Although many of us have experienced physical situations that left us desperate for relief, only a small number have sought help through complementary or alternative medicine, but it’s an option that is becoming more widely accepted.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institute’s of Health, is the federal government's lead agency for research on diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. The center makes a distinction between these various practices. Complementary medicine refers to use of them together with conventional medicine, such as using acupuncture in addition to usual care to help lessen pain. This is the most common use of them by Americans. Alternative medicine refers to use of them in place of conventional medicine. Integrative or integrated medicine refers to a practice that combines both conventional and complementary or alternative practices.
McHenry County is fortunate to have a number of alternative medicine practitioners offering services. Many utilize a variety of treatment modalities. For example, in addition to more familiar acupuncture, Michelle Tate and Lisa Tomoleoni, owners of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine of McHenry (AOMM), offer:
- Bodywork encompassing a variety of procedures;
- Tui Na, a type of massage;
- Gua Sha, which involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge; and
- Herbology, which takes advantage of Chinese herbal formulas to treat underlying conditions that lead to illness.
Both Tomoleoni and Tate hold master’s degrees in Oriental medicine, bachelor’s degrees in nutrition, and are nationally certified and state licensed in both Wisconsin and Illinois.
Most, though not all, alternative medicine practices come to us from the Orient. “Oriental medicine is based on science,” Tate said. “Though different from Western medicine, it is measurable and repeatable but different from what most McHenry County residents are used to.”
Added Jozwiak: “Chinese medicine is based on balance. The body is always trying to achieve balance. When we are out of balance for a long time is when we will have symptoms. Any symptom is an indication that the body is out of balance. It’s very important for me to understand exactly where a patient’s pain is.”
Pain Relief Through Acupuncture
The American Heritage Science Dictionary tells us that acupuncture is “the practice of inserting thin needles into the body at specific points to relieve pain, treat a disease, or anesthetize a body part during surgery. Acupuncture has its origin in traditional Chinese medicine and has been in use for more than 5,000 years.”
“There are various acupuncture techniques,” Jozwiak said. “The Japanese style uses very shallow needle insertions. Chinese needling is deeper. Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) uses all of the acupuncture sites in the body. The balanced method, which I use, uses only the points from the elbow out and the knee out. I use the balanced method because I find it achieves the best results in the quickest way possible. When I put needles in, I expect something to happen right away, not hours or days later.”
Tomoleoni agreed, adding, “Many patients feel significantly better after the first visit, but it’s somewhat like a campfire. The flames may be gone, but there are still embers underneath. You have to go the extra step of a second or third treatment to make sure the condition is corrected. If patients are willing to do their part, they’re going to get better. Their part is simply to show up.“
“The very worst thing that can happen with this medicine is that you won’t get better, and that is not a common scenario,” Tate said.
Is it helpful? Anoop Chengara – an engineer and patient of the AOMM clinic – believes it is. “My biggest concern right now is a sciatic nerve problem,” he explained. “Whenever I have a treatment here, I feel much better. I feel rejuvenated in general but also far more relaxed, and the sciatic pain is gone.”
Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage is not about being pampered at the day spa. A first-time client will likely be asked to provide a detailed medical history. While the session may contain a relaxation element, advanced techniques are likely to be used for pain and chronic health issues such as deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy.
Jane Dintzner is a massage therapist who has been practicing locally for five years. She works at Harmony Falls in Woodstock, Nature’s Balance and Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic in Crystal Lake. “I’m pleased and honored to work three venues where the expectation for excellence is high,” she said.
Illinois requires massage therapists to be both licensed and certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Dintzner has held these credentials since she began practicing. For her state license and national certification she was required to take classes in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology and clinical reasoning.
Because of the training that is required, she said, “When a patient comes to us in pain, we’re able to figure out the source of the pain, how to alleviate that pain and generally encourage their overall health. Most people come to me with pain between their shoulder blades or in their lower back. The latter is often the result of weak core muscles in the abdomen. If you have weak muscles in the front, you’re going to have strained muscles in the back.”
Reiki – Calming and Relaxing
According to The International Center for Reiki Training, “Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by ‘laying on hands’ and is based on the idea that unseen life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive.”
“Reiki calms the client allowing the body’s own energy to better heal and correct problems,” said Pam Eliason, is a certified Reiki master teacher has been performing Reiki in all levels for more than 10 years.
Eliason became interested in the technique due to a personal experience when she was all but overcome with stress. After trying an array of remedies, she went to a Reiki practitioner. “When the session was over, it was as if someone had turned on a light switch,” she said. “I felt very calm and relaxed, and for the first time in ever so long I slept through the night. The sources of my stress continued, but I was able to handle them in a different way.”
Holistic Health – a Well-Rounded Approach
Holistic health is a concept that all aspects of people's needs – psychological, physical, social and mental – should be taken into account and seen as a whole. If that sounds like a good idea, you might want to give Laurie Buchanan (pictured) of HolEssence in Crystal Lake a call.
Buchanan comes with an array of credentials. She’s a holistic health practitioner, a clinical hypnotherapist, a Reiki master teacher, holds a Ph.D. in energy medicine and has been practicing in Crystal Lake for 15 years. She became interested in her present field when she attended to her mother who was going through cancer treatment. “I spent a lot of time with her in the hospital seeing what they did to her in traditional Western medicine,” she said. “I thought that there has to be something different.”
Buchanan regularly works with clients in all age groups. “My No. 1 problem with women in the 25 to 40 age group is problems with conception,” she said. “For my senior people, diabetes is probably the most common concern. With children, it’s ADD and ADHD. Finally, I have a rather large number of teens coming with depression and suicidal tendencies.
“If I were a medical doctor, I’d be very interested in the physicality of you,” she added. “If I were a psychiatrist, I’d be interested in the mentality of you. If I were a priest or minister, I’d be very interested in the spirituality of you. But I’m a holistic health practitioner and interested in how those three are interconnected. It’s not just one. It’s the weaving together of all of them.”
Got a medical problem? By all means, go to a doctor and get it checked out, but you might also want to look into some complementary medicine assistance. There’s quite a choice available to you in McHenry County.
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For more information …
- Nature’s Balance Acupuncture: 260 E. Congress Pkwy, Ste. D, Crystal Lake, 815-788-8383, www.naturesbalanceacupuncture.com.
- Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine of McHenry: 3923 Mercy Dr., Ste. A, McHenry, 815-363-1390, www.aommchenry.com.
- HolEssence: 56 E. Crystal Lake Ave., Crystal Lake, 815-276-7173, www.holessence.com.
- Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic: 10 N. Virginia St., Crystal Lake, 815-459-3860, www.strelcheckchiro.com
- Reiki – Pam Eliason, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 847-922-4209.
- Harmony Falls, A Therapeutic Oasis: 728 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, 815-334-0842, www.harmonyfalls.net.
- The International Center for Reiki Training: www.reiki.org.
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: www.nccam.nih.gov.
