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Does Running Cause Osteoarthritis?

What is Osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis, or OA, is a degenerative joint disease that affects many Canadians. The joints in our bodies contain cartilage that protects bones during joint movement. Osteoarthritis is when this cartilage breaks down or becomes damaged.  This leads to pain, swelling and stiffness in the joint and loss of normal joint function. Once cartilage

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What is Menopause and What are the Treatment Options?

Menopause is a natural part of aging for all women. It begins when you go a full year with no menstrual period. For 2 to 8 years leading up to menopause, your period may have more irregular timing. On average, menopause happens around 51 years old, but this varies. Genetics play a major role in

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How Does Shift Work Affect Circadian Rhythm? How Can Sleep Hygiene Help?

Our bodies have an intrinsic timekeeping system that regulates sleep, wakefulness and other systems such as temperature, appetite and hormone levels. This built-in system is called the circadian rhythm.  For most people the circadian rhythm drives wakefulness during the daytime and promotes sleep at nighttime. This is because the biggest environmental contributor to sleep-wake cycles

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Breastfeeding and Plugged Ducts

Plugged milk ducts can be an uncomfortable complication of breastfeeding.  It is estimated that up to two-thirds of breastfeeding women experience a plugged milk duct at some point.  A plugged milk duct is a small area of breast tissue that does not drain milk adequately and causes swelling.  How Do I Know If I Have A Plugged Milk Duct? A plugged

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Postpartum hairloss

I experienced significant hair loss after both of my pregnancies. My experience with postpartum hair loss made wonder, why do we lose hair postpartum and is there anything we can do about it? Postpartum Hair Loss Postpartum hair loss is an inevitable part of a woman’s postpartum journey.  At some point anywhere from one to five months postpartum,

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doctor mom blog explores does shaving make your hair grow back thicker?

Does shaving make your hair grow back thicker and darker?

Shaving is an effective and relatively cost-effective form of hair removal that removes hair temporarily just below the skins surface. But does shaving cause your hair to grow thicker and darker? Does shaving cause your hair to grow thicker and and darker? I was told growing up that shaving causes hair to grow back thicker,

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Mommy Thumb (de Quervian Tenosynovitis)

de Quervain tenosynovitis is a common cause of hand or wrist pain in adults.  It is sometimes called “mommy’s thumb” or “mommy’s wrist” because it seems to be more common in women especially during the newborn period.  It seems to present itself in the first 4 to 6 weeks after delivery. I had “mommy thumb” during my first

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Intrauterine Devices (IUD)

Many women consider the intrauterine device (IUD) as a form of birth control both before having a baby, and after.  This is because the IUD is reliable, safe, and is as effective as permanent sterilization making the IUD a desirable birth control option. There Are Two Main Types Of IUDs Available On The Market Today:

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Birth Control Options While Breastfeeding

Contraception options after pregnancy is an important health topic that sometimes we forget about when we are busy with the new baby.  This is why I discuss contraception while breastfeeding with all of my postpartum patients. One misconception is that breastfeeding is an effective form of contraception. It is TRUE that if you are exclusively

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