This Month at Oaktree: Inspiring Fertility Success & Mental Health Stories

Subject: This Month at Oaktree: Inspiring Fertility Success & Mental Health Stories

November: Mental Health Awareness

This month, we’re excited to share inspiring stories—from a journey to parenthood against the odds to overcoming anxiety.

We hope they bring you hope and insight! Plus, a quick look at the science behind our care—made simple! 😉

By Martin Perras, Downtown Acupuncturist

Delivering a healthy baby at the age of 51??? Possible!

We have seen it at Oaktree!

Acupuncture has been a game-changer for many on their fertility journey, and I’m excited to share a success story that’s close to my heart.

When we I first met my new patient, she announced she wanted help with fertility. I had to confirm her age! She was wearing a mask and I couldn’t fully see her face but I remember thinking that I really need to make sure we have her age right on the forms. She was 48 when she first came in.

So, 48 years old is strike one.

I then started asking questions regarding her cycle and it was clear that there was signs of pre-menopause.

Pre-menopause is strike two.

I was hoping that she would proceed to tell me that she had amazing health and that she was taking really good care of herself, but to be honest, she was like most regular people. She actually had some other health issues that came from a car accident.

Not the perfect health is strike three.

I must admit that I was skeptic that this had a chance, but I told her that I would do my best to support her.

We started with treatments that should help her cycle become more regular and then they didn’t. It was a tough journey. She was going to get a donor egg and donor sperm and the plan was for her to carry the baby but it took forever for fertility clinics from delays. Eventuality, it was a clinic in Toronto that finally started to show promise. Many other health issues had to be answered before a fertility clinic would agree to do a treatment. This is often the case. We often a need to resolve issues with insulin, thyroid or the heart before doing IVF. Thankfully acupuncture can also support someone by addressing other underlining issues.

Eventually, all her other health conditions cleared up and she was ready to give it a try! Now this is rare, but on her first attempt she conceived. The big question was if this was going to stick. We have seen a growing number of miscarriages in the past few years for some reason and she was a higher risk because of her age.

During week 9 of her pregnancy, there was a bit of spotting and this created a scare but I reassured her that it can happen and that she should try to rest more. Apart from that, her pregnancy was great and she delivered a beautiful baby girl.

We're thrilled to now welcome this beautiful baby girl to our clinic as her mother continues her acupuncture journey. You might wonder why she’s still coming—well, that’s a story for another time!

We hope these stories spark hope and inspiration. Supporting you on your path to health and happiness is what we’re all about!

Feature Patient Success Story: Overcoming Pain and Anxiety with Chiropractic Care.

By Dr. Vanessa Jalbert-Caputo, Downtown Chiropractor

Chiropractic care can play a significant role on not only your physical health but your mental health as well. Misalignments in the spine can stress the nervous system, which may contribute to anxiety, poor sleep, and mood imbalances. I would like to share a story about one of my patients who saw great results under care.

When patient first came to our office, she was struggling with more than just physical discomfort. In addition to persistent neck and back pain, she shared that she had been battling anxiety and was currently taking medication to manage it. She was looking for a way to feel better—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

During our initial consultation, we talked about the important connection between the nervous system and overall well-being. I explained how chiropractic care focuses on restoring nervous system function, which can play a key role in managing stress and anxiety. When your nervous system is balanced and functioning properly, it becomes easier to handle life’s challenges.

We developed a care plan tailored to address her pain and support her nervous system. With regular adjustments, her neck and back pain began to ease, and she noticed she felt calmer and more centered after her visits. As the discomfort lifted, she found it easier to incorporate more movement into her daily routine, which further supported her mental and physical health.

Three months into care, she shared a major milestone—she had successfully weaned off her anxiety medication! Feeling better in both body and mind, she had discovered new ways to manage her anxiety naturally through movement, mindfulness, and self-care routines that aligned with her lifestyle.

Her story is a powerful reminder of the holistic nature of chiropractic care. Pain relief is only part of the picture; when the nervous system is functioning well, it can also promote emotional well-being.

If you or someone you know is struggling with pain, stress, or anxiety, we’d love to be part of your journey. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about how chiropractic care can support your health goals!

~ Dr.Vanessa

You can never have too many books, and for this month, we have a couple of recommendations on mental health related reads!

From Dr. Marie-Pier Sauriol of the Stittsville-Kanata location, she recommends ‘The In-Between’ by Hadley Vlahos.

"A beautiful book by a hospice nurse who talks about how 12 patients changed her life and her perception of death."

From Erin of the Lisgar location, she recommends 'Focusing' by Eugene T. Gendlin.'

"The book is an amazing tool for honing the mind-body connection, and connecting with what your body is fighting to tell you!"

The gas pedal vs the brake pedal - which one are you?

By Dr. Emilie Perras, Downtown Chiropractor

Our nervous system has 2 main parts: one is called the sympathetic system and it is like the gas pedal in a car. The other is the parasympathetic system, also known as the brake pedal.

The gas pedal is good, it’s there for a reason, to respond to stress. I’m sure you’ve heard of fight or flight. This system takes care of that. But what happens when you have a lot of stress built up over time, whether emotional or physical, is that it gets stuck “on”.

The brake pedal is the opposite. It’s responsible for rest, growth, development, reproduction, digestion, immune function. So if we have a situation where the body is stuck on gas too long, it shuts down the opposite system. It creates an opportunity for a whole host of symptoms to appear and the body cannot heal and adapt to those changes.

Chiropractic and acupuncture care help your body rebalance these 2 systems. It will decrease your fight or flight/gas pedal and increase you rest and digest/brake pedal.

That’s why we often hear people say things like the longer they do chiropractic or acupuncture care, the more they feel even more than pain relief! They improve in areas like chronic fatigue, brain fog, ear infections, anxiety, hormonal issues, attention issues, headaches, Crohn’s disease, reflux, muscle spasms…it’s all related to their nerves and the NS now working at a more peaceful rhythm.

Also, your body doesn’t know the difference between mental stress and physical stress. It reacts the same way. It can accumulate so much faster than we think.

There are main areas we see become problems when the body has been in overdrive too long:

1- energy – at first, especially in kids, it can increase, but eventually leads to low energy

2- immune issues – chronic immune weakness

3 – digestive system disruptions

4- mental and emotional – memory loss, ADHD, learning disabilities, poor work performance, relationship difficulties

5- reproductive problems

We love to see lots of kids because if their brake pedal is not functioning, a lot of these things can develop. Their body is locked in stress mode and we want to give their body the best chance at staying balanced! The sooner the better 🙂

Men's Health

By Mark Andrawis, Downtown Acupuncturist

November is the month to bring awareness to the health issues afflicting men. Some of these threats include prostate, testicular and lung cancer, stroke, mental health, and diabetes.

But did you know the biggest threat to men’s health is heart disease?

Heart disease is a collection of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. These include atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), abnormalities in the heart rhythm or structure, and heart failure. Some of the most common risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stress, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use.

Acupuncture is known to be able to treat all of these risk factors and support an overall improvement in health. This is done through balancing of hormones which affect stress, hunger, cravings, and blood sugar levels. It also helps by stimulating the nervous system which can control levels of tension in the muscles including the heart and blood vessels, and wherever else stress is stored in the body.

Other ways you can support your heart health is by increasing intake of fibre, omega-3 like fish oil or flax oil, antioxidant-rich foods like berries, and exercising a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week (this could even be a walk). A reduction of highly refined and processed foods, limiting alcohol intake, and managing stress where possible will also all help.

Mark is an acupuncturist at Oaktree, who has a keen interest in addressing men’s health. Come meet Mark at his Fall Wellness talk on Thursday, November 12th at 7pm. You can sign up online at the Eventbrite link.

Mark has experience as a participant and facilitator in men’s groups, and has heard directly from men about the struggles they face in their lives. His sense is that there is a need for men to find opportunities to be heard by others who can relate. That alone can put the heart at ease. Lowering stress hormones has a direct impact on physical and mental health. We all have men in our lives who are important to us whether that’s a father, brother, partner, or friend, who would benefit from a little more support with their physical and mental health.

For the month of November, $100 from every New Patient Intake session with Mark will be donated to Movember Canada. An organization bringing awareness and funding health projects for men’s mental health, suicide, and prostate and testicular cancer.

Share your thoughts about your Oaktree Family using the links below!

LISGAR

ORLEANS

STITTSVILLE

Subscribe

Subject: This Month at Oaktree: Inspiring Fertility Success & Mental Health Stories