Information and opinions on health from Barbara Kivowitz at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/5293/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/5293/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/5293/index http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/22479/mind-yor-pain Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:49:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz I know this is a tricky topic.  I do NOT mean in any way to imply that our pain is in our mind or that if we only thought right thoughts the pain would go away.  Pain is real. Pain is in our body. However, the mind is a powerful instrument and like other instruments (medication, physical therapy, etc.) can be brought to bear on pain.  When I am able to meditate really deeply, I do not feel as much pain.  When events... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/22479/mind-yor-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/21323/hear-scalp Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:26:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz I read about this kind of acupuncture on a very interesting blog written by a woman who has CRPS/RSD.  I have tried other forms of acupuncture for my chronic pain and have not had great success. I blog about couples and illness at:In Sickness and In Health  http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/21323/hear-scalp http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/19456/acid-reflux Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:47:00 -0500 Barbara Kivowitz Foolish me.  I thought my chronic pain would make me immune to other problems.  I was recently diagnosed with acid reflux and the doctor wants me to take Prilosec - maybe for years.  I am so reluctant to take any more drugs, and while this one has been around for a while, it seems so potentially damaging to take a drug that stops all stomach acid production. Has anyone had experience treating acid reflux - either with... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/19456/acid-reflux http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/17877/yoga-mat Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:10:00 -0500 Barbara Kivowitz Yoga off the Mat is an expression I've heard ever since I started doing yoga 7 years ago -- and it finally hit me what it means. The yoga teacher had us do a particularly uncomfortable position. She encouraged us to go deeper into it. Each time I tried, I felt more uncomfortable and tensed up -- which made me feel more uncomfortable, which made me tense up even more -- you get the idea. At one point she said, "Make the effort you... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/17877/yoga-mat http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/16730/pet-human Wed, 21 Nov 2007 08:48:00 -0500 Barbara Kivowitz As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to share a special source of inspiration with this community. Sometimes, when my pain would take me to very dark places, places neither my husband or friends could reach, my dog would come and find me and bring me back. Here is a posting on my blog about the power of a good dog:Pet Therapy or Sometimes a Human is Just Not Enough   http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/16730/pet-human http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15888/int-weather Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:58:00 -0500 Barbara Kivowitz We had a nor'easter yesterday in New England. Fierce rain and wind. Big changes in barometric pressure and humidity. My pain took a sudden spike to a level 8 on the 1 - 10 scale. Has anyone else had pain fluctuations when the weather changes? I blog about Couples and illness at:http://www.insicknessinhealth.blogspot.com http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15888/int-weather http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15592/hard-time Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:35:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to every little pill that helps me have a life. But at the same time, each pill is a reminder of how quickly I can slip off the edge and be blasted with #11 pain on the 1-10 scale. And at the same time, it's terrifying when a dose doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Does anyone else feel similarly? I blog about couples and illness at:http://www.insicknessinhelath.blogspot.com http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15592/hard-time http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15322/pain-gave Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:07:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz This may sound strange - but I'm wondering if anyone else has had the experience of having revealing, pain induced dreams.  One of the things I have used to help reduce my experience of pain is meditation. I find that guided imagery really does take me some place else, at least for an hour. This is the kind of meditation where a mellow voice on a tape transports you to a peaceful place where you can feel (fill in the blank here -- a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/15322/pain-gave http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/14998/doctor Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:58:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz My chronic pain started mysteriously and eluded the diagnostic abilities of many, many specialists. But I plugged on, believing that an accurate diagnosis was a prerequisite to treatment (which I no longer believe, at least in my case). I waited three months for an appointment with the chief of neurology at a renowned hospital. He had me put on a gown and told me to lie on my stomach on the examining table. As I was automatically moving... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/14998/doctor http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/14851/manage-care Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:33:00 -0400 Barbara Kivowitz One thing those of us who have traveled for a time down the chronic pain road find out is that not only is the road is full of nasty potholes, but you have to be your own navigator and driver.  My fantasy about how the health system works was that I would be handed maps, chauffeured, and have a team of mechanics making sure I traveled safely. I expected the system to diagnose me, to put me in the hands of an expert treatment... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5293/14851/manage-care