January 31 is Bell “Let’s Talk” day, a day dedicated to bringing awareness to mental health. Bell Let’s Talk day revolves around the four pillars of bringing awareness to mental health:

1. Ending the stigma around mental health by promoting awareness and conversations
2. Supporting organizations to improve access to care
3. Investment in research programs
4. Encouraging improved workplace standards for mental health

How We Want To Help

Here at Impulse we recognize the value of mental health and mental health professionals. So, leading up to the 31st and into February’s Mental Health Month, we will be posting daily mental health content including daily practices, Q&A sessions with mental health professionals and blog posts like this one.

These components of health are not separate entities either. Mental, physical and social aspects of health and wellness have all been shown to interact and affect each other in profound ways. As a physical therapy clinic, we most commonly address the physical aspects of health, but, more often than not, there can be a mental or social side to the issue as well.

Education

Whether it is as simple as educating the patient about their injury to calm nerves or as complicated as an acute bout of conversion disorder(where the brain tricks a part of the body into not working), taking into consideration how the brain may be interacting with the physical symptoms is an important part of the chiropractor or physiotherapist’s job.

In healthcare, there has historically been a clear distinction between “mental” and “physical” health. However, there is significant evidence that shows a clear relationship between mental and physical aspects of wellness. From heart disease to lower back pain, psychological conditions such as depression, chronic anxiety, and OCD have all been shown to have profound effects on physical health.

Lifestyle Choices

Mood, lifestyle choices, hormones and motivation levels are just some of the ways our mental health can impact our physical wellbeing. Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, and smoking or drinking habits can affect both mental and physical health and starting your path to complete health can be as easy as talking to someone about your diet choices or an exercise routine.

Team Work

When dealing with the relationship between physical and mental health it’s important for health professionals to work together as a team to ensure all the patient’s needs are being met. At Impulse Sport Therapeutics we pride ourselves on our relationship with physicians and mental health practitioners in and around the West Vancouver community. Our chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, and kinesiologists can all work closely with psychologists, psychiatrists or other mental health professionals to best serve our patients.

Talk About It

Think you’re ready to take the step towards better mental health? There are countless resources on the internet such as The Mental Health Foundation and Health Link BC. However, your best resource and gateway to optimizing mental health is your regular clinician. Chiropractors and physiotherapists alike can help guide you in the right direction and sometimes talking with a familiar face first can ease the process!

The Mental Health Series is a collaboration between our West Vancouver Chiropractor team and community partners.