A review of practitioners’ Web sites and naturopathic medical schools provides information about the types of conditions that NDs commonly treat. According to theAssociation of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (www.aanmc.org), the top 10 conditions that NDs treat are:

1. Fatigue
2. Menstruation/hormonal issues
3. Allergies
4. Depression/insomnia
5. Thyroid disorders
6. Weight/appetite problems
7. High Cholesterol
8. Headaches/migraines
9. High blood pressure
10. Fibromyalgia (pain of the connective tissues and muscles)

Question: I would like to know more about alternative health
From: Alla R. of Cordova, MD

Answer: Conventional medicine (allopathic medicine) is medicine as practiced by MDs or Dos and their allied health professionals. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine blends conventional and alternative treatments. For example, aromatherapy may be used to alleviate a patient’s discomfort following surgery. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of alternative medicine is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Some examples of current mainstream practices that began as CAM are acupuncture for headache pain, glucosamine to assist in treating arthritis, and fish oil to help treat heart disease. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on CAM and has been moved within the National Institutes of Health. You can explore CAM further by going to the NCCAM’s website, www.nccam.nih.gov. In my book 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, I describe the approaches, publications, and teachings of several physicians.

Submit a question to Dr. Russo

If you are in the position of shopping for a private health plan the options may seem overwhelming. To get you started, you first have to decide what is most important to you. Factors to consider include services, choice, location, and costs. All plans have tradeoffs. Here is place where you need to apply your individual goals and values for your personal healthcare plan. You may want to ask yourself the following questions in deciding what plan is best for you and your family.

Services

• How comprehensive do you want coverage of healthcare services to be?
• What services are limited or not covered?
• Is there a good match between what the plan provides and what you think you will need? For example, if you have a chronic disease, is there a special program for that illness?
• Will the plan provide the medication and equipment you need?
• Does the plan pay for preventive care?
• If alternative or holistic treatment options are important to you, does your plan cover them?

Continue reading "Shopping for a Private Health Plan" »

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Jumping Monkeys, a parenting podcast for the digital age, hosted by Megan Morrone and Leo Laporte.   

You can listen to us discuss things such as online health records, how the internet has changed healthcare and using the internet to communicate with your doctor online at www.twit.tv/jm45.

Just a quick note to let you all know that I will be a guest on WSPL 1250 AM on May 16th at 11:15ET. If you are located in the greater Chicago area I hope you can tune in.

This video produced by AHIMA provides a good overview of your health information and personal health records.

Question: What are the training requirements of mid level providers?
From: Andrew S. of Rochester, NY

Answer: Besides physicians, there are other members of the health care team who provide a certain level of care to patients. They are mid-level practitioners and include Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. They are licensed and often provide more than a registered nurse can provide, but less than a physician provides. Mid-level practitioners also include certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs), nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists. These professionals are all registered nurses, most with bachelor’s degrees or the equivalent, and additional training for certification. Physician assistants graduate from a 5 to 6 year program. All mid-level practitioners are licensed within the state where they practice. If permitted by the state, nurse midwives may treat patients independently. Most other mid-level practitioners work under the direct supervision of a physician. Federal law allows mid-level practitioners to treat patients for certain conditions without physician oversight if they work in a rural area that has a shortage of PCPs (primary care physicians).

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In his book, Listening to Prozac: A Psychiatrist Explores Antidepressant Drugs and the Remaking of the Self, Peter Kramer, MD, refers to one component of the “medicalization” of mental health as “cosmetic psychopharmacology.” In particular, he addresses the ability of Prozac to alter patients’ personalities. Even when a patient is no longer depressed, he could use Prozac to sustain the personality change. Dr. Kramer describes the phenomenon as patients becoming “better than well. . . . patients acquiring extra energy and becoming socially attractive, through the continued use of Prozac when they may no longer have needed it to treat depression.”

Medicalization speaks to an issue of fear—fear that society continues to “lower the bar” in defining what is a disease in need of medical treatment. The following are some common conditions that may be life consequences and may receive treatment as medical diagnoses:

• Menopause
• Mood disorder
• Dyslexia
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Hair loss
• Insomnia
• Obesity
• Restless leg syndrome
• Acne
• Sleep disorder
• Wrinkles
• Depression
• Yellow teeth
• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Sexual dysfunction
• Everyday unhappiness

Question: Why are so many doctors becoming plastic surgeons? Isn't this stupid, frivolous health care?
From: Valerie W. of Hesperia, CA

Answer: Plastic surgeons are often thought of as solely devoted to cosmetic alterations of the face and body. In fact, they deal with the repair, reconstruction, or replacement of physical defects or cosmetic enhancement of the skin, musculoskeletal system, face, hands, extremities, and breasts. In addition to residency, plastic surgeons undergo an additional 2 to 3 years of training. They are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery which also offers subspecialty certifications in plastic surgery of the head, neck, and hand. Some of the essential surgery they perform include breast reconstruction following mastectomy, post burn and trauma repair and reconstruction, and cleft palate repair. Their goal is to restore impaired function and physical appearance. Elective cosmetic surgery is a component of plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery includes tummy tucks, facelifts, liposuction, dermabrasion, and rhinoplasty (reshaping of the nose).

Submit a question to Dr. Russo

Happy Times in Healthcare in association with 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, is sponsoring the 6 Days at Disney contest to celebrate the launch of its newly re-designed website. In addition to a grand prize of Walt Disney World vacation for 4, other great daily, weekly, and monthly prizes are being awarded.

Please congratulate the following Daily Prize Winners for the week of 04/21 each of whom will be receiving a free t-shirt compliments of 7stepshealth.com:

 

• Patrick Morrison of Rockford, IL
• Dreama Colella of Grafton, OH
• Lisa Ranf of Spokane Valley, WA
• Mary Reisinger of Lancaster, PA
• Ann Babenco of High Bridge, NJ
• Marian Barton of Chula Vista, CA
• Christine Rodriguez of Phoenix, AZ

Weekly Winner!

Peter Starck of Fox Point, WI was the Weekly Winner for the week of 04/21 and will be receiving a copy my new book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare.

Not Registered Yet?

If you haven't registered yet, you can sign up at www.happytimesinhealthcare.com and be eligible for our next drawing plus get a free sample chapter of 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare and a subscription to the e-newsletter, Here's to Your Best Possible Health.