FAQ

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At this time, I do not accept insurance. A cash practice allows me to make cost of services clear and the freedom to operate the way I feel is best.

Conventional lab testing can be submitted with diagnosis codes for insurance purposes and prescription medications can be run through insurance as well at the pharmacy. 

Integrative medicine is the application of conventional and alternative forms of medicine as befits the situation. It is an East meets West approach. Here is an example for someone with high blood pressure. Using a combination of herbs/supplements, perhaps acupuncture and lifestyle changes to control the symptoms while trying to minimize or wean off prescription medication.

Functional medicine intends to get to the root cause of concerns and fix them with a bottom-up approach. In keeping with the above example, we would aim to figure out why the person developed high blood pressure in the first place and apply any reasonable methods known to resolve it. 

In our modern lives, I believe we focus too hard on particular labels. If you think about these two approaches, they blend exceptionally well into each other and I do not think you can simply do one without the other. There is also a newer label we call “lifestyle medicine” which is specifically rooted in dietary change along with movement, sleep, and stress management. This approach is already imbedded in integrative and functional medicine.

To summarize, I feel that everything listed above, integrative, functional, and lifestyle are all pieces of the same whole which we should call true “healthcare”.

A DO or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is very similar to an MD in that it involves 4 years of medical school and the completion of a 3+ year residency program to become board certified in a chosen area which includes all forms of primary care, surgery, and specialties. 

The primary difference is that a DO receives additional training in medical school in manual techniques called Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) or Osteopathic Manipulative Training (OMT). Some DOs continue to use this in their practice; some do not. Although there are a wide variety of techniques used with OMM/OMT, I prefer to use myofascial release which is a very gentle touch that smooths out fascial tissue of the body to release discomfort, improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, and can increase movement of the body. I find this approach to be very well-tolerated by most and can be used on any area of the body.

DO schools also tend to take a more whole body approach in their teachings, but it is up to each physician how they eventually practice medicine.