“Don’t just do something, sit there.”
–Dr. John Stracks
Dr. John Stracks is an Integrative Family Physician and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at Northwestern University.
Dr. Stracks graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 2005. He completed both a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; he is board certified in both fields.
Dr. Stracks has spent his entire medical career focusing on integrative strategies for healing. He is especially interested in the effect of emotions on physical symptoms; complex thyroid disorders; hormonal issues, including menopausal symptoms; chronic pain; chronic fatigue; mental health issues; and digestive issues. His goal in all cases is to use medication only as a last resort and to use a combination of dietary changes, supplements, vitamins, stress reduction, hormones, and psychology to help optimize the body’s natural tendency to heal.
He has previously done research on the physiological effects of loneliness, intuitive eating strategies, and mind-body solutions for fibromyalgia. Dr. Stracks has lectured nationally on mind-body strategies of healing chronic pain and was the co-organizer of two international conferences on this subject. He also lectures on holistic treatments for depression, traumatic brain injury, celiac disease, and other integrative medicine topics.
Dr. Stracks lives in Wilmette, Illinois. When he’s not working with patients on integrative health strategies, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Lisa, and two children, Anneke and Harrison; reading; coaching youth sports; jogging; and barbecuing.