Pasadena Magazine is the bi-monthly magazine of Pasadena and its surrounding areas – the diverse, historically rich and culturally vibrant region that includes Glendale, the Eastside of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley all the way to Claremont.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/880808
EDITOR'S NOTE the B Y C U Y L E R G I B B O N S "First, do no harm" ∫NOT SPECIFICALLY PART OF THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH AS TYPICALLY ASSUMED, THIS MAXIM IS NEVERTHELESS A WELL-KNOWN PRINCIPLE OF BIOETHICS; AN ADMONITION THAT INACTION IS PREFERABLE TO HARMFUL ACTION. UNFORTUNATELY, IN AMERICA TODAY IT CAN SEEM AS IF THE WAY WE PROVIDE ACCESS AND PAY FOR HEALTH CARE IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO MAKE US SICK. WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL PRACTITIONERS AND ADMINISTRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CARE UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE OUR BEST interest at heart, the confusion and resulting anxiety arising from the debate over our current health care delivery model can itself be a cause of signifi cant stress. And stress, as we are learning is a major cause of infl ammation, and infl ammation has a prominent role in multiple diseases that affl ict us. While the Sturm und Drang of our national conversation on healthcare continues, individual healthcare providers are quietly going about their business, treating our illnesses and injuries, and studying the best ways to make and keep us well. Fortunately, here in our area we are blessed with several of the nation's fi nest hospi- tals, world-class research facilities and a wealth of individual doctors of unsurpassed quality. In our tenth annual Top Doctors issue, we recog- nize over 1,000 of the area's fi nest physicians, across multiple specialties, as chosen by the people most equipped to identify the best—the community of doctors themselves. The 2017 Top Doctors listing is a valuable resource should you fi nd yourself in need of medical attention. For a more personal, in-depth introduction, our Top Docs profi le section provides a forum for the area's fi nest physicians to introduce themselves to you. We also examine some of the ways our local institutions are improving quality of community life when we take a look at three such local gems and fi nd all engaged in groundbreaking work advancing healthcare treatment and deliv- ery methods. The far ranging Adventist Health network concludes a fi ve year rebranding effort, intended to unify the network's various entities in name and outlook, but also to call attention to the important work they are doing bringing healthcare into the community at large, and helping to prevent sickness, not just treat those who are already ill. In other advances, now with Kaiser Permanente's new joint transplant protocols, you can have a knee or hip replaced and be back, recovering at home, the ve ry same day, while breakthroughs at Keck Medicine of USC are shining a light on the mysteries of Alzheimer's, giving hope that our ability to slow, if not cure this disease is within reach. This is, of course, California, so in addition to the traditional we also have access to alterna- tive forms of healthcare, perhaps somewhat outside the mainstream, but which are never- theless proving to be abundantly effi cacious. We looked at several such treatments including a trip to Jaime Bechtold's Sound Bath Center, where gongs and singing bowls wash stress away, and get a primer from "natural medicine practitioner" Devin Stone, on the power of non- pharmaceutical remedies. From aromatherapy to dry brushing and oil pulling we take a look at "natural" practices you can try at home, and in another nod to nature we provide a retrospec- tive on some convenient area hikes that will get you outdoors and keep you in shape. Of course, no matter your physical condition if you're sick of heart and soul sometimes only art can make you well. That may mean making it yourself, and if a box of 64 crayons tickles your imagination, you'll have an inkling of the basis of the art therapy Donna Lugo details. And sometimes that means enjoying the work of others, and in that regard we explore the efforts of muralist Andre Miripolsky as he uses his increasingly iconic, brightly colored imagery to brand LA on billboards, busses and buildings all across town, and we take a listen to the music of the Tall Men Group, six local songwriters who come together to support each other and to make music that makes you feel good. There's more as always. I hope you take some time to relax, breath deep and enjoy the issue. Think of it as a stress relief prescription from your friends at Pasadena Magazine. Along with our Top Doctors resource, that's the best contribution we can make to your personal health and wellness. Thanks for reading, Cuyler SEPTEMBER 2017 33