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Integrative Medical Care combines a careful blending of conventional
medicine with selected complementary and alternative therapies.
At Hill Park Medical Center we pay careful attention to mind,
body, emotions, spirit and environment. Using this holistic approach
we focus on helping each person to best meet their challenges as
well as emphasizing preventive care. We welcome active participation
from our patients and emphasize the use of the least harmful therapies
first. Each of our highly skilled practitioners has a specific area
of expertise. The staff at the front desk will help you
select the best person for you.
We are creating specialty centers and teams within Hill Park Medical Center to support a team approach and bring many minds and skills to help get you well. These Centers of Excellence Include: Natural Pain Management; Functional Medicine; Metabalance™ Center for Optimal Metabolism; Holistic Pediatrics; Women’s Health; Holistic Mental Health
Center of Excellence for Natural Pain Management
Whether it is low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, an acute injury or a chronic condition—pain symptoms are one of the most common presenting problems we treat at Hill Park Medical Center. Physical pain is a complex response to injury or wear and tear in the body. Each person experiences pain in their own unique way with their own individual energy signatures, past experiences, emotional patterning and biochemical individuality affecting the experience and the healing.
The pain management team includes Osteopathic Physicians, Dr. Justin Cauntay and Dr. Sandra Skates; Acupuncturist Joshua Margolis and Body Worker Joel Banuelos. Dr. Bouch will be consulting on hard to diagnose conditions and Dr. Schweig will be available for stress reduction training. Anita Dimondstein will be teaching Qi Gong to help each person maximize inner healing resources and Dr. Baxter Bell will be offering individual therapeutic yoga sessions. When you come to Hill Park Medical Center with an acute or chronic pain problem this team will work together to offer you treatments that will help you heal in the deepest way with the options that resonate best for you.
Metabalance™A Center for Optimum Metabolism
In conventional western medicine you might see one doctor for your high cholesterol and another for your blood sugar problems and a third if you want to lose weight or think you have a slow thyroid and maybe a fourth if you are feeling depressed or anxious. These issues and many others like fatigue, and hormonal dysregulation are actually a part of an inter-related metabolic story. We look at them as a whole and design solutions for healing that get to the roots.
In a continued effort to provide our patients with outstanding integrative medical care, Hill Park Medical Center is pleased to introduce Metabalance™ A Center for Optimum Metabolism. This center will bring together multiple Hill Park Medical Center providers as a team to fully address the needs of our patients with metabolic challenges.
The Metabalance™ Center focus areas include: Thyroid Disorders; Menopause And Hormone Imbalances; Cardiovascular Health Including High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, And Heart Disease; Diabetes And Blood Sugar Dysregulation; Adrenal Disorders, Including Fatigue
And Stress; Insomnia And Sleep Disorders; Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, Fatigue; Obesity
Dr. Brian Bouch and Dr. Sunjya Schweig are the physicians on the team. Jennifer Sloan is the Acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist. Anita Dimondstein director of FreshStart Weight Loss Program will be coordinating the team and working with those who need to lose weight.
Holistic Pediatrics
Hill Park Medical Center is pleased to announce the opening of a Holistic Pediatric practice. Sunjya Schweig, MD Board Certified in Family Practice, works closely with children and parents to develop an integrative treatment plan that emphasizes healing in the most gentle and effective ways. With the news of recalls of cold and flu medications for children, many parents will be seeking more natural ways to keep their kids healthy. Some parents want "different" solutions for immunizations. Dr. Schweig looks at the overall health picture and utilizes the very best of Western Medicine in combination with proven alternatives to create an optimal treatment plan. Working in partnership with parents he treats a wide variety of acute and chronic illnesses and provides well-baby and child-care. Additional areas of expertise include food allergies, asthma, eczema, ADD/ADHD and optimal nutrition.
At Hill Park Medical Center, our physicians can treat the
same kinds of health problems that brought you to your "regular"
doctor. The difference is in your treatment plan. We do the same
kinds of exams and lab tests plus some other tests your "regular"doctor
probably does not use. We look for the causes behind the symptoms
and although we might prescribe medication we may also offer you other
options such as herbs, lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements,
acupuncture, body work, physical therapy, homeopathy or energy healing. Our goal is to help each patient
"get well", not just relieve their symptoms.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have a rich tradition spanning
thousands of years. Acupuncture is best known in the West for treating
painful conditions, but it has been used in Asia for thousands of
years to treat many kinds of illnesses. The World Health Organization
has published a list of over 100 conditions that acupncture treats
successfully. Since the time of the Yellow Emperor—over two
thousand years ago, it has been used to safely and effectively
treat a wide variety of complaints. Acupuncture is one of the main
branches of Chinese medicine. It
is an excellent method to relieve pain but is also much more. Acupuncture
opens up the chi energy blockages and allows chi to flow freely. There
are over 400 acupuncture points on the body. These points are organized
into meridians, which are energy highways with starting and finishing
points usually on the feet or hands. There are 8 main paired meridians
and two in the midline (front and back). An acupuncturist or physician
trained in acupuncture inserts very fine needles into specific acupuncture
points on the body’s surface. By understanding the flow of energy
and how it relates to illness or disease the acupuncturist selects
specific points for each person and their conditions. Other techniques
used in treatment include adding heat (such as moxibustion); mild
electrical stimulation to the needles called electroacupuncture and
cupping (the use of vacuum cups to promote circulation and relax tight
muscles). By unblocking stuck and stagnant chi energy the practitioner
strives to unlock the innate healing potential inside each person.
Chinese herbal medicine is effective as a primary or adjunctive
treatment for a wide range of disorders that we treat at Hill
Park - from pain problems to metabolic and hormonal imbalances, insomnia,
anxiety, depression, allergies, colds and flu, respiratory and intestinal
complaints, fatigue, arthritis, inflammation and many other conditions.
Chinese herbal medicine can be used along with acupuncture treatments
or as a stand-alone treatment. We carry over 300 Chinese herbs in
either powder or pill form to accommodate each patient’s preferences. Your practitioner will provide a formula for you after pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis and a history.
Functional Medicine involves understanding the etiology, prevention,
and treatment of complex and chronic disease. It is an integrative,
science-based healthcare approach that treats illness and promotes
wellness by focusing assessment on the biochemically unique aspects
of each patient, and then individually tailoring interventions to
restore physiological, psychological, and structural balance. It incorporates
the related field of orthomolecular medicine, developed by Nobel Prize
Winner Linus Pauling who postulated, "Provided one has the correct
level of vitamin, mineral and nutritional input, the body can overcome
disease."Functional medicine assessments include such tests as
comprehensive digestive stool analyses, liver detoxification panels,
food allergy profiles, urine neurotransmitter tests, saliva hormone
evaluations and heavy metal screening tests.
Osteopathy is a branch of mainstream medicine, which focuses
on the whole patient rather than each separate symptom. The medical
training of a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) includes all the same tools
as an MD’s but also includes the manual manipulation of bones,
soft tissue, and organs to help restore healthy motion and promote
healing. Osteopaths learn from the first week of training how to touch
people and how to diagnose conditions using their hands and gentle
touch. OMM or Osteopathic Manual Manipulation is very effective at
relieving pain and disability. Osteopaths use gentle craniosacral
manipulation as well as stronger movement of the spine, muscles, ligaments,
soft tissue and joints to relieve strain patterns that run throughout
the body. Osteopathy is often used to relieve pain such as backaches
or headaches, treat common childhood problems like ear infections,
asthma and learning disabilities, and treat TMJ, intestinal problems,
and scoliosis and joint pain. It is also used as preventive medical
care and can help rebalance a person who is dealing with any illness
or injury. Craniosacral Therapy is a very gentle manipulation that
releases restrictions and restores blood flow and nerve function.
Many patients fall asleep during treatments and report long lasting
results.
Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world, and its popularity is growing in the United States yearly. Homeopathy is based on the principle that 'like cures like' and that taking a very dilute amount of a substance that can cause your symptoms in a strong form can cure you. Homeopaths look for the one substance that fits all of your symptoms. The more dilute the remedy the more effective it is in treating illness. When a homeopathic physician finds the correct remedy results are often dramatic and permanent. It is an all natural and extremely safe form of medical care and can be used by infants, children or adults.
Massage and bodywork are an integral part of a healing program at Hill Park Medical Center. Massage is focused on helping
people heal from injuries or painful conditions. It emphasizes healing
along with relaxation and rejuvenation. Hill Park massage therapists
keep treatment notes and progress reports and coordinate your care
with your other health care practitioners. We select our massage therapists
for their professional training, education and experience as well
as their touch. In our practice we encourage you to see a massage
therapist for injuries, pain, stress, fatigue, anxiety and insomnia.
Medical massage can help regulate your blood pressure, release muscle
tensions, decrease your stress response, improve joint function, improve
breathing, increase energy levels, help with digestive disturbances,
and help with detoxification. Massage is excellent pre and post surgery,
during pregnancy and for elderly people with a variety of medical
conditions.
Weight Loss Program and
Nutritional Counseling back
to top
Natural Hormones, Metabolic
and Neurotransmitter Balancing back
to top
serotonin. But there are many others that are important for your health and well being. They play key roles in conditions like insomnia, depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, fatigue, and weight gain. By balancing neurotransmitters we are often able to affect a wide variety of medical conditions as well.
Conventional cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and
radiation present significant challenges to one's health and sense
of well-being. Hill Park Medical Center has recognized experts in the
care of patients undergoing cancer treatment. Effective nutritional
supplements, herbs and biological remedies support the body and enhance
the cancer-fighting properties of conventional therapies. And the
National Institutes of Health [NIH] has recognized acupuncture’s
effectiveness in treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea. Other side-effects
such as fatigue,and neuropathy [painful hands and feet] are addressed
with intravenous therapies and gentle hands-on treatments by our osteopath,
massage therapist and acupuncturists. For patients seeking alternatives
to conventional cancer treatments, information about alternative strategies
is available.
Many patients come to Hill Park Medical Center with a long list of health concerns
and multiple diagnoses from other physicians. Sometimes, patients are frustrated, want more improvement in their health or don't really understand their diagnosis. In conventional medicine each problem is often seen in
isolation. The orthopedist looks at the bone problems, the eye doctor
the eye problems, the cardiologist the heart problems. What is often
missing is a holistic view of the person. Perhaps all the problems
are connected by a thread that weaves throughout the body, mind and
spirit. Perhaps there are lab tests missing because each specialist
thought the other one was taking care of it. At Hill Park Medical
Center we work with people like this every day. By reviewing your
records from other physicians and taking a broader look at the situation
we are able to put the pieces of the puzzle together so that they
make sense. We also add our alternative view of medical care to the
mix and voila! things may start falling into place. Then we work with
you to start solving the problems and to begin the healing process.
"Pain" is one of the most common concerns presented by our patients. Headaches, back and neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, acute pain from accidents and injuries, chronic pain, overuse pain like carpal tunnel syndrome and pain from a variety of medical conditions may all be successfully treated. Our holistic approach includes a broad open-minded diagnostic method, a flexible treatment program, good communication between patients and practitioners and professionals skilled in the healing arts using treatments not commonly available in conventional medical offices. Sometimes, the "cause" of the pain is clear, but in other cases it is not. People come to us with variety of tests such as MRI's or X rays but no clear diagnosis or treatment plan. They are frustrated and may be taking a variety of medications to help get through the day. People come to Hill Park Medical Center seeking more comprehensive solutions.
Every woman is provided the time necessary to relate her experience
with whatever life phase she finds herself in. All the factors that
go into determining health: social, emotional, nutritional and individual
biochemical variability are used to come up with the best plan for
an individual. We offer the full scope of women’s annual exam
services: thyroid, breast, pelvic exams, and pap smears, pregnancy
and salivary hormone testing .In addition we have the capability to
do endometrial biopsies when indicated for the evaluation of abnormal
uterine bleeding. Treatment approaches are individualized and may
be a combination of nutritional recommendations, supplements, bioidentical
hormones, herbs or referral for acupuncture or homeopathy.
The emerging field of therapeutic yoga combines the ancient practices
of yoga (the yoga postures, yogic breathwork), and meditation
to meet the individual needs of patients with a wide variety of health
issues. Recent research has looked at the beneficial effects of regular
yoga practice for such conditions as osteoarthritis, back pain, multiple
sclerosis and insomnia. Yoga can have potential benefits for almost
every condition we see here at Hill Park Medical Center. A
typical session lasts one hour. The patient will head home with a
personalized practice to start working with immediately. Periodic
follow-up visits will refine and expand the yoga practice as one's
situation changes.
Almost everything we do at Hill Park Medical Center involves
some form of energy work. Acupuncture adjusts and balances the
Chi; craniosacral osteopathic treatments balance the subtle energy
flows in the fluids of the body; homeopathy works with the constitutional
energetic imbalances; therapeutic yoga focuses on getting the stuck
energy in the physical body; and of course massage and body work deal
with moving energy.
Hill Park Medical Center also hosts an energy
healer, Michael Fraser, once a month. He travels from Montana
and works with people who are looking for other ways to heal. Michael often combines massage with subtle energy work. We also offer referrals to Master Healers
in the Bay Area. |
