Tai Chi Helps Fibromyalgia! A Seminal Study !
Fibromyalgia is a common and very complex condition which is characterized by chronic and widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and physical and psychological impairment. Before about 10 years ago, patients who presented with these symptoms with told that they were depressed and should take a SSRI drug. These patients realized it was not depression, but they were told it was all in their mind. Within the last years the American College of Rheumatology has finally acknowledged this diagnosisand even given it an ICD-9 code. In my office we see and treat many patients with this fibromyalgia. We usually use an interdisciplinary ...
Vitamin D Now Found Useful in Certain Lymphomas
The standard message for patients with vitamin D deficiency is that everyone can take vitamin D unless they have a granulomatous condition (for example tuberculosis or sarcoidosis), or a lymphoma. The exact details on the why and why not this vitamin D optimization of patients with these diseases is not discussed in detail in the medical literature. Now a new study has come out that shows that vitamin D actually appears to HELP patients with two specific types of lymphoma. In a significant paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that was just published online, Matthew Drake, MD and his colleagues from ...
Vitamin D Related to Pre-Eclampsia
A new study shows a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and a pregnancy condition called preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition which usually occurs at the end of pregnancy that is characterized by high blood pressure as well as protein in urine. Without treatment it can become very serious and can affect the delivery of the baby. Early onset preeclampsia is not very common. It occurs in only about 2 or 3% of pregnancies. Nevertheless it is responsible for about 15% of premature births yearly. The definition of "early onset" is when it occurs before the 34th week of pregnancy.
Vitamin A, Children, and Lung Function
All of my pregnant patients take a prenatal vitamin based on what would be best for the developing fetus. I have even found a prenatal vitamin that I like so much that I put my own private label on it. Now a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has been published showing the importance of vitamin A and its relationship to lung development in the womb. In this study, that was led by Wiliam Checkley, M.D., over 1600 children in Nepal were evaluated. Some of the mothers were given vitamin A pills during pregnancy and others were given ...
I Will Be Teaching at UCLA
I have accepted an opportunity to teach medical students at the prestigious David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, starting this September. After more than 30 years of practicing integrative medicine, I realize that it is time to share what I have learned and what I've been doing with young medical students and medical doctors, as well as the general public. Through my blog I have been sharing my knowledge with the general public. However, I felt it was a necessity in my life to also be able to train young medical doctors. Starting this September, I will be teaching a course to ...
Acupuncture Improves Heart Disease
Most people believe that acupuncture is just for pain control. In fact it is an active medical modality which I use to treat almost all medical problems. Now a new study shows that acupuncture can help people with heart disease. The recent study by Kristin AV and others, has recently been published in the medical journal Heart. In this specific study they looked at congestive heart failure. This is a condition where the heart, due to illness is unable to pump sufficient blood to the rest of the body. It can vary from very mild, to the extreme that a person is ...
Economic Burden and Premature Deaths in Canada Due to Vitamin D Deficiency
Studies by Garland and other medical researchers have shown the tremendous economic cost of vitamin D deficiency in America. For example, studies published in 2004 estimated that vitamin D deficiency costs the United States from $40-$56 billion annually. It is estimated that every year there are 60,000 premature deaths from cancer caused by insufficient vitamin D in the United States. Now, for the first time, a study on the economic burden of vitamin D deficiency in Canada has been published. It is especially important for Canada to pay attention to their population's vitamin D levels because most of the Canadian population ...
My Lecture at UCLA
I was one of 5 speakers to a pre-med class of students at UCLA who are taking a course entitled "Introduction to Integrative East-West Medicine". The students came from all over the world to study. My friend Ka-kit Hui, M.D., F.A.C.P is the Chairman of the Course and invited me to share with the students my perspective on integrative medicine as a primary care doctor in private practice. The other speakers included my friend Myles Spar MD, MPH who is the director of the Venice Integrative Medicine Clinic, at the Venice Family Clinic. Also Richard Pietras MD, Ph.D. who is the ...
Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with Dementia
A new study has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine looking at vitamin D levels and brain function. The study was led by David Llewellyn, Ph.D. of the University of Exeter in England. His group evaluated elderly patients' brain function 3 times over a six-year period. The researchers tested overall cognition which includes thinking, learning, and memory. They also tested attention and executive function. Executive function is the ability to plan, organize and prioritize. The results of the study showed that those patients who were deficient in vitamin D were 60% more likely to have a significant decline in overall ...
50% of Americans Don’t Have Enough Vitamin D!
In a new article in Endocrine Today, Anthony Norman, MD, distinguished professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside has said that "it is now widely appreciated by vitamin D scientists that 50% of people in North America and Western Europe are vitamin D insufficient. As far as the rest of the world, He went on to say in another interview that "Elsewhere, it is worse, given that two-thirds of the people are vitamin D-insufficient or deficient. It is clear that merely eating vitamin D-rich foods is not adequate to solve the problem for most adults." He ...
Integrative Medicine
Tai Chi Helps Fibromyalgia! A Seminal Study !
Fibromyalgia is a common and very complex condition which is characterized by chronic...
Vitamin A, Children, and Lung Function
All of my pregnant patients take a prenatal vitamin based on what would be best for...
Yet Another Essential Nutrient for Pregnancy
All pregnant women are given a prenatal vitamin by their obstetrician. The implication...
Read more posts from Integrative Medicine
Vitamin D
Vitamin D Now Found Useful in Certain Lymphomas
The standard message for patients with vitamin D deficiency is that everyone can...
Vitamin D Related to Pre-Eclampsia
A new study shows a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and a pregnancy condition...
Economic Burden and Premature Deaths in Canada Due to Vitamin D Deficiency
Studies by Garland and other medical researchers have shown the tremendous economic...
Read more posts from Vitamin D
What's Dr Soram Doing?
I Will Be Teaching at UCLA
I have accepted an opportunity to teach medical students at the prestigious David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, starting this September. After more than 30 years of practicing integrative medicine, I realize that it is time to share what I have learned and what I've been doing with young medical students and medical doctors, as well as the... [Read more of this review]
My Lecture at UCLA
I was one of 5 speakers to a pre-med class of students at UCLA who are taking a course entitled "Introduction to Integrative East-West Medicine". The students came from all over the world to study. My friend Ka-kit Hui, M.D., F.A.C.P is the Chairman of the Course and invited me to share with the students my perspective on integrative medicine... [Read more of this review]
I Will Be Speaking at UCLA on Integrative Medicine This Week
I will be talking about integrative medicine to pre-med students and professors this Tuesday morning at UCLA. This course is chaired by the head of the UCLA Department of integrative Medicine Kah Kit Hui, M.D. I will give you a full report about the conference afterwards. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "I Will Be Speaking at UCLA on Integrative Medicine... [Read more of this review]
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