Spring is in the air! Allergy Season Relief with Acupuncture

If you suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms, you might want to consider visiting an acupuncturist. The goal of the acupuncturist is to develop a plan which addresses the person’s acute symptoms and provides relief while addressing the underlying immune system imbalance which is thought to be at the root of the person’s allergies.

Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies

  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Watery eyes
  • Nasal congestion
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Postnasal drip
  • Ear congestion
  • Itchy sinuses, throat, eyes, or ear canals
  • Adenoid swelling – this occurs when the lymph tissue that lines the back of the throat swells
  • Dark circles under the eyes – caused by swelling and discoloration from the congestion of small blood vessels beneath the skin in the eye area.

If your allergy symptoms persist for more than two weeks, you should see your allergist or an acupuncturist for proper testing, diagnosis and treatment. Finding and treating the source of your suffering can also clear up other unwanted symptoms. Less-common allergy symptoms may include: headache, shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing.

Decreasing Your Spring Allergy Triggers:

  • Try to stay indoors whenever the pollen count  is high – Pollen levels tend to peak in the morning
  • When the day is windy, pollen can counts surge
  • Vacuum often and clean air filters regularly
  • Keep your doors and windows closed to keep allergens out, and use an air purifier
  • Wash bedding and rugs in hot water to eliminate dust mites and other allergens
  • Shower, and change clothing after going outside to wash away pollen

If these steps still don’t provide any relief, and before turning to over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays and eye drops, speak with your healthcare practitioner to discuss all your options for treatment, including acupuncture.

Acupuncture treatment plans for allergies will vary greatly from person to person. The possible results will range from temporary relief to complete remission. Acupuncture frequently relieves nasal congestion and sneezing as soon as the needles are inserted.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies please contact our Registered Acupuncturist for more information on how she can help with your allergy symptoms.

 

Today is International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate the political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women. A day to remember, honour and acknowledge their impact. A day to bring awareness to the still present gender inequality that exists in too much of the world’s nations and a call to action to change that imbalance.

While National and International Women’s Days have been around in various parts of the world for over a century now, 1975 was the first time that The United Nations celebrated it on March 8th, which was International Women’s Year. It was two years later, in 1977, when the UN General Assembly invited the member states to adopt March 8th as the official date for this annual event.

While it is impossible to list even a fraction of the amazing women that Canada has been impacted and shaped by, the names below are a great glimpse and starting point to spark some time spent looking into the accomplishments and achievements that women have made, and continue to make, in our country.

Some of the names are instantly recognizable but it is my hope that many more are unknown to you and that this serves to remedy that fact! Here is a small peek into some well-known and lesser known, women of impact in Canada:

The Arts

  • singer/songwriter/activist Buffy Sainte-Marie
  • Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013) whose famous artwork, Enchanted Owl, was used on a postage stamp in 1970 to mark the centennial of the Northwest Territories.
  • Marcelle Ferron (1924-2001) a Quebec painter and stained glass artist
  • Pauline Johnson Tekahionwake (1861 – 1913), a poet known for celebrating her heritage of First Nations descent.
  • Margaret Laurence (1926 – 1987), a writer whose work captured the female perspective of life for women at a time when they were breaking out of traditional roles. She also actively promoted world peace through Project Ploughshares and was a recipient of the Order of Canada.

Business and Politics

  • Mary Shadd Cary (1823 – 1893), the first black female newspaper editor in North America. She was an advocate for black emancipation, women’s rights and universal education.
  • Doris Anderson (1921 – 2007). Newspaper columnist and long-time editor of Chatelaine magazine. She was also integral in the creation of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women which paved the way for rights of equality for women in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
  • Agnes Macphail (1890 – 1954), the first woman elected to the House of Commons. She was later elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly where, in 1951, she initiated the first equal-pay legislation.
  • Ga’axstal’as, Jane Constance Cook (1870 – 1951). A Kwakwaka’wakw women, cultural mediator and activist. She lobbied for First Nations rights to retain access to land and resources. She testified at the 1914 McKenna-McBride Royal Commission and was the only woman on the Allied Indian Tribes of British Columbia in 1922.
  • Madeleine Parent (1918 – 2012). She led the Canadian Textile and Chemical Union from the 1950’s to the 1970’s, launching historic struggles for workers rights. Her tireless activism of behalf o workers, minorities and women saw her convicted – and later acquitted – of seditious conspiracy.

Sports

  • Spencer O’Brien, Snowboarder. Born in Alert Bay, BC, she won gold medal in slopestyle at the 2013 FIS Snowboarding World Championships. A First Nations woman, she is involved with the Nike S7, a program that promotes health and wellness in Aboriginal communities and she has donated equipment to the First Nations Snowboard Team.
  • Myriam Bedard, Biathlete (retired). As of 2018, she holds the title for being the only Canadian biathlete (male or female) to win an Olympic medal. She is also the only North American biathlete ever to win Olympic gold. She won two gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games and a bronze at the 1992 games in Albertville.
  • Marilyn Grace Bell Di Lascio, long distance swimmer (retired). From Ontario, Marilyn was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario on September 8, 1954. She later swam the English Channel (1955) and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (1956). Her crossing of the lake was designated a National Historic Event in 2005 by the national Historic Sites and Monuments Board.
  • Hayley Wickenheiser, Hockey. Widely regarded as one of the best female hockey players in the world. She led the Women’s Olympic Team to four gold and one silver medals. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she was named the flag bearer for the opening ceremonies. It was during those games that it was announced that she had been elected to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Commission.
  • Angela James. Hockey. In the 1980’s and 1990’s she led the Canadian team to four world championships. As one of the first three women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, she is also one of the first two women, the second black athlete and the first openly gay player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

 

Special Mention goes to Viola Desmond. With the recent change of face on our currency, the question often asked is: Who is the woman on the ten dollar bill?

Viola Desmond (July 6 1914 – Feb 7 1965) born and raised in Halifax, was a woman of colour who became synonymous with the early civil rights action in Canada. Her legal fight for equality began in 1946 when she refused to leave the main floor area of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Having bought a ticket for the movie, she was unaware that persons of colour were restricted to the balcony and not permitted in the main floor seating area. The basis for her charges stemmed from an obscure tax law, which claimed that she paid for a ticket for the balcony, not the main floor, and was then in violation of the tax law.  Viola Desmond was forcibly removed, receiving an injury in the process, jailed overnight, convicted without legal representation, and forced to pay a fine of $20.00. Within a few days of the event, Viola decided to challenge the charges in court. While her court challenge was not successful in reversing or pardoning the charges against her, her actions were integral in sparking the civil rights movement to end segregation in Canada. She received a posthumous pardon in 2010 and was named a National Historic Person by the Canadian government in 2018.

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is an inflammation of one of the body’s bursae (the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints). This painful condition can be caused by a mild injury, repeated use (such as prolonged kneeling on a hard surface), arthritis, or infection. Commonly affected joints include the shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip.

Bursitis is typically identified by the localized pain or swelling that occurs when the small sac (bursa) found inside joints become inflamed. The fluid-filled sac helps to lubricate and cushion the joint. When it is inflamed, movement can be painful. Usually, bursitis occurs in larger joints such as shoulders and hips. Symptoms of bursitis may include swelling, redness, a warm joint area, aching or stiffness in the joint that gets worse with movement.

Without seeing your health care provider, you usually can’t tell the difference between bursitis and pain caused by a strain or arthritis.  Often just resting and elevating the joint can help. Applying ice may help relieve pain and swelling. Once the joint is no longer painful, you can work to strengthen the muscles around the joint and prevent further flare-ups.

Chiropractic and Physiotherapy treatments can help most people with musculoskeletal disorders such as bursitis. Treatment options can include manipulations, or modalities such as cold lasers, ultrasound and a decompression table.

Contact Diversified Health to speak with one of our health care practitioners for information on the treatment options that could be right for you.

Tennis elbow is an overuse and muscle strain injury caused by the repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist and affects 1% to 3% of the overall population. Repeated motion and stress to the tissue can cause inflammation or even a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony “knob” at the outside of your elbow, and the results can be painful.

Common Causes

Many common activities other than playing tennis, can cause this painful condition, including gardening, working around the house, or any activity that involves repetitive twisting of the wrist. Pain and weakness caused by tennis elbow can make it difficult to do simple everyday activities such as shake hands, use a doorknob, or hold a coffee cup.

If You Think You Have Tennis Elbow:

It’s always best to consult a healthcare provider to get an expert opinion. Luckily, up to 90% of cases can be remedied by nonsurgical treatments, and symptoms usually diminish within four to six weeks after receiving appropriate treatment.

For immediate relief, resting the affected arm and applying ice may help relieve symptoms, and anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce pain. Braces or wrist splints may also help to relieve the symptoms of tennis elbow along with specific range of motion exercises.

Treatment Options

The type of treatment prescribed for tennis elbow will depend on several factors, including age, overall health, medical history, and severity of pain. The goals of treatment are to reduce pain or inflammation, promote healing, and decrease stress and abuse on the injured elbow.

Physiotherapy & Chiropractic treatments can help treat tennis elbow; using a combination of Ultrasound, Class IV Laser, Shockwave Therapy and Graston Instruments to reduce inflammation. Specific exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles of your forearm will help to strengthen those muscles and prevent the condition from re-occurring.

Your practitioner will also discuss changes you may need to make to your work environment, sport technique or sports equipment that you are currently using.

Tennis Elbow Relief in Victoria, B.C.

Contact Diversified Health to speak with one of our health care practitioners for more information on tennis elbow and what options could be right for you.

When we think of bullying, the images we imagine are most often those of children or teens being bullied either at school or in social groups. The reality though is that bullying is not exclusive to the young or to those in school. Workplace bullying happens, and more often than we like to think about.

While it may look different on the surface, it is just as damaging and has just as significant of an impact as the schoolyard bullying that we associate with bullying. Recent statistics point to almost 45% of polled employees stating that they feel, or have recently felt, bullied in their workplace. That is a staggering number of persons affected by behaviour that is rarely talked about.

What does workplace bullying look like?

Bullying behaviour in a workplace can generally be classified as behaviour that is:

  • Intimidating
  • Offensive
  • Abusive (verbally or emotionally , rarely physically in the workplace)
  • Insulting
  • Persistent
  • An abuse of power or position of authority.

The ways that these behaviours manifest vary but often the following are present:

  • Undermining or deliberately impeding a person’s work.
  • Constantly changing work guidelines
  • Withholding necessary information
  • Yelling or using profanities
  • Persistent and/or abusive criticism
  • Unwarranted or excessive punishment
  • Blocking opportunities for advancement
  • Threatening loss of job or position
  • Belittling a person opinions or beliefs
  • Spreading malicious rumours or gossip
  • Assigning unreasonable duties or workloads demands.

Essentially, it is behaviour that makes the person being bullied feel vulnerable, threatened, upset or humiliated.

It can be hard to discern between a person who has an aggressive nature in a business workplace or has a poor communication skills and a bully. There is a distinct difference between a situational conflict between co-workers, which can be a normal part of workplace environment, and a person who is exhibiting bullying behaviour towards another.

Bullying can be often be categorized as:

  • Chronic – these are often the most problematic types of bullies to deal with as they have habitual, long-standing behaviour; most likely developed long before they entered the workforce.
  • Opportunistic – the type of person who is competitive, striving for a promotion or credit for work.
  • Accidental – a person who is genuinely unaware of the impact their behaviour has on others.
  • Substance Abusers – a person whose behaviour is impacted by drug and/or alcohol use or abuse.

While many personal reasons and history factor into why a person may exhibit bullying behaviour, the most important things to consider in the workplace are: how to identify it and how to rectify the situation.

What Can You Do About It?

If you are being bullied, some ways to take the first steps are:

  • Tell someone about it. Just like we tell our children, follow the same advice. Speak to a manager or human resource person within your company about your concerns. If needed, go outside your company to your local workplace health and safety organization.
  • If possible, directly address the specific behaviour and the impact of the behaviour with the person. Try to relate how their behaviour makes you feel and why it needs to stop. While this is hard step, ignoring or denying the situation will not make them go away or improve. Thoughtful and concise action is needed to rectify the situation.

Once you’ve addressed the issues, find ways to manage the impact that it has, or continues to have, on your well-being.

With direct focus and attention to the matter we can all work to stop bullying in the workplace