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Alternative goes mainstream
Local healthcare systems incorporate holistic medicine
published June 4th 2008
Ask anyone who has traveled to the Far East for any length of time and they can tell you there is initially a certain amount of culture shock. There is a definite dichotomy that exists in the hearts and minds of most people between Eastern and Western culture — tea and coffee, forks and chopsticks, King Kong versus Godzilla.
This chasm between worlds extends foremost into the field of medicine.
Using plants and herbs for medicinal purposes is the oldest form of healing on the planet. The Chinese began employing natural healthcare for the first time some 4000 years ago. Around 600A.D. Islamic physicians developed a far more advanced system of herbal-based drugs and remedies. These methods contrast greatly to those developed in Europe and America using hardened disciplines such as chemistry, anatomy, and psychology. In years past, many a Western scholar saw the growth of these fields as the death of presumably inferior and superstitious treatments. But today, in the era of genetic manipulation and bioengineering, roughly 80% of the world still uses what the West would call alternative remedies as their main form of treatment and even 25% of all prescriptions used in "mainstream" medicine are derived from herbs or plants.
America has recently experienced an almost epidemic interest in these ancient approaches to healing. Traditionally, the subscribers to this "back to Earth" kind of medicine have received the stereotype of unkempt hippie herbalists of the cultish sort who delve too heavily into a certain color-enhancing star-shaped leaf. While certainly amusing to consider, this perception is actually rooted in tremendous ignorance, if not bias. Dr. Mounir Elkhatib, head of Promedica's Great Lakes Center for Integrative Medicine, said that holistic medicine is becoming a rapidly expanding science within the medical community.
"In 1993, the New England Journal published an article that surveyed the use of alternative medicines in this country. Almost 40 percent of the public uses at least one kind of herbal supplement, and those people spend close to $11 Billion every year in health food stores. In response, the National Institute of Health started the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. There is a great deal of research going on, and this area is becoming very evidence based."
Even before the trend of natural medicine fell into the public spotlight, Dr. Elkhatib took an interest in the field. From Lebanon, and having graduated from an Egyptian medical school, he began to incorporate alternative remedies into his practice some 25 years ago. His use of herbs and natural solutions steadily increased over the years until he founded the Great Lakes Center through Promedica in 2003.
"The purpose of integrative medicine, and of the Center, is to use and enhance the body's natural ability to heal. The body has an immense ability to heal itself if given the proper ingredients that it needs. For example, how many times have you cut your finger or caught a cold without having to visit a doctor? There have even been documented cases of spontaneous cancer healing without any external treatment whatsoever. The body can heal itself very well."
A different way of doing things
The Great Lakes Center offers many avenues to aid its patients in the healing process. Foundationally, it provides nutritional consultation given by Dr. Elkhatib himself. "Studies show that nearly 70% of all health problems stem from a lack of nutrition. The subject has become the most important topic in modern medicine, which is completely opposite from what I was taught in school. Several of my colleagues and I, we never had a single nutrition course in medical school."
However, nutrition is just the cornerstone of integrative medicine practiced by Dr. Elkhatib and his staff. Acupuncture has proved itself a popular therapy for several types of health problems. With deep roots in the traditions of the Far East, this practice involves inserting needles in a patient's skin along channels of energy called meridians. The goal is to clear blockages in those channels which cause both physical disease and mental health issues. One of the Great Lakes Center's acupuncturists, Diane McCormick states of the practice, "Stress plays a huge part in the disease process. More than just physical symptoms, acupuncture can release depression and anxiety."
Hypnotherapy has also been useful in the Great Lakes Center's treatment of mental and emotional issues. "It's not like the hypnotism stage shows that come right away to most peoples' minds." continues Dr. Elkhatib. "This method allows someone to connect with deep seated feelings and bring out internal conflict. It's wonderful for stress anxiety."
Diving a little deeper into the Ancients' more mystical traditions, the Great Lakes Center utilizes a practice known as healing touch. "You read about the laying on of hands in the writings of several cultures around the world. Our healing touch involves the healer reaching close to the patient, or possibly even making physical contact with their hands, and exchanging energy with the patient to relieve pain, disease, or stress."
Finally, the doctors and therapists working with Dr. Elkhatib offer treatments that promote general relaxation and wellness. Guided imagery is used to verbally assist a patient in imagining places he or she finds relaxing. Several patients of the Great Lakes Center receive regular massage treatments to relieve stress and anxiety. Aromatherapy has also shown success in promoting health and relaxation by using the scented oils of herbs, plants, and flowers.
Nature's Mercy
Toledo's other major healthcare system, Mercy Health Partners, has also discovered the benefits of integrative medicine.
"In 1981, I began to see alternative techniques as an effective way to relieve my patients' pain. Now it is my passion to make people comfortable and rehabilitated without the risk or cost of medication at all whenever possible," says Dr. Ron Shapiro, pain management specialist at Mercy's Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness near St. Anne's Hospital. The Mercy Center offers yoga, posture realignment, acupuncture, and physical therapy to alleviate the aches and pains of their patients. "A single pill can turn off a kidney if the patient's body reacts in a certain way. Take Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs commonly used to relieve arthritis pain: if you're in that unlucky 30 percent that could experience stomach bleeding, kidney problems, or a stroke; alternative solutions are a blessing."
Dr. Shapiro was unavailable for a face-to-face interview as he was in Montana conducting further research on the culmination of his work: a device called NINS or Non-Invasive Neurovascular Stimulation. "It's an FDA compliant device that treats pain without any medication or invasion into the body whatsoever. It's tested with phenomenal results showing six to ten times quicker pain rehabilitation over traditional methods."
Against the grain
"All of these treatments are part of something larger that we promote called holistic wellness." says Dr. Elkhatib. "That is a general attitude of total wellness. Lifestyle is so crucial to this. This includes every kind of well being: physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual, intellectual, and financial wellness."
The issue faced by practitioners in integrative medicine is that their goal of total wellness for their patients is a very difficult one. Stress permeates nearly every facet of life, including our recreation, and proper nutrition can be elusive. Even if the most ardent consumer steers clear of blatantly unhealthy fast food, it's nearly impossible to avoid synthetic preservatives and sweeteners.
"The fact is that two of the most dangerous additives, in my opinion, are also the most common. Trans-fat which affects the body's lipids and high fructose corn syrup which has been linked as a key factor in obesity are almost inescapable. Bread, dairy products, canned foods: they're in everything. Even some prescriptions contain high fructose corn syrup."
A patient (who requested anonymity) of the Great Lakes Center for Integrative Medicine who meets with Dr. Elkhatib for nutritional consultation knows full well the difficulty of trying to lead a truly healthy lifestyle. "My largest issue is my metabolism and my weight." she says. "But I've never been an inactive person and I was always careful about what I ate so it didn't make sense I could never shed the weight. I did my own research and discovered so many things that they put into our food that are not good for our bodies."
That research led her to the Great Lakes Center to see what, if any, help integrative medicine could provide. "After coming here, I'm a firm believer that what I eat determines my health. I'm now exclusively a buyer of organic groceries. Just doing that completely changed my health: I started to lose weight; I used to have terrible allergies too, but they're all gone now. Dr. Elkhatib has given me some herbal supplements for my metabolism and I've seen a difference there as well."
As they contain 10 to 30 percent more antioxidants and vital nutrients, Dr. Elkhatib is certainly a supporter of organic foods, but he offers some warnings to those wanting to make a switch to that corner of the supermarket. "Check for labels. Organically grown produce and naturally raised meats should be government certified and should have that labeled somewhere. Also, there are advantages to buying local foods, those farmed within a hundred miles of the store, but those may not necessarily be organic either. Again, you have to check for their certification."
The push for foods made with whole grains and vegetables grown without chemicals is relatively recent, but corner stores selling vitamins and herbs have been popular since the 1970's. The doctor cautions even more stringently for those exploring the health food and supplements market.
"Dietary supplements are wonderful, but you absolutely need to know what you're doing before you buy. This market has very little regulation. According to Consumer Reports, nearly 30 percent of supplement did not contain what the bottle said they did or did not produce the effect advertised. Things are improving, though. In 1994, Congress required supplements companies to adhere to 'good manufacturing practices' which means that at anytime they may have to prove that their product is what they say it is. While I see the industry becoming more regulated, I doubt it will totally fall under the FDA's [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] control. That was tried once, and Congress received 5 million letters, phone calls, and emails in protest — the most in U.S. history."
Dual wielding healthcare
"Just as important as knowing what is in your health supplements," continues Dr. Elkhatib, "is making sure your health care provider knows what you are taking. Some of the things available in health food stores are very powerful herbs, and can have significant complications with prescriptions or even over the counter medications." The tendency of most people, 70% according to surveys, is to separate their herbal medications from the traditional ones and to hide that information from their physician. That is where integrative medicine gets its name. "Our goal here is whole healing: to bring integrative and traditional methods together for our patients' benefit. That's why we insist all of our staff be dually trained. There are some things that can be treated with alternative medicine, some things that require both alternative and traditional treatment and other cases where alternative methods absolutely should not be used."
"The largest concern I have is that patients will take it upon themselves to forsake traditional diagnosis." says Dr. Shapiro. "Some doctors who are trained exclusively in alternative medicine may not be able to properly diagnose a problem or issue suitable medication. The two disciplines must be blended to complement one another."
The sentiment of merging the way the two cultures do medicine is not lost on the healthcare community outside of Toledo. Fifty universities around the country have established educational and research centers complementary medicine including med school heavyweights Columbia and Harvard.
According to Dr. Elkhatib, the interest in alternative remedies is just ramping up. "Currently, these universities are sending missions to the Amazon and places like this to learn from the local shamans and healers. They are dying off and the medical community is very eager to acquire their knowledge before it passes away with them. There is so much research to being done on the things tribesmen already practice. A good example is the Pacific Ewe tree. Native Americans have known of its incredible healing properties for ages, but scientists have only recently begun using it to create the Taxol compound which is used to heal cancer. Ironically, however, the Pacific Ewe is almost extinct because the logging industry found it to be a poor wood tree."
This resolution over how to heal the sick looks as if it is here to stay. Looking down the road, Dr. Elkhatib sees a bright future for integrative medicine. "I see more health systems creating their own centers like this one. Currently insurance in the central parts of the country will not cover integrative medicine, but I see that changing too. I look for almost an awakening in the medical community and in the general public to the real benefits of integrative medicine. I'm hoping for more practices that emphasize whole medicine and utilize all the tools we have for promoting health."
"I think we can expect a great marriage between the two disciplines." agrees Dr. Shapiro. "I see further documentation of these alternative practices in the coming years. Already acupuncture has lost its mystical reputation because we understand the physiological principles behind it. Hypnosis is another example. I expect we'll learn more of the science behind other 'mysterious' practices like healing touch and prayer as well. As practitioners validate these techniques, you can look for third party candidates such as insurance providers to start recognizing these benefits in their policies."
The Great Lakes Center for Integrative Medicine is located at 4129 Holland-Sylvania Road. 419-885-4231.
Mercy's Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness is located 3930 Sunforest Court, Suite 250. 419-251-1121.
More information on Dr. Shapiro's NINS pain relieving device can be found at www.edok.com.
