The Center for Integrative Health and Healing

When I was 16 years old, in the fall of my junior year of high school, I started getting very fatigued.  I even had to stop running track.  We went to many doctors, including 5 specialists yet no one could give me an answer.  We made an appointment with Dr. Stram, however, I was convinced before I got there that no one would ever find the answers.  I was wrong.  As soon as I got there, I knew this appointment would be different.  Dr. Stram took the time to listen to my sympotms and not just look solely at my labwork.  I could just tell that he was there because he cared; he looked at me as a person and not just  someone who needed fixing. That made all the difference.  He ended up diagnosing me with hypothyroidism, which happens to run in my family. After that appointment, I was feeling better than I had in months and really felt that this was the turning point.  Dr. St ram was right, I started the medicine and within a week, there was already a marked difference. He gave me my life back.
UPDATE:  I just finished my sophomore year of college and have continued to feel well!_

-Josh K.

Upon finding out, over three years ago, that I have cancer, something I was not ready to hear, I went to an oncologist to see what I could do for this disease. I was informed that the type of cancer I have is not curable at this time but, that it could be put into remission for a short period of time. I then asked how much time, they said eighteen months to three years. At this point I opted to go on to chemotherapy since there wasn’t any other option; the physicians said that without chemotherapy I would only live six months. After months of chemotherapy I was in remission but, at what cost?  My body felt used up like I had nothing left to give. So I asked the doctor if I had any other options. He told me that I could get a second opinion, which I did; I then went to the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They read the reports from my previous doctor and without any other testing said the same thing, I would have up to three years and to make the best of it. Feeling let down I went home to think about things. After getting over the shock and the remembrance of watching my mother waste away and die from this disease, I decided to go back to my doctor to see if there was any other type of treatment I could get. After a couple of weeks of badgering him, he finally recommended a consultation with Dr. Ronald Stram.
 I made an appointment with Dr. Stram where we discussed my options; I began regular intravenous Vitamin C treatments with him and his nurse practitioner, Jennifer Enos. From that point on, I started feeling better than I had in a year.  They then discussed with me a treatment that is used in Europe called Iscador and asked if I was interested in trying it. After educating myself about Iscador, I decided I would. After taking this for a few weeks I felt a hundred percent better and started to feel some fight back in my body.
 I would recommend this treatment to anyone with this disease; also, to use this treatment along with chemotherapy in order to help eradicate the disease.
I cannot thank Dr. Stram and Jennifer Adams enough for this treatment. I will also let everyone know in the future how things are going. 
 
PS. I do hope in the future insurance companies will realize that Integrative medicine offers help and hope to those who have run out of options.

Facing terrible knee pain for months that kept me from working out at the gym, and woke me up 3-4 times in the night every night all together creating an overall feeling of despair, I sought help from Chris at the Center. He worked out a treatment plan with me and just six acupuncture treatments later my pain was completely gone! I am back at the gym, I sleep like a baby and have a new outlook on my physical abilities again. Chris has also helped me with my sciatica. I am pain free thanks to Chris. He has a focused, caring and professional approach and his ability to understand and treat pain is unsurpassed. He cares so much to help his patients, a true healer, he will even work out a payment plan. I give great praise to Chris; he is a master over pain!

"Since 1993, I have experienced pain in my abdomen with elevated liver functions. Diagnosed with hepatitis I began to accept the bloating that made me look 3 months pregnant, the pain in the area just below my sternum radiating throughout my abdomen and the back aches, as part of my life. The pain ranged from annoying to maddening accentuated by an occasional inability to digest any food. I also had asthma, IBS, and a score of other annoying diagnoses. In 2001, I began to experience what could only be described as arthritic pain in my muscles with very sore pressure points, later diagnosed at Fibromyalgia.

I can bore you with all the doctor visits, treatment modalities, tests, etc. but I won't. I will tell you after a great deal of pain and frustration, I decided to by my own advocate and I started to research all the diagnoses to find a common thread. I found that they are all considered autoimmune disease. At this point my medical doctor suggested another liver biopsy with an understanding that I would have to do Interferon again. He discounted the autoimmune link. There had to be a better way, I thought.

In talking to friends, someone had gone to the Center. Of course, I was skeptical; but I was desperate. The pain had gotten tot he point where I was considering disability.

I made an appointment with Dr. Stram so that I could talk to him about my philosophy and listen to what his philosophy was. The Interferon, the first time around, resolved the Hepatitis but took its toll. I didn't want to subject my body again to the regime. Surprisingly, Dr. Stram listed and agreed! We talked for 2 hours! Never have I sat with a doctor for that long! We discussed what autoimmune disease was; how Eastern and Western medicine handled this disease, what I could expect from the protocol he would suggest, and where we were going to go together. I was treated with respect and as an equal partner in the decisions of my treatment.

One of the recommendation was a therapy called PRT (positional release therapy). It is a massage/physical therapy. In layman's terms, it helps your gut align to what it should be doing so that the rest of your body can do what it needs to do.

My stomach is no longer boated and neither am I. I have mild to almost no pain, my liver functions are down to normal and the pain radiating from my sternum rarely interrupts my life now. I am taking quite a few supplements. I am on a restricted diet which I follow religiously and I do the PRT about once a month. The asthma is gone. As a matter of fact, the symptoms of my grass allergies, which I have suffered with for over 20 years, did not manifest itself this June. My husband is dumbfounded.

I cannot tell you how this blended approach has helped me regain my life. I am on the road to recovery and I am looking forward to each new day. I have more good days than bad and when the bad days come, I know I have a support system to help me through. How absolutely blessed I am to have found this practice."

"I originally came to the Center for severe migraines which were thankfully relieved by acupuncture with Chris Reilly. The Center's herbal therapies also helped me with stress reduction.

The Center for Integrative Health and Healing is a blessing to our healthcare community."

"While experiencing a recurrent gastrointestinal bacterial infection which traditional Western medicine was not able to overcome, I learned about the Center for Integrative Health and Healing.

For the first time in years, I sat with a physician, Dr. Ronald Stram, who really listened to me and who incorporated my questions, comments and concerns in the treatment plan he developed.

I immediately began to experience healing and one year later I am completely free of the bacterial infection, have lost 38 pounds and am planning a trip to Europe. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Stram not only for his sound medical advice but for his warmth and high level of concern and compassion."

"My experience at the Center for Integrative Health and Healing has been nothing short of wonderful. I am so grateful to the practitioners for the care and compassion they have shown me. I've been receiving weekly acupuncture from Rebecca over the summer, and the inroads to real, radiant well being have just been astonishing. It is so good to have found someone who can help me work through the years of blocks and deficiencies, really overhauling myself into health. Aided by the herbs and dietary changes she recommended, I've felt such a difference.

I am so glad to have finally found real health care, not just symptomatic cover-up care. The Center is a great place to go when you decide that it's finally time to seek help and really heal."

"I came to The Center for Integrated Health and healing because I was looking for a practice which would bridge the gap between my allopathic doctor and some of the alternative practitioners. I thought maybe a naturopath could help. I was dealing with health problems which had become alarming, felt lousy, and was trying to avoid surgery.

I have consulted with Ron, and also Chris, for acupuncture. I am impressed by the patience, kindness and attention I have been shown. While I am not yet completely healed, my blood test is much improved, and I believe I am now on the way to better health.

The benefits of a slow and natural recovery have included having to learn to slow down, teaching myself to eat well and live more joyfully, and creating a a routine of regular prayer. These changes will help me age gracefully - and I plan to live a long time! Thank you to the Center for their careful work."

"The most amazing thing (to me, anyway) is I have not experienced acid reflux since you (Ron Stram) got rid of the hiatal hernia with positional release therapy. Now why don't other health providers do that little maneuver [prt] instead of plying us with medicine? I haven't taken a 'Pepcid Complete' since....I' m loving that!"

"If I could, and maybe someday I will, I’d write a whole book thanking the doctors at the Center for Integrative Health and Healing for the superbly sensitive and wonderfully compassionate medical care that they are providing me and my family.

When I discovered Dr. Stram in July 2005, I was feeling rather desperate. I had lymphoma in 2002, and at the time, I sought treatment from a highly respected doctor at a major cancer center in New York City. Over the next year, this doctor traumatized me with his careless and ultimately, highly irresponsible attitude toward my body and health. I finally left his care when he demonstrated in no uncertain terms that he cared far more about his research project than he did about me.

In 2003, I began seeing a local physician to coordinate my follow-up care. But every time I would see him, he would conclude the visit with the same awful words: “You are disgustingly healthy.” He chuckled when I told him I did yoga.

Finally, I decided I had to find a doctor who supported my approach to staying healthy. I searched the internet, but then, a good friend in Delmar told me about CIHH, right in the Capital District. She had heard about the center, and suggested I make an appointment to see Dr. Stram.

Can I say miracle? Can I say rainbow? Can I say that I came out of an hour and a half visit with these fabulous doctors in tears of joy and gratitude? I am a big believer in prayer, and I believe God answered my prayers when I found this incredible team, devoted heart and soul to working with patients to heal body and soul. I have since brought my husband and both daughters to see the doctors. The Center is on the forefront of a new era of medicine, one combining West and the East. One that recognizes a wide array of healing techniques to treat not just the body, but the spirit as well.

The doctors at the Center have given me the support I need to begin to recover from the deep trauma I suffered at the hands of clueless and uncaring physicians. I thank Dr. Stram for opening an office HERE! And for doing all they do to promote good health. Bless you!"

"The direction, genuine concern and skilled support I received from Dr. Stram and his staff at the Center helped me through the very difficult time I was having during the initial months of my cancer diagnosis and treatment.

And when traditional drugs failed, the weekly acupuncture sessions with Rebecca Rice helped reduce the severe nausea I was experiencing during my chemotherapy. They also helped me feel better in general, making it easier to cope."

"I am a 45-year-old woman and a mother of two boys. I had been having neck and back pain off and on for about year and my menstrual cycle had been irregular for a few years.

I thought it was time to become an active participant in my own health. I wanted more energy, exercise without pain, and ease into my middle years and my menopause gracefully.

It was a relief to go to the Center and see doctors who care so much about who I am as a whole person rather than a “quick fix”. Instead of dreading my mid-life and all that it includes as a woman, I look forward to enjoying each day in good health."

"Today is one of those days, when the words "thank you" seem so ordinary for offering gratitude for extra-ordinary gifts. When I first came to the Center, I came with some amount of cynicism, since I have spent so much time, energy, money and most of all trust and hope on promises and sales jobs by other practitioners.

Very soon I came to realize that what you and your colleagues are doing is so much different and most of all it is authentic, genuine and sincere. Over many years the empty promises led me to dis-trust most everyone and to lose hope that I would ever find a path to wellness. For me, the most important element of healing is really knowing someone is "really" there to support the process.

This compassion, caring and true knowledge that you offer is a gift that only true "healers" possess. So, once again, I offer my deep gratitude for what you are doing and I feel very fortunate to be a beneficiary of what the Center offers."

"The Center is like coming to a loving, nurturing, caring environment where my special health needs are met with genuine concern and unrushed personal attention."

I first met Dr. Stram under difficult circumstances, by way of an unexpected ambulance trip to Albany Memorial Hospital's emergency room last December. I was rushed there after inexplicably collapsing at home. Where only a few hours before I had been cutting down a Christmas tree with my family, I was suddenly thrust into a struggle for my own survival. It was my incredibly good fortune to have the hospital's Director of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Ronald Stram, on call that evening. Fate had caught up with me that day and even threw down a barrier of 3 feet of snow for the EMT's to transport me through. Destiny however, was about to hand me a big break as a new world full of promise, hope and clarity was about to unfold before me.

Sometime after this traumatic event I decided to consult with him at the The Center. My life and my health have improved immeasurably since teaming with Ron and his wonderful staff of skilled and compassionate people, which includes his office manager and wife, Nadine. They have helped empower me to effect positive changes to my health by coaching me to use foods and natural supplements wisely. That along with the balancing and therapeutic touch of his specialized assistants has helped my mind and body bolster their own restorative powers to mentally and physically achieve that balance and to strengthen.

'Joining' their team as a pro-active partner in my health and well-being is one of the best decisions I've ever made. It is difficult to adequately put into words how highly I would recommend them to you. I know that my healing process is hardly complete, but I also know that I am finally on the right path and that I took a quantum leap forward in that journey the day I walked through their door!"

Dr. DiRoma was extremely helpful to me during my period of prostate cancer treatment. The nutritional suggestions and herbal supplements he prescribed resulted in a remarkable diminishment of the side effects of my cancer treatments. I found Dr. DiRoma to be patient and informative and a pleasure to work with.

"When I first met Rebecca, my life held extremely debilitating anxiety and health related fears. I was terrified of doctors. Thanks to Rebecca, I can function much more confidently and independently. I am so grateful to Rebecca's compassion as a true healer."

"After a painful experience with uncaring doctors who treated my cancer, I discovered the doctors at the Center. What a blessing. Finally, I found true healers who cared. They changed my life, opening up a vast new world of healing and healthy living for me and my entire family"

My story begins with a breast cancer diagnosis in September of 2006, followed by surgery and then 4 months of chemotherapy. About 2 months after chemotherapy, I noticed some uneven inflammation and swelling in the inner forearm area. Lymphadema was ruled out and 10 days of high dose “Motrin” was prescribed by my surgeon.

Eventually, these conditions subsided and all seemed well for about a year. Then, after a long day of shopping in Manhattan this past summer, I noticed that my hands and arms had once again become slightly swollen. This time the swelling seemed more severe in my hands, especially the fingers… the swelling again subsided, but I had a third recurrence about a month later and I knew this had to be addressed.

I had an appointment already in place with my oncologist and planned on discussing a course of treatment with her. I was very concerned that I might be dealing with a precursor to lymphadema.

When I arrived for my appointment, I noticed a sign for Dr. Stram’s office in the NYOH building, where I see my oncologist… this seemed like a “good omen” since I planned to discuss the possibility of using acupuncture to treat the recurring swelling.

When I asked my doctor about Dr. Stram’s practice, she was very enthusiastic about my wish to pursue alternative healing as a part of my continuing recovery.

knew I was in the right place from the first moment I met Dr. Stram.

He took time to listen to all my concerns and asked many questions about my health, lifestyle and my cancer therapies. We agreed upon a course of action to complement my regular oncology visits. That very first day I was even able to begin a course of acupuncture treatments with Rebecca… I can actually feel the energy flowing through my body after one of her treatments.

I know for a certainty, that the combination of acupuncture, nutritional guidelines, vitamins and supplements have greatly improved my condition as well as my overall health… I also feel more in control, knowing that I can continue to improve without relying on toxic chemicals.

I am so very pleased with the results I have had after just 6 short weeks… and I continue to improve.

I feel more confident in my recovery, now that I have Dr. Stram and his terrific staff on my team to help keep me on the path to wellness.

Acupuncture was recommended to me during the midst of a challenging period of infertility. We had been trying to conceive for over two years with no luck, and had just been officially diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility.’ We had begun visits to a fertility clinic, and I was desperate to try all avenues to conceive our first child. I was also very concerned about the impact of the medications and procedures on my body. I was new to acupuncture, and was not sure what to expect, but the experience was incredible, uplifting, and amazing.

Rebecca could not have been better as an ally and advocate for my mental and physical well being. She answered many of my preliminary questions over the phone, and spent a lengthy first session getting to know me, my habits, and my issues. Her procedures were always explained clearly and carefully. Rebecca was also a calm in they eye of the storm for me – always a relaxing presence, who consistently brought me back to my body and its ability, not its disability, to make things happen. The sessions were a time for me to relax and take care of myself, and I left feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever was next for us. I felt physically better than I had in a long time, and the suggested supplements I was taking in conjunction with the acupuncture helped with my whole body – digestion, clearer thinking, better attitude, even better skin!

We mapped out a series of treatment that would help align my body to be the most receptive to the fertility treatments, and to help with the inherent stress I was under. Though my husband did not go for treatment as well, she suggested it. After just three and a half months, we conceived our baby! I sincerely attribute our success to the addition of acupuncture in our fertility treatments. Rebecca and the CIHH staff continue to be my first suggestion to friends and family who struggle with a myriad of physical and emotional issues. CIHH has been a haven of support and thoughtful, high-quality care.

Chris has been absolutely wonderful helping me with my back problems. I have two bulging discs and spondylolisthesis that had been causing me daily pain for over a year when I first went to see Chris. I was at the end of my rope. I was even considering having surgery. Thanks to Chris, I am able to manage my back pain without medications. He is also a wonderful resource, always willing to answer any questions that I have.

In my initial visit I was looking for some guidance in lowering my cholesterol in a natural way. Beth suggested a multitude of supplements, meditation, and an anti-inflammatory diet. We spent over one hour together, and I found myself telling her things about my personality and experiences that I have never told anyone. I really felt empowered when I left the office. She is a very kind and caring person, and an excellent listener.

My cholesterol was in fact lowered by 20 points in about 6 weeks. I am sleeping better, and I am starting to feel more energetic. I was not happy with the medical model of prescribing cholesterol - lowering drugs to everyone with elevated cholesterol, even though mine was only mildly high. The drug I was taking did not agree with me.

I am sure that the fish oil and plant sterols are highly responsible for lowering my cholesterol, as my diet has never been particularly high in fat. I also have practically eliminated dairy products from my diet. I like the Bach Remedies, as I feel they help elevate my mood and help me to sleep more soundly. I now have some tools that I can use to make me a healthier and happier person.

In 2007, I was 52 years old and in the best shape of my life: a long-distance cyclist, a dedicated weightlifter, and recreational runner. I was at peak fitness and a thrumming vitality was my usual state.

One year later, I faced the prospect of extensive surgery on my cervical spine for a serious condition: spinal stenosis with myelopathy, a fancy way of saying that the bones of my neck were compressing the spinal cord and causing numbness, tingling, and weakness of both my arms and legs. My surgeon told me that the condition was progressive and could leave me wheelchair-bound, incontinent of bowel and bladder, and impaired in the use of my hands and arms. He also told me that the surgery would prevent further destruction of my spinal cord, but that I might be left permanently with the numbness and weakness I was already experiencing.

My journey with the healers and staff at CIHH started before my surgery. I think I've seen nearly everybody on staff through this ordeal!

I also elected to become a primary care patient of Jennifer Adams, NP, around the same time. I needed a primary care provider, and I wanted a holistic focus. Jenn is wonderful. She's seen me through this surgery, my protracted recovery, and now also provides care for my entire family in a skilled, compassionate and holistic manner. It's wonderful to see someone for your health needs that remembers your name and story from visit to visit!

I had the surgery in April, 2008. My surgeon had to do stabilize my cervical vertebrae from C3 to C7. I was in the hospital for a week. My postoperative recovery was complicated by the development of adhesive capsulitis - frozen shoulder. I was in pain now not only from the extensive surgery, but also from my left shoulder. The pain was debilitating. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't exercise----I couldn't walk more than 10 minutes at a time. I couldn't take the narcotics and muscle relaxers my surgeon prescribed because they made me ill. Ibuprofen, which helped some, irritated my stomach. I was running out of options.

Chris Reilly got me through several months of the worst pain with his acupuncture treatments. I would get significant relief from a session, enough so that I could function without drugs. He kept me moving and functional when it was critical for me to keep moving. Little by little, the symptoms of my spinal cord compression resolved. The numbness and tingling went away, and so did the weakness in my hands and legs.

I still had quite a bit of pain, though. So Chris suggested I consult Dr. Korey DiRoma and Sue Coughtry as well. Dr. DiRoma helped me by prescribing an anti-inflammatory herbal and dietary regimen so that I could heal and cope with pain without the drugs that made me so ill.

Sue Coughtry really turned the ship around for me. She provided a safe environment in which I could explore some of the blocks in healing and let them go. She worked with me in a truly mind-body-spirit fashion. Her skill in craniosacral massage and body work in general effectively sped up my recovery. She also helped me see the silver lining to the cloud of my ordeal: I have learned new ways of working with my body in movement that provide a new and different kind of joy than I had experienced as an athlete.

It's been seven months since my surgery. I am pain-free 95% of the time now. I have about 85% shoulder mobility restored. I am able to sleep at night! I have no symptoms of spinal cord compression. I am able to go to the gym again, and while I'm not lifting weights or cycling for 100 miles at a clip now, I take dance classes, and spin classes, and long walks. I feel restored to a sense of health and wellness.

I knew that some people come out of surgery like mine burdened with chronic pain and significant disability. I was very frightened at how difficult, complicated, and long my recovery was. My surgeon was skilled and compassionate, but his tools were limited. I needed so much more help to recover than any allopathic physician's office could offer. The compassionate and skilled folks at CIHH provided everything I needed----from alternatives to narcotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to therapeutic mental techniques to facilitate healing. I am very, very grateful to each and every practitioner who helped me feel so good and recover so fully. Thank you.