BOOSTING IMMUNITY

There has never been a better time to focus on the health of the immune system, our body’s first line of defense against any illness. Natural Awakenings talked with local health practitioners and health food store owners about the immune boosting herbs and supplements that Southwest Floridians are purchasing in anticipation of preventing the COVID-19 virus. Their feedback provides insights into the preventive measures available to everyone in the area for boosting immunity. Supplements and Herbs Mariesa Copeland, co-owner of Genesis Non-GMO Vitamins, in Naples, advised that customers are buying vitamin C, vitamin D3, echinacea and zinc lozenges, supplements commonly taken to help combat flu. Not so common, but in demand are elderberry, olive leaf extract and oil of oregano. “Hand sanitizers were first on every customer’s list,” she says.

Along with purchasing curcumin and vitamin C, a supplement that Karen Walker, owner of Sunshine Discount Vitamins, in Naples, takes throughout the year but increases the dosage during flu season is a new herb that she recently learned about—Andrographis paniculate (green chireta), used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. “This bitter-tasting herb is rich in compounds thought to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antioxidant properties,” says Walker. Acupuncture According to Charles Caccamesi, DOM, owner of Acupuncture Care of Naples, the majority of individuals are unaware that acupuncture can be used to boost the immune system, and that there are Chinese herbal formulas for prevention. “Treatment of the acupuncture point Stomach 36, several inches below the knee, energizes the individual, boosts their immune system and helps with digestive disorders,” says Caccamesi, who suggests staying well hydrated and keeping the lungs moist. “Run a diffuser with a few drops of any essential oil known to help combat airborne viruses. For anyone without an difuser, a steam tent can be made with a bowl, hot water, a few drops of an essential oil such as eucalyptus oil and a towel draped around the head. Breathe in the steam.” The Best Use of Social Distancing In addition to the previously mentioned supplements, a daily dose of 500 to 600 milligrams of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) with eight to 12 ounces of water, is what Barbara Lewin, a local sports dietitian and functional nutritionist, suggests to her clients, along with buying healthy fruit and vegetables to keep on hand and take time for a little fun in the kitchen by making a big pot of soup or stew to freeze and store in individual containers. “Making the best use of social distancing, I also suggest reading the book you’ve been putting off, buying a jigsaw puzzle, and taking the time to learn yoga or qigong at home. YouTube has tutorial videos for these. Look for the positive, keep a gratitude journal, manage your stress and stay present. Boosting Immunity And Optimizing Social Distancing Time by Linda Sechrist

Consider downloading the meditation app InsightTimer.com, which is free. I definitely recommend staying updated, but not watching the news 24/7.

“Look at the positive aspects of this as time for a rest and reset. While it’s important to practice social distancing and to stay safe, we can still call friends and stay connected. This is also a good time to practice kindness, as we’re all in this together. Instead of worrying about what you can’t control, shift your energies towards health and creating a positive outlook,” says Lewin.

Do-It-Yourself Measures Beyond treatments and supplements, there are do-it-yourself measures that can strengthen immunity. Sleep seven to nine hours, eat and drink less sugar, exercise, reduce stress, create strong relationships and have a good social network. Develop a sense of humor and be sure to laugh.

Local Resources Acupuncture Care of Naples, 501 Goodlette Rd., Ste. D-100, Naples. 239-877-2531. AcupunctureCareNaples.com. See ad, page 45.

Ada’s Natural Market, 7070 College Pkwy., Fort Myers. 239-939-9600. AdasMarket.com. See ad, page 19.

Barbara Lewin 239-300-0072. Sports-Nutritionist.com. See ad, page 45.

Food & Thought, 2132 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 239-213-2222. FoodAndThought.com. See ad, page 10.

For Goodness Sake, 9118 Bonita Beach Rd, 239-992-5838. ForGoodnessSakes.com. See ad, page 33.

Genesis Non-GMO Vitamins, 877 91st Ave. N., Ste. 4, Naples. 239-596-9017. GenesisNonGmo.com. See ad, page 41.

Sunshine Discount Vitamins, 2608 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 239-436-6659. Vitamin-Discounts.com. See ad, page 45.

Whole Foods, 9101 Strada Pl, Naples, 239- 552-5100. WholeFoodsMarket.com. See ad, page 67.

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Dr. Lindsey Berkson Putting Health Woes in the Rearview Mirror by Linda Sechrist

Individuals in search of someone who not only believes in six impossible things before breakfast but also does them, needs to look no farther than Dr. Lindsey Berkson, who has recently joined the Naples Center for Functional Medicine (NCFM). An agile thinker and hormone scholar who specializes in anti-aging, Berkson is the author of 19 books, including Hormone Deception. Her impressive background includes a substantial amount of clinical, academic and scientific experience, some of which she gained in practice as a nutritionist since the mid-1970s and as an integrative nutritional, gastrointestinal and endocrine specialist since the early 1980s. A scientist with original research, she has collaborated on two patented drugs and served as a hormone scholar at Tulane University.

With such an unusually accomplished career, which includes lecturing for continuing medical education courses for physicians and nurses and at medical conferences, what makes Berkson even more extraordinary is her story of why and how she achieved them. “I was a patient and I was the subject of my research. I collaborated with other researchers and doctors to develop drugs that saved my life,” says Berkson. When Berkson was young, she got the message about exercising and taking care of her body from her marathon-running mother. “I heard a ‘You are what you eat’ lecture when I was 16. It made total sense. I got into the Back to the Land movement and grew my own organic herbs and vegetables, raised goats and made goat products. I practiced yoga and meditation, and even lived at Swami Satchidananda’s ashram in India for several years. With my lifestyle, it didn’t make sense why I had multiple cancers and health issues and had to endure the loss of nearly eight of my organs and 18 lymph nodes,” she explains.

It wasn’t until Berkson researched and wrote Hormone Deception 20 years ago that she learned about hormone disruptors and how the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) chemical compounds made their way into food, air and water. EDCs are ubiquitous. They are in plastic, personal care and beauty products, as well as volatile organic pollutants, pesticides, etc., and they mimic our body’s hormones, deceiving their signaling system. While writing the book, Berkson noticed experimental animals exposed to EDC in the womb had exactly the same health problems and tumors that she did and began connecting the dots. “Maybe this was part of my body’s tumor madness which required so many surgeries,” she says. “I wrote to request my mother’s medical records on microfiche film and discovered that I was the victim of what I was writing the book on. I was a ‘DES daughter’. My mother had been prescribed the synthetic form of female hormone estrogen, diethylstilbestrol, when I was in her womb.” DES was prescribed by doctors to 5 to 10 million women between 1938 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage, premature labor and complications of pregnancy. “While it was mostly used as a prenatal vitamin to make a normal pregnancy healthier, it was the most powerful estrogenic compound ever made, and was banned in 1971 as one of the most powerful carcinogens ever invented,” advises Berkson. Berkson recalls her “Aha!” moment. “I knew then why I did everything right but got wrong outcomes. With more research, I figured out that DES created many of my tumors by tamping down on very specific tumor suppressor genes such as P53 and suppressed my immune system in my gut. I scoured the literature to find what upregulated those tumor suppressor genes so that they would be more active and effective inside my body. I had Dr. Jonathan Wright write me the first-ever prescription from a compounding pharmacy for a compound that no one else had ever taken. I have had no tumors since,” she shares.

“With health issues, I believe that if you really know the root cause of what’s wrong, then you can fix it. My specialty is complexity. I love to listen attentively, think, research and problem solve. It’s how I approach the health issues of my patients,” notes Berkson, who is looking forward to working with the NCFM team.

“I love to remind myself and others to never take ‘old’ or ‘ill’ for an answer to health challenges. There is most often a way to put your health woes in your rearview mirror,” she says. Naples Center for Functional Medicine is located at 800 Goodlette Rd. N., in Naples. For more information, call 239-649-7400. Visit NaplesCFM.com. See ad, inside back cover. With health issues, I believe that if you really know the root cause of what’s wrong, then you can fix it. My specialty is complexity. I love to listen attentively, think, research and problem solve. ~Dr. Lindsey Berkson

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Wellness Self-Care Technologies Immune-Boosting Options from Local Practitioners by Linda Sechrist A study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine notes that it takes an average of 17 years for health research evidence to translate into patient benefits. Although this statistic refers only to conventional medical research and not to promising self-care interventions such as the latest wellness technologies, it offers some insight into why thousands of individuals don’t bother waiting for standard medical approval to explore self-care strategies, instead finding relief in acupuncture, nutrition/food as medicine, homeopathy, hyperbaric medicine, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, light therapy and detoxification therapies such as an ozone sauna.

The high costs of conventional healthcare also help to explain why such easily accessible modalities have become “the people’s medicine” even though most continue to be called quackery. Although few have ever made it into any conventional physician’s office, all of them are offered in Southwest Florida. To keep readers up-to-date on several of the latest alternatives offered, Natural Awakenings turned to the local energy practitioners and technicians who provide them.

Life Energy Balance (LEB) Therapy Maggie Wang’s LEB treatments at Miracle Massage Therapy, in Naples, combine quantum healing, Traditional Chinese Medicine principles of meridians, bioelectrical technology and detoxification. She uses a device which generates a microcurrent at frequencies ranging from five to eight Hz that flows through her body from foot to fingers and into the body of a client.

Maggie’s development and research has created a way for her to identify and clear a person’s blocked meridians, clearing trigger points, restoring the flow of qi, and improving blood circulation. It also releases turbid air in addition to helping to adjust the acidity

level of the body. The treatment begins with the client receiving an application of a special topical cream infused with Chinese healing herbs. Additional herb-infused oils are added when needed.

“The combination of the microcurrent flowing through my hands and the Chinese herbs help the client’s body to detox and heal itself. The proper pH of the body encourages the flow of qi and blood throughout the body without the use of drugs. LEB therapy provides the benefits of acupuncture without the needles, body massage, scraping and cupping. It is safe, reliable and painless,” says Wang.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) Bio-electro-magnetic-energy-regulation (BEMER) is one of the most popular PEMF systems, produced in Switzerland and sold in the U.S. to private individu als and healthcare professionals that include Jennifer Alvarez, owner of Purely You Spa, in Naples, Robyn Filkill-Berry, owner of R B Institute, in Fort Myers, and Susan Mahaney, owner of Spark Health Technologies, in Naples. BEMER is changing the way we think about our health, challenging our understanding of the human body, and empowering us to reach optimal physical condition in a natural, non-invasive way. Proper blood flow plays a critical role in our general health and BEMER can stimulate and improve circulation naturally in just eight minutes twice a day. For more than 20 years benefits of BEMER have impacted millions of people around the world. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration- and Health Canada-registered consumer medical device is easy-to-use, non-invasive and can improve microcirculatory blood flow by up to 30 percent. PEMF increases the oxygen supply and nutrients to damaged cells. Low-frequency PEMF therapy has been demonstrated to improve performance, reduce pain, and decrease fatigue. BEMER therapy helps to boost the immune system, reduces stress/anxiety, cell detoxification, and improves the quality of sleep. “Additionally, this technology helps with speeding up the healing process with sports injuries, which is why professional athletes use it,” says Alvarez.

Cardiac function, physical fitness, endurance, strength and energy, as well as concentration, mental acuity, stress reduction, relaxation and sleep all benefit from PEMF.

BioCharger Looking like something out of the 1985 film My Science Project, the BioCharger’s technologies actually date back to Royal Raymond Rife and Nikola Tesla. For more than 30 years, BioCharger inventor Jim Girard continued to perfect their technologies and build them into a hybrid subtle energy revitalization platform that

wirelessly transmits a precisely controlled radiant energy field energy, stimulating and invigorating the entire body to balance the body, optimize and improve potential health, wellness and athletic performance. Non-invasive, it’s the world’s first software-based, solid state, mobile and cloud-compatible, high-voltage, multi-frequency resonant transformer (modified Tesla coil) that wirelessly and simultaneously transmits pulsed waves of electromagnetic, electrodynamic and photonic energy.

“At BKS Yoga Studio, in Naples, owner Barbara King advises, “Our BioCharger uses recipes that are frequency and harmonic programs to target various areas of the body. Each recipe, including the Wuhan Assist recipe for the COVID-19 virus, features a very specific pulsed static field and provides a full spectrum of healthy frequencies while also bathing the body in multiple forms of subtle energy, including electromagnetic, light and voltage. Our library contains more than 800 recipes created to address a wide range of symptoms experienced by anyone suffering with illness, a chronic condition, or an injury. Some examples include muscle, joint and nerve soreness, sleeping difficulties, swelling of the joints, low energy/fatigue, mental clarity, memory issues and many more.”

Whole Body Detoxification Preventative self-care detoxification is the specialty of Sue Mahany, owner of Spark Health Technologies, in Naples, where non-medical technologies clean and recharge the body’s cells. Mahany offers a client supervised HOCATT ozone sauna, BEMER microcirculation mat and hydrogen inhalation therapy. “When these three technologies are used in sequence, they can purify the blood, circulate it at the critical microcirculatory level, and then replenish the body with hydrogen gas to reduce oxidative stress and support mitochondrial function,” says Mahany.

The HOCATT ozone sauna boosts energy, improves performance, stimulates the immune system and enhances organ function by using eight technologies to clean cells, inactivating many viruses, bacteria and molds. Ozonated steam floods the body with super oxygen which binds to toxins and makes it easier for the body to excrete them. The HOCATT also purifies blood and lymph. “Hydrogen gas acts as an antioxidant, reducing inflammation. You just breathe in the gas produced by the machine,” advises Mahany, noting that the hydrogen molecule is extremely small and lipid-soluble, so it can cross cell membranes and scavenge oxygen radicals protecting DNA, RNA and mitochondria.

LED Light Therapy Anyone looking for an alternative way to heal the body naturally without prescription drugs and surgery might consider light therapy as an excellent option. “My AARC Pod provides photobiomodulation, (PBM Therapy) with a full body spectrum system consisting of near-infrared, red and green light. The photons of energy delivered and absorbed into the body help modulate its life processes,” notes Dona Parker, owner of Tree of Light Whole Body Rejuvenation, in Naples.

Since 1967, more than 100 clinical trials have been conducted. Published results in PubMed note positive outcomes on pathologies as diverse as osteoarthritis, wounds, back pain, muscle fatigue, peripheral nerve injuries and strokes. “On a lighter note, research studies have also confirmed LED light therapy can improve both the thickness and elasticity of the skin cells, reducing wrinkles and cell damage. Studies have also found it helps rebuild collagen,” says Parker.

PBM Therapy helps build mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse. As we age, our body produces fewer mitochondria. They begin to break down due to free radicals, heavy metals, oxidative stress and other reasons. “Mitochondria are one of the most important components of our cells, supplying more than 90 percent of our body’s energy needs by converting what we eat and the air we breathe into usable energy. The loss of mitochondria in our cells is what causes us to age.

HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber (HBOT) HBOT is a simple, non-invasive and painless treatment modality that facilitates the body’s natural healing process by providing inhalation of 100 percent oxygen instead of the 20 percent concentration in the air around us. In a hyperbaric chamber, the atmospheric pressure can be increased by a factor of one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half, ensuring that the extra oxygen reaches any damaged tissue and support the body’s own healing process.

“Oxygen is almost exclusively carried by red blood cells. However, during HBOT therapy, there is not only a substantial increase in the level of oxygen, but also in its distribution throughout the body in all fluids, including plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph and intracellular fluids,” explains Robyn Filkill-Berry.

“Th is produces important, long-term therapeutic benefi ts that encompass hyper-oxygenation of tissues, enhanced growth of new blood vessels, increased growth of wound healing cells called fi - broblasts, enhanced white blood cell activity to remove debris and bacteria and enhanced metabolic activity of previously marginally functioning cells such as brain neurons. Researchers at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, found that HBOT seems to help in restoring brain activity by off ering a signifi cant energy boost to brain cells.” HBOT, also off ered at Root Causes Holistic Health & Medicine, in Fort Myers, is used in a variety of conditions, including wound healing, post-concussion symptoms, neuropathic pain, chronic stroke, toxicity, tick-borne illnesses, traumatic brain injury, consequences of cancer, sports injuries, autism and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and birth injuries.

Neuro-Algorithms At Access Holistic Healing, in Naples, individuals can enjoy BrainTap’s neuroalgorithms that produce brainwave entrainment—the synchronization of brainwaves to a specialized sound—with no user eff ort. “Diff erent than meditation, which can put the brain in an alpha state, the technology of BrainTap provides a complete spectrum of brainwave activity with calming and rejuvenating eff ects in 10 to 20 minutes. Th is serves to balance the nervous system and inoculate individuals against everyday life stressors,” says owner Michele Durham. Each of BrainTap’s sessions is encoded diff erently to ensure maximum neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections, resulting in a fl exible and resilient brain. Th e science behind this brainwave entrainment technology relies on four key elements—binaural beats (two diff erent tones, separated in frequency by only a few Hertz, one in each ear), guided visualization, 10-cycle holographic music (sonic technology that produces a 360-degree sound environment), isochronic tones (equal intensity pulses of sound separated by an interval of silence), and gentle light pulses in the headset that travel through the retina and ear meridians, sending direct signals to the brain.

Celluma Light Th erapy Celluma Light Th erapy is a LED device that improves cellular health by using light energy to improve cellular health by accelerating the repair and replenishment of compromised tissue cells. Th e non-invasive treatment can be used anywhere on the body, including the face, to address specifi c, age-related challenges, including wrinkles. “Th ink of it as

a battery charger for compromised cells,” says Durham, who adds that the device can also be used on pets. Celluma is also used for reducing arthritic pain, muscle and joint pain, muscle spasm and poor blood circulation. Th e blue light penetrates through the epidermis to subcutaneous tissue and kills acne-causing bacteria.

Bio Intelligence Biological intelligence is concerned with how the body creates and uses knowledge to function properly and constantly teach itself how to adapt its systems to survive in an ever changing and more toxic environment while geointelligence, used by the Nexus Infi nity device, refers to information derived by energetic geointelligence sound waves that retrieve images and data associated with the body. “Th ink of this technology like you do invisible radio waves containing information. Th e device uses algorithms. It can receive and send energy and frequencies to balance, harmonize and reset the body’s organs and systems,” says Ursula Kaiser. Th e trained Nexus Infi nity expert is co-owner of two businesses, the Power of Health Center and Wave of Energies. “While this kind technology has totally been dismissed by conventional medicine, I know it’s worthy of consideration for individuals seeking nontraditional treatments. I used a similar device, along with food as medicine and other alternative therapies, to restore my health when I was diagnosed in 1999 with advanced ovarian and uterine cancers that spread to my lymphatic system,” says the author of My Journey to Wellness.

Biofeedback Blue Star Biofeedback owner Lisa Doyle-Mitchel, a certifi ed biofeedback specialist, is trained in the L.I.F.E System, which scans nearly 7,000 energy patterns in the body. “Biofeedback is a mind–body technique in which individuals learn how to modify their physiology for the purpose of improving physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. We know that the universe is 98 percent energy and everything found within it has its own dynamic energy. Our entire body continually vibrates at a subtle level, moving energy and information through the connective tissues that encase us,” says Doyle-Mitchell who discovered the L.I.F.E. system in 2005 while searching for modalities she could use as a key part of her personal recovery from a serious illness. “It brought a voice to my subconscious relative to the underlying cause and lead me to a breakthrough. Even now, I continue to use biofeedback to maintain my well-being,” she says. In addition to these new self-care wellness technologies which involve devices that use light, energy and frequencies, let us

not forget to continue using other tried and true alternatives such as homeopathy, powerful low-level laser therapy and hands-on therapies such as reiki, massage, healing touch and essential oils which have served us so well for so long.

Local Resources Access Holistic Healing, 9583 Tamiami Tr. N., Ste. 215, Naples. 239-776-2211. AccessHolisticHealing.com. See ad, page 18.

BKS Yoga Studio, 2900 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 844-339-6230. BKSYogaStudio. com. See ad, page 54.

Blue Star Biofeedback, 239-851-4729. BlueStarBioFeedback.com. See ad, page 50.

Miracle Massage Therapy, Pebblebrooke Shopping center, 15205 Collier Blvd., Ste. 206, Naples. 239-331-7987. MiracleMassageTherapyLLC.org. See ad, page 16.

R B Institute, 13550 Reflections Pkwy., Ste. 5-502-503, Fort Myers. RobynBerry. com. 239-939-4646. See ads, pages 19 and 29.

Root Causes Holistic Health & Medicine, 12734 Kenwood Ln. Ste. 84, Fort Myers. 239-425-2900. RtCausesMd.com. See ad, page 23.

Power of Health and Wave of Energies. 239-910-9601. PowerOfHealth.org. WaveOfEnergies.com.

Purely You Spa, 3066 Tamiami Tr. N., Ste. 302, Naples. 239-331-8266. PurelyYouSpa.com. See ad, page 5.

Spark Health Technologies, 11983 N. Tamiami Trl., Ste. 150, Naples. 802-752-6342.

Tree of Light Whole Body Rejuvenation, 806 Neapolitan Way, Naples. 239-692- 9367. TreeOfLightCenter.com. See ad, page 2.

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MOVING THROUGH CHRONIC PAIN How Exercise Can Heal What Hurts

When our body keeps hurting, especially if it’s been that way for a long time, it’s natural to want to snuggle into pillows with a good movie and move as little as possible. And for many years, that’s the kind of rest that doctors recommended for the 20 percent of American adults suff ering from chronic pain. But with a plethora of studies showing that exercise can reduce pain severity, enable better physical functioning and boost morale with virtually no adverse side eff ects, that advice is fast changing. “Exercise helps to release endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkiller chemicals,” explains Rumki Banerjee, M.D., medical director of Apex MD, in Glen Allen, Virginia. For those suff ering from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, fi bromyalgia and low back pain, the thought of moving may be uncomfortable, and even the sight of stairs may trigger pain signals. But walking up just one step can give the brain new information. “If it’s possible to do a movement one time without pain, the brain starts to change, the door to movement reopens and we begin to end the chronic pain cycle,” says Annie Forest, a fi tness trainer who by Julie Peterson

specializes in the neurology of pain at Forest Coaching Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin. A good fi rst step is to consult an expert. “If your doctor approves, take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of a movement expert. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, Pilates trainers and yoga teachers are trained to help others move safely and more eff ectively,” says Peter Abaci, M.D., medical director of the Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center, in Los Gatos, California, and author of Conquer Your Chronic Pain: A Life-Changing Drug-Free Approach for Relief, Recovery, and Restoration. Th e muscle pain that occurs in everyone starting a new exercise regime— known as delayed onset muscle soreness— typically lasts only a day or two, and is a sign the body is slowly gathering strength, say physical therapists. It’s best—and probably the only thing possible for those in chronic pain—to start slow. “Walking is one exercise that gets your body moving, blood and fl uids circulating, and if done outdoors, can take you out into nature to off set the amount of time spent indoors,” says physical therapist Karena Wu, owner of ActiveCare Physical Th erapy,

in New York City and Mumbai.

Slow stretching, especially if it in- volves holding positions up to one minute, and gentle versions of yoga, including chair yoga, have also proven helpful. A study of 228 people with chronic back pain published in the Internal Archives of Medicine found that both approaches reduced symptoms within 12 weeks and lowered the use of pain medications, and that results lasted at least six months.

Tai chi, an ancient Chinese practice that involves breath control combined with slow, fluid movements, has been shown to benefit people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and tension headaches, among other chronic conditions. In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, people with fi- bromyalgia taking tai chi classes twice a week for 12 weeks reported less pain and depres- sion and better sleep than another group tak- ing wellness classes and stretching sessions. Chi kung (qigong), another slow-moving, mind-body exercise, supplies similar benefits, concluded a February study published in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice. Compared to aerobics, especially for older people with lower back pain, “Pilates may be more effective for pain and dis- ability because exercises are more targeted to the muscles of the pelvis and trunk,” concludes a recent Brazilian study.

Aqua therapy, also known as water aerobics, reduces pressure on aching joints while still providing enough gentle resis- tance to build strength, plus a heated pool can relax the whole body. Swimming was shown in a 2013 study in Clinical Rehabili- tation to ease the lingering pain of cancer survivors better than land exercises; stud- ies of arthritis and fibromyalgia patients showed similar results.

It’s also key to have goals—even as simple as cooking a meal without pain. “I ask people to envision a pain-free life and imagine what that would look like, what they would do if they didn’t hurt,” says Forest. “If you say, ‘I’m a softball player and a mom who picks up her kids,’ then your brain wants to head in that direction. Hav- ing a target is really important.”