The dr. Liza pump featured on FOX News

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The dr. Liza pump was featured on FOX News as part of their holiday gift guide. Treat yourself to comfortable high heels that you can wear every day. Your body will thank you! drLizashoes.com

Treat yourself with a pair of beautiful high heels you can actually walk in. Made with buttery leather in Brazil they have shock absorbing platforms, an orthotic insole and injected cushioning throughout. Shop at drLizashoes.com

The 5 Best Exercises For Your Core + A Flatter Stomach

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When it comes to improving your posture, strengthening your core is one of the best things you can do. These exercises not only strengthen your core but also have a the awesome side effect of a flatter stomach. I incorporated a bosu ball and/or stability ball to help challenge the key stabilizer muscles that play a large role in supporting your spine.

“Kill them with success and bury them with a smile” 

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With over 10 years in practice and 30 years as an entrepreneur [I started young haha]  I thought I would reflect on one of the greatest challenges I have faced in my career.

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In 2014 I decided to sell the clinic that I founded in 2007 in order to spend more time with my newborn son. I wanted to continue to work at the clinic without spending the significant time necessary to manage 6 health care providers. At the time my instincts told me not to sell it to the Chiropractor who had expressed interest in purchasing it. I had a bad feeling about her intentions but with the demands of a young son and a mother-in-law who was suffering from late stage cancer I decided against better judgment to proceed with the sale.  2 months later my email address was deleted and I was locked out of the office that I started in 2007 with all my personal belongings and patient files still in the clinic. When my patients decided to stay with me, this Chiropractor decided to file a frivolous lawsuit against me for lost revenue. She also proceeded to file complaints against me on behalf of patients without their consent, knowledge or approval.  Additional harassment included contacting my patients and colleagues at my new clinic and attempting to steal my domain name.

Through all of this I am proud to say I have persisted and used these challenges to fuel my success. In the time since my clinic was stolen from me I was able to start a new clinic, the[fix] that has been thriving. I became a body & posture expert for CTV’s The Social and CTV Morning Live, developed the dr. Liza pump and furthered my education to become a manual osteopath.  I also received the trailblazer and professional impact award from the Nigerian Canadian Newspaper and recently the Science & Technology Award from Afroglobal. Through this process I have learned that life in itself is a great learning tool and that as long as you are passionate about what you do, put in the work and maintain a positive outlook, you can achieve success. I have also learned to trust my instincts and will never make the same mistake twice!!

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The Social - Natural treatments and exercises for glowing skin

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I had at the pleasure of joining my friends at The Social to show 4 yoga poses you can do to get glowing skin and demonstrate some myofascial release and osteopathic techniques that can be done to decrease muscle tension in the face, improve skin coloration and provide a youthful glow.

Watch the full segment here to learn some techniques you can do yourself to get your glow on!

http://www.thesocial.ca/Style/Beauty/4-yoga-poses-for-glowing-skin

 

 

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Fibromyalgia - Natural Treatments That Can Help

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Photo credit: Kevin Mazur

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur

Recently Lady Gaga debuted her documentary ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’ at the Toronto International Film Festival. This moving documentary was a great reminder of the misinformation surrounding the treatment of a chronic pain condition called Fibromyalgia.  For example, in the documentary Lady Gaga had been using ice for pain relief, not knowing that moist heatis usually the most beneficial for patients with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions. So I thought I would outline some natural treatment modalities that can be used for those suffering from fibromyalgia.

 

OSTEOPATHY |  Head to toe treatment is imperative when it comes to addressing widespread pain. Osteopathic techniques that focus on the muscles, fascia and joints can help to reduce pain and levels of stress hormones [cortisol]. Since poor sleep is part of the etiology of fibromyalgia, relaxation techniques that can promote deep sleep are beneficial.

MOIST HEAT |   Heating pads that provide moist heat are helpful for stiff joints and tight muscles. The heat helps to improve circulation.  As an added bonus it can even help you fall asleep. We often think of being warm as being cozy and this psychological link can be used to promote sleep. However, for high quality sleep you should be at a cooler temperature so the heating pad should just be used for 20 – 30 minutes before bed to help you sleep. Most come with a timer so it will automatically turn off after the set time.

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS |  There are a number of supplements that may be beneficial in the management of fibromyalgia. 5-HTP is a building block form the feel good brain chemical serotonin. Low levels of magnesium may be linked to fibromyalgia and supplementation is often recommended for people with muscle spasms.

MASSAGE |  Just 20 minutes of moderate pressure massage can increase the production of serotonin and lessen the chemicals associated with pain and stress.

EXERCISES |  Strength training and low-impact exercise has tremendous benefits for those suffering from fibromyalgia. Aqua aerobics in particular has been shown to improve mobility, reduce pain and improve quality of sleep.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN SOME MORE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP!

Science & Technology Award

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Dr. Liza Egbogah Excellence Awards

I am so honored to be receiving the SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY award at the Excellence awards for the development of the shockingly comfortable dr. Liza pump [drLizashoes.com]. The awards take place on Oct 21st and I would love for you to join me!

A Star Studded TIFF at the[fix] Luxury Retreat

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Just a few of the stars that stopped by the[fix] luxury retreat

Dance Away Your Back Pain

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Learn dance moves that you can do to help prevent and treat back pain. Watch the video to learn some osteopathic techniques that can be used to treat back pain.

Fixing at the 93.5 Throw Back Bash

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It was an absolute pleasure to be backstage with Brandy, Ginuwine and Sean Paul at the 93.5 Throwback bash. 

OSTEOPATHY: A TRULY COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

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Osteopathy was founded upon the principles of manual manipulation and rooted in a philosophy that the body should be brought back to health using the least invasive measures first. Osteopathic manual manipulation was designed to improve the flow of air and blood, lymphatic, and other fluids in the body to improve the function of our joints, organs and bran and to maximize self-healing mechanisms.

Osteopathy is a touch-centered treatment that looks at the patient as a whole and aims to determine why the problem is there and treat the conditions that created the problem. Tissues are manipulated in order to help the body return to health.

Osteopathic manipulation is most commonly used to treat musculoskeletal conditions like neck, back, knee and foot pains but can also help with stress, digestive issues and migraines. For example, research has shown that using manipulation to treat elderly patients with pneumonia results in shorter hospital stays and less use of medication. Other studies have suggested a link between manipulation and activity in the endocannabinoid system, the same system affected by the pain-relieving cannabis in marijuana.

 

The main reason I chose to pursue osteopathy instead of chiropractic is that while chiropractic focuses primarily on spinal manipulation, osteopathy involves head to toe treatment to help the body work more efficiently. Whether someone has a wrist fracture, back pain or a knee injury, osteopaths will treat the entire body to optimize functioning. I have always felt that with the multitude of interconnections in the body, addressing the entire system is the only way to effectively treat.

Osteopathic treatments are conventionally classified into soft tissue techniques, articulation, and mobilization. Soft tissue techniques mechanically stretch the skin, fascia, and muscle tissues to enhance their motion and pliability, either as a specific therapeutic goal or in preparation for other procedures. Articulation consists of repetitive, oscillatory movements engaging a restrictive barrier up to it send point before backing away. Its purpose is to surround inga restricted articulation. Mobilization involves engaging the restrictive barrier of the joint needing treatment, followed by a high velocity and low amplitude thrust through the barrier, which briefly separates the joint surfaces and commonly produces a cavitation sound.

Successful treatment will restore the range of movement, improve symmetry, reduce muscle hypertonicity, and possibly restore normal joint receptor activity. This might improve somatic neural input to the spinal cord and allow reflex activity in facilitated spinal segments to return towards normal.

 

I have always had a particular fascination for fascia. In over 10 years of practice I have had the most success treating difficult conditions by addressing the fascia.

Myofascial release is one aspect of Osteopathy and the purpose of these therapies and treatments is to alter the mechanical properties of fascia, such as density, stiffness, and viscosity, so that the fascia can more readily adapt to physical stresses. In fact, some osteopathic physicians and manual therapists report local tissue release after the application of a slow manual force to tight fascial areas; these reports have been explained as a breaking of fascial cross-links, a transition from gel to sol state in the extracellular matrix, and other passive viscoelastic changes of fasciae. The fascial osteopathic technique is the application of a low-load, long-duration stretch into the myofascial complex that is intended to restore the optimal length of this complex. The operator places his or her hand on the fascial restriction identified previously by palpation, using different approaches, until the perceived resistance disappears or greatly decreases, inducing or stopping the preferential direction of the tissue. The time required for the technique varies according to the response of the patient. There are reports in the literature that improvement in the sliding of the different fascia layers, via manual manipulation, may decrease pain symptoms and reduce inflammation at the local level.

 

There are five models that make up osteopathy. The biomechanical model addresses muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones and can improve posture, mobility and function. The circulatory/respiratory model focuses on the thoracic inlet and outlet, the diaphragm and the rib cage and can affect respiration, circulation and lymphatic drainage. The neurological model centers around the brain, spine, autonomic and peripheral nerves to improve control, coordination and integration of the body’s functions and sensation. The behavioral model aims to affect the brain to address issues relation to anxiety, depression, stress, sleep and sexual activity. The last model is the metabolic energy model. The focus with this model is on internal organs, the endocrine system and how the body functions at a cellular level. The can affect the amount of inflammation you have in your body, immunity, reproductive function and digestion. By addressing all 5 models with osteopathic treatment you can effectively restore the body’s natural healing process and treat a wide range of conditions.