Senior News October, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  10

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Mayoral Hopefuls: Largest pool of candidates say why they want to lead Eureka

Remembering Spirit: Dreams come for my health and wholeness

Eureka Veterans Clinic: Dr Phillip Wagner receives well-deserved honors

Good health: How sweet it is

The Center for Integrated Health and Welness comes to Eureka

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The Center Integrated Health and Wellness comes to Eureka
by Judith McGinty

Several years ago the bad lower back that has given me problems off and on for 40 years flared up and didn't get better. The pain was rarely severe, but it rarely went away altogether. It got so bad I was often afraid to step up or down a curb for fear a sudden pain would make my legs give out.

I'm not one to suffer in silence. I saw my physician regularly, got X-rays and blood work and used the muscle relaxants and pain pills exactly as prescribed. I went to physical therapy and had cortisone shots twice.

I also accessed complementary therapies. I found a great chiropractor. I had a round of acupuncture treatments, used some Chinese herbs for a while and started taking glucosamine. I exercised sometimes and walked one to two miles several times a week. I meditated on Louise Hays' thoughts and affirmations about back pain, and I had a massage regularly.

I had Therapeutic Touch treatments and Reflexology work. Finally, after three years, a series of five Hanna Somatics treatments got me out of pain.

I trust modern, conventional medicine and I adore my Family Nurse Practitioner. I also know that many complementary and alternative therapies have been around for thousands of years and are used by the majority of people on the planet.

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly half of all Americans use various complementary therapies and spend $31 billion a year, mostly out-of-pocket, on them. Insurance companies are slowly moving toward understanding that as part of wellness packages, they could save a great deal of money by paying for many of these therapies.

What's wrong with the story about my journey to healing? It was a random, hit-or-miss effort, and I was on my own. At best I was guessing, and at worst I was wasting time and money. I really didn't know which therapies were most likely to help. I knew very little about how or why they worked and had no help guiding me to informed decisions. There was no communication among all my health care providers and it never occurred to me that such a thing was possible.

That is changing. From the Wall Street Journal to Oprah, and from the herb shop to the hospitals we hear the word "integrated"-integrative medicine, integrated therapies, integration of body, mind and spirit.

One of the most exciting things about the increasing interaction is the understanding that we don't have to be in crisis, sick or in pain for it to be helpful. The integration of conventional modern medicine and complementary therapies allows modern medicine to do what it's best at - treat trauma, injury and infection - while complementary therapies treat chronic conditions, address prevention and enhance wellness. The day is coming when all the practitioners will respect each other, talk to each other and work together for the best outcome.

I've joined with three partners, Catherine Krause, Marge O'Brien and Brenda Morgan, all registered nurses, to create "The Center - Integrated Health and Wellness" in Eureka. The Center provides life assessments facilitated by Registered Nurses who guide and empower clients to develop their own wellness plans, provide a supportive environment with on-site practitioners of dozens of complementary therapies, and share their journeys to wellness. The Center is located at 2900 Harris St., Eureka, 441-9400.

Judith McGinty and husband David own Consider the Alternatives bookstore in Old Town Eureka. Her e-mail is center2900@sbcglobal.net.