Updates

Just a reminder this Sunday, November 6th, 2011 is the end of Daylight Savings time (2am local time) where you turn your clocks back one hour. A quick way of remembering this is in the fall, we fall back an hour; in the spring, we spring forward an hour.
When Daylight Savings Time Ends, it is a time when people start to feel blue in the season especially in Vancouver due to the rainy days and the early dark evenings. Due to our biology, our natural tendency is to want to curl up and sleep. If you have noticed this pattern recurring you may be among some Canadians suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression triggered by lack of light in the winter. Many that suffer from it experience symptoms severe enough to seek treatment and many more remain undiagnosed or suffer from a less debilitating form of it.
A diagnosis by a doctor is usually made if people who have SAD experience symptoms such as depression (for more than a few days, weeks or even months), trouble sleeping, lethargy, overeating, irritability, loss of libido and a weakened immune system.
Fortunately there are many treatment options available. Light therapy is the most common and is 85% effective in most cases. Massage may be the best choice of alternate therapies for SAD sufferers because it releases endorphins, creating a euphoric feeling to help fight depression. It also lowers blood pressure improving circulation, stimulates nerve endings, removes toxins and improves energy and concentration. Taking a vitamin D supplement and going out for walks also helps to raise endorphins and rejuvenates your energy levels.
SAD sufferers receiving regular massages at least twice a month, experience less intense symptoms and gain a more positive outlook that helps them through the winter months.