September is Pain Awareness Month There are many integrative health approaches that can help with lowering, managing, coping, and preventing pain – non-pharmacologically. Look for ways as we share how throughout the month. Let us know how you use OT with integrative health to manage pain on social media with the hashtag #HolisticOTLowersPain and we may share…
Cannabis and Occupational Therapy
By Tauni Malmgren, OT/S and Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L Backround People have used cannabis for medical purposes for at least 3,000 years according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.1 Currently, medical cannabis (MC) is becoming legalized in many parts of the United States. MC simply refers to cannabis that is used medically. Cannabidiol (CBD) has…
New Study – Beyond Pills: Acupressure Impact on Self-Rated Pain and Anxiety Scores
By Deanna Waggy, OTR There is increasing need for treatment options that provide relief from common symptoms such as pain and anxiety, which are efficacious and safe. The health care system is also facing a crisis of pills, opioid, and otherwise, which can increase risk of tolerance, addiction, abuse, and death. Use of effective nonpharmacologic…
Guided Meditation: Imagery & Healing Class January 2019
Class Information Dates & Time: January 5, 12, and 19, 2019 (9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Central Time) Location: Local in St. Paul, MN combined with Distant Learning via Live Interactive Video Conference Instructor: Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L Price: $399 Register Here You Will Learn: Foundations in meditation and guided imagery techniques that can lower pain, stress, anxiety, depression and…
Strategies to Improve Occupational Performance and Reduce Pain
By Rachel Gottesman, OTR/L Occupational therapists are healthcare professionals who help their clients return to or improve upon their daily living skills. While the profession has been thought by many to only help people find jobs, occupational therapists can help people across many settings prevent injuries as well as provide strategies to promote a healthy…
A Holistic Approach to Pain
In this “Healing Connections Podcast Episode 5: A Holistic Approach to Pain” Deborah Rogers, OTR/L is interviewed by Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L. Deborah shares: How she became interested in helping people with pain. Her story of injury, pain, and recovery. What she does or has done that has helped her the most with lowering pain. What…
Guided Imagery: Mind-Body Healing to Lower Pain
Guided Imagery, also known as Imagery, Therapeutic Imagery, or Creative Visualization can bridge the communication between the mind, the body, and the spirit. Jeanne Achterberg, PhD, a pioneer of Imagery, says that it is “the thought process that invokes the senses: vision, audition, smell, taste, the sense of movement, position, and touch. It is the…
Simple Reflexology Video: A Treat for Your Feet
Reflexology is a wonderful holistic healing tool that feels good and has many health benefits. According to leaders in the reflexology community Barbara and Kevin Kunz, “reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion, based on a system…
5 Holistic Pain Relief Approaches
Most of us have or will experience physical pain in our lives. For many, pain is an everyday or chronic experience, but does it need to be? For those looking for help that are natural and beyond or in conjunction with drugs or surgery, here are options. According to the National Institutes for Health: Pain…