Rheumatoid Arthritis

In April of 2008, my orthopedic doctor told me to take off 3-6 months of work as a hairdresser. He said I was doing permanent damage to my tendons and that I would not be able to work at all if I continued working. So I started physical therapy and dropped my hours down to part time.

I continued therapy but I was taking more and more Advil, Extra Strength Tylenol. As a result of the medication, I began having stomach issues. I went back to the doctor and he told me to find another profession. I am 44 years old with a high school education. What am I going to do? That’s when I found Nature’s Balance and it changed everything. I continued part time hours and physical therapy plus acupuncture 2-3 times a week from November 3, 2008 to date, May 29, 2009. In addition, I did EVERYTHING Janine suggested exactly the way she recommended it be done.

My initial evaluation with Janine was on October 27, 2008 and she thought there was more going on then just tendonitis. Janine kept the pain and swelling under control so that I could work through the holidays.

On January 15, 2009, I went to see my family practitioner and she recommended I see a rheumatologist. On February 24, 2009, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. When I had my blood work done my levels were so high, he could not believe I was not more symptomatic. I told him that it was the acupuncture and herbs I was taking. Of course, he had an explanation for that and it certainly wasn’t the acupuncture.

His recommendation was chemo pills (Methotrexate) starting at 10 a week with 3 hours of IV chemotherapy. I refused!

I am now down to once a week with acupuncture and I am still on herbs and such. I do take 40 pills a day and have no side effects. I only take one medication that is prescribed for allergies. I am starting to feel like I did in my twenties. My stiffness is mainly in the morning and I haven’t had a flare up in a month. The swelling is almost nonexistent. I do exercises and stretching every day on my own with Janine’s recommendations. I am still only working part time but I don’t have to take a nap when I get home to make it through the night.

I can wash my own hair now without pain. My tendons under my arms were so swollen it was painful to put on deodorant. Not any more! I still am limiting how much I lift but I think that is more in my head. I can finally feel muscles moving my shoulders instead of just bone.

I am starting to do more and more at home (bummer!). I can now do laundry and dishes. I still can’t vacuum and do mirrors but that will come in time also. I can get down into the tub in order to take a bubble bath again and I can even hold a book for awhile.

I did physical therapy and traditional medicine for 7 months and I DID NOT get any better. In fact, if anything, I got worse! Acupuncture, herbs and stretching has done more for me in 4 months than 7 months of traditional medicine!

I really didn’t know how sick I had become up until the last few months when I started feeling more like myself. I feel good and look good. All my clients ask me what I’ve done because I look so good. I’ve even been hit on recently and that hasn’t happened in a number of years! I am positive that with a few more months of once a week treatments and continued herbal remedies, I should be better than I have been in a very long time and that is all thanks to Janine and Nature’s Balance. – Lynda S. (Algonquin, IL)

Migraine Headaches

I sought treatment at Nature’s Balance to help with my migraine headaches. Janine came recommended by a work associate of my wife’s who was seeing Janine for fertility treatments. This was my first venture into acupuncture as a treatment method. The initial consultation was very thorough and the treatment session was very relaxing. I know people who are afraid of needles, but these are tiny pins and are almost imperceptible when pushed through your skin. It is more like a tickle then being stuck with a needle.

My most vivid memory of a treatment was when I was really suffering from a migraine. I came in for a regular scheduled appointment and the staff instantly knew that I was feeling awful. Janine positioned several of the normal pins in normal locations. I felt better after a few minutes but was still in quite a bit of pain. Janine checked on me after awhile and administered a few more pins. The last couple of pins helped me fully relax in the treatment room. The session eliminated the severe pain entirely. It was such a relief. Natures Balance and Janine Jozwiak are wonderful providers and I highly recommend them.

BTW – the woman who was being treated for fertility is now the proud Mother of twins. – Bruce (Johnsburg, IL)

Osteoarthritis

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, scoliosis, and a spondylolisthesis about 10 years ago by my family physician. I started using OTC drugs and then it eventually got bad enough that I had to start taking a prescription NSAID called Celebrex. Unfortunately, (and as listed in their pamphlet of side effects) I developed an allergy to Sulfa after prolonged use. I was then given Vioxx which was shortly taken off of the market, and so I got angry and stopped taking any kind of medication.

When my arthritis began to mimic a rotator cuff injury, and when physical therapy didn’t work, and the MRI didn’t show an injury, my family physician was at a loss because the only noticeable difference in my blood was an elevated sed rate; which only means that there is inflammation in the body. I was referred to a rheumatologist who did her own blood tests. Once again, only an elevated sed rate was present; no HLA-B27 to warrant a diagnosis of rheumatory arthritis. That was over a year ago.

My rheumatologist said that even though HLA-B27 wasn’t present in my blood, she felt very certain that I had a form of rheumatory arthritis called psoriatic arthritis (even though I don’t have or ever had psoriasis). The rheumatologist attacked the inflammation and pain with methotrexate and Lyrica, which I have been taking for over a year now.

Although my shoulders began to improve with the medication I was given, my hands began to worsen. Not only were they achy and sore by the nodules in the joints of my fingers but they would swell, throb and burn after using them for short periods of time. There were actually times that my hands would hurt so much that I would just sit and cry from the pain. It didn’t feel to me like the methotrexate or the Lyrica were doing what they were suppose to do and I was then told by the rheumatologist that I also had neuropathy and Reynauld’s phenomenon.

I met Janine at the Crystal Lake Business Expo and I’m very glad that I scheduled the initial consultation and began treatment. After 3 acupuncture treatments, I noticed that I was able to do things with my hands that I hadn’t been able to do for a year (i.e., mixing cake batter and kneading bread dough) and my left hand felt 95% better. My right hand was a bit more stubborn, but after 4 acupuncture treatments I can honestly say that it was 88% better and the pain in my wrist and thumb had subsided to a bare minimum.

To me that was a remarkable improvement; an improvement that western medicine couldn’t accomplish in the time that I allowed them to ‘practice’ on me. Today will be my 5th appointment and I hope to speak with Janine about continuing treatment on my right hand, and about further treatment to help my other medical problems that can benefit from acupuncture. – Cheryl (Lake in the Hills, IL)

Childbirth Assistance

After having two children already and dealing with the pain of labor and delivery, I was a bit frightened of what the outcome would be for the birth of my third. When we first met you told me that, if I wanted, you could help me manage my pain with some acupressure and breathing techniques during delivery, as well as some pre-delivery acupuncture. I was ready and willing to try anything!

Well, I was IMPRESSED! I had to be induced with Pitocin and was a bit frightened because I had to have Pitocin with my second child, which was a nightmare. During the first two births, the epidural never took effect because of a defect in the epidural canal in my spine. Needless to say the pain was completely unbearable.

Prior to the delivery, you treated me with acupuncture several times. During the delivery, with your help, walking me through the breathing process, as well as applying pressure to the key points on my hand, I was amazed by how much pain I could tolerate. I am a firm believer that the combination of the pre labor acupuncture and your assistance on the day of the delivery helped me to have a speedy, uneventful, and easy delivery, which only lasted five hours! My other two labors lasted just over ten hours! Quite a difference!

After the birth of my third child I never felt better. I was up and around within an hour after delivery, feeling hardly any pain at all! After being released from the hospital, I began experiencing mid-back pain, horrible mid-back pain! You performed some acupuncture on me and within 40 minutes it was gone! Now it wasn’t just gone for a couple of hours, it NEVER came back!

Within four days of having my child, I actually didn’t feel like I had just had a baby at all! I was able to go out and help my husband dig trenches in the back yard, as we were putting up a privacy fence around our new home. I was truly impressed and believe that I felt the way I did because of the techniques that you performed on me before, during, and after the birthing process! For that, I will be forever grateful!! Thank you for all your help! – Laura T. (Woodstock, IL)

Tendonitis in Thumbs

My doctor had diagnosed the pain in my hands as being caused by tendonitis in both thumbs. As a dog groomer, the pain made it impossible for me to work. Over the counter pain relievers didn’t help and the physician recommended a cortisone shot. Well, that didn’t help either!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected such an astonishing result. The next day after my first treatment, I was out gardening, very carefully, but still gardening, and all without the grinding pain. The swelling started to go down, and I had improved mobility.

With each subsequent acupuncture treatment, there was greater improvement, until I had full mobility without pain. And I could return to work grooming dogs.

Bonus to the treatments was the sound advice on a better balanced diet (for high cholesterol) which also improved dramatically. My physician could hardly believe the astonishing drop in cholesterol 5 months later at a follow-up blood test. All done without medication.

So thank you Janine for the help in relieving and curing my tendonitis. And thru counseling you brought me to a dietary balance that has improved my life.

I can heartily recommend your acupuncture method and skills as a preferable option to some of traditional medicines drugs and treatments, and I do suggest and praise this invaluable method and your skills for people with intractable pain and in need of life style changes. – Maria (Barrington, IL)

Anxiety and Depression

I was intrigued by acupuncture when a client of mine (I am a mental health counselor) decided to combine acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy to heal from sex abuse trauma and an eating disorder. I was amazed at how much more rapidly she progressed in counseling when she added the acupuncture regime to her therapy. It was amazing! I had never seen anything like it in over 15 years as a counselor.

So as a birthday present to myself, I decided to try Nature’s Balance Acupuncture. My first issue was a lifetime of chronic constipation and the unpleasant side effects that exist as a result. Janine was extremely professional, knowledgeable, encouraging and most of all patient with me. Within a month, I was experiencing a regularity that I had never known. After years of laxatives, herbal treatments, holistic therapies and homeopathic remedies, it was acupuncture that finally gave me relief.

A second issue that Janine was able to treat at the same time was an anxiety and depression that had haunted me for about a year and a half. I had experienced a long distance move which caused me a great deal of stress and grief. The acupuncture helped me to relax, and experience emotions that I had held inside throughout this stressful period. Within a couple of months, I was relaxed and upbeat with no medications!

A third issue was my hot flashes. Yes, I am at that place in my life where I can be a normal temperature one moment and a sweating tortured soul the next. Very quickly, Janine alleviated the hot flashes and they have remained managed for over nine months now.

As you can see, when I give myself a birthday present, I maximize the experience. Janine treated all of these issues at the same time. For the first month, I went 3 times per week and then I slowly cut my visits down to what is now (9 months later) only once per month.

I would recommend Janine Jozwiak and Nature’s Balance Acupuncture to anyone with emotional, physical or spiritual imbalances. It is a wonderful gift for your soul. -Amy G. (Crystal Lake, IL)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

I turned to acupuncture after 2.5 years of struggling with infertility and a lifetime irregular menstruation. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and MTHFR gene mutation, which can cause miscarriages. Although, acupuncture cannot help with the gene mutation, Janine has been able to use acupuncture and herbs to overcome my PCOS. Prior to me working with Janine, my husband and I tried everything from Clomid to IVF, which for us turned out take a huge toll on my health and emotions. In December of 2007, I had finally had enough and decided to take a break from all of the drugs and focus on acupuncture and hopefully find a way to naturally deal with my infertility.

Through acupuncture twice a week and herbs, I became naturally pregnant only 5 months later in April 2008 after 3 years of trying to conceive. Unfortunately, I miscarried due to the undiagnosed MTHFR gene mutation. At that time, we decided once again to go back to the basics and start from the beginning. Janine began a new combination of weekly acupuncture and herbs. She was able to achieve what no Western medicine doctor was able to…I began to have a regular cycle and actually ovulate.

I continued weekly acupuncture and herbs for a year and again conceived naturally in June of 2009. This time my reproductive endocrinologist was able to keep my MTHFR gene mutation under control while Janine did acupuncture and I am now 6 months pregnant. I continue to do acupuncture weekly.

Without acupuncture and Janine, I truly do not believe that I would have been able to conceive naturally. She focused on the fundamental problem with my reproductive health instead of over-riding it with drugs. I am a firm believer in the benefits of acupuncture and its focus on addressing the fundamental problem rather than using drugs to help with the symptoms.

Car Accident Recovery

I was involved in a car/train accident thirty years ago and had been in pain ever since. I have been coming to Nature’s Balance for the past three months for treatment and now I am almost pain free.

For years I have been unable to walk any great distance without pain, sometimes quite severe. I have done an annual 5K walk for a local charity that I am quite fond of. I did the walk the first two years; it was quite painful however I felt a strong need to do it for this cause. It would take two to three weeks after the walk before I felt better. The last two years I had to be pushed in a wheel chair but this year after two acupuncture treatments I was able to walk the 5K with no problems.

My right shoulder was so painful I could not even bring my right arm up over my head or out to the sides but I can now thanks to acupuncture.

Since I have been coming to Nature’s Balance I am feeling and doing better than I ever expected. I never thought I would be doing this good. I have my life back. All the time and money spent over the last thirty years along with all the medications that I have been on have done nothing for me. However in the last three months Nature’s Balance has done more for me and I am glad that I came to them.

I have been able to cut my antidepressant from 150mg to 75mg. My goal is to be off all my medications and be able to take care of myself naturally.

I am accomplishing, participating and getting out more now. I rode a camel, went downtown Chicago on the train by myself to meet my favorite author and I was in a fashion show just to mention a few.

The staff at Nature ‘sBalance is great. They are very supportive, take their time with you and always are ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have. They are very personable. I look forward to going for my treatments. -Linda P. (St. Charles, IL)

Lower Back Pain

I have been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years and have been deeply entrenched in “Western Medicine” thought and practice. I was skeptical of any other venue, in fact, if Olympic medals were given for skepticism I would have easily won gold.

However, I am at an age where people start to accept that aches and pains are supposed to be a normal part of everyday life and that one must graciously live with them. Not me, I’m a fighter! Western Medicine has done all they could for me, but I was still sick and tired of being sick and tired. I thought to myself, think out of the box, be more flexible, what have you got to lose? So I researched Alternative and Complimentary Medicine modalities and came to the conclusion that acupuncture seemed worthy of further investigation. After many hours searching the Internet, checking credentials and a serendipitous talk with my neighbor, I selected Natures Balance. I have not regretted my decision for even a nano second. Natures Balance is everything I had hoped for, plus so much more.

For example; I have been struggling with low back pain with radiation down both legs. I’ve gone through MRI’s, Physical Therapy, and Cortisone injections to my back. While it helped moderately, I still had a lot of pain, you know, the kind that makes you squirm in your chair, unable to sit still through a whole movie, or the incessant need to stand up and stretch, it was that kind of discomfort. Of course, I tried all sorts of medications too but nothing helped, so I stopped taking them at all? Two years of this torment and no relief! I was astounded, after the first acupuncture session, RELIEF! But I was still skeptical, but after the third treatment, the pain was virtually gone! I am now a BELIEVER.

The second problem I wish to share,is that I have bilateral neuropathy of the feet and legs. I have numbish feet and toes with a horrible burning sensation in both that didn’t go away even with my B12 injections and Gabapentin pills. However, within about a month, the burning sensation has ceased and I’ve noted spots of feeling in both feet.

So the moral of the story is, never give up on yourself, do your homework and don’t believe all the naysayers around you.

I am encouraged that as time goes forward I will just get better and better. This has been part of a life changing journey for me.