Fifteen years ago or so was the first time I wrote about the endlessly fascinating multi-purpose inexpensive Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Among the majority of conventional physicians, the “needle” has moved slightly from “never heard of it” to “I’ve heard of it but don’t prescribe it.” I guess you could call it a ‘guarded improvement.’ […]
Pain Management
Treatments / Pain Management
Pain Management
We understand, at WholeHealth Chicago, that pain may not be just a symptom of a larger problem and is a medical condition to take seriously.
If left untreated, pain can lead to stress, loss of strength, physical impairment, sleep disturbance and emotional suffering. It is our goal to get to the root of the problem, identify the site and underlying causes of pain, and alleviate discomfort for a better quality of life.
In recent years, policymakers and insurance companies have been obligated to look into ways to make acupuncture available and affordable nationally. Even though acupuncture needles are about as fine as a human hair and most patients feel very little discomfort, some people are just needle-phobic. No problem. Most practitioners of Chinese medicine also are trained in shiatsu, best described as needle-free acupuncture in which fingertip pressure is applied to acupuncture points. Here’s an article on it.
As helpful as acupuncture might be for chronic pain, the researchers emphasize that it rarely works alone. Opioids for pain relief can likely be reduced with acupuncture, but medications must remain available without the stigma unhelpfully provided by many pharmacists, emergency rooms, and the young doctors vowing “no opioids ever.”
Other therapeutic modalities are needed, too, including chiropractic, relaxation techniques like yoga, physical therapy (especially transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation–TENS–units for home use), occupational therapy, and counseling. When combined with some of these therapies, acupuncture–plus national access to medical marijuana—can reduce a patients pain and ultimately the use of prescription opioids.
- Acupuncture
- Traditional Chinese Medicine & Herbs
- Homeopathy
- Chiropractic Medicine
- Nutrition
Providers
David Edelberg, MD
Medical Director & Internal Medicine Physician
Dr. Edelberg, board certified in Internal Medicine in 1974, began incorporating alternative therapies into his practice during the 1980’s. Since founding the parent company of WholeHealth Chicago in 1993, he has become nationally recognized as one of the pioneers of integrative medicine, the new medical specialty combining conventional medicine with alternative therapies.
Wendy Ploegstra, APN
Integrative Nurse Practitioner
Board-certified in family practice in 2008 and certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner in 2018, Wendy A. Ploegstra has incorporated alternative therapies into her practice as far back as she can remember.
Health Tips
Let me tell you about Mary Biancalana and the value of myofascial trigger point therapy. A lifelong fitness expert and personal trainer, in her early thirties Mary found herself with chronic headaches. First, she was told they were ‘psychological,’ then a manifestation of a little understood term called “trigger points” and another condition she’d never […]
Ten years ago last April marks the anniversary of the first time I wrote about low-dose naltrexone (LDN). I described it as an orphan drug, meaning that its patent had long ago expired, that it was generic, and that it was not owned by any one company. For these reasons and because they’d never recoup […]
Most neurologists and primary care doctors will tell you that one of the most frustrating groups of conditions to treat are the peripheral neuropathies. It’s estimated that somewhere on the order of 20 million people suffer from peripheral neuropathy and while diagnosis is fairly straightforward, treatment is definitely problematic. The available medications are generally given […]
Anngela Leone, LAc. Is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist and herbalist in the state of Illinois. Anngela offers minimally invasive healing modalities that allow your body to heal itself. Chinese Medicine looks at each person through a broader lens where we see you as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms. As […]
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