Articles

  Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia – a tough, fibrous band of tissue that runs from the bottom of the toes straight up the back of the leg. The plantar fascia is a key support structure for the arch of the foot and a major piece of biomechanics. Injury or overuse […]

    Using your health insurance at a medical clinic just got a whole lot easier! Holistic Medical Clinic is a service provider that will handle all the communication with your insurance company through direct billing. All you have to do is to only show up for your appointment. If the service you need doesn’t […]

People throughout the ages have long been trying to discover how to get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is one of the most common forms of sleep disorder affecting millions of people and can be caused by many factors. Insomnia can be caused by mental illness, stress, family troubles, or even poor diet.   If […]

Despite the ongoing regulations in Ontario regarding COVID-19, summer is usually known for when you can go to the beach, the pool or stay outside in the yard while enjoying the fresh air. However, being outdoors and away from your home may pose some health risks as well. Some people are more susceptible to heatstroke […]

  Holistic medicine is an approach to healing that does not focus on a single symptom or ailment but instead on focusing on the entire body. Holistic medicine is essentially a whole-body approach, not just concentrate on one problem by itself. So say you suffer from frequent headaches, non-holistic practitioners may only prescribe you certain generic painkillers […]

  Holistic Medical Clinic combines alternative medicine and holistic treatments with pragmatic approaches to health and well-being. The question that many of you might be wondering is what is alternative medicine exactly? Alternative medicine has been gaining in popularity ever since its first application. People have begun to look for ways to cure themselves of various […]

  Mental well-being. Something extremely important but often ignored. It’s been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the daily lives of many. In Canada, there are numerous challenges that affect our youth, including the rising suicide rates. The youth continues to encounter and experience a range of emotions throughout their daily activities, […]

Who are First Responders?   Psychotherapy and Psychology for first responders is a new service that Holistic Medical Clinic has to offer. A first responder is somebody who has specialized training that enables him or her to quickly arrive at the scenes of the emergency and offer emergency assistance, including medical treatment to victims.  First […]

What is a Hot Stone Massage? A hot stone massage is not just a massage, it is a whole experience. The treatment involves using smooth and hot stones with a temperature of approximately 43-55 degrees Celsius. The massage therapist might lower the temperature if any discomfort arises from the patient. What is interesting to know […]

    Just 90 minutes. According to the Stanford University study, that’s how long it takes for a person’s brain to reduce the possibility of having depression while hiking in nature. Especially during the ongoing COVID—19 pandemic, it is crucial to take care of your physical and mental well-being.   Here are the FIVE fun […]

Spring is here! Just like you, we are loving the warm weather, the sunshine and the reprieve from the cold. And, just like you, we realize that this spring may not be a typical one. With the pandemic stress far from over, most of us are still living isolated, away from loved ones and activities […]

If you are a full-time student, please read this!   If you know someone who is a full-time student, please share this article with them!   Did you know that students in Ontario have access to extended health benefits? Not only that, but students pay for these benefits as part of their tuition every year. […]

Top Choice Awards has finally announced the 2021 Top Choice Award Winners, the guide to our city’s most trusted businesses. We are extremely proud to announce that Holistic Medical Clinic won in the category of Alternative Health Services!   We have been crowned the winner for Top Choice Alternative Health Services of 2021 in the […]

Our approach to health and wellness is holistic. We treat our patients as whole, complex, wonderful human beings. Traditional Western medicine tends to focus on the physical aspects of health only. Pains, injuries, diseases are treated in a vacuum, but this is so limiting! We as people aren’t a sum of our body parts and […]

A significant change is coming to the slip-and-fall regulations in Ontario. If a person slips on ice or packed snow on private property, they may make an insurance claim to sue the owner for damages. This is central to receiving compensation for injury treatment and recovery, especially if the person has to take time off […]

  We’re not living the usual December rush of winter holidays. 2020 has been a bad year and many of us are still staying apart from our loved ones and working from home. We may have fewer presents to buy this year, but for some reason the holiday stress is even worse!   Our team […]

We are delighted to be listed on NoMoreWaitlists.net, a comprehensive directory of healthcare providers, clinics and holistic wellness practitioners that go above and beyond to ensure they can provide timely patient care without long wait times. We are inspired by the story of the project founded in the memory of the owner’s father who passed […]

  If you spend even a little time in the wellness space online, it’s inevitable that you will hear about mindfulness meditation. It’s touted as the ultimate stress reliever, a surefire way to reduce anxiety and, ultimately, live a fuller, happier life. Could that be true?   In this post, we will attempt to answer […]

  Getting healthier is something nearly everyone strives for. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy – especially when outside circumstances make healthy habits challenging. But there are a few simple ways you can work toward better health. If you need some support on your wellness journey, Holistic Medical Clinic is here to help. […]

There are lots of different types of massages that a registered massage therapist may perform. From sports massage to relaxation to Swedish to reflexology to prenatal, there is truly a massage for every type of healing and recovery process! Today, we would like to talk about a very special one that more and more patients […]

  The days are getting shorter and colder, the nights are longer and the temperatures are about to dip—October is here! Fall is a truly beautiful time, especially in Toronto this year. However, fall also marks the beginning of the cold and flu season! This isn’t pleasant even at the best of times, and this […]

  Back to school is the best time to get some much-needed support for your child! Proper footwear, off-the-shelf orthotic insoles and custom-made orthotics may all help your children be active and keep moving, pain-free.   At Holistic Medical Clinic, we are able to order a wide range of orthotic products fit for children and […]

  This year has been hard, unpredictable and incredibly stressful. We all experience an unprecedented level of anxiety, worry and uncertainty that isn't going away any time soon. Just like COVID-19 is here for the foreseeable future, so is our overwhelm.   Most of us transitioned to working from home. Those who can't grapple with [...]

  So you’ve got some benefits through your work. Fantastic! Enhanced Health Care benefits, or EHC for short, can be a major employment perk. They provide enhanced health coverage and access to paramedic services that aren’t normally available through OHIP.   But now that you have them, you’re probably wondering about the best way to use […]

This has been an interesting summer, to say the least. I hope you’re finding ways to enjoy it whether you’re staying in the city or making a break for cottage country. Even during relaxation, it’s important to stay active and actively contribute to your wellness. In summer, that can be easier for some and harder […]

One of the very unique services that we offer at Holistic Medical Clinic is shockwave therapy. With the help of a special machine that only a handful of clinics in Toronto have available, we carry out therapeutic, non-invasive procedures for injury healing, pain treatment, and soft tissue repair. Very short energy waves travelling above the […]

With Toronto firmly in Stage 2 of the reopening framework of Ontario (soon to be moving to Stage 3), we would like to list all the ways we are keeping you, our patients, and our staff as safe as possible. Holistic Medical Clinic reopened on June 1, 2020. Since then, we have been following all […]

With gyms, pools, fitness studios and running tracks closed, most of us don’t have access to the workout options we’re used to. As if the pandemic wasn’t bad enough on its own! The good news is that there is more online content and workout videos available for free than ever. Many fitness centres and studios […]

These are hard times. Everywhere and all around you, people, businesses and governments are trying to adjust and respond to an unprecedented situation the likes of which none of us have seen. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic threw our daily lives into chaos. Most of us are staying home these […]

Washing hands regularly with soap and warm water is one of the most effective ways to prevent catching or transmitting a communicable disease. With the recent spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, hand-washing becomes especially important. But that’s too easy, you may say. It’s just a little soap and water. How can that help? […]

Holistic Medical Clinic prides itself on the quality of our chiropractic care. In fact, after registered massage therapy, chiropractic is the most requested treatment at our clinic! And for a good reason. A chiropractic assessment and consultation can make all the difference between chronic pain and immediate relief. That said, there are still many common […]

Back pain is the number one complaint our patients have when they visit the clinic for the first time. It is also the leading cause of concern our practitioners encounter in their practices. Back pain seems to be ubiquitous in our fast-paced city.   But why? And what to do about it?   Before we […]

Slips and falls are in the top three reasons people go to the ER in winter. The injuries resulting from walking in the snow, slipping and falling on the ice may range from mild like bruises and sprains to severe like fractures and concussions. You can take many precautions to avoid a slip-and-fall (see our […]

Here at Holistic Medical Clinic, we pride ourselves on focusing on injury prevention and wellness care wherever possible. Certainly, many of our patients come in because of an injury, for trauma rehabilitation or MVA. But when they get better, continued self-care and supportive treatment need to replace active recovery regimens. This is where our physiotherapy […]

  Physiotherapy is one of the core services at Holistic Medical Clinic. We see patients of all abilities and walks of life for a myriad of reasons. Some patients come in for rehabilitation after trauma, MVA or sports injury. Some need help with starting a new exercise regimen or modifying their current workouts. And some […]

This is the third post in the series of MVA articles we are publishing to better assist our patients in their post-collision recovery. Read the essential information and personal injury lawyer facts.   No one wants to be involved in a car collision, but the sad fact is that MVA (motor vehicle accidents) are one […]

  This is the second post in the series of MVA articles we are writing to better assist our patients in their post-collision recovery. Read the first post here.   You have probably seen many ads for personal injury lawyers in Toronto — on buses, transit shelters, on TV and online. Because vehicle collisions are […]

This is the first post in the series of MVA articles we are planning to better assist our patients in their post-collision recovery. MVA stands for “motor vehicle accident”. It is an umbrella term that describes many types of vehicle collisions that may involve drivers, passengers and/or pedestrians. In the healthcare world, MVA may refer […]

    Acupuncture is an ancient healing technique that has been practiced in China for millennia. In Canada, its common application is for pain treatment and management. True, it is very effective at alleviating back and neck pain — the two most common causes of discomfort in adults visiting rehabilitation centres like ours.   Treatment […]

  Winter is the time of wonder but also significant stress. Whether it’s the holidays, the snow shovelling or the cold temperatures bringing you down, we are here to help! Be Canadian winter-ready and stay well with the following tips straight from our experienced practitioners — Dr. Michael Payan and Sanil Taneja, PT. ???? Wellness […]

  City life moves fast — we are always busy. We have work, families, children to raise, friends and many commitments. We aim to eat well, exercise regularly, and get a good night’s sleep. So fitting a regular visit with a chiropractor into this packed schedule is tough. For sure!   Yet, in addition to […]

Regular exercise is good for you! The benefits of regular exercise have been well documented and proven to increase the quality of life, improve sleep and decrease depression levels. There is no doubt that we should be staying active and working out regularly. But as we get older, our bodies become more prone to injury, […]

  Holistic Medical Clinic is a certified fitter of Sigvaris, a leading-edge manufacturer of compression garments. Sigvaris produces a wide variety of compression socks, compression stockings, pantyhose and sleeves that range in compression levels from 15-20 mmHg to 40+ mmHg, to fit many lifestyles and medical indications.   Prior to ordering a compression garment that […]

  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) has become one of the most popular aesthetic treatments at medical spas in Toronto. And for a good reason! First popularized by Kim Kardashian West during her vampire facial,  PRP has applications for a range of aesthetic procedures. These including facials, microneedling and hair loss treatments.   What is Platelet […]

  Veronika Zhmurko is our Homeopath at Holistic Medical Clinic. We are sharing her story about how she became a homeopathic specialist. Keep reading and enjoy!   “My way to homeopathy was long and not quite steady. It started during my first years in medical school when one of my classmates invited me to attend […]

  A Psychologist is a health professional who studies how we think, feel and behave from a scientific viewpoint and applies their knowledge to help people understand, explain and change their behaviour.   Treatment can be very effective for a wide range of issues such as depression, anxiety and other common mental health issues.   What are […]

What is it?   The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck. It produces hormones that control the speed of your metabolism – the system that helps the body use energy. Thyroid disorders can slow down or rev up metabolism by disrupting the production of thyroid hormones.   There is hyperthyroidism, characterized by an overactive thyroid […]

Winter is around the corner! Cold weather body pain is back.   When it’s cold outside, it’s common to lift and hold our shoulders tightly, elevate our shoulders to our ears, round our mid-back by slouching and poke our chin forward.  Does it sound familiar? This change in posture usually leads not only to neck […]

What is it?   Acupuncture is a key component of Chinese traditional medicine in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body by inserting thin needles through the skin. Acupuncture balances the flow of energy or life force believed to flow through pathways in our body (meridians). These meridians and energy flows are accessible through […]

  What is it?   Reflexology is a traditional, natural non-invasive therapy that applies pressure on reflex points of the body, which are associated with certain glans, muscles, and organs. The application of pressure on these reflexes grants benefits such as the relaxation of tension, improvement of circulation and supports the body’s efforts to function […]

  What is prenatal massage?   The body goes through so many changes throughout pregnancy. A prenatal massage is a therapeutic procedure available at many holistic health clinics that focuses on the special needs of the mother-to-be. The function of muscles, joints, and blood circulation are improved, while mental and physical fatigue is reduced. Since ancient […]

Mindfulness meditation is a mental practice that involves focusing on your experiences in the present moment instead of dwelling in the past or stressing about the future. To put it simply, it is the act of paying attention to what you are experiencing as you are experiencing it.   There are many benefits to this […]

Presents a better, more confident image. Good posture will boost self-confidence. Try this: in front of a mirror, take a deep breath and stand straight. Then slump over with poor posture. Repeat a few times. See the difference!? Think of the people around you that you “see” as confident. Many of the people I think […]

A Chiropractic adjustment is the use of a specific force in a precise direction that helps normalize spinal function. The adjustment is applied to a joint that is fixated or not moving properly. There are many factors that go into determining which area(s) of the body would benefit from being adjusted. With palpation possibly being […]

What is Homeopathy?   Homeopathy is a natural method of treatment that uses tiny doses of herbs and minerals to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanism. Homeopathy treats people, not diagnoses. When a person is sick, that illness has a unique pattern because everyone tends to get sick differently. A lot of factors can affect […]

Energy can mean a lot of things in holistic health medicine, When it comes to the body there are various ways in which we can work on our energy lines. Acupuncture uses needles on specific points along the lines. Yoga uses a variety of methods to open energy. And Thai massage uses pressure along the […]

Science has discovered many health benefits associated with fasting, and since we can’t fast indefinitely, intermittent fasting offers many of the perks of fasting while still allowing for normal everyday function. So what is intermittent fasting and what are these perks?   Intermittent fasting can mean many things, but one popular method is the “16:8 […]

Are you interested in a natural way to look younger? As we age, our facial muscles lose natural volume and this is visible through our appearance. Wrinkles start to become more apparent, which makes us seem older.   There is a special form of acupuncture called Cosmetic Facial Acupuncture (sometimes known by other names) that […]

Sciatica can cause serious and persistent nerve pain that originates in the spine and typically extends down the back of the leg. For many people, the pain from sciatica can be excruciating and debilitating, sometimes making standing or sitting difficult or impossible.   The sciatic nerve is actually a bundle of five nerves that exit […]

Benefits of CPAP - Improve your quality of life by treating your sleep apnea The CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, is a device that helps people with breathing problems sleep better. This device is the most effective treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea. The CPAP machine uses mild air pressure to keep [...]

  American College of Physicians Endorses Acupuncture, Chiropractic for Back Pain   The American College of Physicians (ACP), the largest medical specialty society in the world, has officially endorsed non-drug therapies as first-line treatments for back pain. These therapies include acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, multidisciplinary rehab, and other types of drug-free treatments. The ACP now recommends […]

CoQ10 & Selenium Benefits Heart Beyond any Doubt   Does taking supplements improve health in any meaningful way? An experiment conducted in 2003 has produced a string of interesting studies concerning heart health and supplementation. The original study examined the effects and benefits of four years of supplementation in older men & women with two […]

Naturopathic Medicine, practiced for over 125 years in North America, is a distinct patient-centered system of medicine. It places a strong emphasis on prevention, treatment, and optimal health by using different types of therapies that support the body’s natural ability to heal and help the patient achieve sustainable health. Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) utilize naturally occurring […]

With the advancements of technology, it is almost impossible to imagine our lives without cars. Cars have become much safer over the years yet car accidents still happen on a daily basis and are a significant cause of injury or even death for many people.   Every driver in Ontario, by law, is required to […]

  People are often not comfortable with the idea of “needles”. It’s totally understandable since a common experience with needles is through a nurse either pushing or pulling liquids from our body, and those needles can hurt! However, there is a big difference in the type of needles used by nurses and the kind used [...]

Patients often ask me, what does acupuncture do? It’s a great question. Acupuncture has three main effects that can be categorized as: Local, Segmental & Systemic. “Local effects” are the benefits from the immediate area in which the needles are placed.