Medical Specialties
Adjunct Cancer Therapies
Modern cancer therapies are undergoing revolutionary changes toward greater effectiveness, fewer adverse consequences, and shorter treatment time. Nonetheless, the treatment methods that are dominant at this time still involve considerable difficulties for most patients. IEP may be able to help with getting through the necessary medical treatments, as follows:
IEP Clinic is not offering to provide an alternative treatment for cancer; patients who have run out of options for medical cancer treatment may apply for care at IEP for purposes of symptom management. IEP therapeutic methods are not intended to provide long-term treatment following a course of successful medical cancer therapy; while natural therapies are sometimes utilized to try and prevent cancer recurrence later, we don’t know if long-term treatment with acupuncture is helpful or harmful in such a situation.
Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, and other Autoimmune Disorders
At this time, a curative treatment for autoimmune disorders has not been developed, but many of these disorders go into a temporary remission either spontaneously or as the result of an effective treatment. A class of drugs known as “biologics” impact the immune system and are used for certain autoimmune disorders (such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, arthritis, psoriasis) with substantial improvement in symptoms, but the risks associated with use of these drugs are high. Patients at IEP utilize the available disease-modifying drugs, such as those that reduce the frequency of multiple sclerosis relapses, and rely on the IEP services to help control some of their symptoms.
Diabetes (type II; adult onset)
For the majority of those developing type II diabetes, the primary cause and treatment is related to lifestyle, particularly exercise and diet to manage weight and blood sugar. Drugs are incorporated into the effort of diabetes management to influence the distribution of sugar and thus help prevent serious complications. For individuals who are having difficulty with controlling their diabetes symptoms, IEP may help. Acupuncture and herbs can promote stability of blood sugar, and participation in the program may aid patient adherence to doctor’s recommendations.
Mobility Impairment Due to Injury, Stroke, or Genetic Disorder
There are a number of potential causes of physical impairment. While many of the contributing causes are not reversed by acupuncture, their manifestation in muscular dysfunctions may be less disruptive when acupuncture enhances those nerve and muscle responses that are relatively unaffected by the disease process. One hope is that acupuncture may make it possible to carry out more physical activities.
Chronic Pain
Persisting pain is usually the result of physical damage that is not able to heal completely. There can be several contributors to the persistence of pain, including poor posture, incorrect footwear, overweight, and lack of necessary physical therapy. Certain disease processes can cause joint degeneration, or collapse of other physical structures. Whenever possible, acupuncture is applied at IEP with the aim of assisting patients to more fully participate in the medical pain management steps. While acupuncture produces immediate temporary relief, it is the ability to undertake other actions, such as physical therapy programs, that is likely to have a long-lasting benefit.
Miscellaneous
Individuals with difficult health problems are welcome to inquire about the possibility of treatment at IEP. As a general rule, you should have pursued diagnostic procedures to reveal the nature of the disorder or an indication of the probable disease process. Even though the condition may cause significant symptoms that are not easily controlled, IEP therapeutics have been applied to some very unusual conditions, sometimes gaining much better than anticipated results. Each case will be considered prior to offering a course of treatment.
Conditions Not Treated At IEP
Some people are looking for natural therapies to treat various disorders for which alternative medicine practitioners commonly offer treatment. IEP is not an alternative medicine clinic; it is an adjunct therapies clinic for enhancing the effects of standard medical treatments. Our program model is, for various reasons, not well suited to treating certain conditions. While a patient may have one or more of these disorders along with the primary problem to be addressed at IEP, the specific disorder may not be subject to our efforts. Among the disorders for which we do not offer treatment are: Lyme Disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, viral hepatitis (IEP did formerly have a hepatitis C program), menopausal syndrome, depression and severe anxiety. IEP is also not involved in addictive drug withdrawal procedures (there are some community acupuncture clinics that offer this service in the area).
Modern cancer therapies are undergoing revolutionary changes toward greater effectiveness, fewer adverse consequences, and shorter treatment time. Nonetheless, the treatment methods that are dominant at this time still involve considerable difficulties for most patients. IEP may be able to help with getting through the necessary medical treatments, as follows:
- Surgery: while some cancer surgeries are minor and heal on their own within a few weeks, sometimes the surgical intervention is more substantial and may involve a prolonged recovery. IEP’s treatments have the potential to speed up the restoration of health, as well as promptly reduce some swelling and pain. Ideally, apply to IEP before the surgery and begin acupuncture a few days after surgery. In some instances, the initial decision to come to IEP may follow upon an inadequate resolution of a surgical procedure, so application can be made at any time, though it becomes more difficult to manage post-surgery problems after a few months have already passed.
- Chemotherapy: for our purposes, chemotherapy refers primarily to cancer-killing drug treatments, and not to long-term risk reducing drugs (such as those deemed hormone blockers). These cancer killing drugs can have substantial side effects, and our provision of frequent acupuncture is an appropriate method to reduce their severity. Our naturopathic physicians can also give tips on exercise, diet, and other means to manage symptoms. Chinese herbs may help protect the immune system.
- Radiation: despite the great improvements in targeting radiation to the cancer, there is still a tendency for this medical therapy to cause some tissue damage in the surrounding area as well as to generate systemic responses. Herb and nutritional supplement therapies, along with acupuncture, are a way to help minimize those reactions.
IEP Clinic is not offering to provide an alternative treatment for cancer; patients who have run out of options for medical cancer treatment may apply for care at IEP for purposes of symptom management. IEP therapeutic methods are not intended to provide long-term treatment following a course of successful medical cancer therapy; while natural therapies are sometimes utilized to try and prevent cancer recurrence later, we don’t know if long-term treatment with acupuncture is helpful or harmful in such a situation.
Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, and other Autoimmune Disorders
At this time, a curative treatment for autoimmune disorders has not been developed, but many of these disorders go into a temporary remission either spontaneously or as the result of an effective treatment. A class of drugs known as “biologics” impact the immune system and are used for certain autoimmune disorders (such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, arthritis, psoriasis) with substantial improvement in symptoms, but the risks associated with use of these drugs are high. Patients at IEP utilize the available disease-modifying drugs, such as those that reduce the frequency of multiple sclerosis relapses, and rely on the IEP services to help control some of their symptoms.
Diabetes (type II; adult onset)
For the majority of those developing type II diabetes, the primary cause and treatment is related to lifestyle, particularly exercise and diet to manage weight and blood sugar. Drugs are incorporated into the effort of diabetes management to influence the distribution of sugar and thus help prevent serious complications. For individuals who are having difficulty with controlling their diabetes symptoms, IEP may help. Acupuncture and herbs can promote stability of blood sugar, and participation in the program may aid patient adherence to doctor’s recommendations.
Mobility Impairment Due to Injury, Stroke, or Genetic Disorder
There are a number of potential causes of physical impairment. While many of the contributing causes are not reversed by acupuncture, their manifestation in muscular dysfunctions may be less disruptive when acupuncture enhances those nerve and muscle responses that are relatively unaffected by the disease process. One hope is that acupuncture may make it possible to carry out more physical activities.
Chronic Pain
Persisting pain is usually the result of physical damage that is not able to heal completely. There can be several contributors to the persistence of pain, including poor posture, incorrect footwear, overweight, and lack of necessary physical therapy. Certain disease processes can cause joint degeneration, or collapse of other physical structures. Whenever possible, acupuncture is applied at IEP with the aim of assisting patients to more fully participate in the medical pain management steps. While acupuncture produces immediate temporary relief, it is the ability to undertake other actions, such as physical therapy programs, that is likely to have a long-lasting benefit.
Miscellaneous
Individuals with difficult health problems are welcome to inquire about the possibility of treatment at IEP. As a general rule, you should have pursued diagnostic procedures to reveal the nature of the disorder or an indication of the probable disease process. Even though the condition may cause significant symptoms that are not easily controlled, IEP therapeutics have been applied to some very unusual conditions, sometimes gaining much better than anticipated results. Each case will be considered prior to offering a course of treatment.
Conditions Not Treated At IEP
Some people are looking for natural therapies to treat various disorders for which alternative medicine practitioners commonly offer treatment. IEP is not an alternative medicine clinic; it is an adjunct therapies clinic for enhancing the effects of standard medical treatments. Our program model is, for various reasons, not well suited to treating certain conditions. While a patient may have one or more of these disorders along with the primary problem to be addressed at IEP, the specific disorder may not be subject to our efforts. Among the disorders for which we do not offer treatment are: Lyme Disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, viral hepatitis (IEP did formerly have a hepatitis C program), menopausal syndrome, depression and severe anxiety. IEP is also not involved in addictive drug withdrawal procedures (there are some community acupuncture clinics that offer this service in the area).
