The Facts about Vitamin D – Your Sunshine Vitamin!

Have you been wondering why you’re feeling so good lately? You probably realize that it’s due to the beautiful weather outside! Did you know that this sunny weather is doing more than just uplift your spirits by being able to sit on a patio? It’s creating the sunshine vitamin – Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is important for you for so many reasons. Here are just a few that we know about:

Am I covered?! Deciphering your insurance coverage for Naturopathic and Chiropody Services

We frequently receive questions regarding insurance benefits so we thought we would take the opportunity to share what we know about Naturopathic and Chiropody coverage so you can better understand and utilize the benefits you have when you need to.

Do I have to pay upfront?

Unfortunately only specific health care professionals (i.e., medical doctors, dentists) are allowed to directly bill insurance companies. For others, such as Naturopaths and Chiropodists, personal payment is made at the time of the appointment. A claim form along with the necessary paperwork (i.e., official receipt) is then submitted by you to your insurance company who will send you your reimbursement if eligible.

There are a few insurance companies that may allow direct billing upon request for ‘preferred providers’.

Can you call and check my insurance coverage for me?

Yes – we can! However, the information about your insurance coverage is considered personal. Often times, if health care professionals call your insurance company, you have to be present to verify your identity and that you are allowing us to inquire about your plan on your behalf.

Naturopathic Doctors (Designation: ND)

Visits: Visits to your Naturopathic Doctor may include your initial assessment, follow up visits/treatments, and acupuncture sessions. If eligible, you may have an allotted dollar amount per year (i.e., $200 per year), an allotted dollar amount per visit ($35 dollars per visit) or an allotted percentage of covered cost per visit (i.e., 80% of each visit cost). Since Naturopathic Doctors are primary care physicians, a referral is not needed to claim visit fees.

Laboratory Studies & Supplements: These may also be covered by your insurance plan if recommended/prescribed by a Naturopathic Doctor. Your benefits plan would outline this specifically if this is the case. Coverage for items such as supplements may also be available if you have a ‘Health Spending Account’.

Chiropodists (Desginations: DCh, D.Pod.M)

Visits: Visits to your Chiropodists may include your initial assessment, biomechanical and gait analysis, annual diabetic foot screening, and follow up/routine visits/treatments. If eligible, you may have an allotted dollar amount per year (i.e., $500 per year), an allotted dollar amount per visit ($35 dollars per visit) or an allotted percentage of covered cost per visit (i.e., 80% of each visit cost). A prescription/referral from your family doctor is not required to see a Chiropodist and thereby not required to receive coverage – unless specified.

Custom Made Foot Orthotics/Orthotic Appliances/Orthoses: Coverage for custom made foot orthotics are often under a separate category of coverage from Chiropody visits. It can be found in the medical items/devices/supplies/equipment section of your benefits plan. Coverage may be an allotted dollar amount or allotted number of pairs per year or specified number of years (i.e., 1 pair per year, 2 pairs every 2 years). There may be “maximums” applied to the amount covered. This may be a maximum dollar amount covered (i.e., 1 pair covered up to $500) or a maximum percentage covered (i.e., 1 pair covered up to 80%). In some cases, coverage may be listed as an “Orthotic Case Fee” where the allotted dollar amount includes the cost of the your biomechanical/gait analysis (assessment), orthotic devices and follow up appointments.

Orthotics are medical devices that require a prescription. Your insurance provider will outline from whom they will receive a prescription from (i.e., Chiropodist/Podiatrist, family doctor). Chiropodists are licensed to provide prescriptions for orthotics and a large majority of insurance companies accept prescriptions for orthotics from Chiropodists.

Insurance companies have become very specific with the paperwork required for claim submission. Chiropodists are familiar with what is required can provide you with all the necessary paperwork.

Footwear:Footwear is considered ‘Orthopaedic’ when it possesses specifically defined characteristics that make it appropriate for medical use/application. There are 3 general categories of orthopaedic footwear:

(1) Stock item/Off the shelf – Generic orthopaedic footwear that is ready to wear and can be purchased off the shelf from a clinic or a store from which receipts are accepted by your insurance company.

(2) Customized – When as off the shelf orthopaedic shoe is modified in some fundamental way (i.e., a lift is added to one shoe, additional materials are adding on to the sole to make it wider, the upper material are cut and replaced with another etc) because it is medically necessary and off the shelf shoes are not suitable to your needs. Some insurance companies specify what they accept as a modification. In this case, it may be “internal” (i.e., a pad placed inside the shoe to make the fit or function of the shoe better) or “external” (i.e., outer sole or upper material is changed in some way to accommodate your foot). If you have this type of footwear coverage, be sure to check with your insurance company what they consider a ‘modification’ to be.

(3) Custom-made – These are shoes made specifically for an individual from raw materials from a custom mold of your foot and lower leg. To be eligible, a custom made shoe must be medically necessary. In a majority of cases, these are medically necessary when one’s foot condition makes it difficult to wear shoes that are off the shelf or customized (i.e., amputation, gross deformity).

Your insurance plan should specify which category of orthopaedic footwear they provide coverage for. Regardless of the category, orthopaedic footwear is also considered a medical device and requires a prescription from a licensed health care practitioner (i.e., Chiropodist/Podiatrist, family doctor).

Ultimately, all insurance plans are individualized and can vary greatly from person to person. We hope this helps you better understand your benefits coverage. If you have any specific questions about your insurance coverage – we would be happy to help you! Feel free to contact us anytime!

Yours in health,

Alison Chow, BPHE, Dip.Pedorthics, D.Pod.M
(Chiropodist)
e-mail: alison@sowhealth.ca

Sarah Oulahen, HBHSc, ND (Naturopathic Doctor)
e-mail: sarah@sowhealth.ca

What is a Doula?

Since today is International Women’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to bring awareness to a uniquely female experience: becoming a mother. Becoming a mother includes pregnancy, labour and delivery, as well as the postpartum period.

Is milk an essential part of your diet?

Milk has long been advertised as an essential component of a healthy diet. Children are taught to drink ‘three glasses of milk a day’ by parents believing that this is best practice for healthy bone formation. Is this true?

Yours in health,

How to beat colds and flu, naturally!

With flu season starting up, I think it’s time for me to share some knowledge on how to improve your immune system, naturally. There are so many natural remedies out there, from astragalus to zinc. I am going to share with you the basics.

1)Vitamin D

Vitamin D is made on your skin in response to sunlight and it helps regulate the immune response. People tend to get sick in autumn, when they go outside less. The link may be decreasing levels of vitamin D. Research is showing that two-thirds of the Canadian population is deficient in this anti-cancer vitamin. It has also been studied to be more effective against preventing the flu than the flu shot. It can help asthma and mood to boot. Vitamin D is something that you should definitely consider supplementing, especially in winter months.

My advice: Take a vitamin D supplement in liquid form, 1000IU/drop. There are many brands available at your health food stores and D Drops is also found at Shoppers. Take 2-4 drops per day, at the same time, with a large meal.

An aside: I test vitamin D levels very frequently in my patients. This allows me to supplement individually. If you`re interested in truly optimizing your levels, get tested!

2) Probiotics

Your skin and the tissues lining your intestines provide a physical barrier against invading organisms. These are lined with healthy bacteria, which physically outcompete harmful microbes, activate immune cells (70% of your immune system is in your gut!), and aid in digestion. These healthy bacteria are your friends!

Your healthy bacteria can become disturbed and imbalanced, and this affects your immune system. A diet high in simple sugar and refined carbohydrates, stress, and food allergies all play a role in this healthy lining.

It is important to note that taking antibiotics will kill the bad bacteria causing your infection, but they will also kill your healthy lining of probiotics. It is essential to supplement with a therapeutic dose of probiotics to ensure you don’t get sick after your course of antibiotics. Take a supplement with at least 10 billion live cells of bacteria per serving. Yogurt typically is good for maintaining your lining, but not building it up 😉

FYI: Did you know that there are actually 10 times as many bacteria in body than human cells? If you put these bacteria together, they would make an “organ” similar to the size of your liver, weighing between 1-1.5kg. This amazes me!

3) When you do get sick….everything else to try:

Vitamin C: when taken during and infection, it will shorten its length and severity. Take 1,000-2,000mg of vitamin C every couple of hours! You can take vitamin C to “bowel tolerance”, or the point in which it causes loose schools.

Zinc: very good for your immune system and to turnover cells. A good way to get zinc when you`re sick is in the form of zinc lozenges.

Onions, garlic, oil of oregano: all antimicrobial and all very good for you. Increase these when you are sick.

Sugar: sugar essentially turns off your immune system. Avoid it always, but be especially careful not to eat it when you’re sniffly.

Dairy: Dairy foods tend to form mucus. If you’re stuffed up, try avoiding it!

Hopefully that helps you stay healthy throughout Fall and Winter! Please comment and ask questions if you have them.

Yours in health,

Sarah Oulahen HBHSc, ND.

Acupuncture – How does it work?

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that originated in China over 5,000 years ago. It is based on the belief that living beings have a vital energy, called “qi”, that circulates through twelve invisible energy lines known as meridians on the body. Each meridian is associated with a different organ system. An imbalance in the flow of qi throughout a meridian is how disease begins.
During an acupuncture treatment, tiny needles are inserted into specific points along meridian lines to restore balance to the flow of qi. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points on the body.

A creative explanation…
To further explain the concept of acupuncture, think of meridians as rivers inside your body. Wherever a river flows, it carries water that provides nourishment and sustenance for life. In your body, the water in this river is qi, which flows through meridians as an invisible current, energizing, nourishing, and supporting every cell, tissue, muscle, organ and gland.

How Acupuncture works from a Western perspective:
In North America we really like to break things down to determine how they work. Interestingly enough, acupuncture has local effects that can be measured through the reductionistic model. Some theories about how acupuncture achieves its effects include the following:
• Acupuncture stimulates the release of pain-relieving endorphins
• Acupuncture influences the release of neurotransmitters, substances that transmit nerve impulses to the brain
• Acupuncture influences the autonomic nervous system
• Acupuncture stimulates circulation
• Acupuncture influences the electrical currents of the body

No matter how acupuncture is explained, the bottom line is that it works. It is rarely painful and most people find it quite relaxing. Since it addresses the body as a whole it can be used for virtually any health concern.

I hope this shines some light on the mystery – and fascination – with the powerful and wonderful ways acupuncture can heal.

Yours in health,
Sarah Oulahen, HBHSc, ND.