Newsletter #1: An introduction to my newsletters
January 13, 2011
Why a newsletter?
For many years I have wanted to serve a stronger role in preventive healthcare and patient education. The science of preventive medicine has now matured to the point where all of us should at least be given the information to allow us to make decisions that directly bear on our health and wellbeing. The incidence of the chronic diseases that are the leading causes of death; cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes continue to increase and yet we now have a broad scientific consensus that lifestyle modification and simple interventions can dramatically reduce risk. If all of the lifestyle changes I will be discussing are implemented, your risk reduction, based upon thousands of studies and leading experts in their respective fields, could be 80% or more.
Most of us are aware that diet and nutrition, exercise, stress reduction and our mental health have direct effects on our long term health. But without the specific evidence to convince and motivate us and a realistic approach to making the necessary changes in our lives it is often easier to do nothing. It is not possible to present this information comprehensively in the clinic. So one goal of this newsletter will be to make sense out of the clear and compelling scientific evidence for steps you can take to improve your health and wellbeing. Whether you are young or elderly this information can dramatically improve your quality of life while also helping you to maintain a much higher quality of health. Each newsletter will present one facet of an integrated approach to maintaining and achieving improved health. The hope is that many of you will not only find this information interesting but will begin to implement it in your lives.
I will also use this newsletter to clarify my role in your healthcare. Part of my practice has been primary care and I have treated many of you and your families (in some cases into the third generation) for a very wide spectrum of health related problems. This kind of personal and long-term relationship with patients continues to be very gratifying and is the optimal basis for effective preventive healthcare. But, as many of you know, I also specialize in the treatment of chronic and therapy resistant musculo-skeletal and neurological disorders. Most of these patients think of me as a pain specialist. I also hope that this newsletter will help to introduce these patients to this larger roadmap to health as well.
Oriental Medicine is the grandfather of preventive medicine. The specialized use of acupuncture, and the other treatment and assessment modalities that comprise my approach to health care, are as important for prevention and wellness as for the treatment of the specific health issues that you bring to me. Stimulation of immune function, down regulation of the stress response, selective stimulation of organ function and balancing the autonomic nervous system are all integrated into your care in addition to the specific problem(s) that you bring to me. This is best facilitated in the face down treatments. The new office pamphlet is intended to clarify my role in the context of prevention and wellness care and I encourage you to read it. My primary care patients understand this to some degree but my hope is to establish a common understanding for all my patients that will give you the opportunity to play a more informed role in your own health care.
Preventative medicine also involves your willingness to acknowledge when a health issue is not responding to self care and has persisted for a month or more. Thankfully, most small problems are taken care of by the body’s miraculous capacity to heal its self. But if symptoms persist, it is time to seek help. If you consider me as your co-primary care provider, I encourage you to see me before your symptoms become chronic and lead to other problems. I encourage all of you to also see your physician for your yearly physical.
I am unable in a newsletter format to comprehensively inform you on any given subject on the science of prevention. What I can do (hopefully) is send you evidence, reminders and practical advice on how we can reduce risk and optimize health. Taken collectively, these newsletters are intended to provide clear guidance to implementing a roadmap to preventive health care. I will provide links (double click the italicized link and a short audio visual presentation be a leading researcher or clinician will appear), book recommendations and internet source material as indicated. I have included a link by Dean Ornish, please double click after you have finished reading:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dean_ornish_on_healing.html I am also developing a web site that will eventually provide a more detailed and inclusive treatment of the various topics I will discuss in the newsletters.
My first objective is to establish that you have received this, (not diverted to junk mail,) and to establish that the links etc. are functioning properly. Hopefully we will accomplish this in this first newsletter.
This is "a work in progress" and I will be touching on many areas. My hope is that most of you will find this information, as a whole, instructive and empowering in improving and maintaining your health. But I have included an opt out function in the newsletter should you decide that you want to be removed from the mailing list.
You will not be able to use the reply function to send your comments to me. I would feel compelled to reply to all emails and I simply cannot make that commitment. When I see you in the clinic, I hope you will provide some feedback on the newsletter and to what degree you are integrating this information into your health care. This will also inform my approach to your individual needs. My intention will be to send the newsletter monthly but no doubt there will be exceptions to this.
The first series of newsletters will discuss the strong scientific consensus on the profound role that diet and nutrition plays in disease prevention. I hope you will print these newsletters and use them as a reminder and guide in modifying your diet. Remember, even small changes count!
Best wishes for your health and happiness in the coming year
Dennis R Tucker, Ph.D., L. Ac.
