Back pain is problematic for many people, and it may be especially cumbersome for individuals who work from home on their computers all day. Fortunately, there are certain back stretches that can offer relief and help loosen stiff and sore muscles. By performing one or more of these five stretches, you can relieve your back pain and may even improve your mobility.

The Government of Canada advises anyone with COVID-19 to stay at home unless absolutely necessary and to stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom from others in your home, if possible.

Social distancing is one of the most effective ways to contain the spread of COVID-19. While specific restrictions on what Canadians can do vary from province to province, here are the basic Dos and Donts of social distancing, as advised by the Public Health Agency of Canada and chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam:

Sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that, when untreated, can have severe health and safety consequences for you and people around you. Marina Abramskey, a Registered Respiratory Therapist at CanSleep Services, says that sleep apnea can go undetected for many years. “People adapt to their symptoms of feeling tired and fatigued during the day and often attribute it to other events going on in their lives,” Abramskey said.

We do many things out of habit (because that’s the way we’ve always done it) or convention (because that’s what everyone else does): how we relate to family and friends, our routines at school or work, where we shop, what we eat, what we do for exercise, and how we travel from place to place. We get into a groove and it becomes our norm.

If you’ve ever suffered from a condition like depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you know that it can influence more than just the way you think. You can get physical symptoms like headaches, chest pain or skin disorders too, your appetite can change, and your relationships with other people are affected too. More than that, the way you and your body respond to mental-health issues or trauma will be unique, so the treatment that worked for your mum or best friend might do nothing for you. That’s where integrative and holistic counselling practices come in. “These approaches deal with the whole self, rather than typical counselling, which might focus on just the mind, or a specific event,” explains North Shore native and counsellor Brooke Evans of BE Integrative Counselling. “I’m really passionate about holistic practices that are individual-based and client centred. I might use cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), mindfulness and expressive therapy (for example, using art, or if it’s a child, play). Painful memories or trauma can manifest as physical pain.”

Should I make a career as a university teacher or a hearing specialist? That’s the question that faced Herman Li when he neared the end of his PhD in Linguistics specializing in speech and hearing sciences at Simon Fraser University.

If you have a kink in your neck that your physiotherapist is taking months to work out, or you have a persisting stomach pain that your general physician cannot find the source of, acupuncture may be something you should consider.

Brent Smith and Barbara Ferchuk’s dance journey began just out of high school when they enrolled as students at the Arthur Murray dance studio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and never looked back. A subsequent move to Vancouver brought opportunities for performing, competing and teaching at the renowned Arthur Murray Dance Studio there. They became devotees of the teaching system that has been in constant development since 1912, after seeing what it could do for people.

Many family businesses are built from the ground up, but Woodopolis Home Centre literally started with hardwood flooring. The Maple Ridge company started out as a flooring company, Woodopolis Wood Products Ltd., seven years ago, but has since expanded to offer remodelling and renovation services.

Many family businesses are built from the ground up, but Woodopolis Home Centre literally started with hardwood flooring. The Maple Ridge company started out as a flooring company, Woodopolis Wood Products Ltd., seven years ago, but has since expanded to offer remodelling and renovation services.

You really don’t have to be an expert to prune fruit trees. All it takes is a little common sense and a few helpful hints. As a rule of thumb, I place fruit trees in three different pruning categories: the ‘open centre’, the ‘central leader’ and the ‘espalier’ form. Apples, pears and plums should have their centres opened up to allow more sun and air to penetrate.

While dentures don’t grow and shrink like everything else in our mouths, they still need to be checked over by a registered denturist every 6 months. “It’s the same deal with dentures as it is for other kinds of mouth care,” says Austin Denture Clinic denturist Boris Eroshevski. “Dentists recommend a visit twice a year for your teeth, and your local denturist recommends the same schedule for you and your dentures.”

Bathroom renovation may not be what people think of when they hear of Woodopolis Home Centre, but President and CEO Tracy Zhang wants to change that. Woodopolis began selling and installing flooring seven years ago. Three years later, the company expanded its focus to include bathroom renovations, according to Zhang.

CM Bhatt of Aroma Indian Restaurant and Lounge in Port Moody has been serving award-winning Indian cuisine to the people of the Lower Mainland for years. So he knows that you need a wide variety of spices, flavours and meats to satisfy local taste buds. “A common misconception is that all Indian foods are spicy,” says Bhatt. “But here at Aroma Indian Restaurant and Lounge, we put that notion to rest pretty quickly. We have something for every taste, no matter how mild. In fact, there are lots of Indian dishes for people who don’t typically eat spicy food.”