• Dr. Rick Pescatore sees the validity of a holistic approach that addresses root causes, but has significant misgivings about unproven treatments.
the rest of our body’s immune system and function. “As a population, we seem to be sicker in general with a significant increase in chronic illness,” Dr. Moday says. “The American healthcare system is great for putting out fires—groundbreaking surgeries and cancer treatments, but we have a surge in chronic pain, obesity, depression—and our system is not built for that.”
The economic hurdle In the world of alternative medicine, costs of visits and programs widely differ. Community acupuncture—in which several patients are treated in the same room—is often based on a sliding scale with visits as low as $20. A visit with a naturopathic doctor can range from $100 for a monthly follow-up to more than $1,000 a month for a concierge service. Since most alternative treatment is not covered by insurance, cost is often the biggest barrier for patients seeking integrative care. Nayak offers group and family plans and hopes patients will see the money they spend as an investment in their health. Dr. Moday sees healthcare as a value judgment: In order for her to provide the services she does, she has to charge a certain amount because she only sees about six people per day. Depending on your health, one thing Dr. Moday suggests is opting for a high-deductible insurance plan with a health savings account (HSA.) This way, you may be paying much less than if you see a conventional doctor, and you can use an HSA to cover things like supplements and acupuncture. However, critics of of HSA plans warn that they leave consumers vulnerable in the event they need expensive care. There are also a growing number of integrative medicine practices affiliated with traditional hospitals that may take health insurance, like the Myrna Brind Center at Jefferson Hospital and PENN Primary and Integrative Medicine in Exton. And, of course, if alternative medicine is successful in improving your ailments, you may be able to rid yourself of prescription copays. Of course, the savings in time— sometimes years lost from a disease or injury—is invaluable. 22
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“...To give anything to patients that hasn’t been rigorously tested is unconscionable. It’s an abdication of our responsibility to give safe and effective medication.” — Dr. Rick Pe scatore Getting to the roots of a health issue After a six-year history of abnormal pap smears and a diagnosis of a high-risk HPV strain, Michele Rogers’ cervical dysplasia advanced to a concerning degree of abnormal cells. The traditional course of action would have been to perform a painful and risky procedure, requiring six weeks of healing time and possible future pregnancy complications. So Rogers, 39, decided to do some research on her own and pursue a naturopathic regimen that included high doses of certain vitamins, nutrients and supplements. After two courses of the protocol and her first pregnancy, not only did her pap smear return to completely normal, but the HPV was no longer present in her system, something that her conventional doctor said was impossible. Ike S. was another patient who had hit a wall with Western medicine. He was suffering from multiple herniated discs, creating throbbing pain and numbness in his neck and back. After a series of X-rays and MRIs,
an orthopedic prescribed anti-inflammatory muscle-relaxing medications, local trigger-point cortisone injections, lidocaine patches, Botox injections and an epidural. But he says these solutions were of little help, and in the end, the doctor recommended continuing to live with the pain, significant surgery or trying an alternative form of medicine. He appreciated the traditional doctor’s suggestion to explore alternative methods, which led him to Jacquelin Doyle, board-certified acupuncturist, herbalist and clinical director of Renaissance Healing Arts in Philadelphia. Ike says with acupuncture, diet evaluation and nutritional-supplement guidance, he quickly became pain free and feels fully recovered from his herniated disc injury. Ike says Doyle really took the time to understand his symptoms and the various other factors in his life. And while he appreciates the value of the doctors who used modern technology to pinpoint his injuries, he is grateful to alternative treatments for providing relief he could not find through conventional methods. “You should always address the underlying issue first,” Dr. Moday says. “Rather than becoming dependent on acid-reflux medications or antibiotics, there may be diet and lifestyle changes that can repair the root of the problem.” And on this note, both sides of the alternative medicine find common ground. Dr. Pescatore agrees that the U.S. healthcare system is problematic and doesn’t allow him to spend time helping patients improve their lifestyles; it’s too easy to prescribe quick fixes via pharmaceuticals. “It’s incredibly easy for me as a physician to say, ‘Oh, you have acid reflux—take these pills,’ but it would often take more time than I can reasonably allot in the ER to really discuss the root cause and help people to, for instance, lose weight or stop smoking..” But Dr. Nayak cautions that you shouldn’t tear up your health insurance card. “Don’t come to me if you just got run over by a truck!” Nayak says. “Sometimes we need pharmaceuticals to get us over the hump. There can be a place for conventional medicine, but I believe there is always a place for natural medicine.”