Houston Integrative Medicine

First, we strongly believe in the value of preventative care, a concept grounded in traditional Chinese medicine. Brian Carter's Pulse of Oriental Medicine states the traditional Chinese doctor's job was to keep the village from getting sick and they in return would make sure his needs were met. Once they became sick, they were unable to take care of the doctor, therefore, it only made sense for him to keep them well. Our role is to keep you well before any signs of disease surface. By keeping mind, body and spirit in balance, maintaining appropriate nutrient levels and exercising a positive lifestyle, one is proactively taking care of themselves.

 

Second, we believe in natural healing. The body has an innate ability to heal itself, we simply assist you on your journey towards wellness. While western medication is effective at treating many illnesses, it can also act as a double-edged sword; the chemicals in pills and other drugs can have many potentially harmful side effects. Our doctors take a comprehensive look at your medical concerns and prescribe the healthiest solution that is individualized for your needs.

 

Third, the Center for Primary Care and Integrative Medicine seeks to reduce the increasingly prevalent abuse of narcotics. The United States consumes 60% of the world's narcotics, 99% of global Norco, 80% of the world's morphine going to North Americal and Europe in 2021, and these are increasingly prescribed unnecessarily. This has adverse effects on the patient's body. More than 96,000 Americans and 4500 Texans died of drug overdoses in 2020 per CDC data. We should reduce their use as much as possible without compromising pain control. Today, more and more people are turning to natural methods of healing. The Center for Primary Care and Integrative Medicine incorporates the best of conventional and alternative medicine to provide the highest quality of care possible.

While preventing chronic disease has been our main focus of practice, we emphasize the importance of helping patients who already suffer from a variety of chronic diseases actively recover. In addition to regular cardiopulmonary rehab, we offer Taichi, massage, and acupuncture to help patients from a variety of chronic conditions, e.g., chronic Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Parkinson’s disease, etc., improve functional status. Studies have shown that acupuncture and Taichi can favorably affect heart rate variability and thus decrease post-myocardial infarct mortality. Acupuncture as adjunctive therapy can be used to alleviate chronic stable angina (JAMA intern Med. 2019;179 (10):1388-1397). Taichi-based cardiac rehabilitation was associated with an increase in peak oxygen consumption, a marker of functional capacity, in patients with recent MI. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce interleukin-17 (IL-17, inflammation marker) in asthmatic patients and increase 6 minute walking distance and quality of life in COPD patients. Recent studies, published in CHEST 2018; 153 (5): 116-1124, has shown that Tai Chi is equivalent to pulmonary rehab in improving functional status in COPD patients. Tai chi training has been shown to reduce balance impairments in patients with mild -to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, with additional benefits of improved functional capacity and reduced falls (N Engl J Med 2012;366:511-9). Preliminary study has shown that Scalp acupuncture effectively slows down disease progress in Parkinson’s disease patients and improve quality of life.

 

Last, but not least, we strive to reduce the cost of medicine for both individuals and the nation. Health care costs have been rising for several years and remains a focus of worldwide discussion. National health expenditures have doubled over the past decade from $1.3 trillion in 2000 to $2.6 trillion in 2010. It exceeded $ 4 trillion in 2020 according to Center for Medicare & Medicaid services (CMS). Total health care expenditures grew at an annual rate of 4.4 percent in 2008, outpacing inflation and the growth in national income. Indeed, we are a nation providing the best "sick" care. If we looked at replacing "sick" care with preventative medicine, we would be a healthier and wealthier nation. Spending on new medical technology and prescription drugs has been cited as a leading contributor to the increase in overall health. The Center for Primary Care and Integrative Medicine focuses on prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic pain. Integrative medicine has been known to be highly effective in the treatment of such illnesses. In addition,the Center also gives consults to patients who want to learn taichi and yoga to improve well being.

Center for primary care and Integrative Medicine has also been actively collaborating with world renowned institutes to explore mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture, Ethnopharmacology, and the application of traditional Chinese Medicine in health regimen.