This four day conference at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina welcomed over 400 medical professionals, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists from all over the world as they prepared to learn from dozens of medical experts from various different specialties. The speakers presented discussions on many different topics ranging from hormone influences in an athlete to Parkinson’s to sexual health disorders.

The Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) workshop featured Ron Rothenberg, MD; Andrea Cole, DO; Stephen Center, MD; John Grasela RPH; and Thierry Hertoghe, MD. Some of the many sessions included an introduction to preventive and regenerative medicine and hormone optimization, estrogen and progesterone therapies in women, testosterone pellet treatment, compounds and laws used in BHRT, and hormone deficiencies and excesses in men and women.

“I’ve attended other hormone courses in the past with other companies but they were very basic. I didn’t feel comfortable practicing. But after just a day and a half here, I already feel like I can do this on Monday,” Thomas Powers, MD said Friday, June 7^th at the BHRT Symposium in San Diego.

FAARM Module V: Clinical Intensives included speakers Gloria Hakkarainen, MD; Andrew Heyman, MD; Jim LaValle, RPH, CCN, ND; Todd LePine, MD; Jack Monaco, MD; Pamela W. Smith, MD, MS, MPH and Director of the Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative; and Filomena Trindade, MD, MPH. Some topics included “The Pregnant Patient,” metabolic medicine, Osteoporosis, and Multiple Sclerosis, and case histories in functional medicine.

FAARM Module XVI (B): Metabolic Cardiovascular Medicine Certification was led by Mark Houston, MD, MS, ABAARM, FACP, FAHA and Joel Kahn, MD who discussed hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular health, heavy metal toxicity, weight management, and nutrition and exercise.

Module XIX (C): Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition Courses speakers included Michael Belfiore, DO; Gary Huber, DO; Joel Kahn, MD; Martin Levine DO, MPH; and Monique Ryan, MS, RD reviewed preventing athletic deaths, hormonal Influences within the physiology of an athlete, effects of ultra- exercise on the heart, osteopathic manual manipulation in sports, and sports nutrition principles for training and recovery.

Speakers for Module XXI: Advanced Autoimmune Disease were Thomas Guilliams, PhD; Todd LePine, MD; Pamela W. Smith, MD, MPH, MS; Sahar Z. Swidan, Pharm. D, BCPS; Benoit Tano, MD, PhD; and FIlomena Trindade, MD, MPH. Topics covered consisted of lifestyle risks and remedies for autoimmunity, understanding, diagnosing, and treating autoimmune disease, the metabolic approach to different autoimmune diseases, integrative immunity, and “A New Approach to Treating Autoimmune Disease.”

“Auto-Immunity is linked to many chronic illnesses. There are so many conditions that I encounter every day in my own practice that are rooted in the immune system. I learned a lot of useful concepts from the professors and their clinical cases in Module XXI that I can incorporate into my practice. This module also ties in to all the other modules that I have taken as we treat the patient as a whole being. This is such an excellent module for me and I highly recommend all practitioners take it,” Cindy Yap-Wong, B.Sc. Pharm., CCN, Pharmacist/Owner said.

Module VI: Integrative Cancer Therapies (ICT) featured Ines Alfaro, MD; Stanislaw Burzynski, MD, PhD; Michael Gonzalez-Guzman, MD; William Grace, MD; Dwight McKee, MD; Pallav Mehta, MD; Mark Rosenberg, MD and ICT Fellowship Director; and Frank Shallenberger, MD. Discussions included mind Body medicine in cancer patients, inoperable brain tumors in children, vitamin C and cancer history and the next generation, oxidative therapies, off label drugs in cancer treatment controversies, obesity and exercise during and after cancer treatment, and hyperbaric oxygen therapies.

Sexual Health (C) Certification showcased Sara Goffried, MD; Michael Krychman, MD; Jennifer Landa, MD, OBGYN; and Kinnary Patel, MA, PT. Lectures focused on depression and sexuality, breast cancer sexuality, and how to diagnose, evaluate, and treat sexual health disorders in men and women.

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) offers exclusive membership to all medical professionals where they gain access to over two-decades of established medical expertise.  We are also dedicated to educating physicians and scientists and are proud to be in our 21st year of providing first-class continuing education conferences on anti-aging issues, regenerative and functional medicine.  To further demonstrate our commitment to the future of medicine, the shared responsibility for patient outcomes and transforming health education through innovation, we offer Board Certifications and Fellowship Training Programs in various disciplines ranging from anti-aging, regenerative and functional medicine to such disciplines as aesthetic medicine, skin cancer and stem cell therapy, in order to lead the industry by establishing best practice standards in these areas.

Have you ever had a throbbing pain in your head accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to lights and sounds? Yes? Then you have experienced a migraine. Over 37 million people in the United States are diagnosed with migraines and 47 percent of American adults suffer from headaches annually, according to the National Headache Foundation.

June is National Headache and Migraine Awareness Month. The theme for 2013 is “Help Make Migraines Visible” and the goal this year is to raise awareness that migraines and headaches are not an isolated problem and sufferers are not alone.

We get headaches because the blood flow to our head changes (example: alcohol), inflammation occurs, triggering pain. The difference between headaches and migraines is that migraines are more severe and come with all the side effects listed above.

Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints, with one in six Americans suffering from chronic headaches each year.

According to health.howstuffworks.com, there are three types of headaches:
Migraine- reduced blood flow to the head and serotonin causes pain
Tension headache- muscular strains in the head and neck cause pain, emotional stress and eye strain are also big factors
Cluster headache- these repeat over a period of weeks or months on one side of the head and around the eye.

Even though over the counter medications such as Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, or Excedrin can help, Huffington Post Healthy Living published the following list of “15 Natural Cures to Migraines”

1. Feverfew- an herbal remedy used in tea or eaten raw
2. Butterbur- a toxic herb unless taken as processed supplement; chemicals relieve spasms and inflammation
3. Magnesium- studies show that daily supplements decreased migraines by 42 percent
4. Riboflavin- a B vitamin found in milk, meat, nuts, and green veggies
5. Omega 3s- fight inflammation; found in flax seeds, salmon, and fish oil supplements
6. Peppermint- the smell reduces pain
7. Ginger- is anti-inflammatory, eases pain
8. Rubbing temples- just feels good, people’s instinct when headaches form
9. Massage- study shows frequent sufferers has fewer migraines following six weekly massage sessions
10. Meditation- reduces stress factor
11. Drink more water- prevents dehydration, a main cause of headaches and migraines
12. Acupuncture- needles trigger pain reducing chemicals in the body
13. Caffeine- too much or too little can cause headaches, in small doses, caffeine can reduce the pain
14. Regular exercise- relaxes and releases endorphins
15. Cool down and warm up- use an ice pack to cool your head and a warm bath to warm up your body; this dilates blood vessels in the body

Every day 430,000 people can’t go to work because of a migraine. National Headache and Migraine Awareness Month encourages people to wear purple during June to raise awareness of this issue.

A4M is hosting a BHRT symposium and FAARM Modules conference in Boston, MA September 18-21, 2013. Some objectives for Module IV- Nutrition and Metabolism include the action of Butterbur as a remedy, treatment plans and options for the migraine patient, vitamin deficiencies, and symptoms of headaches, as well as several others. For more information on this event, please visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-boston-2013-sep.html.

With summer right around the corner, people are going far lengths to burn those extra calories and get “swim suit ready.” What if it was much easier than paying hundreds of dollars on a gym membership and “healthy” diet food from a box? According to various health and nutrition websites such as sheknows.com, WebMD, and care2.com, your daily chores and routine can burn hundreds of calories.

Cleaning:

Sweeping- 118 calories
Mopping- 129 calories
Grocery shopping- 82 calories
Mowing the lawn- 197 calories
Gardening- 143 calories
Raking the leaves- 154 calories
Making your bed- 72 calories
Shoveling snow- 400-600 calories per hour
Heavy yard work- 400-600 calories per hour

Exercise (because it is still necessary to effectively lose the pounds):

30 minutes of jogging in place- 251 calories
30 minutes of walking up hills- 251 calories
30 minutes of standing- 72 calories
30 minutes of playing Frisbee- 107 calories

Research also proves that child care burns about 300-600 calories per hour. Other helpful hints to work into your everyday routine are walking the dog when you wake up in the morning, take the stairs everywhere you go- no elevators or escalators, park far away and walk as much as possible, limit television time and replace that time with gardening or chores or any outside activity.

Along with these activities, incorporate a serving of fruits and veggies in every meal. Have some berries with your oatmeal at breakfast, a salad at lunch, and a side of broccoli instead of French fries at dinner. Taking the small steps with consistency will ensure a healthier lifestyle and a bikini body to brag about this summer.