December Bloomington Healthy Cells 2010

Promoting Healthier Living in Central Illinois • Physical • Emotional • Nutritional

o f b l o o m i n g t o n

December 2010

FREEHealthyCellsw w w . h e a l t h y c e l l s m a g a z i n e . c o m

The New Science of Learning page 16

Technology and Medicine page 18

Inconceivable page 32

Millennium Pain CenterWorld-class Pain Management Care in the Heart of the Midwest page 20

B L O O M I N G T O N | N O R M A L | P O N T I A C | D E C A T U R | C H I C A G O

1015 S. Mercer Ave. Bloomington, IL 61701

(309) 662-4321www.millenniumpaincenter.com

ACCEPTING ALL INSURANCES AND SELF-REFERRALS

Helping You Get Back to the Things You Love

December 2010 • Healthy Cells Magazine • Bloomington • Page 3www.healthycellsmagazine.com

Page 4 • Healthy Cells Magazine • Bloomington • December 2010 www.healthycellsmagazine.com

Contents December 2010 IssueVolume 5, Issue 12

Healthy Cells Magazine is intended to heighten awareness of health and fitness information and does not suggest diagnosis or treatment. This information is not a substitute for medical attention. See your health-care professional for medical advice and treatment. The opinions, state-ments, and claims expressed by the columnists, advertisers, and contrib-utors to Healthy Cells Magazine are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

For information about this publication, contact

Cheryl Eash, owner 309-664-2524

[email protected]

www.healthycellsmagazine.com

Healthy Cells Magazineis a division of:

1711 W. Detweiller Dr.Peoria, IL 61615

Ph: 309-681-4418 Fax: 309-691-2187

Healthy Cells Magazine is available FREE at over 450 locations, includ-ing major grocery stores through-out the Bloomington-Normal area as well as hospitals, physicians’ offices, pharmacies, and health clubs. 8,000 copies are published monthly. Healthy Cells Magazine welcomes contributions pertaining to healthier living in the Bloomington-Normal area. Limelight Communica-tions, Inc. assumes no responsibility for their publication or return.

Mission: The objective of Healthy Cells Magazine is to promote a stronger health-conscious commu-nity by means of offering education and support through the coopera-tive efforts among esteemed health and fitness professionals in Bloom-ington-Normal.

Bloomington Public Library: Free Tutoring Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Physical:Weight Management Centers Can Help You Achieve Weight Loss Success . . . . . . Page 8

Emotional: Coping with Cancer During the Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10

Nutritional: Starting Firm Foundations for Your Child’s Nutritional Health . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

Addiction Recovery: When a Parent is Addicted—Part 2 of 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Child Development: The New Science of Learning—Changing the Brain . . . . . . . . Page 16

Joint Injuries: Technology + Medicine = Arthroscopic Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

Paleo Diet: Look Better, Feel Better by Eating Like Our Ancestors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23

Digestive Issues: Am I Just Getting Old, or Is Something Wrong? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24

Diabetes: Watch Those Toes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26

Healthy Skin: Peptides—A Key Ingredient to Younger Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 27

Healthy Finance: Holiday Savings Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28

Balloon Sinuplasty: New Minimally Invasive Option for Sinus Sufferers. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 30

Dental Health: Straight Teeth Without Braces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 31

Women’s Health: Inconceivable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32

Healthy Lifestyle: I Weigh How Much? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 34

Life Skills: Skills to Help Deal with Pain and Distress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 36

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Winter Brings the SAD Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 37

Balance Problems: I’m So Dizzy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 40

Chiropractic Health: Get Your Flu Adjustment—Not the Flu Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 42

HealthyCellsm A g A Z i n E

This Month’s Cover Story:

“I wish to thank all of the advertisers who make this magazine possible. They believe enough in providing positive health information to the public that they are willing to pay for it so you won’t have to.”

Cheryl Eash

Cover story photos submitted by élan Studios

Millennium Pain CenterWorld-class Pain Management Care in the Heart of the Midwest pg. 20

Standing (L – R): Dr. Amaresh Vydyanathan, Dr. Naveen Tipirneni, Dr. Atiq Rehman, Dr. Vinita ParikhSeated (L – R): Dr. Ricardo Vallejo, Dr. Ramsin Benyamin



Bloomington Public Library

Free Tutoring Service

For more information, you may visit the Bloomington Public Library or contact Rhonda Massie at 309.557-8991 or [email protected]

Have you ever tried to help your child with homework and found that you didn’t understand it yourself? Teach-ers: wouldn’t you love to have a homework resource for

your students? Bloomington Public Library to the rescue! The library has contracted with Tutor.com to provide free, one-on-one tutoring with certified, professional tutors via an instant messaging format. The service is available daily from 3 to 11 p.m. and the site’s SkillsCenter is open 24/7. Tutors and students work in a secure, anonymous and interactive online “classroom” with access to white boards, drawing tools, instant messaging and file sharing. Every tutor is screened, certified and background checked, and no personal information is ever shared between the student and the tutor. In addition, tutors only work with one student at a time, working step-by-step in order to make sure the material is fully understood. Tutors never simply sup-ply the answer. Tutor.com is only free to those who possess a library card issued at Bloomington Public Library. You must log on via the library’s website – www.BloomingtonLibrary.org. From the li-brary’s homepage, look for “Online Resources” in the “Find” sec-tion. After clicking, look to the right and click on “Online Resources in Alphabetical Order;” then scroll to find Tutor.com.

• K-12 Student Center · Math · Science · English · Social Studies · Review of a document

by a tutor · Standardized Tests

Preparation

• College Center · Math · Science · English · Social Studies · Resume help

· GED Prep · Review of a document


Preparation • Adult Career Center · Resume Help · GED Prep · Citizenship · Back to School · Review of a document


Preparation

The service, offered in both English and Spanish, is geared toward all levels of study in three different age groups:

Exper i ence the d i f f e r ence


SURGERY EMGMRIPhysical Therapy

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Nerve Testing

McLean County Orthopedics (MCO) is well known in Illinois. Founded in 1976 by Dr. Jerald Bratberg, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, MCO has always attracted the finest health care professionals, including its nine physicians, 11 therapists, and over 60 employees. MCO also started and spun-off The Center for Outpatient Medicine (TCOM), which is the largest

freestanding surgery center in central Illinois and the only one certified for overnight stay. Located across route 9 (Empire) from the old Bloomington airport, MCO treats all types of orthopedic conditions and offers a comprehensive range of services. Most patients can call for an appointment, although there are some insurances (i.e. Health Alliance, OSF) that first require referral from a primary care physician.

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Physical

According to the National Health and Nutrition Exami-nation Survey (NHANES), 76

percent of Americans believe they follow healthy diet and physical ac-tivity lifestyle habits. Unfortunately, just the opposite is really true. In fact, this same research revealed the top five sources of calories in an Ameri-can’s diet are: 1) sugar soft drinks, 2) sweets, 3) burgers, 4) pizza, and 5) chips. Additionally, research showed only 3.5 percent of adults are meet-ing the recommendations for physi-cal activity. The amount of calories Ameri-cans are consuming is increasing while the amount of calories we burn in physical activity is decreas-ing, leading to a calorie gap that ultimately causes weight gain. The reality of this calorie gap is evident in the most recent NHANES research showing two out of every three Amer-ican adults are either overweight or obese. Among other things, excess body weight can cause many serious health problems such as heart dis-ease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Considering all of this, discovering your journey to weight management has never been more important. Simply put, weight management means keeping your body weight at a healthy level by engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors. Unfortunately, as most of us can relate to, achieving a healthy weight is often a daunting task to accomplish on our own. In today’s society where we are bom-barded with a multitude of “quick fix” weight management options, one of the best places to look for help with your health and weight loss goals is a comprehensive weight manage-ment program. Weight management programs offer both medically su-pervised non-surgical and surgical options, fostered by a team of medi-cal professionals and support staff,

Weight Management Centers Can Help You Achieve Weight Loss Success

By Jordan Weber, MS, CHFS, Weight Management Specialist, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center


which are designed to help every individual achieve their optimal health and weight. Typically, these programs operate out of a phy-sician or hospital clinic setting. Non-surgical weight management options classically com-bine a variety of behavioral and lifestyle modifications, such as nutritional counseling and exercise guidance. These changes as-sist the individual in decreasing their weight by consuming fewer calories and expending more calories. Additionally, physician supervision is a significant advantage of participating in a clinic based weight management program as opposed to the typical commercial weight loss options. Medical supervision is a neces-sary component to ensure a safe and effective weight loss journey for those that might be dealing with other health complications re-lated to their excess body weight, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. In general, non-surgical programs are appropriate for a wide range of individuals including: • Those with or without health issues • Those looking to lose anywhere between 5 - 100+ pounds • Those wanting to maintain their current weight or improve

their health

Currently, there are multiple surgical options available to as-sist obese individuals in their journey toward weight management. Some of the more familiar procedures include gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding. While each surgical option has differ-ent qualifying criteria, surgical weight management is generally considered appropriate for adults who: • Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40 or have a BMI of

35 or higher with one or more obesity-related health conditions • Are at least 100 pounds overweight

• Are over the age of 18 • Have been overweight for more than five years • Have had short-term success with serious weight loss attempts • Are prepared to attend regular follow-up sessions and make

lifestyle changes

It is important to understand that any surgical weight man-agement option is only a tool in helping an individual lose excess weight. In order to be successful at weight loss, individuals must be prepared to make major lifestyle changes to their diet and ex-ercise habits to support their surgery. If you are considering either a supervised non-surgical or sur-gical weight management program, it is best to speak with your physician first and research all of your options. No matter which option you choose to pursue, the good news is that once you embark on this journey the positive affects of weight loss and management are numerous. Just a small amount of weight loss can result in outcomes such as: • Lowering your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar • Reducing your need for certain medications • Decreasing your risk for disease • Improved quality of life and self-image

Contrary to popular belief, weight management is possible and you can do it! Start your journey today.

For more information about weight management or programs available near you, please contact the OSF Weight Management Center at (309) 661-5040.

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If you suffer from any of these symptoms, ask your healthcare provider for a

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Emotional

The upcoming holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s Day, represent a time of the year that is traditionally filled with thankful-

ness, joy, and hope. For many, it is a time for nostalgia, filled with past memories and expectations for reunions with friends and family. And, for some, this holiday sea-son serves as a period filled with expectations, obliga-tions, memories of past losses, and hopes and dreams for the future. It is no wonder that when coping with the diagno-sis and treatment of cancer or the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be an emotional time for many. Jane Deering, clinical social worker, writes that the degree of emotional intensity can depend on where you are in terms of diagnosis, treatment or survivorship. For instance, a five-year survivor will have different feelings about the holidays than someone who is newly diagnosed or under-going treatment and highly anxious about the future.

Coping with CancerDuring the Holidays

By Candi Gray, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, Oncology Social Worker at the Community Cancer Center


As we are inundated by messages about the ideal holiday, these messages usually portray the “perfect” family in a “perfect” setting. However, most people find that the holidays can be less than ideal and are often times filled with increased stress. We, too, are vulnerable to increased stress due to over commitment during the holiday season, with too much to do and too little time to do it. When already coping with cancer-related fatigue, the added stresses of the holidays can feel very overwhelming. Always, it’s important to realize your limitations this year and be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself time to evaluate pri-orities and decide together with your family what is truly mean-ingful and what can be set aside. This may be a good time to let others help or even take over specific tasks that could help to reduce pressure on yourself. During this busy season you may feel a sense of obligation to live up to the perceived ex-pectations of others. You may feel that you’re expected to put on a happy face and attend all the usual parties and gatherings, even when you are feeling fatigued and sick. It is essential to reevaluate priorities and to communicate needs to loved ones. Your expectations need to be realistic. Make decisions with your family about which traditions to uphold and what might need to be changed, remembering that delegating specific jobs to someone else is acceptable. For those with young children in the household, it is es-pecially important to explain that everything might not be the same as it has been in previous years. Help them anticipate what about the holidays will be new this year. Understand their special needs and expectations and try to honor what is impor-tant to them, if reasonable. Once you have begun to set some new limits and communi-cated these with your family, you can make changes in how you

usually do things. For example, a young mother on treatment who has always baked dozens of cookies to exchange may decide that this year cookie baking would simply be off the to-do-list. Addi-tionally, there may be traditions that you feel may be too important to give up entirely, such as gift shopping. Gift shopping may feel like an overwhelming tradition. However, delegating the job to someone else or opting for catalog or Internet shopping may be just the way to manage the task while avoiding the crowded shop-ping malls. If you really want to shop yourself, wait for one of your better days to come along and make a list, as this can help you remain focused, organized, and finish sooner. Take the time to focus on the meaning and comfort of the hol-idays. Helping others may enhance the significance of a particular holiday. Especially for those who are out of active treatment and a few years into survivorship, volunteering a few hours or making a contribution to a personally significant organization may provide added meaning to the season. If during this time of year you find that your mood is down and your many tasks are overwhelming, it may be time to seek additional support and help. In our community, there are many sources of support, including cancer support groups, religious clergy, social workers, and private counselors or therapists. Do not hesitate to seek help if you feel your anxieties are increasing or depressive and sad feelings are predominant. Let your holiday plans allow for a meaningful expression of what the particular holi-day means for you and your loved ones, while making the neces-sary changes.

For more information, you may contact the Community Can-cer Center at www.cancercenter.org.

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Nutritional

We’ve all heard the stats, nearly one in three American adults is considered obese. And approximately 17% of children and adolescents age 2 - 19 are considered

obese1. But haven’t we all known this for years by now? Yet experts, scientists, physicians, and even politicians continue to struggle with ways to get Americans to change their eating habits in hopes of dropping the data points relative to obesity. So let’s take a novel approach to the idea of a diet and really understand what we mean when we use the term. Whether we look at it this way or not we are all on a diet. Whether you’re on the organic only diet, the vegan diet, the Atkins diet, or the fast food every other day diet, we are all products of our habits. Quite a few of these habits probably started when we were young. I remember when I was young my mom and I spent quite a bit of time together cooking in the kitchen, which probably explains a lot of why I got into the food industry. But what I don’t remember is my mom sitting me down and talking to me about good eating habits and the benefits of eating healthy. So how

exactly do we teach kids good eating habits without tipping them off that we are, in fact, teaching them? To be perfectly honest, sometimes teaching kids good eat-ing habits just comes from patience. I remember the first time I served couscous at Katie’s Kids. A lot of people thought, “Oh that’s nice, but they probably won’t eat that.” And even a lot of the kids wouldn’t eat it initially because they didn’t know what to make of it. But nearly four years later couscous continues to be a staple item on our menus and the kids love it. So what did I learn from this whole experience? I learned that half the battle of getting kids to try foods they aren’t familiar with is to eliminate the unfamiliarity. One of the benefits of having a chef at a childcare facility, or any other institution for that matter, is the know-how to create a menu with variety. Having a comprehensive understanding of cooking prin-ciples means that our kitchen staff has the ability and resources to prepare a variety of healthy and delicious meals. And this seems to be the trend in many institutional facilities across the country. Much of what a chef brings to the table is a love of food, and a love of

Starting Firm Foundations for Your Child’s Nutritional Health

By David Bareither, Head Chef, Katie’s Kids Learning Center

2 4 2 7 M a l o n e y D r i v e • B l o o m i n g t o n , I L 6 1 7 0 4

3 0 9 - 6 6 3 - 4 9 0 0 • w w w . d i z z y i l . c o m

Central Illinois Institute of Balance is structured as a partnership of audiology and physical therapy providers who work together, utilizing a team approach to patient care. Each discipline offers expertise through advanced training and updated protocols. We believe in utilizing the gold standard in diagnostic testing of dizzy patients, using state-of-the-art equipment to determine therapy needs. Treatment protocols are used to evaluate patient improvement in objective, measurable terms.

F e e l D i z z y o r U n s t e a d y ?Audiology and Physical Therapy Working Together• Assessment and Treatment of

Patients with Vertigo Disorders• Audiologist Specializing in Evaluation and

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Parkinson’s, and Peripheral Disorders• Physical Therapy for Incontinence


serving freshly prepared food. This idea that the children that we serve are our guests and not simply a captive audience helps lend a different perspective to how we serve food to children. We have seen from experience that exposing children to healthy food at a young age truly does have an effect in subse-quent years. Many parents have expressed their appreciation for the focus on healthy foods and even wish that public schools would show that same devotion. What we do know is that pub-lic perception of food has shifted drastically in the last ten years and hopefully that shift includes institutions. Many people have the misconception that making healthy food takes too much time and money, but I find this to be very untrue. We have been able to greatly cut down our budget for our food costs simply by preparing more items from fresh healthy ingredients. Cooking healthy doesn’t even have to take hours of preparation time. Simply choosing wiser grains like wild rice, couscous, and whole wheat flour make your food healthier, and doesn’t make preparation time take any longer. Nowadays Americans are busier than ever. Many parents are rushing home from work only to take their oldest child to their soccer game, throw a meal on the table, and barely have enough time to get baths in before bedtime. Simplify your life. Don’t run to the freezer section and buy every freezer ready meal they have. Take a few minutes each week to plan out some healthy meals and execute your plan. Thaw out meat in the refrigerator overnight for the next evening’s meal. A simple sautéed chicken breast in a little olive oil, served with blanched green beans which have also been sautéed, and a little cous-cous on the side makes for a delicious and nutritious meal that probably took the same 30 minutes to make as the freezer din-ner took to bake in the oven.

For more information, you may contact Maureen Kelly at Katie’s Kids Learning Center, 309-663-5800 or e-mail [email protected]. They have two locations, 1602 Glenbridge Rd. in Bloomington and 2003 Jacobssen Dr. in Normal which of-fers a part-day preschool option.

1. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html


Addiction Recovery

In Part One of this series on children of addiction, you met Anne*, an adult whose childhood was marred by the addiction of a parent. Though Anne fiercely defends her father’s character

and knows in her heart that he would have done anything to es-cape the walls of addiction, she never really fully understood the hold that alcohol had on him. However, she does know that it took its toll on her as a child and still does to this day.

Effects on the children Children who grow up in a home with an addicted parent can suffer both short-term and long term effects. According to the National Association of Children of Alcoholics, serious life conse-quences can occur in children that grow up in a family with one or more addicted parents. Short-term issues include: • increased family conflict • emotional or physical violence • decreased family cohesion • decreased family organization • increased family isolation • increased family stress including work problems • illness, marital strain and financial problems • possible frequent family moves

Anne remembers her mother being very stressed when she was younger. “I never understood,” she explains. “When I was very young, I remember her taking a lot of walks. She needed to get away and I was always afraid she wasn’t going to come back. I remember running after her.” Longer term, children of addicted parents are in the highest risk group of children to become addicted themselves due to both genetic and family environment factors. In addition:

• Children of addicted parents exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety more than do children from non-addicted families.

• Children of addicted parents experience greater physical and mental health problems and higher health and welfare costs than do children from non-addicted families.

• Children of addicted parents have a high rate of behavior problems.

“I also started drinking around the time I was most confron-tational – my teenage years,” says Anne. “I thought it was typical because most kids were doing it at my age back when I was in

When a Parent is Addicted: What About the Children?Part two of a two-part series on children of addiction

Submitted by Sandra Beecher, Corporate Services Clinician, Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery

www.cometakeapeek.com For more information, call 309-747-3628 or 747-2702

Christmas Music Refreshments

Christmas Open House

Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community

Luminaria Display

December 14, 2010 • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

at Meadows Mennonite Home


school. But I also realized my drinking was different. I was drink-ing to get drunk. Every time. I only drank on the weekends like most kids my age, but again, it was never a couple drinks for fun, it was drink as fast as I can to get drunk as fast as I can. This continued through college. I’m not sure if it was the anxiety that stopped it or just the realization of what I was doing, but I finally stopped and now it is very rare if I even have a drink. I think I have a very addictive personality and I feared that my addiction could be the same as my father. “

What can be done Children of addicted parents often feel ashamed and alone. Many may benefit from a supportive adult stepping in to help. This support may come from the non-addicted parent, steppar-ent, grandparent, teacher, school counselor, coach, church leader or other adult. Research shows that children who are able to rely on a supportive adult are able to cope better with not only the ad-dictive situation, but with further difficult emotional experiences later in life. As trusted and respected figures in their lives, they are in a unique position to support children who live in alcohol- or drug-dependent families. Grown children of an addictive parent say that their resilience was in part because of the support of another parent figure or adult role model. Anne remembers trying to talk with her other teenage friends. “They didn’t understand.” And even on those frequent weekends with relatives, she says, “We never discussed my father. I just enjoyed my time away. “ Group programs can help children cope with their feelings as well as offer support and guidance. In those groups, trained counselors let children know that they are not alone, as well as:

• Validate their perceptions and interpretations • Help them gain some perspective • Relieve them of blame • Help them separate parent from parental behavior • Offer hope, self-care skills and help to cope • Provide a safe outlet for anger • Explain risks of unsafe behaviors, and how to identify safe

people in their lives

Because Anne’s father’s addiction was rarely talked about, she wasn’t able to receive the counseling she may have benefit-ted from earlier in life. “I have suffered from anxiety and depres-sion on and off in my adult life.” She says she’s had counseling “not because I grew up in an addictive household, but I am finding that some of the problems I am having in my married/adult life relate to some of my childhood experiences.” Anne makes it clear that her father was a good man. “I am a private person, but only agreed to share my story in the hopes that it will help others.” She continues, “My father had a terrible disease that he could not manage, but he was a great man and a good father. I only want to honor him as the good man he was, not the alcoholic he became. “

*Name changed to protect privacy

For more information or questions on any type of addic-tion, contact the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at 309-888-0993 or visit their website at www.addictionrecov.org. Their Bloomington office is located at the Advocate BroMenn Medical Center and they provide free assessments anytime.

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Why are some kids better readers than others? Brain re-search is being used to not only answer that question but to help students learn to read faster. The last decade

has been marked by tremendous research and innovation in the science of how our brains work. Research tells us that the brain is plastic and can adapt and change at any age. Researchers studied the brain activity of high- and low-per-forming readers through the use of functional Magnetic Reso-nance Imaging (fMRI) scans. They found the brain activity to be different in the two groups of subjects. They discovered that cer-tain exercises could enable the low-performing readers, children with speech-language or auditory processing problems, to mimic the same brain activity as high-performing readers, and “typical” children. Language acquisition has to do with how the brain hears and interprets sounds. Imagine listening to a cellphone that is breaking up. That is the type of confusion that some learners experience when they hear or read the sounds that make up our language. While most of the sounds we process are slow - a telephone ring-

ing or a door opening - the sounds in human speech are the most demanding.

Easier and faster learning Fast ForWord is a series of computer ‘games’ which build new connections in children’s brains, making learning easier and faster. Fast ForWord automates and strengthens the brain in the same way an athlete builds muscle memory – through repetition. The program evolved from the work of US research scientists at the University of California and Rutgers University who found the core cognitive and linguistic attributes that define a student’s abil-ity in the classroom (memory, attention, processing and sequenc-ing) could be successfully improved. The researchers developed the Fast ForWord software pro-gram to deliver acoustically modified speech that helps students learn. Over time, new synapses are formed in the brain of the learner, allowing improved language processing. By using acous-tically-modified speech technology in an interactive computer program, students can build a wide range of critical language

The New Science of Learning: Changing the Brain

By Basha Ontiveros, Director of Speech & Learning Connections

Child Development

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and reading skills such as phonological awareness, phonemic aware¬ness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, syn-tax, grammar, and other skills that had previously been inacces-sible to them. Students in the Fast ForWord program are provided with a daily computer program which stretches the brain by prompting the student to answer hundreds of increasingly difficult exercises in quick succession. The program uses scientifically-based neu-roscience principles and has been clinically proven to get results. Fast ForWord can significantly improve both reading and learning in children because it strengthens both cognitive skills and funda-mental reading and language skills.

More than just improved reading BrainSpark Learning, developed by Scientific Learning, is a family of interactive, online learning programs that help children increase their brain power through fun and engaging exercises. Designed for children ages five to nine and ages 10 to 13, the exercises work together to produce lasting improvements in brain

fitness, focusing on five cognitive building blocks critical to learn-ing success: Speed, Processing rate, Attention, Recall and mem-ory, and Knowledge (SPARK). BrainSpark Learning leverages the science of brain plasticity — the brain’s ability to change as it learns new skills — to exercise stu-dents’ brains and help them learn. Similarly, “The New Science of Learning” documentary (available on DVD) explores how parents can use the promise of brain plasticity to optimize learning and permanently impact the lives of children of all abilities.

Computer based programs – a vital link “Every time we learn new things, the brain changes and forms new connections,” Dr Burns of Scientific Learning says. “Reading is a relatively new human skill, dependent on brain capacities that evolved for other survival purposes. Whether it is a child learning to read or an adult mastering a new iPod, the brain adapts to cater for this need. This ability is known as brain neuroplasticity, while the speed with which we process the new information is known as brain efficiency. The exciting news is that computer-based programs have now been developed which can increase brain capacity and efficiency at any age, and with remarkable results.” Fast ForWord is specifically aimed at school students struggling to read and is proving to be the vital link between students whose brains do not efficiently process schoolwork and students who excel in the classroom.

For more information about helping children who are strug-gling to succeed in school, you may contact Basha Ontiveros at Speech and Learning Connections, 663-4172. For an extensive amount of independent research supporting the effectiveness of Fast Forword, please go online to www.Scientificlearning.com.

“Fast ForWord is a series of

computer ‘games’ which build new

connections in children’s brains,

making learning easier and faster.”

Colette R. Whitby, MD FACSGeneral Surgeon

Board Certified by American Board of Surgery

422 W. White St., Clinton, IL • 217.935.9571

Now accepting new patientsFor an appointment,

call 217-937-5284

Dr. John Warner Hospital Rural Health Center Welcomes:


Joint Injuries

Curiosity and scientific discovery have motivated doctors and scientists to try new strategies using the technology available to them. Almost 100 years ago, doctors began

adapting instruments used for internal inspection of soft tissue organs in the body, such as the bladder, to “see” inside the knee. The process was limited by the rudimentary pictures and poor lighting devices. The idea was good; the technology not so great. That changed in the 1950s and 60s when fiber optics and electronics grew by leaps and bounds. Recent technological ad-vances such as the fine-tuning of fiber optics, development of mi-cro-sized cameras, high-definition image projection, and creation of instruments that are both easy to manipulate and microscopic enough to fit through a small incision have brought arthroscopy (“arthro” = joint; “scope” = to view) to a new level of accuracy and usefulness for doctors and the patients they treat. Dr. Joe Norris, an orthopedic physician and surgeon at McLean County Orthopedics and the Orthopedic and Sports Enhancement Center, takes advantage of the technological ad-

vances that enable him to diagnose and treat patients with joint injuries. “The technology of the tools, especially in the last five years, has allowed us to treat many more patholo-gies through the scope,” he says. Dr. Norris, a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, participated in a year-long fellowship in sports medicine after his general orthopedic surgery residency which gave him an appreciation and enthusiasm for arthroscopic surgery in the treatment of virtually any joint pathology issue for any patient, not just ath-letes. Although certain surgeries must be done “open”—mean-ing using a traditional incision—more and more joint problems are being treated via arthroscopic means. Even procedures that usually require open surgery, such as fractures, frequently include the use of an arthroscope for assistance in visualizing the area. For procedures such as rotator cuff repairs in the shoul-der or ligament tears such as an ACL injury in the knee, ar-

Technology + Medicine = Arthroscopic Surgery

By Becky Wiese


throscopic surgery provides an alternative to opening the joint area with a long incision and working around, and sometimes necessarily pushing, other tissues to make a repair. Instead, the physician makes several small (about the size of a fingertip; 1-2

cm) incisions in the joint area. These “poke holes” or portals allow the physician to insert the arthroscopic camera into the area that needs to be seen and treated. Small, delicate surgical instruments are inserted through another poke hole. One benefit of having small incisions is that, if the doctor can’t see what needs to be seen, another portal can be made. “If one portal doesn’t give me the best visualization, I can make another, although I usually don’t need more than four,” Dr. Norris explains. “I never have to accept less than excellent visualization” because the incisions are so small.

The arthroscopic camera provides a very detailed image of the joint and injury, which the doctor can see in high defini-tion on flat screen monitors. The technology also allows the doctor to enlarge the image of the area, providing better views and finesse in an intricately small area. The camera, which is about the size of the tip of a ball point pen, can rotate 360º and get into areas of the joint that can’t even be seen with the naked eye. “In many respects, I can see more of the joint and see it from different angles than I would ever be able to see just looking at it with my own eyes. In an open surgery, you are limited by bony anatomy—you can actually see more structures, in and around the bone, by using the camera,” says Dr. Norris. Although he can’t completely rule out the possibility of using an open surgery to repair a joint injury, Dr. Norris is confident that the vast majority of surgeries can be done ar-throscopically. The few exceptions include arthritis treatment and joint replacement. The benefits of arthroscopic surgery include a quicker short term recovery, better visualization and fewer complications. In fact, because he has trained intensively in and has pri-marily used arthroscopic procedures, he is comfortable per-forming even complex repairs through arthroscopic surgery. “Patients don’t have to go to Chicago in order to have a com-plex repair made,” says Dr. Norris. “We can do them right here in town.”

For more information about arthroscopic surgery or other or-thopedic questions, contact Dr. Norris at McLean County Ortho-pedics, 309-663-6461 or at Orthopedic & Sports Enhancement Center, 309-663-9300.

“Although certain surgeries must

be done ‘open’—meaning using a

traditional incision—more and more

joint problems are being treated via

arthroscopic means.”

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Millennium Pain Center

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The story of the physicians at Millennium Pain Center encompasses not only

dreams of the future, but a series of unlikely coincidences that brought them together to serve patients in Bloomington/Normal and beyond.

A pioneer On December 16, 1987, a young doctor named Ramsin Be-nyamin arrived as a refugee at the Chicago airport with two suit-cases, some clothes and a stack of books. As he stepped on his new homeland, Dr. Benyamin also brought with him a dream and a vision for his future, which has become the mission statement of Millennium Pain Center to this day:

“To improve the quality of life by helping patients restore function and manage chronic pain, utilizing

compassionate medical care and the most advanced interventional pain

management techniques.” He eventually became the attending anesthesiologist at Ad-vocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center – an affiliate of the Univer-sity of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and in 1996 was approached by some fellow residents to join them at a practice in Bloomington. “The group had a contract in Pontiac, so I started a pain clinic there, then opened another clinic in Bloomington at OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center.” After spending a few years in the area he decided to pursue his dream further by founding Mil-lennium Pain Center in 1998.

The anesthesiology/pain management connection Dr. Benyamin’s roots are in anesthesiology, which may make one wonder how that translates to pain management. He explains, “Pain management is an offshoot of anesthesiology. Anesthesia makes patients senseless to pain, both during surgery and in recovery.” As the immediate past president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), he defines interventional pain management as a “discipline of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pain related disorders.” Dr. Benyamin says, “Interventional pain management applies advanced techniques in conjunction with physical medicine, rehabilitation, neurology and more to provide a multi-modal treatment spectrum for patients suffering from chronic and/or acute pain.” In 2005, Interventional Pain Management was recognized as a specialty by government and consequently, the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) was formed in order to provide board certification in Interventional Pain Management with the ultimate goal of state medical licensure boards and American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognition. Dr. Benyamin was among the first pain physicians certified by the ABIPP and has served on the examination board since its inception.

Six degrees of separation A chain of coincidences brought Dr. Benyamin together with his partner, Dr. Ricardo Vallejo. While reading a medical journal

World-class Pain Management Care in the Heart of the Midwest

By Amy Kennard


one day, Dr. Benyamin came across the name of a friend and colleague from his past medical school whom he had lost touch with since his move to the United States. Upon contacting her, he discovered she was on the faculty at Harvard teaching pain management. Over the course of their conversations, she mentioned there was a physi-cian there, Dr. Vallejo, who she felt had the same goals and dreams for the field as Dr. Benyamin, and set up an introduction. Or ig ina l ly f rom Spain , Dr. Vallejo came to the University of Miami after finishing his PhD in Immunology. He was the chief resi-

dent of their program for two years until he was accepted into the pain management program at Massachusetts General Hos-pital in Boston. “I was five days shy of signing on to a faculty position at Mass General,” he says, “and I was approached by one of the at-tending faculty who said she had a friend who had a pain practice in Illinois and she thought the two of us would be a good match. I rather reluctantly called him but ended up having a three-hour conversation. He said he had a private practice; I said I wanted to do research. To my surprise he said he’d support me in any way and flew me here to Bloomington with my family to visit the practice. Ironically, he wasn’t here when I arrived, but that didn’t matter. I already knew what I needed to know.”

Research-driven results In addition to Dr. Vallejo’s new posi-tion at Millennium, he was offered the op-portunity to serve as an adjunct professor in the biology department of Illinois State University – specifically the immunology department. “Since then, we’ve done a significant amount of basic science re-search,” he explains. “In some areas we are literally pioneers in the areas of inflam-matory processes that lead to chronic pain and the genetic expression that accompa-nies it.” He continues, “We’ve also devel-oped exciting clinical research - some of the most advanced interventions in pain management are available to our patients way before they are available to the gen-eral public.” “We have a whole separate depart-ment dedicated to research, and that is what distinguishes our pain center from

pain clinics,” says Dr. Benyamin. “We’ve done joint projects with UIC (University of Illinois – Chicago) and currently have a research lab and a fellowship program at ISU that sponsors graduate education related to our specialty.” Their extensive research results in the most innovative treatments for their patients. “Some of the treatments we offer are available only as a result of our research program,” he con-tinues. “For example, we have a treatment available now for disc disease causing back pain. We are one of only 16 sites in the country that offer this. There’s also a study we are currently doing on spinal cord stimulation versus re-operation. We’re one of 20 centers in the world that are doing this study.”


stayed in academia at the university or gone to a private practice. Here at Millennium, it’s the best of both worlds. They put so much effort into the research which is normally done in the larger hospi-tals, all in order to offer new treatments to chronic pain patients.” Rounding out this impressive group of pain physicians is Dr. Amaresh Vydyanathan, who completed his pain fellowship at Cleve-land Clinic, one of the top pain management facilities in the nation. The two new physicians were specifically recruited to improve the services at OSF-Millennium Pain Center in Normal and Pontiac. “How ironic that they all end up in Central Illinois”, says Donny.

Patient advocates Above and beyond the research and treatment protocols, the doctors at Millennium Pain Center consider themselves advocates for their patients. “We do a lot of volunteer work for our national and international societies including advocacy for our patients,” says Dr. Benyamin. “We frequently publish related topics in our specialty and give numerous lectures internationally. This is why we call our-selves the leaders in pain control research and education.” “Pain management is an area that will continue to grow,” says Donny. “Also, people are becoming more self-advocates. They’re not afraid to say to their primary care physicians, ‘I need a specialist’. They’re taking an active role and demanding better care and outcomes.” “More than 24 years ago I left my family behind and started a long journey to the United States,” says Dr. Benyamin, “my goal was to join all those who risked their lives to step on this soil, in pursuit of liberty, justice and happiness. I had a vision of what the hard working people of America were like and I found that in Bloomington – the sincerity, the goodness – all the elements of happiness that people look to the U.S. for, I found here.” “The area of pain management is a relatively young discipline, and these physicians are renowned pioneers,” concludes Donny. “The physicians at Millennium Pain Center are dedicated to leav-ing a legacy for their patients.”

Millenium Pain Center is located at 1015 S. Mercer Ave. in Bloomington with additional locations in Normal, Pontiac, Decatur, Chicago and Barcelona. You may contact them at 309-662-4321 or online at www.millenniumpaincenter.com.

Greasing the wheels Every successful medical practice needs a chief operating officer, but how often do you find one that’s also an advanced practice nurse? Enter Donny Bounds, MSN, RN, BC, with a unique dual role as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Clini-cal Services. Donny, who has been in the healthcare field since 1987, was content with his nursing career at BroMenn Regional Medical Center. He had been employed there for 14 years and had no intentions of leaving until he learned what was hap-pening across town at the Millennium Pain Center. Donny and Drs. Benyamin and Vallejo met to discuss the need to bring on a manager. Donny was excited to become involved with a growing practice that not only had the most qualified physicians but also conducted research and pub-lished in many professional journals.” This was a very unique op-portunity in Bloomington/Normal! The opportunity to be involved with pioneering the field while conducting research and publishing papers is almost unheard of in a private practice.” It didn’t take long before Donny knew he had to be involved with this group.

The secret to their success What makes this serendipitous team gel is best expressed by how they speak about each other. Says Donny, “I’ve worked with a lot of physicians in my life and these two have the same passion, the same commitments, the same philosophy of patient care. There’s so much growth in the pain management arena, and Dr. Benyamin and Dr. Vallejo have been pioneers – everyone in the field knows who these men are.” Millennium Pain Center has had a presence in Chicago for three years and Dr. Naveen Tipirneni is the physician staffing the pain center at Resurrection Medical Center. “I did my anesthe-sia residency at Brigham Young and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School,” he says. “During my training I realized I really liked interacting with patients over longer periods of time than can be done through the role of an anesthesiologist in an operating room environment. That’s why I did a pain fellowship following my residency.” Upon completing his fellowship, Dr. Tipirneni moved to the Bloomington area and kept hearing about Drs. Benyamin and Vallejo. “People swore these guys really loved being pain docs and I wanted to be involved in an environment where we as a group always strive to improve science and ourselves for the sake of our patient’s lives.” Dr. Atiq Rehman is the third most senior member of the group who did his pain fellowship at State University of New York (SUNY) with a focus on cancer pain. He joined the group more than four years ago and is currently the pain physician at the Millennium Pain Center at Decatur Memorial Hospital. The newest physician to the practice is Dr. Vinita Parikh. “I actually had quite a few job offers and was going to stay at Cor-nell University where I studied, but wanted to learn from these physicians here because it’s such a unique practice and they are such pioneers in pain management.” She continued, “I could have

Feature Story continued

Not only does Millenium Pain Center perform the most advanced treatments, but they teach those treatments to other doctors nationally and internationally.


Paleo Diet

When I was first introduced to the “Paleo Diet” in the sum-mer of 2008 I was skeptical. My Chiropractor claimed to have virtually rid himself of diabetic symptoms by simply

changing the foods he ate. He had been my Chiropractor for a while so I trusted him and decided to look into the research behind it. What I thought I knew about food and it’s relationship with the body was about to get turned on its head. In this first of a 3-part series on the Paleo Diet, I’m going to lay the foundation and pro-vide a background to this revolutionary way of eating. The basis of the Paleo diet rests on the evidence that little has changed with our DNA in the last 100,000 years. As a result, our bodies are designed to operate on a diet of the foods that would have been available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Mil-lions of years of evolution as hunter-gatherers have developed our genome that was fueled, until the agricultural revolution of about 10,000 B.C., by mainly animal protein and fat, with smaller amounts of carbohydrates seasonally available through gather-ing. The staple foods include: wild game, grass-fed meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, fruit, vegetables, coconut, nuts, seeds, avocado, and oils from fruit or tree nuts. While our ancient ancestors might not have had food readily available to them, we have been blessed with grocery stores. We tell our CrossFitters to take the basic philosophy of eating like a hunter-gatherer, and apply it to our current society. We base our meals around an animal protein (preferably pastured or grass-fed to avoid hormones, antibiotics, etc and ensure a proper omega 3 to 6 ratio), some vegetables or fruit, and a little bit of healthy fat. This allows us to get our daily caloric needs from an incredibly nutrient dense diet due to the high volume of vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats (from coconut, avocado, olives, etc). Since eat-ing like this tends to be very satisfying, our athletes are less in-clined to feed on processed “Neolithic” foods like grains, legumes, and dairy that are scientifically linked to obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and many digestive system maladies. Ridding the diet of breads, pasta, rice, wheat and sugar tends to be the hard part as these foods are emotionally and physically addicting. Most comfort foods are grain and sugar based and these foods, when consumed, are the only ones known to elicit a dopamine response in the brain that’s similar to what one feels when drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Our athletes tend to report that a two to three week strict Paleo stint will detoxify the body and make selecting the “wiser” food choices easier. From my personal experience, this gluten free, dairy free life-style has paid its fair share of benefits. I can only speak about what I’ve seen, but through friends, family, and gym members, we’ve had people from all walks of life try it out. From college athletes to senior citizens, the results have been staggering. We

held a 7-week challenge last winter in which athletes were advised to eat a Paleo diet and exercise at least twice a week. Twenty-five athletes completed the challenge and lost a total of 138.4 inches (over 5 inches per person average) all while improving their strength, conditioning, and gaining lean mass. Like most diets there are those who ardently support it and those who do not. This information about the Paleo way of eat-ing is for educational purposes only and is not being rendered as medical advice. Always consult a physician before starting a new diet. Next, we will delve a little deeper into the scientific basis and results as all I’ve provided you with up to this point is epidemio-logical evidence.

For more information about the Paleo Diet or Crossfit Training, you may contact Crossfit Bloomington-Normal at 309-662-5678 or e-mail [email protected]. They are located at 2902 Gill St. in Bloomington.

Look Better, Feel Better byEating Like Our Ancestors

By JJ Krupka, Crossfit Bloomington-Normal


Digestive Issues

Have you noticed that you can’t eat all of the same foods that you en-joyed in years past? While food tastes change with age, many peo-ple change their food choices because certain foods make them

feel ill. Some people will notice that they have upper abdominal bloating, upper abdominal discomfort, nausea, and changes in bowel habits after certain foods are eaten. While it is possible that you may simply have had a poorly prepared meal, if you notice discomfort when you have the same types of foods, even when prepared by different cooks, it is more likely that the way the meal was prepared is not the problem. This is something that should be addressed while visiting with your physician. The first step to help determine how your concern should be ad-dressed is to keep a journal of the times you notice your symptoms and which food and beverages you have had prior to the symptoms develop-ing. How long after having these items did your symptoms begin? How long did they last? Did you notice anything different such as a change in the color of your urine or bowel movement? Did you vomit? Was there an accompanying fever? Did you try anything to make you feel better, or did anything make you feel worse? Did anyone else who may have eaten the same meal also share the same symptoms? Have other family members had similar complaints in the past when eating similar foods?

Am I Just Getting Old, or Is Something Wrong?

By Colette R. Whitby, MD FACS; Dr. John Warner Hospital


What could be causing your symptoms? Just getting older is not usually the reason. A little detective work by you and your physician may be helpful in identifying the cause and determining a solution so you can continue to enjoy your favorite foods. Pos-sible causes of these types of issues include gastroesophageal re-flux, ulcers, gallbladder disease, gluten allergies, as well as some types of infections or inflammatory conditions. This is where the information you have written in your journal will help your doctor to focus on the most likely causes based on the pattern of your complaints. It may be necessary for your doctor to order tests or imaging studies to better determine the cause of your digestive issues. Blood tests may look for signs of infection, inflammation, or al-lergy. If blood tests show that a patient has developed an allergy to a substance such as gluten, diet modification may be enough to make them feel well again. If infection with H pylori is identified on blood work, your doctor may prescribe medication to clear the infection and allow the ulcers and stomach irritation to heal while the infection resolves. Common imaging studies which might be ordered include barium swallow to identify reflux disease or impaired esophageal function. Ultrasound is often used to look at the gallbladder. While many people develop gallstones, not all will have problems from their presence. In the past, many felt that just the presence of gallstones forced a patient to have their gallbladder removed. We now know that this is not the case in all patients. It is best to be certain this is the problem before going through a surgical pro-cedure which may not improve your symptoms and could po-tentially leave you with a complication which may make you feel worse. Some people have gallbladder disease without gallstones. In these patients, the gallbladder is not functioning at a normal

level. This can be identified through a nuclear medicine study re-ferred to as a HIDA scan. This test measures the fraction of bile ejected with the contractions of the gallbladder. This often helps to identify patients who will benefit from gallbladder removal. There are some occasions when these types of non-invasive testing will not help identify the exact cause of your complaints. In that case, your primary care physician may refer you to a special-ist such as gastroenterologist for more testing. In some cases, you may be encouraged to have an endoscopy to evaluate and potentially biopsy your esophagus, stomach, and the first portion of your small intestine. This is a procedure which is performed under sedation and is painless. Don’t be afraid to share your concerns with your doctor in any of these cases. Getting older does not mean you cannot enjoy the same foods you did in your youth. Be willing to work together with your doctor to identify and determine a treatment plan for your complaints. It is always better when doctor and patient work together as team.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, you may contact Dr. Whitby at 217-937-5284. Dr. Whitby is a general sur-geon with Dr. John Warner Hospital Rural Health Center in Clinton.

“A little detective work by you and your

physician may be helpful in identifying the

cause and determining a solution so you can

continue to enjoy your favorite foods.”


Diabetes

A scary new statistic was released last week – in 2050 there will be a 50% increase in the number of diabetic patients living in the United States than in 2010. With nearly 246

million people across the globe battling diabetes and its complica-tions this year, staying one step ahead of the disease has never been more important. We all need to work together to stop the number of diabetic patients from growing! Every 30 seconds, a lower-limb is lost due to diabetes some-where in the world. The rate of amputation for those with diabetes is 10 times higher than those without the disease. Those with dia-betes are more prone to develop foot infections, called foot ulcers, which can quickly result in amputation. Preventing amputation means knowing all of the main warning signs. Other common dia-betes warning signs in the feet besides ulcers include: • A tingling or loss of feeling in the feet • Redness • A change in the shape of the feet • Loss of hair on the feet and/or legs • Cuts and scrapes that are slow to heal

If you discover any of these symptoms, visit a podiatric physician immediately. A comprehensive foot care treatment plan can reduce amputation rates by 45 percent to 85 percent.

Having your feet examined by a physician regularly is one of the easiest ways to prevent most foot complications related to diabetes and including a podiatrist in your diabetes management team can drastically improve your chances of managing diabetes successfully. Being vigilant in your personal footcare, as well as having a positive, assertive attitude about your foot care, can save both your limbs and your life. Medicare has even added a new initia-tive (Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Exam) in 2010 to further help patients understand the risks and complications of diabetes.

For more information on the warning signs of diabetic ulcers, and to learn the best way that you can care for your diabetic feet, please contact Dr. Lockwood at www.heartlandfootandankle.com or 309-661-9975.

Watch Those Toes!By: Melissa J. Lockwood, DPM, Heartland Foot and Ankle Associates, P.C.

Obstructive Sleep ApneaOSA is a serious, potentially life-altering, health issue. People with this disorder

stop breathing during sleep for 10-45 seconds at a time, occurring up to 400 times every night. This usually wakes the person, or their partner, resulting in

neither getting enough rest.

The person having the breathing interruptions will usually not remember waking throughout the night, but may notice sleepiness during the day—or the

feeling of not being able to get enough sleep.

• An estimated 5 to 10 percent of adults in the US have OSA• Of these, 85 to 90% have not been identified• Sleep apnea can affect persons of any age

• It is more common among those 40 years of age or older

Please contact your physician if you believe you have symptoms of sleep apnea.


Healthy Skin

There are literally thousands of anti-wrinkle anti-aging skin care products available in drugstores, department stores, doctor’s offices, day spas and on the Internet. Most of them

promise results that they cannot begin to deliver. However, there are products that incorporate the most up-to-date research, are very effective and will give you excellent results. The effectiveness of anti-wrinkle products depends on the active ingredients, not on the price, fancy packaging, or slick marketing. One of the newest and most effective ingredients in the quest for younger looking skin is peptides.

What Are Peptides? Peptides are short chains of amino acids that occur naturally in the body and are the building blocks of proteins. Skin is made up mostly of collagen and elastin which are proteins. Collagen and elastin need to be in their normal, healthy stage to keep skin looking supple and wrinkle free, but they can and will get altered or cross-linked by bad elements such as pollution, ultraviolet rays, poor nutrition, chemical insults and also by the normal aging pro-cess. These altered proteins cause the skin to sag, look dull, wrinkle and thin. Peptides influence the cells of the body in different ways. They can act as anti-glycating agents by keeping collagen and elastins in their free form; they can reduce harmful activity of enzymes that are involved in the formation of stretch marks; and they can improve lymphatic circulation to reduce discoloration under the eye.

How can Peptides improve your skin? The peptides used in skin care are neuropepitides that com-municate with the skin cells and signal them to behave in a certain way, such as producing more collagen. These peptides are de-rived from natural plant and vegetable sources and they are able to enter the cells of the skin and remain intact. There are many different types of peptides which influence different types of cells. Some of the most important peptides for skin care are:

Argireline TM – This is a relaxing peptide and actually has some-what of a “botox-like” effect.

Eyeliss TM – This is an inhibitory peptide and prevents collagen cross linking to improve skin elasticity and discoloration.

Tego-Pep 4-17 – This is a filling peptide which reduces wrinkle depth and skin roughness

HBNP-1 – This is a repairing peptide which works to repair and regenerate skin’s own mechanism.

Matrixyl 3000 – This peptide stimulates the skin fibroblasts to rebuild collagen and reduces wrinkle depth, length, volume of wrinkles and wrinkle surface.

For peptides to have a benefit, they need to be in a formula that allows them to penetrate the skin, not just sit on the surface or be washed off right away. You must also remember that visible results may take anywhere from several days to several weeks. The most important factor in choosing an effective anti-aging product is the ingredients.

For more information, you may contact Hale Cosmeceuticals Inc. at 309-820-7447 or online at www.halecosmeceuticals.com. They are a local Skin Health Company located in Bloomington.

Peptides: A Key Ingredient to Younger SkinSubmitted by Hale Cosmeceuticals

The LanguageConnection Providing services to students with dyslexia:

Diagnosis • Remediation

Ann Hoopes Champion, Ph.D.510 E. Washington St. Ste. 203

Bloomington, Illinois 61701 • 3 0 9 - 8 2 8 - 1 2 9 [email protected]


Healthy Finance

It’s the month before Christmas and I’m all upset.

No shopping has been done. Zippo. None…yet.

No gifts purchased and my bank balance is low.

What do I do now?? Ho, ho, ho!!

If this is you, have no fear. Santa’s elves, also known as the First Farmers State Bank employees, share their holiday savings tips with you:

1. Create a gift budget with recipient name, gift idea and cost. Then stick to it so you don’t overspend. – Brock West-brook, Investments

2. Team up with a friend or family member on duplicate gift

Holiday Savings TipsBy Barb Quick, First Farmers State Bank

Chef Dave — KKLC I

Hometown boyCulinary Arts Degree

Captain at Biaggi’sExperienced in a vast array

of cuisines

Chef Julaine — KKLC II

Nutritional Assistant at Head Start

Owned & Operated Cooking Your Way

Personal Chef Certification

Training in special dietary needs

•Fresh Ingredients •Delicious and Nutritional Food •Pureed Fruits and Vegetables

Meet the Chefs of Katie’s Kids

Learning Centers!

Parents are always invited to join their child for our family

style meals at school, and don’t forget to

ask about the “meal to go” night available

at each center. Check out our menus www.katieskids.net


ideas to take advantage of the 2 for 1 sales or Buy One get one 50% off sales. – Brenda Lalande, Lending

3. Even if you don’t usually use a register to record spending, carry one during the holidays and record your purchases im-mediately. Seeing each in black and white with your current checking account balance will help reduce impulse buying. – Pam Hedrick, Personal Banking

4. Gift wrapping items can add up. Instead, use store bags and recycled gift bags. Or gift wrap empty shoe boxes and use these every year to place loose gifts in. Or let your kids or grandkids color holiday pictures on brown grocery bags or freezer paper purchased by the roll. – Emily Woerly, Teller

5. Many magazines offer great deals on gift subscriptions for $10-$15. It’s a gift that continues to give all year long, too. – Joyce Allen, Teller

6. Draw names instead of buying for everyone. – Talena Stock-ham, Bookkeeping

7. Focus on relational giving rather than gift giving – promise to visit your grandma once a week for a year; buy your dad a container of coffee and make the rule that he can only drink it with you; agree to send a daily email to a friend you don’t get to see often or make plans to go watch the Chicago Bears training camp in August with your family (this is free). – Matt Allen, Lending

8. Cut old Christmas cards in half and the use the decorative side as a postcard. Decorate with nature or food. Our favorite is stringed popcorn and dried cranberries. – Brenda Hender-son, Compliance

9. In this day of the digital camera, it’s easy to make a calendar or collage to give as a gift. Grandparents will love it! Or if your kids want to exchange gifts with their close friends, get prints made of their fun times together and put them in very inexpen-sive snapshot albums purchased from the local discount store. So often we capture the moments, but don’t share them on paper. Stores usually run sales on calendar printing and photo prints prior to the holidays. – Barb Quick, Marketing.

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Ho, ho, ho…..it’s a Merry Christmas after all!

First Farmers State Bank is located at the corner of Towanda Barnes and GE Road in Bloomington and also in Minier and Dela-van. For more information, visit www.firstfarmers.com or call 309.663.6200.

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Balloon Sinuplasty

Do you have difficulty breathing through your nose and are constantly fatigued? Do you suffer from chronic facial pain, pressure, congestion or headaches? If so, you may be one

of 37 million Americans who suffer from sinusitis, an inflammation in the sinus lining that may lead to infection of the sinuses. While treatments include medical therapy and endoscopic sinus surgery, the Food and Drug Administration recently cleared a new technology called Balloon Sinuplasty, which may help al-leviate your symptoms. The technology is said to be the middle ground between medication and “traditional” surgery. This minimally invasive technique, used by a rapidly increas-ing number of Ear, Nose and Throat physicians, inserts a small, flexible sinus balloon into the nose to reach the sinuses. A lighted guide wire is used to identify the correct placement of the balloon in the sinus. Then, the balloon is gradually inflated to gently re-structure the previously blocked sinus opening, helping to restore normal sinus drainage and function. The procedure is less invasive and is typically performed as an outpatient procedure under local or general anesthesia. While recovery time varies, patients usually return to their normal activi-ties shortly after the procedure and sooner than “traditional” sinus

surgery. Since Balloon Sinuplasty is performed without incisions or cutting, patients exhibit little if any bruising or swelling. Post-operative pain and bleeding is also reduced compared to “tradi-tional” sinus surgery. Traditional packing, which was very painful when being removed, has also been replaced with an absorbable packing and is much more comfortable. Recently published data in the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal has proven the technology to be safe and effective and studies show that participants experienced significant improvement in their condition post-surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty devices. Dr. Noyes, with ENT Surgical Associates of Central Illinois states that, “Balloon Sinuplasty is a promising alternative to tradi-tional sinus surgery in properly selected patients. It can be per-formed alone or in combination with other techniques to provide relief for patients with chronic sinusitis.”

Sinusitis patients who are considering their options can learn more about the Balloon Sinuplasty technology by contacting ENT Surgical Associates of Central Illinois, 207 Landmark Dr, Normal, 309-268-3200.

New Minimally InvasiveOption for Sinus Sufferers

By Jessica Hinterlong, Editorial Intern, Illinois Wesleyan University


Dental Health

Have you always wanted to straighten your teeth but dreaded the thought of wearing braces? If so, Invisalign may be the right treatment for you. Many adult patients are

now choosing Invisalign to achieve a better smile. Read on to see if Invisalign is right for you!

What exactly is Invisalign? The Invisalign system is a series of custom-made, clear plas-tic trays that fit over the top your teeth. The trays are worn all the time except when eating, drinking, brushing or flossing. Small pressure points built into the trays cause your teeth to move.

How does Invisalign compare to regular braces? Invisalign’s clear trays provide a more esthetic orthodontic option than regular metal braces. Because the trays are remov-able, it is also much easier to maintain good oral hygiene during treatment. The cost of Invisalign in comparison to regular braces is usually about the same. Invisalign can only be used when all of your permanent teeth have erupted, so it’s not a good option

for adolescents or teens. Additionally, some cases may be too complex for Invisalign treatment. In these cases traditional braces are recommended. With either option, a healthy clean mouth is an essential starting point. Any cavities or infections must be taken care of before the start of treatment.

How do I know if Invisalign will work for me? The first step is finding an Invisalign certified dentist or ortho-dontist who can evaluate your teeth. If you are a good candidate, a series of impressions, photographs and x-rays will be taken and sent to Invisalign’s lab. The lab will send back a computer gener-ated model of your teeth, called a Clincheck, that will show you exactly how your teeth will move and what the end result will be. If you like what you see, the custom made trays will be ordered, and you’ll be on your way to a beautiful smile!

For more information, you may contact Dr. Lindsey Ferrill at 309-663-0433. The Foehr Group Center for Comprehensive Den-tistry is located at 107 S. Prospect in Bloomington.

Straight TeethWithout Braces

By Dr. Lindsey Ferrill, The Foehr Group

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Women’s Health

In our career driven society, young people; young women in particular, spend years trying not to get pregnant. “It’s not the right time”, “It’s not the right guy”, “We can’t afford it right

now”, “Too busy at work”, the reasons go on and on. So when couples finally decide the time is right to go for the pitter patter of little feet, the expectation is that it will happen almost instanta-neously! For some couples it is just that easy, most will conceive in six months or less. For others it may take a bit longer. For 1 in 6 couples, however, that positive EPT just never happens. Their frustration and anger is almost overwhelming as a menstrual pe-riod starts - the sign of yet another failure. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. Though conception seems quite sim-ple for some, in fact, it is a very complex process that can “snag” at any point along the way. Infertility can be broken down into three equal groups: female factor, male factor, and both or other. Things that fall under the female factor category include problems with ovulation. A very common finding is polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. The classic PCOS patient is a woman whose symptoms may include obesity, acne, exces-

InconceivableBy Vicki Voegel, PA-C, Ob-Gyn Care Associates

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sive hair growth (face, chest, abdomen, back), and irregular or ab-sent periods. Often these women may go months or even longer without a menstrual cycle. Another female factor is that of tubal problems. Patients may have blocked or partially blocked fallopian tubes which make it im-possible for the sperm and egg to meet. Blockages in the tubes can be caused by infection, particularly an infection that leads to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Although the underlying cause of endometriosis is a mystery, there is no mystery the damage it can cause with tubal and/or ovarian difficulties. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that normally lines inside of the uterus begins growing outside of it. Endometrio-sis can be found throughout the pelvis but more commonly on the uterus, ovaries and bladder. Endometriosis causes irregular menses, pain with intercourse, and infertility. Often, when exploratory surgery is done to search for a cause of infertility, endometriosis is found. The uterus can be the source of infertility. The uterus may be misshapen such that patients are able to conceive but have repeated early pregnancy losses. Sometimes instead of being normally pear shaped the uterus may be heart shaped or it may have a dividing septum that either partially or completely duplicates the uterus. The uterus may contain fibroids or polyps that don’t allow for normal im-plantation of an embryo. In some circumstances the cervix may be the culprit. Cervical mucus can be so thick that the sperm can get “stuck” and can’t get through to make the journey to the waiting egg in the fallopian tube. Even rarer still, we can see females who are actually allergic to their partner’s semen. Now let’s take a look at the flip side of the equation: the male. One of the first tests we require when investigating infertility is a semen analysis. We need to make sure there is an adequate num-

ber and good quality sperm. Semen problems vary: the count may be low, there may be too many abnormal forms, maybe they just don’t swim well, or any combination of these things. If we discover a problem there, we will repeat the test and if it’s still abnormal then we refer to a urologist for further evaluation and treatment. Infections, testosterone deficiency and genetic issues can all cause decreased sperm count. There can be physical problems. Some men have varicoceles; varicose veins in the scrotum. A man may have had an illness or a surgery as a child which has left them with a fertility problem. Men can have an undescended testicle which not only can be an issue with sperm count but also increases their risk for testicular cancer. Some things may be corrected surgically. To find the cause for the inability to conceive, an initial workup including labs and cultures will be done first. Oral medication may be prescribed to stimulate ovulation. These things we have done for quite some time. Inseminations with husband’s sperm may be con-sidered for those patients who have partners with low sperm count or motility. And for those patients who are interested in donor insemina-tion we can facilitate that as well. The path to parenthood is not the same for all of us, it can be a very long and difficult journey for some. If you need help along the way, let us do what we can to make that dream for baby toes a real-ity!

For more information, you may contact Ob-Gyn Care Associ-ates at 309-662- (CARE) 2273, www.obgyncare.com located at 1505 Eastland Dr., Suite 500. Ob-Gyn Care Associates are very experi-enced in working with patients who may be in the midst of an infertility journey and they recently acquired the equipment to do IUI (intrauter-ine inseminations) in their office.

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August 16, 2010 Today was my physical evaluation and my first workout in years. My trainer and accountability partner, Mark Bode from Heartland Fitness, was more than ready to get started. Today was also the first time I had stepped on a scale for a long time. I couldn’t believe that I tipped the scale at 263 pounds, and my waist was 48 inches. I knew that I was unhealthy but I never imagined it was so bad. Surely the scale must be broken! That was just the beginning of my emotional and physical journey. In the short term they are just numbers, but in the long term they are numbers that must change if I am to be a healthier person….and numbers don’t lie. Mark led me in some large muscle group lifts to check the endurance of my muscles (which was about zero) and to begin the breakdown of my fat. He was so encour-aging, which I desperately needed, because it was physically and mentally exhausting. I know I probably would have given up right then if it wasn’t for Mark. He gave me a little hope. The experts say, NO PAIN NO GAIN, and they are right because out of shape is easy, and I think that getting in shape may be the hardest thing I will ever do.

August 23, 2010 I remember watching episodes of overweight celebrities try-ing to lose weight on television and every week the celebs were given a target weight loss. Sometimes they’d get 3, 4 or even 5 pound goals, but I don’t have a goal like that. Just losing 1 pound is progress to me. However, today I tipped the scale at 258 - a loss of 5 pounds!! My first week of hard work has paid off in a tangible way. This first week full of healthy eating and exercise was good and bad. I did not have any difficulty with eating healthy because I am the type of person that jumps into things with both feet. It takes a lot of motivation for me to decide to do something but once I decide, I am all in 100 percent. The workouts were hard, and I felt exhausted, but at the end of every day I was satisfied with what I could do. The only real frustration I had was in my physical capabilities, or lack thereof. I couldn’t even do some very basic lifts. Here’s where Mark wouldn’t let me give up and would adapt and customize the workout and lifts right as I was doing them. All in all, week one is in the books and I am healthier than I was just 7 days ago.

I Weigh How Much? By Bryant Cawley

Healthy Lifestyle


August 30, 2010 I have room in my diet for one “cheat” meal. Today I realized that I am the one getting cheated by this meal. I ate too much food that my body was being weaned off of and it made me feel sick. It also cheated me out of a better weight loss. I got a little greedy with my 5 pound weight loss and was thinking I could lose 5 pounds every week and get to my target weight of 200 in no time. I suppose my zealous nature got the best of me. I was disappointed in only los-ing 3 pounds. The exercises were getting easier and Mark was increasing the workout intensity. I could feel myself getting stronger and the cardio training was getting me in better shape and I’m actu-ally starting to like it! Was it just two weeks ago that I dreaded and hated working out? My self es-teem is on the rise and on the days when I feel like skipping, I think of that number on the scale and how bad I will feel if it stays the same. Having a partner who pushes me and never lets me quit gives me the account-ability and motivation that I know I will need for the long term as I push forward to build a better me. If you would like to read the first 3 en-tries, please see the October issue of Healthy Cells. Next month: Weight loss lulls, cheating on meals, how my body has changed.

For more information you may contact Heartland Fitness at 309-829-8122. They are located at 716 E. Empire, the corner of Linden and Empire next to the Constitution Trail. They offer a wide range of services including one-on-one fitness/nutrition assess-ments and training for youth and adults; group exercise geared for girls; services for those needing a medically based exercise program, and more.

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Life Skills

well as you. This can be done through watching soap operas, reading about disasters, or noting others’ suffering. A fourth dis-traction is to replace current negative emotion with different, less intense emotions. This is accomplished with reading emotional stories/old letters, going to emotional movies, or listening to emo-tional music. Be sure the event creates different emotions. You can distract yourself by changing the focus of your thoughts to something neutral such as counting numbers, working on puz-zles, or reading. Finally, you can use other senses to help distract, such as holding an ice-cube in your hand or listening to music. Self-soothing is using your sense of vision, hearing, smell, taste, or touch in a way that is comforting, nurturing, and gentle to yourself. For example, you could look at nature, go to a museum with beautiful art, or light a candle and watch the flame. You might listen to soothing music, hum one of your favorite songs, or pay attention to sounds around you. Baking cookies, smelling flow-ers, or walking in a wooded area can produce comforting smells. Eating a favorite meal, drinking hot chocolate, or sucking on hard candy can invoke strong tastes. Finally, you could pet an animal, get a massage, or sink into a comfortable chair. Improving the moment involves replacing immediate nega-tive events with more positive ones. One could use their imagina-tion to create a safe place or situation that is different than the current situation. Finding or creating some meaning for a current situation can help people in crisis. You might pray for the strength to bear the current pain or distress you are suffering. Relaxing one’s body can reduce stress associated with a crisis. Focusing on one thing in the moment can provide time to settle down emo-tionally. You might take a brief vacation from adulthood, allowing someone else to take care of you for the moment. Finally, you can encourage yourself by being your own cheerleader. Lastly, focusing on the pros and cons consists of thinking about both the positive and negative aspects of deciding to tolerate the pain or distress you are experiencing. What are the short-term and long-term consequences or effect of your goals? Choosing to drink alcohol when you are stressed about work will bring you a short-term escape, but it will also bring long-term consequences (such as a hangover the next day). Each choice you make can be explored beforehand to ensure that your choices create the best opportunity for dealing with difficult and painful situations.

For more information you may contact Psychology Special-ists at 309-706-3190 or online at www.psychologyspecialists.com. Psychology Specialists provide services to help people with all types of physical and emotional pain. They have thera-pists and offices throughout the Bloomington-Normal area. Dr. Jonathan Marin is a post-doctoral psychology resident. Please see their ad on page 35.

Pain and distress are a part of life; they cannot be entirely avoided or removed. Situations that come up can include things like the death of a loved one, the break-up of a

meaningful relationship, or chronic/severe illness. It is the inability to accept these facts that leads to increased pain and suffering. Your urge may be to fight a situation that you cannot change. However, fighting a situation you cannot control often makes the situation worse (hurting yourself or someone else). Everyone has to tolerate some amount of pain and distress in life. Life simply is not pain-free. Learning how to use skills when you cannot change the situation you are facing helps to reduce your suffering or at least survive a bad situation. No matter how many skills we use in our life and no matter how effective we are in using our skills, traumatic and crisis situa-tions occur. Distress tolerance skills are those that help us learn to tolerate and survive crisis situations. Distress tolerance skills are for accepting life as it is in the moment. It is the ability to toler-ate and accept distress. It is learning to bear pain skillfully. There are four components to distress tolerance skills: dis-tracting, self-soothing, improving the moment, and focusing on pros and cons. Each is a method for short-circuiting or coping with overwhelming negative emotions and intolerable situations. These strategies are intended for getting us through a crisis situa-tion and overwhelming emotions in order to continue to focus on immediate needs, such as staying involved at work, taking a test, or taking care of a sick loved one. Distracting is a way to temporarily reduce our focus on the emotion. There are several ways to accomplish distraction. You can engage in an activity that can involve thoughts or sensations that counteract the negative emotions, such as visiting a friend, walking, or playing sports. You can contribute to someone else through volunteer work, making something for someone else, or doing a surprising, thoughtful thing. It can also be beneficial to compare how you are coping with others who are not coping as

Skills to Help Deal withPain and Distress

By Jonathan Marin, Ph.D., Psychology Specialists Ltd.


Seasonal Affective Disorder

Chilly temperatures, dreary days, and long nights don’t just mean winter has returned to Central Illinois. For many peo-ple, it’s also the start of the SAD season, when Seasonal

Affective Disorder most often returns before disappearing again in spring. Although twenty-percent of people show some symptoms of the condition each year, it goes beyond simply being tired of the endless string of cloudy, cold days - even when the gloomy weather hangs on as long as it did last winter. About five-percent of adults, most often women over twenty-three years of age in northern climates with a family history of the condition, react to decreasing amounts of sunlight and colder temperatures in a way that meets the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Yet, it can strike people of all ages from other areas and during other times of year too. Signs that you or someone you love might be suffering from the condition include depression, anxiety, energy loss, tiredness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, reduced interest in activities previously enjoyed, lower activity levels, and appetite changes that often include carbohydrate cravings which can lead to weight gain. While everyone feels down on occasion, SAD symptoms often start out milder in fall and increase in severity during the darkest months of winter. Since it can lead to social withdrawal, problems with work or school, substance abuse, and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, Seasonal Affective Disorder should be taken seriously and not considered as something that one should just snap out of. Although the symptoms can be clear, the causes are not as well known. Researchers do know that the risk of getting SAD for the first time decreases with age and a close relative with the condition can be a factor. Like other mental health conditions, genetics, age, and the body’s natural chemical makeup play a role too. Inadequate amounts of bright light and Vitamin D can cause chemical changes in the brain, including Melatonin and Serotonin levels, which affect mood. In this way, the symptoms of SAD are similar to depression, which can make a diagnosis more difficult. Doctors usually require lab, verbal, and written tests to eliminate other conditions while evaluating a person’s emotional and intellectual health. Psychia-trists will also note whether a patient has gotten depressed and then better during the same season each year for at least two years in a row. Psychiatrists can help patients improve significantly with a treatment program incorporating medication and psychotherapy. Antidepressant medications can be a safe and effective tool in helping to make brain chemicals more available. Combined with therapy, therapists help patients replace unhealthy thoughts and behaviors by incorporating strategies for dealing with stress, emo-tions, interpersonal relationships, and communication problems. Psychiatrists may also recommend other treatments such as phototherapy. Phototherapy, also called light therapy, exposures people to light in different ways. Dawn simulation has patients

sleep in a room with a dim light that goes on in the morning and get progressively brighter, like the sunrise. Bright light therapy requires that patients sit in front of commercially available light boxes (about twenty-five times as bright as a normal living room bulb) once or twice a day for about thirty minutes. It’s the quantity of the source that counts. Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than just the winter blahs. While we can’t fix winter weather, people don’t have to wait for the sunny days of spring or a trip to the Caribbean to feel bet-ter. Those who suffer or appear to suffer from SAD can improve, especially with treatment that starts before the season lengthens and the condition worsens. This is one reason why it’s important to be aware of Seasonal Affective Disorder now, in the midst of the holiday celebrations. SAD may not be noticed until after the holidays during the long dreary days of January and February and may mistakenly be attributed to post-holiday let down. A qualified doctor can diagnose the condition and offer treatments that are more successful the sooner a person gets help.

For more information, please contact Anjum Bashir, MD at 309-531-0050. His office is located at 205 N. Williamsburg, Suite E in Bloomington. He is also one of the few physicians in Central Illinois offering TMS Therapy for depression

Winter Brings The SAD Season Submitted by Anjum Bashir, MD

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Balance Problems

I’m So Dizzy…By: Julie Sidak, M.S., Clinical Audiologist, Central Illinois Institute of Balance

Dizziness is more common than most people think. In fact it’s the second most common complaint that physi-

cians hear from their patients, second only to lower back pain. The National Institute of Health statistics show that at least 70% of all individuals in the US will be affected by dizziness or balance problems during their lifetime. Dizziness may create a mul-titude of problems including imbalance, disorientation and blurring of vision – all of which disrupt the quality of life and may lead to serious falls. In addition, dizziness can shorten your attention span, disrupt normal sleep patterns, and cause exces-sive fatigue. Fortunately, most causes of dizziness are detectable and treatable, especially with today’s sophisticated com-puterized diagnostics, medicines, and ad-vanced surgical techniques.


Dizziness doesn’t feel the same to all people, so it’s helpful if your physician knows exactly what you are experiencing when you report dizziness. For some people, it’s lightheadedness. Some feel faint, and some feel as if they are moving when they are not. To some, it feels as if the world is spinning around them, while others feel as if they are doing the spinning. Both of these forms of dizziness are called vertigo. Few of us like experiencing dizziness any more that we like pain. But, like pain, dizziness is a signal that something else may be wrong – something we need to detect and treat. There are three sensory systems that must work together in harmony with the brain to feel healthy and balanced or “not dizzy”. The three sensory systems are: your sense of touch/position (feet, ankles, and joints), your vision and your inner ear motion sensors. A person who is dizzy and/or experiencing bal-ance difficulty may have a problem in any one or a combination of these systems. For example, we rely on our feet and joints to tell us if the environment around us is moving or still. And we rely on our inner ear motion sensory to tell us if we are upright or leaning, standing still or moving. The most common type of dizziness is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. BPPV occurs when gravity/motion receptors dislodge in the inner ear. These crystal-like particles then become free-floating through the fluid of the inner ear and create a sensation of dizziness when the patient turns their head or body in a certain direction. The dizziness is only momen-tary, however, the patient often feels disoriented and nauseated. Luckily this type of dizziness is very easy to diagnose and treat. Another type of dizziness occurs as a result of a disease process, such as an inner ear infection. The disease will cause an imbalance between the two inner ear systems, and may even

leave the patient with a hearing loss in addition to the dizziness and nausea. Even after medication has been taken to treat the infection, symptoms of dizziness may linger. Therapy is then usually required to alleviate these symptoms. Therapy will re-train the brain to compensate for the damage to the part of the inner ear responsible for equilibrium. Dizziness may last for days, weeks, months or even years if improperly diagnosed and treated. The good news is that according to the National Institute of Health, 90% of all causes of dizziness can be found after a thorough evaluation. Most balance problems can be treated medically, surgically, or with rehabilitative therapy. It is important to look for an Audiolo-gist and Physical Therapist who have additional training and experience in evaluating and treating patients with dizziness and balance disorders. The best treatment outcomes result from the two disciplines working together, from the diagnostic stage through the outcome stage. If you are unsure of the pro-fessional training of your professionals treating your dizziness, ask. If they have a successful track record of treating these complex patients, they will be happy to share their stories of how they have changed lives.

For more information, please call Central Illinois Institute of Balance at: 309-663-4900, www.dizzyil.com.

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Chiropractic Health

No one wants to suffer from the flu this winter. The official recommendation for almost everyone to get the flu shot would have us believe that this will guarantee a healthy

winter, which is simply not true. As great as the flu shot may seem, there are some very serious reasons why you may want to avoid the shot and some evidence indicates that it may actually cause more harm than good. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza vi-ruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season, however, there could be numerous different virus’s circulating at any given time. Therefore, a person can still get the flu even with a flu shot. Scientific studies show only a 1 percent reduction in influenza symptoms with the flu shot. The flu shot can also cause side effects which may include: body aches, headache, low grade fever, allergic reactions, nausea, and sore-ness, redness, and swelling at the point of injection. The major flu shot ingredient is a dead influenza virus, which is primarily found in chicken eggs. Therefore if a person has an allergy to eggs, he/she is more likely to suffer from side effects. The flu shot also contains a preservative called Thimerosal, which is mercury based. This ingredient along with aluminum has

been linked to such diseases as Alzheimer’s and Autism. Form-aldehyde is also used in the flu shot in order to inactivate the live influenza virus. If you decide that you do not want to get the flu shot, there are other steps you can take to lessen your chances of getting the flu. In addition to the obvious measures such as frequent hand washing, studies show that Vitamin D is extremely effective at halting influenza infections in children. In a recent study, Vitamin D appears to be 800 percent more effective than vaccines at pre-venting influenza. Chiropractic is a powerful immune system “wake up call.” A person’s immune system will function closer to its optimum level so that the body can fight disease, including the flu, the way our bodies are meant to function. Chiropractic care can help you prevent illness and function at your best through achieving true health and wellness, rather than only trying to avoid disease. It’s your body and the choice is yours.

For more information, you may contact Eastland Chiropractic and Wellness Center at 309-662-8418, www.eastlandchiro.com They are located at 2406 E. Washington St. in Bloomington.

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EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF ALL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

1015 S. Mercer Ave.Bloomington, IL 61701

877.566.3879309.662.7500

www.cinhs.com

Central Illinois Neuro Health Sciences is the leading provider of neurosurgical, re-habilitation and pain management services in Central Illinois. A multimodality approach is taken in the management of intracranial, spinal and peripheral nerve diseases to best address the needs of our patients. Neuro-surgeons, physiatrists, neuroradiologists, and pain management specialists work with referring physicians to provide comprehen-sive and technologically advanced care.

CINHS offers evaluation and treatment of all neurological dis-orders including:

• Aneurysm • Arteriovenous Malformation • Back & Neck Pain • Brain and Spine Tumor • Carpal Tunnel & Peripheral • Nerve Pain • Cavernous Malformation • Compression Fracture • Facial Pain / Trigeminal • Neuralgia • Head & Spine Trauma • Hydrocephalus • Pituitary Tumor

Keith A. Kattner, D.O. • Emilio M. Nardone, M.D. • Jason Seibly, D.O. • Ann R. Stroink, M.D., FAHA

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December Bloomington Healthy Cells 2010