Healthcare Perspectives
2015 SpiritMed Annual Updates in Environmental Medicine Conference
02-04-2015 A report from the annual SpiritMed environmental medicine conference, held January 15-18, 2015, in St Petersburg, Florida.
When Cancer Survivors Return to Primary Care
01-07-2015 Cancer survivors often find themselves “lost in transition” once the disease has been treated and they transfer from oncologists to primary care physicians. In this article, Shani Fox, ND, explores the idea of survivorship care plans and how holistic medicine may easily step in to fill the gaps left in the care of cancer survivors.
Top 10 Stories of 2014
01-01-2015 With a huge dose of gratitude to our many talented and dedicated contributors, let's take a look at the most popular articles of 2014.
Perspectives on the Present Primary Care Crisis
12-11-2014 The looming shortage of primary care physicians presents a potential crisis in the healthcare system. We talk with a medical doctor, a nurse practitioner, a naturopathic physician, and the executive director of the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care to explore possible solutions.
Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities for Enhancing Research Literacy Skills
12-03-2014 In this final article of a 3-part series, the authors provide information about continuing education opportunities that will enhance practitioners’ research literacy skills.
Restorative Medicine Conference Deemed a Success
11-05-2014 A report from the 12th Annual Restorative Medicine Conference, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, sponsored by Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine.
Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine in Commercially Available Thyroid Supplements?
08-28-2014 A recent study from the journal Thyroid found potentially dangerous adulteration in many popular thyroid supplements. All integrative practitioners who use thyroid support dietary supplements in their practices should be concerned and should commit to asking manufacturers if any product or its component ingredients have been tested for T3 and T4 adulteration.
The Importance of Research Literacy
08-06-2014 The ability to access, interpret, and critically evaluate primary medical literature—is a skill natural medicine practitioners must develop to better educate their patients and promote their profession.
Making Sense of Screening Mammography Recommendations
04-02-2014 Recent research has called into question the efficacy of screening mammograms. Natural Medicine Journal asked women’s health expert and editorial board member Tori Hudson, ND, to weigh in and offer her guidance for integrative health practitioners. Should the new research change your approach to breast cancer screening?
Recent OncANP Conference Delivers Exceptional Content
03-01-2014 Cutting-edge researchers and clinicians from North America presented at this year's annual conference of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP). In a stirring keynote, Dan Rubin, ND, FABNO, the founding president of the organization, reminded the oncology-focused audience that their journey requires endurance and confidence in what they do.
Integrative Cancer Experts Weigh in on Recent Conference
03-01-2014 At the recent OncANP conference, Natural Medicine Journal caught up with three leading experts in integrative oncology: Jacob Schor, ND, FABNO, Shauna Birdsall, ND, FABNO, and Dan Rubin, ND, FABNO.
Are Multivitamins a Waste of Money?
02-01-2014 In December, the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM) published 3 studies evaluating the effects of multivitamin supplementation on chronic disease prevention. These studies were accompanied by an alarming editorial: "Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements." The authors of the editorial claim that the results of the 3 studies, along with previous trials, indicate "no substantial health benefit" of multivitamins and call for an end to further research on multivitamins for chronic disease prevention in well-nourished populations. While the authors of the editorial are correct in concluding that there is not enough rigorous evidence to support that an MVMM alone will prevent chronic disease or death, it is misguided and scientifically inaccurate to overinterpret this to mean that there is no benefit to taking multivitamins or that this line of investigation should stop.
Holistic Well-Child Promotion in a Family-Centered, Group-Based Format
12-01-2013 Lifestyle choices made in childhood have a tremendous impact on morbidity and mortality not only during the pediatric years, but throughout one's lifespan. Stakeholders have identified the importance of prioritizing multi-tiered approaches to wellness promotion for children. Naturopathic medicine has demonstrated benefit to illness prevention and wellness promotion, but is inaccessible to much of the population, particularly those at greatest risk of poor health. Group-based programs may be a successful and cost-effective method of delivering naturopathic care to greater numbers of families in the community as part of a larger public health effort. We propose a pilot program to evaluate the efficacy of such an approach.
First International Clinical Congress a Success
12-01-2013 If record attendance from healthcare practitioners from around the world is an indicator of success, this conference hit the mark. Convened by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine and held in collaboration with Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Oct 29-31, 2013, the conference featured keynotes from two leaders in the field of integrative medicine: Tracy Gaudet, MD, and Joseph Pizzorno, ND.
Naturopathic Medicine Serving Underserved Communities
10-01-2013 Most of the medications and naturopathic medicines are free to patients or provided at very low cost, but they're limited due to limited resources. The malnutrition program is expensive to run, yet vital to providing the basic needs most in the United States take for granted.
Does Resveratrol Blunt the Benefits of Exercise?
09-01-2013 We now know that minute quantities of reactive oxygen species are essential to life, and that high levels are detrimental. The concept that nutrients also have doses that are beneficial, beyond which they are detrimental, is in keeping with the idea that optimal physiological function is a balance within the cells and the organism as a whole.
AANP Recognizes Contributions to Naturopathic Medicine
07-01-2013 The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) recognized champions of naturopathic medicine at its annual conference and exposition held July 10-13 in Keystone, Colo. The awards honor and celebrate the work of leaders in the naturopathic medical community.
How to Use Social Media in Your Practice
05-01-2013 Can you really grow patient volume with a smart social media strategy? Absolutely. But it takes time and commitment to earn big dividends. First and foremost, social media is about the engagement process through sharing relevant and useful information. This helps establish trust around your brand.
Honoring Diversity in Cancer Prevention and Control at The Society for Integrative Oncology Conference
11-01-2012 This year's international conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) was hosted by the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and held on October 8-10 in Albuquerque, NM. This is the 9th year the SIO held its annual conference and this year the focus was on patient-centered care with a special emphasis on eliminating social, cultural, and economic barriers to cancer care.
AANP Annual Convention Review
09-01-2012 The 27th Annual Convention & Exposition of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians was held August 15-18, 2012, in Bellevue, Wash. The AANP convention is an advanced program designed for naturopathic physicians and other healthcare professionals and medical students.