A prescription worth filling: nature
A new prescription for better health is now available to Manitobans, and it doesn’t come in a bottle.
Originating as an initiative by the B.C. Parks Foundation, PaRx is a nature prescribing program. Simply put, any licensed health care provider can prescribe “nature” to their patients.
“It’s Canada’s first evidence-based nature prescription program and we support clinicians across the country to help prescribe nature to their patients,” said Anna Reed, Manitoba launch coordinator for PaRx. “Research actually tells us that patients are more likely to adhere to something, or do it, if it’s actually prescribed to them so it’s an actual written prescription.”
What the prescription entails varies from patient to patient and begins as a conversation with a person’s health care provider.
Ultimately, it is up to the patient. For some, connecting to nature could be a hike and for others it might be sitting on a park bench and taking it all in.
“What we recommend is that you do at least two hours a week but it’s up to you how you connect to nature,” said Reed.
The benefits of a nature prescription are many. Reed said it can increase energy and lifespan, decrease anxiety and improve heart health.
A positive side effect to reconnecting with nature is nature conservation. Reed said research has shown that people who connect to nature are more likely to protect it, an important aspect as the world is facing challenges related to climate change.
The prescription provider could be one of many but includes physicians, nurses, social workers and pharmacists. Not all clinicians are signed up and, for others, it might just be a conversation.
PaRx was launched in Manitoba this week thanks to Reed, a PhD student at University of Toronto, who got involved in planetary health issues in graduate school. Her interest in the program grew after meeting Dr. Melissa Lem, the PaRx director.
The program’s uptake has been growing, according to Reed, with about 1,000 prescribed in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and, now, Manitoba. Its success may have something to do with the pandemic.
“The safest place throughout COVID has been to be outside. So, for the patients and clinicians who have started along this process I think it’s been received really well because our connection to nature is growing,” Reed said.
After a summer of organizing, the Manitoba launch of PaRx occured this week and included a diverse group of health care organizations, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, nurse practitioners, family doctors and pharmacists.
Clinicians can sign up online and get a prescription pad and start writing them.
“Get outside, talk to your clinician, your nurse and get prescribed nature,” said Reed. “This is good for your health and good for the planet.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.