Menopause from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors Prospective.

Written By: Dr. Wanda Duong DTCM, R.Ac., BSc. and Dr. Vikki Maguire DTCM.

The years leading up to menopause can bring tremendous changes to the female body. Although a natural biological process, menopause is not experienced the same by all individuals. Symptoms associated with menopause often create secondary symptoms that affect sleep patterns, energy levels, and overall physical and emotional well-being.

Menopause is the result of a dynamic decline in the function of the ovaries to produce eggs and associated hormones that regulate menstruation. This normal transition in menstruation often occurs between the ages of 45-55 years, though it can begin earlier in some females.  Symptoms associated with menopause are multivariate and can include difficulty concentrating, muscle and joint pain, changes in skin texture and appearance, urinary disruptions, mood changes, decrease libido, fatigue, and hot flashes and night sweating as the most prominent symptoms that most individuals experience.   

Like the western medicine approach to addressing menopause, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) also aims to regulate the body’s internal thermostat to control and reduce symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweating, as well as support and stabilize a healthy change in hormone levels. However, TCM takes a more natural and holistic approach, that often has little to no negative side effects, and individuals often see improvements in many secondary areas such as quality of sleep, reduced aches and pains, improved skin and hair health, stabilized mood changes, and an increase in libido and energy.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses a combination of modalities to create a personalized treatment plan based on the individual’s needs and underlying issues that are found through TCM diagnosis. A combination of acupuncture, herbal formulas, and dietary/lifestyle recommendations is often utilized.

TCM acupuncture utilizes specific point combinations to encourage the body to trigger the release of specific chemicals and hormones. This is done by stimulating the nervous system to then communicate with the spinal cord and brain. This biochemical change stimulates the body’s natural healing and regulating abilities to correct imbalances in temperature, hormone levels, and physical and emotional well-being. TCM acupuncture is a very safe and non-invasive therapy and research has suggested that of the myriad of symptoms menopause can present with, hot flashes and night sweating appear to respond quite quickly with just acupuncture.

One of the common approaches western medicine takes is hormone therapy, and though effective, hormone therapy may come with negative side effects such as breast and ovarian disorders, or individuals may have contraindications or are unwilling to use hormone therapy. TCM offers a natural and safe alternative often combining acupuncture with TCM herbal formulas as an adjunct to increase the efficacy of an acupuncture treatment. Herbal formulas are comprised of a balancing blend of ingredients found in nature. They often have little to no side effects, aside from allergies to a particular plant or plant part, and like homeopathy, TCM takes advantage of the therapeutic properties these plant materials offer to create formulas that address both symptoms and their underlying root causes. There is no one particular herbal formula to address symptoms of menopause as each herbal formula is unique in its ability to address underlying root causes of symptoms. After a consultation, your TCM practitioner will be able to prescribe an appropriate herbal formula to specifically address your condition.

The combination of TCM acupuncture, herbal formulas, and the addition of TCM dietary suggestions assists the body during this transition into menopause. Rather than the abrupt and drastic decline in hormones that the body is forced into during menopause, TCM takes a natural and whole-body approach to assist the body with a balanced and gradual change in hormone levels. However, regulating the body’s internal thermostat does work exactly like the thermostat on our wall, therefore patience and consistency is necessary to experience change.

TCM therapies can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatments including Western medicine, naturopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy, massage therapy, and so forth. When combing TCM acupuncture with other interventions (medication, supplements, herbal formulas, other therapies), studies have concluded that this combination is more effective than those interventions alone.

Sources:

Johnson A., Roberts L., Elkins G. Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Menopause. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine. (2019). doi:10.1177/2515690X19829380

Lund KS., Siersma V., Brodersen J., et al. Efficacy of a standardized acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomized study in primary care (the ACOM study). (2019). 9:e023637. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2018-023637

Lian-Wei X., Man J., Roland S., et al. Hindawi Publishing Corporation Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Review Article Efficacy and Side Effects of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Menopausal Symptoms: A Critical Review. (2012). Article ID 568106, 19 pages doi:10.1155/2012/568106

Kim KH., Kang KW., Kim DI., et al. Effects of acupuncture on hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women-a multicenter randomized clinical trial. Menopause. (2010) Mar;17(2):269-80. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181bfac3b. PMID: 19907348.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

The Common Link in Soft Tissue Injuries

Written by: Dr. David Westmacott, B.Kin, DC, RMT

All athletes have one thing in common. Whether they have had one, are currently playing with one, or are at risk of getting one, the dreaded SPORTS INJURY is and always will be a part of sports play. Many questions arise with coaches and parents of the athlete: Is the injured athlete doing more harm by continuing to play?  When is it safe to return to play? How can the risk of injury be kept at a minimum? These questions can become a little easier to answer with a basic understanding of the physiology of the injury.

The majority of sports injuries are injuries to the body’s soft tissues. Soft tissues are muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These structures work in harmony to produce movement of the body’s frame. When a muscle or tendon is injured (strain) or a ligament is injured (sprain), the microscopic parts of these structures become deranged in such a way as to produce pain, swelling and altered function. The body begins its healing process immediately by repairing the microscopic anatomy by laying down dense, fibrotic SCAR TISSUE. Scar tissue is a gristly, glue-like substance that is resistant to stretch. The normal elasticity of the muscle, tendon or ligament is lost and pain occurs with movement.

The common link between all soft tissue injuries is SCAR TISSUE. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, thus inhibiting normal muscle function. Normal body mechanics is therefore altered predisposing the athlete to other soft tissue and joint injuries. Decreased athletic efficiency and performance is also a result of altered body mechanics.

In order for a soft tissue injury to be completely healed, the fibrotic scar must be broken down to restore the normal elasticity and pliability of the tissue. Normal functioning muscle is paramount to ensure normal body mechanics.

Active release therapy (ART) is a soft tissue treatment system that releases the scar tissue that occurs with injured and overused muscles. Back pain, shin splints, rotator cuff injuries, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. The ART provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.

The key to a safe and enjoyable athletic career is a basic understanding of the physiological changes that occur with the athletic injury. An understanding of the importance to rid the body of painful, movement altering scar tissue, will not only get the athlete back on the playing field sooner but will prevent further injuries and thus increase overall athletic performance.

If you think you could benefit from an ART treatment, please contact Active Sports Therapy for an assessment from one of our chiropractors.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Supporting Your Immune System - The Connection Between Your Brain and Gut

By: Dr. Fiona Lovely, DC

Recently, a panel of AST experts joined forces to discuss the important topic of immunity. I had the pleasure of sharing the connections between the brain and the gut and below are just a few of my takeaways.

The human immune system is made up (in part) by the 4.4lbs of organisms (100 trillion of them!) which make up the human microflora, or microbiome and cells of the lining of the gut. The health and stability of the microbiome is what you are establishing and feeding when you take your daily probiotic. Think of it like a garden to be cultivated. They are bacteria, parasites, fungi, virus living within us and helping to regulate the system. They even contribute to our DNA, our genetic makeup and our ability to adapt to any environment. Poor diet, stress, chronic disease and antibiotic therapy will diminish or eliminate the bugs of our gut. You must re-seed the garden after antibiotics and it must be inoculated with a high quality probiotic supplement ongoing. I am often asked why it is important to eat organic - remember this, the pesticides, fungicides, etc that are sprayed on our produce are not fruit and vegetable selective! They will kill off your microbiome too.

The health of these systems, the microbiome, your organ reserves and health and your voluntary inputs (nutrition, stress management, exercise, etc.) make up the terrain that dictates how healthy you are. Terrain is the term used to describe the inner environment of a human being.  The health of the terrain explains why some get sick and some do not.

What can you do to help the health of your gut?

Let’s look at stress. When you are experiencing stress, your defences diminish because the brain is sending resources to the stress response system. We are living through one of the most intensely stressful times in our history, so if you are feeling stress, you aren’t alone. Stress is our current way of life, it isn’t going away anytime soon, you cannot control it. But what you can control is your response to something stressful. Are there calming thoughts you can have when something stressful comes up? Can you pause to meditate or incorporate meditation into your daily routine?

Take a closer look at all of the different things that you are consuming daily. News? Negative people? Toxic relationships or stinking thinking? Are you a complainer? Do you engage in drama? All of these things encourage you to have both negative thinking and a survival response. When you are surviving, your blood flow shunts from the extremities to the core organs resulting in your immune system taking a back seat to critical functions.

Here are three things you can start doing today to help with gut health and thus, immunity too:

Healthy mind = healthy brain = healthy gut = healthy immunity = health.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Staying Injury-Free during Hiking Season

Written by: Rachel Grant, MScPT, B.Kin

We are fortunate enough to live just a few short hours from the beautiful rocky mountains! Whether you are an avid hiker and have years of experience under your belt, or have just started to explore the trails, injury prevention should be a top priority. Hiking injuries tend to be injuries to the lower limb. These injuries can range from acute injuries such as a ligament sprain to overuse injuries such as tendonitis. The goal of this blog is to give you an idea of what injuries to look out for and most importantly some prevention tips.

The most common lower limb sprain injury tends to be an ankle sprain when you overstretch the ligaments in your ankle from rolling it on uneven terrain. A key aspect to preventing this injury is to first have proper footwear.

●  Getting fitted to a hiking boot or trail runner that fits you well and provides you support around the ankle joint for your activity is key.

●  Secondly, it can be beneficial to strengthen and stretch your calf muscles. Completing a basic calf stretch before and after hiking in the parking lot helps keep your ankle mobile. Strengthening your calf muscles with exercises such as a calf raise will provide stability around your ankle joint to tackle uneven rocks, tree roots and the steep incline and decline of a trail.

●  Adding in some challenging balance exercises such as balancing near a counter with your eyes closed or working on maintaining your balance while standing on a pillow can prepare your ankle for the mountains.Overuse injuries are the next most common injuries you can encounter. Pain at the front of the knee, particularly with the descent of a hike can result in injuries such as patellofemoral pain syndrome and/or patellar tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon). Stretching and strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee and hip joint can help prevent and treat this knee pain.

●  Stretching the front of the thigh of the quadriceps muscle before & after a hike is also beneficial to prevent this injury. A simple stretch you can add is shown here.

●  Strengthening this same muscle with exercises such as a single leg step up and down a stair, and lunges can also be very beneficial.

●  Strengthening your hip muscles such as your glutes will provide support to your knee joint. Simple exercises such as a squat and a glute bridge with a resistance band are a great addition to any workout program. Lastly, an important part of injury prevention is preparing your body for the activity by slowly building up your endurance. Starting with lower elevation and shorter hikes at the beginning of the season to gradually building up to more challenging trails builds up your muscles to tackle a full hiking season injury free! Don’t forget about taking adequate rest breaks during the hike and in between hiking days while mixing in other kinds of exercise such as cardiovascular and strength training.

Sadly, despite our best efforts, injuries may still happen. If you experience injury hiking or maybe you would like to focus on injury prevention tailored specifically to you, our team at Active Sports Therapy can design a treatment program for your goals today! Call the office at 403-278-1405 today to book in with our team of experts.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Naturopathic Recommendations for Allergies

By Dr. Gayle Maguire, B.Sc, ND

It's allergy season and many of us find ourselves reaching for medication for our itchy eyes and runny noses! When it comes to an ND's perspective, most natural approaches to allergies should begin prior to the season, as we hope to soothe and cleanse necessary functions in the body.  When these functions become overwhelmed, we see a worsening of allergy symptoms.  This also explains why many adults "grow into" allergies.

Many patients are surprised to experience hay fever for the first time, wondering why they never had allergies as a child or young adult.  The question is usually "Don't we grow out of allergies?".  It would appear that stresses to proper immune response, such as stress in particular, throw off our body's natural response to pollen, snow mould, and more.  This may even include food allergies and sensitivities too.

It becomes really important to look at your diet going into your worst allergy season.  Try a "break-up" with coffee, sugar, and for some, dairy products.  If stress has been high, work diligently on stress reduction and talk to your naturopathic doctor about supplements to help.

Quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant found in many vegetables can be purchased as a supplement and seems to calm the immune system very effectively for some.  Nettle, as a tea (provided you are not allergic to it!), can be an effective anti-inflammatory and immune stabilizer due to its quercetin content.  This can interact with several medications so talk to your pharmacist or naturopathic doctor first.  Probiotics and Vitamin D are other important nutrients for stable immune responses.

For more information, book a free meet-and-greet session with Dr. Gayle Maguire at AST Willow Park, 4032781405.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

How Traditional Chinese Medicine can help with a Cancer Diagnosis

Written by: Dr. Vikki McGuire, DTCM

We are all affected by Cancer. Whether you have been diagnosed or a close family or friend has, we have all struggled under the weight of this far-reaching disease. 

The majority of people who get diagnosed go through a series of emotions: fear, confusion, self-doubt and STRESS. 

In our society, we have not completely integrated all available therapies.  A patient may become unclear about which treatment journey to follow. It can be daunting as there are so many choices without much support from Oncology outside of their scope of practice.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a great therapy for your whole system when undergoing cancer treatments and post-treatment. It works on the mind, body and spirit through needling, cupping, exercises (like Tai-Chi Qi-Gong), Herbal and Nutritional support. 

Dr. Vikki has been working with Cancer patients (and their families) for 10-plus years. During that time, she has learned the process of Oncology and how valuable holistic medicine is through all stages of cancer and beyond. She treats symptoms of cancer such as:

Anxiety/depression

Cognitive Issues (sometimes called chemo brain) 

Dry Mouth

Fatigue

Hot flashes

Lymphedema

Ileus (intestinal blockage)

Immune system recovery

Nausea

Neuropathy

Pain 

Post-operative pain

Dr. Vikki can help navigate the holistic system and guide patients to the right providers at the right time to aid in Cancer treatments and recovery. It can be a confusing, sometimes costly and frustrating process finding the right team for yourself. 

Just because your conventional cancer treatments have ended, your healing hasn’t.  This is where TCM can be a lifeline. Dr. Vikki can help you get back to your pre-cancer health. Chemo can take up to a year to leave your system and the damage it does to the good cells takes time and support to repair. 

Whether you are recently diagnosed, part way through Western treatments or looking for post-treatment care – give Dr. Vikki and Traditional Chinese medicine a try. 

Dr. Vikki McGuire works at AST Willow Park and is currently taking new patients. Call 403-278-1405 to book your appointment today!

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Power of Nutrition in Sports

Written By: Kira Greasley, BA, CHNC

When talking nutrition, the consensus is clear, what you eat affects not only your health, but your athletic performance and recovery. Everyone has different nutritional needs so the goal should always be to fuel the body to support any training program, provide efficient recovery between workouts, reduce the risk of illness and/or overtraining, so you can achieve your potential.

Now, how you fuel depends on the following factors:

- intensity
- duration
- fitness level, goals and pre-exercise diet

What you fuel with is reliant upon the following three macronutrients:

Carbohydrates, or carbs are your body’s clean burning fuel source and is the most important source of energy. Your daily carb intake should match the fuel needs of your training but keep in mind that all carbs are not created equal. Simple carbs like refined breads and pastas (now I am talking the white pasta), pastries and sweets are void of any nutrients and fiber, providing only a quick bump in your blood glucose levels that will be used quickly. This condition is known as bonking or crushing. Ideally, you will want to opt for non starchy and starchy complex carbs such as brown rice, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, glyphosate free steel cut oats, and quinoa, just to name a few.

Proteins, and specifically the amino acids, form the building blocks for new muscle tissue and the repair of body cells. Amino acids are also used for making enzymes, hormones, antibodies and providing a small fuel source for exercising muscles. Extra protein is required during and after intense exercise to compensate for the increased muscle breakdown that occurs, as well as to build new muscle cells. Several studies have found that eating carbohydrates and protein together immediately after exercise enhances recovery and promotes muscle building.

Healthy fat in food provides essential fatty acids, required to transport vitamins A, D, E & K and is an additional source of energy for exercise. Omega 3’s may be particularly beneficial when training as they help

increase the delivery of oxygen to muscles, improve endurance and may speed recovery and reduce inflammation and joint stiffness. Good sources of healthy fats come from avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, the meat we buy as well as the oils we use such as extra virgin olive oil, grass fed butter, ghee, and coconut oil.

Generally, your nutritional base should be around the following: 35% Carbs, 35% protein, 30% healthy fats. Then, depending on your training level, and goal those percentages would be adjusted to make sure your body is receiving the proper fuel in the right amounts. For example, the higher the intensity, the greater the reliance on muscle glycogen. Lower intensity is fuelled mainly by fat, and moderate intensity will have half the energy supplied from muscle glycogen and the rest from fat. Once muscle glycogen stores are depleted, protein makes an increased contribution to energy needs providing those amino acids for energy and to maintain blood glucose levels. However, protein is the least favourable source of energy and should not be relied upon as an energy source. There are many calculator apps out there that can assist you with this decision.

The last component and often the most important and overlooked component is hydration. Water makes up the principle components of all bodily fluids and functions. On average, we need about 12 cups (almost 3L) of filtered water each day to stay hydrated as we lose water daily through our skin, urine, bowels & lungs. Dehydration is generally defined as a fluid deficit greater than 2% Body Weight. So in simple terms, by the time your body is letting you know you need water, you are already dehydrated. Some signs you are dehydrated include: sluggishness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, feeling excessively hot, lightheaded and nausea. Water is the best way to hydrate, but get creative! Add some lemon, or cucumber to help with the body’s detoxification process. Berries are also a great way to add natural flavour and to receive your natural sugars to replenish those glycogen stores. Go one step further and add a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt and you have an easy electrolyte drink.

Holistically speaking, proper food intake is only one piece of the puzzle. Adequate recovery between training sessions, proper stress management and plentiful sleep are just as important as the composition of your plate.

In short, whether you are a beginner athlete, an experienced athlete, or just someone looking to improve their health, what and how you eat are

important. Food is not only fuel for the body but it is used as information that directly communicates WITH our bodies, brain & DNA. In the words of Dr. David Perlmutter “Your fork sets you on a path that leads you to a disease or back to health”

If you are looking to learn more book in with Kira Greasley at AST Willow Park today.

Treating Ankle injuries with Active Release Techniques (ART)

Written By: Active Sports Therapy with Text from Active Release Techniques©

The ankle is such a critical area for athletes as it forms the primary connection between the body and the ground. This area of the body will feel a tremendous amount of force and pressure on a regular basis. Motions such as running, jumping, and direction changing require a considerable amount of strength and flexibility from the ankle and its surrounding muscles.

Because of it’s high-impact use, the ankle is often a site of injury for athletes. Unfortunately, when these foot and ankle injuries occur they will not only hinder performance but can often progress to the point of preventing play altogether.

How Injuries Occur

Over time the muscles of the lower leg can become strained and develop small-scale injury known as micro-trauma.

Initially, this micro-trauma is not painful, but a person may describe it as a mild ache or tightness in the foot, ankle, or lower leg.

Your body responds to tissue injury in a very predictable way – by laying down new tissue to repair the damaged tissue.  The scar tissue itself is not a problem – in fact, it is a normal and necessary part of healing.  The problem occurs when the ankle is subjected to the same high workload due to the continued, repetitive, high-force athletic movements.

We will then see the same muscles become strained & repaired over and over again.  Over time this scar tissue will build up and accumulate into what are called adhesions.  As these adhesions form they start to affect the normal health and function of the muscles.  They will often lead to pain, tightness, stiffness, restricted joint motion, and diminished blood flow.

ART: Our Approach to Ankle Injuries– A Better Solution

ART stands for Active Release Techniques.  It is a new and highly successful hands-on treatment method to address problems in the soft tissues of the body, including the muscles, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.  ART treatment is highly successful in dealing with foot and ankle injuries because it is specifically designed to locate and treat scar tissue adhesions that accumulate in the muscles and surrounding soft tissues.  Location and treating the soft-tissue adhesions with ART which allows the practitioner to:

1) break up restrictive adhesions,

2) reinstate normal tissue flexibility and movement

3) restore flexibility, balance, and stability to the injured area and to the entire kinetic chain

You can think of an ART treatment as a type of active massage.  The practitioner will first shorten the muscle, tendon, or ligament, and then apply a very specific pressure with their hand as they actively stretch and lengthen the tissues.  As the tissue lengthens the practitioner is able to assess the texture and tension of the muscle to determine if the tissue is healthy or contains scar tissue that needs further treatment.  When scar tissue adhesions are felt the amount and direction of tension can be modified to treat the problematic area.  In this sense, each treatment is also an assessment of the health of the area as we are able to feel specifically where the problem is occurring.

An additional benefit of ART is it allows us to further assess and correct problems not only at the site of pain itself but also in other areas of the kinetic chain, which are associated with movement compensations and are often contributing factors to the problem.  This ensures that all the soft tissues that have become dysfunctional and are contributing to the specific injury are addressed, even if they have not yet all developed pain.

One of the best things about ART is how fast it can get results.  In our experience, the majority of ankle injuries respond very well to ART treatment, especially when combined with the appropriate home stretching and strengthening exercises.  Although each case is unique and there are several factors that will determine the length of time required to fully resolve each condition, we usually find a significant improvement can be gained in just 4-6 treatments.  These results are the main reason that many elite athletes and professional sports teams have ART practitioners on staff, and why ART is an integral part of the Ironman triathlon series.

To book in with one of our chiropractors for this treatment, please call AST Willow Park at 403-278-1405 Or AST Westman Village at 825-305-5802

Golfer's Elbow vs. Tennis Elbow

By: Active Sports Therapy

If you’ve ever experienced pain in your forearm that you notice most when you grip or pick up an object, then you may be suffering from golfers elbow or tennis elbow. Named for the sports they are most often associated with, you can suffer from either of these conditions even if you’ve never swung a racquet or a club.

What they have in common are:

What’s the difference:

Golfers elbow affects the side of the inner arm, or the medial side and is usually caused by an activity that causes the person to have repeated flexing downward motions of the wrist such as gardening, golf, or throwing a ball. Or, by repeated lifting with the palm facing downward such as laying bricks or scanning groceries all day as a clerk.

A person suffering from golfers elbow will experience pain on the inside of the elbow when lifting something. Even something as simple as lifting a coffee cup might cause the person to feel the pain and weakness associated with the condition. Making a twisting motion may cause pain as well. The person might also have swelling and weakness not only in the elbow and forearm, but also in the wrist and hand.

Tennis elbow is the inflammation of the outside of the elbow and/or forearm. If you think of a tennis player repeatedly using their forehand and backhand swings you might be able to picture exactly where one might become sore. People who are painters, cooks, and of course those who play racquet sports are particularly prone to tennis elbow.

The symptoms will be most noticeable when you need to grip something or reach for something, however, some people have tennis elbow that leaves them with a constant, nagging ache. For tennis elbow, the pain can radiate down to the wrist.

Other tips include:

It is important to see a professional and have your pain properly diagnosed as one of the above conditions, or perhaps something different. At Active Sports Therapy we can treat this condition with Active Release Techniques which have proven to be successful in the treatment of this condition. Physiotherapy, massage, muscle activation techniques, and low-intensity laser therapy may also be recommended.  If a muscle imbalance is at play, we can ensure that you know the correct exercises that will tone down or fix your condition.

*This blog is not intended to officially establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician, naturopathic doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Golf

Low energy?  You could be anemic.

Written by: Dr. Fiona Lovely, Chiropractor

Practitioner of Functional Neurology and Functional Medicine at AST

Many women complain of fatigue and low energy.  It has become a hallmark of modern lifestyle.  While there can be many reasons for fatigue, all of them worthy of investigation by your trusted health care provider, anemia is a common problem causing a woman to feel exhausted no matter how much rest she has had.  Anemia is a common cause of weakness, fatigue and shortness of breath.

Anemia is defined by a deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood.  These important elements carry oxygen to all the tissues of the brain and body.  There are different types of anemia but a common one for women in the perimenopausal years (35-55) is iron deficiency anemia.  This means that your red blood cells cannot carry a sufficient amount of oxygen to your brain and body leading to fatigue. 

If you know you have anemia, it’s important to know what type of anemia you have so that you may supplement your diet accordingly.  Your last lab tests will give the clues about what kind of anemia you are experiencing.  For example: you may have a deficiency of B12 or folate (vitamin B9) which can easily be supplemented with a high quality vitamin like we carry in our AST dispensary.  

Iron should be replenished by our diet.  Dark green leafy veggies, lentils, liver, red meat, and fish are good sources.  If you are eating a veggie-forward diet, please be sure to consume foods high in vitamin C with your meals to help with absorption of iron.  Cooking in a cast iron pan will also impart iron into the foods you consume.  

It helps to understand that a woman loses iron monthly with her menstrual bleed, so you must be replenishing this lost iron continuously.  If she has fibroids or endometriosis or short cycles or is bleeding heavily, then this loss of resources can be difficult to keep up with requiring an iron supplement daily.  There are many types of iron supplements, please speak to you practitioner to get the best one for you. 

Want to know more about how to feel better and have more energy?  Please tune into Episode 086 of the Not Your Mother’s Menopause podcast for tactical tools on how to correct anemia.

You can find Dr. Fiona Lovely working at AST Willow Park.