The Art & Soul of Healing
June 3, 2002
Sutter Health Presents "The Art & Soul of Healing" Available
For Check-Out From Sutter North's Health Education Access Library
Contact: Julie Eckardt at 530 749-3347
Yuba City, CA - This year, more than 80 million Americans will turn to acupuncture, herbs, Tai Chi and other alternative therapies to treat or prevent illness. Experts say the growing demand for these ancient therapies is due to our 21st century lifestyles. But how do we know if they really work? Sutter Health takes an in depth look at this emerging field of medicine in "The Art and Soul of Healing," a 30 minute program. The program has been transferred to VHS format and is now available for check-out from the Health Education Access Library, 480 Plumas Blvd in Yuba City.
A panel of physicians discuss new research that is helping us understand the role emotions and spirituality play in preventing illness and promoting healing. It's called "complementary" or "integrative" medicine, and it combines alternative therapies with conventional medicine to engage the mind, body and spirit.
It is estimated that 50-80 percent of all illness is stress related. High levels of stress make us twice as likely to catch the common cold. Studies also show that the most frequent time for a heart attack in men is Monday morning. The doctors will discuss how complementary medicine can help us lower our stress levels and boost our immune systems, and will help viewers understand the various therapies and how they work.
If you're thinking about taking a new approach to your health and wellness, you should watch this program. Here are just a few of the studies that will be discussed:
For those suffering with chronic pain, acupuncture has been shown to relieve pain in 50 to 70% of patients, and in many cases decrease dependency on pain medications.
The Arthritis Foundation endorses the use of Tai Chi and other therapies because they have been shown to increase range of motion, balance and muscle strength in arthritis patients.
Treating some forms of depression with exercise, SAMe or Saint John's Wort may be as effective as Prozac or Zolaf, according to some studies.
Many hospitals now are using guided imagery and acupressure to help cancer patients better adjust to the side effects of chemotherapy.
The panel encourages viewers to take a mental inventory of their lives to identify changes they can make now to improve their overall wellness - instead of waiting until injury or illness strikes. Panelists include: Robert Acosta, DO of Sutter Tracy Community Hospital; Maxine Barish, MD of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento; Barbara Bishop, MD of St. Luke's Hospital; Michael Cantwell, MD of California Pacific Medical Center; Ron Cotterel, Md of Sutter West Medical Group; Dr. David Gullion, MD of Marin General Hospital; and Dr. Bill Stewart, MD of California Pacific Medical Center.
The Sutter North Medical Foundation Health Education Access Library is located at 448 Plumas Blvd., in Yuba City. The library is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Staffed by a Registered Nurse who specializes in research, the library is available at no charge to all Yuba and Sutter County residents. For more information about the library call 530-749-3456.
Sutter North Medical Foundation is part of Sutter Health, one of the nation's leading not-for-profit networks of community based health care providers, delivering high quality care in more than 100 Northern California communities. Sutter Health supports more than two dozen locally run acute care hospitals and physician organizations, medical research facilities, physician and nurse education programs, and region-wide home health, hospice and occupational health services.