Dr. Rucha Rege, ND

07/24/2026

Osteoarthritis isn't just a "wear and tear" issue!!!

My husband is a chiropractor and he started sending me chronic pain patients because he was seeing how cortisone injections, pain meds, and physical therapy, although very important in most people's care plan, wasn't enough for long lasting pain relief and mobility. There was something missing. Through years of working with the patients he has referred to me, extensive research, continuing education, and clinical experience, I have learned so much about joint health and the factors that can truly make a longstanding difference for people with chronic joint pain.

Yes, years of strain can contribute to changes in the joint. And yes, physical therapy can absolutely help reduce pain and improve function. But too often, treatment focuses only on managing symptoms, leaving many people feeling like pain medication is their only long-term option.

The thing is, arthritis isn't just about the joint.

Our diet and lifestyle can have a huge impact on inflammation, and that inflammation can play a big role in how much pain and stiffness we experience.

Many women also notice joint pain worsening around perimenopause or within a decade post-menopausally. That's because changing hormone levels can affect inflammation and the health of our joints in a major way.

When we take a whole-body approach to osteoarthritis, we often see greater improvements in pain, mobility, and overall quality of life. This often involves testing your inflammatory markers, testing your hormones, and creating a plan to support all the areas that could be impacting your pain.

If this resonates with you and you're looking for a more comprehensive approach to managing your pain, please reach out!!

Your body is more than just your joints. You're more than just your X-ray. Your treatment should reflect that.

rucharege.com

02/27/2026

We see this all the time.

Cholesterol creeping up.
Fasting glucose inching higher.
HbA1C slowly rising year after year.

Nothing gets said.

No one talks about sleep.
No one asks about stress.
No one reviews diet in detail.
No one looks at hormones, thyroid function, insulin patterns, or visceral fat distribution.

And then one day, the numbers are “high enough.”

Suddenly it’s:
👉 “You need a statin.”
👉 “You’re prediabetic- here’s metformin.”

No conversation about why this happened. No meaningful intervention earlier. Just medication once the lab value crosses an arbitrary line.

Here’s the reality:

Elevated cholesterol and blood sugar don’t appear overnight. They are usually the downstream result of:

• Insulin resistance developing quietly for years
• Chronic stress and cortisol dysregulation (a busy work and home life!)
• Perimenopausal hormonal shifts
• Poor sleep and circadian disruption
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Imbalanced macros
• Suboptimal thyroid function

And the most frustrating part?
There is often a wide window of opportunity where targeted diet, lifestyle shifts, and specific evidence-based supplements can significantly improve these numbers and bring them fully back into range.

Think:

✔ Strategic protein intake
✔ Fiber optimization
✔ Blood sugar balancing meals
✔ Strength training to improve insulin sensitivity
✔ Stress regulation
✔ Sleep repair
✔ Testing and treating the hormonal imbalances, as opposed to guesswork
✔ Targeted support like berberine, omega-3s, magnesium, inositol, or plant sterols (when appropriate)

None of this is “alternative.”
It’s physiology.

Medications absolutely have a role. But they shouldn’t be the first conversation after years of missed opportunity.

If your labs are trending in the wrong direction- even if they’re still technically “normal”- that’s the time to intervene.

Your body whispers before it screams.

Don’t wait until it’s “bad enough.”

12/30/2025

Perimenopause is not just something you’re supposed to “put up with.”

Too many women are told their symptoms are “normal for your age” and sent on their way- still exhausted, anxious, inflamed, gaining weight, not sleeping, losing patience, losing confidence, and wondering if there’s any support available to feel better.

There is.

Mood changes. Brain fog. Suddenly up in the middle of the night for hours when you used to sleep well. Heavy or irregular periods. PMS that feels unbearable. Anxiety that came out of nowhere. A body that suddenly doesn’t respond the way it used to.

These symptoms are common, but that does not mean they should be ignored or minimized.

Perimenopause is a hormonal transition that can have a big symptomatic impact on the body and mind, and this transition deserve support, investigation, and individualized care- not dismissal.

Support can include:
• Diet strategies to stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support estrogen metabolism
• Lifestyle shifts to calm the nervous system and improve sleep and resilience
• Targeted supplements to support progesterone, estrogen balance, cortisol, and nutrient depletion
• Thoughtful blood work to better understand what your hormones are actually doing, rather than guessing or being told everything is “fine”
• Referral for HRT if you are a candidate to support optimal physiology and reduce risk of future disease

When we understand what’s driving your symptoms, we can choose strategies that help you feel strong, clear-headed, and at home in your body again.

You deserve to be heard.
You deserve options.
You deserve to feel good, not just “okay for your age.”

If you’ve been brushed off before, know this: your experience is real, and support exists. 💛

rucharege.com

09/30/2025

🌩️ Migraines Stealing Your Days? Let’s Change That. 🌩️

If you struggle with migraines, you KNOW how much they can impact your day-to-day life.
The good news? You don’t have to live in survival mode. You don’t have to walk on eggshells waiting for another migraine to come on, just to pop painkillers and hope they work.

There's so much that can be done to help you live a pain-free life:

⚡ Identify Your Triggers – Hormones (perimenopause and PMS-must I say more?!), food sensitivities, stress, blood sugar swings, neck tension, vitamin and mineral deficiencies… migraines often have multiple root causes.

⚡ Support Using Powerful Supplements/Herbs – Magnesium glycinate, CoQ10, riboflavin, and herbal allies like feverfew and ginger can reduce frequency and intensity. Let’s identify which ones will be most effective for you!

⚡ Balance Hormones & Gut Health – Many migraine sufferers see huge improvements when these systems are addressed.

⚡ Build a Prevention Plan – Relief shouldn’t rely on reacting after the pain starts. Reducing the frequency so you have more pain-free days is the ultimate goal!!

✨ I help migraine sufferers uncover why their headaches happen and create natural, sustainable strategies to stop them before they start.

If migraines are affecting your work, relationships, or quality of life, let’s chat!

Let’s talk about customized, root-cause solutions, NOT band-aids.

05/20/2025

Struggling with bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and/or diarrhea? IBS isn’t something you have to suffer through forever. Let’s talk about why it’s happening, and how you can find and address the root cause of your symptoms so that when you get better, you stay better!

rucharege.com

12/15/2020

If you think you have a thyroid issue but your blood tests came back normal, this video is for you!

08/09/2020

NEW AND EXCITING CHANGES ARE HAPPENING: Dr. Rucha Rege is MOVING to a new location September 1st, 2020!!

One chapter is ending while a new one begins as Dr. Rucha opens up her very own practice starting September 1st, 2020!

This means that she will sadly be leaving Alta Vista Chiropractic Clinic at the end of August to move to a new clinic space.

She will remain practicing at Holistic Roots Massage Therapy & Wellness.

Current patients of Alta Vista Chiropractic & Massage Clinic can head to Dr. Rucha's website at http://www.rucharege.com to book online at whichever clinic is most convenient to them, or email her at [email protected].

Patients of Holistic Roots Massage Therapy & Wellness are also invited to book online or via email at whichever clinic is most convenient to them.

New patients are invited to also visit her website to book an initial appointment, or book a FREE 15 min Meet & Greet to see if Dr. Rucha is the right person to support their healing!

Consults will be available in-person and virtually, and when booking online, the option to choose between virtual and in-person will be provided.

You owe it to yourself to have~healthcare that is as unique~as you are!

03/17/2020

Due to the current situation and in attempt to practice social distancing to limit the spread of the virus, all appointments with Dr. Rucha will be provided virtually until at least March 31st. Recommendations by public health will continue to be monitored closely and decisions regarding appointments beyond March 31st will be made accordingly. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter and hope you stay safe and healthy during this time!

01/04/2020

Voting is now open! I am nominated for the second year in a row for Favourite Naturopath in Faces Magazine. If you think I am worthy of this title, you can vote once per day until January 23rd. Congratulations to my fellow naturopath nominees! No matter the winner, we all have the same goal- to bring the best possible health services to the Ottawa community.

https://facesmag.ca/awards/ #/gallery/201910041