Integrative medicine brings the promise of a new day to health care because it's a better way.
Stop the Madness!!
A new day. A better way. Be a difference maker. Improve patient care. The time for integrative medicine has arrived. The party has just begun and you are invited.
8 SIMPLE STEPS TO AN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PRACTICE
Integrative Medicine – A Better Way Worth Doing
In my heart, I knew I was being pulled into a type of medicine that was not truly helping people. Looking back, I was unintentionally hurting people. My defining moment came when I put my life partner in harm’s way by participating in this type of medicine.
I was told giving her a simple flu shot was the right thing to do. Two days later, our lives changed dramatically as I witnessed her in the hospital room unable to speak or grunt to communicate. I learned the flu vaccine package insert includes encephalopathy under the “post-marketing side effects.”
My outrage spurred me into action and commitment to find a better way. I decided to stop this madness and go back to the type of medicine I believed in. Integrative medicine is the better way. I get confirmation often when patients move beyond health problems they thought had “no cure.” Spending time with patients and using natural therapies to support the foundation of the body is just common sense. This is what patients want. This is what we want in helping them.
I know what you're thinking, “Integrative medicine makes perfect sense… but how can I find the time to learn this when I already don’t have enough time in my day to get charts done and still have a life?”
If you believe there is something better, it is your duty to pursue it. If you can, you must. Gandhi said it well:
“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
With all the deception and profits over people in today’s medicine, it is time to start practicing honestly with compassion. We can and are at a grassroots level each making a difference in transitioning into an integrative medicine approach.
I wrote The Integrative Medicine Solution book to make the transition easier. Yes, it takes time and commitment initially. In the long run you find more time, satisfaction, and optimal health is your reward.
To give you an idea how this can work for you, below are the eight steps I outline in my book.
Step 1 – Embrace the integrative medicine mindset and heal yourself first
Regaining health helps you be a better provider for your patients.
Follow these steps with your patients. Read the books on the reading list. Watch the Integrative Medicine Webinars. Join your state IMPAA (Integrative Medicine PA Association). Click HERE to learn more.
Step 2 – Notify patients of your transition into integrative medicine
If you own your practice now, educate your patients about integrative medicine and how it improves their care and health. When starting a new practice, use “integrative medicine” in your practice name. Give patients the 7 Principles of Integrative Medicine list. At their initial integrative medicine appointment, give them the first “assignment.” Have them take and chart their morning axillary temperatures and bring it to their appointments. Hypothyroidism Type 2 will be uncovered in the majority of your patients. Click here to learn more.
Step 3 – Review all supplements and therapies your patients use
Have your patients bring ALL their supplements and prescriptions to their appointment. Ask what other holistic therapies they are using such as acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, hypnosis, massage, herbal medicine, etc. Likely they are using therapies they felt they could not mention to you.
The National Center for Health Statistics surveys American’s use of complementary and alternative medicine. The last survey found 38% of adults over 18 used one or more therapies and over age 50, nearly half used non-traditional therapies.
Determine if the supplement and therapy fulfills Principle #4 and #5 (The 7 Foundational Principles of Integrative Medicine). Does it merely treat a symptom? Or is it supporting the foundation of the body to heal?
Step 4 – Stop non-essential supplements and prescriptions, order baseline labs
Polypharmacy exists with prescription drugs and supplements. Ask the following four questions when deciding if the supplement or prescription should be continued…
- Is the supplement correcting a deficiency?
- Is it helping to remove a barrier to healing?
- Does it support the body’s foundation?
- Would stopping it today cause an uncomfortable or dangerous symptom to reappear (such as high blood pressure or pain)?
If the answer is YES to any of the above, your patient should continue taking the supplement or prescription. Otherwise, stopping may cause more harm than good. The liver has the main job of detoxifying all these substances. We want to support the liver as much as possible. It is already overburdened with chemical toxins.
To restore and achieve optimal health, Support the body's foundation. Click to enlarge jigsaw puzzle blueprint.
Step 5 – Evaluate and start support of the foundation blueprint
To restore and achieve optimal health, evaluate and support the four sides of the Jigsaw Puzzle Foundation Blueprint (click picture to enlarge).
- Start supplement for detoxification of chemicals.
- Start pituitary support (click here to learn about hormone support).
- Start digestive support.
- Evaluate blood flow with pulse wave device, start support if needed.
Step 6 – Correct deficiencies and remove barriers
Determine deficiencies through the blood work and the Oligoscan test, The Oligoscan is a simple, non-invasive device that uses spectrophotometry to measure 20 cell bound minerals and 14 heavy metals. Treat heavy metals after several months of cellular detoxification. Moving heavy metals (such as mercury) can be uncomfortable if done first.
Step 7 – Restore hormone levels
Evaluate the need for thyroid, adrenal and sex hormone replacement. If you can wait, restore these hormones last AFTER at least 2-3 months of cellular detoxification. Detoxification clears the hormone receptors which makes the hormones more effective and often needing less.
Step 8 – Ongoing monitoring and adjusting
Retesting the Oligoscan and Pulsewave once or twice a year helps identify progress in the treatment. After the initial cellular detoxification, monitor patients to be sure they continue daily chemical detoxification support. This is a life-long process as we continue to be exposed daily to the millions of chemicals in our environment. Support of the foundation is also life-long – making sure patients continue these supplements helps them maintain their optimal health.
These steps are simple. The key is knowing what to do. You can shorten your learning curve by getting involved, taking the training and webinars offered. We are not alone in this journey working toward our worthy goal. If you want to make a difference, it is time to make the change.
Please join me and the thousands of other healthcare providers who are transitioning into an integrative medicine practice. It is time to live honestly. The clock is running out for the health of our future.
More…
U.S. Healthcare
7 Integrative Principles
Big Pharma vs. Integrative Medicine
Underlying Cause
Detoxification
Nitric Oxide Miracle
Gut Health & Microbiome
Roadblocks to Optimal Health
Forever Young
Beyond Wellness
PA Owned Medical Practice
The Integrative Medicine Solution, by Cathy Ochs, PA-C, founder of IMPAA.
AVAILABLE at Amazon.com.
Defines what an integrative medicine PA practice does. A must read for every physician assistant and health care professional committed to exceptional patient care. More info here.
FREE RESOURCES
Why Every PA Should Practice Integrative Medicine. The facts about integrative medicine, owning your own practice and more. Provocative, informative and often controversial. More info here.
How California PAs Can Own a Medical Corporation. Blueprint to operate a physician assistant owned medical corporation. Complete instructions A to Z. More info here.
