News Release

September 6, 2007

Contact: Maureen McGuire, 860-679-4523
e-mail: mmcguire@nso.uchc.edu

UConn Health Center Experts Explore Benefits of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Free Program Sponsored by Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center

FARMINGTON, CONN. – Experts from the University of Connecticut Health Center will present timely information about complementary and alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine, meditation, acupuncture, yoga and magnet therapy, during a special presentation on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Health Center’s Keller Auditorium.

The program is free and is being sponsored by the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. The evening will include brief lectures, an intermission and a series of demonstrations. Registration is required. Please call 800-535-6232.

“This is an ideal program for anyone who is interested in using complementary and alternative therapies to maintain wellness or improve their health,” said Lori Wilson, M.D, a surgical oncologist with the Health Center. “This could be especially helpful for patients with cancer or other chronic conditions,” she added.

Speakers will include Mary P. Guerrera, M.D., a family-medicine physician and an associate professor with the UConn School of Medicine. She will talk about how individuals can work with their primary care physicians to integrate complementary and alternative therapies into their lives.

Dr. Guerrera represents the Health Center as a member of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. She previously served as the principal investigator of a project grant sponsored by the American Medical Student Association Foundation to facilitate the introduction of complementary medicine into the standard medical school curriculum.

She will be followed by Amala Guha, Ph.D., M.P.H., who will give a talk about how to use the balanced principles of Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest medical traditions, to increase overall health. During the demonstrations, Dr. Guha will lead the group in deep-breathing and meditation exercises.

Dr. Guha is one of the nation’s preeminent leaders in the practice and teaching of Ayurvedic medicine and is an assistant professor of medicine with the UConn School of Medicine.

Mitch Kennedy, N.D., a naturopathic physician who sees patients at the Health Center, will talk about issues of quality and safety in herbal and nutritional supplements typically used by patients undergoing cancer treatment. He will demonstrate how magnet therapy is used for pain relief and how it can be used in between acupuncture sessions for additional benefit.

Dr. Kennedy is a nationally board-certified and licensed naturopathic physician. He is a clinical instructor with the UConn School of Medicine and is trained in three distinct types of medicine: natural medicine, conventional medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Adam Simmons, M.D., a neurologist and movement disorders specialist who is trained in the use of Kiiko Matsumoto's Japanese-style acupuncture, will discuss how acupuncture can improve care for patients with chronic illnesses or cancer. He will comment on the use of acupuncture to treat side effects of chemotherapy and cancer-related pain.

Lastly, Ed Dailey, R.N., R.Y.T., a nurse with the Health Center, will lead a demonstration of gentle uses of yoga for people of all ages and all levels of physical health, and will comment about common myths and benefits about yoga.

For more information, call 800-535-6232.  

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital, a Solucient Top 100 Hospital® 2006. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

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