Conditions Addressed (Click to view description)

• Asthma
  Asthma
  

  Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It is one of the most common long-term diseases of children. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma can be controlled by following medical and/or complementary and alternative health management plans and by avoiding contact with environmental triggers.
• Cholesterol
  Cholesterol
  

  Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemia, Hyperlipoproteinemia, HDL, LDL
  
  Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can narrow your arteries or even block them.
  
  High levels of cholesterol in the blood, Hypercholesterolemia/Hyperlipidemia, can increase your risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. There are usually no signs or symptoms that you have high blood cholesterol, but it can be detected with a blood test. You are likely to have high cholesterol if members of your family have it, if you are overweight or if you eat a lot of fatty foods.
• Depression
  Depression
  

  Depression is a medical condition that affects many millions of American adults each year. Mood, thoughts, physical health, and behavior all may be affected.

  The most common symptoms of depression include; persistent sad, anxious, or 'empty' feelings, feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness, restlessness or irritability, loss of interest or pleasure in activities that the person once enjoyed, fatigue and decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and/or making decisions, insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping, overeating, or appetite loss, thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts, persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease with treatment.

  There are many forms of Depression and the exact symptoms and degree of severity depends on the individual person. In major depression (also called major depressive disorder), people experience symptoms that interfere with their ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and take pleasure in activities they once enjoyed. Symptoms last for at least 2 weeks but frequently last for several months or longer. In dysthymia (also called dysthymic disorder), a less severe, but more chronic form of depression, people experience symptoms that are not as disabling but keep them from functioning well or feeling good. Symptoms last at least 2 years. Many people with dysthymia also have episodes of major depression.

  In bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive illness), people have periods of depressive symptoms that alternate or may co-exist with periods of mania. Symptoms of mania include abnormally high levels of excitement and energy, racing thoughts, and impulsive and inappropriate behavior. Other forms of depression exist that fall into the category of minor depression. With this type of depression, people experience the same symptoms as major depression, but they are fewer in number and are less disabling. Symptoms last at least 6 months but less than 2 years continuously. Mental health is how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.

  Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad or stressed sometimes. But with a mental illness, these feelings do not go away and are severe enough to interfere with your daily life. It can make it hard to meet and keep friends, hold a job or enjoy your life. Mental illnesses are common, they affect about one in five families in the U.S. It is not your fault if you have one. Disorders such as depression, phobias, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and many others are real diseases that you cannot will or wish away. Fortunately, they are often treatable. Complementary, alternative, integrative and mainstream practitioners offer therapeutic options that may help improve the life of most people with mental illnesses.
• Diabetes
  Diabetes
  

  Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting millions of Americans. There are 3 main types of Diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases and occurs more frequently in older people. Type 1 diabetes, which accounts for 5 to 10 percent of cases, usually strikes children and young adults. A third form, gestational diabetes, develops in some women during pregnancy.
  
  In all forms of diabetes, the body's ability to convert food into energy is impaired. After a meal, the body breaks down most food into glucose (a kind of sugar), the main source of fuel for cells. In people with diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin (a hormone that helps glucose enter cells) or the cells do not respond to insulin properly. Often, both insulin production and insulin action are impaired. Without treatment, glucose builds up in the blood instead of moving into the cells, where it can be converted into energy. Over time, the high blood glucose levels caused by diabetes can damage many parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves, feet, and skin. Such complications can be prevented or delayed by controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
  
  Type 2 diabetes most often is associated with older age (although it is increasingly being diagnosed in children), obesity (about 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight), a family history of diabetes, and lack of physical activity. Certain minority population groups are at greater risk, as are women who have had gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which cells do not use insulin properly. Symptoms develop gradually and may include fatigue, frequent urination, excessive thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow-healing wounds or sores. However, it is possible to have type 2 diabetes without experiencing any symptoms.
• Hypertension, High Blood Pressure
  Hypertension, High Blood Pressure
  

  High blood pressure is a measured blood pressure above 140/90. It is sometimes called the 'silent killer' because it usually has no noticeable warning signs or symptoms until other serious problems arise; therefore, many people do not know that they have it. All persons, including children, can develop high blood pressure. However, high blood pressure is easily detectable and usually can be controlled. Some pharmacies offer free blood pressure screenings and/or your health care practitioner can measure it for you. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is an important public health strategy. Therefore, it is important for you to know your blood pressure level and to check it regularly.
  
  It is estimated that 1 of 3 American adults has high blood pressure or hypertension. Having high blood pressure increases one's chance for developing heart disease, a stroke, and other serious conditions.
• Insomnia
  Insomnia
  

  Insomnia is characterized by an inability to initiate or maintain sleep. It can also present as early morning awakening where a person awakens several hours early and is unable to go back to sleep. Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep may often present itself as excessive daytime sleepiness, which commonly results in functional impairment throughout the day. Before being diagnosed with primary insomnia, other potential causes need to be ruled out, such as other sleep disorders, side effects of medications, substance abuse, depression, or other previously undetected illness. Chronic psychophysiological insomnia (or "learned" or "conditioned" insomnia) may result from a stressor combined with fear of being unable to sleep. People affected with this condition may sleep better when not in their own beds.
• Obesity, Overweight
  Obesity, Overweight
  

  Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.
  
  For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the body mass index' (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat. An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. It is important to remember that BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat.
  
  Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include measurements of skinfold thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (at risk of overweight and overweight). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages.
  
  BMI is just one indicator of potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, take a look at two other predictors: 1) Waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases) and 2) Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
  
  Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions. These include; Hypertension (high blood pressure), Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint), Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides), Type 2 diabetes, Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Gallbladder disease, Sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).
• Osteoporosis, Osteopenia
  Osteoporosis, Osteopenia
  

  Osteoporosis or 'porous bone' is a disease of the skeletal system characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. Osteopenia is the term used when the bone mass is less than the desired amount for strong healthy bones, but not down to the level of Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis leads to an increase risk of bone fractures typically in the wrist, hip, and spine. Often these can be very painful fractures, which can take many months to heal. In many cases, the pain starts to go away as the fracture heals. Bones play many roles in the body. They provide structure, protect organs, anchor muscles, and store calcium. Adequate calcium consumption and weight bearing physical activity build strong bones, optimizes bone mass, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
  
  It is important for young girls to reach their peak bone mass (the genetic potential for bone density), in order to maintain bone health throughout life. A person with high bone mass as a young adult will be more likely to have a higher bone mass later in life. By the age of 20, the average woman has acquired most of her skeletal mass. A large decline in bone mass occurs in older adults, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. For women this occurs around the time of menopause.
  
  Anyone at any age and any ethnicity can develop osteoporosis. These traits increase the likelihood of osteoporosis; being female, White/Caucasian, post menopausal women, an older adult, small in body size, eating a diet low in calcium, and being physically inactive.
  
  Calcium is a mineral needed by the body for healthy bones, teeth, and proper function of the heart, muscles, and nerves. Vitamin D also plays an important role in healthy bone development. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium. The body cannot produce calcium; therefore, it must be absorbed through food. Good sources of calcium include; dairy products-low fat or nonfat milk, cheese, and yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables-bok choy and broccoli, calcium fortified foods-orange juice, cereal, bread, soy beverages, and tofu products, nuts-almonds.
  
  Regular physical activity has been associated with many positive health benefits including strong bones. Like proper calcium consumption, adequate weight-bearing physical activity early in life is important in reaching peak bone mass. Some examples of weight bearing physical activities include; walking, jogging, or running, tennis or racquetball, field hockey, stair climbing, jumping rope, basketball, dancing, hiking, soccer, and weight lifting.
• Stress
  Stress
  

  Stress is a condition that develops when the demands on an individual begin to outweigh the capabilities and resources available to that individual. In other words; what is expected of you is putting too much pressure on you because you don't feel you have the "tools" to perform the task. A few examples of these "tools" are emotions, energy, physical strength, and mental ability. Stress can be related to things both inside and outside the body. Some examples of things outside the body that cause stress can be related to a job, home life, and interactions with others. Things inside the body that affect a person's stress level can include the availability of proper nutrients, the proper functioning of the parts of the body, the emotional state of being, and the abundance or lack of sleep per night.
  
  The most common view of stress is a negative one; however, there are positive biological reasons for a "stress state" that help us handle stressful situations. A problem arises when there are too many of these situations occurring and the mind becomes emotionally over whelmed, the body becomes biologically overly stimulated and the person is in a general state of over reacting.
  
  If a person remains in this over reactive state medical conditions can develop. Every person is different from another and displays stress differently; however, there are some common symptoms of negative stress such as sleep disturbances, muscle tension, headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and fatigue. Emotional and behavioral symptoms that can accompany excess stress include nervousness, anxiety, changes in eating habits including overeating, loss of enthusiasm or energy, and mood changes.
  
  If a person in an over reactive, negative stress state does not get help when these symptoms appear, more severe problems and disease states can occur. These can be psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), maladaptive behaviors (aggression, substance abuse), cognitive impairment, and physical disorders (cardiovascular, thyroid disease).
  
  Anyone in any age group can experience negative stress. Some common groups of people that experience increased negative stress due to life transitions are children, teens, working parents, and seniors. If you feel that you or someone you know is in an over reactive, negative stress state, please seek care. There are many different healthcare workers that are available to help you.

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Financial Information

Average Cost per Initial Visit: $51 - $100
Average Cost per Session: $76 - $100
Credit Cards Accepted? no
Insurance Accepted? no