Psyche, Soma & Spirit

For Depression, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Shouldn’t Just Be a Last Resort

By ichael C. Marone

(This article was originally pubished on Dec. 11, 2025, on Undark) For decades, the treatment of clinical depression has followed the same outdated flow chart: Try one antidepressant, then another, then a combination, then maybe just one more. Finally, when all pharmaceutical attempts fail, consider other approaches. This protocol, called step therapy, has come under […]

To Help Patients Sleep, Ask the Right Questions

By Ron Grisanti, DC, Contributing Writer

Conventional medicine tends to view insomnia as an isolated problem — a nuisance symptom to be ameliorated. The solutions offered usually fall into three categories: Basic sleep hygiene advice: Recommendations like reducing screen time, keeping the bedroom dark, or sticking to a bedtime routine are helpful, but they are rarely enough on their own. For […]

Noise: Not Just a Nuisance, It’s a Public Health Risk

By Erik Goldman

Back at the turn of the 20th Century, physician-bacteriologist Robert Koch predicted that, “One day, man will have to fight noise as fiercely as cholera and the plague.” That day is definitely upon us. The detrimental impact of noise goes far beyond the obvious problem of hearing loss. Over the last decades, researchers have shown, […]

Exploring a Plant-Based Alternative for Better Rest

By Suresh Lakshmikanthan, PhD., B.Pharm

There are many herbs and nutraceuticals that can help improve sleep quality. Certainly, your patients are aware of these, and many are experimenting with them, in their quest for better sleep. But it is essential to understand the biological foundations of sleep in order to know how herbs and nutraceuticals can optimize the quantity and […]

In Memoriam: Col. Richard Niemtzow, Medical Acupuncture Trailblazer

By Erik Goldman

A few decades ago, acupuncture was not a modality one expected US military healthcare to embrace. For most non-Asian Americans, it was more the stuff of myth than a reality of medical practice. Colonel Richard Charles Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, did much to change that. Over his long and admirable career, he worked tirelessly to […]

This Time, Five Years Ago…

By Erik Goldman

It was right about this time, five years ago. I woke up one morning with a raunchy cough, a head full of mucus, and an aching body that felt like a sack of potatoes. “This is weird,” I thought. I seldom get sick, and when I do it’s usually in the November-to-December transition when temperatures […]

How the FDA Could Shape the Future of Psychedelics Research

By Joshua Cohen

(Originally published by www.undark.org, Aug 5, 2024) In August, the US Food and Drug Administration decided not to approve the psychedelic drug MDMA (midomafetamine) for use in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder in conjunction with psychological intervention. The move signals the FDA’s desire to put the brakes on the psychedelics research, which has rapidly  moved […]

Stress and Sleep Supps: Choose Them Wisely

By Erik Goldman

Stress and sleep are two of the most important determinants of overall health. Many people have too much of the former, and not nearly enough of the latter. Add in poor diet and lack of exercise, and you’ve got an equation for chronic disease. People recognize that constant stress and poor sleep are inter-related, and […]

Maternal Marijuana Use is Bad News for Baby

By Janet Gulland, Contributing Writer

Use of marijuana during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, significantly raises the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal complications that require neonatal intensive care. Those are the main conclusions of a massive metanalysis and systematic review of 57 studies looking at the impact of in utero cannabis exposure. Combined, the studies […]

In Memoriam: Roland R. Griffiths, PhD (July 19, 1946–October 16, 2023)

By Erik Goldman

Holistic Primary Care honors the memory and legacy of Roland Redmond Griffiths, PhD, a visionary neuroscientist and psychopharmacologist who was among the leaders of the recent renaissance of serious clinical research on psychedelics. Griffiths died at the age of 77 of metastatic colon cancer on October 16, 2023, at his home in Baltimore, MD. He […]