A scar is like an iceberg. It may appear small on the surface but depending on the type or location of the injury, it can dive deep under the tissues and adhere to the fascia surrounding the muscles, tendons, nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels and internal organs. Scars have the capacity to influence mobility, range… Read more »
Modern Modalities
The heyday of clinicians primarily acting as disease specialists is rapidly ending. For too long, health care providers have treated patients reactively, versus proactively. Reactive treatment results from several causes including payor reimbursement schemes, societal expectations, limited resources, ineffectual treatments and inadequate diagnostics1. Government and private payors have routinely denied or delayed coverage of diagnostic… Read more »
A client recently described fibromyalgia as “widespread pain throughout my body which feels like my nerves are on fire.” She further stated, “Myofascial release seems to send a message to my nervous system that says, ‘You are safe.’” Fibromyalgia is a chronic, debilitating condition that affects approximately four million adults per year. It is more… Read more »
Photomedicine Therapy (PMT), more specifically Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), is the application of red and near infrared light to areas of the body to assist recover from injury or damage. LLLT is different from natural light in that it is one precise color; it is also coherent (travels in a straight line), monochromatic (single… Read more »
Glutathione has long played a crucial role in balancing oxidative stressors in our body which occur from such things as environmental toxicity, immune insults (infections and viruses) and inflammatory injury. Glutathione is one of your body’s most abundant and potent antioxidants. It aids in detoxification as a free-radical scavenger and plays an important role in… Read more »
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, most attributed to regulating the circadian rhythm of the body. However, it does so much more than helping us get to sleep. Melatonin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as mechanisms that help to support the immune system. These properties make melatonin a potential option… Read more »
Everything consists of energy, including our bodies — physics tells us that. Chronic stress, unresolved emotions, negative thoughts, injuries and pain are all things that impact your energy. They affect how you interact with others, how you feel about yourself and your overall well-being. Reiki is powerful healing energy within us that can help us… Read more »
Light therapy, which is now referred to as photomedicine, has been utilized in ancient civilizations for over 3,000 years. One of the latest advancements is photodynamic therapy (PDT) which combines laser light with a photosensitizing agent (topical, oral or IV drug or supplement) to prepare the treatment area for greater light penetration. It was first… Read more »
There is a relatively new segment studying human behaviors, happiness and overall well-being referred to as positive psychology. Defined by the Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, it is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. In other words, focusing on the positive side of the human life… Read more »
It is likely that you are currently or have experienced chronic pain at some point in your life. Low back pain, advanced cancer pain, arthritis, headaches and pain that seemingly can’t be linked to any specific cause are frequent complaints. Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care and one of… Read more »
The body is an amazing and complex machine. It is comprised of several systems that all have to run in sync to operate at peak capacity. It is something we don’t give much thought or credit to unless there is a malfunction or breakdown that causes pain or incapacitates us in some manner. The lymphatic… Read more »
The growth of regenerative medicine now offers patients a variety of less invasive treatment options to joint surgery, replacement and pain management. The basic principle of regenerative medicine uses the body’s own healing mechanisms to repair damaged tissues. The field includes injectables, patches, traditional Chinese medicine techniques and electronic stimuli equipment to name a few.… Read more »
When it comes to pain and bodily dysfunction, there seems to be a positive shift from doctors’ visits for prescribed medications towards natural healing modalities. However, with so many alternative therapies on the market today, it is sometimes difficult to know where to start. And many would never think of turning to tuning forks. When… Read more »
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) estimates that more than 75 percent of doctor visits are related to stress while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Safety Council estimate this number to be closer to 90 percent.1, 2 Reasons for visits include, but are not limited to, insomnia, fatigue,… Read more »
Many people have fully embraced robotically-assisted surgery, but some fear the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. Maybe that’s due to sci-fi movies depicting computers capable of overtaking humans, or perhaps they simply don’t understand how it can help. Off the big screen, artificial intelligence (AI) is simply programming machines to perform specific tasks as… Read more »
The easiest way to think about a hernia is as a hole in your abdominal wall. Whether at your groin, belly button or an old incision, a hernia is a hole. This allows intra-abdominal contents to protrude through the hole creating a bulge which may be accompanied by pain or discomfort. Hernias tend to be… Read more »
Every day we are bombarded by input: computer screens, telephones, traffic, food, blaring TVs, and everyone else’s energy. Our bodies are constantly challenged to integrate all this information, which can be exhausting. When our bodies are not able to process all of this information, we can experience imbalance that affects our nervous system, resulting in… Read more »
“Humans are made out of energy and sustained by energy. Our bodies are ever changing dynamic fields of energy, not static physical structures. They are a hologram in which every part contains information about the whole.” — Christiane Northrup, M.D. Conventional Western medicine, at its foundation, focuses on the biochemistry of the physical body: cells,… Read more »
When was the last time you walked barefoot on the beach or lay in the grass with your face in the sun? How about camping in the forest or hiking without your shoes? This may be the perfect prescription for what ails you. Of course, this statement is nothing new. We often heard, “Go outside… Read more »
Music is wonderful. It is often referred to as the universal language. We may listen to music for sheer joy, to dance, to change our moods, to enhance fond memories and to exercise. Music therapy, however, is much more. As an allied health profession, music therapy is defined as the focused and intentional use of… Read more »
