Reiki’s Healing Energy Can Spread Calm and Reduce Stress
Energy cannot be created or destroyed — but can energy help reduce stress? Believers of reiki think so. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a complementary health approach based on an Eastern belief that energy supports the body’s innate healing abilities. During a reiki session, reiki practitioners place their hands lightly or just above a person, with […]
The Perils of Pain
Searching for new solutions to chronic suffering Pain — ongoing, chronic pain that plagues us day after day — can seem almost unbearable at times. Whether it’s a nagging pain in the neck or a constant stabbing in the back that limits mobility, no one wants to be afflicted by it. About 20 percent of […]
Pain Goes to Pot
Does medical marijuana deliver on its pain-relieving promises? Every day, Samantha is in pain. Her elbows and knees feel inflamed. Her ankle aches. She gets cramps in her abdomen. Her lower back hurts. She suffers from fibromyalgia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome. To feel better, Samantha uses medical cannabis — also […]
Alternative Approaches to Pain Management
Holistic therapies and mind-body treatments can help with chronic pain Kari Wagner was walking home from the park with her dog and 10-year-old son when she was thrust onto the asphalt. After that, she has only a few memories: lying in the street, being transported in an ambulance and being in the hospital. A car […]
4 Things You Need to Know About Opioids for Pain Management
In the wake of the opioid addiction crisis, physicians have been cutting back on prescribing opioids for pain relief. But still, sometimes patients are prescribed these powerful painkillers, especially after a major surgery. Even when prescribed by a physician and taken as directed, using a prescription opioid painkiller can cause side effects including tolerance, physical […]
Water Works
Hydrotherapy’s healing power stimulates and soothes Erin Myover-Piotrowski, 35, had been experiencing fatigue, sluggishness and some digestive troubles. “I didn’t feel well enough to be working out. I’d been taking Zantac and Pepcid,” says the Villa Park resident. “My husband and I used to joke that we had ‘his and her’ Tums on the bedside […]
To The Point
Acupuncture eases chemo-related pain, fatigue and nausea A component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been well researched in Western medicine and noted as safe and effective. It offers such a proven benefit as a complementary cancer therapy that it is offered in many major cancer centers as an adjunct to conventional care. In a […]
Reefer to the Rescue
Medical cannabis presents new treatment options for pain management Medical marijuana advocates are not just blowing smoke. Medical cannabis, now in Illinois, has proven to help manage chronic pain—in some cases working for patients when conventional painkillers do not. Illinois physicians who are willing to discuss the topic say that while cannabis treatments can offer […]
Acupuncture: Getting to the Point of It
There are some amazing treatments when the Western and Eastern hemispheres treat illnesses together By Maryann Pisano Photos by James Foster Patricia Piant, MSTOM, Dipl.OM., L.Ac., is a licensed, board-certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist at NorthShore University HealthSystem. She treats patients for pain every day; all types of pain for people from all walks of […]
