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Western medicine once shunned alternative treatments like acupuncture, acupressure or the Indian system of Ayurveda. But the field of medicine is now taking them more seriously.

Proof can be found in the emerging field of integrative medicine. Its approach is to combine modern medicine with alternative and complementary approaches, to take into account the whole person. Dr. Sudha Prathikanti a strong believer in integrative medicine. As the daughter of Indian immigrants, she grew up around meditation, yoga and Ayurveda. Like her father she went to medical school and more recently, established the first integrative psychiatry program at UC San Francisco's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. She's also researched the effectiveness of using yoga to treat major depression.

PRATHIKANTI: We no longer have to have this argument about "is it in the domain of the physical or is it in the domain of the psychological?"; And then the larger question is "what is spiritual?"

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Integrative medicine seeks to mend the mind-body split | KALW - KALW

St. Luke's promoted Jennifer Viergutz to director of laboratory, replacing Jean Elton Turbes, who retired from the same position after 15 years.

Viergutz graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth with a bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science as well as dual Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees. She started as a generalist at Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors 17 years ago and then moved to St. Luke's. She has held a variety of positions in the laboratory including technical specialist of the immunology section, technical services coordinator and most recently, operations manager.

Essentia Health announced the following.

Jacob Swette, a licensed acupuncturist joined the integrative medicine department at Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic in Duluth. Swette is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and earned his master's degree at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colo. He's certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and licensed to practice in Minnesota by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.

Dr. Steven Haasken, a pediatric intensivist, joined Essentia Health-St. Mary's Children's Hospital in Duluth. Originally from Mora, Minn., Haasken earned a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. He completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City and a fellowship in pediatric critical care at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatrics.

Orthopaedic Associates of Duluth hired Tanner Hermes as a physician assistant. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and health promotions in 2006, and from Arcadia University in Newark, Del., with a master's degree in medical science in 2010.

Hermes has more than 13 years of experience, with more than six years of clinical and surgical orthopaedic experience including sports medicine and joint replacement. He was previously an orthopaedic physician assistant at multiple practices in Washington state, including Orthopedic Physician Associates in Seattle and Western Washington Medical Group in Everett. While in Seattle, Hermes was the physician assistant to Dr. Edward Khalfayan, the head team physician for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners teams.

He is a member of Physician Assistants in Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Hermes is board certified by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Lakewalk Surgery Center hired Ann Fosness of Alborn as administrator. Fosness has more than 20 years of industry experience, most recently serving as director of nursing at Essentia Health East for three years. She was responsible for more than 170 managers and staff members in the operating room, post-anesthesia care unit, maternal child health, medical/surgical, inpatient rehab, telemetry, intensive care unit and emergency departments. She served on the Patient Advisory Council and formed Nurse Practice Councils in each unit to enhance patient safety and satisfaction. Before that Fosness served as director of clinic operations, clinic manager of orthopedics and nursing supervisor for Essentia Health East since 2001.

She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree in business administration, both from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, and is a member of Mesabi Range College Advisory Council and the Minnesota Organization of Leader in Nursing Professional Group.

The law offices of Maki, Ledin, Bick and Olson in Superior hired attorneys Joseph Rosenthal and Lucas Wyshnytzky.

Rosenthal, a Twin Ports native, is a 1999 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a 2008 graduate of City University of New York School of Law. He was a Peggy Browning Fellow at Bernstein and Lipsett in Washington, D.C. in 2007, a fellowship awarded to law students interested in pursuing a career in union-side labor law. During law school, he also worked for Service Employees International Union Local 1199P and for the New York State Attorney General's Office-Labor Bureau advocating for worker's rights issues.

Most recently Rosenthal worked in St. Paul on trial and litigation matters. He is licensed in Wisconsin and practices in the areas of criminal defense, family law, labor and employment law, and Social Security Disability.

Wyshnytzky is originally from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., and earned bachelor's degrees in political science and legal studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He interned in the Governor's Office, which led him to be hired as an external relations coordinator for the Governor's Advance Team.

He attended Marquette University Law School with a primary focus on environmental law, and served as an intern for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Bureau of Legal Services and for Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. He also served as President of the Environmental Law Society.

Wyshnytzky practices in the areas of criminal defense, landlord tenant, collections, juvenile, guardianships and family law, and is active in the Superior Jaycees and PLAST-Ukrainian Scouting Organization.

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS

Bigfork Valley Hospital in Bigfork received five-star ratings in all 11 categories for patient satisfaction in a survey coordinated by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ninety-nine percent of Bigfork Valley patients say they would definitely recommend the hospital. More than 4,000 hospitals participated in the survey. Within Minnesota, Bigfork Valley scored at the top of 108 reporting hospitals in six of the 11 categories measuring patient perception of a hospital experience.

Hermantown Area Chamber of Commerce announced Julie Lupa was named the recipient of their Outstanding Ambassador Award during a July 19 Ambassador luncheon.

Lupa, a mortgage originator with Superior Choice Credit Union, has over 21 years of experience in the credit union mortgage lending field. She promotes homeownership in the community and is a volunteer with 1Roof Housing for homebuyer education classes. She became a new Chamber Ambassador earlier this year and quickly became a leader within the chamber's membership. She helps with monthly luncheon registration, makes sure everyone is welcomed and everything is organized. She conveys new ideas for the Ambassador Program and ways to help the Hermantown community.

Real Living Messina and Associates in Duluth was awarded a 2017 QE Top 10 Medium Companies award for exceptional customer service satisfaction. The QE Award spans 22 states and is based on the results of an independent survey limited solely to buyers and sellers who were in a real estate transaction that closed with participating real estate companies from Jan. 1, 2016 through Dec. 31, 2016. The award was created by Quality Service Certification Inc. to foster, encourage and recognize the highest levels of service quality and customer satisfaction.

St. Luke's was the recipient of an American College of Cardiology's NCDR Action Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2017. St. Luke's is one of less than 200 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes St. Luke's for consistently following treatment guidelines in the Action Registry for eight consecutive quarters. Guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation. The hospital also met a performance standard of 90 percent for specific performance measures.

Bob Falsani, Jim Balmer, Jim Peterson and Sean Quinn, partners of the law firm Falsani, Balmer, Peterson and Quinn, were recognized as 2017 Super Lawyers by Minnesota Super Lawyer magazine.

Falsani, a certified civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, has been honored 25 times. He has published more than 80 articles on worker's compensation and personal injury litigation and lectures widely on the subjects.

Balmer has been named a Minnesota Super Lawyer every year since 1998, and is a certified civil trial specialist by the NBTA and a senior civil trial specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocacy and has lectured extensively on trial tactics, court rules and evidentiary issues.

Peterson is a certified civil trial specialist by the NBTA and a senior civil trial specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. He's been named a Super Lawyer fourteen times.

Quinn has had more than 40 articles on workers' compensation and Social Security disability published and currently teaches community education classes on these subjects. He has chaired the Volunteer Attorney Programs board of directors since 2012, and is a member of the Minnesota Association of Justice board of governors, where he co-chairs their workers' compensation committee. He has been named a Super Laywer eight times.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACCREDITATIONS

Viewcrest Health Center announced registered nurse Amanda Blaskowski obtained her Nadona Certificate for Infection Prevention Board Certification.

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Biz Buzz for July 31, 2017 - Duluth News Tribune

KOCHI: A two-day conference, beginning on August 6, on integrative Ayurveda and modern medicine, titled Amrita Samyogam 2017, is being held in collaboration with Amrita Universitys School of Ayurveda. More than 60 experts and 1,000 delegates from around the world will be taking part. It will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Yasso Naik.

The event will bring together allopathic doctors, Ayurveda practitioners and modern scientists on a common platform. It will identify strategies for integrating Ayurveda with Allopathy in the management of cancer, auto-immune diseases like arthritis, diabetes, neuro-degenerative diseases, and mental health. The conference will demonstrate how integrative medicine can be made a reality through examples of clinical integration, basic science studies, and application of new technologies.

Said Prof. Shantikumar Nair, Director, Centre for Nanosciences & Molecular Medicine, Amrita University: Integrating Indias ancient tradition of Ayurveda with evidence-based modern medicine has the potential to revolutionise world healthcare. Integrative medicine is becoming a popular specialty among physicians in Western countries because of the myriad ways in which it can benefit patients.Dr Nair says that it focuses on healing the person in his entirety rather than merely treating the symptoms by investigating the root cause of illness. It is much more patient-centric and can positively impact chronic and lifestyle diseases for which modern medicine has no answer. Western medicine and Indian ancient healing sciences can be a win-win combination to effectively tackle the enormous healthcare challenges facing humanity, says Nair.

The event is expected to trigger important collaborations across the world in the field of integrative medicine, especially academic collaborations and funding opportunities.

See the article here:
Conference on integrative ayurveda - The New Indian Express

When Deb Lynams golden retriever Benny suffered a major medical episode, she initially sought out traditional veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, she concluded that the recommendation she received could have harmed or even killed him.

Two years ago Benny had a massive seizure.

It was such a scary event, recalled Lynam. His body was flipping out of control all over the living room. But the vet wasnt going to do anything because it was just one seizure.

Lynam brought Benny back to the Spokane-area home also shared by Flinn, another golden retriever, and Twosie, a Jack Russell terrier. Then Benny had two more seizures.

He was so out of it that he grabbed my hand and wouldnt let go. The vet ran tests: idiopathic epilepsy from an unknown cause. She prescribed barbiturates.

As a nursing assistant at St. Lukes Rehabilitations brain injury unit, she knew that side effects of barbiturates could include stupor, loss of coordination, instability, irritability, and even death, at least in human.

Her son suggested cannabis oil, she never had considered for pets.

I finally agreed. We gave Benny a dose after that third seizure, and another dose the next morning, Lynam said. He had one more seizure, which only lasted five seconds. He got up, walked away, and has not had another seizure in more than two years.

CBD hemp oil is typically made from low-THC hemp. THC is the molecular compound that causes mental and physical reactions associated with general marijuana use, while CBD is another natural compound that provides pain relief.

Lynam now spends about $50 a month on treats for Benny, including CBD oils that she drizzles over his food, along with Canna-Pet, a brand of flavored organic biscuits suggested for dogs. She finds some items online and at Sativa Sisters, a Spokane retailer.

Im a big advocate for CBD in treating seizures in dogs, she said. Im sticking with what works and hopefully it will continue to be readily available.

Now, Benny isnt the only pet to benefit from them.

Flinn, her 9-year-old golden retriever, has come up with a limp so Im starting to use CBD on her. She has bad anxiety when we go to agility and obedience trials, where she gets really nervous. I give her CBD dog gummy treats, and she seems better in public Im a true believer.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has encouraged its members to investigate cannabis use for ailing pets. In a 2013 professional journal article, Veterinary Marijuana? the AVMA suggested that further research could prevent accidental overdoses from owners well-meaning attempts to relieve pets pain and suffering.

The article continued identifying CBD use to treat behavior-based disorders, including separation anxiety and noise phobia, as well as irritable bowel syndrome and feline immunodeficiency virus infection; for management of pain, nausea, and seizures; and as an appetite stimulant. Cannabis oil is also being used topically to treat tumors.

During the 2016 Nestl Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit, veterinarian Susan Wynn of BluePearly Georgia Veterinary Specialists Nutrition and Integrative Medicine Department, discussed therapeutic intervention and the use of cannabis on companion animals.

Wynn told attendees that although veterinarians cannot recommend cannabis, they can advise on toxicity, since dogs have more brain receptors for cannabis than humans, which makes them especially sensitive.

Similar conflicts in providing advice are seen at Washington State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, where due to federal funding, cannabis is considered an illicit substance so cant be researched for possible medical use in pets. But toxicity can be discussed.

Currently, most pet products containing CBD are not regulated, something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finds troubling. In letters sent to companies selling CBD products for pets in 2015, the FDA expressed concerns about marketing messages and labeling that claimed the products help pets with asthma, cancer, chronic pain, dementia, seizures and other maladies.

This uncertainty over verbiage and effectiveness also caused the FDA to caution owners about using any cannabis products for pets, without first talking to their vet about other treatment options.

Despite the FDAs lack of guidance, many pet experts report nothing but success in CBD oil treatments. One of those experts is Montana-based Nancy Tanner, certified professional dog trainer, and owner of Paws and People. She has several clients who give products to their dogs for anxiety.

For dogs under 20 pounds, and especially picky eaters, CBD is available in small tablets containing powder in clear vegetarian capsules. Bigger dogs can have oils mixed into food, or dog treats such as Canna-Pet.

Its not a sedative. It allows a dog to take a deep breath and reset, she added, noting that it also helps dogs suffering from past trauma, but not necessarily specific events such as thunderstorms or fireworks.

Though some pooch owners say dogs can benefit from cannabis, cats may not be as receptive. While oils like lavender and chamomile work for dogs, they are toxic for cats, said Nancy Tanner, certified professional dog trainer and owner of Paws and People. Felines and canines are built differently. Humans and dogs, however, have similar receptors and are receptive to CBD as a medicinal plant. With the exception of a few Canna-Pet products especially for cats, most pet products are intended for dogs only.

Go here to read the rest:
Cannabis for our canines - The Spokesman-Review

Six days before the official opening of the James M. Stockman Cancer Institute in Frederick, the sand-colored lobby was already bustling with radiology patients coming in for treatment.

I hope your doctor has good things to say today, one smiling nurse told a man waiting with family members. Other patients settled into chairs beside wide plate glass windows overlooking the institutes newly landscaped healing garden. Across the lobby, a row of touch-screen check-in kiosks blinked, set up and ready for use.

The overall atmosphere hushed and efficient and full of natural light was exactly what Dr. Patrick Mansky pictured when he thought of an optimal healing environment for cancer patients. Holistic care including the importance of creating comfortable clinical conditions has become a prime focus in treatment over the past 10 to 15 years, said Mansky, the medical director of medical oncology at the new institute.

Its a big change, and the idea of optimal healing flowed into how the new building was constructed, he added. We wanted an environment that was centered around the patient and supported recovery.

The Stockman Cancer Institute, set to fully open July 31, is the newest expansion of the oncology program within Frederick Regional Health System the umbrella organization that encompasses Frederick Memorial Hospital and its affiliated clinics. The new building will replace the FRHS Cancer Therapy Center on Seventh Street and offer several new services to patients, said Dr. Mark Soberman, the medical director of the FRHS cancer service line.

One new amenity, on the second floor of the institute, is an integrative medicine suite that accommodates supplementary treatments such as acupuncture and yoga. The Complementary Therapy Clinic painted a sunny yellow includes a large front room for movement therapy classes and several adjoining areas fitted with massage tables and a row of lockers.

The institute also includes brand-new oncology equipment, including the latest model of the CyberKnife radiosurgery system. The large, sleek machine stark white and reminiscent of a prop from the USS Enterprise cuts radiation treatment time in half and is the only one of its kind in Maryland, D.C. and northern Virginia, said Dustin Simonson, a medical physicist at the SCI.

In the old model, the radiation beam only came out in a circle, but this new beam can shape the radiation to the tumor and allows us to treat larger growths, he added. Its also more flexible and heavy-duty, so we know were able to treat patients at least 50 percent faster.

The biggest coup detat, though, is the institutes ability to provide the same level of care in a much nicer environment, Soberman said. The gently curved building was designed to minimize so-called patient pong the practice of sending visitors to different areas of the hospital to meet with different specialists.

In the SCI, changing rooms flow into treatment rooms via sliding wood doors, and patients will be seen by multiple specialists in the same exam room. On the second floor, a multidisciplinary clinic allows physicians to confer and design a coordinated treatment plan for patients.

Mansky also excitedly pointed out five different color schemes in various areas of the building. Green for the infusion center, where all 20 open bays are equipped with touch-screen tablets, and blue for exam and changing rooms. The radiation and integrative medicine clinics are painted a joyful yellow, while the multidisciplinary clinic is turquoise to symbolize strength, he said. Purple reserved for the Center for Chest Disease is meant to denote courage.

Thats part of the optimal healing environment and also helps with wayfinding, Mansky said. The color, lighting, architecture everything was designed to put patients at ease.

On a solidly practical level, the SCI will also be cheaper, Soberman said. Because the center is separate from the main campus of Frederick Memorial Hospital, FRHS executives negotiated with the state Health Services Cost Review Commission to categorize the institute as part of the unregulated medical market the same classification as doctors offices or free-standing clinics. The new classification allows the SCI to offer services at lower rates than the main hospital.

Up to 40 percent lower, in fact, Soberman said. You dont have facility fees, you dont have physician fees. This is basically no more expensive than going to a private doctors office.

A dedicated financial counselor will also be on staff to consult with patients on payment options and financing treatment.

When it opens on Monday, the institute will host 92 staff members, including eight physicians and one nurse practitioner, Mansky said. The building measures 62,500 square feet and cost a total of $40.5 million, including new oncology equipment. $19.5 million of the total cost was raised through community philanthropy, according to Soberman, including a $3 million gift from local business owner James M. Stockman. Stockman, 86, owns Rockledge Plaza on the Golden Mile.

Construction took a little more than 16 months, from the groundbreaking on March 16, 2016, to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new institute on Thursday.

Stockman, who attended the ceremony, hoped his donation to the new institute would be an image booster for the local health care system. While the gift was inspired by his father, a cancer survivor, he said he also wanted to help the county overall.

As far as Im concerned, theres nothing the matter with hometown pride, he said. Its a good thing for Frederick County, but I think it will also put the hospital on the map. Frederick Memorial will be much more recognizable in the region.

FRHS has also been part of the MD Anderson Cancer Network since May 2016. The 16-member network, centralized at the University of Texas, allows local oncology specialists to offer patients more access to clinical trials and experimental treatments, Mansky said.

Follow Kate Masters on Twitter: @kamamasters.

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Frederick Regional Healthcare System set to open new cancer ... - Frederick News Post (subscription)

Vickie Holder was preparing to kill herself.

The intense, undiagnosed pain she endured for three years had taken its toll. She started to pay down credit cards and put her affairs in order, deciding that if the pain didnt stop on its own, she would stop it her own way.

I could not live with that pain. I just couldnt live with it. I would just go crying, Holder said.

Sitting at a table at Fays Country Kitchen, the Carlisle restaurant she runs with her husband, Jim, Holder shared the darkest chapter of her story, hoping that it would help someone anyone in a similar situation find an answer.

And, shes certain the answer is Lyme disease.

If you have something thats wrong with you and nobody can pinpoint it, you have Lyme disease, Holder said. If youve been to all kinds of doctors and nobody can find anything wrong with you, I guarantee its Lyme disease.

Finding a diagnosis

It all started three years ago with pain behind her eyes that felt like it was in the eye socket itself, Holder said.

She went to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with dry eye. Holder said she had dealt with dry eye in the past and knew this was something different. She sought a second opinion, and that person also rendered the diagnosis of dry eye. A third opinion from Johns Hopkins Hospital after numerous tests also cited dry eye as the cause of the pain.

Holder remained unconvinced.

It wasnt that dry that it should have caused me the problems I was describing to them, Holder said.

The pain persisted, and eventually she said it felt like something was eating away at the nerves in her face.

Holder started trying anything anyone suggested in search of relief. Looking at a list in a folder containing the paperwork chronicling her journey, she started checking off all the ways she tried to ease the pain: acupuncture, muscle testing, ionic cleanses, detox programs, visits to a salt cave, meditation, reiki, clean eating, chiropractic care, massages and essential oils. She even bought a pulsed electromagnetic field therapy mat.

I was doing all of this all along with going to my family doctor numerous times, and him giving me numerous medications and numerous diagnoses, Holder said.

Doctors, including a neurologist and an infectious disease specialist, tried CAT scans, brain scans and numerous blood tests over a three-year period to try to get to the root of the problem. Four of those blood tests included tests for Lyme disease that returned negative.

All four tests were negative. All at my expense, she said.

Doctors even told her that what she needed might be a psychologist.

Through it all, Holder had the nagging feeling that her condition could be Lyme disease.

Nobody even said Lyme disease. None of them. I was asking them, Could this be Lyme disease? Holder said.

Other symptoms that could have helped to pinpoint Lyme disease were easily explained away by other causes. Aches in her leg? Thats from putting in 12-15 hours a day at the restaurant. Feet hurting? Holder thought she needed new shoes. She had no energy, but she was taking care of her father in addition to working long hours.

I had a reason for everything except for my eyes, she said.

The pattern continued for nearly three years at the cost of around $20,000 until a friend made a suggestion that proved to be the turning point in Holders search for answers.

A friend of mine said, I want you to go see Dr. Noonan. I am telling you, you have Lyme disease, Holder said.

Confronting Lyme disease

Dr. Noonan is Dr. Frank Noonan, who practices family medicine at Central Pennsylvania Integrative Medicine in Myerstown in Lebanon County. Type his name into Google, and the words Lyme disease will come up along with his name as a suggested search. What doesnt come up in this age of connectivity is a website or an official Facebook page.

Holder contacted Noonan and spent a few hours filling out paperwork in preparation for her first visit. Based solely on that paperwork, Noonan was almost certain he knew the cause of Holders persistent pain.

Just by my paperwork, he was 99.9 percent sure I had Lyme disease, she said.

Noonan ordered yet another test for Lyme disease, but this one was different. These test results went to a lab in California that specializes in tick-borne illnesses, a lab that is reputed to perform one of the most accurate tests in the country for Lyme disease.

It took three weeks for the test results to come back, but Holder finally had her answer on March 6 she had Lyme disease.

All these four tests that I had? I just assumed I didnt have Lyme disease because they all came back negative, but theyre called false negatives, Holder said.

Dr. Timothy Stonesifer of Cumberland Valley Parochial Medical Clinic in Shippensburg said he sees patients like Holder often. Doctor after doctor will diagnose other causes for their symptoms until one doctor is willing to do different blood testing.

We really dont have an accurate test, he said. The sad part is its the FDA-approved test.

Stonesifer said better testing would help with early detection and treatment. It could also help to define how persistent the disease is or determine whether extended use of antibiotics or the use of multiple antibiotics would be effective for some patients.

More funding for research is essential to finding that better test. Funding for Lyme disease at both the state and federal levels lags far behind funding dedicated to other health concerns.

I believe theres more money for leprosy and swimmers ear in the United States, Stonesifer said.

The road ahead

Holder started treatment on March 30. Noonan prescribed three antibiotics that she takes twice a day. She also takes a probiotic as well as another medication that affects the gel surrounding bacteria to allow the antibiotics to do their work.

Noonan told her that it would take at least five weeks before she would start to see results.

It was exactly five weeks until I felt relief, Holder said.

Eight weeks after the treatments started, Holder returned to Noonans office for a change to her antibiotic routine and to undergo an IV treatment.

Every six weeks, Holder travels to Myerstown to receive one bag of vitamin C and B vitamins to boost her immune system and a second bag containing a detox agent that allows the dead Lyme bacteria to be eliminated from the body. The whole process takes about two hours.

This will be the routine for the next six to nine months. Each treatment will cost $460, which is not covered by insurance, Holder said.

Speaking now, with a diagnosis and with a treatment plan, Holder almost sounds incredulous when she thinks about where her undiagnosed Lyme disease almost took her.

To take your life over something thats been misdiagnosed over three years? she asked

She knows now that her condition is treatable, but not curable. Its likely she could experience a flare-up in the future.

I can live right now with whats going on with me, Holder said.

Read more from the original source:
Living With Lyme: Diagnosis took three years for Carlisle woman - The Sentinel

Its a meditation garden. A plant-based restaurant. A culinary academy. And as of late, an educational institution.

Sacred Space Miami, a 12,000-square-foot center for healing and well-being, is partnering with the University of Miamis new Osher Center for Integrative Medicine to host a seven-part lecture series on topics like medicinal cannabis, gut health and mindfulness.

The Wynwood locales founder, Karla Dascal, said she's envisioned this type of partnership since she created Sacred Space 12 years ago. She will work with Osher Center Director Dr. Robert Schwartz, who shares her passion for alternative medicine.

Schwartz was named director of the new Osher Center in May as a result of a $5 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. Schwartz is also the chair of the UM Miller School of Medicines department of Family Medicine and Community Health, which educates students on topics similar to the sacred principles upon which Sacred Space was founded.

The sacred principles include nutrition, sleep, the mind and meditation. Dascal said the series will bring in evidence-based experts to break down these principles for the community. The series will be held on the second Thursday of the month through the remainder of the year and will focus on such topics as mindfulness, conquering emotional eating and sleep health.

By creating the wellness series, Dascal said she and Schwartz can help their community lead richer, more balanced lives.

The two met earlier this year when the doctor and his wife visited Sacred Spaces plant-based restaurant, Plant Food + Wine. They started chatting with Dascal and over time, found a mutual passion for integrative medicine. Schwartz said by combining alternative and conventional medicine, the integrative practices presented can give the community a better understanding of which alternative methods work.

UMs Miller School of Medicine has held similar public events through a program called iCamp, which hosted holistic boat cruises, acupuncture sessions and nutrition courses.

Dascal hopes that the series will grow in size. Since the space can hold up to 400 people, she said there is plenty of opportunity for the community to interact and learn.

The beauty of the space is that you can come here to dinner, come to the lecture, she said. You can meet other people who are doing similar things.

All events are held at Sacred Space Miami, 105 NE 24th St. The series is open to the public with tickets starting at $45. For tickets, visit consciouscityguide.com.

All events are held from 7 to 9 p.m. the second Thursday evening of the month at Sacred Space Miami, 105 NE 24th St. The series is open to the public with tickets starting at $45. For tickets, visit consciouscityguide.com.

The event on Thursday, July 13, will focus on Affirmative Health: Visualize, Verbalize, Actualize. The speaker will be Rebecca Hunton, M.D., MBA.

Read more here:
Sacred Space, University of Miami partner to educate community on wellness - Miami Herald

Michel Stevens of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., has been a chef for more than 35years. Its a profession that monopolizes her waking hours. Sometimes it infiltrates her sleeping ones, too.

I dream up recipes in my sleep, Michel wrote. Often my dreamtime recipes come out somewhat better than my waking recipes. My husband, John, thinks I should write a cookbook called Dream On: Adventures in Sleepcooking.

Over the last few days, Ive shared stories of how aggravating dreams about work can be. But sometimes good things happen.

[Eyes wide shut: Dreaming about work is as common as a coffee break]

As a computer engineer/programmer for over 40years, sometimes my work does find its way into my dreams, wrote Fred Myers of South Bend, Ind. Occasionally, Ill work out an approach to solving a problem in a dream, wake up, write it down, and then it actually pans out when I get to work. Very satisfactory.

Sheri Bellow, a licensed psychologist from Crofton, Md., has had similar experiences.

I can report that I wrote much of my doctoral dissertation while I slept, Sheri wrote. Id be immersed for hours each day in research and writing, often stopping when I reached a stumbling block, uncertain of what my next step would be. At that point, I was generally exhausted and would sleep, waking later with my first thoughts containing the solution to my quandary. I learned the importance of keeping pen and paper nearby while I slept.

Sleep: Theres a reason we spend a third of our lives doing it, even if we arent sure what that reason is.

It must be important, said Rachel Salas, a Johns Hopkins Medicine neurologist who studies sleep and treats sleep disorders. And if sleeping is important, that would suggest that dreaming is important.

But scientists arent sure exactly why.

There are a lot of theories out there, Salas said. The bottom line is we just dont know. There is some research suggesting that dreams are the brain processing or getting rid of unwanted memories, kind of consolidating memories as were sleeping.

On a biological level, sleep cleanses the cerebrospinal fluid in which the brain and spinal column bathe. If the fluid doesnt get cleaned, Salas said, theres a higher risk for developing Alzheimers disease or dementia.

Great, another thing to worry about as we try in vain to drift off to sleep.

As for dreams, some scientists think they can play a role in creativity. Theres some research showing that musicians have been inspired during their dreams and have actually composed music during sleep, Salas said.

So maybe those job dreams arent so bad, though I guess it depends on the job and the dream.

Most of us dream about four to six times a night, even if we dont remember those dreams when we wake up. Salas said research suggests that dreams about things that happened at work or home, or about people you know, occur during non-REM sleep, the type of sleep that accounts for about 75percent of our slumber.

REM sleep is a deeper sleep, but one in which the brain goes into overdrive. Brain activity during REM sleep resembles that in a waking brain.

Bizarre dreams, where were flying or talking to an alien and we believe it, those are more likely to be in REM sleep, Salas said.

REM sleep characterized by rapid-eye movement and increased heart rate and respiration is also the setting for an unsettling condition known as REM behavioral sleep disorder.

These people tend to be older over 50 and they start having these very vivid dreams, usually during REM sleep in the early morning, around 4a.m., Salas said. These people act out their dreams. In normal people our brain is kind of in check, otherwise we would all be acting out our dreams. These people, they lose that. They have violent dreams.

Salas said one of her patients fractured his clavicle during an episode.

People who suffer from depression or anxiety tend to have higher incidents of nightmares, Salas said. Some patients who have unsettling dreams can benefit from integrative medicine therapies, such as hypnotherapy, meditation and mindfulness.

Dreams may not mean anything, except to a Freudian. Even so, Salas said that if a patient comes to her and describes dreams of choking, suffocating or drowning, thats actually a red flag in my mind. It could suggest that person maybe is not breathing correctly and may have sleep apnea.

For the rest of us, work dreams may just be an inevitable, occasional nighttime visitor.

Talking in your sleep

Rachel Salas will be answering sleep-related questions from noon to 1p.m. Thursday during a Facebook chat. Visit facebook.com/johns.hopkins.medicine.

Bye for now

Heres what Im dreaming of: vacation. Im taking some time off to cleanse my cerebrospinal fluid. Look for me back in this space on July31. Until then, sweet dreams.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.

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Snooze you can use: Sleep is important, so dreams must be, too, right? - Washington Post

In a new set of rules, the Vatican outlawed gluten-free bread for Holy Communion. Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more. Buzz60

Pope Francis during the communion at the Easter Vigil mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in April.(Photo: Claudio Peri, EPA)

The expanding market for wine and bread used as part of Catholic masses prompted Pope Francis to remind priests and bishops across the world that gluten-free bread is a no-go when it comes to communion.

The pope issued a letter in mid-June saying all bread used during communion must have at least some gluten, anaturally occurring protein in wheat, whichis common in breads, pastas, cakes and cereals.

"Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist," wrote Cardinal Robert Sarah on behalf of the pope. Low-gluten hosts,he added, can be used, "provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread."

Church rules dictate bread used for communion must be recently made, be unleavened and made purely of wheat. Any other additions including fruit, sugar or honey make the bread unusable.

The directive was a reiteration of a 2003 missive from the church about thelegitimacy of holy wine and bread. At Catholic masses, congregants eat bread and drink wine, which signify the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

When and where someone was born could be an indicator to if they have celiac disease. Keleigh Nealon (@keleighnealon) has the story. Buzz60

Apart from the gluten rules, the churchallows for bread and wine made with genetically modified organisms and mustum, a type of grape juice.

Sarah said he issued the letter to help churches validate the bread and wine they're using.

"Until recently it was certain religious communities who took care of baking the bread and making the wine for the celebration of the Eucharist," the letter said. "Today, however, these materials are also sold in supermarkets and other stores and even over the Internet."

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The church's stance comes as more people adopt a gluten-free diet and itspromised health benefits.

A national study in 2016found about 2.7 million Americans avoid gluten, although just 1.8 million had celiac disease. People with celiac disease can endure damage to their small intestines if they eat gluten, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Yet the merits of a gluten-free diet have been challenged by researchers, some of which have chalked it up to a passing fad. Lynn Wagner, an integrative medicine specialist at BayCare Clinic in Wisconson, said people who choose gluten-free foods think they're beinghealthy, while reality suggests gluten-free foods offer little to no nutritious value.

Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman

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Pope Francis said gluten-free bread is a no-go when it comes to communion - USA TODAY

DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) The LymeSeq test could change the way you are tested for Lyme disease. They will be taking peoples blood later this month and they already have 80 participants.

The samples will be collected and brought to SUNY Adirondack Community College.

Tiny ticks, some as small as a poppy seed, can cause serious illness to those they attach to. Your blood is their food and now the Stram Center of Integrative Medicine, in part with Adirondack CC, wants to test your blood to find out if tick born diseases like Lyme disease can be detected in your DNA.

The new test is called LymeSeq.

People that might have had Lyme, tested positive, or have been treated for Lyme in the past and that just dont feel well or that feel that they may have Lyme disease, thats kind of what were looking for, Jennifer Mager NP, of the Stram Center, said.

If that applies to you, you might want to sign up for the clinical study.

Mager says the Western Blot Test currently used is deeply flawed.

Probably detects less than 50 percent of cases of Lyme disease.

The LymeSeq test will also detect other infections carried by ticks.

It also can detect some of the big co-infections that were seeing and that can be just as if not more problematic than Lyme.

In Virginia, doctors must tell patients that get a negative Western Blot result that that doesnt mean they dont have Lyme disease.

We see so many sick people with Lyme disease and a lot of people never have ever had a positive test but have multiple known tick bites in their history.

New York State Health Department Research Scientist Bryon Backenson says he believes errors are made in regards to when patients receive the test.

I think often we get a lot of negatives because the test is done a little bit too early, but again, it is sort of what we have so far, and if theres a better way to test for Lyme disease that gives good consistent results, wed be all for it, Backenson said.

Information from the CDC.

The clinical study is being held on July 27 at the Stram Center in Delmar.

Call 518-689-2244 ext.*108 to arrange an appointment. Appointments are preferred, but a limited number of walk-ins will be accommodated as time allows.

For inquiries, please contact the Stram Center atlymelab@stramcenter.com.

Learn more about ticks and tick prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Clinical trial being held for Lyme disease test - wwlp.com

Pictured: Dr. Mike Lewis, owner of Orlando Spine and Joint Integrated Medical Centers (left) and Aurelia Cole, President-Designate of the Kiwanis Club of Clermont

Dr. Mike Lewis, owner of Orlando Spine and Joint Integrated Medical Centers, was the guest speaker at the Kiwanis Club of Clermont on June 27, 2017. Dr. Lewis explained that Integrative Medicine (IM) is a healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between the physician and the patient and makes use of all appropriate therapies. Lewis practice has two locations, one in Clermont and another in Winter Haven, Florida. He talked about the latest technology and procedures and non-surgical options for treatment of musculoskeletal issues such as herniated discs, osteoarthritis, rotator cuff problems and many more conditions. Dr. Lewis said that Orlando Spine and Joint offers treatments such as non-surgical Spinal Decompression, Guided Joint Injections, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Bone Marrow Stem Cells and many more. As a clinic that focuses on surgery avoidance and pain relief, he is excited about a new, non-surgical, minimally invasive, alternative that has helped thousands of individuals worldwide find lasting relief from their Osteoarthritis knee pain and that this same knee procedure can be applied to the shoulder and hip to help those who are looking for options other than surgery. For more information on these treatments please contact Dr. Lewis at (407) 614 5900. At the conclusion of his presentation, President Designate, Aurelia Cole, thanked Dr. Lewis for his very informative discussion.

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Kiwanis Club of Clermont - The Clermont News Leader

July 07, 2017

Yoga classes designed to address lower back pain produced results similar to physical therapy for people with chronic lower back pain, a Boston Medical Center study has found.

The large impact of chronic low back pain on suffering, disability and cost means we need to explore other treatment models that can offer relief, and our study indicates that yoga classes tailored to back pain patients may be a safe and effective option, said Robert Saper, M.D., MPH, study author, family physician and director of integrative medicine at BMC.

The study included 320 adults with chronic lower back pain. Participants were divided into two groups and were observed over a 12-week study period and a 40-week maintenance period.

Participants in the yoga group took a weekly class for the first period, and then they attended drop-in classes or practiced at home in the second period. Those in the physical therapy group went to 15 sessions in the first period, and then they went to booster sessions or did exercises at home for the second session.

After the three months of more intensive treatment and the nine more months of maintenance treatment, study participants in each treatment group expressed similar satisfaction with the treatment and their pain levels.

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, has posted information about yoga and tips for older adults on its website.

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Yoga proves to be effective treatment for chronic lower back pain - McKnight's Senior Living

By Deepak Chopra, MD, William C Bushell, PhD, Ryan Castle, David Vago, PhD, Mark Lambert, Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D.

Ten years ago researchers began to focus on inflammation as a link to disease. They stood out in that they did not emphasize the acute redness and swelling that accompanies the site of a wound or burn as it heals, which is known as acute inflammation. Rather, they discovered clues were leading to something more subtle a low-grade, chronic inflammation that has few if any overt symptoms. This kind of everyday inflammation has now been linked to an overwhelming majority of serious lifestyle disorders, including hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers disease and most cancers. What was an intriguing trend ten years ago is now being recognized as major global epidemic, all the more dangerous because it is invisible.

We encourage you to read the first post we wrote last week in order to gain more basic knowledge about chronic inflammation. Going past lifestyle disorders, chronic inflammation may be the key to aging. In addition, numerous inflammation-related genes have been linked to susceptibility to most age-related diseases, such as those mentioned above. The chemical markers in the bloodstream that serve to indicate inflammation are associated with the aging body and cellular death. Already some gerontologists are floating the idea that inflammation may be the largest contributor to aging. If this turns out to be right it will greatly simplify a complex subject, because two aspects of aging have traditionally made it very hard to grasp medically.

First, the deterioration of the body over time is not a straight line but an unpredictable set of changes that look different in everyone. Second, no single process can be pinned down as aging by itself. The common signs of aging, such as losing muscle strength, defects in memory, and moving more slowly - not to mention medical conditions like arthritis and dimmed eyesight are related to many different processes and don't appear in every elderly person. In fact, there are at least a few cases where these changes are at least temporarily reversed; there are even people who get stronger and have better memories as the years go by. Chronic inflammation has the possibility to simplify this scenario, in part by exploring the common factor that so many seemingly unrelated aging processes share.

Another connection with aging is centered on the immune system. When you were young, your immune system was very specific, precise, and targeted as it met invading pathogens (i.e., bacteria and viruses). This precision sets human beings apart from lower rungs on the evolutionary ladder where immunity is very general and diffuse. Instead of being precise, a diffuse immune system sends the same chemicals in various doses to spots of injury and disease. There is no precise targeting. As we age, our immune system loses the precision of youth, and because inflammation is the most general type of response to pathogens, the body begins to indiscriminately secrete inflammatory chemicals that injure its own cells rather than healing them. If this goes on long enough, damaging feedback loops are set up that turn diffuse immunity into a pattern. This exacerbates the damage to cells throughout your body, accelerating cellular death. This complex syndrome has been labeled "InflammAging." The glia cells in the brain that normally nurture and support nerve cells can instead attack nerve cells in bouts of neurology-inflammation.

Chronic inflammation takes years or even decades before visible damage or disease symptoms appear. This means that to reverse the process individuals must dedicate significant time. No one can do that without turning anti-inflammation into a lifestyle that feels as easy and natural as their present lifestyle. The most basic changes involve going down the list of things that create inflammation and doing the opposite instead. The result looks something like the following:

A balanced lifestyle without extreme changes.

A natural whole foods diet.

Paying attention to everyday activity, including walking and standing.

Absence of emotional upset, anxiety, and depression.

Solid family and community support.

Feeling loved and wanted.

A calm, unconflicted mind.

Nothing here is a surprise, but the distinction lies in understanding these changes are not just positive in some general way, they could literally save your life. It would appear that stress is extremely important because our response to everyday stress directly leads to stress on cells, and stressed cells produce the biochemicals that indicate inflammation. It is now well known that psychosocial stress may also significantly exacerbate many forms of disease pathology, including psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. Stress can actually produce chemicals that are toxic to nerve cells in the brain, such as cortisol. It has been theorized that the most serious form of depression, Major Depressive Disorder, could be considered an inflammatory disease.

This and other clues relate to aging, in that it takes smaller stresses to agitate older people, and they recover from them more slowly. What if this is the result of longstanding inflammatory feedback loops? There are numerous psychosocial causes for increase inflammation in the elderly, and there are age-specific types of depression. Being able to trace these conditions to a single cause would be very beneficial.

If stress and inflammation are the joint villains in aging and disease, the top priority in making lifestyle changes should be anti-stress. It is ironic that millions of people who willingly undertake improving their diet and exercise put a low priority on everyday stress, enduring routine pressures at home and work. In an exciting development, a growing body of literature has suggested systematic forms of mental training associated with meditation practice, good diet and sleep habits, and daily exercise, may improve clinical outcomes through an anti-inflammatory mechanism. It has been suggested previously that specific forms of meditation practice can indeed engage and modulate vagal tone through what has been coined, the relaxation response - a volitional state in which physiological recovery from psychosocial stress is facilitated. Much progress has been made in the last decade to identify potential neuroanatomical and network- based physiological changes due to mindfulness and other styles of meditation training.

We've outlined the main points of a new picture of aging and disease. Research is ongoing, and by no means do aging researchers all agree on inflammation as the root cause of aging. For one thing, inflammation, being necessary for the healing response, is a beneficial process as well as a harmful one, and discriminating between the two is complex. Second, the presence of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, some would argue, is a symptom of stressed, dying cells, not the cause. However these issues resolve themselves in the future, the damaging effects of low-grade chronic stress are indisputable already. More in-depth research into the complex systems of the body and its inflammatory response are needed to determine these surprisingly fundamental questions.

A lifestyle aimed at countering inflammation has been described in detail in the book, Super Genes, and is a central part of the upcoming book by Deepak Chopra and Rudy E. Tanzi, The Healing Self. There you will find an in-depth discussion as well as a lifestyle program that addresses this vital topic.

Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder ofThe Chopra Foundationand co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Chopra is the author of more than 80 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His latest books areSuper Genesco-authored with Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D. and Quantum Healing (Revised and Updated): Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine. http://www.deepakchopra.com

William C Bushell, PhD, Biophysical Anthropology, MIT is the Director of Research at ISHAR and has been researching mind-body phenomena for over three decades, focusing on the field of consciousness studies around the world as a biological, medical, and psychological anthropologist affiliated with Columbia, Harvard, and MIT.

Ryan Castle, Executive Director of ISHAR, specializes in research analysis and whole systems integration. He is an advocate for open-access science and multidisciplinary approaches.

David Vago, PhD, is Research Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Associate professor, department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Associate professor, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Research associate, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Mark Lambert, Project Manager and Director of Innovation for the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and supported Dr. Kevin Tracey as Chief of Staff for the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. is the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and Vice Chair of Neurology at Mass. General Hospital. Dr. Tanzi is the co-author with Deepak Chopra of the New York Times bestseller, Super Brain, and an internationally acclaimed expert on Alzheimer disease. He was included in TIME Magazine's "TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World".

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Is Inflammation the Key to Aging? - HuffPost

New Patient FAQs Is the doctor a primary care physician?

Dr. Rimma Sherman is trained as a primary care physician and would be happy to provide acute care services. She will work with you closely as a consultant and coach in preventive, nutritional and integrative medicine to help you address the roots of chronic health problems.

MOST OF THE TESTING can be performed at the Integrative Medicine of New Jersey. Some testing can be done through conventional laboratories and others are only available through specialty laboratories. During your medical consultation, Dr. Sherman will determine which tests are needed and then our nurses will review testing recommendations, instructions (for instance, fasting or non-fasting, etc.) and costs.

Your financial resources, and how much testing you want to do, are taken into account and the plan for testing is reviewed with you. Testing is frequently done to assess nutritional status including amino acids, fatty acids, oxidative stress, vitamin levels, mitochondrial function, food allergies, and heavy metals. Many other tests are available, including genetic testing for a variety of conditions, hormone evaluations, bone health, gastrointestinal health, adrenal function, neurotransmitters and many others.

Some testing can be performed at home with test kits to collect urine, saliva or stool. Others may require you to go to a local laboratory to draw the blood. We also have an on-site phlebotomist for your convenience. In all cases, we will assist you in coordinating initial and follow-up testing.

While the testing gives a more complete picture of your status, effective care can be implemented without it, or testing can be done over time. You should not let this prevent you from seeing Dr. Rimma Sherman.

YES, DR. RIMMA SHERMANS MEDICAL license requires that she meet with a patient in order to provide an initial medical consultation, and there is no substitute for that initial doctor-patient connection. Follow-up appointments can be arranged by phone or in the office.

Dr. Rimma Sherman can, and does, prescribe medications whenever necessary. She is fully licensed and Board-certified.

Integrative Medicine of New Jersey works exclusively as an out-of-network provider for commercial plans. We charge a pre-paid amount based on the type of service, and will submit a claim on your behalf to your insurance company. We cannot assure you that services (office visits, phone consultations or lab tests) will be reimbursed. If insurance reimburses us, we will forward that on to you within 30 days. Some insurance carriers may cover medical services and laboratory tests performed by Dr. Sherman. Payment in full by check, cash or credit card is due at the time services are provided.

In an effort to help patients obtain and maintain life-long health and wellness, Dr. Rimma Sherman addresses the root cause of symptoms and corrects health ailments naturally rather than merely masking symptoms with drugs.

Dr. Sherman uses an innovative systems approach to assessing and treating your health care concerns. Perhaps you have experienced being examined by your doctor, having blood tests done, x-rays or other diagnostic tests taken, only for your doctor to report back that all your tests are normal. Yet, both you and your doctor know that you are sick. Unfortunately, this experience is all too common.

Most physicians were trained to look only in specific places for the answers, using the same familiar labs or diagnostic tests. Yet, many causes of illness cannot be found in these places. The usual tests do not look for food allergies, hidden infections, environmental toxins, mold exposures, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances. New gene testing can uncover underlying genetic predispositions that can be modified through diet, lifestyle, supplements or medications.

Dr. Rimma Sherman uses such testing to help her patients prevent illness and recover from many chronic and difficult to treat conditions. She is highly skilled in evaluating, assessing and treating chronic problems such as fibromyalgia, fatigue syndromes, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, mood and behavior disorders, memory problems, Parkinsons disease and other chronic, complex conditions. She also focus on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, hormonal imbalances and digestive disorders.

THE INITIAL VISIT will include a 60-minute medical consultation with Dr. Rimma Sherman. Initial 60-minute MD consultation: $400.00 MD Office Visit or Phone Follow-up 60-Minutes: $400 MD Office Visit or Phone Follow-up 30-Minutes: $250 Nutritionist Office Visit or Phone Follow-up 60-Minutes: $180 Nutritionist Office Visit or Phone Follow-up 30-Minutes: $100 For more information about our fees, see our Practice Policies.

YES, WE DO RECOMMEND that all our patients see our nutritionist. It is very important to review the food allergies with our nutritionist once they become available, because the situation can be very complicated and hard to manage without assistance. Nutritionists have different points of view reflecting different standards. The Nutritionist at Integrative Medicine of New Jersey works in collaboration with Dr. Sherman and makes recommendations based on Dr. Shermans opinions.

WE ACCEPT THE following credit cards:

MasterCard Visa It is important to maintain an active credit card on file with our office for billing of follow-up consultations, laboratory testing, and other services. Payment is expected at time of service.

YOU SHOULD BRING all your vitamins and medicines in their original containers if possible. Old medical records are also very helpful, but if possible, these should be sent prior to the appointment.

Integrative Medicine of New Jersey is located in Livingston, New Jersey, across from Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark, NJ) is approximately 25 minutes and John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, NY) is approximately 60 minutes from our office. For your convenience, we have selected various local hotels and inns. They are all included in the New Patient Packet, along with directions to our office that you will be receiving.

OUR PHONE NUMBER at Integrative Medicine of New Jersey is: (973) 736-5300. Our email address for general inquiries is Inquiries@IntegrativeMedicineofNJ.com. All questions and concerns can be communicated via email to: Inquiries: (Inquiries@IntegrativeMedicineofNJ.com) Supplements: (Supplements@IntegrativeMedicineofNJ.com) Nutritionist: (Nutritionist@IntegrativeMedicineofNJ.com)

Nutritional therapy is a vital component of your treatment plan. Following your initial medical consultation, you will meet with our nutritionist. She will provide recommendations based on your health concerns and tailor your diet based on medical evaluation and test results. You will follow-up with a nutritionist in person, by phone or email consultations.

You only need to come to the office for the first visit. After that you can do your follow up appointments by phone.

Chance favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur

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FAQ | Integrative Medicine of New Jersey

Avita Integrative Care (On the forefront of comprehensive mental health practice) recently announced the opening of its second office, conveniently located in Fort Lee. A quietly warm and comforting environment welcomes you, and Avita offers a great deal more than your typical psychology practice. If you are looking for a wider range of psychological services, Avita has combined some powerful and specialized counseling and allied counseling services under a canopy of care to serve and benefit both individuals and families.

The dynamic, compassionate and pro-active team is led by Kaman Khodik, Psy.D., whose vision for comprehensive mental health care seems to know no limits. He integrates what each person expresses with what they truly need, then gently yet firmly creates a flow of information and skills that converge to transform problems into healthy, life-altering solutions and pathways. Khodik spent many years in facilitating positive change and organizational optimization at some of the most prominent global corporations, such as McKinsey & Company, the World Bank and the Credit Suisse Group. Dr. Khodik currently serves as the director of psychological and psychophysiological services at Avita Integrative Care, LLC, a practice dedicated to providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to various disorders related to anxiety, emotional dysregulation and poor stress resilience.

With formal training in several theoretical orientations including long-term and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, biofeedback and evidence-based drug and alcohol counseling, Dr. Khodik integrates treatment strategies to best fit each patients unique needs. He can also integrate spirituality into his professional work through his own spiritual journey and current practice. So he is uniquely positioned to help patients explore openly their relationships with the sacred and overcome their spiritual struggles, and guide them to reaching an integrated sense of self. Khodik speaks fluent Russian and has international, multicultural exposure; so he is also skilled in providing a culturally sensitive approach. This allows patients to freely express themselves and explore their conflicts, while creating real and sustainable change. His keen abilities to identify and address the operative factors in a persons internal battleground provide the gentle yet firm guidance towards understanding and resolving the issues that have become an obstacle to living their optimum life.

A ZocDoc rating states: My appointment with Dr. Khodik went great. Dr. Khodik made me feel comfortable and safe. At the end of our session, which was very pleasant, he outlined the course of treatment we should take. I have been to other therapists, but I would rate Dr. Khodik as the top one for making me feel safe and comfortable to share my thoughts and feelings. I genuinely felt better after the session. I cant wait to come back.

Khodiks vision of care advances the important perspective of a diversified approach to certain types of issues. To this purpose, he has assembled a team of specialists that will promote each clients personal needs to the best and highest good. Since so many people are challenged by multiple issuessome psychological, some situational, some spiritual, and others medical or health-relatedwe know that multiple issues can affect each other, adding to the severity of any of them.

To accommodate this frequent scenario, Avita Integrative Care has engaged the compassionate and highly effective expertise of Ellie Wolf, MS, BCB, Fellow BCIA, a seasoned biofeedback practitioner. Ellies reputation is well established in some of the most highly respected health care institutions in the country. Formerly senior biofeedback provider at the Pain Management Center of RIC (the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, rated as the top rehab hospital in the country for almost 30 years in a row), and later at the Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine of Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago, she brings a portfolio of success and skills in biofeedback treatment to the Avita family of practitioners. She has also worked with NFL and MLB professionals; Olympic, collegiate and elite athletes; and professional dancers and musicians. Endorsed strongly by her former colleagues and patients, here is what people are saying:

I have had the tremendous opportunity to learn from Ellie how to employ the powerful impact of biofeedback as an adjunct in controlling procedure-related pain. Many of my patients require bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, which can be a very painful experience. Biofeedback provides patients a way to focus their attention towards achieving a state of calm self-management, both physically and mentally. The patient feels more in control, reporting less discomfort. This also renders the procedure much easier for me, as the doctor, to perform.Dr. Marlon Kleinman, MD, medical hematologist/oncologist, 2016

Thank you for all of the positive support and biofeedback for my back pain resulting from multiple myeloma. My average pain dropped from 8 out of 10 to an easily manageable average of 0-3. I no longer need to wear a back brace or walk with a cane, and am finally off of the addictive narcotic pain meds that were running my life for five years! I am indebted to you for empowering me to get back into the pilot seat of my life.Mike F., 2016

I work in a fast-paced and stressful environment [the NFL]. The biofeedback work with Ellie Wolf helped me to control my reaction to the stress and be more productive. And it has certainly helped me to enjoy the work so much more!Bob L. Sept. 2016

Biofeedback involves the use of non-invasive, externally applied physiological monitoring technology that identifies a persons stress markers. Most biofeedback technology has been around for 50 or more years, so we have a huge body of normative data that tells us whether a person is within or outside the normal ranges. Stress markers can tell us whether a persons body is expressing inordinate or prolonged levels of stress that have been highly correlated to compromised health and reduced immune system function. High stress is also linked to compromised cognitive ability and poor or limited work and academic performance.

Emerging areas of great success using biofeedback involve the spheres of occupational performance, test-taking anxiety, post-concussion recovery, fibromyalgia, addictive behaviors (like eating, drug abuse and smoking), chemical addictions and autoimmune disorders (POTS and the spectrum of dysautonomiaincluding Lyme disease, and various GI disorders). Biofeedback has shown amazing promise in these areas and new studies appear regularly.

Avita offers a discounted mini-session for those who would like to try before you buy. Contact Avita to set up your 30-minute mini-session. No prescription or referral required. Come and experience how this amazing science can change your life forever, relieve and resolve many symptoms of headaches, pain and compromised health, and bolster your school, work or athletic performance.

Avita Integrative Care has also stepped up as a trailblazer to meet a vastly distinctive and almost universally challenging life event: the break-up of a marriage. Especially when children are involved, divorce can be one of lifes most difficult and disheartening crossings. Avita Integrative Care understands this reality, and has engaged the highly specialized divorce counseling and mediation expertise of Maryana Kanda, LSW, APM (Accredited Professional Mediator).

Since divorce is one of the top five stressful events in ones life; it is also a time when people make some of the most difficult and important decisions (for themselves, and their children, if applicable). Each year thousands of lives are disrupted and destroyed by the negative and sometimes devastating effects of a litigated divorce. To Avita Integrative Care, you are caring individuals who have come for support and guidance at a time when your high stress level and flaring emotions could impact your ability to make the right choices for yourself and your family. Kanda facilitates the divorce process with sensibility and sensitivityuntethered from partialityto help you see that there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

Here is a testimonial from a respected attorney: I have worked with Maryana on a number of mediations, and as post-mediation counsel for one of the parties. I have found her work to be thoughtful, sensitive and thorough. Maryana takes the time to understand peoples needs and wants, and helps them understand the difference. She is family-centered and helps each party leave the mediation with their dignity and self-respect intact.

Kanda cites a time-honored quote from one of Americas foremost attorneys as a banner for her practice: Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loserin fees, expenses and waste of time.Abraham Lincoln, 1850.

Here is Kandas special offer to Jewish Link readers: Take advantage of our Grand Opening invitation: free 30-minute consultation to learn how Kanda can serve the best interests of your family or a friend you refer. Just mention the Jewish Link.

You can reach Dr. Khodik, Ellie Wolf or Maryana Kanda via email at [emailprotected] or by calling 888-242-2732.

Read more from the original source:
Avita Integrative Care: On the Forefront of Comprehensive Mental Health Practice - Jewish Link of New Jersey

Park CityBackcountry is pleased to announce that Pete LaBore, Chief Operating Officer of Backcountry, is joining Ski Utahs 2017 Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2017. He will serve a three-year term expiring June 30, 2020. As COO, LaBore manages Backcountrys domestic and international Operations, Customer Service, Marketing and Merchandising teams. LaBore earned his B.A. in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and his MBA in Strategy & Marketing from the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business.

Salt Lake CityWesTech Engineering, Inc. announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Ralph Cutler, PE, MBA, as president. Cutler, who currently serves as WesTechs Vice President of Industrial Products and Sales, will take on the new role effective July 1. Rex Plaizier, who has been serving as both chief executive officer and president, will continue in his role as CEO. Cutler, who holds civil engineering and MBA degrees from the University of Utah, joined WesTech in 1982. He worked to design, manage, and implement municipal and industrial water solutions for clients globally. Later, he supervised both industrial sedimentation and filtration groups before rising to the rank of Vice President of Industrial Products and Sales. Cutler is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Salt Lake CityThe University of Utah announced that Elaine Clark, professor of educational psychology at the U, has accepted the appointment as the new dean of the College of Education. For a seamless transition, Clark will begin July 1 as the current dean, Mara Frnquiz, moves to her new position as deputy chief academic officer for Faculty Development and Innovation. Clark has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Educational Psychology since 1983. She served as the director of the school psychology program for 21 years and department chair for six. She has dedicated her career to the development of applied research and the preparation of school psychologists to provide effective services to individuals who have significant social, emotional and learning challenges, in particular, those with an autism spectrum disorder. Clark has served as the president of the Society for the Study of School Psychology and is a member of the American Psychological Association Board of Professional Affairs. She has also served in offices within the state, including the Utah Association of School Psychologists and Utah Psychological Association.

Salt Lake CityProject Control, Inc. announces the addition of Chad Jones as the leader of their Public-Sector Construction Management division. Jones has 20 years of experience and has successfully managed more than $1 billion worth of complex design and construction projects for building owners and public municipalities across the country. Having worked as both an architect and a contractor, he knows how to best assist our clients in delivering successful construction projects.

Silicon SlopesTeem, a developer of cloud-based meeting tools and workplace analytics that aid in helping companies collaborate more effectively, announced that Derek Newbold has joined the company as its new Chief Technology Officer. Newbold brings over 20 years of enterprise software management, architecture and development experience to Teem. Newbold will be responsible for managing Teems product infrastructure and will add input to the companys overall vision and day-to-day operations. Prior to joining Teem, Newbold held the same title at InMoment, where he recently led the product and development team in building a product suite that earned the company the top rank for strategy in the 2017 Forrester WaveTM Customer Feedback Management Report. In addition, he helped the company earn Stevie Awards three years in a row, most recently for Best Product of the Year. He also received a BA in Computer Science and Software Development at the University of Utah. Teems addition of Newbold is just the latest in a string of significant wins for the company.

Salt Lake CityThe Gateway Aesthetic Institute and Laser Center is the worlds largest dedicated cosmetic laser center specializing in a full spectrum of cosmetic and laser skin treatments. Margaret (Maggie) Jahries, APRN, who has had a wellness and integrative medicine practice in Park City, has moved her practice to the Gateway Emerging Technologies Medical Clinic. She specializes in physical and emotional wellness, particularly at a cellular level. Jahries has extensive certifications and experience in comprehensive lab evaluations, bioidentical hormone optimization, and IV nutritional and stem cell therapies.

Salt Lake CityColdwell Banker Commercial Advisors (CBC Advisors) is pleased to announce that Camron Wright has joined the firms office division as Vice President. Wright has built his career finding innovative, dynamic opportunities in the technology and entrepreneurial sectors for more than 20 years. He has been involved in and advised various businesses and startups on investment strategy through building growth plans, efficiency improvement, organizational management and optimizing company culture. Prior to joining CBC Advisors, Wright served as CEO of OnlineImage and President of PC Innovation Computers.

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People on the Move - Utah Business

Dr. Brian Barber opens direct primary care practice, Amazing Grace Family Medicine, in Perry Township

When Dr. Brian Barber opened Amazing Grace Family Medicine in Perry Township in February, the vision for what he wanted his practice to stand for was clear.

Amazing Grace Family Medicine is a different kind of medical practice, he said. We are a faith-based, Christian medical office dedicated to treating the whole person, from the physical, emotional and spiritual standpoint. Traditional and alternative medical care is provided in our comfortable office using an integrative approach to your health. We provide cost-effective, personalized services that are simply not available at other primary care medical offices.

Having worked for a large hospital network in the past, Barber said he felt there had to be a better model.

If youre seeing 30 patients a day and you have 10, 15 minutes with each patient, he said, its hard to go into I see youre blood pressure is out of control, lets talk about what you eat. How much exercise do you do? Have you seen a personal trainer? Lets talk about your daily routine. Lets make sure youre potassium and sodium is fine. You cant treat a whole person in 10 minutes because you cant get to know a whole person in 10 minutes.

Barber spends an hour with new patients, and typically half an hour for follow-ups. Clients pay $100 a month and receive unlimited visits with labs included.

I like to explain it to patients that its like a health club, he said. You pay $100 a month. You come in when you want to. You have services available to you a la carte. We can get you a chiropractor. We do dry needle acupuncture. We have a weight loss program called Control, where you pay for 16 weeks and at the end of the period if youre the person who lost the most, you get cash I dont bill your insurance. Were not a rich mans healthcare system. Were geared toward that $50 70,000 household income range, towards those middle income families that have high deductible healthcare plans and an HSA card.

Barber said direct primary care is a growing trade, with a 25 percent increase in these businesses opening in the past year.

The message we want to get across is its affordable, he said. The holistic approach to healthcare, integrated medicine, the affordability and extended time period with the doctor is all part of the philosophy.

Why did you open this business?

I wanted to provide a faith-based alternative to the insurance-driven, 10-minute visit rat race that has become healthcare.

What did you do to prepare for opening your business?

I did research to determine the demographics of patients I would be serving, I read marketing studies that looked at how many physicians were available to the population, and I looked for a practice in close proximity to our church.

Who is your ideal customer/client?

A family with a high-deductible health plan who values their faith, or someone who wants to be treated as a whole person and not just receive the 10-minute and out the door.

How do you plan to be successful?

By reaching out to individuals and employers to offer low-cost, quality healthcare and use social media and word-of-mouth to spread the word.

What would we be surprised to learn about you or your company?

We offer alternative treatments such as acupuncture/dry needling, personal training, and Christian counseling to help treat the whole person.

Amazing Grace Family Medicine

R. Brian Barber, M.D.

6349 S. East St.

Indianapolis IN 46227

(317) 735-1727

drbarber@agfm1.com

amazinggracemd.com

Haunts & Jaunts: Just a good scary story?

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Treating the whole person - Southside Times

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Diabetes and obesity researcher Charles Burant, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the new director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at Michigan Medicine.

He succeeds distinguished neurology professor Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., who for 10 years served as founding director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, the only organization of its kind created expressly to support medical doctors who also perform research in the quest for new treatments and cures.

Through the gift of A. Alfred Taubman and the generous contributions of others, the Institute has created a community of scholars who work collaboratively to advance discovery in many medical fields.

Burant is Michigan Medicines Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Professor of Metabolism endowed chair, and professor of internal medicine in the department of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes. He also is a professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology in the U-M Medical School, as well as in the U-M Schools of Public Health and Kinesiology.

Burant developed and is director of the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center, which provides infrastructure and expertise for researchers across the country to perform basic and clinical research in metabolism, obesity and diabetes. His personal research program studies how individual differences inmetabolism affect longevity and risk for metabolic diseases, spanning the range from basic to translational to clinical research.

Charles Burant, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Burant will be instrumental in implementing the strategies and priorities of the Taubman Institute. His broad expertise, experience in creating collaborative research teams, and commitment to discovery and innovation will help propel the Taubman Institute to new heights in research discovery to advance the understanding of health and disease, leading to new medical treatments, says Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the U-M Medical School, and executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan.

We remain very grateful to the Taubman family for their continued support to make new discoveries possible.

Burant earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He then completed a residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and a fellowship in endocrinology at the University of Chicago before joining the U-M faculty in 1999.

About Michigan Medicine:At Michigan Medicine, we create the future of healthcare through the discovery of new knowledge for the benefit of patients and society; educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists; and serve the health needs of our citizens. We pursue excellence every day in our three hospitals, 125 clinics and home care operations that handle more than 2.1 million outpatient visits a year. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research funding of more than $470 million. More information is available at http://www.michiganmedicine.org (link is external)

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Prominent diabetes researcher chosen to lead A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute - University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

Sidney Health Center is pleased to announce the successful recruit of Lisa Rosa-R, M.D. Dr. Rosa-R joins the medical staff as a family medicine physician.

Dr. Rosa-R, who is American Board Certified in family medicine, provides a wide range of primary care services to people of all ages.

Her scope of practice includes diagnosing and treating illnesses, managing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma as well as providing preventive care such as routine checkups, health-risk assessments and screening tests for men, women and children.

Dr. Rosa-R has 30 years of experience in the medical field working as a family physician in the state of Georgia. The last 10 years she has incorporated integrative medicine into her scope of practice. Integrative medicine emphasizes the integration of complementary and alternative medicine approaches with conventional medicine.

Dr. Rosa-R graduated with a bachelor of science in mathematics from the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. She went onto become a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Seville in Seville, Spain and then completed her residency in family practice at Saint Mary Hospital in Hoboken, N.J. as well as completing a Fellowship in Family Medicine at Bronx-Lebanon Albert Einstein College of New York, NY.

Dr. Rose-R is fluent in English and Spanish. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Rosa-R, please call her office at 406-488-2231 at the Sidney Health Center Clinic, Suite #110.

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Sidney Health Center announces new family medicine physician - Sidney Herald Leader

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Dr. Nielsens innovative approach to treating a variety of medical concerns begins as soon as you walk through the door. One of the hallmarks that sets Dr. Nielsen apart from other physicians is the amount of time she spends getting to know you and discussing your concerns. Your questions will be answered and you will leave with the comfort of knowing that you are receiving a higher level of medical care than you have experienced in the past. Physician services include:

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Integrative Medicine | Carin Nielsen, MD Serving Northern ...