Category Archives: General

Post-Pandemic Need for Functional Medicine and Integrative Care

February 25, 2022

The speed and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic response highlighted the fragmentation of current healthcare systems across the globe and how it significantly impairs the ability to respond effectively. Making matters worse, the impact of the pandemic on population health and the functionality of healthcare systems has been and will continue to be far-reaching and long-lasting.

As the world attempts to rebuild from the pandemic, many individuals are left with serious and lingering health issues that require immediate and consistent attention. Healthcare practitioners are now facing a rising prevalence of chronic disease, growing cases of long COVID infection, as well as pandemic-influenced mental, physical, and emotional crises.

Addressing the devastating psychological and physical aftereffects of the pandemic will require deviation from the current standard of medicine. An integrated approach to patient care heavily grounded in functional medicine is emerging as the solution to healing global public health and repairing the siloed structures of the healthcare industry.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia 

October 22, 2021

Up to 32.5% of all adults in the United States report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average despite needing between seven and nine hours of sleep. The problem of insomnia affects between 10% and 35% of adults, varying in duration, severity, and treatment outcomes. For some, insomnia can present as a brief problem while other patients may struggle with severe, chronic insomnia – both can have a negative effect on overall health, increasing the risk of mental health disorders, lowering quality of life, and raising blood pressure.

Sleeping medications are often prescribed to help patients resume a normal, healthy sleep schedule although these risk dependency and may lead to unwanted side effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, also known as CBT-I, is short, structured, and evidence-based approach to combating insomnia that can benefit the majority of patients with sleep problems. CBT-I can be beneficial for individuals with primary insomnia as well as those with chronic pain and mental health disorders.

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Addressing Racial Disparities in Sleep Patterns 

September 29, 2021

The detrimental effects of systemic racism are evident across the healthcare system with increasing data signaling the many adverse health outcomes associated with racial disparities in health, patient outcomes, and more. Not only do pervasive racial inequities affect the accessibility of healthcare for disadvantaged groups, but they also predispose certain racial groups to experience health conditions at higher rates. Educational and prevention efforts often do not cater to the most disadvantaged groups; meanwhile, many health issues stem from modifiable lifestyle factors which prove to be rooted in systemic inequity.

One such lifestyle factor and a key component of maintaining overall health is sleep, which is also necessary for improving concentration, preventing depression, and promoting weight management thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Per CDC recommendations, a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night is considered healthy for adults, however, statistics indicate that many individuals do not get nearly enough sleep on a regular basis – with inequities most evident between racial groups.

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