Can acupuncture improve recovery after heart surgery?
An innovative research trial at Northwestern University, led by Kim Feingold, Ph.D., found acupuncture to be a helpful and welcome intervention following valve surgery -- improving physical symptoms and reducing the occurrence of post-operative atrial fibrillation. This was the first of its kind study to demonstrate that acupuncture in the fast-paced hospital setting after heart surgery is both feasible and welcome by patients. The research team was ecstatic to find that acupuncture offers great promise in improving recovery after cardiac surgery.
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Ways to Tame Stress When You Have CAD
Our body's stress response is both healthy and helpful, but few of us reserve our stress response for the situations in which it was originally intended - when facing an impending threat. When we experience stress in our daily lives, our bodies become physiologically aroused, impacting multiple organ systems and leading to physical sensations and emotions that may not be particularly productive or helpful in a non-emergency situation. Dr. Feingold discusses the stress response -- and ways to mitigate it -- with a WebMd reporter.
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Research tells us that women tend to gravitate towards others during times of stress. This "tend and befriend" response is beneficial. On the other hand, loneliness and lower social support are risk factors for heart disease and poorer health outcomes. Dr. Feingold weighs in on the importance of a community, how to build a social network, and why it's important to learn to ask for help.
Dr. Feingold's innovative S.M.A.R.T. Heart program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital made several headlines for its groundbreaking approach on attending to the emotional recovery of patients in the hospital following heart surgery or waiting for a heart transplant. Read more about the unique program that offered Stress Management and Recreational Therapy (S.M.A.R.T.) to Heart patients.
Dr. Lebowitz Feingold's comprehensive approach to cardiac care first caught the attention of Good Morning America back in 2008, when they featured her Cardiac Behavioral Medicine program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and highlighted the importance of addressing depression and emotional recovery following a heart attack and open heart surgery. Read a snippet here.
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