PNHC

The 12 Days of Giveaways 2021

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It’s back!! We are putting on another year of “The 12 days of Giveaways”. We invite you to participate in these draws whether you are a patient or not of the clinic. Please see below for the details and rules of our giveaways.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Enter our Facebook contest for the 12 days of giveaways by finding Plattsville Natural Health Clinic (https://www.facebook.com/PlattsvilleNaturalHealthClinic/ ) on Facebook! We will be giving away a gift every day for 12 days, all you need to do is like the Facebook page, share the post of the day (It will be posted after 9:00am), and comment on the post. All three of these need to be done for a valid entry, and all steps need to be completed before 9:00pm that day.

The dates for this contest are as follows: December 6-10, 2021; December 13-17, 2021; and December 20-22, 2021.

Please note that you must be a resident of Ontario Canada, residing between London Ontario and Guelph Ontario. You also must be able to claim your prize by coming directly to Plattsville Natural Health Clinic to pick it up within 3 days of being notified that you have won. You must also contact the clinic after being contacted regarding your win to confirm that you accept the draw prize. If you do not contact us within 24 hours of being notified of your win, the draw prize will be given to a subsequent winner. The prize is also not transferable or redeemable for the cash equivalent.

Thank you for the support over this last year and we look forward to providing alternative health care to the Plattsville and surrounding areas for years to come.

From all of us at Plattsville Natural Health Clinic, we want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

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.

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.

How to Cope with Stress in a Pandemic

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With recent discussions of a “Second-Wave” for the COVID-19 Pandemic, I think it is safe to say that everyone is getting a bit fed up with all of this pandemic talk. However, we at PNHC feel it is important to help patients by giving some strategies on how to cope with the stress.

What is Stress?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, Stress can be defined as, “a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.; something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety; a physical force or pressure”. I think it goes without saying that all of us have experienced stress from the COVID-19 Pandemic. The pandemic is not what anyone expected or prepared for when they determined their plans for the year 2020. We have all had to adjust quickly, and its possible, that we still have not adjusted. Without optimal coping techniques, it can be difficult for many to manage comfortably through all of the chaos that our world is currently going through. We hope that this blog would offer some different ways to cope.

Ways to Cope with Stress at Home

Unfortunately, during these uncertain times, there is a lot outside of our control. We cannot control the state of affairs at any governmental level, and we cannot control for what others do or how they act. This is where I (Dr. Elisha Cook ND) would normally say to my patients that it is important that you focus on the things you can control – your thoughts, your actions, your behaviour, your attitude, and frankly where you put your hope. In addition to focusing on these areas, I also find it useful to use tools that remind you of what you actually can control for. No one answer provides a suitable option for everyone and their coping needs. As a result, I have provided examples below of healthy ways to cope with stress:

  • Journaling – options might include focusing on gratitude, lessons that can be learned from difficult points in a day, or good and bad highlights from the day.
  • Breathing – in particular deep breathing, though this may prove to be difficult for those with respiratory diseases.
  • Exercise – exercise can act as a great way to release any excess tensions in a healthy and constructive way.
  • Talking to others – sharing your more intimate thoughts and concerns with someone is helpful with working through stress. It is important to recognize that you are not alone and you have individuals who can help whether that is loved ones or health care providers. It is okay to open up to others about how you are feeling.
  • Praying or Meditating – both of these have very similar outcomes and they help an individual to become grounded and refocus on what really matters.
  • Take time for self care – Give yourself time for you and do something that brings you joy. This might include taking a bath, getting a massage, or getting lost in a book.
  • Distraction through changing your scenary – changing the task you are doing, if applicable, can help you to redirect your focus from a problem, and might look like engaging in a favourate hobby.  
  • Pet Therapy – if you have a family pet at home, spend some time with them as this can help to reduce blood pressure and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
  • Adopt healthy sleep routines – having a routine around bed, adopting a consistent bed time, and engagine in relaxing activities prior to bed can help you sleep better and thereby cope better with stress.

The next time you are feeling stressed, and need to find a healthier way to cope with your stress, take the time to explore these options and find what works best for you.

What NOT To-Do To Cope with Stress

As foreshadowed, there are some coping mechanisms that are less than ideal when trying to cope with stress. Below I have provided a few examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms:

  • Binge eating
  • Drinking
  • Avoidance
  • Gambling excessively
  • Smoking
  • Using elicit drugs
  • Isolating yourself from others who can help

Therapies that can help with stress

There are many different things that can be done to help someone to cope with stress. Many alternative medicine therapies can be beneficial for helping to promote the parasympathetic nervous system which is in charge of relaxing and resting. Some therapies that might be useful to help you to cope with stress depending on your specific case and needs include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Massage Therapy
  • Counselling
  • Nutraceutical Medicine
  • Botanical Medicine
  • Reflexology

Each individual is different, and so there is no one treatment that would be good for everyone. So, choose the treatment that is less intimidating and feels right for you.  

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 stress 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! 

This article was written by Dr. Elisha Cook ND