Chronic Illness

When a person develops a serious illness or condition, that is, one that cannot be cured with medication or surgery, it is extremely helpful to approach healing from a very broad, holistic perspective that will strengthen a person’s overall health and immune system, in addition to treating or reducing the specific symptoms. This process is called self-management.

The four cornerstones of optimal health are: restorative sleep (waking rested), healthy nutrition (that helps achieve nutrition goals), cardiovascular exercise, and effective coping skills (handling stress so it does not affect you physically). Improving your health in these areas constitutes a wellness approach to treating autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and noninflammatory conditions like fibromyalgia. This program focuses on how you can use these behaviors to improve your overall health so you can have an effective self-management plan.

The goal is to function at your highest level without increasing your symptoms or making your condition worse.