A Message from Dr. Kevin McIntyre

The COVID-19 virus has turned all our lives upside down. Many of us are not working, and we can’t participate in the activities we normally enjoy. We cannot see friends or family, we can’t go to the gym, and we can’t go to our favourite chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and athletic therapy clinic in Burlington to get treatment! It’s not fun. It’s frustrating. It’s depressing. I am no expert, but I do have confidence that it is temporary, and I take great comfort in that. I can complain about all the things we’re missing out on right now, but that doesn’t help. It probably compounds the feelings of frustration. So, we all might as well try to find the silver linings.

Right now, I can’t help my patients with their injuries. I suppose not being in the office has given me much needed time with my wife and kids. Although I’m not earning an income, I’ve had more time to look at our practise and areas that we can improve. I’ve looked for ways to save costs at home and at the practise. I can’t go to the gym right now, but I’ve forced myself to do at-home workouts that I’ve never done before. If I’m being honest with myself, they have been quite a nice challenge to my routine and have forced me to step out of my comfort zone. It’s frustrating that I can’t get all the foods I normally enjoy. However, I’m being forced to try new foods, and I have the time to try new recipes.

Negative feelings have a negative impact on some of the sub-conscious neurology that we don’t know is happening in our bodies. Anger and frustration can sensitize our pain pathways, and it can turn up the volume on pain without us even realizing it. More than just a cliché or slogan, it really is important to find the silver lining in this situation and look for positives. It can actually have a positive influence on pain.

Since our lives are very different right now, I thought it would only be fitting to do something different with our blog. For today’s blog, I’ve posted a broccoli recipe. This recipe has really changed my opinion of broccoli. I don’t think we’ve ever posted a recipe on our website. I likely wouldn’t have tried this recipe because it wasn’t part of our normal family routine, but we had the time at home to investigate different ways to prepare broccoli. So…it’s not really a “recipe” per se but rather a different way to prepare broccoli. This broccoli put a smile on my face, which has a positive impact on my nervous system and my pain pathways. I hope it does the same thing for you!