HEART HEALTH
at Absolute Health & Wellness
The cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart and blood vessels. Many factors contribute to cardiovascular health, including diet, inflammation, exercise, stress, and more.
A healthy cardiovascular system is one that provides fresh, oxygenated blood to your tissues, allowing for energy and capacity for exercise. As the demands for oxygen increases, such as during exercise or stress, our cardiovascular system must respond appropriately. Simply put, the heart must provide forceful, timely contractions to pump blood through the blood vessels. The blood vessels must be flexible, free from obstruction, and constrict and dilate as needed.
Special precautions must be taken for people who experience any of the following, as they can alter overall cardiovascular health:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Dyslipidemia (high or low cholesterol)
- Personal or Family History of heart attack, stroke, and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Respiratory Disease
- Stress
- Inflammatory Conditions
- Myopathies (Muscle Disease)
- Vascular Disease (vascular and artery disease)
Various factors contribute to cardiovascular disease, and a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment will cover all aspects. Whether you’re focused on prevention, or you’ve had a cardiovascular event in the past, a lot of insights can be gained by working with the team at Absolute Health & Wellness.
For anyone experiencing acute chest pain or thinking they may be experiencing a cardiovascular event, please call 911 and go to a hospital.
The Naturopath's Approach to Heart Health
ASSESSMENT: Your naturopath will carefully assess your cardiovascular health, but also focus on a systems-based approach. We will discuss the following, as they all pertain to heart health:
- Past Medical History: understanding if you’ve had previous cardiovascular events helps pave the way to a healthier future. Primary prevention is very important too.
- Associated Conditions: hypertension, stress, diabetes, vascular disease, dyslipidemia and other associated conditions affect cardiovascular health
- Diet: the food we eat affects our health, and there are many misconceptions regarding how diet influences heart health
- Exercise: is important for prevention, but choosing exercise is tricky for some who has had a cardiovascular event in the past
- Inflammation: inflammation is a driving force in cardiovascular disease. We can identify your sources of inflammation and how to reduce them
- Hormones: hormones play a role in all aspects of health
- Healthy Aging: certain changes are inevitable as we age, some of which can be modified by lifestyle intervention
- Specialized Lab Testing: some specialized tests exist for heart health
TREATMENT: your naturopath uses several options to treat cardiovascular disease, and any other contributing factors
- Prevention: whether primary or secondary prevention, many aspects of cardiovascular disease can be modified
- Herbs: research shows certain herbs can be helpful for the heart, vascular system, inflammation, cholesterol, hormones and more. Herbs can be used in combination based on your unique case.
- Vitamins/Minerals: certain vitamins and minerals have been proven to be useful for cardiovascular health
- Weight Management and Lifestyle Change: various modifiable lifestyle factors such as weight, smoking, sleep, exercise, diet, and motivation have important roles to play in overall health, especially cardiovascular health
Click here to learn more about Naturopathy.
The Phyiotherapist's Approach to Heart Health
ASSESSMENT: Our physiotherapists will help you manage your heart health by assessing the following:
- Patient History: to determine any causative factors
- Observation: for any changes in circulation and breathing function
- Gait and Functional Tests: mainly to assess your cardiovascular endurance and determine if that is being affected by your heart health
- Range of Motion: noting any joint restrictions and comparing your range of motion to normative values
- Strength: looking for any areas of weakness
- Breathing and Heart Rate: to help determine the appropriate exercise and activity intensity
TREATMENT: Our physiotherapists use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your heart health:
- Manual Therapy: joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve flexibility
- Exercise: current clinical practice guidelines recommend exercise as an integral role in promoting heart health. We have access to various types of equipment to help you build strength and endurance
- Education: we will discuss topics such as weight management, exercise, and breathing technique for self-management
Click here to learn more about Physiotherapy.
The Chiropractor's Approach to Heart Health
ASSESSMENT: Our chiropractors use thorough subjective and physical assessments to determine the best course of action:
- Head to toe assessment: chiropractors can help with back and spine related pain, but also peripheral joints too
- Health History: learning about your past helps us better understand your current state of cardiovascular health
- Movement: observing how you move tells us a lot about your overall health, muscle imbalances and posture
- Functional Testing: looking at range of motion and biomechanics
- Strength: looking for any areas of weakness
TREATMENT: Our chiropractors use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your heart health:
- Manual Therapy: joint manipulations and mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve range of motion
- Exercise: exercise plays in important role in managing heart health
Click here to learn more about Chiropractic.
The Massage Therapist's Approach to Heart Health
ASSESSMENT: Our registered massage therapists will conduct a brief assessment as ask for your past medical history to determine any risk factors or contraindications to treatment.
TREATMENT: Our registered massage therapists use a variety of techniques during your massage.
- Manual Therapy: joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve circulation, mange inflammation and relieve mental and physical tension
