Tips & Articles

Quotes recent patients have heard from their doctors: "Here's your list of symptoms, now we have to figure out a way to get rid of them" How about some focus on why they are present? Unfortunately, we come out of medical school armed with tools for managing disease, and very little, if any,...

Integrative medicine is in the unique position to take advantage of all of the healthcare technology solutions being released at record pace. The portals, tracking programs, and social networking interaction are all very exciting and give users lifestyle-changing experiences never before possible....

This is the time of year I am frequently asked what to do about cold and flu symptoms. It is a good time to dust off the evidence and discuss what are good strategies. Certainly the age old time and rest are ideal but not often practical. The foundation should not be any surprise.  Living a...

If you haven’t heard by now the United States Preventative Services Task Force released their most recent guidelines on prostate cancer screening. The verdict is a first: they recommend against routine screening for prostate cancer in men who don’t have symptoms. The USPSTF has been...

I was thinking about food labels recently as I scanned yet another new food product at the grocery store. It's become something of a hobby. "Oh, second ingredient evaporated cane juice (AKA sugar) and then at the end 'natural' (my quotation marks) flavors." The verdict: processed food....

Consumers Could Get Test Results Themselves... Patients may soon be universally able to view their lab results thanks to a new rule proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services. This means getting access without permission or release by their providers. This is a victory toward...

A study in the major cardiology journal, Circulation, shows a darker side of NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories like Celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen) than once thought. We have known for some time of the increased risk of heart attack and sudden death with the use of NSAIDs but this recent study shows...

The stomach needs acid to facilitate the breakdown of food, but also to provide protection for the rest of the digestive system by destroying harmful bacteria/yeast/parasites that are swallowed. Taking a proton pump inhibitor (ie. Nexium, Prevacid) for a long-time robs the digestive system of this...

A new study from the British Medical Journal in May 2011 shows us why we should stop looking at osteoporosis as a calcium thing. Over 60,000 women were followed for 19 years and their calcium intakes where assessed trying to determine the link between calcium intake and fracture prevention. There...

No, it's not cancer risk. We can monitor that risk pretty closely with salivary hormone levels so that the balance between estrogen/testosterone and progesterone (breast cell proliferation) and estradiol and progesterone (uterine) is optimal. The risk is your doctor not realizing the...