A place to learn more about me as a person and practitioner.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of chronic knee pain and stiffness as we age. It results from gradual wear of the joint cartilage, leading to inflammation, swelling, and reduced mobility. While surgery—like knee replacement—can help in advanced cases, many people manage OA symptoms effectively without it.
This blog explores when nonsurgical treatments are appropriate, who can benefit, and what evidence-based options are available.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections have become an established treatment option for managing joint pain, particularly in osteoarthritis. Understanding how HA works, the conditions it best treats, who should consider it, and the associated risks can help patients make informed decisions about this therapy.
Prolotherapy has been gaining attention in recent years as a treatment option for chronic musculoskeletal pain and joint instability. It is a regenerative injection therapy that stimulates healing by triggering the body’s inflammatory and repair processes. Understanding how prolotherapy works, which conditions it treats best, who makes a good candidate, and potential risks can help clarify its role in pain management.
As a naturopath, I always look for the most natural options for treatment. Sometimes this is looking at overall diet and lifestyle changes that can modify inflammation in the body. Sometimes this is looking at regenerative injections like prolotherapy or platelet-rich plasma. And other times, corticosteroids are the best option.
Last week was rough finding time for all of my passion projects… as in I didn’t find as much as I needed. I officially started as a fourth-year naturopathic medical student, which means I began my internship. Unlike medical doctors who get four years of medical training and then multiple years of residency (the first of which is known as their internship year), we get three years of medical training and then a year of internship, all within the context of our four-year doctorate level of education.
The intern year for naturopaths is where we get to see patients and work under licensed naturopathic doctors and learn through hands-on experience. It’s also known as our clinical year, which is meant to prepare us for working as independent, licensed naturopathic doctors within a year and a half’s time.
This week, we look at everything from the HAES movement, the Naturopathic Alliance, a riveting memoir, and a question you don’t want to forget to include on your patient intake form. In personal news, I was able to enjoy my first bike ride on the waterfront in downtown Toronto and saw the most people I have seen in over a year (jogging or biking on the path).
I have come to believe this has been my destiny. To be here pursuing this degree at this time when I have never been more clear with who I am and what I have to offer. That little ego of mine would rather have me locked in a room working towards a perfection that would have made me miserable. Instead, I have been let free and held accountable to reach my potential.
