Innovations In Therapy
By Elizabeth Hoppe
By Elizabeth Hoppe
Jason Pencek is always learning and growing, and this is what has defined his career in medicine and internal health to date. After earning his undergraduate degree, he opted to go back to school to become a nurse, graduating in 2010 with his degree. Five years later, he graduated again, this time from chiropractor school. In the time since, he has further evolved his skillset, working as a nurse practitioner and learning the latest techniques in intravenous (I.V.) and injection therapies.
Now, he’s partnering with Dr. Cara VanWormer-Hartman by bringing these therapies to her patients at Therapeutic Health, her full-service chiropractic and internal medicine clinic in Hinsdale. “There aren’t many I.V. practices in the Chicagoland area,” Pencek says, let alone in Hinsdale. In other words, the healing practices now offered at Therapeutic Health are hard to find anywhere else the area.
Most of the patients at Therapeutic Health come in because they’re experiencing some sort of pain, and Dr. Cara and Pencek work together to treat the pain initially and try to eliminate it forever. I.V therapies can help with a variety of ailments, including Lyme Disease, cardiac risk, elevated cholesterol, inflammatory joint disease, arthritis, and so on. I.V therapies also can help with people who generally feel good, but want to feel even better.
“The goal is to get a patient to feel better as quickly as possible,” Pencek says. “I.V. therapy is a great way to jumpstart you before we get you on a nutritional and diet plan.”
I.V. therapies deliver immediate hydration with high levels of nutrients and vitamins to treat everything from inflammation to dehydration to hangovers. Injection therapies are focused more using natural medicines like sugar water dextrose or ozone to treat localized pain, as opposed to more traditional injections like steroids.
A few of I.V. options at Therapeutic Health include the Executive bag, geared towards hydration and travel-related fatigue, and the Longevity bag, focused on anti-aging. There’s also the Performance bag, which shortens recovery time, muscle fatigue, and cellular damage in athletes. “The athletes I’ve treated typically say their muscles don’t feel as tight, which encourages them to push harder each time they go back to their sport after an I.V.” The bag is also designed for those training for races, triathlons, and marathons.
In the near term, patients can immediately feel different as result of Pencek’s efforts, but it doesn’t necessarily solve the problem from the inside out. “With functional medicine, we rely on the patient to be part of their own care,” he says. “You have to do your part.”
Everyone responds differently to different therapies. High doses of magnesium generally make patients feel relaxed, but some more than others. Glutathione, a natural antioxidant made in the liver, is critical in controlling inflammation. An I.V. push of glutathione can create a variety of reactions depending on the patient—but overall helps a patient feel more energetic. The range of therapies is impressive but also can be a little overwhelming, so it’s highly beneficial to have an expert like Pencek building a treatment plan with you, along with a full-body healing assessment and action plan created by Dr. Cara.
Pencek, who has been working with Dr. Cara since last September, say working at Therapeutic Health has been a great collaboration so far, and he’s excited to see how it will evolve. “It works really well,” he says. “She believes in what I do.”
Therapeutic Health is located at 230 E. Ogden Avenue, first floor, Suite B, in Hinsdale. To find out more about the services offered at the wellness clinic, visit therapeutic-health.com.
Sign Up for the JWC Media Email