Ask The Professionals ROSS PHYSIOTHERAPY SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES Win a coupon for 50% off a Happy Ad with every question submitted For the Professionals by March 26th, 2010. features@independentfreepress.com or call 905-877-0301 ext. 237 29 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, March 25, 2010 DR. ANOOP SAYAL Family and Cosmetic Dentistry FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY Anne Wilcox MSc, OT Reg. (Ont) Practical solutions for peak performance MANON DULUDE Theresa Portelli, B.Sc. Phm. located in Georgetown Marketplace Mall DR. ANOOP SAYAL How old would you say children should be for their first dental exam? Five or Six? In years past, it was rare for a child to see a dentist before five or six years old. Would most dentists agree that is too long to wait? Occupational Therapist anne.wilcox@cogeco.ca 905-873-9393 905-873-7677 318 Guelph St., Georgetown Indoor Mall next to Harveys H.B.Sc. PT, MCPA, res.CAMT WWW.FORGECOACHINGANDCONSULTING.COM INFO@FORGECOACHINGANDCONSULTING.COM Open until Midnight 7 days a week Georgetown Marketplace 905-877-2291 (905) 877-CARE (2273) 905-702-3646 (cell) 905-702-9320 (fax) Serving the Halton Hills community for over 15 years "Occupational Therapy: Skills for the job of living" Q: A: I am dissatisfied with my life and don't know what I want. How can a coach help me clarify what I want for my future? Q: A: When asked about what it is they want, many find themselves with an empty wish list. There are all sorts of reasons and excuses why individuals stop dreaming and wishing for what they want. Lack of vision, confidence, and negative personal beliefs are some of the challenges which interfere with creating a fulfilling life. I often meet individuals who do not have a clear vision for their future. Whether they scaled down their vision and eventually let go of it due to failures and discouragement or they had achieved their goals and did not think of setting new ones, many are left with little direction and fall into an unchallenging routine. The unfortunate impact of an unchallenging routine can be a sense of boredom and futility. When individuals are in that state of mind, they sometimes make poor choices in an attempt to shake the boredom they live. Coaching is a process meant to assist one to look beyond their self-imposed limits where an exciting life vision, goals and "WANTS" have a place. Your coach will; challenge your mindset, invite you to redesign a comprehensive life vision, set goals, and take control of your personal, professional and financial future. Coaching assists you in breaking down your vision into manageable steps and keeps you focus on working through them. Your coach will emotionally support you and encourage you to creatively overcome your obstacles. Whether you want to take your business or career to the next level, reach a particularly challenging personal goal, or plan the next phase of your life, working with a coach is an effective approach to achieving personal clarity and success. Your coach will get you through the foggy patches and keep you inspired to stay the course. Manon Dulude is a Certified Professional Coach with the International Coach Federation. She works with individuals and businesses. She can be reached at 905 873 9393. I cannot sleep at night due to pain; I can manage all my daily activities without problem but as soon as I lay down I toss and turn all night what is wrong? Sleep quality and quantity is essential in life. Occasionally our sleep position, pillow and/ or mattress can be the problem. However, very often it is the activities or postures we use throughout the day that have a huge impact on our sleep quality. Inflammation is a component of pain that is present all day; however our other body systems are also rapidly working all day which can minimize the pain levels. At night when we settle into bed, everything slows does; however, the inflammatory response in your body continues to be active, causing pain and not allowing you to sleep. A physiotherapist in discussion with you and with a physical assessment can help you determine the cause of your night pain and provide strategies in the form of home remedies and hands on treatment to assist you in getting a good night sleep. Q: I have been told that I need to be careful with my feet? Why is that? Q: Q: high blood glucose (sugar) levels in A:The people with diabetes can, over a period of time, damage the nerves to the feet and the small blood vessels to the feet, resulting in poor blood circulation and impaired feeling in the feet. This can put people with diabetes at risk for neuropathy (nerve damage) and infection in the feet. Signs of problems with feet could include: - change in skin colour - change of skin temperature - swollen feet or ankles - painful legs or feet - ingrown toenails - sores that do not heal or heal slowly - loss of feeling or burning/tingling in the feet It is important to check your feet daily for any of these changes, wash and dry your feet daily, wear shoes that fit well and use a lotion only on your heels and soles, not between toes. Do not cut away any corns, calluses or warts yourself or use any acids on your feet. Even using hot water bottle or heating pad could damage your feet if you cannot feel how hot it is! Never walk barefoot or wear tight socks. Be sure to see a foot specialist for regular foot care and especially if you notice any changes in your feet. Prevention is the key to healthy feet. Several years ago, when I was struggling with a health issue, I became depressed and anxious, so my doctor put me on drugs for that, too. I'm still taking those pills, but I'd like to wean myself off them. There must be other things I can do to help me cope. I want to be more in control of my life, and not depend on pills. How can you help me? A: Today, most dentists recommend the first dental exam to be scheduled around the age of two. Because not all the teeth are present, this visit is mostly a consultation. Parents can ask questions about their child's teeth. The dentist can also show how to best clean the infant's teeth and advise the parents on the best dietary habits for their child's optimum development. This visit also helps the child to realize the dental office isn't something fear. As the child gets older, it is important that the parents not discuss their own negative experiences with dentists. Questions should be answered truthfully and with a positive attitude. Modern day dentistry is much better than when we were children. Keeping your children's teeth healthy begins with timely visits to your dentist. A: I understand your motivation to be less dependent on mood control drugs by taking matters into your own hands. People often sense these medications are addictive or at least habit-forming, and don't want to take them for what feels like forever. That's especially unsettling for people who have lived virtually drug-free lives. Sometimes, the side effects of such drugs make people want to stop taking them. Some people believe that the drugs are adding to their problems, not solving them: insomnia and sleep disruption, gastro-intestinal upset, dry mouth, mood deadening and flu-like symptoms are not easy to manage, let alone give ourselves willingly. So, there is a temptation to stop taking the drugs. DON'T. The side effects of rapid withdrawal from the SSRIs, benzodiazepines and even the NaSSA class of anxiolitic medications can be serious. A gradual and slow reduction in dose may be warranted, but only with two things in place: your doctor's direct supervision and your mastery of alternative coping strategies. What strategies? Research shows that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) leads to longlasting positive benefits, with reductions in the severity (how bad you feel) and frequency (how often you feel bad) of symptoms. Call me. We can identify your problems, begin CBT, understand what's going on and develop customized strategies that work for you to help you better manage the stressors of your life. PROFESSIONALS Lea Tufford M.A., RMFT. WANTED 905-702-7891 www.dizzyhelper.com Jenni Veneruz PT 211 Guelph St., Ste #5, Georgetown L7G 5B5 905-873-8400 Karen 905-873-3103 333 Mountainview Road South Georgetown, Ontario L7G 6E8 Therapist Q: to inform our readers & answer their questions I was admitted to the hospital with severe dizziness, vomiting and dehydration. My doctor diagnosed me with labyrinthitis. I am back at home now but still feel off balance and have blurry vision. What can I do? Labyrinthitis is usually a viral infection in the semi circular canals of the inner ear. It comes on suddenly, without warning and can induce severe, constant vertigo, acute hearing loss, nausea and vomiting. Admission to the hospital is common secondary to dehydration. Once the constant vertigo and vomiting has stopped people are usually left with symptoms of imbalance, blurry vision and a sense that they are on a "rocky boat". A physiotherapist with training in vestibular rehab can give simple exercises to eliminate these problems. The exercises will help other systems compensate and help to retrain the inner ear. www.haltonspeech.com MacKenzie-Stepner 416-524-3010 Lea Tufford Q: A: My 4 1/2 year old daughter has difficulty with her grammar, particularly "he" and "she". She continues to use the words "him" and "her" in place of "he" and "she". Should I be concerned? Should I make an appointment to see a Speech Language Pathologist? www.eramosaphysio.com Office in Georgetown Q: A: My doctor diagnosed me with frozen shoulder. What is frozen shoulder and will physiotherapy help? A: Contact Special Features to find out about our booking specials 905-873-0301, ext. 237 features@ independentfreepress.com Between the ages of 4 and 5, most children develop many of the adult grammatical structures. Their vocabulary is between 1500 and 2000 words and they are beginning to use complex sentences. Their personal pronouns such as "I", "you", "he", "she", and "they", as well as possessive pronouns such as "mine", "your", "his", "her" and "their" should also be established. Children should also be able to use present, past and future tense verbs. However some of the irregular past-tense verbs such as "He drank the water" and "He saw a bird", may take a little longer. Children should be using the copulas "is" and "are" correctly by age 4 in sentences containing a present-tense verb. (e.g. He is drinking water.) Children should also be able to use contractions such as "it's" and "there's" by the age of 4. Prepositions such as "under", "beside" and "behind" are developing and should be in place by age 4 1/2. If your daughter has difficulty with several of these grammatical structures, an assessment by a Speech-Language Pathologist is warranted. Please feel free to call our Centre for further information or visit our website at www.haltonspeech.com. Also known as Adhesive Capsulitis, it is a condition where the tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes inflamed and stiff. As the condition persists, adhesions (abnormal bands of tissue) cause restriction of shoulder movement and considerable pain. Pain can be constant and disturb sleep. There is no known cause of Adhesive Capulitis, but those at risk include indiviuals with diabetes, stroke, connective tissue disease, heart disease, trauma or lung disease. The condition progresses through three main stages: 1) The Freezing Phase: This stage usually lasts any where from 3 to 9 months and is characterized by a slow onset of constant pain that is worse at night and at rest. It is also accompained by a reduction in shoulder movement. 2) The Frozen Phase: This stage can last from 4 to 9 months and is characterized by a reduction in pain, but stiffness in the shoulder remains. 3) The Thawing Phase: This stage lasts 5 to 26 months and is characterized by a reduction in pain and a return to normal shoulder range of motion. Physiotherapy Management of Adhesive Capsulitis in the first stage involves gentle stretching execises to maintain range of motion and modalities such as heat, TENS and acupunture to reduce pain. During the second stage, pain management is still the focus, but more aggressive stretching and exercises can be performed to improve mobility. In the third stage the therapy includes pain management and stretching, but there is more of a focus on strengthening and Return to Function! Q:Do I gamble too much? A: For most people gambling is a recreational activity and involves taking the chance of losing something of value (most often money). Gambling comes in many forms: purchasing lottery tickets, betting at racetracks, playing in bingo halls, internet or online gambling, or engaging in stock speculation. Some people develop serious problems associated with their gambling. Here are some warning signs: withdrawal from friends and activities, giving away possessions, cashing in on savings, feelings of guilt and shame, neglecting responsibilities, being late for work, and decreased attendance at family functions. People gamble for many reasons: the thrill of a win, to raise self-esteem, and to avoid feeling lonely. If you are concerned about your gambling, a mental health professional can assist you to determine if you have a gambling problem, develop personal guidelines to manage your gambling and help you to think differently about gambling.