Pain from page 26 Hot New Years Deals on all Life Fitness Equipment! Dr. Ken Sherman, Novi-based alternative medicine practitioner and founder/owner of Sherman Health Systems, recommends a pain man- agement tool called the Alpha-Stim, a handheld device that uses ear clips or probes to transmit microcurrents. Sherman said the system is effec- tive for pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression and has eliminated the need for medication in many of his patients. Unlearn Triggers Schubiner first became interested in treating the Mind Body Syndrome when he read the works of Dr. John Sarno, a New York-based physician -and author of Healing Back Pain, The Mindbody Prescription and The Divided Mind. "It was very eye-opening;' Schubiner said. The cost of the initial two-hour con- sultation is $400, which Schubiner said is covered by many insurance plans, and the four-week group session is $250. "It's cheap, easy and effective,' he said. "Many patients have gone to Mayo Clinic and many other treat- ments. If this (MBS) were more widely accepted, it would help people save medical expenses and avoid needless testing or surgery" Schubiner has treated approximately 400 patients since he started using this program eight years ago. His research data indicates that half of the patients with chronic pain showed an improve- ment of 50 percent or more, while 67 percent improved by 30 percent or more. According to Schubiner, migraine headaches are another condition that Bring this Ad to receive: FREE Delivery & Installation, plus Get an Extra 5% OFF SALE PRICE* *On Life Fitness Brand Equipment EXERCISE WAREHOUSE Ann Arbor Livonia "Our Service doesn't stop 3933 Jackson Rd. 31539 8 Mile Rd. after the sale " ! 734-369-2044 248-476-2213 www.exercisewarehouse.net 69L__", Why manage your an when you could cure it? unlearn your ART p ii PROCESS TO REPROGPa l IL YOUR BRAIN can be alleviated by reprogramming the brain. "Migraines are a mind-body issue," he said, "although there can be a genetic predisposition. The headaches can be triggered by food, wine or lights, but a trigger is different than a cause. It's possible to unlearn triggers:' Ziv, who also works with patients struggling with various kinds of addiction, agrees. "When we understand what triggers and amplifies those neural pathways, we can do something different about it," she said. "Through raising self- awareness, meditation and other strat- egies, the nerve pathways that cause the pain can be retrained; our brains can be retrained. I've seen people experience change, and the pain stops dominating their lives:' Fialka said she no longer worries when she feels an occasional twinge because she now has the tools to apprehend pain and prevent it from taking over. "I know I can get my footing back," she said. ❑ PAIN NO DRUGS NO SURGERY (248) 855-5550 BLASTPAI N.COM 30018 Orchard Lake Rd I Farmington Hills, Michigan I 48334 1728350 Dr. Howard Schubiner interviews a patient about her pain history. 28 January 26 • 2012