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years of being in the field. She adds, “One of the most powerful MCW: What is the most challenging? Dr. Mann: The field requires a real commitment from the patient to tools available to all of us is the practice of breathing techniques to become my partner in getting healthy. There are those who hope for actually change our physiology.” She uses yoga-breathing exercises in the morning to get ready for the day and ends her day with meditaa “magic pill” to solve their chronic health problems and the simple tion to help her unwind. By practicing these techniques regularly she truth is, there is no such thing. Like anything worth having in life, optimal health takes commitment and true desire to change the hab- is able to reduce stress and directly reduce inflammation in her body, which she believes is the main cause of chronic disease. its that led the patient down the path to illness. Another challenge is the cost of some of the testing. UnfortuDr. Mann grew up in Edison and after obnately, many of the tests that assist in functaining her undergraduate degree in Biology Functional Medicine tional medicine diagnosis are not covered by at Rutgers University; she went on to Medical insurance. The patient and I have to make at UMDNJ-Rutgers. After an internship a decision about which testing is the most is a fundamentally new School in Internal Medicine, she obtained a degree in critical to start with. I try to work within Radiology from UMDNJ- University Hospital their cost constraints but as I explain to paway of thinking about and then received advanced fellowship training tients who have already seen so many other in Neuroradiology at the Mount Sinai School doctors, sometimes paying for the testing health and disease of Medicine. She and her husband, who is also themselves makes all the difference in geta physician have three children and reside in ting healthy. and puts the power of Marlboro. MCW: What are the most common issues you see in your profession? being healthy back in Dr. Mann: What I treat mirrors the comthe patient’s hands, in mon health concerns present in America today. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cana partnership with cer – these are the main drivers of the common killers. Conventional medicine waits their doctor. until the onset of these conditions to start treatment. Functional medicine uses testing to find the earliest signs that a patient is at risk for a specific disease. I look at the body’s response to certain foods or the presence of food sensitivities, level of inflammation in the body, the hormone status, and the health of the gut. All of these factors can be tested for and if a person is found to have problems in any of these areas, they can be treated with a highly personalized plan to reverse these changes. Visit www.JuvenateMedical.org MCW: Do you treat a lot of women with hormonal issues? Dr. Mann: Yes I see many patients with hormonal concerns who are afraid to take hormones because they’ve heard that it can increase the risk of cancers and other problems. I like to educate my patients about Bio-identical Hormones, which are very different from the commonly prescribed hormones, derived from horse urine that many women have used in the past. Bio identical hormones are a natural replacement for the hormones we all lose as we age and in fact, are crucial for good health. 100 State Route 36, Suite 2G, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
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You could say that Dr. Mann practices what she preaches. After a long day at the office she draws on the relaxation techniques she has learned over her The County Woman Magazine
Phone: (732) 202-3000 • Fax: (732) 849-0015 www.JuvenateMedical.org www.TheCountyWoman.com
March/April 2016