These 4 traditional doctors have seen firsthand the value of alternative medicine in treating everything from colds to cancer
If you wish your doctor offered natural remedies before resorting to her prescription pad, you have plenty of company. In a recent survey of Prevention readers, 84% of you said you want to get advice about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) directly from your physician—no doubt because she has the training to discern the superstars from the snake oil. Fortunately, as patient use of CAM intensifies and research increasingly provides strong support for some treatments (and at least preliminary evidence for others), many highly respected, conventionally trained docs are venturing into this arena. These MDs aren’t abandoning what they learned in medical school; they simply recognize that healing that unites the best of all techniques represents the wave of the future.
The four physicians that follow all were educated at prestigious mainstream institutions and then went on to learn alternative methods to expand the tools in their proverbial black bags. Here’s what inspired their thinking, and the remedies they recommend for the conditions that commonly afflict you and your family.
Hands-on Healer
Sezelle Gereau-Haddon, MD, 53, otolaryngologist
Growing up in the Virgin Islands, Dr. Gereau-Haddon was exposed to natural remedies by her grandmother. But as an adult, she dismissed them as folklore and subsequently went to medical school in the United States. After a decade of practice as an ear, nose, and throat doctor and surgeon, however, she grew disillusioned with the many conditions Western medicine couldn’t cure. She also noticed that many of the children in her practice bounced back quickly from illness or injury. “They hadn’t yet internalized how difficult it is to heal,” says Dr. Gereau-Haddon. “It made me realize how important the mind is to recovery.”
She went on to receive formal training in integrative medicine, homeopathy, herbal remedies, and hands-on practices such as craniosacral therapy and Reiki. Today she treats patients with a variety of conventional and alternative therapies at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City.
Her top tips:
Clear your head with a subtle touch. Instead of surgery or drugs to treat chronic sinusitis, TMJ, or ringing in the ears, Dr. Gereau-Haddon recommends a painless, tiny adjustment of the bones of the skull and spinal cord via craniosacral therapy. Though few clinical studies have been done and not all insurance plans cover this treatment, Dr. Gereau-Haddon reports that after just three or four 30-minute sessions, her patients show improvement and, in some cases, even undergo full remission of symptoms. It’s thought to work by taking pressure off the auditory nerves in the lining of the brain, which helps the cerebralspinal fluid flow more freely.
Press your way to better sleep. If you can’t nod off because your head’s blocked up (or maybe you’re just mentally overloaded), apply firm but gentle pressure for a minute or two to any of these acupressure sleep points: the small depression just above your nose and between your eyebrows; the depression on top of your foot between the first and second toes; or the sole of either foot one-third of the way between the tip of your toes and the back of your heel. “They may seem arbitrary, but all aim to stimulate the energy lines—known as meridians in the Chinese framework—that are related to sleep,” she says.
Try a natural nasal spray. Dr. Gereau-Haddon guides her stuffed-up cold or sinus patients to either of two: Sinusin is a homeopathic remedy, which means the natural ingredients—here they include the flower pulsatilla and several weeds—are highly diluted. (In full form, they might cause the very symptoms you’re trying to prevent; diluted, the theory goes, they reverse them.) “This remedy has no side effects, is inexpensive, and works immediately, so it’s worth a try,” says Dr. Gereau-Haddon.
The second option, Xlear, is made with the sugar substitute xylitol. In one study, xylitol improved the antibacterial defenses of cells. With either spray, use one to three squirts daily until symptoms disappear; Xlear can also be taken throughout allergy season to prevent symptoms.
Menopause Maverick
Tara Solomon, MD, 44, gynecologist
In 2002, when researchers discovered the link between hormone replacement and heart disease and breast cancer, Dr. Solomon’s patients began clamoring for holistic alternatives. But mainstream drug treatments were all she’d been taught during her training at such prestigious institutions as the New York-Presbyterian Medical Center. Recalling that a former medical partner had owned a health-food store and often touted the benefits of herbs and supplements, Dr. Solomon began educating herself at medical conferences. Soon she was recommending herbal remedies for menopause, and later—convinced by the results she saw in her patients—natural approaches for a variety of conditions. Along with bioidentical hormones and drugs when necessary, these treatments now form the bulk of her South Florida practice. “Since they’re herbal therapies, they’re safer than traditional synthetic hormones,” says Dr. Solomon.
Her top tips:
Stop hot flashes naturally. Diindolylmethane, or DIM (an antioxidant supplement made from cruciferous vegetables), helps quell hot flashes, especially in women who are overweight. The theory: One of the three types of estrogen a woman makes, estrone, is produced from hormones in fat cells, so women with extra body fat produce too much. “DIM converts estrone into estradiol, a weaker and more beneficial form,” says Dr. Solomon. “I’ve had patients stop flashing entirely a few weeks after going on this.” Take two capsules twice daily.
Try an herbal sleep aid. “My midlife patients are able to relax and sleep better when they take the herb ashwagandha,” says Dr. Solomon. In animal studies, ashwagandha—which has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine and is available in health-food stores—minimized the effects of chronic stress. Mix 30 drops of tincture in water (or take in pill form according to label dosing) in the morning and early afternoon for as long as necessary.
Fight adrenal fatigue. The hormonal shifts of perimenopause, along with years of overdoing it, can strain your adrenal glands. Most traditional medical doctors don’t buy this theory, which was first documented more than 100 years ago, but holistic doctors say this can cause extreme tiredness and the feeling that even minor stressors overwhelm you. Dr. Solomon suggests women with these symptoms have their cortisol tested via a blood or saliva test. If levels are too low, you can supplement with pregnenolone, a “precursor” hormone that the body converts to cortisol and other hormones a healthy body would make on its own. It’s available in health-food stores and compounding pharmacies; take 10 mg twice daily—more can cause symptoms of anxiety.
Get a complete thyroid test. The same hormonal flux that can strain your adrenals may also wreak havoc on your thyroid, causing problems even when test results are normal. “Most doctors test total thyroid-stimulating hormone and the thyroid hormone thyroxine, known as T4. But they don’t test the other thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine, or T3, which can also be too low,” says Dr. Solomon. If you have classic symptoms of sluggish thyroid, such as hair loss, weight gain, and constipation, ask that your free T3 be tested too. If it’s low, Dr. Solomon prescribes T3 supplementation; if both T3 and T4 are low, she likes Armour Thyroid, a product made from pig thyroid.
Cancer Conqueror
Carolyn Matthews, MD, 51, gynecologic oncologist
Dr. Matthews, who completed her fellowship at the renowned M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, developed thyroid cancer in 1995. Three years ago, after a friend recommended she look into gluten sensitivity as a possible explanation for her son Church’s attention deficit disorder, Dr. Matthews was stunned to find a link between gluten (the starchy protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) and both ADD and thyroid cancer. After she and Church were found to be highly sensitive to gluten, Dr. Matthews banished it from their diets. Within a few days, Church’s attention improved; he was soon able to go off his meds. She credits the eating plan for her improved sleep and complexion. To learn more about the powerful effect lifestyle interventions have on health, she completed the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine program (started by Andrew Weil, MD) in 2008 and took a physician acupuncture course. Recently, she was named director of integrative medicine at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. On the horizon: Dr. Matthews plans to study whether healthy living might prevent cancer or its recurrence.
Her top tips:
Lower your insulin levels. There’s a growing body of research suggesting that high blood insulin (known to be associated with diabetes) might also promote the proliferation of breast cancer cells and estrogen-sensitive tumors by boosting levels of estrogen. To stabilize your blood sugar, avoid white flour or sugary foods and boost your intake of fiber, Dr. Matthews says. You can also slow down sugar absorption, thereby minimizing insulin spikes, by sprinkling lemon juice or balsamic vinegar on your food and eating carbs alongside fat and proteins.
Drink green tea. Trade your morning coffee—and all-day soda habit—for four to six mugs of warm, unsweetened green tea a day. “It contains polyphenols that promote apoptosis, the process by which abnormal—and potentially cancerous—cells die naturally,” she says.
Consider this intriguing supplement. In research, sulforaphane—which is found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower—increased the production of antioxidant enzymes and promoted apoptosis. “I take a 30 mg dose daily,” she says. Loading up on veggie sources is also beneficial.
Look beyond your digestive tract. Not everyone with gluten problems exhibits the classic GI symptoms of gas and bloating. In many women, including Dr. Matthews, the inflammatory reaction in the gut causes antibodies to erroneously attack healthy tissue in other parts of the body. If you suffer from chronic diseases including psoriasis, a thyroid problem, depression, or rheumatoid arthritis, ask an integrative physician for a blood test for gluten sensitivity, or embark on a strict, 2-week trial eliminating gluten to see if symptoms improve; if they do, continue to avoid it. [pagebreak]
Pain Pioneer
Elvira Lang, MD, 56, radiologist
Twenty years ago, Dr. Lang reached for sedating drugs to help a patient suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder through a medical procedure. When a staffer offered to try hypnosis, Dr. Lang reluctantly agreed, skeptical it would help. Within minutes, the patient was relaxed and cooperative. “I was amazed at hypnosis’ effectiveness; it opened up a whole new world for me,” says Dr. Lang, who later learned that a hospital or doctor’s office is a very suggestible setting. In the years since, Dr. Lang, an associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, led large, randomized trials documenting hypnosis’ value during breast biopsies and other procedures. Her findings: Hypnotizing patients immediately before a procedure leads to a faster recovery and the need for fewer pain medications.
Her top tips:
Breathe away pain. Next time you undergo a medical procedure, use this breathing technique: “Each time you inhale, take in strength; with each breath out, think calm,” says Dr. Lang. “Notice how with each inhalation you take in more relaxation, and how with each breath out you let go of whatever there is to let go of.” Don’t fight discomfort; instead, keep focusing on your breathing and imagine a cold pack over the area, numbing the pain.
Bring your own therapist. Increasingly, hospitals and medical offices offer hypnotherapy, so ask if yours does. If not, you may be able to bring your own practitioner if you clear it in advance. Even if the therapist isn’t allowed into the treatment room, you’ll benefit by having a relaxing session as you wait beforehand. Find licensed health care professionals at the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (sceh.us) or the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (asch.net). Consider hypnotherapy for other health problems too. It cut hot flash frequency and severity by nearly 70% in one study and aided weight loss in another.
Reduce stress to boost healing. Any mind-body intervention designed to minimize anxiety—massage, meditation, yoga—helps healing. That’s because all prevent excess stress hormones from hindering immune functions by, for example, slowing the army of helpful blood cells heading to a wound. Incorporate one or more stress-reduction techniques into your daily routine.
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