To Life!

Alternative from page 21

Dr. Annette Greenstein, who
specializes in obstetrics and
gynecology, provides individual-
ized care for health mainte-
nance, education and preven-
tion.
"I recommend bio-identical
hormones for patients who suf-
fer from hot flashes and other
menopausal symptoms," said Dr.
Greenstein, whose office is in
Beverly Hills.
"This type of hormone treat-
ment isn't usually covered by
insurance but it gives me the
ability to tailor a hormone pro-
gram to a patient's particular
needs. Unlike pharmaceuticals,
however, there isn't an instant
gratification so patients need
to be patient. We work with the
hormones until we find a good
match.
Although physicians who use
a CAM approach use natural,
less-invasive treatments when
possible, they also recognize
that good medicine, regardless
of origin, is based on good sci-
ence.
"Dr. Hertzberg has been my
physician for 25 years because
I appreciate the way he treats
me as a person and he has
always been open to alternative
therapies," says Henry Bechek
Of Orchard Lake.
"I'm 67, retired, but I'm
aoinab go back to work full time
as a consultant because I have
the energy. I take vitamins

What To Ask
Beforehand

• Do you accept my
health insurance?
• What is the cost of
the initial appointment?
• How many treat-
ments will I need?
• How much will each
treatment cost?
• Can I receive treat-
ment for a trial period to
see if the therapy works
for me before I commit
to a full course?
• Will there be any
additional costs?

22

would have been very ill very
quickly:' Dr. Levine said. "That's
the beauty of combining con-
ventional medicine with the
ability to apply alternative
approaches. I can make a diag-
nosis and give the patient
exactly what she needs."

Combining Methods

Dr. Robert Levine, Ph.D.

intravenously on a regular
basis and now I'm taking regu-
lar doses of testosterone. My
99-year-old mother, who looks
80, is also a patient of Dr.
Hertzberg. She still has her
original teeth. He's a remark-
able man, unafraid to let his
patients matter to him."

Spiritual Connection

Dr. Levine of Elle Medical Spa
became involved with CAM
through an interesting mute.
"My practice was successful,
but I felt something was miss-
ing," Dr. Levine said. "Patients
required more of my time than
I could give them, and I needed
more of their time to ask ques-
tions and listen to what they
said and how they said it. I also
wanted to provide more treat-
ment options."
He says his Judaism also
motivated him. Being a mentsh,
a caring, responsible person, as
well as doing the right thing
was an integral part of his
Jewish education and an impor-
tant personal concept for him in
medicine. He wanted to change
the direction of his medical
practice but, as a husband and
father, he wasn't sure whether
he should take the plunge.
In 2003, he sought the advice
of his rabbi, Joseph Krakoff of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Oakland County.
"Bob Levine came to me at a
time in his life when he sensed
a deep spiritual connection .
with medicine and wanted to
change his practice," Rabbi
Krakoff said. "He dug deep .
within himself and, with sup-
port from his family and

Dr. Annette Greenstein

friends, has found great joy
with this new part of his life."
Rabbi Krakoff did the honors
of placing the mezuzah on the
door of Dr. Levine's new med-
ical spa.
The model for a medical spa
was in its infancy when he
made plans for the facility and
the medical practice, which is
under the supervision of a full-
time health care professional.
The facility's interior design,
its traffic pattern and furnish-
ings reflect a fluidity and calm-
ness, unusual characteristics for
a.physician's office.
Mark Freedman of Waterford
said, "I sought help [for thyroid
problems and high stress] from
several doctors — I was exam-
ined and tested, prodded and
poked and given Synthroid, but
that drug didn't really solve my
health problems. • -
"Nothing worked until I saw
Dr. Levine. He has helped me •
relax with massage and
acupuncture. I'm taking nutri-
tional and herbal formulas and
lost weight the last two years.
Today, I wear orthotics and have
cut down on my smoking."
• Dr. Levine tells of a pregnant
woman referred.to him for back
pain, especially when she
coughed. She asked for
acupuncture because, being
pregnant, she couldn't take
medications. During his exam,
he quickly diagnosed pneumo-
nia. Working closely with a
pharmacist, she was immedi-
ately put on an antibiotic that is
safe during pregnancy.
"If she had visited an
acupuncturist first, he probably
would not have known about
her pneumonia and this lady

Alicia Tisdale of West
Bloomfield recently broke her
hand while playing with her
grandchildren. Her hand was
put in a cast by an orthopedic
surgeon. Then Tisdale visited
her physician, Dr. David
Brownstein, medical director
for the Center for Holistic
Medicine in West Bloomfield.
"The first thing he did after
examining my hand was to put
me on a magnetic generator,"
Tisdale said. "It goes on over
your head like an inner tube
but it's smaller. I used it three
times a week for 20 minutes. I
could feel the vibration and the
heat and I know it speeded the
healing process by at least one
or two weeks.
"When a hand surgeon took
my cast off, he said, 'You don't
need physical therapy or any-
thing. Get out of here! He
couldn't believe how it healed:'
Tisdale and her husband,
Paul, both are patients of Dr.
Brownstein.
"David has written several
books on health, his latest
about Celtic Salt and what it
can do for yourhealth," Alicia
TiSdale said. "He markets many
of the products because some
of them are difficult to find,
and he works with nutritional
manufacturers he trusts."
Dr. BroWnstein could not be
reached at his office for com-
ment.

Hospital CAM

Dr. Robert Levine, Ph.D., is
research director with the
Henry Ford Center for
Integrative Medicine where
treatments include acupunc-
ture, chiropractic care, mind- •
body-spirit therapies, neuro-
muscular therapy, massage
therapy and herbal counseling.
The NOvi center integrates

Veterinarian
Practices CAM
On Pets

Dr. John Simon uses
holistic medical approach-
es on dogs and cats and is
a certified veterinarian
acupuncturist. He may use
acupuncture to provide
relief from arthritis pain or
to stop seizures. He also
does chiropractic proce-
dures on animals and is a
nutritional consultant.
Many of the products he
recommends for pet dogs
or cats are homeopathic.
Located in Royal Oak, Dr.
Simon has been operating
a one-physician veterinari-
an office for 35 years.

complementary and conven-
tional medicine for conditions
such as arthritis, headaches, -
chronic fatigue, depression,.
and gynecological, fertility and
digestive problems.
"Increasingly, consumers and
physicians recognize that con-
ventional medicine doesn't
have all the answers for every-
one's.health care needs:' Dr.
Levine said. "Fifty to 70 per-
cent of all chronic illnesses will
respond to lifestyle changes,
which means mostpeople don't
need a prescriptive drug for
every ache or pain.
"Previously, \ye waited until
something brake and then we
fixed it. This approach doesn't
Nvo rk well because once better,
people return to their former
bad habits. Now we tell
patients they are also responsi-
ble for their own health and
that it may take more than one
approach to keep someone
healthy."
Physicians in practice for at
least 10 years, maybe even five,
had little or no courses in
alternative health approaches.
Today, medical schools include
CAM information.
"Our goal at U-M is to take
the best of conventional medi-
cine and the best of comple-

December 1 2005