Author Archives: Dr. Bill

How Many Sessions Of Acupuncture to Treat Insomnia

Posted on by
Reply
Insomnia can often be caused from mood sickness and the change of environment. We use different methods to treat both chronic or acute situations in acupuncture. Acupuncture can treat acute situations right away and give relief. In order to avoid mental obstacles, it is suggested to come for the treatment at early morning or noon time. For insomnia we use sterile and refined needles with a light technique after giving a gentle acupressure massage. . The patient can often fall sleep easily on the same day of the treatment. Clinically by using ear seeds and/or prescribed herbs with the treatment, the patient will get even better effects. A good night’s sleep can help you have more energy and help you with improved function throughout the day.
 
If you are suffering with insomnia and would like to try acupuncture with Cindy call our clinic at 604-535-4003 to make an appointment.

How to make sure it is Organic.

Posted on by
Reply

At our clinic Semiahmoo Wellness Centre in South Surrey/White Rock I am always recommending to my patients that when they are making healthy choices for themselves and their families to purchase organic, non genetically modified fruits and vegetables.Studies show not only does organically raised food taste better but many studies have shown that organic has a greater quantity of nutritional value. The next question patients ask is how can you tell if it is organic. Most stores don’t label if a food has been genetically modified and of course you are not going to be told what pesticides or herbicides were used in the farming practice of raising that produce. One way to tell how it is raised is by looking at the sticker. The code will give you valuable information. If the label has 4 digits, beginning with 4 then it is conventionally grown and may be sprayed with synthetic pesticides, not genetically modified. If is a 5 digit code beginning with a 9, this equals organic, not genetically modified. If it is a 5 digit, beginning with an 8 it is genetically modified produce. Even if we are eating healthy we may not be absorbing all the nutrients that are in our food. Naturopathic doctors are good at assessing what you may be lacking from your diet.

I Thought I Knew a Lot About Injuries Related To Fascia.

Posted on by
Reply

It wasn’t until I received an injury to my upper body playing hockey in 2017 that I really understood the role of fascia and how it could affect health and function in the body. Often when a person has an injury from a fall, from an impact playing a sport, or from a motor vehicle accident, the force of impact is absorbed by the dense tissues of the body  (including fascia). The most dense material in the body is water. Water is so dense that it cannot be compressed. Fluid filled organs expand with impact, similar to a water balloon. These internal injuries are absorbed by the organs, as well as bone structures surrounding the pelvis, trunk and cranium, resulting in a variety of musculoskeletal and functional conditions.

The fascia is tissue that encompasses the entire body similar to your skin, such as a one piece pajama around your body, organs and muscles. Having an impact on one side of the body can create an expansion on the opposite side of the body. You may feel pain or restriction of function where the initial impact occurred, but the enlargement on the opposite side may be the cause of the pain and restricted mobility.

When bone encounters a forceful injury it enlarges. In 2005 a researcher at the University of California, Dr. Paul Hansma, verified this and found the molecular mechanism which causes the expansion. A common example is an enlarged head of a femur in the hip. The deformed bone does not fit or move properly in the joint, causing pain and degeneration.

Matrix Repatterning is a fascial therapy that helped me recover from my hockey injury. It was great at assessing where the impact had caused structural enlargement and fascia restrictions. Treatment helped to resolve my pain and restore mobility. I am excited to offer Matrix Repatterning at our clinic.

You Don’t Have to Suffer with Headaches, Especially Migraines.

Posted on by
Reply

There are many different types of headaches. Although not all headaches are the same, they all share at least one thing in common — they cause pain. But many headaches also cause other unwanted symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. A person’s medical history and the frequency and severity of the headache is important in distinguishing an uncomfortable but safe headache from a more serious one.

There are many types of headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, cluster, sinus headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, intracranial related, meningitis, and toxic headaches. The majority of headaches, however painful, are short-lived and not a cause of concern.  Headaches of intracranial origin and/or meningitis require immediate emergency attention. It is important to ensure that your headache is not due to a serious illness before considering the use of any complementary therapy.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center in White Rock most of the headaches seen by the Naturopathic Physicians are due to either structural misalignment of the cranium or neck as well as muscle tension, allergies, chemical toxicity, other digestive disturbances or EMF toxicity.

Tension headaches can be a result of hypoadrenia from stress. Low adrenal function from the effects of stress on the body  can lead to low blood sugar headaches or can cause ligaments to be lax which can lead to instability in the neck leading to headaches. Providing support to the adrenal glands is paramount to resolution of these type of headaches as well as spinal and /or cranial manipulation.

If you suffer from migraine headaches your diet and digestion needs to be assessed along with investigation into food sensitivities and allergies.

If you are looking to get off the pain medications and don’t want to suffer through the pain give us a call at the Semiahmoo Wellness Centre.

The Top 12 Foods to Reduce Inflammation and Help Autoimmune Diseases

Posted on by
Reply

When the body is inflamed, your immune system becomes weakened. This can lead to the development of inflammatory autoimmune conditions. Continuing the cycle, autoimmune conditions cause more inflammation in the body. The autoimmune diet is a powerful way to help in reducing inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

To prevent, improve, or heal from an autoimmune condition, a key step is to reduce inflammation in the body. The food we eat can be our strongest medicine.  Eating the right foods can assist your body in healing and eating the wrong foods can inflame the body.

An autoimmune diet focuses on real whole foods that are less likely to trigger inflammatory reactions rather than foods that are pro-inflammatory. .

autoimmune diet, Autoimmune Diet: Top 12 Best Foods to Reduce Inflammation

Need some help with COVID 15

Posted on by
Reply

We have been getting patients in our office asking for help with weight that they have put on over the past 7 months. With so many restrictions to exercise facilities individuals are looking for options to facilitate weight loss. Our clinic is offering Rapid Weight Loss with the ChiroThin program. www.chirothin.com. It is only available thru physicians and is a very low caloric program over 6 weeks. We have had some amazing safe weight loss in 4 and 6 weeks. You don’t exercise while on the program and it takes a commitment to eat a specific way over the 6 week period. If you stick to the commitment you are guaranteed to lose 20-35 pounds in 42 days. We have had many patients on the program and they have experienced quick and amazing results while being monitored.We monitor them using body composition testing.  If you are interested in the program give our office a call and one of our Naturopathic Physicians will be able to assist you

Are You Ready for the Cold and Flu Season!

Posted on by
Reply

It’s important to stay healthy during the winter season. We have a number of patients that are coming into the clinic with colds or the flu. Eating healthy, getting lots of rest and minimizing your stress levels wil contribute greatly to keeping your immune system from crashing and making you more susceptible to infections. Some nutrients and herbs that are helpful are vitamin D3, vitamin C, and astragaus. Some patients are not able to assimilate Vit D3 with unless Vit K and Vitamin A are addedith Vitamin D3.  Astragalus is a herbal remedy that has been coming up for many patients in the office this time of year. Astragalus is very helpful to boost and support your immune system. It is safe and very effective.

The recommended dosage for Vitamin D3 has gone up in the past few years. It is now recommended that adults get at least 5,000- 7,000 IU per day. And children above the age of 5 get at least 2000 IU per day.

Prevention is always better that than waiting till you come down with a cold or flu.

New Study confirms the importance of exercise and diet in prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Posted on by
Reply

A new study shows that exercise, a Mediterranean diet and a healthy BMI all are associated with less tangles and lower levels of plaques seen on the brain scans of Alzheimer patients.

In addition, previous studies have linked a healthy lifestyle to delays in the onset of Alzheimer’s, but this new study is the first to demonstrate how lifestyle factors directly influence abnormal proteins in people with slight memory loss who have not been diagnosed with dementia thus far. In addition, these factors have also been shown to reduce shrinking of the brain and lower rates of atrophy in individuals with Alzheimer’s.

Nutritional Considerations

In addition to diet and exercise there are several nutrients to consider in treatment and prevention. In a study published last year in JAMA Neurology demonstrated a significant association between vitamin D insufficiency and cognitive decline specifically seen in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Cold Laser Therapy and Alzheimer”s

Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) or Cold Laser Therapy has historically been used to treat inflammation, arthritis and musculo-skeletal injuries. More recently research has indicated it’s use and effectiveness in treating both traumatic brain injuries (concussions) and degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

In Dr. David Permutter’s book, “The Better Brain” he states that Inflammation is linked to nearly all chronic brain diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, M.S. and dementia. The National Institute of Health (NIH), published an abstract in December 2010, it stated that, “the applications of LLLT have broaden to include such as stroke,myocardial infarction and degenerative and traumatic brain disorders. “

The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 32 (2012), in the study “ Low Level Light Therapy Improves Cortical Metabolic Capacity and Memory Retention” came to conclusion that cold laser therapy had a significant impact on neuronal function and could also be used as preventative therapy to those who present with risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Our office has just received our first cold laser from Vielight which has been designed for traumatic and degenerative brain injuries.

Can Gluten Sensitivity cause Multiple Sclerosis?

Posted on by
Reply

Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating autoimmune disease that destroys the insulation surrounding the nerves.  It can lead to a number of health problems and ultimately can cripple a person’s ability to walk.
Some of the early symptoms of MS include: Numbness, tingling, burning, pins and needle sensations and coldness of the hands and feet; brain fog, poor memory, weak muscles, fatigue, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech and visual disturbances.

 

If you have these symptoms you could also have a gluten sensitivity. Gluten has been shown to trigger the production of antibodies that attack the nervous system and cause demyelination.  Gluten has been shown to contribute to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.  These same nutrient deficits can disrupt the nervous system leading to increase chronic inflammation and neuropathy. Celiac testing can have too many false negative test results. Genetic testing is best to identify Gluten sensitivity.

 

Dr. Bill and Dr.Justyna have just returned from Seattle from a conference on Methylation, Genetic Testing and Nutritional Protocols to assist in correcting these issues.