NeuroKinetics Clinic | Concussion, Trauma, Disability, Pain and Injury Treatments

A Natural Alternative to the Flu Shot Vaccination

November 21, 2013

By Poppi Sabhaney, R.Ac.

With cold and flu season fast approaching, it’s time to think about the flu shot. But this year, make it a safe, natural flu shot from NeuroKinetics Clinic. We are proud to use the homeopathic remedy IMMUNEXX from Viatrrexx, the newest, and premier leading homeopathic flu shot available. All shots are mixed with the highest quality and most bioavailable form of B12, which also boosts your energy and assists with absorption.

This natural injection is a safe and effective alternative or addition to the regular flu shot vaccination. The injection is a combination of homeopathic medicines that activate the immune system against cold and flu viruses without exposing the person to the virus. The medication does not contain deactivated viruses, stabilizers or additives, and is safe for people with sensitivities or egg allergies.

Homeopathic immunization is free of side-effects, it is gentle and highly effective. It can be used by everyone including children, pregnant women or the elderly.

We recommend the following schedule:
• Prevention for a healthy person – 1x per month (October to April) [Recommended]
• Build immunity – 2 to 4x in one month
• During cold and flu outbreaks – 1x per week
• During a cold or flu – 2 to 3x per week
• Once your cold symptoms subside – 1x per week for 3 weeks

We also offer immune-boosting acupuncture treatments too!

We run a flu clinic from October through April, with the first week of every month featuring specials or discounts for that week. For more information or to book an injection please call The NeuroKinetics Clinic at 604-736-3963.

And remember, follow these simple guidelines and you will minimize the risk of catching the cold or flu this winter season:
1. Wash your hands often
2. Stay hydrated
3. Avoid excess sugar
4. Take an immune boosting supplement such as vitamin C, Echinacea, or goldenseal root
5. Get enough Sleep

Stay healthy this winter!

Why you might want to explore options to the standard flu shot

Always a subject of critical debate, there are many reminders, and opinions, about the flu shot. It’s up to you to gather yourself about the alternatives to the standard flu shot vaccination so you can make an informed decision for what is best for you.
The flu vaccine is used by the public each year, but of course some people may have sensitivities and sometimes side-effects to it.

The main issue is usually the issue of the vaccine stabilizing agents, which allow for a long shelf life and durability during shipment around the world. Most vaccines contain formaldehyde, a known cancer causing agent.

And it can also contain a preservative, Thimerosal, a derivative of mercury, which is also known to have serious adverse health effects; one of them being a known neurotoxin linked to brain damage and autoimmune diseases. To see the interaction of mercury and brain neurons check out this video on YouTube.

You might also find aluminum as a common ingredient in the flu shot and this can be concerning as both mercury and aluminum are two toxic heavy metals that have been associated with an increase rates of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other side effects can range from local injection irritation and redness to minor flu-like symptoms including: fever, general malaise, muscle pain, hives, allergic asthma, respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal problems, eye problems, abnormal blood pressure and other circulatory abnormalities.

And vaccines are cultivated on chicken embryo eggs, so if you are sensitive or allergic to chicken or chicken by-products (ie. eggs), you will have to find an alternative for the flu shot.

An uncommon, but alarming reaction that has been associated with the flu vaccine is Guillain-Bare Syndrome (GBS). It affects about every 2-3 people per 100,000 and can occur, most often about 2-4 weeks after the injection. GBS is an immune-mediated nerve disorder characterized by muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, pain and sometimes paralysis of one or more limbs or the face. It is usually self-limiting, but recovery can take several months and can include residual nerve damage and/or disability.
And if you are already immune compromised or deficient, there is always the chance that because you are injecting a material substance into the body and by-passing all the of the body’s natural defense mechanisms that the dosage might actually be too strong for some individuals resulting in a systemic shock which might later arise into an auto-immune disorder response.

Homeopathic immunization is free of side-effects, it is gentle and highly effective. It can be used by everyone including children, pregnant women or the elderly.

Concussion Acupressure Self-Care

October 28, 2013

The usual advice for concussions (and mild traumatic brain injury) is: anti-Inflammatory medication, rest and minimal mental and physical stimulation for a couple of weeks. And for most people with minor concussions this is usually enough, but with the trending nature of multiple concussions being reported and new evidence showing that because the frontal cortex is still developing in children and adolescents, it can have more detrimental and longer lasting effects. It is vital to begin reducing the symptoms of concussion as soon as possible in a safe, gentle and effective way.

Concussion victims can have personality changes and symptoms of fatigue, lack of concentration, insomnia, body pain and headaches that drag on for weeks, month and even years in some cases. Luckily, acupressure can help with reducing inflammation, swelling and other symptoms.

At a time that a person feels the most vulnerable, acupressure can help empower and help speed up concussion recovery in the comfort in your own home or any comfortable space. Whether you have a simple (10-14 day expected recovery) or complex concussion (multiple concussions in a short time or with complications), this acupressure routine can help alleviate some of your symptoms. But remember, it’s not to replace an actual acupuncture session with a qualified medical practitioner or registered acupuncturist.

Treating concussions effectively requires a holistic approach. This is where acupressure shines bright as one of the few manual stimulation therapies that is often overlooked. It’s also great because it allows a concussion sufferer to reduce some or all of the symptoms by themselves when they need to, not when they are able to schedule an appointment.

How to Do the Routine:

Here are a few quick tips on performing acupressure on yourself:

– Before performing acupressure on any of these points, get into a comfortable position where you can easily access all points without effort.

– Begin with the top points and work your way down the body and follow the order of points. You may find a particular point that is extremely effective for one or more of your symptoms, make a note of it for later reference.

– If a point is bilateral (both sides of the body), use both hands if possible to press both points at the same time, but feel if one side is more tender than the other, stimulate just the more tender side for that session.

– Activate points for 30 seconds to 1 minute by pressing gently yet firmly, and remember to breathe normally focusing your breathe towards your abdomen while you press on the point.

– This routine should be done twice a day, once in the morning to prepare and ready yourself for your day, and another perform another round an hour before bedtime. If you feel some of your symptoms come on during the day, you can also do this as you need throughout the day.

The Points In order:

	DU20 – This point is called the meeting of 100 points – place your index fingers at the top of your ears and follow the line going upward until your fingers meet at the top of your head. This point helps with focus and concentration while strengthening your posture.
	GB20 – Great for headaches and tension in the neck – Two thumb widths on either side of the spine, where the base of the skull meets the neck (roughly halfway point between midline and back of the ear).
	GB8 – This point releases tension from the head, especially the parietal and frontal areas – Located two fingers width above the top of the ear in the indent in your scalp.
	LU7 – This point is also very powerful in reducing head related symptoms, but also for breathing issues or tension in the ribcage. Keep your hand with the nail of the thumb up. Move your thumb up and back (away from the palm of your hand), this reveals a depression and move your finger from wrist along the side of your lower arm, until you feel a bone sticking out (about a thumb’s width from it). LU-7 is located on that bone, in between the two tendons you feel there.
	Li4 – On the back of the hand, on the web between thumb and index finger. To locate, squeeze the thumb against the base of the index finger. The point is located on the highest point of the bulge of the muscle, level with the end of the crease. This is a very important and effective point for headaches, eye strain or mental concentration.
	Pc6 – This point helps clear the head and calm nausea – Two finger widths from the wrist crease along the arm in the center of the two tendons.
	St 36 – This is like a vitamin shot for the body for general tonification. Located on the front of the leg, one hand width (four fingers) below the kneecap, on the outside, in the depression between the shinbone and the leg muscle.
	Liv3 – If you feel upset, irritable or frustrated, this point is excellent for dispersing these emotions. On the foot, on the line between the big toe and the second toe. The point is located about 3 finger widths from the edge of the toes towards the ankle in the depression the size of a fingertip you can feel there.
	Sp6 – A very good point for Insomnia, headache, and dizziness. On the inside of the lower leg, one hand width (four fingers) above the tip of the ankle bone, on the back of the shin bone.
	Kd1 – A great point for bringing down excess energy that might be rising to the top of the body, excellent for grounding – Located on the sole of the foot, in the middle depression just past the ball of the foot where it begins the arch.

Generally this is a very safe procedure, but if you are pregnant, please consult your local Registered Acupuncturist or Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner as some points maybe contraindicated during pregnancy.

We hope that these acupressure self-care tips help you in your recovery. If you have further questions or would like to work with qualified practitioners, please contact us at info@neurokinetics.com.

The NeuroKinetics Clinic offers Registered Acupuncturists specializing in concussion recovery. The clinic blends both Eastern and Western medicine – acupuncture and neuroscience – to assist you to achieve results in your recovery from a concussion or other head injury.

Shawn Poppi Sabhaney is a Registered Acupuncturist and NADA Specialist located in Vancouver, BC. He is the past president of the TCMABC and a current board member of the ATCMA. When not seeing patients he enjoys running obstacle courses and teaches meditation.

Youth Concussion Clinics Opening in USA

May 9, 2013

It is good to see that there has been an increasing awareness of the dangers of concussions, but, for the most part, there is not currently much which can be provided by the standard medical approaches either for assessments or treatment. An excellent article about concussions by the New York Times reviews the current needs and challenges, and the many new youth concussion clinics which have been opening up in the USA due to the increased demand. However they don’t yet have much to offer. The mainline advice of seeking rest until the symptoms go away, and then slowly get active again is still what they still recommend.

The NeuroKinetics Clinic provides a medical treatment for concussion which addresses the underlying issues, and the athlete does not have to wait for months for symptoms to, maybe, go away by themselves. The treatment also reduces the risk of repeat concussions due to reduced spatial perception which can be a symptom from the earlier concussions.

Prevent Falls: Keep Balance Controls Healthy

February 23, 2011

By Philippe A. Souvestre, MD & Mick Matheusik, M.Sc
Posted: Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Source: Senior Living Magazine – Special Home Edition – February, 2011 – http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/prevent-falls

According to the famous Wilkins retrospective study in 1999, falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older Canadians: the sixth leading cause of death. One in three people over 65 years old and one in two aged 85 or over fall each year, and about half of these falls involve fractures.

Non-fatal falls cause physical trauma, fear of walking and physical degeneration from immobility, loss of independence and having to leave one’s home. This impacts the victim, the family, the health-care system and society. Falls cost Canadians $3 billion annually. Fall prevention would be a major step toward enhancing mobility, letting people stay in their homes while saving health-care costs. Avoiding falls and accidents are a key part of remaining active.

Conventional medicine mainly offers damage control in the form of drugs (with their side-effects), surgery (often with serious consequences) and physical therapies. None of these measures addresses the source of falling. A revolutionary approach pioneered by NeuroKinetics, however, stops the cause of falling; the fundamental factors that underlie it relates to the health of the sensory-motor (input-output) areas of the brain. This approach intervenes only at the level of the brain and works as long as there is no actual brain tissue damage, but only neural pathway dysfunction.

Both fall proneness and falling reflect the same condition dominated by a loss of postural balance always combined with many other physical, cognitive, emotional, intellectual and behavioural symptoms. These include pain, stiffness, vertigo, balance and dizziness disorders, transient blurry vision, anxiety, mental concentration and short-term memory issues, co-ordination issues, sleep disorders and fatigue, depression/irritability, and reduced tolerance for other sensory data (for example, hypersensitivities), leading to a loss of balance control. Loss of equilibrium can occur either instantly, as when tripping, having a stroke, or gradually over a long period. Emotional or physical trauma can cause acute or lasting, deteriorating changes in the brain’s ability to process incoming stimuli and adapt appropriately by maintaining upright orientation. This slow decline in the brain’s functional ability to adapt and effectively sustain vertical posture and gait appears in the form of fall proneness.

The usefulness of posture, gait, and balance testing is typically overlooked or at best, generalized in mainstream care, at least in Canada for the general population other than professional athletes or other specialized occupations such as pilots and astronauts. However, detailed assessments identify difficulties, which allow safe standing and fall prevention. The causes of difficulty in walking, decreased range of motion, weakness, slower reaction time in co-ordination and body adjustments, increased stiffness and muscles spasms/tension, postural pain, a decrease in brain processing ability are all assessed and then can be addressed with specific treatments.

The important message here, which bears repeating, is that fall proneness does not begin with the feet; it begins within the central nervous system, that is, the brain and spinal cord. Conventional medicine treats the peripheral symptoms and may not address the cause, which is brain dysfunction. The good news is that there is a way of stopping fall proneness by restoring the function of the brain controls in the relevant areas.

Continure reading more on Falls and How to Prevent

Other than the traditional external factors … (e.g. improved lighting, grab bars, non-slip floors, removing obstacles, added personal assistance, etc.) that are typically incorporated by occupational therapists, home care workers and/or family members, having an active lifestyle significantly decreases the risk of falls (assuming a healthy brain). Underlying this is training in sensory motor skills with a qualified health-care provider and incorporating basic balance enhancing activities such as:

* Walking as briskly as possible while breathing deeply, alternating with slow pace walks in the same session. The ideal is to walk at least one hour every day. The time can be broken up throughout the day and still be effective. Studies show that walking regularly decreases falls by 50 per cent.

* Stretching increases both flexibility and strength; ideally 20 minutes, two times per day. Head, neck, and back (bending), hips, ankles, shoulders, arms – rotation, flexion, extension.

* Attention to posture – for example, avoid lying in bed with head bent against pillow watching TV. Be aware to stand up straight.

* Enhance space perception – activities such as walking, dancing, breathing, stretching and tai chi are all effective.

* Exercise visual perception – move eyes open, and then closed, in all directions of vision. This can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. Eye direction affects balance lean.

* Promote efficient breathing – deep breathing exercises while walking or other activity. Increases heart-lung performance and improves oxygen in the blood, which also assists with brain function.

* Drink plenty of water or other non-diuretic fluids. The brain contains a higher percentage of water than the rest of the body.

* Exercise the mind with precision. Puzzles, building models, activities requiring fine-tune dexterity, sequencing and playing or even listening to music are examples.

This is a multi-system approach as the balance control system is complex. Balance control requires a combination of both physical and mental function. The important point is to select the level of activities that are compatible with one’s abilities. Remember the old adage of “Use it or lose it.”

If these lifestyle tips do not improve balance health, then there may be an underlying health condition that needs to be addressed.

For more information, visit the following websites:

www.braintrustcanada.com/resources

www.homeinstead.com

www.NurseNextDoor.com

www.wecare.ca

www.taoist.org/vancouver

www.neurokinetics.com

Source: Senior Living Magazine – Special Home Edition – February, 2011 http:http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/prevent-falls