Directions fixed
Friday, November 17, 2006 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"
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 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
Tuesday, October 10, 2006 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
Saturday, October 07, 2006 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
Sunday, October 01, 2006 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
Sunday, September 24, 2006 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
Sunday, September 03, 2006 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
Sunday, July 02, 2006 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
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 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
Thursday, June 08, 2006 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 at here: http://www.crazywisdom.net/interviewpdf/holisticdocs.pdf
-update- I found the article online, but who knows how long it will remain. Get at here: http://www.crazywisdom.net/interviewpdf/holisticdocs.pdf
ACAM Convention this weekend
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 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
Friday, April 14, 2006 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
Saturday, March 04, 2006 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.
