Directions fixed
17, 11 06, 22:58 Filed in: Technical
Thanks to an alert reader, I discovered that Mapquest's map for my location places me up the road and across the street from where I really am, so I removed it from the directions page so no one else gets wrong directions. I also noticed and cleaned up some links to extinct pages in the directions page
Hyperbaric Oxygen and the "noncovered conditions"
14, 11 06, 22:05 Filed in: Medical
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is quite useful for a number of conditions, though the medicare laws have a curious and unusual statement about HBOT: a non-covered conditions list. Most therapies' entries in the medicare laws don't even list covered conditions, so why does this specifically name 22 conditions as being "non-covered"? This is especially interesting because the 22 conditions are all clearly effectively treated by HBOT.
The last issue of Hyperbaric Medicine Today has an interesting article about how this happened. You can go read it yourself at http://www.hbomedtoday.com/PDF/HBOMT_8.pdf The article starts on page 7, you'll have to scroll down to it in the acrobat file yourself. Interesting reading.
If you'd like to read some information about HBOT by physicians who use it, try here. You can read a (relatively) short bibliography of research on HBOT here.
Here is the medicaid list of noncovered conditions:
1. Cutaneous, decubitus, and stasis ulcers
2. Chronic peripheral vascular insufficiency
3. Anaerobic septicemia and infection other than clostridial
4. Skin burns (thermal)
5. Senility
6. Myocardial infarction
7. Cardiogenic shock
8. Sickle cell anemia
9. Acute thermal and chemical pulmonary damage, i.e., smoke inhalation with pulmonary insufficiency
10. Acute or chronic cerebral vascular insufficiency
11. Hepatic necrosis
12. Aerobic septicemia
13. Nonvascular causes of chronic brain syndrome (Pick's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Korsakoff's disease)
14. Tetanus
15. Systemic aerobic infection
16. Organ transplantation.
17. Organ storage.
18. Pulmonary emphysema
19. Exceptional blood loss anemia
20. Multiple Sclerosis
21. Arthritic Diseases
22. Acute cerebral edema
As the author of the "noncovered conditions" list points out, there is no law against using HBOT for these conditions, they are merely off-label uses for HBOT. There are also articles about using HBOT for migraine and Lyme disease (which medicare presumably won't cover either, nor, by extension, would insurance companies). And since I have a special interest in MS, I dug up this page which is the beginning of a discussion on HBOT for MS.
Why do I take this interest in HBOT? I managed to get my hands on a modest chamber and have been looking into using it therapeutically.
The last issue of Hyperbaric Medicine Today has an interesting article about how this happened. You can go read it yourself at http://www.hbomedtoday.com/PDF/HBOMT_8.pdf The article starts on page 7, you'll have to scroll down to it in the acrobat file yourself. Interesting reading.
If you'd like to read some information about HBOT by physicians who use it, try here. You can read a (relatively) short bibliography of research on HBOT here.
Here is the medicaid list of noncovered conditions:
1. Cutaneous, decubitus, and stasis ulcers
2. Chronic peripheral vascular insufficiency
3. Anaerobic septicemia and infection other than clostridial
4. Skin burns (thermal)
5. Senility
6. Myocardial infarction
7. Cardiogenic shock
8. Sickle cell anemia
9. Acute thermal and chemical pulmonary damage, i.e., smoke inhalation with pulmonary insufficiency
10. Acute or chronic cerebral vascular insufficiency
11. Hepatic necrosis
12. Aerobic septicemia
13. Nonvascular causes of chronic brain syndrome (Pick's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Korsakoff's disease)
14. Tetanus
15. Systemic aerobic infection
16. Organ transplantation.
17. Organ storage.
18. Pulmonary emphysema
19. Exceptional blood loss anemia
20. Multiple Sclerosis
21. Arthritic Diseases
22. Acute cerebral edema
As the author of the "noncovered conditions" list points out, there is no law against using HBOT for these conditions, they are merely off-label uses for HBOT. There are also articles about using HBOT for migraine and Lyme disease (which medicare presumably won't cover either, nor, by extension, would insurance companies). And since I have a special interest in MS, I dug up this page which is the beginning of a discussion on HBOT for MS.
Why do I take this interest in HBOT? I managed to get my hands on a modest chamber and have been looking into using it therapeutically.
Bad reporting on flawed studies
10, 10 06, 08:00 Filed in: Medical
Thorne Research came out with an editorial that nicely summarizes the problems with some of the recent, well publicized, studies that can be construed to show that supplements are ineffective. However, looking at the actual studies clearly shows they do work. For the full story, read the article.
Perchlorate/thyroid and lead/circulation connections
07, 10 06, 10:12 Filed in: Medical
Nice articles further substantiating the environmental connections to thyroid and heart disease/stroke came out recently. I added the links in the "useful health resources" section of the Links page.
New links
01, 10 06, 21:46 Filed in: Medical
While writing an email on a list for med students I came across some interesting links that I added to the Links page.
Updated framework
24, 09 06, 21:48 Filed in: Technical
I just updated the program this is designed on, which meant I had to also update the theme I modified for it. With any luck, this all went off without a hitch and I can get back to getting other things done (like updating this more frequently and paying the bills).
If you find any technical problems, please let me know.
If you find any technical problems, please let me know.
Fall workshops up
03, 09 06, 16:45 Filed in: Office
I've put up the info on the fall workshops. There's starting to be some reruns, but that's a good thing: less whipping together a brand-new presentation at the last minute and just some fixing-up for new information. Check 'em out on the Upcoming Events page.
Adding pages and links
02, 07 06, 12:57 Filed in: Technical
I'm adding a page of links (at the bottom of the sidebar), including to some great resources for health freedom. Please take some time to read the information and support these places that are working to allow us to maintain our health.
I've also started using a fun little extension to make the information on some pages more manageable, so check out the Upcoming Events and Links pages.
I've also started using a fun little extension to make the information on some pages more manageable, so check out the Upcoming Events and Links pages.
Fixed bug in Internet Explorer 6 rendering
13, 06 06, 07:45 Filed in: Technical
I've finally fixed the problem that was making the website look terrible in IE6. Without an easy way to get my hands on IE6, it was a little tricky, but Dr. Alspector let me borrow her computer for an evening. So, with that fixed, I've removed the extra links on the bottom of the page and all should be well. Please let me know if there are any further problems. Of course, if you can't use the links, you can't get to this page, so it's a bit moot.
Hmmm... now IE 5.2 is making it look a little funny. Everything works, however. Since almost no one uses IE 5.2 anymore, I'll spend my time on more pressing issues.
Hmmm... now IE 5.2 is making it look a little funny. Everything works, however. Since almost no one uses IE 5.2 anymore, I'll spend my time on more pressing issues.
On the cover of Crazy Wisdom Journal
08, 06 06, 19:35 Filed in: Office
Three local holistic doctors and I are on the cover of the Crazy Wisdom Journal that came out last month (May-August 2006, #33). The article is called, "Interviews with the Next Generation of Holistic Physicians," but it isn't available online. You can see the cover picture at the Crazy Wisdom Journal's front page. There should still be copies of the journal at Crazy Wisdom, but I've run out long ago at my office.
-update- I found the article online, but who knows how long it will remain. Get it here: http://crazywisdomjournal.squarespace.com/s/holisticdocs.pdf
-update- I found the article online, but who knows how long it will remain. Get it here: http://crazywisdomjournal.squarespace.com/s/holisticdocs.pdf
ACAM Convention this weekend
02, 05 06, 10:09 Filed in: Office
This weekend is the ACAM convention, so the office will be closed thursday and friday (May 4-5) and I may not be able to return any messages until monday. The good news is that I'll come back chock-full of new therapies to help everyone! I'm attending a workshop on IV therapies so we may eventually get to the point of being able to give good doses of vitamin C when needed.
Front Desk Staff
14, 04 06, 17:56 Filed in: Office
I've hired two great people to staff the front desk. They're answering the phones and calling back all the messages people have left for me.
So, you should be able to get a live person most of the time when you call, and if not a call back within a day. They've called back most of the old messages (except for things I specifically need to deal with), so if you haven't gotten a call back it must have gotten lost in the transition so give us another call.
I've also set up some more talks for the Summer, so check the events page for the updated listings.
Finally, with my being in the office 5 days a week now, I have appointments available in a much closer time frame, so no more month-long waits for new patients (at this point).
So, you should be able to get a live person most of the time when you call, and if not a call back within a day. They've called back most of the old messages (except for things I specifically need to deal with), so if you haven't gotten a call back it must have gotten lost in the transition so give us another call.
I've also set up some more talks for the Summer, so check the events page for the updated listings.
Finally, with my being in the office 5 days a week now, I have appointments available in a much closer time frame, so no more month-long waits for new patients (at this point).
Lots of changes
04, 03 06, 18:18 Filed in: Office
I've been making lots of changes recently: I'm changing the website (should look similar, but makes it much easier to keep up), my office (the closet is no more), and my work (I have been going up to Flint twice a week to help out at a clinic up there, but I've gotten too busy to continue doing that, and will cut that back starting in April).
The goal of all this is to improve the care I'm giving patients:
An easier website makes it more likely to be up to date.
A more open office is nicer and makes room for a reception station. The reception station means I'll be hiring some help to take some of the work off my shoulders (I can't answer the phone while I'm seeing patients, but if I'm booked solid the whole day, I get no time to check messages or schedule new patients, leading to absurdly long waits for people to get calls back).
Less time in Flint means more time at my office, so I'll finally have some openings to schedule the new patients who have been leaving me messages (I've been getting them, but haven't had openings to put new patients in).
Things are still hectic, but should be settling down soon (at least in geological time).
So, the take home message is that is you've tried to contact me and haven't gotten a response, I'm working on it and haven't forgotten you. Do realize, however, that I'm currently booking for a month from now.
The goal of all this is to improve the care I'm giving patients:
An easier website makes it more likely to be up to date.
A more open office is nicer and makes room for a reception station. The reception station means I'll be hiring some help to take some of the work off my shoulders (I can't answer the phone while I'm seeing patients, but if I'm booked solid the whole day, I get no time to check messages or schedule new patients, leading to absurdly long waits for people to get calls back).
Less time in Flint means more time at my office, so I'll finally have some openings to schedule the new patients who have been leaving me messages (I've been getting them, but haven't had openings to put new patients in).
Things are still hectic, but should be settling down soon (at least in geological time).
So, the take home message is that is you've tried to contact me and haven't gotten a response, I'm working on it and haven't forgotten you. Do realize, however, that I'm currently booking for a month from now.
