One of The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’s Fellows and Board Examiners Recognized in Aetna’s African American History Calendar

Cynthia Shelby-Lane, MD is featured in Aetna’s calendar celebrating African American physicians specializing in physical and alternative healing

For the past 32 years, Aetna has released a calendar featuring different African American doctors who excel in alternative medicine. The regenerative healing remedies in this year’s calendar include art therapy, yoga, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, meditation, Homeopathic remedies, and chiropractic medicine.

It took for Dr. Cynthia Shelby-Lane to battle through her own personal tragedy, in order to find out that laughter can be the perfect remedy. “Laughter is part of our human spirit. We need to laugh and be happy to heal ourselves,” she said in her profile on the Aetna calendar website. Shelby-Lane was grieving over the sudden loss of her best friend. She enrolled in the Second City Comedy School in Chicago where she became full time doctor, part time comedienne. She found that laughing really helped with all the pain and sadness she was feeling. “Two weeks after her funeral, I couldn’t stop crying. So I went to Ridley’s comedy club. I sat there laughing and crying, and realized that laughter truly is the best medicine,” she said.

As an emergency room and trauma doctor, Shelby-Lane looked towards integrative solutions in place of traditional medicine for healing the loss of her best friend. She began the fellowship program with The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine in 2007. The fellowship offered Dr. Shelby-Lane hands on clinical training to prevent age related diseases.

Shelby-Lane is featured as “Ms. Dr. April” in the calendar and graduated as an advanced fellow in 2010. She now serves as an oral examiner for A4M and continues to practice and educate on the importance of incorporating regenerative and functional medicine into one’s practice.