Conditions Addressed (Click to view description)

• Chronic Pain
  Chronic Pain
  

  Chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond the expected time for healing (it can be weeks, months, or years) and interferes with normal life. The injury has healed, but the pain continues. Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. The pain message may be triggered by muscle tension, stiffness, weakness, or spasms. The pain may be sharp or dull. It may come and go, or it may be constant. You may feel pain in one area of your body, such as your back, abdomen or chest or you may feel pain all over, such as when your muscles ache from the flu.
  
  Whatever the cause of chronic pain, feelings of frustration, anger, and fear can make the pain more intense. Chronic pain can affect all areas of your life and should be taken seriously. Your response to pain is determined by many factors, including your emotional outlook. For example, depression seems to increase a person's perception of pain and decrease her or his ability to cope with it. Often, treating the depression treats the pain as well. Sometimes chronic pain is due to an ongoing cause, such as cancer or arthritis. Sometimes the cause is unknown. A healthcare professional can help you evaluate your pain and its cause. Fortunately, there are many ways to treat pain. Treatment varies depending on the cause of pain.
  
  Pain can be helpful. Without pain, you might seriously hurt yourself without knowing it, or you might not realize you have a medical problem that needs treatment. Once you take care of the problem, pain usually goes away; therefore, it is important to seek appropriate care when you are experiencing pain.
• Aging
  Aging
  

  Given the increased number of Baby Boomers in the US society, more and more of the population is concerned with Aging. Based on a survey conducted in 1999, it was estimated that at least 40 percent of older Americans used some form of herbal or specialty supplement during that year. Reasons for their use include maintenance of overall health, increase of energy, improving memory, preventing or treating illness, and slowing the aging process.
  
  The average age of the world's population is increasing at an unprecedented rate. The number of people worldwide age 65 and older is estimated at 506 million as of midyear 2008; by 2040, that number will hit 1.3 billion. Thus, in just over 30 years, the proportion of older people will double from 7 percent to 14 percent of the total world population, according to a new report, "An Aging World: 2008."
  
  The report examines the demographic and socioeconomic trends accompanying this phenomenon. It was commissioned by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and produced by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  
  "An Aging World: 2008" examines nine international population trends identified in 2007 by the NIA and the U.S. Department of State ("Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective"). "An Aging World: 2008" contains detailed information on life expectancy, health, disability, gender balance, marital status, living arrangements, education and literacy, labor force participation and retirement, and pensions among older people around the world.
  
  "Aging is affecting every country in every part of the world," said Richard Suzman, Ph.D., director of NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research. "While there are important differences between developed and developing countries, global aging is changing the social and economic nature of the planet and presenting difficult challenges. The fact that, within 10 years, for the first time in human history there will be more people aged 65 and older than children under 5 in the world underlines the extent of this change."
  
  Highlights of the report include:
  
  * While developed nations have relatively high proportions of people aged 65 and older, the most rapid increases in the older population are in the developing world. The current rate of growth of the older population in developing countries is more than double that in developed countries, and is also double that of the total world population.
  
  * As of 2008, 62 percent (313 million) of the world's people aged 65 and older lived in developing countries. By 2040, today's developing countries are likely to be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 and over, 76 percent of the projected world total.
  
  * The oldest old, people aged 80 and older, are the fastest growing portion of the total population in many countries. Globally, the oldest old population is projected to increase 233 percent between 2008 and 2040, compared with 160 percent for the population aged 65 and over and 33 percent for the total population of all ages.
  
  * The 65-and-older population in China and India alone numbered 166 million in 2008, nearly one-third of the world's total. Issues related to population aging in the world's two most populous nations will be accentuated in the coming decades as the absolute number climbs to 551 million in 2040 (329 million in China and 222 million in India).
  
  * Childlessness among European and U.S. women aged 65 in 2005 ranged from less than 8 percent in the Czech Republic to 15 percent in Austria and Italy. Twenty percent of women aged 40-44 in the United States in 2006 had no biologic children. These data raise questions about the provision of care when this cohort reaches advanced ages.
  
  * Older people provide support to as well as receive support from their children. In countries with well-established pension and social security programs, many older adults provide shelter and financial assistance to their adult children and grandchildren. Older people in developing countries, although less likely to provide financial help to children, make substantial contributions to family well-being through such activities as household maintenance and grandchild care.
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid
  Arthritis, Rheumatoid
  

  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that affects the joints, often those in a person's wrists, fingers, and feet. The common symptoms of RA are pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and fever. There are treatments for RA in conventional medicine, and also treatments in complementary, alternative and integrative medicine (CAIM). Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States, limiting the activities of nearly 19 million adults.
  
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is what is called an autoimmune disease. In this type of disease, a person's immune system (the system in the body responsible for fighting disease) mistakenly attacks the person's own body. In RA, the parts attacked are the linings of the joints (places in the body where two bones connect). The reasons that this happens are complex and not fully understood. RA causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in a person's joints and problems with functioning. However, RA affects different people in different ways, in terms of the symptoms they have, how serious the symptoms are, and how long the symptoms last. RA is different from other types of arthritis (such as osteoarthritis).
  
  There are many proven treatments for RA that are used to relieve pain, reduce swelling, slow down or stop the damage to joints, help the person function better, and improve the person's sense of well-being. These treatments range from complementary and alternative options to pharmaceuticals to combinations of both.
  
  It is important for people with RA to have their condition followed by a health care professional. This helps prevent or minimize damage to the joints and disability, which can occur if RA is left untreated over time.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fibromyalgia
  Fibromyalgia
  

  Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue. People with fibromyalgia have chronic widespread pain, as well as 'tender points' on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs, which hurt when slight pressure (about 9 pounds) is applied.
  
  People with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as; trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called 'fibro fog'), Irritable bowel syndrome, and depression. Women with fibromyalgia may also have painful menstrual periods.
  
  The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but problems with the nervous system could be involved. It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects as many as 1 in 50 Americans. Most people with fibromyalgia are women, and most are diagnosed during middle age. However, men and children also can have the disorder.
• 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).
• 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