Healthy Lifestyle ARTICLE MARGO PELAK | PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN NEILSON
THE BODY IS A TEAM PLAYER DR. STEPHEN RIVARD PUTS THE SPRING BACK IN PATIENTS' STEPS
I
t almost sounds like an urban legend when Dr. Stephen Rivard casually men-
tions a 96-year-old woman who had repeatedly driven 40 miles several times a year over a 13-year quest to heal a painful, open leg wound. Upon being referred to him, Rivard, who runs Illinois Vein Specialists in Lake Barrington, treated the patient, completely healing her leg wound in a mere three months. She didn’t require surgery. She was completely healed. Whereas some wound healing clinics focus on treating a painful wound at a surface level, Rivard focused on the underlying condition that caused the wound: venous insufficiency. Lest you think Rivard is a braggart or throwing wound clinics (which help millions of people annually) under the bus, he’s not. He’s merely trying to explain the benefits that vein treatment can provide to those who may not know that venous insufficiency can be easily treated without surgery, and is often covered by insurance. According to Rivard, when the circulatory system is not working well, the entire body can suffer.
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SW Lake Lifestyle | March 2017