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

Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause

Written by: Dr Fiona Lovely, DC

Many women are arriving in clinic with complaints of stiffness, sore, achey muscles and joints without experiencing this previously.  These women tend to be 40+ in age and lack an injury to cause the discomfort.  It’s important to consider how your hormones at midlife may be affecting your body.  

Menopause is not only characterized by hormonal changes and reproductive system adjustments but also by various musculoskeletal symptoms that can significantly impact a woman's quality of life. This is called the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause (MSM).  This encompasses a range of symptoms affecting the bones, joints, and muscles, which can be attributed to hormonal fluctuations.  

One of the most common musculoskeletal symptoms experienced during menopause is osteopenia and osteoporosis, a condition characterized by decreased bone density and increased risk of fractures. Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health by inhibiting bone resorption and promoting bone formation. However, during menopause, declining estrogen levels lead to accelerated bone loss, especially in weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and wrists.

Menopausal women frequently report joint pain and stiffness, commonly attributed to osteoarthritis. Estrogen has anti-inflammatory properties that help protect joint cartilage and maintain joint function. As estrogen levels decline, inflammation increases, contributing to the development and progression of osteoarthritis, particularly in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.

I like to say that estrogen is a lubricator of all tissues, this is especially true with joints.  For example: I see many women in their 40’s and 50’s with new shoulder complaints which can be attributed to the estrogen decline.  The shoulder is the most freely moveable joint in the body and when it isn’t working well, you notice!

Muscle weakness and decreased muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, are also prevalent musculoskeletal symptoms of menopause. Estrogen has anabolic effects on skeletal muscle, promoting muscle growth and strength. Declining estrogen levels during menopause can accelerate muscle loss and impair muscle function, leading to decreased mobility, flexibility and function.

Menopause-associated hormonal changes can trigger new onset musculoskeletal symptoms, including tendonitis and bursitis.

Understanding the musculoskeletal implications of menopause is crucial for implementing preventive measures, such as regular weight-bearing exercise, maintaining flexibility with daily stretching, keeping your spine healthy with regular chiropractic treatments, adequate magnesium glycinate and vitamin D intake, and hormonal therapy when appropriate, to mitigate the impact of these symptoms and promote musculoskeletal health and well-being in menopausal women.

Dr. Fiona Lovely is a Chiropractor at AST Willow Park and can help you with your perimenopause and menopause-related concerns. In addition to her practice at Active Sports Therapy Dr. Fiona Lovely is the host of the wildly popular podcast "Not Your Mother's Menopause" which can be found on all of your favourite podcast platforms.

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

Could You Have a Predisposition to Getting a Concussion?

Written By: Dr. Fiona Lovely, DC

What if I told you that there was a way to predict whether you might be more likely to have symptoms when you hit your head than the person sitting next to you?  It’s true.  If we were to line up 10 people at random and ask them a few questions, we could determine who was more likely to have a concussion.  Intrigued?  Read on…..

Things which can predict your likelihood to have a concussion:

1.  Playing recreational sports.  You are likely to injure yourself at some point when you engage in sporting activities.  And you will have a higher chance of having a concussion than someone who doesn’t play contact sports.  Make the decision to play with a full understanding of the risks and a plan for how you will manage injury when it does happen.  Get a baseline brain test at the start of each season so should an injury occur, you have a professional to help already cued up.

2.  Inflammation.  This is a very common problem fed by the human condition.  Stress.  Poor nutrition - the typical sugary, high-carb, processed food diet is a common cause of inflammation.  Toxic relationships.  Money concerns.  Work you dislike.  Health challenges like diabetes, high blood pressure, and food allergies (many of these are caused by inflammation.)  These things all fuel inflammation in the body.  Inflammation excites the brain tissues which support function.   This overstimulation of the brain tissues makes you far more likely to have symptoms if you bump your head!

3.  Gender. It is well documented that girls playing the same sports as boys their age are more likely to have a concussion that produces symptoms.  The female body is diverse anatomically and the muscles of the neck are less protective in the case of head injury than those of their male counterparts.  Additionally,  a head injury sustained during the second half of the menstrual cycle can cause a crash of high progesterone levels which can make symptoms of a concussion feel much, much worse.  Females are also prone to physical damage to the pituitary gland during a TBI event causing hormonal imbalances which can last a lifetime.  

4.  Brain function imbalance.  This can be from birth as the birth process is meant to toggle a number of primitive reflexes that are necessary for our early development.  With the rise of C-section births, this critical process can get missed.  When the brain develops without these switches activated, imbalances can occur.  Previous concussions, chemical exposures, poor nutrition, and other things can cause a functional brain imbalance which can make you more likely to suffer a concussion.  Your Chiropractic Neurologist can help correct these imbalances of the nervous system.

Knowledge is power.  If you or your child are going to play contact sports, please be conscious of the risks.  Prepare yourself ahead of time and have a plan should you have a traumatic brain injury (concussion).  Look at the list above and see what you can do to moderate the risk by making some diet and lifestyle changes.  Get a brain assessment before you begin to play to correct the functional concerns (lowering your risk for concussion). 

If you would like to book an appointment with Dr. Fiona Lovely DC, please contact Active Sports Therapy today.

*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.  

Sciatica or Piriformis Syndrome

Written By: Dr. Evan Steinke, B.Sc, DC

Many of us have heard of sciatica (SI), a painful compression of the nerve running down the back of your leg, however, not many have heard of Piriformis Syndrome. To understand the difference it helps to first understand what the sciatic nerve is and where it travels.

The sciatic nerve is the thickest nerve in our body and is the result of several nerve roots from the lower back and sacrum coming together to form one larger nerve bundle. This bundle is formed around the level of our hip joint and runs the entirety of our leg, from glutes to feet. Nerves branch off to supply everything from the muscles of our legs to the skin and joints. Therefore, any irritation or compression to the sciatic nerve, or the nerve roots it is comprised of, can cause symptoms along its length. In fact, this is what sciatica is in reference to, pain and other symptoms that affect the nerve roots or sciatic nerve. Typically we think of disk herniations, degeneration, or joint narrowing that compresses and irritate the nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve as the cause of sciatica. However, this is not always the cause, in some cases, the sciatic nerve itself can be compressed by muscles which leads us to piriformis syndrome.

Piriformis syndrome gets its name from the piriformis muscle, a slender muscle running from the sacrum to the hip. The location of the muscle places it dead center in the gluteal region and also right over the top of the infamous sciatic nerve. As a result, tension and tightness or inflammation in the piriformis muscle can lead to compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve which in turn may cause sciatica. This could include pain in the gluteal region with possible radiation along the length of the nerve as it travels down the leg to the foot. It can also be characterized by feelings of numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg and/or foot. Due to its position and function, you may feel increased irritation with sitting for a sustained period or with exercises such as squats.

In any case, if you are experiencing pain along the back of your leg or feelings of numbness or weakness it is best to see your practitioner and have the exact cause determined. From here an appropriate treatment and management plan can be implemented to help you.

If you are interested in booking an assessment call Active Sports Therapy today.

Dr. Evan Steinke, BSc. DC recently hosted a webinar where you can learn more about Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome. You can check it out here.

*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 Humble Yet Important Wrist.

By Sarah Kuindersma, M.A.T Muscle Activation Techniques, PTS,

Our hands are in high demand and often taken for granted. We type, we text, we lift, and grip throughout the day, without taking a moment to appreciate the humble wrist. This humble wrist makes most of our day-to-day activities possible. It is important that we make sure that our wrists and elbows have adequate strength and mobility, similar to other parts of our bodies such as knees and shoulders. Without this strength and mobility we are vulnerable to stiff wrists or worse nagging pain with simple activities.   

The wrist is an elaborate structure which allows for the broad range of movements it can perform. To avoid pain and recover quickly from a wrist injury, focus on developing strength in your wrists while maintaining excellent range of motion. How does one do this? 

This is where we are here to help, below are a few exercises that can help improve wrist mobility, release tension quickly, and build grip strength to keep your wrists healthy and pain free. 

Wrist Mobility Drills 

The following is an easy 5 minute routine you can do at your desk for your wrist.  

  1. Fist revs: visualize revving your motor bike. Have your elbows bent forearms parallel to the floor. Make a fist, and slowly pull the wrists up hold for a second before curling the wrists down. Perform 8-10 times  
  2. Fist extension to finger extension: start in the same position, with your fists closed, pull the fists up hold while you extend the fingers up to the ceiling, hold for a second make a fist and return the start. Perform 8-10 times  
  3. Wrist Flexion Pulls: Start in the same position, this time have your fingers straight, point your hand to the floor, from here curl your fingers into a fist. Use your opposite hand to gently pull. Hold for 2-3 seconds before releasing and repeating. Perform 4-5 reps/side  
  4. Hammer Curls: Start in the same position, this time turn your wrists made into fists to face each other. Slowly pull the thumbs towards you then push them away. Perform 4-5 reps. After you can then curl the fists in towards each other and then away. Perform 4-5 reps.  
  5. Open Palm Wrist Circles: hold onto one wrist, open your hand and start to make a full circle at the wrist. Perform 3-4 circles one way then rev direction and repeat.  
  6. Prayer hands: Place your hands in the praying position, then slowly lower the hands pressed into each other. Hold the stretch for 2-3 seconds repeat 4 times then repeat with the hands flipped in a rev pray. This time you are slowly raising the wrists up to feel a stretch.  
  7. Clench and release: squeeze your fist tight hold 2-3 seconds then shake the hands out. Repeat 4-5 times.

Watch these exercises for a visual reference:

Experiencing wrist pain ? Try these exercises - YouTube 

*Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor or physiotherapist .  

Median Nerve Floss  

If you are experiencing numbness down the hand, it could be due to pressure on the median nerve, usually due to repetitive usage of the wrist. 

The following exercise is a nerve mobilization exercise to help decrease inflammation and pain by alleviating the pressure on the never. You can do this seated or standing.  

  1. Bring one arm up like you are going to flex your bicep. Relax the bicep and turn the palm of your hand towards your ear.  
  2. Imagine there is a string attached from your middle finger to the top of your ear. As you straighten your elbow your ear moves down to your shoulder.  
  3. To start keep your hand in line with your wrist, to advance this exercise you can pull your fingers and palm back like your spiderman about to shoot a web.  

Watch Median Nerve Floss : January 20, 2022 - YouTube

Relieving Wrist Pain with Muscle Activation Techniques  

Wanting to alleviate wrist pain in a different way? Have you tried M.A.T. Muscle Activation Techniques?

M.A.T. assess your movement mechanics to identify potential faulty movement mechanics leading to chronic strain creating the pain. M.A.T. then activates the muscles or rather creates a repatterning of movement patterns so your wrist can better handle the force applied to it through everyday movements and exercises.  

Call to book in with our in house M.A.T. Specialist Sarah Kuindersma today, at Active Sports Therapy 403-278-1405

Prefer to book online? Take advantage of our online booking system at www.activesportstherapy.ca.


Want to learn more about M. A. T. ? Watch this video   

Wrist Pain

Migraines in Calgary

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By: Dr. Gayle Maguire ND

Calgary has some of the highest rates of migraines per capita, largely in part to the chinook effects on barometric pressure.  Naturopathic doctors look at the contributing environment inside the body to address why some people are sensitive to these pressure changes, when others are not.  Those differences then become areas of treatment to prevent or minimize symptoms and include:

Hormone imbalances

Certain hormone imbalances increase inflammation in the body, while others increase our perception of pain.  Many women with migraines note worsening of symptoms at certain times of their cycle, making the connection obvious.  Fortunately, they are many herbal medicines, vitamins, dietary changes, or acupuncture to help balance hormones.

Inflammation & Stress

Often those that sensitive to barometric pressure have either a higher amount in inflammation or a body worn out by the effects of stress, both reducing their threshold to change.  Their bodies simply cannot handle the added strain of a significant pressure change.

Food Triggers

There are known food triggers to all migraine suffers - commonly wine, chocolate, cheese.  Foods that contain high amounts of tyramine are triggers to most.  What becomes interesting are those individuals less affected by the common triggers.  This becomes a food investigation into other sensitivities or allergies.  Food sensitivity testing can be helpful to identify foods to avoid.  Caffeine consumption can be helpful for some as it constricts blood vessels, reducing pressure in the skull; for others, the dehydrating effects of caffeine worsen their symptoms.

Nutritional Deficits

Research is studying the effects of several nutrients, with the most promising results coming from magnesium (which can even be administered intravenously by a functional or naturopathic doctor), riboflavin (or Vitamin B2), and Co-enzyme Q10.

Please take to your medical or naturopathic doctor for advice specific to you and join the thousands of Calgarians that no longer suffer from migraines. We use the accredited laboratory of Rocky Mountain Analytical for testing services.

This blog is for educational purposes only and should not substitute medical advice.  Please consult your medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, or pharmacist for advice that is right for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Active Release Techniques (ART) For Athletes

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]By: Active Sports Therapy

Athletes who are training hard at their sport often experience extremely demanding training schedules. Because of their high volume training, athletes can often experience overuse injuries in different areas of the body. After training, it’s normal to experience sore muscles, but when pain is consistently there even after the athlete’s typical rest and recovery period, it’s time to have an expert take a closer look.

An athlete may develop an Acute Condition, which means that there was a sudden injury that happened, such as a sprain or a strain. This can be associated with a traumatic event, such as falling off of your bike or being hit with a hockey puck.

A Chronic Injury is one that can result from overusing an area of the body, or from a long standing condition. Chronic injuries can be labeled as overuse injuries, arthritis, tendonitis or repetitive strain, just to name a few. Sometimes the symptoms of a chronic injury are mild enough to ignore, allowing the athlete to continue on with their sport. Over time, if not treated, these injuries can affect lifestyle, athletic performance, and have negative long term affects on your body.

When muscles are tight and rigid they can cause limited range of motion, pain and weakness, as well as negative compensation patterns as other muscles are forced to step up and do the job required by the injured muscles.

How ART Works

Active Release Techniqes or ART has proven to be very effective in treating athletic and movement related injuries. During an ART treatment, tension is applied to affected muscles, ligaments, and tendons. As the tension is applied, the practitioner or an assistant will then move the affected area and thus releasing tension and breaking up adhesions. This works to restore normal range of motion. This unique combination of direct pressure and specific guided movement patterns are the key to ART’s success in treating pain and injuries.

If you're an athlete, consult on of our chiropractors today. Each chiropractor at Active Sports Therapy is fully trained in Active Release Techniques. You may find that a nagging area of your body can be restored to it’s normal function in just a handful of treatments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]