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Author: Dr. Debra Muth

Alternative Therapies

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in General Health.

Alternative Therapies

Our highly respected team provides a wide range of alternative therapies

People around the world have relied on alternative therapies to help treat and heal their medical problems, utilizing some practices for centuries. Today, conventional medicine has begun to embrace these alternative therapies as a complement to their traditional treatments. At our Milwaukee area alternative medicine center, we embrace these treatments as part of our integrative health approach, and we specialize in them.

Our talented team can provide you with professional alternative therapies that incorporate mind, body, touch, energy, nutrition and electromagnetics technology. Many patients will take advantage of more than one service as they seek to bring their body to wellness or maintain their best health.

Anti-aging therapies

Our alternative therapies team will design an individualized program to help prevent and fight the effects of aging as well as prevent and minimize age-related diseases. Your plan may include many alternative therapies, including targeted nutrition supplements, natural hormone replacement and other modalities.

ONDAMED®

Many people are not familiar with one of our unique alternative therapies—ONDAMED. This combines biofeedback technology and energy therapy to help target and treat specific problem areas of the body. We use biofeedback to determine which magnetic pulse frequency is best suited for you, and apply those individualized frequencies to activate healing and regeneration.

Shamanic healing

Contrary to popular belief, shamanism is not a religious-based practice. One of the most misunderstood alternative therapies, shamanic healing has been practiced by many cultures for thousands of years. Shamans use various healing methods—crystals, energy healing and more—to address illnesses at the spiritual level.

Our Milwaukee area alternative medicine center treats the whole person, and we are proud to offer a variety of alternative therapies for our patients. Contact us to learn more.

All Detox Diets Are Not Equal

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in Blog, Nutrition. No Comments on All Detox Diets Are Not Equal

Detox diets are trendy today.

While each fad diet varies, typical characteristics are fasting followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables, fruits and water. Some detox diets also include colon cleansing and supplements. We’re constantly bombarded with novel detox diets and products in the media.

Like most fad diets, there is little evidence that unsupervised detox diets work. Fad diets aren’t the same as a medically supervised metabolic detox diet. It’s important to understand the difference and benefits between the two.

A metabolic detox diet, supervised by a medical professional, focuses on transporting toxins in your body to the liver or kidneys. Then, the body can eliminate the toxins by excreting them. This filtering process typically involves the digestive tract, lungs, liver and kidneys.

Some of the typical toxins eliminated from your body are:

  • Excess hormones
  • Inflammatory molecules
  • Prescription drugs
  • Alcohol
  • Fat-soluble substances

Many chronic illnesses build up over time with few, if any, symptoms in the early phases. Diseases such as arthritis, heart and lung disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are often attributed to toxins in the body. A medically supervised detoxification diet can flush out chemicals and toxins. Eliminating these toxins can help reduce or reverse the effects of many chronic illnesses without additional medications.

You shouldn’t undertake a strict detoxification diet on your own. Assessing and managing underlying health conditions are critical. Issues such as diabetes, blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and other chronic illnesses must be monitored by a health professional.

The more you and your medical professional knows about your body, the better your detox diet will work. At Serenity Health Care Center, we offer a professional detox approach to help our patients improve health. Call us today to find out more about how a metabolic detoxification diet can put you on the pathway to wellness.

Gluten Sensitivity Questions

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Gluten causes health issues for people who are sensitive to foods containing gluten. If you have gastrointestinal problems or irritable bowel syndrome, gluten could be your problem. In fact, research shows that a gluten-free diet may improve many symptoms in a variety of illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Gluten Sensitivity Questions
Gluten Sensitivity Questions

Is gluten causing your health problems? Here are some questions to help you find out if it is contributing to your poor health. If you answer yes to 4 or fewer, it’s unlikely that gluten is causing you problems. If you answer yes to 5 or more of these questions, gluten sensitivity is likely contributing to your health issues.

  1. Unintentional weight gain
  2. Unexplained fatigue
  3. Difficulty relaxing or feeling
  4. Unexplained digestive problems
  5. Female hormone imbalances
  6. PMS or menopausal symptoms
  7. Muscle or joint pain or stiffness of unknown cause
  8. Migraine or severe headaches
  9. Food allergies or sensitivities
  10. Difficulty digesting dairy products
  11. Tendency to consume too much alcohol
  12. Excessive sensitivity to physical & emotional pain
  13. Cravings for sweets, bread, carbohydrates
  14. Abdominal pain or cramping
  15. Abdominal bloating or distention
  16. Intestinal gas
  17. Craving specific foods
  18. Eat when upset or to relax
  19. Constipation or diarrhea of unknown cause
  20. Unexplained skin problems and rashes

If you answered yes to 9 or more of the above questions, I recommend that you make an appointment with your health care provider to discuss a potential sensitivity. Due to the cross-contamination of many foods, setting up a gluten-free diet on your own is challenging. Your health care practitioner or a professional that he/she recommends can help you implement a diet that is packed with nutrition and taste.

If you are looking for gluten-free recipes, check out Serenity Health Kitchen. Identifying allergies and sensitivities is one of our specialties at Serenity Health Care Center. Schedule an appointment to find out how a different diet can make you feel like a new person.

Leptin Called Obesity Hormone

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Leptin, often called the obesity hormone, plays a significant role in regulating appetite and body weight. As weight decreases, leptin falls to stimulate your appetite. When body weight increases, levels should decrease to suppress appetite. If your levels are abnormal, it has a negative effect on your weight and overall health.

Learn about leptin and optimizing leptin levels in Dr. Muth’s video.

A disorder could mean that your body is making a lot of leptin that doesn’t work. Your brain doesn’t listen. Thus, there is no decrease in appetite or increase in metabolism. This means your eat more, you gain weight…..you eat more, you gain weight. This cycle must be broken to regain your appetite signals.

Check out the video or call Serenity Health Care Center for a consultation to find out more about how you can optimize your health.

Organ Donation Is Gift of Life

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in Blog, The Dark Side of Injury. No Comments on Organ Donation Is Gift of Life

Donating your loved one’s organs after death is a precious gift of life. In giving to others, you cherish and honor your loved one. It’s a way to remember your loved one time and time again. Yet, not all organ donation organizations are non-profit. Something that should be so easy requires careful research before making a decision.

A single donated body can provide tissue, tendons, ligaments, and corneas that yield between $140,000 and $220,000. While some tissue banks are non-profit, others are profit operations. Selling cadaver body parts has become so profitable that many people are imprisoned for body snatching.

Upon my father’s death, we donated his organs. It was a source of comfort and humor as we remembered him after his passing. Yet, it added a great deal of anxiety when I discovered that some donation organizations use this as a profitable business model. You can read more about my journey in my book, The Dark Side of Injury.

Here are some frequently asked questions about tissue and organ donation.

  1. Who Can Donate? People of all different ages are able to donate, so don’t discount donation due to age. Either you as a family member or your loved one may decide to be an organ/tissue donor. One of the important things in your decision is to make sure that the donation is given to a reputable organization.
  2. How are organs/tissues managed? Typically, organs and tissues are matched to recipients who are prioritized on a waiting list. Matching may include blood type, need, age, weight as well as other medical criteria.
  3. Which organs/tissues can be donated? Heart, kidneys, lungs, tendons, liver, corneas, bone marrow and more can be potentially transplanted. As an organ donor, you can specify all or certain organs to donate. The donor’s medical condition at the time of death may influence which organs are eligible to be donated.

One organ donor can save eight lives and change the lives of more than fifty people. It truly can be the Gift of Life.

Research nonprofit donation organizations before taking action. Or, find out more about my experience in The Dark Side of Injury.

Bio-Terrain Assessment Offers Personalized Therapy

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in Blog, Lyme Disease. No Comments on Bio-Terrain Assessment Offers Personalized Therapy

Bio-Terrain assessment is used to understand the elements within an individual’s body chemistry. Instead of simply treating symptoms, Bio-Terrain assessments help reveal underlying causes of a patient’s illness. This leads to solutions to restore your overall health.

This non-invasive assessment offers personalized therapy for a variety of health issues. We’ve had success with a specialized program for chronically ill Lyme disease patients. Find out more about it at Personalized Bio Terrain Therapy for Lyme Disease.

Bio-Terrain Assessment for Lyme Disease
                          Bio-Terrain Assessment for Lyme Disease

Other chronic diseases that could potentially benefit from Bio-Terrain assessment are staph, strep, mycoplasma, Epstein Barr and bartonella.

Today, we use Bio-Terrain to define an individual’s biochemistry based upon blood, urine and saliva. The results allow us to personalize a treatment plan. It is pain-free, safe and appropriate for any age. Personalized Bio-Terrain therapy sessions require six visits within a 14-day timeframe. Patients see gradual improvement over a three-month timeframe. Treatment consists of:

  • Bio-magnetic pairing
  • Crania sacral work
  • Detoxification
  • Dietary recommendations
  • Ondamed treatment
  • Sacral Occipital Technique blocking

An unhealthy lifestyle, environmental toxins or chronic disease can all affect your terrain. When your terrain is out of balance, few if any treatments work well. Bio-Terrain assessment puts a stop to the endless cycle of chasing and treating symptoms. It gets to the root of the problem by determining the primary biological dysfunction(s) that need to be treated.

A 19th century physiologist, Claude Bernard, is credited with the original bio-terrain concept of a cell’s environment determining its function. After years of research, Dr. Robert Greenberg designed the assessment device in 1994. He continues to be recognized today as a leading authority on Bio-Terrain.

This assessment is a valuable tool in analyzing and monitoring the treatment progress or regression in chronic diseases. It’s a way that you can take control and get your health back on track.

If you, your child or other family member is struggling to manage a chronic disease, call Serenity Health Care at 262.522.8640 to find out if Bio-Terrain assessment has the potential to help you.

Managing Chronic Pain

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in Blog, Healthy Lifestyle, The Dark Side of Injury. No Comments on Managing Chronic Pain

Managing chronic pain can be challenging at best. Yet, living with pain is a way of life for many people. Narcotics simply put you to sleep and take more of a toll on your health. You can’t live an active life when you’re looking through a constant haze. Finding alternative ways to manage your pain can drastically improve the quality of your life.

When my husband was injured on the job, he had acute back pain. Acute pain comes on suddenly. It may be caused by an injury, illness or even an unknown source. Acute pain goes away when the cause is corrected. When the underlying cause cannot be treated, it may lead to chronic pain. This type of pain can last for months or years.

My husband’s initial injury led to chronic pain that affected our emotional well-being for many years. You can read more about our journey in my book, The Dark Side of Injury. Managing chronic pain and your pathway to recovery isn’t an easy road, but the rewards are definitely worth the pursuit.

Tips for Managing Chronic Pain

Managing Chronic Pain is Important
Managing Chronic Pain is Important
  1. Some conditions are affected by dehydration. Drinking enough water to stay well hydrated sometimes reduces the pain. Avoid caffeinated sodas, juices and teas that have a diuretic effect.
  2. Many foods have anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate some of your pain. Low-sugar fruits, leafy greens and soy products are excellent choices. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts, tuna, etc.) are also good choices.
  3. Some herbs such turmeric have anti-inflammatory products that are known to be beneficial in reducing chronic pain.
  4. Avoid foods that are known to be instigators of inflammation. Some of these include high-fat red meats, wheat products, processed foods, dairy, chocolate and tomatoes.
  5. Get out and move. Exercise and yoga add strength and flexibility. You don’t have to do a lot. Simply walking can decrease stress and combat the depression that often goes hand in hand with managing chronic pain.
  6. Massage therapy, chiropractic treatments and/or other therapy may be beneficial for managing chronic pain.
  7. Individual meditation or group support may reduce some of the stress associated with managing chronic pain. Both are ways to calm your mind.
  8. Take each day as it comes. Do things that you enjoy as much as you can without making the pain worse. Simply doing one thing that you enjoy will lift your spirits.

If you are struggling with managing chronic pain, schedule a consultation at Serenity Health Care. Our medical professionals are well-versed in combining traditional and alternative pain management techniques.

Let us help you put the “spring” in your step again.

Job Stress Causes Injuries

Written by Dr. Debra Muth on . Posted in Blog, Healthy Lifestyle, The Dark Side of Injury. No Comments on Job Stress Causes Injuries

The shift in American business to “do more with less” is taking a significant toll on our health. It is stressful, and job stress causes injuries, health problems and psychological issues. According to statistics reported by the CDC, more than 40 percent of Americans report that their job is “very or extremely” stressful. Is your job putting you at risk?

Heavy workloads in physically demanding jobs can put you at risk. Muscles need breaks. Muscle strains, tears, aches and pains are often ignored in the interest of productivity. Disregarding small injuries can result in further damage, eventually leading to lifelong chronic pain.

Office jobs can tie you to a computer or phone. Many people don’t realize that prolonged sitting, typing or phone use also results in muscle strains. Meeting quotas and hectic work schedules are as stressful as a physically demanding job. You still need to monitor your stress level.

Are you a stay-at-home parent or caregiver? Or, perhaps you combine caregiving responsibilities with a demanding job. Either way, you likely face “do more with less”. It’s stressful to handle multiple responsibilities, so it’s important to find an outlet for your stress.

People are unique, so each person reacts differently in situations. Our innate coping style is part of our personality. So, don’t feel that you should be able to cope better simply because the same situation doesn’t stress your friend. It’s all about finding what stresses you, and then identifying ways to relieve your stress.

If job stress has stretched you to the max, check out my previous blog for ways to manage stress. I’ve walked more than a mile in your stress-filled shoes when my husband was injured on the job. I know what a difficult road it is. That’s why I pulled together a number of resources and checklists to help others deal with stress, doctor’s appointments, worker’s compensation claims and more in my book, The Dark Side of Injury. 

It’s a must to manage stress before it starts managing you. Job stress causes injuries, and you need to avoid that. Schedule an appointment at Serenity Health Care to find out more about overcoming the stress in your life. Your health depends on it.

Find Your Path to Wellness at Serenity’s Open House

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Serenity Health Care is celebrating its 6th anniversary by hosting an open house on Saturday, February 27, 2016. Our doctors are sharing information about vital wellness topics at different times during the open house. Join us and learn more about how you can find your path to wellness.

Serenity Health Care Open House

Saturday, February 27, 2016

12:00 PM to 3:00 PM 

Space is Limited! Call 262.522.8640 to Register.

Adrenal Function

The adrenal glands, stress and fatigue are linked. Adrenal fatigue, left untreated, can also lead to other health problems. Today’s busy lifestyles are filled with stress and poor nutrition. You owe it to yourself to learn about keeping your adrenals healthy on your path to wellness.

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm “You and Your Adrenals” – Amy Hoffman, NP 

Personalized Genetics

A new era brings more options for healing. The knowledge of an individuals’ unique genetics when developing a treatment plan boosts successful results. Personalized genetics can help predict your susceptibility to certain diseases so that you can take preventative actions. Learn and ask questions about how personalized genetics work.

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm “Personalized Genetics and Your Path to Healing” – Sonja Hintz RN

Bio-Terrain

Bio-Terrain is a whole body program to help individuals with chronic issues such as Lyme or PANDAS. Treatment consists of 6 visits over a 14 day period. It includes several components on the path to wellness. The goal of the program is to open pathways in the body by balancing the body’s energy, metabolism and polarity. This allows  the body a chance to heal itself.

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm “Bio-Terrain, Opening the Pathways to Wellness” – Heather King, DC and Wendy Dunbar, LMT 

Bio-Medicine and Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder that creates social and communication problems. Common symptoms include disruptive behavior, aggression and hyperactivity. Bio-medicine can treat your child by assessing and treating underlying causes. This treatment method for autism has shown many benefits in language development, improved social awareness and stabilizing behavior. Learn more about the role of bio-medicine and how it’s possible for your child to thrive.

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm “Bio-Medicine and Autism” – Greg Brown, MD

Find Your Path to Wellness

Call 262.522.8640 Today!

 

Ask These Questions before Joining Clinical Trials

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There are pros and cons of joining clinical trials. It’s important for pharmaceutical companies to test new products and medications. It is equally important that potential participants make an informed decision to take part in the study. It’s the law! Unfortunately, many doctors, hospitals and pharma companies fall short in following the letter of the law.

The United States government says that every clinical trial participant has the right to an informed consent. Studies should minimize the risks to participants by ensuring that potential benefits outweigh risks.

When my husband injured his back at work, he had surgery to insert a “synthetic bone graft material” into his lower back. We later discovered that the bone graft material used on him had been harvested from cadaver bone. Not only was this not disclosed to us, but he wasn’t participating in a clinical trial. It also put him at risk for a host of diseases that occur with human transplants. We took on a large hospital and pharma company in court. Find out more about the full story in my book: The Dark Side of Injury.

Easy-to-understand information is supposed to be provided to potential participants before they join a trial. But, there can be loopholes. If you are considering joining clinical trials, you need to ask questions. Every situation is different. However, there are some standard questions to ask:

  • Why are the companies/doctors conducting the research?
  • What do the researchers hope to accomplish?
  • What is the origin and makeup of the product? (Note: Product could be a device, therapy, medication, or other medical element)
  • Has your exact condition been treated in the trial?
  • How is the product expected to work?
  • What are suspected and known risks to the participant associated with the product?
  • Are there potential long-term side effects?
  • What are the potential benefits for the participant?
  • Are there safer treatments available? If so, what are the effectiveness and side effects of each?)
  • What is the timeframe of the trial?
  • Is there medical support after the trial?

It’s a shame that some trials don’t follow the law, so you must protect yourself. Don’t sign away your rights to file a lawsuit in the event of malpractice. Get more resources to help you navigate worker’s comp, health insurance and the medical/pharma industry in my book, The Dark Side of Injury.