Lifestyle Medicine
The CDC tracks the top ten causes of death in the United States. Year over year, it demonstrates that chronic diseases result in over 80% of deaths in our country. What we all seek is not just longevity but living a long life free of chronic illness and functional impairment.
When consulting patients on Stress Management, I discuss an issue known as chronic persistent subclinical inflammation (CPSI), a prescursor to chronic disease. Lifestyle medicine offers us a means to avoid inflammation and chronic illness provided we begin engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors.
At Cerebral Focus, we include lifestyle behaviors in all aspects of treatment. As a helpful introduction, the image belowto the right from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine summarizes the six lifestyle pillars.
Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine is a systems biology–based approach that aims to identify and address the root cause of disease. Unlike conventional medicine, which often focuses on treating symptoms, Functional Medicine seeks to understand the interconnectedness of a range of factors—such as genetics, metabolic pathways, , hormones, nutrient status, environment (e.g. toxins, infections, climate induced factors), and lifestyle—that contribute to an individual’s health.
- Functional Medicine aims to optimize health by addressing root causes, promoting wellness, and preventing disease.
- It seeks to empower patients with personalized strategies for lifestyle modification, nutrition, and stress management.
In Functional Medicine, each symptom or diagnosis is seen as part of a larger picture. For instance, depression may result from multiple causes, including inflammation, which itself may arise in the gut. Treating depression in these cases requires resolving gut related issues instead of using antidepressants. Effective treatments must address the underlying cause rather than merely suppressing symptoms.
- Functional labs provide specialized diagnostics beyond what traditional labs offer. These include labs that look at cellular DNA (genetic profiles), the gut microbiome, hormones, metabolic pathways (OAT), nutrient testing, allergenic testing, amino acids levels and others.
- By measuring biomarkers not routinely assessed, functional labs provide a comprehensive view of health.
- These tests help identify imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and other factors contributing to illness.
In summary, Functional Medicine takes a holistic view, emphasizing personalized care, root-cause analysis, and a systems-based approach to health and wellness. Its diagnostic tools extend beyond standard tests, allowing practitioners to tailor interventions based on individual needs.
Integrative Psychiatry
Integrative psychiatry can be described as a holistic approach to general health and wellbeing, with brain health being an important component. Brain disease is often the result of disturbances in one or more body systems (immunologic, endocrinologic, gut-brain, hormonal) or the consequence of nutritional/metabolic deficiencies, infections, or environmental exposure (toxins). Integrative psychiatry is not the antithesis of traditional psychiatry. They often work in tandem.
In contrast to traditional psychiatry, integrative psychiatry utilizes Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) approaches to augment (i.e.- to complement) or replace (i.e.- serve as an alternative) the use of psychopharmacologic agents whenever possible. CAM interventions include the use of nutrition, supplements and/or herbs, MindBody (i.e.-stress management) interventions such as Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga and other lifestyle-based therapies.
Uncovering root cause(s) of illness requires knowledge of the interplay of the above-mentioned body systems. This entails a detailed history combined with the use of specialized lab studies that can assess the functional status of you unique body systems leading to effective treatment plans that can eliminate symptoms, not merely suppress them. The challenge is that one root cause may give rise to many symptoms simultaneously or many root causes may give rise to one symptom.
Ketamine Treatments
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic and is currently FDA-approved for use in anesthesia (children and adults), Treatment Refractory Depression (TRD) and chronic pain conditions. Research continues to identify mental health conditions for which Ketamine may also be helpful, such as PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, some substance use disorders and other conditions. Ketamine appears to have a good safety profile and there are only a few contraindications to its use, such as uncontrolled hypertension.
I currently utilize different approaches to Ketamine therapy. In each circumstance, however, I utilize either oral or IM Ketamine along with required use of integrative psychotherapy (Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, or KAP). Ketamine can be taken during a KAP session in the therapist’s office, or one can complete the Ketamine session that takes place the privacy of their home and then complete the KAP session within days of the at home session. In my opinion, Ketamine is not itself the agent of change. It is a catalyst that enables the KAP to move forward in directions our minds might otherwise resist.
I am available to discuss whether Ketamine would be helpful for you, answer any questions you might have and help you find the most cost-efficient path for you if you should decide to go down this path. I have KAP resources available for in office and at home based Ketamine sessions. I am available to discuss Ketamine further, just complete a free-consult request and you will get your questions answered!
