The following article was published in the Ames Tribune, September 11, 2004. It may not be reproduced or quoted without permission from the Tribune. by Jayne Bullock Licensed practitioners provide holistic care at clinic in Ames Today's world is filled with a variety of health care options. There are innovative medical treatments, technologies and specialists. There are abundant pharmacies for pills, serums and ointments. There are treatment and research centers in clinics, hospitals and laboratories throughout the nation. Add to the mix a growing number of practitioners who provide the age-old Eastern therapeutic concept of whole body treatment for chronic health conditions and general well-being. More and more people are turning to this holistic concept, one that treats body, mind and spirit. These whole-body concepts are becoming familiar resources and options for people when looking at their day-to-day living and health care. In Ames, eight practitioners at HealthWise Resources (located at 327 Sixth St. near downtown) have joined together to provide a complementary and alternative option for the holistic approach to well-being. Whether they are working one-on-one with a patient or collaborating on treatments, the practitioners take control of pain and illnesses through hands-on healing touch, physical therapy and exercise, therapeutic massages, aroma therapy with natural oils to stimulate the body and mind and hypnotism to help subconsciously make changes in the mind and body.
"We in our society in Western medicine are only exposed to looking at the body," she said. "We have not incorporated the energy system. Body, mind, emotion and spirit are touched through the therapeutic process (of healing touch), and each individual is empowered to participate fully in his or her healing journey." Pfeiffer said all healing is basically self-healing and as a practitioner of the healing touch she helps patients to realign their energy flow - "re-activating the mind-body-spirit connection to eliminate blockages to self-healing." Pfeiffer has degrees in nursing and educational counseling and is an instructor at Grand View College in Des Moines where she teaches nurturing, well-being and healing touch to baccalaureate nursing students. She would like to see more energy work and nutrition incorporated into client healing. She said in Western medicine the tendency is not to incorporate the chakras and meridians, known as energy lines going up and down the body, in the healing or prevention process. "What energy work does is incorporates both Eastern and Western medicine," she said. "That is what we need in our society and we ought to present that to every client. It makes me sad to think about the illnesses we have in the Midwest and that clients don't know they have options. There is still a lot of education to be done in bringing the Eastern medicine to the West."
Ria Keinert, a licensed physical therapist, lymphedema therapist and clinic director, has embraced the holistic and complementary approach to medicine. "It is becoming more popular and is a growing market," she said. "And it doesn't contradict whatever care the (patient) is already getting. A lot of times we are working closely with the doctors." Keinert has worked as a therapist for nine years in a medical
setting. She specializes in women's health (including urinary incontinence,
fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, osteoporosis), fibromyalgia, lymphedema,
myofascial release and craniosacral therapy. She said the mission
of the clinic is to promote optimal health of clients in all facets
of wellness including mental, physical, emotional and spiritual
health. " I treat people who have had breast cancer and their arm
gets big, or there is a pocket of fluid after surgery," she
said. "Some people are born with lymph swelling. I (also)
take care of people with headaches and chronic pain. But, I really
believe the best thing you can do for people is to put your hands
on them."
Physical therapist Jean Nollen agreed. "What we want is quality time with patients and to figure
out what is wrong with them," she said. "Why not do (the treatments) on a wellness spectrum rather than an illness spectrum?" Nollen said. "And we now have the ability to spend more time with the patient. We even sometimes collaborate and treat patients together. For instance, I had a patient that I shared for hypnosis therapy. And (adding) massage therapy (to a treatment) has shown that just getting relaxed will decrease heart rate." Treatments by Nollen include craniosacral therapy and its gentle
touch; myofascial release is the gentle to not-so-gentle manipulation
of the fascia, the "fabric" that connects muscle, nerve,
bone cells and fibers. "For the aromatherapy, I let the client pick the essential oils for their specific effects," she said before rushing off to her Mary Greeley Medical Center job in pre-admission education. "For an energizing massage, I use sweet orange, lemon grass or citrus blends. If they want something more relaxing, I use lavender or chamomile. By using specific essential oils in the massage, the body absorbs them and relaxes more." What is the cost for all this rubbing, massaging and therapy? Keinert said for most of the services costs average about $1 a minute. She said most sessions run about an hour, but can be more or less, depending on patient needs. A triple-treat package is available that features three different half hour services for $75. A sliding-fee scale also is available for people who qualify. Keinert noted that some insurance companies do offer reimbursement, but the patient makes those arrangements and files the paperwork. For more information about HealthWise Resources, call 233-1139 or visit www.hwiseresources.com. Open house HealthWise Resources invites the public to a first anniversary open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, 2004, at 327 6th St. in Ames. People are invited to relax and celebrate with food, drink and conversation - "Refresh your Body, Mind and Spirit!" Did you know? Forty-one percent of the American population in 1995 used one or more alternative healing methods to either complement or substitute traditional medical techniques. Hands-on touch modalities are used by more than 30,000 nurses in hospitals each year, and the procedures are documented legitimate medical techniques. Documented studies have shown that with hands-on work:
from Joanne Pfeiffer, holistic health consultant and healing touch practitioner. © Copyright 2004 by HealthWise Resources Last Updated: September 10, 2007 |
