Cardiac
Wellness
The Mind/Body Institute for Clinical Wellness’
cardiac rehabilitation and cardiac risk reduction programs emphasize
the physical, psychological,
spiritual and social aspects
of wellness.
These programs
focus on preventative measures to maintain cardiac
health and consider the patient to be the primary caregiver.
Because patients provide the majority of their own care, they are
in a position
to have the greatest effect on their own health, principally by reducing
risk factors. Cardiac Rehabilitation
For recovering heart
patients, the cardiac rehabilitation program addresses
medical and behavioral aspects of cardiovascular
disease. Cardiac
rehabilitation includes therapeutic exercise, medical nutrition therapy,
relaxation techniques and a weekly discussion series.
Participants learn to:
Exercise sessions aim to restore optimal functional heart capacity
in a safe, supervised setting. Patients are taught self-monitoring
techniques to interpret physical cues (such as breathing rate, muscle
fatigue and pulse) and to assess personal exercise tolerance.
The 14-week cardiac rehabilitation program is covered by most medical
insurance, provided patients meet certain conditions.
Cardiac Risk Reduction
In the Cardiac Risk Reduction Program, patients learn to minimize harmful
risk factors that can lead to heart
disease.
During the 13-week course, patients learn to lower their blood pressure
and lipid values by:
-
Monitoring daily blood
pressure and/or blood glucose
-
Eliciting the relaxation response
-
Following a diet low in fat, salt, cholesterol and if necessary, low
in calories
-
Following an exercise program tailored to individual physical capabilities
-
Recognizing sources of stress and the role that thoughts and attitudes
play in healing
Success Over Stress
Stress manifests
itself in many ways, from the subtle to the extreme, and can
affect nearly every aspect of a person’s life.
The Success Over Stress program is designed for people who recognize
that stress is having a negative effect on their lives. Its objective
is to help individuals become aware of mind/body interactions as they
relate to the physical, emotional and behavioral aspects of stress.
Success Over Stress educates participants about the warning signs
of stress:
- Physical – headache,
indigestion, dizziness, sleep
difficulty, back/neck/shoulder pain
- Behavioral – Compulsive
behaviors (overeating, excess smoking, overuse
of alcohol), bossiness,
critical attitudes toward others
and self
- Emotional – Crying,
nervousness, anxiety, boredom, anger, loneliness, feeling of powerlessness
- Cognitive – Forgetfulness,
memory loss, poor performance, constant worry, indecisiveness
- Spiritual – Doubt,
apathy, cynicism, emptiness, loss of connectedness
- Relational – Isolation,
intolerance, lack of intimacy, distrust, resentment
Without intervention, these warning signs can lead to illness, decreased
job performance, problems at home and at work and loss of joy in life.
Exercise and lecture components are included in the program, which
does not require a physician's referral. Classes meet in 1.5-hour sessions
once a week for four weeks. Individual counseling sessions are available
as needed and are scheduled separately.
Coping with Cancer
The Coping
with Cancer program
takes a personalized approach that focuses on reducing the physical
symptoms of cancer and its treatment. As
a complement to traditional medical care, the program addresses
the complex physiological, psychological and nutritional
needs and concerns of cancer patients and helps them:
-
Reduce physical symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment
-
Regain sense of control and wellbeing
-
Fight cancer by changing lifestyle behaviors
-
Manage stress
-
Manage the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment
This outpatient program includes 10 two-hour weekly sessions, requires
a physician referral and is covered by several insurance plans. Individual
counseling sessions are available as needed and are scheduled separately. Medical Symptom Reduction Program
The
Medical Symptom Reduction Program creates a forum for patients
to explore the physical, emotional, social and spiritual
dimensions of health and illness.
This 10-week program gives patients the opportunity to become active
participants in their healthcare. Non-drug therapies teach patients
how to better manage their medical symptoms or chronic illness by modifying
adverse behaviors and enhancing coping skills.
Patients learn to:
- Elicit the relaxation response on a daily basis
- Practice behavioral strategies to enhance coping skills
- Develop and follow a healthy nutrition program
- Develop and follow an exercise program
- Manage daily stress at home and work
Corporate Seminars and Community Outreach
The Mind/Body
Institute offers corporate seminars and community outreach
programs with topics that usually focus on mind/body
medicine as it relates to stress management, diabetes, heart
health, cancer,
chronic illnesses, infertility, weight
management and other diagnoses
where stress can be a major factor.
Our staff
will tailor a program to a corporation’s or community
organization’s needs and interests. Some of these
presentations are fee-based. For more information,
see For
Employers.
Lighten Up ~ A Mind/Body Approach to Changing Your Metabolism and
Managing Your Weight
The Lighten
Up Program is a 12-session outpatient treatment designed
to correct metabolism through lifestyle behaviors and attitudes
that
allow the body to move toward its healthy weight.
Unlike dieting that often harms metabolism further, this program incorporates
the most up-to-date principles within mind/body science to counter
weight gain and obesity.
If you are between 10 percent and 30 percent over your ideal weight
and are ready to make positive lifestyle changes, you are a candidate
for this program.
After completing the program, you should be able to:
- Lose fat weight
- Understand the relationship between weight gain and metabolism
- Develop healthy lifestyle habits that support healthy weight
- Eat to live rather than live to eat
- Learn new ways of thinking that support positive change
- Examine factors
such as lifestyle, diet, stress or physical tension that contribute
to your symptoms
The Lighten Up Program includes three individual visits: an initial
two-hour assessment divided into two visits and a discharge appointment.
Additionally, there are 12 group visits (each 2.5 hours); the first
eight are weekly and the remaining four are biweekly.
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