Our New Registered Massage Therapist

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Dr. Bill

The Semiahmoo Wellness Center is excited to be announcing that Kate Armstrong RMT is joining our Clinic. She graduated from the top of her class from the West Coast Massage College. She has been heavily involved with athletic injuries and sports rehabilitation, headaches, neurological conditions such as M.S. and many other massage related conditions. She presently is very involved in the equestrian community.

Having spent many years as an athlete herself Kate understands the importance of optimizing athlete performance with effective therapy but also looks forward to encountering many types of people and injuries in her career. Kate brings into her massages a passion for healing, meticulous attention to detail as well as a hunger for greater knowledge.

NEW NEW”S ON ALZHEIMER”S FROM UCLA

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Dr. Bill

Researchers at UCLA say they’ve developed a program that shows for the first time memory loss being reversed using a non-drug protocol. They took ten patients with memory loss, some confirmed Alzheimer’s with brain scans. With all but one, reversed their memory loss. The one that did not respond had severe Alzheimer’s Disease. They followed up 2 ½ years later and were still doing well.

In the report provided by UCLA, Dr. Dale E. Bredesen explains how Alzheimer’s is a complex disease affected by sleep, diet, even exercise. In the study they had the patients make drastic lifestyle changes. They had the patients off processed foods, gluten, and simple carbohydrates. Increase their protein with fish. Take fish oil, Bi2 and melatonin. In addition do yoga, meditation, and get adequate amount of sleep.

UCLA researchers say the findings suggest at least early on, changing a person’s metabolic processes can bring back memory and cognitive function.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL ARTHRITIS MONTH

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Dr. Bill

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.

Rapid Weight Loss at Our Clinic.

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Dr. Bill

Our clinic is now 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 been researching it at our clinic over the last 2 months and have seen 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 three patients the program and they have experienced quick and amazing results while being monitored. If you are interested in the program give our office a call and one of our Naturopathic Physicians will be able to assist you.

We have a New Massage Therapist!

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Dr. Bill

We would like to introduce you to Rob Ghorbani, our new Registered Masage Therapist at the Semiahmoo Wellness Center. Rob has great hands whether it is for relaxation for muscle tension, to treat a chronic condition, or help out with recovery of an athletic injury. As an introductory special to New Patients until the end of August he is offering $15.00 off an hour massage ($80.00).

Give our office a call today at 604-535-4003, as spots will fill up fast!

THINKING OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE?

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Dr. Bill

Next week is National Naturopathic Medicine Week. If you have been thinking about seeing a Naturopathic Physician about your condition or just want a check up to see that you are on the right track with your health next week the Semiahmoo Wellness Center in South Surrey/White Rock is offering complimentary 15 minute consultations with Dr. Bill Russell and Dr. Justyna Sommer to first time patients. Spots will fill up fast so phone the office to book your appointment!

SpringTime is here and so is Hay fever

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Dr. Bill

Spring is here and with it comes allergies and hay fever. Hallmark symptoms are uncontrollable sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose,and a maddening itchiness. Hay fever can cause headaches,an irritating cough, and can even interfere with your sleep.

Although, it is good to be able to identify what triggers your allergy or hay fever so you can minimize your exposure, it is more important to find what is causing your immune system to react the way it is.

Conventional treatments include the use of cortisone nasal sprays and anti-histamines which may help with controlling the symptoms. Why not investigate further to see what is causing your body to be out of balance or integration with the immune system. It could be a nutrient deficiency,an acupuncture meridian imbalance, a stressful or emotional issue, or a structural fault that is contributing to an immune system imbalance.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center we are able to assess what factors may be causing your seasonal allergy or hay fever condition. Give our office a call to make an appointment with one of our Naturopathic Physicians, either Dr. Bill or Dr. Justyna.

Have You Had a Cocktail Lately?

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Dr. Bill

We are no longer only what we eat, we are also what we absorb. As we know, healthy eating and lifestyle are key in keeping our body balanced and well. However, increased nutritional demand, reduced absorption, lack of nutrition and can drastically reduce our body’s nutritional status and overall health. Increased nutritional demand can be associated with conditions such as chronic stress, insomnia, travel, pregnancy, athletic performance, viral and bacterial infections, and chronic illness. On the other hand, reduced absorption can result from a variety of common issues including acute or chronic stress, ulcers, allergies, diarrhea, constipation, inflammation (IBS, IBD, Crohn’s) and excess or deficient stomach acid.

Intravenous (IV) Vitamin & Mineral therapy is an excellent way to increase your nutritional status. IV Vitamin therapies, such as Myers’ Cocktails developed by Dr. John Myers, MD, use highly concentrated vitamin and mineral infusions that are administered intravenously. This ensures maximum absorption and delivery of nutrients at the cellular level, bypassing the digestive limitations discussed above.

Common vitamins and minerals used in Vitamin IV therapy include: Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, B complex, Magnesium and Calcium.

IV therapy is especially useful in improving and treating conditions such as:

-colds and flus
-fatigue and high levels of stress
-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
-Fibromyalgia
-allergies and hayfever
-malabsorption and digestive problems
-migraine headaches
-cancer
-cardiovascular dis.
-athletic recovery and endurance
-anti-aging

You Don’t Have to Suffer With Headaches

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Dr. Bill

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 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 assessed along with investigation into food sensitivities and allergies.

Certain supplements can also be beneficial to those affected by headaches. These include:

feverfew, which may prevent or alleviate some types of headaches, including migraines, when taken over several weeks or months;
riboflavin (a B vitamin) and a combined magnesium and calcium preparation, taken daily, may be effective for persistent migraines.

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 Center.

THe Power Of Acupuncture

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Dr. Bill

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.

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Naturopathic Physician In South Surrey/White Rock