Throughout the month of November, Fireside Family Health will be offering 25 per cent off the use of the clinic’s latest technologies whether or not you are currently a patient of the clinic. Fireside acquired EXOMIND® and EMSELLA® machines during the summer, and both will also be showcased at an Open House event on November 13, between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
As Fireside Family Health physician Dr. Adam Nielsen explains, the clinic is excited to be able to offer the machines, and the treatments they provide, to patients in and around Cochrane.
“We’re just really excited about these machines, and we’ve been thinking about different ways to roll them out,” he says. “It’s amazing how you might have an idea of who’s going to be accessing these technologies, and then when people come in and give them a try you realize how everyone can really benefit from these machines.”
The 25 per cent discount, as well as the Open House and demo opportunities, are available to men and women of all ages. But as November – and Movember – tends to target men, Fireside will focus on men’s health awareness, too.
“We’re really trying to promote men’s health through November, although women wanting to demo a machine will obviously not be excluded,” Dr. Nielsen says. “We’re just trying to talk about some things that don’t always get spoken about with men’s health.”
To that end, Dr. Nielsen highlights the clinic’s new EMSELLA® machine. A breakthrough system approved by Health Canada, it provides pelvic floor therapy that can help restore bladder control, strengthen pelvic muscles and improve intimate wellness.
“A lot of men have issues with their prostate as they get older,” explains Dr. Nielsen. “They might have an enlarged prostate and urinary symptoms, or maybe they’ve gone for a procedure like TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate). Perhaps they’ve had their prostate removed for situations like prostate cancer and are now experiencing more dribbling and incontinence.”
The EMSELLA®, he says, can help strengthen the pelvic floor and allow the patient to regain control over their urinary function.
“It’s something we hear about with women quite often, but it’s something a lot of men do experience but just don’t really say anything about,” he says. “When we can help them take control of that, it’s a game-changer for the rest of their lives.”
EMSELLA® treatment, which involves high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology that delivers 11,800 supramaximal Kegel contractions in a 28-minute session, is also beneficial for the sexual health of both men and women. As Dr. Nielsen explains, the same muscles involved with urinary incontinence are very important in sexual function as well.
Also Health Canada-approved, EXOMIND® provides brain stimulation therapy that works on specific areas of the brain, helping improve mood, focus and mental clarity.
“It’s really helpful for depression, anxiety, OCD and binge eating,” Dr. Nielsen explains. “This technology has been out for a while and has been used to treat other things like brain fog with menopause, post-concussion recovery and weight loss.”
While effective, EXOMIND® is not necessarily a replacement for pharmaceutical treatments like, for example, anti-depressants.
“If you’re pairing EXOMIND® with counselling and behavioural activation and other types of behaviour therapies for anxiety or depression, it might make it so you’re able to manage without the use of pharmaceuticals,” says Dr. Nielsen. “It might not eliminate the need, but it might mean you don’t require as much of a dose.”
A transcranial magnetic stimulation, EXOMIND® can be generally helpful when it comes to managing different kinds of stressors.
“Lots of times we get into a sort of fight or flight mode, and we’ll have all of these stressors building up that make us reactive,” explains Dr. Nielsen. “We might be angry about things, and then we go to the snacks in the pantry or other unsafe or unhealthy types of coping mechanisms. This machine will help build our capacity to be able to manage those stressors.”
Dr. Nielsen also points out that neither the EMSELLA® nor EXOMIND® machines should be viewed as “be-all, end-alls,” but components of treatment that a patient can control.
“They’re really nice tools to add to things you might already be doing, so maybe you’re not as reliant on medications,” he says, adding that everyone in Cochrane stands to benefit from both machines.
“I think having them in a community like Cochrane really shows that we want everybody to have access to them,” says Dr. Nielsen. “We’re really excited about being a clinic that’s able to offer them.”
Dr. Nielsen encourages people to call the clinic for a consult or more information at (587) 551-3348. Additional information about Fireside Family Health is available on their website.
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