Pain Alternatives

09/28/2026

This should be a great class.

Just 2 sleeps until Finding Rest When Pain Persists. Join a free one-hour online experience exploring the connection between chronic pain, the nervous system, and restorative rest.

Join Deb Hart, trained iRest® practitioner, and Deb Timmerman, RN, Stress Mastery Educator and HeartMath® Certified Trainer, for a gentle introduction to why restoration can be an important part of living well with persistent pain.

We’ll begin with a brief conversation about chronic pain, stress, and the nervous system before Deb Hart guides us through an iRest® meditation experience designed to invite deep rest and greater awareness of the body.

Register for the Zoom link here: https://share.hsforms.com/16q83o0vzRb6fgNb5TrVg8gc0smp

09/25/2026

We’re so excited to have you working here.

If you’re in the Grand Rapids area and living with persistent pain, I now have another way for you to work with me.

I’m now seeing clients on Fridays at Pain Alternatives in Grand Rapids, where I’m offering reflexology and nervous system support for people living with persistent pain, chronic stress, and bodies that sometimes have a hard time settling.

My approach combines my nursing background with board-certified reflexology and nervous system education to help create conditions where the body can feel safer, settle, and begin developing different patterns.

Pain Alternatives is a collective of independent practitioners offering a variety of approaches for people looking for additional options in their health and pain care.

Appointments are now available on Fridays in Grand Rapids. Book here: https://lessstressinlife.janeapp.com/

If you know someone in the Grand Rapids area who might benefit, I’d be grateful if you shared this with them.

09/22/2026

Science is really catching up with modalities like meditation for chronic pain. Our brains interpret how severe the pain should be based on other danger messages in our nervous system. Meditation calms those messages. This should be a great podcast.

🎙️BONUS PODCAST EPISODE!

We’re dropping an extra episode this week because it leads perfectly into something special we have coming up.

Living with chronic pain can make it difficult to truly rest. Even when your body slows down, your nervous system may still be watching, anticipating, and responding.

In this bonus episode, Lindsay Vertalka, Physical Therapist and I are joined by Debra Hart , Level 1 iRest® Meditation Teacher, to explore iRest, a guided meditation practice that offers another way to support rest and nervous-system regulation.

We talk about what iRest is, how it’s different from other forms of meditation, and why it may be particularly helpful for people living with persistent pain.

And if the conversation leaves you curious, you’ll have an opportunity to experience iRest for yourself when Debra and I host our free virtual iRest meditation event on September 29.

🎧 Listen here: https://lesssstressinlife.buzzsprout.com or on your favorite podcast channel.

09/20/2026

Reflexology creates an opportunity to step away from the demands of the day and experience rest and recovery.

Since our nervous system learns through repeated experiences, regular sessions can provide repeated opportunities to practice shifting toward a more balanced state.

09/19/2026

Deb is now seeing patients in our space on Fridays.

Chronic pain is something I understand very differently today than I did when I first became a nurse or when I became the person living with it.

In this week’s blog, I’m sharing a little of my own story and looking at how the nervous system, fear, and feelings of safety can influence the pain experience.

Read it here: https://lessstressinlife.com/2068/

09/08/2026

How severe your pain feels is largely related to how 'dangerous' your brain is interpreting the situation. Pleasant music, time in nature, and deep breathing can all reduce pain severity.

Your favorite song may be doing more than taking your mind off the pain.

09/07/2026

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/acupuncture-evidence-pain-management

Your body has a built-in painkiller system. Acupuncture may switch it on.

09/04/2026

People often come to reflexology because something hurts, but I don’t begin by focusing only on the painful area.

In a clinical reflexology session, I routinely work reflexes associated with the nervous system, including the brain, spine, solar plexus, and autonomic nervous system.

Why? Because pain doesn’t happen in isolation. Stress, sleep, emotions, previous experiences, and the nervous system’s level of sensitivity can all influence the pain experience.

Reflexology gives us another way to work with the whole person, not just the place that hurts.

09/02/2026

When pain just won’t go away…

You’ve tried medications, exercises, massage, injections—or maybe even acupuncture. But the pain keeps coming back.

Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is a different approach.

FSM uses very small electrical currents at specific frequencies to help address patterns associated with pain, inflammation, muscle tension, and nervous-system irritation.

It’s gentle, non-invasive, and most people can't even feel it.

At Pain Alternatives, we use FSM as part of an individualized approach to help people with persistent or treatment-resistant pain.

If you’re tired of chasing your pain and want to explore a different approach, let’s talk.

👉 Schedule a Frequency Specific Microcurrent consultation today. www.pain-alternatives.com

08/27/2026

Dr. Hope is one of our independent providers. Take advantage of her new patient special while it’s still available!

✨ Menopause isn’t something to “just get through”. It’s a transition that deserves more support, understanding and alternative options.🌿

One reason I am so passionate about alternative medicine is because I have watched the women around me go through big hormonal transitions from pregnancy to postpartum to menopause with little to no support from the medical community.

Hot flashes, poor sleep, brain fog, mood changes, weight gain, fatigue and joint discomfort aren’t things you simply have to accept. Through appropriate lab testing, targeted supplementation, stress management, and chiropractic care, we can help support the body’s natural ability to find balance.

Every women’s journey is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. My goal is to listen, educate and help create a personalized plan to help you feel your best again!

💚 Your health matters.
💚 Your symptoms are real.
💚 You deserve to feel like yourself again.

If you’re curious about a more natural, personalized approach to menopause, I’d love to help! Book a consultation or functional medicine appointment on our website!

Brinkschiropractic.janeapp.com

I look forward to hearing from you💚