Last time on ‘Chronic’ –we heard from Karen McGuire who lives with vestibular migraine. Vestibular migraine may include headaches with symptoms such as vertigo, nausea and vomiting. 

Karen has soo many questions about why she got this diagnosis and what she can do to manage her symptoms. 

I promised her I would try my best to find her some answers. And I made good on that promise!

Our guests on this episode are Dr. Alison Thaler and Dr. Madison Oak. Thaler is a neurologist at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Oak is a physical therapist who provides Vestibular Rehab Therapy.

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On this episode of ‘Chronic’ – Karen McGuire talks about life with vestibular migraine. Vestibular migraine may include headaches with symptoms such as vertigo, nausea and vomiting. Like many of us, she deals with more than one pain point–she also has endometriosis.  

Karen openly shares her experiences on everything from how she takes care of herself to managing depression. She brings light after sharing her story, with her one hope for us all. 

Heads up: Discussion about suicide and suicidal ideation begins at the 21:57 minute  mark.

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On this episode of Chronic, we learn about Ayurveda: a system of health and medicine from India that's more than five thousand years old.

Dr. Shivani Gupta is an Ayurvedic Practitioner with more than 20 years of experience studying Ayurveda in the U.S. and India. She shares the knowledge about some ancient tools and strategies we can use today for a healthier life.

Dr. Gupta also has a PhD in Turmeric. You will be fascinated to hear about the healing power of this super spice for reversing low-grade inflammation and so much more.     

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This triple-digit summer heat has only made it that much harder for those of us who suffer from hot flashes!

A hot flash– for those lucky enough not to know– is a sudden warm feeling in your face, neck and chest. The skin gets flushed and you start to sweat. Some people also experience anxiety among other symptoms.

"These symptoms are manageable and women don't have to suffer. We know that the majority of women out there who are having hot flashes aren't getting treated for them," said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of Mayo Clinic’s Women’s Health. 

Her expertise on hot flashes is in relation to menopause–the time marking the end of a person’s menstrual cycles.

We discuss treatment options, the latest research and more!

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Mysliwiec is a professor of research and the director of sleep medicine at the STRONG STAR research unit at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. His expertise is with sleep disorders experienced by those in the military.

We talk about ways to combat insomnia and sleep apnea, painsomnia and the importance of quality sleep.

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David Richie started studying breathwork as a way to control anxiety-- to control the racing mind. Richie is a functional breathwork instructor in San Antonio. 

"Just really trying to harness what God gave us; I figured out that our bodies are very resilient in healing themselves and so I've been on a path of discovering all of these little 'bio hacks' if you will, I think that’s the term people are using these days, to just taking a holistic approach of healing myself mind, body and spirit. Breathwork has been amazing for me, has been life-changing for me."

Richie's advice has helped me in the most stressful of times. I hope it helps you tambien.

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Jondell Lafont-Garcia shares her journey with chronic pain. It all started with what seemed like a simple earache in March of 2020. After countless doctor visits, procedures and treatments– she learned she has pain of the trigeminal nerve. This particular nerve sends sensations from your face to your brain.

In this episode of 'Chronic', Lafont-Garcia talks about relief guilt, learning to pace herself with her new normal and finding joy in a life with chronic pain.

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It feels like the rest of the world is moving on-- but for people with chronic illnesses, the world is still very much on pause. It’s disheartening; it feels like society isn't thinking about us when things like mask guidelines are loosened.

But Long COVID is bringing attention to what people with chronic fatigue syndrome and other poorly-researched illnesses endure.  

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Chris Freeman is in agony 24/7 but says he will never give up spreading the word about chronic illnesses. His Twitter bio says 'stay strong– you matter'. 

Freeman has more than twenty-two thousand followers on the bird platform. He tweets from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He's on National Pain Advocacy Center's Community Leadership Council.

In this episode, Freeman talks about family, online community and religion. 

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Experts on chronic pain say treatments don't have to include expensive surgeries or procedures.

"Where you process pain in your brain, where you process physical pain is actually the same place that your brain processes emotional pain, social pain- and a lot of patients don't realize that," said Stacy Ogbeide, a clinical health psychologist at UT Health San Antonio.

In this episode, she explains behavioral interventions her patients use to help manage their chronic pain.

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