An Ounce of Prevention    
By Sue Millingen 

Everyone knows that conventional health care approaches are necessary - but the key to optimum, long-term health lies in prevention! More than ever before, Canadians are taking an active role in creating personal health plans for themselves and their loved ones, and are looking outside of traditional Western allopathic methods to complementary care disciplines. Why? Simply because it has been proven that complementary care successfully augments the effectiveness of allopathic treatments.

For instance, massage therapy is a reliable means to alleviating stress, a common workforce ailment that precipitates increased sick days and long-term leave among employees. Long-term sufferers of headaches and back pain may find relief through the services of a naturopath or chiropractor. A few moments of quiet meditation during the day may be just the ticket to improve concentration and productivity.

Employees looking to achieve and maintain an appropriate body weight will better benefit from the counsel of a trained nutritionist, rather than rely on fad diets that can be harmful to their health.

While many complementary care disciplines are still on their way to becoming mainstream, there is a groundswell of public interest that makes them worthy of your consideration. The opportunity to improve workforce wellness through complementary care practices, and decrease insurance costs, is equally intriguing.

Complementary care practitioners believe in assisting the body to tap into its own innate restorative ability. A naturopath for example lives by the philosophy "vies medicatrix nature" or the vital force of nature. By focusing on preventative medicine, naturopaths not only succeed in improving the quality of life of their patients (through nutritional advice and lifestyle counselling) - but may also reduce the amount of expensive prescription drugs taken by these patients, reducing overall benefit claims.

A Chiropractor also practices techniques that aim towards whole body wellness. To a chiropractor, wellness is the state of health where the body is free of interruption or interference to any part of the nervous system, enabling full expression and enjoyment of life. Through chiropractic care the body is better able to return to a healthy balance. This, in turn, aids the body to maintain optimum health and contributes to overall wellness.

Yoga and meditation, two complementary care modalities that have not historically had a place in the corporate arena, are gaining mainstream acceptance. Yoga and meditation both reduce the mental chatter - providing techniques for dealing with stressful situations. Both in meditation and on the yoga mat one learns about breathing and paying attention to the body, increasing the ability to remain focused and calm in the midst of distractions. Ultimately, it is about learning how to achieve positive control over body, mind, and environment, which in turn, lessens stress levels. What is learned on the yoga mat or meditation cushion is directly applicable in every part of our lives.

The true visionary Human Resource practitioner will acknowledge the importance of their role in supporting a wellness path for the workforce, and consider investigating the growing trend towards self-directed health care!

Why?

Making the strategic move to investigate complementary care modalities is the first step to a comprehensive program, promoting a healthy and productive work environment, as well as cost effectively augmenting a back-to-work strategy.

You will have taken an important first step towards:
· increasing employee satisfaction
· decreasing employee absenteeism
· containing rising benefit costs
· investigating new strategies and approaches to address stress-induced illness in the workplace
· enhancing your strategy to attract and retain qualified employees
· building employee morale

How?

Educate your employee population about how to incorporate some of these practices into their lifestyle. Provide greater accessibility for employees to utilize these services.

Well Now Inc. makes it easy for you to begin proactively encouraging the use of preventative, non-invasive measures to promote workforce wellness. We can help you to educate your population about how to incorporate some of these practices into their lifestyle, at work and at home.

From Nutritional counselling to Traditional Chinese medicine, there are accredited practitioners available to enhance your program.
 

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About The Author

Sue Millingen is the President and founder of Well Now Inc. Sue has 20 years experience in the corporate consulting arena, as an award winning communication consultant, focusing on corporate communication strategies as well as employee benefit communications. 

Five years ago Sue chose to further her education in holistic health and is a certified Iridologist and a Reiki practitioner and holds a certificate in Holistic Health from Seneca College.  

Well Now Inc. and it's mission to educate and empower is a "perfect marriage" of Sue's experience and passions.

Email Sue at: sue@wellnow.ca
Website: www.wellnow.ca