Tag Archives: cold laser

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

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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.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL ARTHRITIS MONTH

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Pain , pain go away. Now with fall slowly coming upon us the dampness that we start to feel with the weather changes can aggravate our joints and accentuate pain and stiffness in our joints. The pain in our joints can be so debilitating, effecting how we function throughout our day and while we are sleeping at night.

September is National Arthritis Month. We are wanting to shine a light on awareness of the therapies and strategies in assisting in the treatment of Arthritis. Conventional therapies focus on pharmaceuticals which serve to mask symptoms and often have adverse effects. Problems with arthritic medications such as Vioxx, documented in the New England Journal of Medicine, have led many sufferers to seek safer alternatives.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center the Naturopathic Physicians focus on uncovering the cause of conditions. With arthritis there can be many factors that can induce swelling, inflammation and pain of the joints. Such factors include: allergies and food intolerances, nutritional deficiencies, stress and emotional issues, and trauma. The immune system can be effected by any or all of the above leading to inflammatory responses.

Strategies that we incorporate at our office are nutritional evaluation, food intolerance testing, evaluation of stressors and the use of cold laser therapy. We have been using cold laser as a very effective modality to decrease swelling, decrease pain, and heal tissue in arthritis.

Call the office today for an evaluation today.

 

THe Power Of Acupuncture

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The general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that bodily functions are regulated by an energy called “chi” or Qi (?) which flows through the body. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for disease. This energy travels through meridians or channels. The use of acupuncture is an ancient traditional form of healing involving the stimulation of specific acupuncture points along these specific energy meridians or channels. These acupuncture points are likened to the circuit breakers in your house that flip when the circuit is overloaded. When the acupuncture meridians go out of balance due to diet, weather, or emotions they can short circuit and create imbalance in these acupuncture energy systems.

Using needles has been the traditional way to assist in balancing the energy meridians but there are other methods to accomplish this balancing. Cold laser is a more recent way, as well as using electro-acupuncture using micro-current technology.

In 1993, I was on a 3 week Physician Tour in China. The Tour included spending two weeks learning advanced acupuncture in a few of the hospitals of Beijing and Hangzhou. It really was an eye opener to see acupuncture in action. The response to individuals health after having acupuncture needles inserted for 30 minutes and then withdrawn was amazing. I remember on elderly man who had suffered a stroke, limping in with the use of a cane and unable to speak easily. After his 30 minute needling he walked out without the use of his cane and was conversing with his companion that had brought him. This was an amazing transition of his function that I had not experienced as a physician in North America.

One of my elderly patients ended up with a stroke several months ago when his daughter told me he was in the hospital and what more could be done for him. I mentioned that acupuncture could be very helpful for his recovery. We made arrangements with the hospital so that he could receive needle acupuncture in the hospital. The hospital staff was amazed how quickly he progressed with his post stroke recovery.

Acupuncture is not just used for pain relief. It can be used for fertility, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, arthritis, and other health conditions. As Naturopathic Physicians both Dr. Justyna and I utilize acupuncture at the Semiahmoo Wellness Center.

How much does Stress effect your Weight ?

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There is a lot of frustration out there with both men and women who exercise regularly and feel they are eating healthily and still can’t lose weight.    It has long been stated that if you expend more calories while exercising than the calories you are intaking through your diet you should naturally lose weight. Unfortunately we are now understanding that other factors come into play regarding fat and weight loss.  One major factor that tends to be overlooked is the effect that stress plays in impeding your bodies ability to burn fat. The adrenal glands are stress glands that sit on top of your kidneys and secrete hormones to help in adaptation to stressors that you encounter. Our ancestors didn’t experience the long amounts of stress that we are exposed to present day. One of the adrenals hormone called cortisol, is secreted in response to “fight or flight” situations which boded well for our ancestors to fight the wild animal they encountered or to flee from the enemy. Present day I find  most individuals and families rarely take time out and are on a round the clock schedule leading to cortisol regularly being secreted and flooding your blood stream which leads to an increase in glucose in the blood. When we see high glucose in the blood there is an increased need for the “storage ” hormone , insulin, to be secreted to store glucose in your cells for energy. As long as cortisol is secreted throughout your day then insulin is always trying to store glucose that is mobilized by cortisol secretion. If the body is always in storage mode with insulin, the body finds it very difficult to burn fat. We are now monitoring all our patients that are wanting to slim down, lose weight, or can’t seem to drop weight or fat for cortisol imbalances.

Laser Therapy for Fat Loss

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I have been using cold laser therapy in our clinic for over 7 years for assisting in healing athletic injuries and soft tissue problems. In the past few years we have been introduced to a new non-invasive, non-toxic way to melt fat away naturally using cold laser therapy. It has been show cased on Dr. Oz, The Doctor’s Show and The Rachel Ray Show. Dr. Oz  says ” The Zerona Laser is a Fat Fighting Miracle”. Research has shown that six- 40 minute laser sessions over 2 weeks will result in an average of 3 1/2 inches of fat loss. It has also shown that it can reduce cholesterol which is a big concern of overweight individuals. For those with a higher BMI and are more than 30 pounds overweight additional sessions will be needed. Zerona is not only for women as excellent results are achieved with men. LaserBodysculpting in White Rock and North Vancouver was one of the first physician run clinics in Canada. This is not a substitute for a good diet and exercise.