Should You Get the Flu Shot This Year? A Quick, Clear Breakdown Every year, Canadians face the same question: Will you get your flu shot? And the answer is rarely simple. During the 2019–20 season, just under 42% of Canadian adults chose to get vaccinated — far below public-health goals of about 80%. Research shows that the flu vaccine can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and complications, especially for: older adults young children people wh

Nancy Lapid, “Health Rounds: Acupuncture reduces leg pain from a herniated disk,” Reuters, October 25, 2024) A Breakthrough Study You Should Know About A new JAMA(Journal of the American Medical Association) Internal Medicine study (featured in Reuters Health Rounds, Oct 25, 2024) offers clear, scientific evidence that acupuncture can meaningfully reduce sciatica pain caused by a herniated disc. Researchers in China treated 216 patients with either real or sham acupuncture ov

A Major Shift Could Be Ahead for RMTs in Ontario There’s encouraging news for massage therapy in Canada — momentum is building to remove HST from Registered Massage Therapy (RMT) services, thanks to the advocacy work of the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO). Most regulated health professions — including physiotherapy, chiropractic, and naturopathy — are exempt from HST. RMTs, despite being highly trained and provincially regulated, remain one of th

A Simple Daily Habit With Powerful Brain Benefits Walking isn’t just gentle exercise — it’s one of the most effective, accessible ways to protect long-term brain health.Research shows that even 3,800 steps per day can reduce dementia risk by approximately 25%. As your step count rises, the benefits continue to grow. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), adults aged 40–79 who walked close to 10,000 steps per day had nearly a 

Captain Davies in 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar Soccer Isn’t Just Growing in Canada — It’s Exploding Soccer in Canada isn’t just popular — it’s booming.It is now the most-played team sport in the country, with youth participation leading all other sports. For ages 5–17, soccer sits firmly at #1, and more than one million Canadians are registered players — over  twice  the number of registered hockey players. And the momentum is only accelerating. Less than a year from now, Ca

Taylor Pendrith, of Canada, hits from the second tee during the first round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, Golf in Canada Is Surging — And So Are the Rounds Played Golf in Canada isn’t slowing down — it’s accelerating.In 2024, nearly six million Canadians hit the greens, and more than 360,000 Golf Canada members logged close to 11 million rounds. The sport continues to expand across all age groups, with notable growth a

Canada's own Genie Bouchard in Palm Springs in January 2024 Pickleball’s Rapid Growth in Canada Pickleball is booming — and Canada is one of the fastest-growing markets. Participation has jumped 57% in just three years, with 1.54 million Canadians now playing. Membership in Pickleball Canada has soared from 31,000 in 2022 to over 85,000 today, showing how quickly the sport is expanding across all ages. But with more play comes more strain. Common Pickleball Injuries Because p

Felix Auger-Aliassime(FAA) moves onto the semifinals of the U.S. Open 2025. A Sport That’s Growing Fast — In Canada and Beyond Tennis is more than a classic pastime — it’s experiencing a major global surge.Participation worldwide has climbed 25% in just five years, bringing the number of players to more than 106 million. Here in Canada, interest is rising just as quickly. According to Tennis Canada, the number of enthusiasts has grown from 3.9 million in 2021 to nearly 5 mil

A Fun (and Stress-Melting) Fact Your body has a built-in alarm system called cortisol — great for emergencies, not so great when it’s running 24/7. The good news? Massage therapy can help turn the alarm  way  down. Research shows: A review by Tiffany Field, PhD found massage can lower cortisol by about 31%, while boosting serotonin and dopamine (your feel-good trio). Time  magazine reported the same 31% drop after therapeutic massage. The AMTA (Amreican Massage Therapy Associ

Huangdi Neijing  (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine). A Fun Fact From One of the World’s Oldest Healing Traditions Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical practices still used today — with a history stretching back more than 2,500 years in China. Early references appear in the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), written around 100 BCE, which described how stimulating specific points along the body’s meridians could restore balance and

Chiropractic – A Canadian History 🇨🇦 “There is a vast difference between treating effects and adjusting the cause.” — D.D. Palmer Canada’s Surprising Connection to Chiropractic Chiropractic care may be practiced worldwide today, but its roots trace back to Canada. Daniel David Palmer — the founder of chiropractic — was born in Ajax, Ontario before moving to the United States, carrying with him a deep curiosity about how the spine influences overall health. How the First Ad

T he Ancient Roots of Massage Massage isn’t a modern invention — it’s one of humanity’s oldest healing practices.Across ancient civilizations, people recognized the power of touch to relieve pain, restore balance, and enhance overall well-being. In China, references to Tuina and Anmo appear in the  Huangdi Neijing  (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine) as early as 2700 BCE, describing techniques used to support circulation and harmony in the body.In India, Ayurvedic med