Personal Stories

These real-life narratives share the successes and challenges of everyday people who have tried integrative therapies.

If you have a story about how an integrative therapy has improved your health, we would love to hear from you.

Sarah Used Traditional Chinese Medicine for Leg Numbness

A couple of weeks following routine arthroscopic surgery on my left knee when I was 35, my leg went numb from the knee down. I went to see the orthopedic surgeon and he didn't know why it had gone numb, and couldn't recommend any treatment. He told me to come back in 6 months if it wasn't better!

Madonna Finds Chiropractic Helpful for Rheumatoid Arthritis

In January of this year (2005), I had a very severe flare-up of rheumatoid arthritis after the death of my mother, with whom I was close. That event was only the "straw that broke the camel's back," as I had been getting increasingly arthritic from holding a difficult imbalanced life dynamic for years (I'm 56).

Nee Uses Herbal Remedies for Everything

I am 26 years old and a first-generation Hmong-American. Growing up, we never really called my family’s use of herbal remedies “Traditional Hmong Medicine,” although that’s what it technically was. For us, it was just a way of life!

Tom Used Hypnosis to Stop Smoking

I could not stop smoking, and really wanted to quit. To quit in the past, I tried cold turkey, Wellbutrin, nicotine gum, and a nicotine patch. Then, my counselor recommended trying clinical hypnosis.

Dylan Uses Rolfing & Chiropractic for Musculoskeletal Issues

I am a dancer and a choreographer and I am often knocked out of whack from doing some extreme movement or another. I have a lot of muscle pain and experience “Quasimoto-like” patterns in my body even though I am only 30. Depending on the injury, it's hard or even impossible to dance. I remember one important production where I was worried I couldn’t perform at all because my hamstring was so seized up.

Erin Shares a Story About Acupressure for Pregnancy Nausea

I experienced severe nausea during pregnancy. I literally never left the house for the first trimester because I could not keep anything down. I vomited about every three hours and I had to take short-term disability from work because of my extended absence.

Cindy Talks About Using Essential Oils and Meditation for Post-surgical Care

I had a hysterectomy when I was in my early 40s. My physician advised me to take six weeks off after this major surgery. I followed his instruction and made arrangements at work, as well as planned to have some at-home care from friends and neighbors. I am happy to report that due to meditation and homeopathy, all of these preparations were unnecessary.

Linda Used Essential Oils for Bruising and Scrapes

I had a bad bike accident when I was 52, ending up with several facial lacerations and a concussion. I did go to a traditional MD at the Urgent Care to address my head injury, and I had sutures where my tooth poked through my lip. Beyond that, I used my own knowledge about essential oils for healing.

Ellen Believes in Being Her Own Healthcare Advocate

I have experienced a number of health and wellness challenges, including depression and anxiety, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain syndrome. These conditions started when I was a teen, and increased in number and intensity as the years passed (I am in my early 40s now).

Laura Talks About the Importance of Social Support

About eight years ago, I experienced a lot of transitions in a short amount of time. I got married, moved away from my family (with whom I am close), and had a baby all within about a year and a half.

Jane Tries Acupuncture for her Migraines

Jane has suffered from migraine headaches for years. The medication her doctor prescribed wasn'tt been effective at treating the migraines, so she weighed the evidence and benefits of trying acupuncture instead.