Rajsree Nambudripad, MD is a Northwestern-trained internist and a member of the medical staff at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. She is the founder and medical director of OC Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Nambudripad combines her strong background in conventional internal medicine, gastroenterology, and endocrinology with a broader and holistic outlook. Rather than treating symptoms, Dr. Nambudripad looks for root causes of disease and is able to reverse many common conditions using an Integrative/ Functional Medicine approach. Her expertise is in evaluation of the whole patient, to understand the imbalances present in the body, rather than simply treating the disease. She specializes in hormonal disorders, with significant experience in balancing thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones. She is also trained in conventional and functional gastroenterology, and has found that addressing and healing the gut can have tremendous impact for ones health. By utilizing both conventional lab tests along with more advanced functional medicine testing and preventative approaches, she provides a incredibly effective 21st century approach to healthcare. Each patient is unique to her, and she devotes considerable time to understanding each and every individual. Please call our office at714-523-8900, or email us atocintegrativemedicine@gmail.comfor more information.

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OC Integrative Medicine Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad

According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (14) Achieving or maintaining good health is a lifelong process that generally involves working with a variety of healthcare providers. There are various types of medical approaches that each provide unique viewpoints and contributions to the field of healthcare.

Continue reading to learn about conventional medicine and complementary medical systems, including integrative and functional medicine.

Conventional medicine also referred to as allopathic, mainstream, and Western medicine, is defined as a system in which healthcare practitioners use approaches, such as pharmaceutical medication, radiation, or surgery to treat symptoms and diseases. Conventional treatments are widely used by many healthcare professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. (9) Medical literature suggests that while conventional care manages the symptoms of disease, the etiology (underlying cause) is often not considered. (3) This approach is said to focus on treating at the symptom level, rather than the individual as a whole. (4)

Did you know?Over 30 percent of U.S. adults and 12 percent of children use health care approaches outside of the conventional medical model. (10)

The various systems of medicine use different approaches and therapies to promote health. (3)(4)(8)(10)

In addition to the conventional healthcare model, there are a variety of different medical models collectively referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM systems differ from conventional medicine as they commonly view and treat dysfunction as an imbalance within the whole person, rather than as distinct issues occurring in a specific body system. (4)

For example, when treating hypertension (elevated blood pressure), a physician practicing conventional medicine may prescribe pharmaceutical medication to lower blood pressure. On the other hand, a functional medicine physician would assess possible inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular immune dysfunctions involved and address them with lifestyle approaches including the use of antioxidants, exercise, meditation, nutrition, supplements, and weight loss, as well as pharmaceuticals in some instances. (2)

Examples of CAM systems include:

A CAM system generally uses several complementary techniques. For example, TCM, as a whole, incorporates acupuncture, botanicals, diet, environmental practices, and qi gong (a traditional Chinese practice of breathing, meditation, and movement) in individualized treatments. (4)

Alternative medicine is considered to be any non-mainstream practice used to replace conventional care. (10) For instance, when a natural product or special diet is used instead of a pharmaceutical medication to address a health condition, it is known as an alternative treatment. (9)

Conventional and alternative medicine dont necessarily exist exclusively. When a non-mainstream approach is used in combination with conventional medicine, it is known as complementary medicine. (10)

Approaches or techniques used in complementary medicine encompass natural products, manual therapies, and mind-body practices, including:

Did you know?The number of adults in the U.S. practicing yoga has increased, growing from 9.5 percent in 2012 to over 14 percent in 2017. (10)

Complementary and alternative medicine systems may use a variety of approaches, such as dietary supplements, meditation, and movement practices.

Many CAM systems have faced critique or marginalization as a result of differences between conventional and complementary medicine. Each CAM system has a unique underlying philosophy, with methods of diagnosing and treating individuals that often do not align with conventional methods. (4)

Conventional or Western research and medicine have identified certain concerns with CAM, including:

The above concerns may, in part, be due to limitations in research, resulting in an incomplete understanding of CAM and its benefits. For example, research may be driven by consumer interest in certain services over others. Additionally, the distinct philosophies and categorization of patients in each CAM system cannot easily be studied using the same scientific methods or outcome criteria as conventional medicine. (4)(8)

Conventional practitioners are faced with several challenges when discussing CAM practices with patients or making lifestyle and nutrition recommendations, (3)(11) which are commonly included in guidelines for managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These challenges may include the practitioners level of knowledge or education in nutrition, their confidence in the scientific evidence available, as well as the limited time they may spend with their patients. (3)

Functional and integrative medicine share several common characteristics, including a focus on lifestyle and dietary factors.

Functional medicine (FM), pioneered by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in 1991, (5) is a system that addresses underlying symptoms and functional imbalances to reverse illness and promote optimal health and function. FM views biological functions as interconnected, and functional imbalances occurring as a result of interactions between genes and environmental factors, including environmental toxins, lifestyle, microbiome, and social determinants. (3)

A functional approach views these biological functions as factors that are changing, and disease as an endpoint to this process. In this approach, a healthy function is assessed at different levels, including the spiritual, social, body system, organ, tissue, cellular, or subcellular levels. (3)(5)

The FM practice model may include a functional medicine doctor as a primary care physician, as well as a behavioral therapist, dietician, and health coach as part of a care team. (3) To address the individuals functional needs, a personalized therapeutic program is developed (5) that may include diet, lifestyle interventions, medication, and dietary supplements. (3)

One study compared the self-reported quality of life in patients receiving care at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine (FM) or a Cleveland Clinic family health center (conventional medicine). The study included 7,252 individuals with a variety of conditions, including depression, diabetes, and hypertension. At both six and 12 months, the study found that greater improvements in quality of life were seen in the FM clinic group compared to the conventional care group. The self-reported quality of life measures included emotional problems, fatigue, mental health, overall quality of life, pain intensity, physical functioning, physical health, and satisfaction with social activities. (3)

The researchers suggest that the greater improvement in quality of life may be due to the long duration of the first FM visit, 60 to 75 minutes, as well as the multidisciplinary care provided by a team of practitioners. In comparison, one study found that primary care visits with a physician practicing conventional medicine are approximately 15 minutes, with individual health topics receiving attention for between one to five minutes of the appointment. (12) Additionally, the FM model involved therapeutic partnerships between the providers and patients, emphasizing open communication, giving patients responsibility for their health, and using empathetic language. (3)

Medical researchers and clinicians commonly understand Integrative medicine (IM) as combining conventional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches. However, this combination does not capture the full scope of integrative medicine and what it has to offer. (4)

The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health provides this definition: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing. (1)

IM is an umbrella system that approaches treating the individual as an indivisible whole, including community, emotional, environmental, functional/physical, social, and spiritual domains. (4)(8)(10) Healing is viewed as occurring from within the patient, rather than an action by the practitioner. (4)

The IM system focuses on coordination between various healthcare providers and institutions (10) to empower the patient through therapeutic, supportive relationships between the patient and practitioner. (11) The individual and practitioner work together to develop an integrative treatment plan that incorporates both conventional and alternative techniques that are evidence-based. (4)(8)(11)

Integrative medicine emphasizes a supportive relationship between the patient and the practitioner.

Scientific literature suggests that IM has been incorporated into clinical practice in various ways. One model combines the medical research and clinical experience behind both conventional and CAM approaches, resulting in a fairly equal partnership between the two. A second model uses only evidence-based aspects of CAM in conventional medicine. (13) IM is practiced to a varying extent at the practitioner, clinic, team, or health system level. (8) The CAM-conventional division can be understood as a scale, with some practitioners or clinics as more CAM-oriented, and others as more oriented toward conventional medicine. (8)

One study examined the model of care at the University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC) primary care clinic. integrative medicine doctors at the clinic work alongside a multidisciplinary team including a behavioral health clinician, acupuncturist, chiropractor, dietician, health coach, and nurse who have received additional training in IM. The practice model includes a comprehensive patient health intake, assessing lifestyle factors (e.g., diet, physical activity, relationships, sleep, spirituality, stress), a Health Partnership Agreement between the individual and their provider, a decision-making process involving the individual, as well as groups, classes, and health coaching to support lifestyle changes. The study found that patient surveys reported that the UAIHC successfully provided integrative care (aligned with the IM model) that resulted in high overall patient satisfaction. (6)

IM has also been studied at the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. The clinic uses a comprehensive (mind-body-spirit) program known as the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP) intended to help individuals manage stress, increase resiliency, and develop coping skills. The program, facilitated by a team of nurses, physicians, psychologists, and social workers, focuses on preventing disease using lifestyle choices, self-care, and empowering techniques. In addition to reduced stress, research has found 3RP to be associated with a reduced number of medical visits and procedures. (7)

Various medical systems and approaches may be used to improve health, each with unique contributions to the field of medicine. Functional and integrative medicine are two systems that view health as a positive quality, rather than only as the absence of disease. (4)(5) When considering different approaches, we encourage you to research and think critically about the type of support you need and desire to maintain your health or achieve specific health goals.

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Conventional, & Complementary Medicine | Fullscript

Roger Newton 74 MS, 05 (HON) has been advocating for the School of Medicine and Department of Nutritional Sciences to collaborate since he was a UConn graduate student in the 70s. Now they will, thanks to a new fellowship that he and his wife, Coco, established through the Esperance Family Foundation.

The multiyear commitment will enable UConn medical student Nathan Gasek to study how nutrition can be used to promote health and longevity and alleviate aging-related diseases, such as Alzheimers.

Gaseks project will focus on nutritional interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimers and other age-related dementia. His work will supplement ongoing research by his advisor, Ming Xu, who has studied the increased prevalence of senescent cells in the elderly that accumulate with age and are thought to cause aging and aging-related diseases.

Basically, we are trying to slow down the aging process through functional medicine nutrition, says Xu, an assistant professor at UConns Center for Aging and the Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences. We are trying to make 80-year-old people have the health and well-being of 50-year-olds who have no or far less disease. We are trying to alleviate all kinds of diseases as a group simultaneously. Theres a lot of research being done by us and others showing that if you are able to decrease or prevent the presence of senescent cells in essential tissues, you can make people live longer and live healthier.

This gift is going to help us achieve our goal faster. In this case, were looking into whether it is feasible to offer some novel intervention to prevent and/or treat Alzheimers disease in the aging population, Xu says. This gift offers financial support, but also mental support. It gives us confidence that through our research, we will have a positive effect on a human condition that is not well understood but can be prevented and treated with nutrition and lifestyle changes.

UConns joint MD/Ph.D. program links many disciplines, but this is the first to connect the School of Medicine with the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

The joint program requires Gasek to take nutrition courses to gain much-needed nutrition knowledge as a physician scientist and gives him access to faculty expertise in nutritional sciences, opening the door to future collaboration between the two schools, says Ji-Young Lee, professor and head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences. The overall goal is to use nutrition intervention to better inform medicine and patient care and to promote health.

If the project turns out as were guessing, if our hypothesis is correct, we could potentially create nutritional protocols that can target not just Alzheimers but, potentially, aging as a whole, says Gasek, who lost a grandfather to dementia. That could be really exciting, not just in terms of research, but in terms of actual clinical impact on patients who are suffering from these conditions.

Long-term supporters

The Newtons have previously supported a number of nutrition-related projects in the Department of Nutritional Sciences through their philanthropy from the Esperance Family Foundation.

We are thrilled to be involved in the Joint MD/Ph.D. Program, which will open doors for the collaboration of two disciplines, namely medicine and nutrition, that can be impactful to meeting the needs for both the healthy and unhealthy aging population, Roger Newton says.

He graduated from UConn in 1974 with a masters degree focusing on the regulation of lipid/cholesterol metabolism, and was awarded an honorary degree in 2005. After UConn, he attended UC-Davis, graduating with a Ph.D. in nutrition, focusing on the regulation of hepatic lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. He did a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of medicine at UC-San Diego in LaJolla, California, then began a 17-year career at Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was the co-discoverer and product champion of the cholesterol-lowering drug, Lipitor.

Newton continued his career for more than 40 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech life sciences industries. He is the founder and former president/CEO/chief scientific officer at Esperion Therapeutics and is the co-discover and product champion of Nexletol, which recently received FDA approval and was launched in 2019 for the treatment of statin-intolerant patients and for those who cannot reach their LDL-cholesterol goals.

The Newtons met at UC-Davis, where Coco Newton graduated with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, completed her dietetic internship at University Hospital. She then attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a masters degree in public health nutrition and was employed as a specialist in hyperalimentation at three different hospitals in San Diego and Ann Arbor before starting her own nutrition practice called Lifetime Nutrition, LLC.

She currently works with ALS patients in North and South America and Europe, using specialized nutrition protocols to inhibit progression and promote regression of the disease. She has been an invited guest lecturer in UConns department of nutritional sciences, especially focusing on the use of functional medicine nutrition and its importance in health and treating a variety of diseases. Lastly, she was recognized in 2020 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) by receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award and, in 2021, she received the Visionary Award from the Dietetic Practice Group within AND called Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine.

Indrajeet Chaubey, dean and director of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, says the fellowship will allow for a fresh interdisciplinary approach to aging.

This collaboration has the potential to lead to transformative breakthroughs, Chaubey says.

Bruce Liang, dean of the School of Medicine agrees.

I am so thankful to Roger and Coco for their deep commitment to enhance our students understanding of the role nutrition can have in improving patient health, Liang says.

Carol Pilbeam, director of the MD/Ph.D. program at UConn Health, said Gaseks project is the ideal for training a physician scientist.

We are extremely grateful for the award and hope to make Roger and Coco Newton proud, she says. This is the first time we have had such a collaborationa student with advisors for his Ph.D. work from both UConn Health and Storrs. We look forward to many more collaborations.

If youd like to find out more about supporting programs like this, please contact Amy Chesmer at achesmer@foundation.uconn.edu or (860) 336-6706 or Peter Lamothe at plamothe@foundation.uconn.edu or (860) 679-4962.

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Newton Fellowship Seeks to Expand Medical Education to Include Nutritional Interventions in Patient care - UConn Today - UConn Today

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global pandemic being endured has led to an imbalance of physical and mental health throughout our society. To help address this challenge, Chopra Global, a leading wellness company led by world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine, Deepak Chopra, is announcing its highly anticipated slate of upcoming integrative health retreats.

The exclusive retreats will offer immersive, one-of-a-kind programming and curated experiences that bring ancient practices backed by science into modern life for a wholistic approach to wellness. Taking place in breathtaking destinations across North America, each retreat is uniquely designed to inspire an unforgettable body/mind/spirit experience. Dr. Chopra will be on-site speaking at each retreat, along with other renowned experts in wellness, yoga, meditation and more.

The lineup of events will kick-off in one month at Well Within which will feature an exclusive chat between Dr. Chopra and Jewel, followed by an evening performance by the Grammy-nominated singer-song writer and mental health advocate.

Upcoming retreats include:

Each retreat includes hotel accommodations, meals, yoga, meditation, exclusive sessions with well-being thought leaders, and more. Through a unique combination of ancient wisdom, sensory experiences, and the latest research in practical health science, guests will learn personalized approaches to taking control of their own health and well-being.

"Each of these retreats is expertly curated to give attendees an opportunity to create a wellness movement within each individual," said Mallika Chopra, CEO of Chopra Global. "Wellness begins when we sleep deeply, eat food that nourishes, move our bodies, practice meditation, love ourselves and those around us, live with nature and truly understand how to create our collective reality. We are confident these retreats will inspire what's possible in terms of physical, mental and spiritual health."

In an effort to provide health and safety at this and all Chopra Global events, all guests, staff, and speakers attending Chopra retreats are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to arrival. For more information on our COVID-19 policy, including requirements for event attendees, please visit https://chopra.com/retreat-updates

About Chopra Global:Chopra Global is a leading integrative health company that is empowering personal transformation for millions of people globally to expand our collective well-being. Anchored by the life's practice and research of Dr. Deepak Chopra, a pioneer in integrative medicine, Chopra Global's signature programs have been proven to improve overall well-being through a focus on physical, mental and spiritual health. Chopra Global has been at the forefront of health and wellness for more than two decades with a portfolio that includes an editorial archive of more than 2,000 health articles, expansive self-care practices and meditations, a comprehensive and mobile app, masterclasses, teacher certifications, immersive live events and personalized retreats. By providing tools, guidance and community, Chopra aims to advance a culture of well-being and make a healthy, peaceful and joyful life accessible to all. For more information, interact with the team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Media Contact:Kristen Marion623-308-2638[emailprotected]

SOURCE Chopra Global

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Chopra Global Announces Slate of Retreats to Calm the Mind and Rebalance the Soul - PRNewswire

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A fungus isnt traditionally considered a good thing, dermatologically speaking, but mushrooms are now saving face - literally.

Mushrooms taste delicious on toast, but these days the edible fungus has moved far beyond the realms of breakfast food, with pills, powders and potions made from fungi popping up in the health and wellness market like, well, mushrooms.

The latest iteration is the most interesting, as mushrooms move into the skincare realm at a rapid pace.

While the Chinese have been tapping into the healing and health-giving properties of mushrooms for thousands of years, its taken the rest of the world a bit longer to catch on.

But scientists and others are now making up for lost time with a slew of products, ingestible and topical, to tackle everything that ails us. And that includes average skin.

READ MORE:* Fermented skincare: Five ferments for your face* Tired eyes: Five eye creams to help you look wide awake* Tips and tricks you need to know about treating Perioral Dermatitis* Are mushrooms a health food? We explore what this new hype is all about

There are more than 14,000 varieties of mushrooms, though not all of them come with benefits for humans. But there are a number of key ones that are now commonly associated with beauty and wellness from chaga, reishi, cordyceps, coprinus, and shiitake to trametes versicolor (or turkey tail), tremella and lions mane each with unique benefits.

Skincare brand Origins was the first to introduce the ingredient into mainstream beauty, in 2005, via its Mega-Mushroom line, created in collaboration with integrative medicine pioneer, Dr Andrew Weil, to try to tackle skin inflammation, which Weil believes is at the core of many skin concerns.

More than 15 years later, the mushroom beauty market is booming, with fungi featuring in everything from serums and shampoos to foundation and lipstick.

New wellness brand, Mother Made, created by Kiwis Emily Blanchett and Jessica Clarke, draws on many of the mushrooms that are hot topics in the beauty industry, with an offering of supplements in capsule and powder form.

The pair had experienced functional mushrooms overseas, where they are popular for supporting a healthy immune system, optimal wellbeing, and a normal stress response.

Their hero product, the PM powder blend, includes reishi, turkey tail and shiitake mushrooms, with relaxing and anti-ageing properties that they say helps with the best beauty sleep ever.

Naturopath Denise Melton, who works at Aucklands Tonic Room, agrees that recent studies have simply confirmed what traditional medicine practitioners have known for centuries: that certain mushrooms (such as maitake, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, and chaga) contain compounds that exert various biological effects.

These compounds have been shown to have the ability to be reduce stress, stimulate the immune system, modulate both extracellular and intracellular immunity, have antimicrobial and antiviral potentials, rejuvenate a weakened immune system, have antidiabetic properties, protect the liver, and support a healthy cardiovascular system, she says.

In addition, wound healing and skin rejuvenation has been one of the most studied beneficial effects of mushrooms.

Adding a variety of mushrooms to your diet will probably reap a lot of benefit, but as with anything, quality and purity is important.

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Mushrooms are poised to be the next big thing in skincare - Stuff.co.nz

Wayne is the author of four books and a practitioner of acupuncture, Chinese medicine and integrative medicine. He is the director and producer of "On the Path to Strawberry Fields."

Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote the song "Up On The Roof"back in 1962. The Drifters made it a big hit that same year.

Other people also sang it, including Julie Grant, Kenny Lynch, Little Eva, Jimmy Justice, Richard Anthony, Laura Nyro, Ike and Tina Turner, Kenny Rankin, the Nylons, the Cover Girls, and Tuck and Patti.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band covered the song live in 1975 during their initial Born to Run tour. And James Taylor did a version that remains his last top 40 hit as a soloist.

I'm talking about the iconic "Up on the Roof," with lyrics that begin:

When this old world starts getting me down

And people are just too much for me to face

I climb way up to the top of the stairs

And all my cares just drift right into space

Right now for many of us, going up on the roof doesn't sound like a bad idea. This old world is getting a lot of us down, and for many people it is just too much to face. It would be a mighty fine feeling for all cares to just drift right off into space.

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I don't blame you for thinking that way. It's been a season of turbulence. We're seeing weather extremes hurricanes, storms, severe heat, fires, floods, earthquakes and more all within the context of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report saying we are nearing a tipping point on climate change.

We're seeing the ravages of war, as the U.S. ends its engagement in Afghanistan.

We're seeing a pandemic that seemingly has no end.

And we're seeing people at each other's throats, ready to seemingly kill one another over these and many other issues that divide us as Americans.

Can we find our way? Or is the only answer to go up on the roof?

We are warring among ourselves, and ultimately, we are warring with our own psyches, stuck in an endless cycle of anger, fear, hate, greed, selfishness, loneliness, fragmentation, trauma, abuse, addiction and more.

We need to love more, and be loved more. We need to be heard, and hear others. We need to care for others, and be cared for. We need to give more to others, without asking for anything in return. We need to appreciate our differences. And we need to slow down.

Furthermore, it can't be all about money and power over others. We must find the balance between materialism and the public good; i.e. the water, the air, the forests, and all other living and nonliving organisms. We can live in synergy with all these, if we want. Or we can choose the path of destruction.

The choice is ours. I think the answer is obvious, in that most of us want peace. And love.

There is a path forward. Through social cohesion, in which we come together as a people. We can move away from this dystopian nightmare and move towards a more just, compassionate, caring, sustainable, regenerative and wise future.

There is a way to get there. It will take political will, a re-thinking about how best to allocate our resources and, perhaps most importantly, a change in mindset akin to a spiritual transformation. We need to go from a scarcity way of living to an abundance approach.

The famed economist John Maynard Keynes envisioned a world that was a post-scarcity society and wrote about it in his 1930 essay "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren." He saw a coming age of abundance within 100 years. That means we've got nine years to bring Keynes' vision to fruition.

Man, do we have a lot of work ahead of us. But we can do it. I have faith.

Just remember, it's all about the Commons and the public good. By focusing on these, we can find our way.

To put it in easy- to-remember terms: share and care, collaborate and cooperate. And also, as the Ink Spots, Sam Cooke, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and others sang, "The Best Things in Life Are Free." The songwriting team of Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson wrote in 1927:

The moon belongs to everyone

The best things in life are free

The stars belong to everyone

They gleam there for you and for me

The flowers in spring, the robins that sing

The moonbeams that shine

They're yours, they're mine

And love can come to everyone

The best things in life are free

And love can come to everyone

The best things in life are free

In the interim, if you do feel like going up on the roof so that all your cares just drift off into space, be my guest. And when you come back down, be ready to have a renewed vigor for the transformation ahead.

We can do it.

Excerpt from:
Song: Up On The Roof - The Fulcrum

Multiple sclerosis is often called the disease of a thousand faces. And thats because the symptoms are variable and can be different for each person.

Besides the commonly recommended physical therapy and occupational therapy, theres also a variety of alternative therapies that can help manage your symptoms as well.

Heres a list of the therapies Ive tried during my MS journey to manage the vast range of symptoms Ive had throughout the years and that have given me the best results:

Of all of them, aquatic therapy has to be my favorite. Theres no limit to what I can do in the water, like marching and lifting my leg. Things I couldnt do otherwise. The benefits are the same as those of a regular workout but without the struggle of fighting gravity.

Not only does our body need maintenance, but so does our brain. Unfortunately, many MSers experience some kind of cognitive deficit due to the condition. For those more internet-savvy, there are options like Lumosity, CogniFit, and Brain Metrix. There are also console games for Wii and Nintendo DS like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy.

If you dont care for technology, a simple puzzle can challenge your visual perception. Crosswords and word finding games can improve your language. A sudoku puzzle will challenge your logical thinking.

No matter where you are in your MS journey, there are many alternatives to manage your symptoms. I would recommend adding an integrative medicine physician to your care team who can guide you and refer you to the different therapies based on your particular needs.

Achieving wellness is the ultimate goal. Wellness is an individual, active pursuit of an optimal state of health and well-being. But when youre living with MS, this can be a little bit of a challenge. It requires determination and resilience. We have the potential to live a healthier and happier life where instead of surviving, were thriving.

To connect with other people living with multiple sclerosis join our MS Facebook Support Group .

Photo Credit:Jupiterimages / Goodshoot / Getty Images Plus

WebMD Blog

Mayte Ramos was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2015. She is a support group leader for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a member of the Buddy Network for Shift.ms, and has participated in programs such as the Ask an MS Expert series and the PBS American Portrait project. She enjoys traveling, watching tennis, collecting jewelry, and spending time with her three sons. Connect with her here.

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Alternative Therapies That Have Helped Me Manage Different MS Symptoms - WebMD

Its about time to say goodbye to our beloved Chicago summer activities like meeting up with friends at the beach, enjoying an outdoor patio or biking the lakefront path. But preparing for shorter and colder days doesnt have to be all bad. It could be an opportunity to expand the ways you seek joy within yourself.

At least, thats what Deepak Chopra, Oprahs longtime health adviser, would challenge you to do.

After being trained as a physician, Chopra became an alternative medicine advocate, author and founder of The Chopra Foundation, a wellness-focused research nonprofit. He recently gave Reset a preview of his new podcast, Mind Body Zone: Living Outside the Box, in which he explores how we can improve our lives by paying closer attention to the connection between our mental and physical health. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

What qualities do the guests on your new podcast share?

Chopra: Ive been a student of what people do and why they do it. Ninety-nine percent of us are basically biological algorithms, in that we are predictable, we have no original thought and were squeezed inside a box. The people I spoke to in my podcast are people who not only broke out of the box, but they basically were not even looking at a box. They had freed themselves from the conditioning that is part of our culture right now. Every single person I interviewed from Gbor Marte to Oprah Winfrey is not a victim of the conditioned mind. They are true creators and therefore role models for us all to see how we can break through our conditioning.

How did you make that mental shift?

Chopra: Forty-five years ago as a resident intern, I realized that what we call Reductionist Mechanistic Medicine was very good for [treating] acute illness, but not good for prevention or even for managing chronic illness. By chronic illness, I mean the major epidemics of our time obesity, Type 2 diabetes, inflammation, depression, anxiety, stress. These are very important factors in illness.

Only 5% of disease-related gene mutations are fully penetrant, in that they guarantee the disease. If somebody has a mutation like Angelina Jolie had for breast cancer its called the BRCA gene then you need to have a preventive mastectomy. Only 5% of gene mutations are like that.

The rest [of illness-related mutation] are dependent on our daily choices, including how much we sleep, how we manage stress, emotional resiliency, biological rhythms and, of course, food, exercise, movement and mind-body coordination. I got a lot of criticism 35-40 years ago for having even proposed the idea that there were alternative or integrative methods for treating most chronic illnesses.

What role can love play in healing?

Chopra: Love is frequently understood as sentimentality and emotions, which it is. But love is a much bigger truth than just mere emotion.

Wisdom traditions talk about how we are part of a matrix of inter-beingness. Thats part of the Buddhist teachings and Christian teachings Love thy neighbor as thyself. You might think its impossible to do, but if you experience it through meditation, you do find love as truth, love of an idea, love of service, love of a higher calling, love of children, love of your significant other. Its a whole new dimension of love that is healing.

In the Indian tradition that I come from, the word is love in action, which is called karma yoga. Love without action is meaningless and action without love is irrelevant. But when you practice love in action, then the whole world responds to you and wants to help you out. And thats been my experience.

How can meditation improve our physical health?

Chopra: There were many pandemics: One was the COVID-19 pandemic, the second was the economic disasters that occurred with people losing their jobs, etc., and the third epidemic was stress, which was actually worse than the other two epidemics.

Stress is associated in the body with something called sympathetic overdrive. If your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight or flight response, goes into overdrive, then it produces intense inflammation both low-grade inflammation and what I call inflammatory storms. They are actually the precipitating factor in morbidity and mortality from the infection.

Our science has not emphasized the opposite of the fight-or-flight response, which is actually the name of your show Reset the reset response, the reinvent response, the digest response and the relaxed response which involves the parasympathetic nervous system. Many things like yoga, tai chi, qi gong, vocalization, chanting, singing and breathing exercises can actually override the sympathetic response.

What do you want people to take away from your new podcast?

Chopra: [People] have an immense amount of resources in their being for intuition, insight, inspiration, creativity, a higher calling and transcendence. Life can be a celebration instead of a disaster, which is the way were seeing it right now.

I had the opportunity to look at social demographics and what people call happiness. Only 10% [of happiness] depends on situation, circumstance and whats happening in the world. The remaining 80% is dependent on how we see the world and what we interpret as a problem or a disaster. The choices we make every day, are they only for ourselves or also for others? Do we have the capacity to give other people attention, affection, appreciation and acceptance? That is probably the most healing element that could create all sorts of joy and happiness for ourselves.

Claire Hyman is an intern for WBEZs Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons. Follow her @hyimclaire. Penny Hawthorne is a multimedia and audience engagement intern at WBEZ. Follow her @penny_eleanor_.

Link:
In a new podcast, Oprahs health adviser draws the connection between mind and body - WBEZ