|
..................................................................................................................
Acupuncture and Cancer
Acupuncture a Powerful Integrative Oncology Tool
Integrative Oncology is the combination of “mainstream” care and evidenced-based complimentary therapies to control cancer-related pain and symptoms [source: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine]. Complementary therapies, while not given the attention that more traditional cancer therapies may receive, are perhaps equally important while undergoing treatment for certain types of cancer. Patients diagnosed with difficult to treat malignancies will often use these types of therapies in conjunction with traditional treatment options, which include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiology, to form a more comprehensive and effective treatment regimen. Among the most effective alternative therapies utilized by those diagnosed with cancer is acupuncture.
Acupuncture has long been utilized as a general pain reduction method for thousands of years, originating in the Far East and gradually being utilized throughout the world. Effective cancer treatment often depends on the patient’s ability to not only defeat the cancer through various methods but to also maintain their health and mental spirit throughout the course of treatment.
Often, the symptoms and effects of the cancer itself on the body are insignificant compared to the pain and other side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation are often fatigued, experience a lack of appetite and weight loss, and may become depressed. For cancer patients experiencing these and other side effects, acupuncture is extremely beneficial. According to the ancient theories of Chinese medicine, “qi,” or “life energy,” flows through energy channels within the body known as meridians. These channels connect the body’s internal organs, and if these meridians become “blocked,” or an individual’s qi cannot flow properly, disease will set in. Acupuncture is said to relieve blockages and restore the natural flow of qi, and ultimately restoring one’s health.
Cancers such as mesothelioma, which are often unable to be removed by surgical means, are often treated with some combination of chemotherapy and radiation [the combination of chemo drug Alimta® and anti-cancer drug Cisplatin® is a popular mesothelioma treatment method]. While these potent drugs can be effective in eliminating some of the tumor mass and growth, they also profoundly affect the health of the surrounding tissue. Symptoms experienced by those undergoing mainstream cancer treatments include fever, nausea, and debilitating pain.
Patients who undergo acupuncture in conjunction with mainstream cancer therapies have experienced dramatic reductions in pain and feel that their energy and mental wellbeing was restored. Cancer patients who feel energized, are pain-free and have a solid state of mind are more likely to withstand traditional methods of cancer treatment and have an increased survival rate.
Acupuncture is said to be so effective, in fact, that the World Health Organization [WHO] has recognized acupuncture as a successful intervention for adverse reactions to radiation and chemotherapy. The National Institute of Health [NIH] also agreed that acupuncture may relieve nausea and pain experienced by cancer sufferers, and the organization supports acupuncture clinical trials.
While this ancient method of therapy may be extremely effective for some, acupuncture may not be recommended for all cancer patients. Those who have a history of endocarditis, neutropenia or thrombocytopenia should not undergo acupuncture. Individuals with lymphedema or those who have a pacemaker should speak with a physician before beginning any course of acupuncture therapy.
While oncologists like Dr. John Ruckdeschel of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute continue to work towards a cure, those who practice the ancient art of acupuncture will be working to help cancer sufferers experience a better quality of life and an increased rate of survival. And while the scientific validity of Acupuncture has been proved in many, many studies, the Medicinal Herbal Formulary of Chinese Medicine also shows promise as another resource for those suffering with various cancers, including asbestos cancer.
Jack Bleeker, Research Coordinator
July 1, 2009
|
|
..................................................................................................................
All Medicine Is Energy Medicine
We live in a world of energy. A world that is whizzing with electrons and other atomic and subatomic particles. The particles which make up our universe are the same stuff that make up our bodies. All things, whether they are an herb picked from your garden, a crystal from the earth, or a pharmaceutical drug have their own energy signature and vibrational frequency. The difference between these things has to do with their effects upon the body’s energetic field. These effects usually work on several levels, although some therapeutics have there primary effect on a particular level. These levels include the physical, or the seemingly solid form we call our bodies, the etheric, that aspect of our energetic field closest to our physical form, and the emotional level. A disease or “dis-ease” state can begin on any of these levels. Although, it is dis-ease in our physical form about which most of us are concerned. Before a disease manifests in physical form, there is usually a disruption on a higher frequency level such as the etheric or emotional. Since all of these fields are connected to make the whole you, effecting one level will effect all others.
We know that all things have energetic fields; vibrational signatures that are uniquely their own. Thus, a human, a plant, a virus, a pollen granule, or a rock, all have their own frequency. Physics tells us that these fields interact in various ways. The two main ways fields interact are through resonance, or the enhancing and affirming of one frequency by another; and dissonance, the discordant or disruptive interaction of two fields. When a virus or bacteria enters your body, its vibrational field interacts with your field, usually in a dissonant way. This dissonance disrupts your own energetic field and this disruption is translated to the physical body as dis-ease. Any dissonant field can cause dis-ease, whether it’s a virus, allergen, or power line. In contrast, a resonant frequency can be life affirming and create balance within your body.
As mentioned earlier, therapies can have their primary effect at specific levels. For example, acupuncture works on the energy meridians that run along the surface of the body and have connections into various organs and tissues. These meridians are not completely physical and not completely etheric, but a mix of the two. They are pathways for this higher vibration energy to effect the tissues. Acupuncture points are places along these conduits at which the energy can be most readily accessed. Tissue biopsies of acupuncture points show morphological differences from surrounding tissues. Also, these points have a lower resistance to electrical flow then does the tissue around them. Thus, energy can readily flow from point to point.
Bioresonance Therapy as used with the Bicom (and other devices) works more upon the etheric and emotional bodies. It works at the level of finer vibrations. The Bicom contains a biological filter which allows it to split harmonious frequencies from disharmonious frequencies in the body. The harmonious or resonant frequencies are amplified by this device and the disharmonious frequencies are inverted. These changed vibrations are fed back to the body to support the body’s healthy frequencies. The inverted frequency cancels out the disharmonious frequency in the body, thus removing the stress it is causing upon the system.
Herbal medicines can work on many levels of the body. The chemicals within the herb have resonances within the physical form. The life force and spirit of the herb can effect both the emotional and etheric energies. Pharmaceutical drugs also can have there place if one can understand the effects that they have on the physical, etheric, and emotional levels. Refined drugs work strongly on the physical, but since all levels are connected, dissonant reactions within the physical body quickly disrupt the etheric and emotional levels.
Thus, since all things effect our physical and energy levels in some way, it is important to know whether those effects will be resonant effects or dissonant effects. Techniques used in kinesiology (muscle testing) or a device used for EAV or the BICOM can help one to understand the effects of substances on the body. In my office, I use all three to determine these effects.
|
|
..................................................................................................................
Acupuncture and Cancer Support
Acupuncture Treatment of Cancer Related Symptoms
Introduction:
According to the latest CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data for 1997, malignant neoplasms, or cancer, was the second leading cause of death in the U.S. Twenty-three percent of deaths in the United States resulted from cancer. Thus, adjusted for age 539,219 persons died of cancer in 1997, the latest year for which statistics have been compiled (1). This massive loss of life makes cancer one of the greatest epidemics this country has ever dealt with. As a prelude to this loss of life lie many months or years of pain and anguish secondary to the physiological changes and invasiveness that characterizes malignant neoplasms.
The means used to treat these malignancies can often be as disabling as the disease itself. The usual tools of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can lead to devastating side effects. Surgery can leave the body with adhesions within the connective tissue which can cause a decrease in mobility and chronic pain syndromes. This decrease in mobility can lead to an increase in injury. Radiation therapy can also lead to damage to various connective tissues, damage to glandular tissues such as salivary glands, and an increased incidence of recurrent malignancy due to the radiation itself. Chemotherapy can severely weaken the body, suppress the immune function, as well as put an incredible load on an already compromised organ systems.
In addition to side effects due to convention anti-cancer therapy, various symptoms invariably occur due to the neoplasm itself. Among these are chronic pain induced by the neoplasm interaction with other tissues, breathlessness, vasomotor symptoms, etc.
Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine developed in China 3000-5000 years ago. It is based upon the philosophy of qi, or energy, which permeates all organisms. The smooth flow of qi within channels, or meridians, in the body allows for normal healthy functioning of the organism. Located along these meridians are points at which this energy is most accessible to manipulation due to their having a lower electrical resistance then the tissue surrounding them. Acupuncture is used to treat almost every category of illness. The World Health organization (WHO) lists over 50 pathologies for which acupuncture may be effective.
Acupuncture’s Efficacy:
Several studies have addressed the efficacy of acupuncture in treating the side effects conventional cancer treatments as well as symptoms caused by the cancer itself. The studies reviewed include the effects of acupuncture upon cancer related breathlessness, xerostomia, vasomotor symptoms secondary to prostatic carcinoma, chemotherapy induced sickness, and the treatment of chronic pain.
The effects of acupuncture upon cancer related breathlessness was conducted on 20 patients who were breathless at rest and whose breathlessness was directly related to primary or secondary malignancy (2). It was found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms in 70% of patients compared to before treatment. This study was not blinded and had no control group.
Xerostomia, or a subjective feeling of dryness in the mouth is seen in more than 70% of severely ill cancer patients. In two studies, acupuncture was shown to significantly improve xerostomia as assessed by a Visual Analog scale (VAS) in the first study and via Salivary flow rates in the second (3,4). The first study was neither blinded nor had a control group. The second attempted to utilize shallow acupuncture points as a control, but found that even the shallow acupuncture group’s symptoms improved with treatment.
Vasomotor symptoms of hot flushes and sweating are a common symptom in 3 of 4 perimenopausal women. It is also common in men who undergo castration therapy as a treatment for prostatic carcinoma. A pilot study with 7 men with vasomotor symptoms showed 70% decrease in hot flushes after 10 weeks of acupuncture treatment and a 50% decrease in hot flushes below pretreatment level three months after treatment had stopped. This study was not blinded and had no control group.
Chemotherapy induced nausea and emesis is a common problem in cancer treatment. A study involving 130 patients suffering from chemotherapy induced nausea and /or emesis showed a significant improvement in symptoms. 63% of patients had a complete absence of sickness for 8 hours following acupuncture treatment and only 5% showed no benefit. This study was placebo controlled utilizing a sham acupuncture point, but not blinded.
Acupuncture treatment of pain was the subject of 4 research papers. Two of these consisted of meta-analysis of pooled data from several controlled clinical studies (7,8). The conclusions were inconclusive as to whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. A third study looked at the effects of acupuncture on malignant pain problems, ie. chronic pain, paresthesias, post herpetic neuralgias etc (9). Results showed that 82% of 183 patients were helped, 52% significantly. This third study was not controlled or blinded. The fourth study concerned the use of acupuncture in pain relief for patients with ablation and axillary lymphadenectomy with mammary cancer (10). Results showed a significant increase in pain tolerance and mobility after treatment. A control group without acupuncture was used but this study was not blinded.
Conclusion:
Although there are problems concerning the design of studies addressing the efficacy of acupuncture, the evidence suggests that acupuncture can be a very useful tool in dealing with certain pathological conditions related to cancer.
References:
1. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 47, No. 19, June 30, 1999.
2. Acupuncture For Relief of Cancer-Related Breathlessness, Palliative Medicine, (1996) Vol. 10, pp. 145-150.
3. Acupuncture Treatment of Patients with Radiation-Induced Xerostomia, M. Blom,et. Al., Oral Oncology, European Journal of Cancer, (1996) Vol.32B, No. 3, pp. 182-190.
4. Acupuncture for Patients in Hospital-Based Home Care Suffering from Xerostomia, Margareta Rydholm et al., Journal of Palliative Care, (1999)Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 20-23.
5. Acupuncture Prophylaxis of Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Sickness, JW Dundee et al., J R Soc Med 1989 May;82(5), pp268-7.
6. Acupuncture Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms In Men With Prostatic Carcinoma: A Pilot Study, M. Hammar et. Al., The Journal of Urology, (1999) Vol. 161, pp. 853-856.
7. Acupuncture and Chronic Pain: A Criteria-Based Meta-Analysis, G. Ter Reit et al., Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, (1990) Vol.43, No. 11, pp.1191-1199.
8. A Meta-Analysis of Acupuncture for Chronic Pain, Mahesh Patel et al., International Journal of Epidemiology, (1989) Vol. 18, No. 4, pp900-906.
9. Acupuncture and Malignant Pain Problems, European Journal of Surgical Oncology, (1985) Vol. 2, pp. 389-394.
10. Pain Relief and Movement Improvement by Acupuncture After Ablation and Axillary Lymphadenectomy in Patients with Mammary Cancer, Clon. Exp. Obst. & Gyn., (1999), Vol.26, No.2, pp.81-84.
\
|
|
..................................................................................................................
Naturopathic Medicine, It’s Future Is Now
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas A. Edison
These words were uttered by Thomas Edison many years ago. This future doctor aptly describes modern day naturopathic physicians. The founder of naturopathic medicine was Benedict Lust. A German born immigrant who came to America in 1892, he was cured of tuberculosis by Father Sebastian Kneipp in Wörishofen. In 1896 he came back to America as Kneipp’s official representative. This was the start of naturopathy in the United States. The term “naturopathy” was coined in 1892 by the Drs Sheel who combined the terms “nature cure” and “homeopathy”. They gave Lust the right to use this term in association with his ventures. From the very beginning, he intended to combine Kneippism with other nature cure practices. It was Lust’s genius to assemble these various methods and to promote them as a single naturopathic practice.
Modern naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. These principles are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances. The techniques of naturopathic medicine include modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods. The following principles are the foundation of naturopathic medical practice:
Principles
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae): Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self- healing process in the person that is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment this inherent self-healing process.
Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam). The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.
First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere): Naturopathic physicians follow three guidelines to avoid harming the patient:
• Utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects,
using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat;
• Avoid when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms;
• Acknowledge, respect and work with the individuals self-healing process.
Doctor As Teacher (Docere). Naturopathic physicians educate their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.
Treat the Whole Person: Naturopathic physicians treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and other factors. Since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physicians encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual development.
Prevention: Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease - assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease and making appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness. Naturopathic medicine is committed to the creation of a healthy world in which humanity may thrive.
Practice
Naturopathic Methods: Naturopathic medicine is defined by its principles. Methods and modalities are selected and applied based upon these principles in relationship to the individual needs of each patient. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods are selected from various sources and systems, and will continue to evolve with the progress of knowledge.
Naturopathic Practice: Naturopathic practice includes the following diagnostic and therapeutic modalities: nutritional medicine; botanical medicine; naturopathic physical medicine including naturopathic manipulative therapy; public health measures and hygiene; counseling; minor surgery; homeopathy; naturopathic obstetrics (natural childbirth); and appropriate methods of laboratory and clinical diagnosis.
Training
Modern naturopathic training is at a four-year naturopathic medical school. This includes 2 years basic science and therapeutic modalities coursework (anatomy, biochemistry, histology, botanical medicine, homeopathy, etc) followed by two years clinical didactic coursework (oncology, gynecology, cardiology, etc.). In addition, the second two years includes clinical internship in an outpatient naturopathic clinic, during which time the naturopathic medical student hones his or her clinical skills.
There are currently two accredited naturopathic medical schools; Bastyr University located in Bothel, Washington and National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Two other naturopathic medical schools in process of accreditation are Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, and the University of Bridgeport School of Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr. Christopher Henderson is a Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist. He is a graduate of Bastyr University. Dr. Henderson practices in Santa Rosa at the Optimal Health Center. His services include Naturopathic Healthcare, Acupuncture, Colon Hydrotherapy, and Detoxification. To contact him, please call (707) 575-7505.
|
|
..................................................................................................................
The 5 Elements and Your Senses
The Chinese developed their philosophy from a close relationship with nature; a dependence upon the cycles of the seasons, and a reverence for the flow and changes of the world around them. Just as nature all around us goes through cycles of change, they understand that nature inside of them follows these same patterns. Five element theory was born from this understanding of the natural world. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) also developed around this relationship of the human being to nature. Its system of examination, diagnosis, and treatment is based upon these natural processes. Five element theory describes the energy flow within the universe, the movement of qi energy as it goes through cyclic transformations. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. No element is more important then the other, but they are connected in an endless cycle of transformation. The wood element whose season is springtime is followed by the fire element whose season is summer, followed by the earth element whose season is late summer, followed by the metal element whose season is fall, followed by the water element whose season is winter. Wood creates fire, fire creates earth, earth creates metal, metal creates waters, and water creates wood in a never ending cycle. All things in the universe have a correspondence within the five elements. The senses organs and their associated senses are no exception. The eyes and seeing are related to wood, the tongue and speech are related to fire, the mouth and taste are related to earth, the nose and smell are related to metal, and the ears and hearing are related to water. Thus, Chinese medicine might say that a person with red bloodshot eyes has a liver imbalance, or someone with ringing in the ears has a water imbalance. But, the correspondences go deeper still. The type of taste (flavor) and smell also correspond with a particular element. Thus, the sour flavor and rancid smell relate to wood, bitter taste and the scorched smell relate to fire, sweet flavor and fragrant smell related to earth, pungent flavor and rotten smell relate to metal, salty flavor and putrid smell relate to water. Sounds also correspond to particular elements; shouting to wood, laughing to fire, singing to earth, weeping to metal, and groaning to water. There are many such correspondence. They are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine when attempting to understand the complex processes at work within the human mind, body, and spirit. These relationships help the Chinese medicine practitioner to determine the imbalances within the energy flow of the person with whom they are working. To learn more about the five elements and traditional Chinese medicine, call Dr. Chris Henderson at (707) 942-1250.
|
|
..................................................................................................................
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
More than just needles and nerves
Ana Cotham
On one hand, the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—sometimes called integrative medicine—has experienced a comparatively recent upswing in public exposure and scientific acceptance among current medical practices. On the other hand, treatments deemed ‘alternative’ often date back thousands of years to a number of ancient cultures.  “The belief of traditional Chinese and Eastern medicine, and part of the naturopath philosophy, is that the body has the innate ability to heal itself,” says DR. CHRIS HENDERSON, founder and director of Optimal Health Center in Calistoga, who also works as an acupuncturist supporting the various departments at Synergy Medical Fitness Center, part of Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. “But things get in our way: trauma, poor nutrition, etc. What are symptoms but the body’s warning sign that something is going on?”
The field has recently had two major advancements, one of which was the creation of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 1998, a division of the National Institutes of Health that to research CAM therapies. “That was a big milestone,” Henderson says. Over the years, more evidence-based research has emerged in support of these therapies, encouraging some of the more mainstream medical establishments—such as Synergy, the inclusion of acupuncture in Kaiser Permanente’s medical services, or rehabilitation services for cardiovascular or diabetic conditions—to consider them for their own facilities.
The second advancement was the creation of a Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) license in several states, including California (see sidebar.) Licensure “has opened up the ability of naturopaths to serve the community more,” Henderson says, who treats conditions ranging from pain management and hormone and thyroid issues, to sciatica, kids with colds and people who want cancer support. “Our tool bag is broader. Having a strong foundation in both Western medicine and natural integrative medicine allows me to look at both sides of the fence. Patients can run into a dead end with the same old tests with conventional physicians. Having other information that can improve their health is important to them.”
“The [N.D.’s] understanding of the human body is equivalent to a medical doctor’s,” says DR. MARCO VESPIGNANI of the Institute for Restorative Health in Davis. “The difference is in the approach. We spend 30 to 40 minutes in the first visit just talking: Where do you live, what do you eat, tell me about your typical day. Then it’s a physical exam, with the objective to back up what the patient is telling me.”
The conventional approach to treat his patient with Crohn’s disease, for example, would be to remove the diseased tissue—i.e., cut out the intestine—and then suppress the immune system with medication. “A more naturopathic approach would be to reduce inflammation with non-pharmaceutical measures and remove foods or other triggers of the inflammation.”
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN N.D. |
|
Anyone can call himself and practice as a “naturopath”, and they may well have plenty of training and experience—or not. However, California doesn’t allow a practitioner to call himself a naturopathic doctor, or N.D., if he’s not licensed. California is one of 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, that licenses N.D.s.
An N.D. has graduated from one of the four accredited naturopathic colleges in the country and, in California, passed two board exams. Licenses can be verified with the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine (naturopathic.ca.gov.) As with any doctor, verify that they have experience with the health issue of interest, if they have additional training in cancer support, women’s health, etc. |
|
| Photos: Scott Sullivan |
|
Now that therapies such as acupuncture and biofeedback training are mainstream, what else is on the horizon?
Nutritional interventions
Nutrition is one of the biggest fields these days, Vespignani says; supplements have found homes in high-end competitive arenas like football or cycling. “The more research that is done by clinics, universities and private industry, the more we’ll see as consumers.” Intravenous or injectable vitamin drips are also useful for people who may have difficulty absorbing nutrients through food due to health conditions such as fibromyalgia or gastrointestinal issues.
Mind-body medicine
A field also experiencing growth, Vespignani says it’s about “learning to tap the strength and versatility of the human mind [which] will lead to less reliance on medications for pain or cognitive issues and depression.”
Longevity, or anti-aging, medicine
“People are living longer and want to feel their best for as long as possible,” Vespignani says. “Medicine often disregards many symptoms as just part of ‘aging’ and patients are no longer willing to accept that.” Some anti-aging therapies, such as facial acupuncture, serve the dual purpose of providing both aesthetic benefits in helping one look younger, and physiological benefits, as in how the meridians on the face affect the rest of the body and its functions. “It’s similar to eating healthfully and taking your vitamins,” Henderson says. “It’ll have a physiological effect, but it also affects your skin via proper blood flow and nutrients.”
Detoxification therapy
People are more concerned about chemical toxins in food, water and air. Vespignani has seen more patients for therapy and education about how to reduce toxic intake as well as our toxic footprints. “For me,” he adds, “it is important that consumers become more aware of the entire lifecycle of the products that they buy.”
Chelation therapy
The chemical process treats heavy metal poisoning, such as lead poisoning, by binding the molecules and ridding excess metals from the body. One of Henderson’s patients was a painter who used lead-based paints for 40 years; another was a Calistoga resident who drew from his heavily volcanic well water for years. Taking it one step further, “There’s a certain amount of research that implicates heavy metal, like lead, in cardiovascular diseases,” Henderson says. Though not yet approved by the FDA for treatment of cardiovascular disease, it has been long recommended for such by physicians both conventional and integrative, and there is a current NCCAM trial underway. (Read more at nccam.nih.gov.)
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
BHRT has had big exposure thanks to celebrity advocates like Oprah Winfrey and Suzanne Somers. “BHRT is about restoring hormone balances back to healthy physiological levels, the levels when you were younger,” says LORELEE SCIPIONE, a physician assistant with Regenerative Health Associates in Vacaville, which began offering BHRT when DR. BRIAN KLINK , who is certified through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, opened the offices in 2008. “Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as hormones made in the human body, hence the term. Our patients have their levels evaluated, and treatment is customized based on their own personal results.” IRH and Optimal Health Center have also been fielding increasing requests for BHRT. “It’s on the rise, mostly because of female empowerment and [celebrity] attention to the subject,” explains Vespignani. “Many women want to feel as feminine as they can for as long as they can and BHRT often provides that avenue for them. Thankfully, every month there are more studies showing the safety of these therapies when used appropriately.” (In 2008, the FDA ruled “bioidentical” to be a marketing term; the treatment is not currently FDA-approved.)
Apitherapy
The use of honeybee products for medical purposes dates back hundreds of years. But Henderson discovered increasing research and anecdotal evidence showing its effectiveness, particularly for burn victims and rheumatic and inflammatory conditions, after a workshop with the American Apitherapy Society when a patient with multiple sclerosis had questions about the treatment. “These age-old remedies continue to come back to us in different ways,” he says.
|
|
