As a Homemade Mother, it is my goal to bring comfort and security to my family.  Whether its a kiss on the knee when Mack trips or a extra long cuddle when Evie has a tummy ache or a bowl of homemade soup when Chris is feeling sick, I’m happy to soothe any boo-boo.

I take a very holistic approach to my health.  Rather than an epidural, I opted for natural pain management when giving birth to Evie and Mack.  When I have a headache, I reach for a glass of water and a few minutes of solitude instead of a Tylenol.  After a car accident left me with significant whiplash, I chose physical therapy over pain medication.

With all that said, I’m quite receptive to learning about alternative medicine, and so I was excited when Aligned Modern Health in Chicago invited me to check out their facility.  The doctors on staff take an integrative approach to pain management and overall well-being, and each patient receives an personalized wellness screening.  Patients are given an individual course of treatment that may include any combination of physical therapy, acupuncture, massage or chiropractic.

“Health is achievable for everybody. It doesn’t have to be hard,” said Dr. Joel Maloof, one of the chiropractors on staff. “Our main goal is to promote health and wellness to the general public.”

"We believe the human body is a dynamic thing," said Dr. Joel Maloof.

“We try to incorporate yoga and pilates into a treatment program because it is an empowering way to live,” said clinic director Dr. Jeremy Bonsol.  He explained why proper chiropractic care promotes good health, fosters motion and prevents future pain.  I was surprised to learn that even babies and small children can benefit from chiropractic care.

"Chiropractic is a healthy way to keep your body in check," said clinic director Dr. Jeremy Bonsol.

At Aligned Modern Health, anyone can participate in fitness classes, detox programs or a CSA pick-up. Wouldn’t it be nice if every community had a central place where health and well-being were so gently encouraged?

My adventurous and outgoing aunt Margie and I recently tried acupuncture at A Center for Oriental Medicine.  I’ve always been a bit skeptical of acupuncture – how could teeny-tiny needles really make a difference?  Practitioner Jason Bussell asked a few quick questions about where I had pain or tension, so I mentioned that carrying around a rambunctious 15 month old leaves my shoulders permanently tense.  He painlessly inserted three needles into my ear, and within a minute or two I felt an unexpected wave of relief and calm settle over my body.  After a few more minutes the needles were painlessly removed, and I spent the rest of the day feeling relaxed.  It was all the relief of a massage in a fraction of the time.  Pretty cool!