Both Dr. Procyk and I are dedicated to helping you understand what is really going on inside your body. We spend time explaining what diagnoses mean or how different parts of the body function. We observe that people achieve greater wellness when they have the knowledge and information to be able to address their physical needs.
Understanding Your Body through Education
Many physicians blame patients for not being proactive about their health but I often notice that people do not really understand what is happening when they have conditions like increased blood pressure or diabetes. They relate to their diagnosis as a theoretical concept without understanding what is really happening inside their bodies or what they can do to feel better.
We have a real need for public health education. Most of the health “information” people get is coming from food or medication commercials that are trying to sell a product, NOT improve your health.. Based on my concern about the lack of public health information, I was really excited when I first encountered Dr. Oz on a television at my dentist’s office. At that moment, Dr. Oz was explaining Diabetes and he was using a piece of steel wool in a tube to show how excess sugar in the bloodstream leads to damage to small blood vessels. I saw what he was doing and felt very excited about how he was making health issues accessible and understandable. If Dr. Oz had remained primarily a public health educator, I would be his biggest fan, but sadly he too has shifted toward selling products instead of providing education. More on this issue next week!
Effects of Misunderstanding
A great example of what happens when people do not understand their bodies is that many people take medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn) because they believe that they produce too much stomach acid. In fact, one of the most common causes of heartburn is insufficient stomach acid! There are other factors that contribute to heartburn including eating too fast or on the run which makes your body not be able to digest food as well, drinking caffeine or alcohol which relax the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus or eating spicy, fatty or sugary foods. Often when people make the necessary changes to improve their digestion and strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter, they no longer need to take antacids or proton pump inhibitors.
Your body did not come with an owner’s manual but we can help you write one for yourself. With the information and understanding of how your body works, you can feel your best, often without needing medication.
Contact us to gain a better understanding of your body, health, and overall wellbeing.
Dr. Gwenn Rosenberg
