Readers of Holistic Primary Care are giving a big boost to the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), a landmark placebo-controlled study funded by the National Institutes of Health to determine whether chelation therapy can prevent heart attacks.
A wealth of studies in recent years have underscored the health threats posed by vitamin D deficiency. But considerable debate has raged over which form of the vitamin is the best for supplementation. Many clinicians believe that vitamin D3, derived from fish and other animal sources, is more potent than D2, the “vegetarian” form. But new data suggest that may not be true.
Chronic recurrent abdominal pain is very common in children. Fortunately, the majority of kids with this problem will respond well to combinations of herbal therapies, dietary changes, and biofeedback, reports Joy Weidert, MD. This is a far safer approach than wanton use of antispasmodics, anti-depressants or other drugs that have little evidence to support their use for abdominal pain in kids.
Despite the rapid growth of public interest in holistic medicine, and broader acceptance in medical circles, most Americans are hard-pressed to find physicians who provide comprehensive holistic care. Because most holistic services are not covered by insurance, doctors are obliged to develop new practice models outside the insurance framework. Fee-for-service and concierge care hold great appeal, but also present significant challenges.
Homeopathy can benefit many patients with depression, especially women. Dr. Lauri Grossman, a chiropractor and homeopath outlines key remedies for managing depression.
Perfectionism, competitiveness, and a sometimes overwhelming desire to do good are very common personality traits among people drawn to a career in medicine. Unfortunately, these very traits can wreak havoc in physicians’ personal and professional lives. Beneath the drive to know everything and always make the right treatment decisions is often a deep insecurity. Dr. Lee Lipsenthal explores the hidden fears underneath the mask of medical authority.
The potential dangers associated with traditional Chinese botanical medicine are highly overstated in the media, said Michael Arnold, MD, a physician and Chinese medicine practitioner. When used properly under guidance of a qualified practitioner, TCM herbs are quite safe and effective. Failure to properly understand the complexities of Chinese herbal science, and overt misuse of certain herbs like ephedra, are the real dangers.
Thyroid hormone plays a central role in energy metabolism and immune competence. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism is essential to restoring health. But most physicians rely too much on questionably reliable blood tests, and not enough on what their eyes and their patients are telling them. This photo gallery, compiled by Roby Mitchell, MD, reveals the common clinical signs of hypothyroidism.
Chelation therapy to prevent heart attacks has never been accepted by mainstream cardiologists, but it is popular none the less, and increasingly so in the wake of trials questioning the value of drug-eluting stents. The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), a $30 million NIH-sponsored study, will hopefully provide definitive answers on whether chelation has a rightful place in heart disease prevention.
Thyroid hormone plays a central role in energy metabolism and immune competence. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism is essential to restoring health. But most physicians rely too much on questionably reliable blood tests, and not enough on what their eyes and their patients are telling them. This photo gallery, compiled by Roby Mitchell, MD, reveals the common clinical signs of hypothyroidism.
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