Integrative Medicine
WHAT IS INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE:
Integrative Medicine is an approach to healthcare that takes account of the whole person – mind, body and spirit – including all aspects of lifestyle.
It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between physician and patient and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and complementary.
WHO CAN BENEFIT:
Lori Brand Abend, M.D. provides Integrative Medical care for a wide variety of patient needs; from wellness focused visits to consultations addressing chronic disease:
Integrative Medicine consultations
- For addressing non-pharmaceutical approaches for medical conditions such as Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Irritable bowel disease (IBS), Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), Migraines, Chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, High cholesterol, Pre-diabetes and Metabolic syndrome.
- For developing comprehensive (non-pharmaceutical) anti-inflammatory strategies to address Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Arthritis and Autoimmune diseases.
- For medical guidance tapering off prescription medications: ex. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI’s) and hypnotics (Rx sleep aides)
- For medical guidance in the judicious use of evidence-based herbal remedies and supplements
- For dietary and lifestyle strategies to optimize post cancer health and well being
Integrative Wellness consultations
- For optimizing diet and nutrition
- For enhancing overall health and wellbeing
- For stress management and relaxation strategies
- For prevention of chronic disease
PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY:
Dr. Brand Abend’s care is provided as a partnership with you. She provides an educational and empowering framework that will enable you to become a fully invested participant in your health and healing.
Her care is offered as a complement to conventional medical care. The conventional medical care model tends to rely almost exclusively on the use of pharmaceutical drugs and procedures to treat disease. This narrow approach loses sight of the essential determinants of optimal health and healing: proper nutrition, daily exercise, restorative sleep, effective relaxation, meaningful work, positive relationships and a nurtured spirit.
Increasingly, research shows that what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, how you process stress, what you think and how you feel can either promote health or promote disease. As a patient in Dr. Brand Abend’s practice, you will be empowered to make changes that shift your body’s physiology toward health rather than disease. Dr. Brand Abend uses whole foods, relaxation strategies, herbs & botanicals and movement techniques as medicine; allowing the use of pharmaceuticals to be minimized. Conventional medical treatments are not discarded, but are blended with health promoting lifestyle changes and other complementary treatments to enhance your health and healing. Recommendations are always informed by medical evidence, with close attention to safety and efficacy.
“The best use of a physician’s knowledge is to teach patients how to heal themselves”
David Simon, M.D.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM AN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE CONSULTATION:
The initial consultation typically lasts 60-75 minutes. In a relaxed, unhurried environment, you and Dr. Brand Abend will discuss your medical history and your personal treatment goals. The goal of the initial visit is for Dr. Brand Abend to understand your unique story. This allows her to develop an individualized treatment plan that best addresses your specific health concerns and goals.
One or more follow up appointments are required to discuss treatment options and provide you with support as you implement your treatment plan. Follow up visits typically last 50 minutes.
Dr. Brand Abend is not a primary care physician. Her care is meant to complement the care of primary physicians and other medical specialists.
PAYMENT:
Dr. Brand Abend’s practice is structured as a direct pay practice in order to optimize time spent directly with patients. She has opted out of Medicare and is not contracted with insurance companies. The office will provide a receipt of services that you may submit to your insurance company for out of network reimbursement.
Payment is due in full at the time of service.
Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.
To reschedule or cancel an appointment, we ask that you please give the office 24-hour advance notice.
FAQ’s:
1) Will Dr. Brand Abend recommend multiple dietary supplements for me?
Dr. Brand Abend has extensive knowledge of dietary supplements. She uses them cautiously and judiciously, incorporating them into her treatment plan only if there is medical evidence of their efficacy and always with close attention to safety and potential interactions with prescription medication.
2) Will Dr. Brand Abend perform extensive laboratory testing at my office visit?
You are encouraged to bring copies of any prior relevant lab test results to your initial consultation for Dr. Brand Abend to review.
As a general philosophy, Dr. Brand Abend uses lab testing prudently and will only order testing if the results will alter her treatment plan. Dr. Brand Abend does not offer in office lab testing.