HealthyLife Articles

Tag: therapy

Non-Drug Options For Chronic Pain

SELF-CARE CORNER

Pain that lasts a long time or is ongoing is called chronic pain. A variety of conditions may lead to chronic pain, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, past injuries, or migraine headaches.

Always speak to your doctor about any natural remedies you wish to try and any herbs or supplements you take. Not all natural treatments are safe for everyone, including if you are pregnant. Some can interact with medicines. Your doctor can help you find options that will be best for you. The following options are alternative, non-drug treatments that may be helpful.

Acupuncture

This Chinese medicine practice involves the placement of thin, small needles into the surface of the skin at various points on the body called meridians. Acupuncturists should be certified or licensed and should use sterile needles. Some studies suggest acupuncture may help with osteoarthritis pain, lower back pain and headaches.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on the present moment only. You calmly acknowledge feelings and thoughts that arise and go back to thinking about the present moment. This treatment may be helpful for people with chronic pain.

Herbs and dietary supplements

Various natural supplements may be helpful for chronic pain.

* Omega-3 fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and the herb thunder god vine may help with rheumatoid arthritis pain.

* Butterbur, feverfew, magnesium, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 may help prevent migraines.

* Vitamin D supplements may reduce pain in people with fibromyalgia who have low vitamin D levels.

* Devil’s claw and white willow bark taken by mouth may be helpful for back pain.

* Cayenne, comfrey, Brazilian arnica and lavender essential oil may help back pain when used on the skin (do not take these by mouth).

Massage

Massage therapists use their hands to rub or knead the muscles and joints of the body. Some studies show that massage therapy can help with neck pain. Massage may also help reduce pain from osteoarthritis.

Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
What Is Marriage Counseling?

FAMILY LIFE

Marriage and relationships take lots of work. When a couple has a problem, they may wonder whether marriage therapy or couples counseling could help.

Counseling usually includes talk therapy. This means you talk to a professional counselor about your issues. But, therapy isn’t just about talking. Your counselor may help one or both partners address mental health problems that can interfere with the relationship. For example, issues such as depression or anxiety may need treatment. This can go hand-in-hand with the couples counseling.

When a couple goes to counseling, they can get “tools” to use in daily life that help them with their communications. For instance, therapy can give you new ways to look at challenges or problems. This can help you address issues before they become too big to handle. You may also learn ways to talk to each other so you can work out arguments in positive and constructive ways.

However, if the marriage involves physical or emotional abuse, couples counseling is not going to be the answer. Instead, the person who is abusing their partner should seek treatment for their problems. The victim of abuse should speak privately with their doctor about how they can get away from the abuse.

Help for resolving arguments

If you need to talk something out with your spouse, try these tips:

* Listen first. Rather than tell your side, calmly listen to what your partner has to say. When he or she is done, then take your turn to speak.

* Don’t interrupt, and don’t yell.

* Be honest, but don’t insult. Talk about the behavior or incident that upset you. For instance: “When you did X, I felt like you didn’t care about my feelings.” Avoid name-calling.

Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians, National Domestic Violence Hotline

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
You See A Shrink?

WELL-BEING

It is often the assumption that if you go to therapy that you have serious problems you cannot manage on your own and there is something fundamentally wrong with you. In reality, if someone is attending therapy, they tend to be on the healthier side of self-love and self-awareness.

Because seeing a therapist is stigmatized, many people who want to seek help, either often don’t, or they keep their therapy private so they do not invoke judgment.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Sherrie Campbell, author of Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person, offers this advice:

*Everyone can benefit from therapy.We are not here to do life on our own nor are we equipped to be 100% objective in our own lives. Therapy is the perfect way to get that objective view, get to know yourself more deeply, analyze your habits of behavior and find solutions and resolutions to life’s everyday issues. Even healthy people seek therapy.

*Deniers don’t attend therapy.The unhealthiest people, the people who need treatment the most, are the ones who never consider therapy. In their mind they are never wrong, it is always someone else’s problem, and they should not have to change. The people who end up in therapy are those trying to deal with the relationships they have with these people who deny there is a problem.

*Own your personal journey.If you have chosen to attend therapy, be proud of it. Most people who are seeing the benefits of therapy tend to brag about how much the therapy is changing their lives. We all want to be happy, and when you communicate about your therapy as a major benefit to your life, you will be surprised how many people either ask for your therapist’s information or confess back to you they have also sought therapy. When you own and take pride in your growth, much to your surprise many others will take your lead.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026