highly recommended that you check with professionals first before getting a deep tissue massage because in some cases, people mistake their skeletal problem to muscular pain. Health professionals at Alevia Health and Wellness Centre in Mississauga and Burlington can intelligently tell you the difference and provide you with the correct treatment for your condition.

Almost anybody can benefit from massage therapy because of its results. Massage therapy has numerous health benefits that include reduction of bodily aches such as shoulder tension and lower back pain; it improves blood circulation, promotes digestion, decreases or even eliminate fatigue, calms the nerves, fights depression, promotes good sleep, physical recovery, and boosts your immunity.

Studies show that people who receive massage therapy regularly demonstrated substantial improvement in posture, balance, range of motion, and even mood. It is reported that white blood cells and neutrophil increased in patients that are massaged regularly while recovering from surgery.

Who can have a massage therapy? Virtually anyone of any age range can benefit from massage therapy since massage can vary from light, moderate, to heavy — depending on the needs of a patient. However, it’s advisable to ask your Doctor first before getting a massage therapy. You may have medical conditions that you may not be aware of and it’s best to check with a Doctor first if it is advisable for you to get a massage. People with certain blood vessel disease or cardiovascular disease, and people with severe cases of osteoporosis are not advised to get deep tissue massage therapy due to complications brought about by their condition. Pregnant women have special type of massage that they can benefit from as well.

When you’re a good candidate for massage therapy, when should you get one? A good answer is, when you’re feeling stressed or when you need a relaxation, you can get definitely get one. That’s why even if you don’t feel quite much muscular tension; it’s still advisable to reward yourself with massage therapy once in a while especially when you’ve been doing such a great job at work or at school. Feel free to contact us at Alevia.ca to schedule your massage therapy in Mississauga and Burlington.

This is a common question, and a very important one. After an injury like a twisted ankle, pulled hamstring or lower back sprain, the inflammatory stage begins and lasts for 24-72 hours.  During this time ice is preferred. Typically  ice is applied for 10-20 minutes, and then taken off for about 10-20 minutes. This cycle is repeated as often as necessary.

If you don’t have an ice pack, a bag of frozen peas or corn will do. P.R.I.C.E., is a common short form used after an injury, suggesting patients to Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate their injury.

Heat is typically applied to an injured muscle or joint after the inflammatory phase is over (24-72 hours). Moist heat is preferred over dry heat as dry heat may dehydrate your muscles making them less flexible and predisposing them to further injury. Moist heat applications may last up to 20-30 minutes.

Ask us or your physiotherapist or chiropractor which therapy is best for your injury or condition.

Click on the video below to see how your skeletal system interacts with your feet

Did you know that the average person takes approximately 10,000 steps a day? Whether you realize it or not, your feet do a lot of walking!

Your feet are your body’s foundation, balancing your weight with every step.

When we think of foot problems, we often think of bunions, heel spurs, and tendonitis. However, not all foot problems cause pain in the feet. Low arches or too high of an arch affect your body’s posture and weight distribution, which in turn can lead to pain in the neck and lower back.

Structural problems in your feet result in displaced pressure to other parts of your body, forcing your knees, hips, and back to overcompensate. That is why it is important that a health professional, such as a chiropractor look at your feet and posture.

If your chiropractor discovers structural abnormalities, he or she may recommend that you wear flexible, custom-made orthotics. Unlike off-the-rack varieties, custom-made orthotics are designed especially for the unique contours and conditions of your feet. These custom-made orthotics should also be flexible, so they offer the right amount of bending but sturdy support for all the phases of foot movement.

Overall, by providing a normal range of function and corrective support for your feet, flexible custom-made orthotics let your feet do what they were meant to do – provide a sound and balanced foundation for your body!

If you think orthotics might help get your body back in balance, please ask us or make an appointment for a complimentary consultation. Your joints will thank you for it! Contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at  905-785-9952   or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at  905-315-9955

Types of Knee Injuries

Knee injuries are very common and anyone can be affected. Overuse from repetitive motions, sudden twists and stops and direct blows to the knee joint can easily lead to injury.

Ligament sprains and strains to tendons which are as a result of being overstretched can cause pain, swelling, bleeding, and a sense of feeling that the knee is going to give way.

Cartilage and meniscal tears are a common sports injury and often occur in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

Arthritis of the knee joint can occur from ongoing knee trauma and overuse, not only in sports but in everyday life.

Treating Knee Injuries

A physiotherapist can assess the knee injury and develop a program that includes:

•Rest, ice, compression and elevation

•Stretching exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, calf and hip muscles

•Strengthening exercises that would help stabilize the injured knee

•Education on injury prevention

•Custom made orthotics that would allow proper support and help prevent knee injury

Knee Bracing

Knee braces help compensate for improper function of certain components of the injured knee as well as provide stability, thus reducing painful symptoms during activity.

A physiotherapist can help advise and recommend if someone will benefit from having a custom-fitted knee brace.

Do Braces Work?

A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine comprised of 820 skiers with ligament problems showed that skiers who did not wear a knee brace were 2.74 times more likely to re-injure their knees.

Should you or one of your family members have a knew injury or any pain associated with their knees, please contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at  905-785-9952 or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at 905-315-9955

Choosing Proper Backpacks by Alevia Health & Wellness

Choosing the wrong backpack or wearing it incorrectly can result in sore and stiff neck, back and feet which can ultimately lead to injury.

Studies have shown that the average child carries a backpack that would be the equivalent of a 39-pound load for a 176-pound man or a 29-pound load for a 132-pound woman.

Statistics by the American Occupational Therapy Association show that most backpacks are overloaded unbalanced and can cause damage to the spine of the child.

The following is a list of suggestions and recommendations about backpack safety that all parents of young children should be following:

-Make a checklist of what is needed for the day and leave other items at home.

-Make sure the child’s backpack weighs no more than 10-15% of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause the child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on their back.

-The backpack should never hang lower than 4 inches below the child’s waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on their shoulders, causing the child to lean forward when walking.

-A backpack with individual compartments helps in distributing the weight of the backpack’s contents effectively. Make sure that point or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on the child’s back.

-If needed, have an additional fanny pack carried in front for cell phones, calculators and other smaller items.

-Bigger backpack is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more the child will carry, and hence, the heavier the backpack will be.

-Ensure both shoulder straps are worn at all times. Carrying the backpack around by one strap can cause a disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms and low back pain.

-The shoulder straps should be as wide as possible and adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to the child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably, thereby potentially causing spinal misalignment and back pain.

-Backpacks should be loaded with the heaviest books in first, and closest to the child’s back.

-Teach proper lifting techniques. Bend at the hips and knees, and then pick up the backpack, keeping the load close to the body.

At Alevia, we have seen several injuries from strain on the muscles and joints caused by not choosing the proper backpack or following the above mentioned recommendations outlined by the Canadian and American Chiropractic Associations.

Should you or one of your children suffer from any pain associated with their backpacks, please contact us  to see how we can help. Call our Mississauga location (6750 Winston Churchill Blvd. Unit 107) at 905-785-9952 or Burlington location (1035 Brant Street, Unit 10A) at 905-315-9955

Author: Tom Gilbert -

As much as hip replacement surgery has improved over the years, for many people it still means early retirement from sports and intense exercise. Now there is a new option for those with hip pain who do not want to give up an active lifestyle — hip resurfacing.

Known as the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing~A System, the new technique involves shaving and capping bone within the hip joint, which preserves bone and joint stability. Joint surfaces are coated with a cobalt chrome implant that resembles a tooth cap. Not only is it less invasive than the traditional hip replacement, it is expected to last longer. Today, many people who have hip replacements can look forward — ten or fifteen years down the road — to having to have the procedure again, after the artificial hip wears out.

“Hip resurfacing is ideal for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain. As we’ve seen greater numbers of younger patients and older patients that are physically active, there’s been an increased need for an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle,” says Dr. William B. Macaulay, director of the Center for Hip and Knee Replacement at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia.

The September 2011 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine surveyed 45,601 of their subscribers online, and found that three out of four were using some form of adjunct therapy for their general health.

More than 38 million adults make in excess of 300 million visits to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other health care practitioners each year in the United States. A total of 30,332 survey respondents gave their perceptions of the helpfulness of treatments for their most bothersome conditions over the past two years. Chiropractic ranked first for back and neck cases.

The survey also found a significant level of collaboration and awareness between health care professionals. Consumer Reports Magazine’s readers said their medical doctors were generally aware of their use of additional health care therapies for their medical conditions. For instance 81 percent of those who sought chiropractic care, usually for back or neck pain, said their medical doctors knew about it.

Some great exercises you can perform at work:

Winter can be pretty harsh with unsafe walking conditions resulting in increase of injuries from slips and falls on icy sidewalks and roads.

Winter walking is a great way to get in shape and by following some of these tips, you can avoid serious injury:

1) Wear suitable clothing and proper footwear

2) Move your feet apart when you walk for better balance

3) Walk with your knees slightly bent on slippery or icy surfaces

4) Walk sideways and don’t cross one foot over the other when walking up or down a slippery slope

5) Stretch your hip flexors, buttocks, hamstrings, quads, and calves before, during and after your walk

6) Your stretches should be slow and controlled with no bouncing or jerking and held for at least 30 seconds and 2-3 times on each leg

7) Rotate walking routes every other day to avoid overuse injuries

8 If you’re wearing a backpack, it should not weigh more than 30% of your body weight

The time of year has come again when resolutions are made, goals are set, motivation is renewed and expectations for success are high. Perhaps you have made resolutions in the past that were unsuccessful or did not last as long as you wished.

Solution – Try something new this year like Pilates

Make a group fitness class “something new” and fun all at the same time. Exercising in a group environment with a motivational instructor will help you achieve your own personal fitness goals, such as gaining muscle tone, increasing core strength and just being more active. Plus, the instructor will ensure your success through their guidance and support.

Group fitness classes are planned ahead of time and can easily fit one’s hectic schedule.

1 hour, 2 to 3 times a week will do your body good and help keep your resolution.

Call us to book your classes In Burlington or Mississauga and find out how these classes are paid by most extended health insurance plans!

Burlington Office: 905-315-9955

Mississauga Office: 905-785-9952

37 people were arrested this past Thursday in a multi-million dollar insurance scam that involved staged car accidents. All were charged under Ontario’s Insurance Act with submitting false invoices to insurers. Police discovered people were being approached and offered money to fill out paperwork indicating they were injured in car accidents and required insurance payments to cover medical/rehabilitation and lost wages.

This investigation which was dubbed Project Whiplash, began when police became suspicious about two individuals filing a car accident incident. That case led to convictions and opened to the door to other suspicious car accident claims and collisions.

The scam encompassed so far, four rehabilitation clinics as well as paralegals associated with these clinics. They are: the McCowan Rehabilitation Clinic, the Ontario Rehabilitation Clinic, the Physiotherapy Clinic, all in Scarborough; and the North York Health & Rehabilitation Centre.

The case so far has totalled $4 million in losses to State Farm Insurance alone. It’s not clear how much other companies were also affected.

In this scam, he said individuals of South Asian background would be sitting in a coffee shop and approach people, asking them if they want to make some east money and off they go. These individuals will then go to these paralegals and they would have them sit down and sign a bunch of blank forms.

The individual who signed the forms would then get paid for their signatures while the paralegals submit the claims to insurance. Documents were also signed at rehab clinics, but would receive no treatment and then the insurance company would get billed. Some claims involved names of chiropractors or other rehab professionals who either didn’t know or didn’t work at the clinics. The cycle keeps going on until the insurance company stops paying.

Police said the investigation is continuing into tow truck operators who brought in the vehicles involved in allegedly fraudulent claims and body shop operators who repaired them.

Fraud costs the Canadian insurance industry a  $1.5-billion each year according to  statistics from the Canadian Coalition against Insurance Fraud, and it accounts for 10 to 15 per cent of a law-abiding motorist’s annual premium.