The Curative Power of a Smile

You’re out for a run and your emotional aura is off the charts. The morning is going great! You turn the corner and all of a sudden a lightning of pain shoots through your hip. It’s your normal running routine, so what could be wrong? Dr. Edsall hypothesized an answer for the JLA Cass of 24. As a master of Sports Medicine, he records his patients and then slows down the film through an app to see what could be the cause of the pain. Typically the answer is asymmetry, or one side of the body being stronger than the other. However, shoes made out of cushioning material actually don’t provide the spring the body needs, which ultimately contributes to injury. Though other factors could be the cause, perhaps it’s time to return those new shoes. Aside from sports injuries, illnesses such as cancer also dominate. Fortunately, technology has provided an enormous amount of new machinery for treatments including TMS. So what’s TMS? Truth be told, TMS is a machine that generates magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells and reduce symptoms of illnesses such as depression. Some patients may even go off medication completely. Who knew medication would become a thing of the past. At the end of the sensational tour of AnMed, our jaws were nearly to the floor. Not only were we able to see the new and fabulous layout of the Oncology branch, but we physically stood in the presence of two hyperbaric chambers. With a smile glued to our faces, we returned to the chamber to meet some of the most unselfish people in Anderson: the members of local nonprofit organizations. Why are these organizations important now? Community service. In fact, volunteering is exactly what colleges and even employers look for in today’s youth. Yet, it’s the spreading of joy that benefits Anderson to the greatest extent. Amazed by the smiles of nearly everyone at AnMed, each member of JLA left with a new appreciation of happiness and giving.  Smiles galore!