Approach
Who are my patients?
My typical patient has been struggling with chronic and often complex conditions for several years. They’ve been to several doctors and alternative health care practitioners. They’ve tried several different special diets and have a box full of supplements and nutritional products that didn’t work. They’ve been told that “nothing is wrong”, that they’re “fine” or that their problems are all in their head. But they know that their symptoms are a result of a deeper problem that hasn’t been identified yet.
While I am confident that I can help most people with their health problems, patients who do best under my care:
- don’t want to rely on unnecessary drugs and medical intervention for the rest of their lives;
- are interested in discovering the underlying cause of their problems, rather than just suppressing symptoms;
- are motivated to play an active role in their own healing process; and,
- are willing to make the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes to support health and well-being.
How do I work with patients?
I am primarily a “health detective”. I help people struggling with chronic, complex illnesses that haven’t been able to find help anywhere else.
Like all detectives, I use a variety of tools in my investigations, including modern laboratory techniques (blood, urine, stool and breath testing), detailed questionnaires and a thorough medical history and examination.
I then use nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, supplements, stress management, detoxification and lifestyle changes to restore proper function.
Deep and lasting healing are only possible when the root causes of illness are addressed. By understanding the core systems of the body, how they are related, and how their function can be restored, many chronic illnesses can be prevented and even reversed.
What is my treatment philosophy?
I practice a new model of medicine, sometimes referred to as “functional” or “systems” medicine. Functional medicine is neither conventional nor alternative medicine. It’s a combination of the best elements of both, and it represents the future of medicine. That’s why I call it “medicine for the 21st century.”
The table below summarizes the differences between functional and conventional medicine.
| Functional Medicine Is… | Conventional Medicine Is… |
|---|---|
| Investigative. It treats symptoms by addressing underlying cause of the problem, which leads to more profound and longer lasting results. | Superficial. Masks or suppresses symptoms, but does not address underlying cause, which creates “patients for life”. |
| Holistic. Treats the body as an interconnected whole, and recognizes the importance of these connections in health and disease. | Dualistic. Views the body as a collection of separate parts, each of which has its own doctor (i.e. cardiologist, podiatrist, etc.) |
| Safe. Treatments have mild or no side effects, and other unrelated complaints often improve spontaneously. | Dangerous. Treatments often have serious side effects and complications, including death. |
| Patient-centered. Treats the patient, not the disease. Treatments are highly individualized based on patient needs. | Disease-centered. Treats the disease, not the patient. Patients with the same disease get the same treatment, regardless of their differences. |
| Participatory. Patient is respected, empowered, educated and encouraged to play active role in healing process. | Autocratic. Patient’s opinion is often discounted or ignored, little time is spent on education, and patient may be discouraged from playing active role. |
| Integrative. Combines the best of both modern and traditional medicines and emphasizes importance of diet and lifestyle. | Limited. Relies almost exclusively on drugs and surgery, in spite of their risks and complications. |
| Restorative. Tests and treatments designed to promote optimal function, prevent and reverse disease, and improve quality of life. | Palliative. Tests and treatments designed to prevent death and manage serious disease, without dealing with the underlying cause. |
| Preventative. Guided by the ancient Chinese saying, “The superb physician treats disease before it occurs.” | Reactive. Focused on managing disease after it has already reached an irreversible state.. |
| Evidence-based. Based on the latest research from peer-reviewed medical journals, and uncorrupted by corporate and political interests. | Profit-driven. Based on outdated research and heavily influenced by profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies.. |
What conditions do I treat?
In conventional medicine, there’s a doctor for every part of your body: cardiologists for the heart, gastroenterologists for the digestive system, neurologists for the brain and nervous system, podiatrists for your feet and opthamologists for your eyes. But in functional medicine, we see the body as an interconnected whole. We recognize that in order to treat one part of the body, all of the other parts must also be considered.
This is why functional medicine practitioners are able to treat such a wide variety of health problems, including:
- Acne
- Adrenal disorders
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Autoimmune disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic fatigue
- Chronic sinusitis
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Digestive disorders (IBD, IBS, GERD/Reflux)
- Eczema/psoriasis
- Elevated cholesterol
- Environmental and food allergies
- Fatigue
- Female disorders (PMS, Menopause, Infertility, PCOS)
- Fibromyalgia
- Hormonal imbalances
- Interstitial cystitis
- Mercury and heavy metal toxicity
- Metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance
- Migraines and headaches
- MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- Osteoporosis
- Overweight and obesity
- Stress
- Thyroid disorders
What conditions do I specialize in?
While I’m confident I can help most people with the conditions listed above (as well as others not on the list), I have particular experience with and training in:
- Weight regulation problems
- Hormone imbalance
- Digestive problems
- Thyroid disorders
To learn more about my approach to each of these (and other) conditions, please refer to the Special Reports section of my blog.
