Author: KIHC

Engage your Heart-Mind

Please see our entire May e-newsletter, Reversing Heart Disease, here.

by Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS

Our heart can be both the strongest and the most tender organ in our body.

On the strong side of things, according to standard calculations the entire volume of blood within the circulatory system is pumped by the heart each minute (at rest). During vigorous exercise, the cardiac output can increase up to 7 fold (35 liters/minute). That means a healthy heart pumps about 4-5L of blood through approx. 97km of blood vessels in our body in about 1min. The heart is responsible for keeping activity happening in a crucial way and needs to be kept functional and tuned-up. The brain uses approximately twenty percent of the body’s blood and needs twenty-five percent of the body’s oxygen supply to function optimally. Rejuvenating activity helps keep blood oxygen levels up.

On the tender side of things, our heart is exposed to every strong to nuanced emotion that passes through our body, that changes our hormone levels, nervous system signals, influences how our organs are functioning, how tense our muscles are etc., and how our heart is responding to it all. The heart, and more accurately, the heart-mind, is the epicentre of us. It’s just that we give more of our attention to our minds, mistakenly believing that it alone is ‘running the show’.

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Osteopathy’s Role in the Management of Heart Disease

Please see our entire May e-newsletter, Reversing Heart Disease, here.

by Graham Wiltshire, CAT(C), CSCS, DOMP (Thesis Writer)

As most of my patients know I am currently knee deep in my research to complete my thesis for the Canadian College of Osteopathy, the last step in my osteopathic education. I am working with researchers from Queens University, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Hotel Dieu Hospital and Cardiologist Dr. Stephen LaHaye, to determine if osteopathy can improve the ability to exercise for people diagnosed with heart disease.

Osteopathy has been shown to benefit patients with a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.

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Qigong: July/August

with Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS
10am to 11:15am, at KIHC

$75 for the 7 week series on Mondays: July 8th to August 26th (no class Civic Holiday Monday, August 5th), and/or
$65 for the 6 week series on Fridays: July 12th to August 30th (no class August 2nd or 9th)

“I will be teaching a series of seemingly gentle flowing exercises, that in fact through Qigong provide many health benefits for our bodies and also for our mental, emotional, and spirit health. Classes provide an active and dynamic forum for strengthening your physical healing capacity. You will learn about the body, breath, energy and meditative mind. You are welcome to sign up for Mondays, Fridays or both days.”

Community Acupuncture @ KIHC!

Ever wondered what acupuncture is like? Are you in pain, feeling down, irritable, not sleeping, always sick, stressed, trying to quit smoking, experiencing difficulties with digestion, unable to focus…acupuncture can help! In fact, acupuncture can help with most health concerns…please don’t be shy, drop-by and ask me!

Beginning May 27th every Monday from 4:30pm-6:30pm,

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High Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Put Me at Risk of… Dementia? Really?

Most patients associate having high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugars with their risk of having a heart attack, stroke or developing type 2 diabetes. A fascinating new look at some old data from the famous Framingham study has found that these risk factors also accurately predict the 10 year risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. Some symptoms of cognitive decline could include forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions, trouble making decisions or irrational thoughts and emotions.

Another 2013 study in Sweden took these findings further by following approximately 500 women at high risk of a heart attack or stroke, as determined by the Framingham risk assessment. This assessment takes into account blood pressure, cholesterol levels, age and smoking. Some of the women in the study were treated with 81mg aspirin per day.

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Mindfulness Meditation

Facilitated by Jocelyne Leyton, DOMP

4 Tuesdays, April 9th to 30th OR 3 Tuesdays, June 11th to 25th
7pm to 8:45pm

$80 for the 4 week course / $60 for the 3 week course ~ Maximum 10 participants

Mindful awareness helps us to better understand ourselves and find peace amid the ups and downs of life.

Jocelyne is an experienced Mindfulness Meditation instructor. She maintains an Osteopathy practice here at KIHC.

For more information about Mindfulness Meditation, please see our educational brochure on our website, here.

Healthy Memory Program

Facilitated by Occupational Therapist Megan Edgelow, BSc(OT), MSc(RHBS), OT Reg.(Ont.)

This program is based on leading research from the Baycrest Centre for Brain Fitness.

Wednesdays 9:30-11:30am for 5 weeks at KIHC
May 22-June 19 OR August 7-September 4
$150 for the 5-week series, registration includes a participant workbook

To register, call Megan Edgelow at 613-331-1449, or email healthymemorykingston@gmail.com

Designed for people 50+, this 5-week program is intended to answer your questions about memory and aging:

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Qigong: Spring into Summer (May/June)

with Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS
10am to 11:15am, at KIHC
$65 for the 6 week series

6 Mondays: May 13th to June 24th (no class Victoria Day), and/or
6 Fridays: May 24th to June 28th

“I will be teaching a series of seemingly gentle flowing exercises, that in fact through Qigong provide many health benefits for our bodies and also for our mental, emotional, and spirit health. Classes provide an active and dynamic forum for strengthening your physical healing capacity. You will learn about the body, breath, energy and meditative mind. You are welcome to sign up for Mondays, Fridays or both days.”

Poor dental health is linked to…. Breast Cancer?

Dr. Jennifer Wheeler, ND

In 2011 a provocative new study from Sweden was released that made headlines. The study followed over 3000 women from 1985 to 2001, examining for rates of breast cancer, periodontal disease and missing molars. They found a higher rate of breast cancer in those with periodontal disease and even higher rates in those women with missing molars! While the exact link is not yet known, there are a few suspected causes.

Periodontal disease is a condition where chronic gum inflammation causes receding gums, which can lead to loss of teeth. We know that this condition causes chronic inflammation due to toxins produced by the bacteria living in inflamed gums or in infected teeth. A 2010 study in China found that chronic periodontal disease led to genetic changes to the DNA

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Jaw Pain: A Massage Therapy Perspective

Joel Ackerman, RMT

Anyone who has had, or been around someone experiencing jaw discomfort, knows that it is no laughing matter. It is a class of pain unto itself, and it makes perfect sense, since we use our mouths more or less constantly throughout our day. Talking, biting and chewing our food, yawning, and most of our facial expressions all involve significant work by our mouth and jaw muscles. Not surprisingly, some of these muscles are among the strongest muscles in our body. So what happens when these muscles get sore?

You may be surprised to hear that massage therapy is a VERY effective way to deal with sore jaw muscles. Often referred to as TMJ pain (much easier to say than ‘Temporomandibular Joint’), TMJ dysfunction is fairly common, and can arise for a variety of reasons. Your TMJ is just in front of your ear, and where your lower jaw articulates with your skull. Teeth grinding, trauma (like a blow to the jaw, especially with the mouth open), improper positioning of the teeth, postural issues, and even prolonged dental work can all cause TMJ dysfunction. Interestingly though, apart from some serious dental work (i.e. having your mouth open for an hour or more at a time!), or some stress-related teeth grinding, the most common contributing factor to TMJ pain is tight neck muscles! When our necks our tight,

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We respectfully acknowledge that Kingston Integrated Healthcare is situated on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. Since time immemorial they have cared for these lands and waters, and we are grateful. We recognize that a healthy environment is essential to the wellbeing of all people and all life.


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