My favourite things…

A BALANCE PAD IS USED IN BALANCE TRAINING TO PROVIDE A SOFT SURFACE TO SIMULATE UNEVEN SURFACES. IT WORKS ON POSTURAL STABILITY AND CAN ALSO BE USED AS A KNEE PAD FOR KNEELING EXERCISES.

PRICE: ~$40 FOR 15X19 INCHES (CAD)

THE POLAR H10 HEART RATE MONITOR CHEST STRAP ALLOWS YOU TO MONITOR YOUR HEART RATE WITH MAXIMUM PRECISION AND CONNECT YOUR HEART RATE TO A VARIETY OF TRAINING DEVICES WITH BLUETOOTH® AND ANT+. ITS ACCURACY IS IDEAL FOR USE FOR THE BUFFALO CONCUSSION TREADMILL TEST AND FOR THE PRESCRIPTION OF A SUB-THRESHOLD GRADED EXERCISE PROGRAM.

PRICE: ~$150 (CAD)

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED MAKING YOUR OWN LASER HEADBAND UNSUCCESSFULLY? OR DID YOU MAKE ONE THAT KEPT BREAKING APART? THE CONCUSSION LAB LASER HEADLAMP IS A SIMPLE AND AFFORDABLE TOOL THAT IS USED FOR CERVICAL PROPRIOCEPTION TESTING AND SENSORIMOTOR INTEGRATION TRAINING.

PRICE: ~$45 (CAD)

THE BLAZEPOD REACTION TRAINING SYSTEM PROVIDES MOTIVATING, VISUAL CUES TO CREATE A WIDE RANGE OF PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES. THE STANDARD KIT IS PERFECT FOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS COACHES, THERAPISTS & FITNESS TRAINERS. THE KIT INCLUDES 4 LED LIGHT PODS, A CHARGING BASE, AND AN OFFICIAL BLAZEPOD HARD-SHELL, PROTECTIVE CASE THAT FITS 4 PODS. THE TRAINER KIT INCLUDES 6 LED LIGHT PODS. THE APP PROVIDES A WIDE RANGE OF CHALLENGES AND ALLOWS YOU TO TRACK YOUR PATIENTS’ RESULTS.

PRICE: ~$400-530 (CAD)

VESTIBULAR FIRST HAS CREATED THE MOST AFFORDABLE, EFFECTIVE, AND SIMPLE INFRARED VIDEO GOGGLES FOR PROFESSIONAL VESTIBULAR CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND EDUCATORS ON THE MARKET. IT INCLUDES 2 INDEPENDENT FIXATION LIGHTS, HAS A REMOVABLE COVER, A QUICK-RELEASE STRAP FOR DONNING AND DOFFING, AND COMES IN A SECURE TRAVEL CASE.

PRICE ~$2500 (USD)

THE YOGA TUNE UP THERAPY BALLS MEASURE ABOUT 2 1/2" IN DIAMETER EACH AND ARE MADE OF A SPECIAL RUBBER THAT GRIPS AT YOUR SKIN, GRABS AT MULTIPLE LAYERS OF MUSCLES, AND RUBS OUT ADHESIONS AND TENSION, PROVIDING A MORE LOCALIZED DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE. THEY COME IN A MESH DRAWSTRING SNUG-GRIP TOTE BAG SO THAT THEY DON’T ROLL AROUND WHEN YOU WANT TO USE THEM AT THE SAME TIME. GREAT FOR BEHIND THE HEAD AND NECK!

PRICE: ~$37 (CAD)

THESE YOGA BLOCKS COME IN A SET OF 2 AND PROVIDE STABILITY AND SUPPORT TO IMPROVE ALIGNMENT AND GAIN A GREATER STRETCH IN POSES. THEY ARE HELPFUL TO USE WITH THE YOGA TUNE-UP BALLS FOR TECHNIQUES INVOLVING THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND NECK AS THEY PROVIDE COUNTER PRESSURE.

PRICE: ~$24 (CAD)

LIGHT SENSITIVITY IS COMMON AFTER A CONCUSSION. VISUAL STRESS CAN OCCUR WHEN USING SCREENS OR READING HIGH-CONTRAST MATERIAL. SENSITIVITY TO CERTAIN WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT AND HIGH-CONTRAST MATERIAL CAN BE REDUCED BY USING COLOUR FILTERS. COLOUR FILTERS PROVIDE INCREASED VISUAL COMFORT, IMPROVE READING PERFORMANCE, AND INCREASE SCREEN TOLERANCE. INDIVIDUALS MAY PREFER THE USE OF ONE COLOUR OVER ANOTHER, SO TRIAL EACH COLOUR TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE COLOUR FOR SYMPTOM REDUCTION.

PRICE: ~$14 (CAD)

ANKLE WEIGHTS ARE USED TO PROVIDE PROPRIOCEPTIVE INPUT FOR GROUNDING TO IMPROVE POSTURAL STABILITY AND BALANCE. THEY CAN BE WORN WHILE MOVING AROUND THE HOUSE OR GOING FOR WALKS TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND SYMPTOMS OF INSTABILITY.

PRICE: ~$45 FOR A PAIR OF 5 LBS EACH (CAD)

A WEIGHTED LAP OR SHOULDER PAD CAN HELP WITH FEELINGS OF DIZZINESS AND DISEQUILIBRIUM BY PROVIDING A GROUNDING AND RELAXING EFFECT. YOU CAN LAY IT ACROSS YOUR LAP, SHOULDERS, BACK OR STOMACH. IT IS TRAVEL FRIENDLY AND CAN BE USED FOR MOTION OR TRAVEL SICKNESS.

PRICE: ~$45 FOR A 5 LBS PAD MEASURING 20” X 20” (CAD)

THE HYPERVOLT IS A HANDHELD MASSAGE DEVICE THAT HELPS RELAX SORE AND STIFF MUSCLES USING STRONG PERCUSSION AT 5 DIFFERENT SPEEDS. 5 DIFFERENT HEAD ATTACHMENTS ARE INCLUDED.

PRICE: ~$380 (CAD)

EARPLUGS HELP WITH EAR PAIN CAUSED BY THE RAPID CHANGES IN CABIN AIR PRESSURE IN AIRPLANES WHEN TAKING OFF AND LANDING. THEY RELIEVE DISCOMFORT, CLOGGING, AND POPPING BY NATURALLY FILTERING AND REGULATING AIR PRESSURE. THEY ARE DISPOSABLE AND LATEX-FREE.

PRICE: ~$20 FOR 3 PAIRS (CAD)

BY ROBIN MCKENZIE

IF YOU HAVE PERSISTENT NECK PAIN, THIS INFORMATIVE STEP-BY-STEP HANDBOOK WILL HELP YOU RELIEVE YOUR PAIN AND PREVENT SYMPTOMS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE.

LEARN THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF NECK PAIN AND TREATMENTS FOR NECK PAIN, PLUS A SERIES OF SIMPLE EXERCISES DESIGNED TO HELP ALLEVIATE YOUR NECK PAIN QUICKLY AND PREVENT ANY REOCCURRENCE, IN ADDITION TO GUIDANCE FROM A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.

PRICE: ~$9 (CAD)

BY DR. TITUS CHIU

BRAINSAVE! IS A BOOK WRITTEN FOR PEOPLE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER THEIR HEAD INJURY.

HAVING SUFFERED MULTIPLE HEAD INJURIES HIMSELF, DR. TITUS CHIU UNDERSTANDS THE PERSONAL IMPACTS THAT POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME CAN HAVE ON A PERSON'S LIFE.

IN THIS EASY-TO-READ BOOK, DR. CHIU BREAKS DOWN THE SCIENCE OF CONCUSSION THROUGH INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, PERSONALIZED QUIZZES, AND STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK.

PRICE: ~$20 (CAD)

BY JOEY REMENYI

CHRONIC VERTIGO, DIZZINESS, AND TINNITUS ARE INVISIBLE DISRUPTIONS TO A PERSON’S LIFE THAT CAN BE UNRESPONSIVE TO TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS, LEAVING SUFFERERS FEELING HOPELESS. YET HEALING IS POSSIBLE USING NEUROPLASTICITY, THE BRAIN AND BODY’S CAPACITY TO CHANGE ITSELF. SO, WHY IS NOBODY TEACHING US HOW TO DO IT?

INCLUDING HOME EXERCISE IDEAS AND A HEART-CENTRED APPROACH TO SCIENCE, ROCK STEADY IS THE HANDBOOK FOR ANYONE WITH CHRONIC UNWANTED SENSATIONS OR SOUNDS IN THEIR BODY.

PRICE: ~$24 (CAD)

BY JAMES NESTOR

NO MATTER WHAT YOU EAT, HOW MUCH YOU EXERCISE, HOW SKINNY OR YOUNG OR WISE YOU ARE, NONE OF IT MATTERS IF YOU’RE NOT BREATHING PROPERLY.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE ESSENTIAL TO OUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THAN BREATHING: TAKE AIR IN, LET IT OUT, REPEAT TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND TIMES A DAY. YET, AS A SPECIES, HUMANS HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO BREATHE CORRECTLY, WITH GRAVE CONSEQUENCES.

DRAWING ON THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF MEDICAL TEXTS AND RECENT CUTTING-EDGE STUDIES IN PULMONOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, BREATH TURNS THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW ABOUT OUR MOST BASIC BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION ON ITS HEAD. YOU WILL NEVER BREATHE THE SAME AGAIN.

PRICE: ~$37 FOR THE HARDCOVER (CAD)

RECOGNIZED AS TWO OF THE WORLD'S LEADING AUTHORITIES ON THE SUBJECT, SUSAN HERDMAN AND RICHARD CLENDANIEL, JOINED BY A TEAM OF EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS, DELIVER THE 4TH EDITION OF THE FIELD'S DEFINITIVE TEXT ON THE MANAGEMENT OF VESTIBULAR DISEASES AND DISORDERS. FROM ASSESSMENT THROUGH THERAPY, THEY PRESENT THE SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN VESTIBULAR AND NON-VESTIBULAR DIZZINESS AND TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENTS. I’VE REGULARLY REFERRED TO THIS TEXTBOOK SINCE I STARTED PRACTICING VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION.

PRICE: ~$250 (CAD)