Janet G. Travell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janet G. Travell
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President John F. Kennedy's Physician Janet G. Travell Briefs the Press
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| Physician to the President | |
| In office 1961–1965 |
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| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson |
| Preceded by | Howard McCrum Snyder |
| Succeeded by | George G. Burkley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 17, 1901 |
| Died | August 1, 1997 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Wellesley College |
| Occupation | Physician and medical researcher |
| Known for | President John F. Kennedy's personal physician |
Janet Graeme Travell (December 17, 1901 – August 1, 1997) was an American doctor and medical researcher. She is best known for being the personal physician to President John F. Kennedy. Dr. Travell also did important research on muscle pain, especially about "trigger points" that cause pain in different parts of the body.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Janet Travell was born in 1901. Her father was also a doctor, which greatly influenced her. She decided early on that she wanted to work in medicine.
In 1929, Janet married John William Gordon Powell in New York City. They had two daughters, Janet and Virginia. Dr. Travell lived a long life, passing away at 95 years old in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Janet Travell studied at Wellesley College. She then went to Cornell University Medical College in New York City to become a doctor. She graduated in 1926.
Medical Career and Research
After medical school, Dr. Travell completed her training at New York Hospital. She also worked as an ambulance surgeon for the New York City police. Later, she became a research fellow at Bellevue Hospital. There, she studied how a medicine called digitalis affected patients.
Dr. Travell then returned to Cornell University. She taught pharmacology, which is the study of how medicines work. She also advised on heart conditions at Sea View Hospital.
Focus on Muscle Pain
From 1939 to 1941, Dr. Travell studied arterial disease at Beth Israel Medical Center. During this time, she became very interested in muscle pain. This interest shaped the rest of her career.
Her research led to new ways to treat painful muscle spasms, especially in the lower back. She used local injections and special sprays to relieve pain. These sprays are still used today in sports medicine.
Physician to the President
Dr. Travell's success with muscle pain treatments led to a very special role. Senator John F. Kennedy suffered from severe back pain. His orthopedic surgeon asked Dr. Travell to help. Kennedy's pain was possibly from injuries he got during World War II.
When Kennedy became president in 1960, he asked Dr. Travell to be his personal physician. She was the first woman to hold this position. One of her famous treatments for Kennedy's back pain was using a rocking chair with a matching footrest. This even made rocking chairs more popular with the public!
Dr. Travell continued to serve as the President's physician after Kennedy's death. She worked for his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. She stayed until 1965.
Teaching and Later Years
While working at the White House, Dr. Travell also taught at George Washington University. She continued teaching there even after leaving her presidential role. She was a professor of medicine until her death in 1997. Dr. Travell stayed active in medicine throughout her life. She wrote articles, gave lectures, and attended conferences.
Trigger Point Research
Dr. Travell was very interested in a condition called myofascial pain syndrome. This pain comes from "trigger points" in muscles. These are sensitive spots that can cause pain in other parts of the body. Another doctor, Dudley J. Morton, first wrote about trigger points in the 1920s. Dr. Travell helped explain and expand on this idea.
Her research led to over 100 scientific articles. She also co-wrote an important book in 1983 with David G. Simons. It was called Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction. The Trigger Point Manual. Dr. Travell also wrote her own story, Office Hours: Day and Night. This book shares details about her life and career.
A Special Life
Dr. Travell once wrote about her life: "I have lived in a very special world - a world of love and security; beauty and serenity; opportunity, adventure, and variety; challenge and achievement; and the appreciation of my peers. I have had a sufficiency of everything that I desired and a surfeit of nothing."
