Welcome back to Active Life Health Clinic's May newsletter.

Imagine this...Imagine what an integrative clinic would be like, where your physician works alongside your complementary and alternative care providers.     A Dream?  Can integrative clinics become the norm?  What do we need to do to make them accessible?     A big thank you to Scott Livingstone, a 2nd year TCM student interning at my clinic for this recipe and his description of how even cookies can be described as TCM food cures.     Helping you help yourself! My goal: To work in partnership with you to bring you to your optimal health. My focus: Ongoing health, not just temporary relief. This is active health.

Imagine This...

Jane has suffered from migraines for all her life, but lately it has gotten worse.  She has been working long hours at work and spending too much time at her desk.  After months of this, she is finding the migraines unbearable and she is also feeling very fatigued.  She is tired of taking the medications she has been prescribed as they give her only temporary relief, they are expensive, and they have so many side effects.  Her friend suggests that she needs to take better care of herself.  Jane finally concedes and goes to her friend’s Dr. of TCM. 

The first thing Jane notices as she walks into the integrative clinic is that she feels more relaxed.  There is gentle music playing and a soothing water fountain near where she can sit and drink a healthy tea.  She is soon taken in by the Dr. of TCM.  She begins her acupuncture sessions, is prescribed an herbal formula, and is given a list of foods to eat and those to avoid.

To rule out some risk possibilities, she is recommended to see the integrative clinic’s physician.  The physician examines her and orders some blood tests. Jane does not feel rushed or pushed out the door, but instead is allowed to ask questions and discuss what has brought her to this point.  She is also recommended to get some massages by the clinic’s RMT and to start an exercise program of stretches and strengthening.  She can choose to use the clinic’s personal trainer to start her off.  Jane is surprised and pleased to notice that she can also seek treatments from a chiropractor, shiatsu practitioner, homeopath, reiki practitioner, counsellor, and aromatherapist.  She can even register for classes in yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and meditation. 

After a couple of months of care, guidance, and education, Jane is now feeling like a new person.  She never would have guessed that she could have as much energy as she now has, and she’s amazed to be pain-free.  She is even more productive at work, has found a way to manage her time, has learned a great deal on how to take care of her health, and most importantly of all, is feeling happy. 

A Dream?

This is where many practitioners and patients both are pushing the direction of health care.  True that the pharmaceutical industry is spending millions of dollars to expand their hold on medical practice, but it is the consumers who truly hold the power.  In 1997 the estimated growth of the natural health products industry in Canada was 10 to 15% per year, with nearly 75% of Canadians reporting to use CAM therapies in 1999.  Though the $3.8 billion dollars spent by Canadians in 1999 on CAM pales in comparison to the pharmaceutical industry’s $20 billion per year with an annual growth of about $1.5 billion yearly, our world is ever-changing.

A patient of mine asked the question, “Who is the most important person in the hospital?”  He’s asked this of many health care providers and non-health care people and received a variety of answers.  Some would argue that the nurses are the most important as they spend more time with the patients.  Some would argue for the surgeons as they save some of the worst cases.  Some say the ER physicians, the palliative care team, the rehab team, the researchers, and so on and so on.  The answer should really be the patient.  That’s why we exist as health care providers!

When health professionals make the patient the focus, then both complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and conventional medicine practitioners have the same goals.  In other words, you should speak up and make sure that your health needs are being addressed.  Write to your MLA.  Talk to your physician and other health care providers. Choose people who support your needs.

To take the idea of integrative medicine even further, remember that as a patient you are also a part of your own health team.  In fact, as the most important member of your team, you have some work to do as well.  You’ve heard it before, and you’ll read it here again—eat healthy, get good sleep and rest, exercise regularly, and enjoy life!

To read a fantastic article on integrative medicine, click here for a recent Common Ground article.  Also, check out this great story  Welcome to the Town of Allopath (courtesy of Mike Adams of www.newstarget.com)--it's a long story, but well worth the read!  It's time we worked together!

And finally, let us know your birthday
so we can email you a birthday card and gift at the right time!