PNHC is Now Offering Foot Care!

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We at Plattsville Natural Health Clinic (PNHC) have heard the requests and have answered! We are now able to provide foot care through Sarah McDonald PSW – Foot Care Provider! Sarah has been a part of our team for quite some time as one of our amazing medical administrators, and we are so glad that we can allow her to use more of her talents and skills to aid our community. Sarah has been practicing as a Personal Support Worker and foot care provider for 19 years, and is excited to continue to help our community through the foot care services she can offer.    

Our foot care services currently include:

  • Nail Cleaning
  • Nail Trimming
  • Nail Filing
  • Moisturizing
  • Reduction of Corns and Calluses
  • Checking and monitoring for any inflammation, bruising, cuts, redness or blisters.

Sarah McDonald PSW will document and refer for any issues or concerns outside of the scope of her practice, which currently includes individuals diagnosed with diabetes or onychomycosis. We are optimistic that Sarah will be able to expand her scope once COVID-19 restrictions lift and she is able to pursue the appropriate training.

Book an appointment with Sarah McDonald PSW and see how she can help you with your health care needs, and help you achieve your health care goals.

To learn more about Sarah, please see the Foot Care tab of our website.

Earthing/Grounding

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Blog Written by Dr Elisha Cook ND

If you are a patient of mine, you may have heard me explain this concept. In all reality, what comes to mind when someone uses these words is “hippy”, “Tree-hugger”, and “New – Age”; when the concepts are much more advanced than that.

Earthing or Grounding is described as the act connecting the body with the earth to cause a grounding or electrically balanced state. Ultimately, it revolves around grounding physics, similar to when we think about electricity in our home and grounding it. The intention of earthing or grounding is really for therapeutic gain. You might ask how reconnecting with the earth would cause any health benefits, but there is a fair amount of research that shows that this type of exercise can prove to be physiologically advantageous (i.e. it’s good for your health!).

What are the Health Benefits of Earthing or Grounding?

When we look at the research behind earthing or grounding, we see some pretty remarkable changes to ones physiology.

  • Changes in white blood cells (immune system) (1)
  • Changes in cytokines (inflammation) (1)
  • Reduces blood viscosity and clumping (Cardiovascular) (2)
  • Reduces cortisol (stress hormone) (3)
  • Normalizes circadian rhythm (sleep) (3)
  • Improves circulation (4)
  • Mobilizes glucose and muscular uptake (Energy exertion and recovery) (5)

These physiological changes can translate to

  • Reduced muscle soreness onset post injury (1)
  • Reduced pain (1)
  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular events (2)
  • Reduced Stress (3)
  • Improved Sleep (3)
  • Improved Mood (6)
  • Increased Relaxation (6)
  • Improved energy with physical exertion (5)

How can I Earth or Ground?

When we say “reconnecting” with the earth, many would believe that this is a weird or exhaustive process when in all reality there are some very ways to reconnect with the earth that might actually already be apart of your everyday life.

  • Walking barefoot in the grass
  • Standing bare foot in the grass
  • Lying with skin exposed on the ground
  • Swimming in a pond, river, lake, ocean, etc.
  • Having a shower
  • Washing your hands

I will often suggest to patients that really any amount of time is better than nothing. The research is pretty mixed on the length of time needed to produce a benefit, but again, anything is better than nothing. 

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in any of the above therapies to help you work through your health concerns and are wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

References:

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James_Oschman/publication/274644091_The_effects_of_grounding_earthing_on_inflammation_the_immune_response_wound_healing_and_prevention_and_treatment_of_chronic_inflammatory_and_autoimmune_diseases/links/555b14d708ae6fd2d8286cd1.pdf
  2. http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2011.0820
  3. “The effect of earthing (grounding) on human physiology”. Gaetan Chevalier, Kazuhito Mori, and James L. Oshman. European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics Jan 31 2006; 600-621.
  4. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=58836
  5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zbigniew_Jastrzebski/publication/302590367_Earthing_modulates_glucose_and_erythrocytes_metabolism_in_exercise/links/5731e05a08ae298602da2942.pdf
  6. http://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2016/undergraduate/15/

Introducing Christa Bakker Registered Holistic Nutritionist to the PNHC team!

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We are excited to continue to grow at Plattsville Natural Health Clinic (PNHC) and be able to provide you with more beneficial services to help you achieve optimal health. We would like to welcome Christa Bakker Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) to our team. Christa is quite the little super woman, keeping herself busy with multiple entrepreneur ventures and a busy family, but as a result has been able to integrate convenient ways to have a healthy diet for busy families/individuals. To learn more about holistic nutrition or Christa, see more details below. Better yet, contact the clinic to book your initial consult with Christa!

Registered Holistic Nutrition

A registered holistic nutritionist provides valuable support and education on everything involving proper nutrition. The process begins with an initial consult where you will review pertinent health, medical, lifestyle and nutrition history. With this information, a registered holistic nutritionist cultivates a meal plan that works for you. With these resources, your registered holistic nutritionist will check in with you, coach you, and support you as you walk out your nutrition journey.

At Plattsville Natural Health Clinic, Christa Bakker RHN is eager to help you through this nutritional journey. Christa offers customized meal plans to fit your lifestyle or generic meal plans for various concerns such as bone health and brain health.

Fees

Initial Session – 60 minutes – $90 +HST

At the Initial Session, we will review your health, medical, lifestyle, and nutrition history. You will leave with a customized nutrition plan that includes (as appropriate):

·      Nutrition education

·      Lifestyle recommendations

·      Physical activity recommendations

·      Specific tasks to focus on until the next session to help you achieve your goals

Follow-up Session – 30 minutes – $45+HST

At the first follow-up session, we will review your 3-day customized meal plan together to help you stay motivated, accountable, and inspired! You will leave each session with more knowledge about food and nutrition, as well as tools to help you see results.

Subsequent follow-up sessions are typically booked every 2 to 4 weeks. We will review your progress, celebrate your successes, and problem-solve with you to overcome challenges. Your nutrition prescription will be modified as needed, and you will receive ongoing education, accountability, and support. 

7-day Meal Plans $55+HST

This option doesn’t require a session with Christa. The meal plan will be sent to your email inbox. The 7-day Meal plans include the recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; a complete grocery list as well as a meal prep plan. Choose from the following:

·      Optimal Brain Health Meal Plan

·      Bone Health Meal Plan

About Christa Bakker RHN

Christa believes it is important to nourish the whole person and to genuinely and effectively care for ourselves, through the food we eat and the thoughts we think. “When we feel well, we are better able to manage the stressors in our life. And there will always be stressors! Together we can come up with strategy to make healthy eating easy and satisfying.”

Christa graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2019. Originally, she began the program to better understand the health issues she was experiencing.  It has turned into a passion to feed her family wholesome foods and educate those around her of the health benefits of nourishing our bodies as well as our minds. Christa loves to spend time in her vegetable gardens and help on their family farm.

For more information on holistic nutrition or to book an appointment with Christa, contact us today!

PNHC and New COVID-19 Pandemic Update

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As per the Ontario government announcement on January 12, 2021 and the instituting of the “Stay-At-Home Order”, the government has asked everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, which includes accessing health care services (including chiropractic, massage, naturopathic, and pedorthic care).

We remain open to offer the majority of our health care services during this time. We do ask, as always, that you continue to come to your appointments only if you feel well, and engage in measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 (wearing a mask to your visit, social distancing in office where possible, and washing/sanitizing your hands).  Remember to let us know if you will not be able to attend your appointment.

Our commitment to reducing the spread of COVID-19 remains the same, as we, as a clinic continue to operate in a safe way, which includes:

  • Cleaning and disinfecting all high contact surfaces and between every patient encounter
  • Washing and sanitizing hands
  • Requiring all practitioners and patients to wear masks at all times
  • Screening all practitioners and staff
  • Screening all patients prior to and at the time of their appointment
  • Limiting the number of individuals in the waiting area so as to comply with social distancing
  • Having practitioners wear face shields or safety glasses where possible
  • Having some of our staff work from home where possible
  • Practicing within all of our colleges scope of practice

We will continue to update you if there are any changes to practice, but at this time we remain open and able to serve you. If you do not feel comfortable physically coming to your appointment, your practitioner may be able to offer assistance virtually depending on your concerns.

If you do need support or care, please do not suffer in silence and reach out to us to book at appointment at 226-232-7665 (call or text) or contact us through the contact portion of this website.

Thank you from all of us at PNHC for your continued support, for doing your part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and for helping our clinic to keep everyone safe. Please stay safe.