Welcoming Sandra Subotich to WholeHealth Chicago

Normally, when I write a welcome Health Tip announcing a new WholeHealth Chicago practitioner, I go right to the person’s biography to illuminate why you might consider making an appointment. Dr. Sandra is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and her bio is rich with detail, so I’m saving it for the end.

First, I asked her to tell me about a recent patient that gave her a sense of satisfaction. Here’s what she shared:

Dr. Sandra was caring for a 33-year-old woman we’ll call Claire who had been diagnosed ten years earlier with multiple autoimmune diseases. At that time, suffering a wide variety of debilitating symptoms, her patient had tested positive for both lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, with symptoms including widespread muscle and joint pain, a profound sense of exhaustion, skin rashes, and an indecisive digestive tract, swinging unpredictably between constipation and diarrhea.

In addition, Claire had chest pain and shortness of breath, attributed to inflammation of the covering of the lung (a condition called pleurisy). She’d gone to conventional physicians and received the usual buffet drugs, including biotherapies (immune suppressants) and, when needed, antibiotics.

When Dr. Sandra started to treat her, Claire was having long episodes in which she experienced virtually all her symptoms from the previous decade. Naturally, being as young as she was, Claire was quite depressed about the state of her health.

With the OK of her rheumatologist, Claire had chosen to go off the last of her ineffective medications.

Dr. Sandra started Claire on an herbal protocol and two sessions of acupuncture a week. After three months of treatment, all Claire’s pain and fatigue simply vanished, her skin was clear, her bowels regular, and she had absolutely no shortness of breath. Recent lab tests show that Claire’s markers for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are now negative.

Clearly, she’s in some sort of remission induced by Dr. Sandra’s regimen. No one can predict how long it will last and Claire knows to reschedule should any of her symptoms start to return.

Dr. Sandra’s patient testimonials
On Dr. Sandra’s personal website, there are some pretty dramatic testimonials. Read on…

“I had been suffering from depression and mild to severe back pain for many years.  It’s hard enough to get and deal with your day when you’re physically injured, but the mental fatigue drains you the most, by far.  After some forceful (yet loving) deliberation from my wife, she insisted that I visit her acupuncturist Sandra Subotich.  I have to say I was very skeptical, but just after our first session I felt something strange.  It felt like waking up for the first time.  I’m not exactly sure how to explain it but I guess you could say I felt young again.  I’ve had several sessions so far and my back pain has subsided considerably and my mind is clearer than it has ever been.  Sandra has dug me out of a deep hole and I cannot thank her enough.  I know who I am again, and that in my opinion is one of the greatest gifts one can get.”

“Dr. Sandra is amazing.  I came to her a depressed, overweight, anxious, emotional mess of a person.  I was in one of the darkest places I’d ever been in my life and she was pure light out of that darkness.  Working with her over 10 months changed my life in ways I didn’t think were possible.  She did acupuncture and reiki treatments on me that were mind blowing.  I saw my emotional trauma healed and as a result my depression went away and I lost a significant amount of weight (60lbs) even though I wasn’t necessarily being treated for that.  She guided me through deep healing and led me to my truer self.  She is a gift to this world, and often after treatments I would tell her “holy sh*t” because the feeling in the room was palpable. I work in the healthcare field and have access to the best of the best. Sandra is in a class by herself!!  I highly recommend her to anyone experiencing pain, either emotionally or physically, and just anyone in general. She is THAT good! Illinois is lucky to have her.  She is deeply missed by her clients back in Cali.”

Here’s Dr Sandra’s very interesting biography
Sandra is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM), an herbalist, and a primary care practitioner in the state of California. She is nationally certified as a Diplomat of Oriental medicine and holds a bachelor’s degree in education/psychology. In addition, Sandra is a Medical Qi Gong practitioner, certified Reiki Master and teacher, and certified in Medical Pulse Diagnosis.

Raised by eastern European immigrant parents, Sandra was exposed to traditional herbal medicine at a very young age and loved to help her mother, father, and grandmother make herbal preparations for various ailments. Her father, a trained allopathic doctor and biochemist, was always researching natural alternatives to prescribed medications and offering his findings to patients, friends, and family.

Sandra was fascinated by his research and continued to be inspired and moved by the power of herbal medicine and alternative therapies. After a fateful first visit to an acupuncturist, Sandra was guided to pursue her love and passion for alternative medicine.

She started her journey in Honolulu, where she attended The World Medicine Institute/Tai Hsuan, a small Taoist school run by 67th lineage Heavenly Taoist Master Lillian Chang. Under direct mentorship with Dr Chang, Sandra learned lineage-specific acupuncture, herbal preparations, medical Qi Gong, meditations, and energetic healing techniques and practices.

She also traveled throughout China with Dr Chang, visiting many hospitals and temples and being taught by various Taoist Masters residing in rural areas of the country.

After two years in Hawaii, Sandra decided to live and practice in California, so she transferred to Five Branches University to complete her studies. While at Five Branches, Sandra did extensive work in Dr Tan and Master Tung-style pain management as well as five element acupuncture, which focuses on the emotional and psycho-spiritual aspects of ourselves.

In addition, Sandra interned at an acupuncture clinic focused on fertility and women’s health, experiencing first-hand the astounding effects that acupuncture can have in people who are facing fertility challenges.

Sandra has also been trained in acupuncture for addiction and interned at Janus of Santa Cruz, where she worked to ease patients’ symptoms and assist in their recovery. Sandra is passionate about alternative medicine and having the opportunity to facilitate each person’s healing process and growth potential.

In 2016, Sandra completed her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Five Branches University, and presented her thesis on using advanced acupuncture techniques in the treatment of pain and paresthesia (numbness, tingling, burning, or cold sensations) in people who have multiple sclerosis.

Sandra specializes in chronic and acute pain management, neuropathy, and autoimmune issues (including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and MS), fertility, gastrointestinal issues, depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma.

Welcome to WholeHealth Chicago, Dr Sandra Subotich.

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD