Can a health and wellness coach help improve the health of someone with a chronic illness?

Ask a Health Coach with Hope Knosher: Can You Help with a Chronic Illness?

A health and wellness coach can play a significant role in helping improve the health of someone with a chronic illness. While they can’t replace medical professionals, coaches complement a person’s healthcare journey by focusing on lifestyle factors, behavior change and overall well-being to increase their capacity to self-manage chronic conditions.

Through partnering with the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF), I have worked with MS patients who are dealing with serious chronic illnesses, helping them develop coping skills and stress reduction techniques and empowering them to better manage their health and well-being.

I call it “putting tools into their toolbox.” These are tools they can pull out any time they need to destress, find peace, and invite their bodies to release, relax and heal. It is so crucial for those living with chronic illness to have ways to take back some measure of control over their health.

Monya, a participant in MSF’s Multiple Sclerosis program, put it this way, “We learned to rise above our disability and learn restorative techniques to increase mobility through gentle movements and to achieve mental awareness on how to direct our own mind’s ability to heal. In just three sessions, I’ve been able to unclamp my “claw” toes, which helps me to walk better. I look forward to continuing to participate and unlock even more healing to the damage that has been done.”

Read the rest of the article to explore some of the ways that a health and wellness coach can help improve the health of those with chronic illnesses on the Natural Awakenings Atlanta website where I am writing for the “Ask a Health Coach” column!