Massage Benefits

How Massage Helps You Feel More Relaxed

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Apart from the  relaxation provided by a massage, massage therapy can also be the best way for improving mental health, physical being, and relieving all body pains. Researchers have proved that massage therapy improves comfort and functioning of the human body. It can allow the body to overcome physical trauma and issues like depression, insomnia, and anxiety.

General Benefits of Massage Therapy

  • It eases sore muscles and lessens other pains or aches.
  • It provides with physical relaxation.
  • It improves blood circulation and allows your body to get rid of any waste.
  • It helps release compression in the nerves.
  • It allows you to be more flexible.
  • It triggers good energies.
  • Clinical style massages help heal broken ligaments, tendons and muscles tears.

Conditions That Massage Therapy Can Improve

There are countless benefits of massage and how it can help the human body. It relaxes the muscle tissue that leads to less nerve compression, more space for joints and improved range of motion. This also leads to a better functioning body and less pain in the entire body.

Massage helps with blood circulation that leads to an enhancement of oxygen delivery, well-nourished muscle cells and aids with the removal of waste products. With better circulation, massage can treat conditions that cause inflammation. These conditions would include edema or arthritis (this is when there is an excessive amount of fluid in the tissues).

It is also believed that massage therapy provokes relaxation response that causes the heart rate and respiratory rate to lower down and helps with blood pressure. It strengthens the immune system and lessens the physical effects cause by stress.

Additional Benefits of Massage

  1. Massage helps fight again the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes muscle pain, bone tenderness, and fatigue. These symptoms can get worse if there is stress or lack of sleep involved. Massaging is the most effective and efficient way of reducing the pain associated with fibromyalgia as it can lessen all the discomfort and muscle pain the patients feel.
  2. Postsurgical habilitation centers have started using massage to help patients. It improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles, and helps with movement and flexibility. This way the person can be back on their feet in no time.
  3. There is no secret that massaging can make you feel better and relaxed. Additionally, it lessens anxiety and depression people feel. Massaging releases good hormones in the human body, namely dopamine and serotonin.
  4. Migraines are often caused by bad sleeping patterns and stress. Massaging provides people will better sleep which leads to fewer migraine attacks. The effects of massage can last up to 3 weeks, so getting regular massages can banish all headaches.
  5. Massage lowers blood pressure and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Getting regular 10-minute massages can relax the body while lowering blood pressure.

Since massage therapy is so beneficial, making it a part of a regular routine is a smart thing to do!

Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine,

How Acupuncture Can Treat Acne

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One thing that every human being wants to achieve in his or her lifetime is clear and flawless skin. Which is why humans are always on a search for good skin products, interested in skin care treatments and on the lookout for cosmetic medicine. However, the need for skin care rises when an individual is experiencing a skin-related problem, such as an allergy or break-outs. But that does not mean that he or she will need to raid drugstores and try every single skin product out there.

More and more doctors are suggesting acupuncture as a solution for acne. Dermatologists and skin experts think that this addition to the skin care industry is crucial, as individuals will have safe alternatives to get rid of acne and have a clear complexion.

Acupuncture is being added to skin care regimes by dermatologists as it has endless benefits to it.

What Experts Say

The main purpose for cosmetic acupuncture is to rejuvenate the human skin and provide it with a healthy and youthful glow. Acupuncturists claim that getting cosmetic acupuncture can clear acne spots, help with age spots and even treat rosacea. Other than fixing acne-related issues, it can strengthen facial muscles, giving individuals an instant face-lift. This happens because acupuncture promotes collage production, helps with skin elasticity, removes wrinkles and fine lines, and can help with complexion.

Each Individual is Different

For some people, there is a point when acupuncture is recommended as an alternative for acne treatment. The benefit of it is clear, flawless skin without having to apply so many different chemicals on the face. This way there is a lower chance of the skin being damaged. This is because acupuncture does not call for additional chemicals; rather it promotes your body to use its inherent chemicals so it can treat the acne.

Therefore, those who are confused or tired as to what chemical or treatments they need to go for and what will come after, it is recommended to opt for a natural remedy as it might fewer appointments to the acupuncturist and produce minimal or no side effects.

Why Acupuncture

The practice of acupuncture promotes finding the balance inside your body without having to rely on applying or ingesting synthetic chemicals. It is also believed by many that the human body has what it takes to heal pain or whatever other symptom it may be feeling. Unfortunately, it becomes hard to find a good treatment that has the right balance between beauty concerns and health. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to find this balance within your body, then opting for acupuncture is the best option.

Aside from fixing acne, acupuncture can fix vertigo, hypertension, and other problems, making this the best and safest alternative!

TMJ

How Chiropractic Helps Those That Suffer from TMJ Joint Disorder

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Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMJ, is a common condition that affects the jaw. It can be extremely painful and many people are turning to methods other than medication or surgery to relieve that pain. While lifestyle changes such as diet may help, chiropractic care has been cited as a viable treatment for TMJ pain.

At first, this may seem counter-intuitive simply because it is widely believed that chiropractors only treat the spine and neck. This commonly held belif is not entirely accurate. Chiropractors treat all joints, including the spine and neck. A chiropractor may treat ankles, wrists, knees, and, yes, even the jaw. Sometimes the neck and spine can be contributing factors and they can be treated with chiropractic care as well.

What is TMJ?

The joint that connects your jaw to your skull and allows you to open and close your mouth is the temporomandibular joint. When you have problems with the muscles or joint in that area it is called TMJ, or more accurately temporomandibular disorders, or TMD.

This disorder is characterized by pain and stiffness on one or both sides of the jaw. The jaw may also lock or get stuck in either a closed or open position. Patients may also notice a popping, clicking, or grating sound in the jaw when chewing, yawning, or when closing or opening their mouth. They may also have trouble chewing and even experience swelling.

Doctors don’t know what causes TMJ. It seems to be linked to trauma to the neck, such as with whiplash, but it also can be caused by:

  • Arthritis in the jaw
  • Grinding the teeth
  • Stress that causes clenching of the jaw
  • Movement of the disc, or soft cushion, that lies between the socket and ball of the jaw

Diagnosis and Treatment for TMJ

Many conditions can mimic the symptoms of TMD. After taking a medical history, your doctor will check the joints in the jaw for popping, clicking, or grating sounds. He will also assess the patient’s pain or tenderness level and check for any stiffness. During the exam, the doctor will assess the job and its ability to function properly. X-rays may also be a part of the examination.

If the doctor can pinpoint the probable cause of the TMJ, he may prescribe certain treatments or make recommendations that will help. Medication is one option, mainly stress or anti-anxiety medication to help the patient relax. A night guard or splint is another option. It helps to put the patient’s teeth in the correct position. A splint is worn all the time and a night guard is worn only at night. Dental work is another option and in come more serious cases, surgery.

Chiropractic Care for TMJ

Chiropractic for TMJ is not only common, but very effective. The chiropractor may perform neck or spine adjustment as well as adjustments to the jaw. This means that the patient may experience pressure on their skull, jaw, upper spine, or neck as the chiropractor treat the condition. There are also soft tissue treatments that the chiropractor may perform during the course of treatment for TMJ.

The chiropractor will often recommend lifestyle and diet changes to patients. This offers the patient the opportunity to treat the whole body as opposed to just one area. They may apply cold packs or heat packs to the area, recommend supplements, and teach the exercises designed to lessen the pain and encourage healing. Chiropractic is a safe, effective, and non-invasive treatment for TMJ.

So if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with TMD and/or are experiencing TMJ pain, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!

increased circulation, disc health, weight loss, weight management

5 Benefits to Walking for Chiropractic Patients

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When you walk, more than 200 individual muscles spring into action which includes all of the muscles in your spine and pelvic area. There’s no denying that walking is good for you and very beneficial to overall health. It is also very effective for spinal health. In most cases, walking is an excellent complement to chiropractic care. Here are 5 good reasons for chiropractic patients to get moving.

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TIPS TO HELP TO PREVENT OVER-EATING – PART 2

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Hi, Dr. Kent Ferguson here (click to watch video). Do you commonly find yourself over-eating? Do you eat everything in sight before you know it? If so you are not alone. One of the most common dietary challenges my patients have is over-eating. In this video I will share with you 2 tips on how to prevent yourself from over-eating.

  1. FRESH FIBER FIRST

What does this mean? This means before you eat your intended meal, eat a piece fruit or a handful of veggies first. The fibres found in these foods help to make you feel full. So eating these foods before your intended meal may help you from going back for more 2nd or 3rd plates.

  1. GIVE YOURSELF 20 MINUTES

Why is it important to give yourself 20 minutes after you eat? Because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive signals from your digestive tract that you have in fact eaten and eaten enough. If you still feel hungry after 20 minutes then you may in fact need more calories. Be mindful about how big that 2nd serving needs to be.

I’m Dr. Kent Ferguson; I hope you have found this video helpful. Please share this information with your family and friends. Check out our website @ www. ocwc.ca for more information about our clinic and services.

Take care.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytKVavAIjGk[/embedyt]

Acupuncture, weight loss, health, benefits, energy

4 Things to Know When Using Acupuncture For Weight Loss

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With limited time and expensive diet plans, individuals have a hard time seeking for healthy alternatives to lose weight. Therefore, acupuncture has become a reliable way for weight loss, as it not only aids in losing weight but also leaves the body feeling relaxed and stress-free. Unlike other weight loss plans, acupuncture does not have negative effects on the human body; rather it leaves the body in a better form.

When acupuncture is used for weight loss, it stimulates different areas of the body. The insertion of needles activates certain areas of the body that leads to a healthy mind and better physical health. When using acupuncture as a way to shed extra pounds, there is no need to use different weight loss supplements. However, if running is added, the results will be even faster.

1.     Is It Effective?

Acupuncture improves blood circulation that leads to energy flow. With good energy flow in the body, more calories will burn. It promotes weight loss by suppressing appetite and increasing metabolism, and this means there will be a healthier use of the nutrients that are being eaten.

Fun Fact – Since acupuncture helps reduce stress and anxiety, it can help one avoid binge eating.

2.     Higher Levels of Endorphins

Acupuncture helps release endorphins. Endorphins are a part of the limbic system that contains receptors that allow people to interact. Although it cannot replace the desire to lose weight, it can motivate individuals to solve their weight problem and live a healthy life.

3.     Weight Loss Goals via Acupuncture

A few objectives must be identified when using acupuncture for weight loss. These include:

  • Metabolism must be accelerated through physical activity to burn fat
  • Stress must be reduced so that the person does not binge eat
  • Digestive function must be improved
  • Unnecessary hunger should be avoided

4.     Forces Within

Qi is believed to be the vital force of the human body. An excess or deficiency of Qi leads to imbalances that are seen as an illness. Acupuncture is supposed to fix the imbalance in your body through the stimulation of acupoints.

Obesity or weight gain can result from:

  • Deficiency of primary Qi
  • Not enough Qi in the stomach and spleen
  • Excessive heat in intestines and stomach

To restore the balance of Qi, needles are inserted in the following parts of the body:

  • Stomach – Inserting fine needles has found to be effective in restoring the balance of
  • Endocrine – This helps with the retention of fluids that are found in the body.
  • Spleen – This is linked with hormonal imbalance.
  • Thyroid – This point is connected to slow metabolism.
  • Kidney- It relates to water retention and the nervous system.

Acupuncture for weight loss will show positive results and it is the best way to improve physical and mental health. It will fix all body imbalances and help burn calories faster.

How Mobile Devices are Wrecking Our Spines

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Nearly everyone has a smartphone or mobile device these days, and while there is some merit to this technology by keeping us more connected – at least virtually – it is wreaking havoc on our bodies. When you look at the posture that people assume when texting, reading email, or browsing social media while on their mobile device or smartphone, you will see their head bent forward and rounded shoulders. They typically hold the device either at chest level or waist level meaning that their hands are together, forming an almost crouch position.

This is very bad for the spine but it creates problems for other parts of the body even beyond the spine. Let’s take a look at some of the common issues that come with bad smartphone posture.

Text Neck

The more you tilt your head downward (just as you do when looking at a smartphone), the more pounds of pressure you put on your neck and back. Your spine supports the weight of your head. The more it is thrust forward, looking down, the heavier your head gets. Doctors are seeing many young people with this problem, some even as young as 8 years old.

It is characterized by tightness or tension in the neck and shoulders as well as the upper back. Some patients report pain while others feel pressure, and others feel tightness. Sometimes the pain will spread throughout the body or from the neck to the arms and hands.

Forearm and Wrist Pain

Even the way you hold your phone in your hands can cause problems. Since you keep your hand in one position for long periods of time your muscles never have a chance to relax. You have several muscles engaged to do this: the forearms, the wrist, and the neck.

If you are experiencing pain, sometimes shooting, in your elbow or wrist your smartphone use may be the culprit. So put the phones away or leave them at home.

Sore Upper and Lower Back

As your neck struggles to support your head which is rolled forward, it stands to reason that you will experience back pain. In fact, both upper and lower back pain have been attributed to smartphone use.

Think about the muscles that run along your spine. They help stabilize it and help control and support your head. When you hunch over you strain those muscles in your upper back. What you may not realize is that similar strain is being put on the muscles in your lower back as well.

Blackberry Thumb

The muscles in your hand are very small but they can cause you a great deal of pain if you frequently use a mobile device. As you type on the keyboard of your smart phone, it can cause problems with tendons and ligament as well as the muscles.

This repetitive stress of the body is caused daily by people who stay hunched over their small phone screen. The repetitive movement of your thumb as it manipulates the device can cause inflammation in the thumb and hand.

Headaches from Tension in Neck and Back

One of the most common ailments associated with mobile device usage is headaches. These headaches can come from tension in the neck, strained muscled in the back, or overworked muscles through the hand and arm into the shoulder. It can also come from eyestrain caused by staring at the screen for extended amounts of time, looking at tiny text.

There is no doubt that mobile device usage is becoming a serious problem in our society today. While there are the people who text while driving or while walking, posing a significant threat to their own and others’ safety, what they are doing to their own bodies is enough to cause alarm.

Chiropractic care can ease the pain and reverse a good portion of the damage that has been done, but when patients continue with the same bad habits the treatment is only temporary. There needs to be a focused effort made to pull people out of their mobile devices, at least a portion of the time, to minimize the structural spinal damage they are doing to themselves.

TIPS TO HELP TO PREVENT OVER-EATING – PART 1

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Hi, Dr. Kent Ferguson here (click to watch video). Do you commonly find yourself over-eating? Do you sometimes eat everything in sight before you know it? If so you are not alone. One of the most common dietary challenges my patients have is over-eating. In this video I will share with you 2 tips on how to prevent yourself from over-eating.(click to watch video)

  1. SNACK OFTEN

Why is it important to snack often? Well, have you ever arrived to work, sat at your work space, begun your day, look up and it’s time for lunch and you’re very hungry. When you sit down for lunch there is a greater tendency to eat more than you need based on the fact you feel so hungry.  The solution is to snack between meals

Snacking between breakfast and lunch as well as lunch and dinner will help you from over-eating when you sit down to eat a full meal.

  1. Drink Plenty of Water

Why is it important to drink plenty of water? Because the sensation of hunger in the body can often times mean that you are thirsty as well. Most patients I see do not drink enough water on a daily basis. By drinking about 2-3 liters of water per day, based upon your activity levels, you can greatly alter your hunger sensations and reduce your chances of over-eating.

I’m Dr. Kent Ferguson. I hope you have found this information on this video helpful. Please share this information with your family and friends. Please check out our website @ www.ocwc.ca for more information about our clinic and services.

Take care.

Massage as a Medicine for Back Pain

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Often considered a luxury, massage has now been viewed as an alternative form of modern medicine. It has abilities to lessen stress, pain and increase an individual’s wellbeing. The benefits that people are receiving from this are long term, which is attracting more and more people. Massages are given according to each individual’s needs as it can eliminate chronic pains, depression, and insomnia and can speed up sport injuries.

Ultimate relaxation and easing pain are the two basic things that massage does. The benefits that are received during a massage are endless. For over a thousand years, Japan and China have been using it as a method of healing. Today, hospitals in China prescribe their patients massage therapy for a healthy recovery. Slowly but surely, this trend is getting to the United States as doctors have started to recommend massages alongside treatments.

Root of the Pain

The neck and back are one of the most complex structures of the human body. These two parts are prone to injuries and spasms. This can often result into physical and psychological pain. While acute lower back pain can resolve with little or no intercession, chronic pain requires treatment . Chronic lower back pain is pain that lasts for longer than 6 weeks, while acute back pain lasts for less than 6 weeks.

Although, there are many massages that can be done to relieve back pain, the most recommended are circulatory massage and Thai massage.

How It Works

Circulatory Massage

The technique used in circulatory massage relaxes muscles by applying pressure to the right areas of the body. In this massage, the painful areas must be rubbed in the direction the blood flows back toward the heart. There are five types of strokes used in this massage. These include:

  1. Long, smooth strokes
  2. Strokes that are done in a kneading manner
  3. Strokes that are very rhythmic and systematic
  4. Deep, firm and circular strokes
  5. Vibration and vigorous shaking strokes

Thai Massage

The technique used in this massage stretches and pulls the areas of your neck and back.

What It Does

The oils that are used in this massage reduce friction. It improves blood circulation and relieves pain and muscle strain. As it eases muscle pain, insomnia begins to lessen and  endorphins (chemicals that help improve mental health) are released.

Since massage therapy has proven to be effective in reducing pain -without any side effects, it is becoming popular among all cultures. This method provides people with a healthy body and even healthier mind.

Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic offers massage therapy by registered massage therapists. Call 780-455-2112 to book your appointment today.

What Chiropractic Patients Need to Know About Sitting While Working

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Hi, there I’m going to share with you 2 harmful results on a person’s body as a result of sitting at work.(click to watch video)

I’m Dr. Kent Ferguson from Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic. If you want more of this content, subscribe to our clinics You Tube, Facebook or Twitter feed.

Human bodies were not built to sit for long periods of time. Our twenty-first century workplace — working behind a desk, typing on the computer, endless video conferences — unfortunately stacks against us to keep us.

There are four harmful results on a person that stem from sitting at work.

  1. SITTING FOR MANY HOURS EACH DAY TAKES A TOLL ON OUR BACKS.

Working at a desk for many hours a day causes employees to stay in one position for an extended length of time. This puts a great deal of pressure on their backs. Over time, painful back problems can develop and, if left untreated, continue to worsen.

  1. SITTING ALSO TAKES A TOLL ON OUR WAISTLINE.

Obesity is at an all time high in Canada and at least a good chunk of the reason is our sedentary lifestyle. Sitting for a long period (8 or more hours a day) decreases our metabolism, causing us to burn fewer calories. The time at our desks can end up packing on the pounds.

I’m Dr. kent Ferguson from Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic. Don’t forget to like or share this video. Please subscribe to our YouTube, Facebook and/or twitter feed for more.

For more information about clinic and services, check out our website @ www.ocwc.ca . Thanks for watching. Take care.