Can Integrative Medicine Help with Chronic Disease?

By Kirksak Jay Poonkasem, MD, FAAFP, ABOIM, DipABLM
Medical Director | BayCare Medical Group Integrative Medicine Clinic

What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine focuses on disease and prevention through lifestyle modifications, as well as whole-person care via the mind, body, and spirit connection for overall well-being. Integrative medicine is a holistic, patient-centered approach to medicine that strongly emphasizes a collaborative patient-practitioner partnership.

In my practice, I get to know my patients through discussing their medical history, lifestyle choices, nutritional habits, activity levels, stressors, spirituality and social connections. During the initial visit, I ask them to walk me through a typical day in their life. This sets the baseline for how we implement change and custom-tailor therapies that can benefit each patient based explicitly on their challenges and needs.

As an Integrative Medicine Physician, I work closely with my patients’ primary care physicians and specialists to add to the standard of care treatment, increase optimal outcomes, decrease disease severity, and offer preventative care options.

Importance of Integrative Medicine
In the U.S., 6 in 10 adults have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have more than one chronic disease diagnosis. Chronic disease is classified as a condition that lasts one year or more and requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living or both.

Common Chronic Disease States
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Chronic Lung Disease
• Stroke
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Diabetes
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Autoimmune Disease

Some of our patients may also have symptoms with no definitive diagnosis. These can include tremors, myofascial or musculoskeletal pain, headaches, and other indicators that something is awry within the body.

Integrative Medicine Therapy and Treatment Options
• Acupuncture, Acupressure, Auriculotherapy
• Nutritional Education
• Fitness/Physical Training and Health Coaching
• Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy,
• Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, Medication/Mindfulness
• Biofield Therapies (Healing Touch, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki)
• Breathwork, Stress Reduction
• Mental Health Counseling Not a complete list

An excellent question for patients is, “Is there anything you can change right now or in the future to help you live a better quality of life?” That might be quitting smoking, eating a healthier diet, exercising, drinking less alcohol, sleeping better, remembering to take medications, and the list can go on depending on each patient’s lifestyle factors weighed against their health.

Many patients do not realize the importance of lifestyle choices and how they connect to our level of well-being.

The Pillars of Health
• Optimal Nutrition
• Physical and Mental Exercise
• Daily Movement
• Stress Management
• High-Quality Sleep
• Social Activity and Relationships
• Spiritual Connection

Breathwork and How it Helps
Breathwork may seem insignificant to some, but studies show that breathing techniques stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the “resting and digesting” processes in our bodies. If you are nervous, have a big meeting coming up, are experiencing stressful events, or need to calm down, the 4-7-8 breathing technique is proven to calm the nervous system.

4-7-8 Breathwork
The 4-7-8 breathing technique works by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, against the back of your front teeth, inhaling fully through your nose for a count of 4, holding your breath for a count of 7 , and then exhaling through your mouth for a count of 8 . That is considered one breath, repeat for a total of four breaths and can be used throughout the day as needed.

What can Integrative Medicine Help Improve?
• Cardiovascular Health
• Blood Pressure
• Insulin Sensitivity
• Lipid Profiles
• Sleep Hygiene
• Mental Health
• Cognitive Health
• GI (gastrointestinal) Function
• Chronic diseases
• And much more

Getting back to healthy lifestyle basics is not a quick sprint; it is a marathon, and while many of these changes will garner immediate results, most will be cumulative. Being patient with ourselves and having a mindset to finish the race well is critical for achieving optimal health.

About Dr. Poonkasem
Dr. Kirksak “Jay” Poonkasem specializes in integrative medicine, as part of BayCare Medical Group. Dr. Jay’s integrative medicine clinic focuses on the individual needs of patients by helping them improve their nutrition, fitness, and mental wellness. Some of the services which may be offered include, medical acupuncture, auriculotherapy, cupping, coaching, healing touch and stress management (Heart Math, breathwork, meditation). Dr. Jay earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He then completed a family medicine residency at the University of South Florida/Morton Plant Mease Family Medicine Residency Program in Clearwater, Florida. He continued his medical education with a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Additionally, Dr. Jay is board certified in family medicine, integrative medicine, lifestyle medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. His greatest passion lies with lifestyle medicine, medical acupuncture, and integrative medicine. He has seen firsthand the long-term implications of poor lifestyle choices, while working within the hospice care industry. Many of those choices lead to numerous chronic diseases. Dr. Jay believes in an integrative approach to health and wellness, taking into account the mind, body and spiritual connection, and getting back to the basics of nutrition, sleep, exercise and other modalities to rebuild health through lifestyle modifications. In addition to his medical board certifications, Dr. Jay is certified in massage therapy and as a personal trainer/corrective exercise specialist. He’s a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Florida Medical Association. Please note that integrative medicine services that he provides are only available for a fee, no insurance plans are accepted.

BayCare Medical Group Integrative Medicine Clinic is accepting new patients.

From 18 years and older.

To schedule an appointment, please call (727) 461-8300.

BayCare Medical Group Integrative Medicine Clinic
430 Morton Plant St., Suite 400, Clearwater, FL 33756
727-461-8300
https://baycare.org/MindBodySpirit