ACAM Integrative Medicine (IM) Blog

Dr. Douglass is Writing 2nd Edition of Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle

World renowned physician W. Campbell Douglass III, MD, MS is writing a second edition of his successful book Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle, to be published in both hard copy and eBook formats. The new book will have an updated list of physicians that offer intravenous hydrogen peroxide therapy. Additionally, it is anticipated that the electronic version will contain links to the various practice websites that are listed. If you are interested in having your practice included in the book, please contact Dr. Douglass.

Dr. Douglass also invites you to provide case reports of patients you have treated. Such reports would be presented as coming from your practice, but without patients’ names to ensure patient privacy is maintained.

Interested parties please contact Dr. Douglass at your earliest convenience. Phone: 888.317.6767. Email: info@douglassfamilypublishing.com.

Medical Office Space for Lease in Beautiful Redondo Beach King Harbor Marina

Looking for progressive, integrative Physician to sublet exceptional office in Redondo Beach overlooking marina and ocean. Prefer D.O., integrative or functional health specialist.

Turnkey situation: sublet from thriving aggressive age management practice with successful Cenegenics trained Physician, Dr. Allen Peters and Holistic Registered Dietician, Jeanne Peters. All staff offices have high ceilings, large windows with southern exposure for plenty of natural light and great views of the marina.  Experienced and friendly office staff, all utilities, telephone/fax/copier/scanner, office supplies and janitorial service included.

Rent: Percentage or pro rated based upon number of days per week desired. Great cross referral potential with Dr. Peters, Spectrum Athletic Club and other health practitioners.

Prefer a practitioner with at least a few years of experience and an established practice.  However, we are willing to consider newer practitioners with a networking and marketing plan.

Office Amenities:

• Reception area
• Kitchenette
• Large exam room
• Ample free parking
  
  

Available now.   To apply, please fax letter of intent and CV to (310) 373-7840

Contact Brighid Desmond, Administrator

Nourishing Wellness Medical Center/Cenegenics Affiliate

819 N. Harbor Dr., Suite 310

Redondo Beach, CA 90277        
www.nourishingwellness.com 
(310) 373-7830

View Photos from ACAM San Diego

Recently ACAM welcomed over 300 practitioners to the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego for 4 days of intimate integrative medicine training.

Workshops on Hormones, Chelation Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Biopuncture, Lyme Disease, and Oxidative Medicine took place at the symposium.

You may experience the meeting through our photo collage here.

Please save the date for our Fall Conference and Trade Show, Nov. 14-18, 2012 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Vitamin D "101"

by Holly Lucille, ND, RN

Besides commanding celebrity status these days, with Vitamin D deficiency being fairly common in the general public.,Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin (other fat soluble vitamins are E, A and K) that actually functions as a pro-hormone (a precursor to hormones). Vitamin D plays many roles in the body, enhancing absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, promoting healthy bone structure, influencing cellular growth, modulating the immune system and in addition, it appears that vitamin D enhances the secretion and action of insulin. There are a couple of different forms to understand. Vitamin D3 is also known as “cholecalciferol” and you can obtain it from foods such as cheese, beef liver and egg yolks. It can also be made in the skin after exposure to sunlight and is the preferable form when it comes to supplementation. Vitamin D2, also called “ergocalciferol” is actually a synthetic form, not normally present in the body, made from fungus.

Potential consequences of low vitamin D levels include a faster rate of bone loss, an increased risk of falls among the elderly, decreased resistance to infection, and a potential increased risk of developing cancer and certain autoimmune diseases. Studies have shown that individuals suffering from diabetes, cancer, hypertension, lower back pain, the seasonal flu, and a myriad of other illnesses typically have depressed levels of Vitamin D in there blood.

And yes, you can get too much. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, dry mouth, abdominal or bone pain, and dizziness are the classic symptoms of vitamin D toxicity. As the condition progresses, signs of impaired kidney function, such as excessive urination, may arise. Itching, calcification of organs and blood vessels, osteoporosis, and seizures are still other signs that develop at the later stages.
A 25-hydroxy Vitamin D test, also referred to as a 25(OH)D is the test usually performed to measure Vitamin D in the blood and optimal levels are between 50-80ng/mL. At this time I recommend that levels be monitored periodically however there is some debate over the accuracy of this particular test.

Recommended dosage for supplementation vary, the Vitamin D Council recommends the following amounts of supplemental vitamin D3 per day in the absence of proper sun exposure.
Healthy children under the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU.
Healthy children over the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU per every 25 lbs of body weight.
Healthy adults and adolescents – at least 5,000 IU.
Pregnant and lactating mothers – at least 6,000 IU.
Additionally, children and adults with chronic health conditions such as autism, MS, cancer, heart disease, or obesity may need as much as double these amounts.
The US Government’s Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for vitamin D is set at 4,000 IU per day.

 

 

MD Student Seeks Externship With An ACAM Physician

I am an ND who practiced for four years in Vancouver, Canada, then went on to medical school to obtain my MD. I am now seeking an internship/externship with an ACAM physician preparatory to proceeding through MD residency and anticipated entry into an ACAM practice. I would appreciate hearing of any available opportunities. Available immediately and able to travel to your location.

 Please contact:

 Dr. Rebecca G. Muttart

1669 Starrs point road

Port Williams, Nova Scotia, Canada

B0P 1T0

Phone: 902-691-5661

Email: rebeccamuttart@hotmail.com

Fairfax, Virginia Integrative Medicine Practice Seeks MD/DO to Join Practice

Looking for a full-time MD/DO to join a busy Fairfax, Virginia practice that provides functional medicine therapies, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, chelation therapy, IV nutrients, etc. A portion of the patients served have Lyme and other tick borne diseases.

If interested please contact Dr. Zackrison at 703-203-0993 or lzackrisonmd@gmail.com

The View From San Diego - Reflecting Back

by John Gannage, MD

One of my favourite American cities, it was a pleasure to return to San Diego for the first time in 10 years. Attending ACAM’s Spring conference, the flashbacks made their appearance.

The Westin Hotel Gaslamp, the site of the 4 day medical conference, is nicely placed, with access to the downtown core and restaurants, and not far from Seaport Village and Petco Park.  Saturday morning I awakened to bullhorns, drums, marchers and chanters  - a protest was in full swing at the hotel entrance by 7:00 am.  I’m thinking: "I haven’t even delivered my presentation yet and already there's dismay and opposition!" (Seems there were a collection of disgruntled hotel workers exercising their right to protest lack of benefits, not a lecture on identifying toxic metals in children.)

As I shared at the beginning of my lecture, alluding to the aforementioned flashbacks, I recalled that in 1989 I visited San Diego for 1 month as a 4th year medical student. I signed up for an elective in Preventative Cardiology at UCSD La Jolla.  At that time, the research being conducted linked menopause and increased risk of heart disease in women to cholesterol elevations that can occur at menopause http://bit.ly/7j1c3I. The intervention was to initiate Hormone Replacement Therapy and monitor cholesterol levels.  I was young and green - and more interested in the beach, visiting my sister and the San Diego area than the idea of giving hormones to women to change lipid blood markers. The hypothesis wasn’t proven - HRT didn’t lower the women’s cholesterol effectively and that aspect of the program’s research died.

Fast forward 10 years to 1999 - my first ACAM conference, where my passion for learning true prevention and addressing underlying cause continued to be fed, having trained then in chelation therapy. Now I was attending training sessions that particularly held my interest!  The studies published in the latter part of the last decade, as The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) was being conducted, further piqued my interest in understanding lead’s role in various health conditions. And this is where today's post comes full circle.

Looking at lead’s biokinetics in the human body, it became apparent through my research that menopause is a time when lead mobilizes from bone storage in a woman, with increasing cholesterol (and uric acid) I suspect acting as compensatory defense mechanisms. The body is attempting to regulate and protect itself in the female at this time of transition and oxidative stress, which can also elevate blood pressure.  The increased risk of postmenopausal women toward heart disease might be attributable to lead, not hormone deficiency - and the intervention that I propose needs to be examined is lead removal, or using antioxidants and other nutrients to manage its negative effects. Hopefully TACT will provide some answers about the clinical effects of chelation therapy in women, and later studies might unravel the mechanism.

"Looking back" is an opportunity for historical reflection and learning. Seeing the interconnections is part of the fun.

Bonus Legal Session at ACAM San Diego

Guests at ACAM's Spring 2012 Education Summit are invited to attend a bonus sunset session with members from the ACAM Legal Quartet on Thursday, May 3rd from 5:30PM - 7:00PM.

Al Augustine and Jacques Simon will be leading the session titled: Protecting Your License From Government and Malpractice - A Legal Primer. 

Complaints can arise from disgruntled patients, colleagues, or insurance companies. This seminar will provide practical advice about reducing the heightened legal risk faced by physicians who offer nonstandard therapies. Preventive strategies include understanding “hot spots” that have triggered board investigations, the legal status of the therapies one offers, and the mistakes that typically underlie board charges.

For more information on ACAM's Spring Summit and the various workshops and bonus sessions please visit www.acamsandiego.com.

Experienced LVN Needed in Los Angeles

Needed: Experienced LVN to work in a beautiful holistic practice in Brentwood. You will have autonomy and be in charge of the IV room - Ordering IV supplies and keeping track of IV room inventory. Starting vitamin drips will be your main duty. Years of experience is a must. Please do not apply if you are not good at starting IVs or finding veins. Must know how to draw blood or start an IV on elderly and children as well.

IV certificate is required. Holisitic background is a plus. Being familliar with specialty labs such as Genova, Doctor's Data, MRT, etc is a plus. Being able to check out patients and explain treatment protocols and supplements is a plus but not a requirement. Potential for growth and learning is great. We are looking for an empathetic, kind, caring, and genuine team player. Integrity, being on time, and energetic is a must. Please DO NOT apply if you don't have lots of IV experience.

Interested applicants please email: taraelizer@yahoo.com

CE Hours Now Offered at ACAM San Diego

Irvine, Calif -- The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) is delighted to offer CE Hours at the ACAM Spring 2012 Education Summit, taking place at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, May 3-6, 2012.

The Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine approved the courses: An Integrative Approach to Balancing Hormones for 14.5 CE Hours, Basic Chelation Therapy for 13.0 CE Hours, and Advanced Chelation Therapy for 10.0 CE Hours.

"Naturopathic physicians make up a large population in ACAM and we are pleased to now offer naturopaths their own category of continuing education," said Rachel Weaver, Director of Education and Operations for ACAM.

Also at the Summit will be workshops on: Biopuncture: An Approach to Pain Management and Musculoskeletal Medicine presented by HEEL, Lyme Disease, Hands-On Hyperbarics, and Oxidative Medicine. Get all the details at: www.acamsandiego.com

About ACAM: The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) is a not-for-profit Organization dedicated to educating physicians and other health care professionals on the safe and effective application of integrative medicine. ACAM's healthcare model focuses on prevention of illness and a strive for total wellness.  ACAM is the voice of integrative medicine; our goals are to improve physician skills, knowledge and diagnostic procedures as they relate to integrative medicine; to support integrative medicine research; and to provide education on current standard of care as well as additional approaches to patient care.