Chronic Care
Chronic Disease Definition
A chronic disease is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition
of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics; chronic diseases
are non communicable and tend to be age related.
It has been reported that 90% of seniors have at least one chronic
disease, and 77% of them have two or more chronic diseases!
What is Chronic Disease?
Chronic diseases are prolonged conditions that often do not improve
and are rarely cured completely. Diabetes, depression, congestive
heart failure, hepatitis and asthma are examples of chronic diseases.
Approximately one in four British Columbians have been diagnosed with
one or more chronic diseases.
Chronic illness has a profound effect on the physical, emotional and
mental well-being of individuals, often making it difficult to carry
on with daily routines and relationships. However, in many cases,
deterioration in health can be minimized by good care. This often
depends upon individual choices made on a daily basis.
The leading chronic diseases in developed countries include (in
alphabetical order) arthritis, diabetes, depression, asthma,
hepatitis, cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and stroke
and congestive heart failure, cancer such as breast and colon cancer,
diabetes, epilepsy and seizures, obesity, and oral health problems.
Each of these conditions plague older adults in the US (and other
developed nations). Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease
and stroke, are the first and third leading causes of death. See this
chart:
Seven of every 10 Americans who die each year, or more than 1.7
million people, die of a chronic disease. The prolonged course of
illness and disability from such chronic diseases as diabetes and
arthritis results in extended pain and suffering and decreased quality
of life for millions of Americans. Chronic, disabling conditions cause
major limitations in activity for more than one of every 10 Americans,
or 25 million people.
What is Chronic Disease Management?
Chronic disease management (CDM) is a systematic approach to
improving health care for people with chronic disease. Health care can
be delivered more effectively and efficiently if patients with chronic
diseases take an active role in their own care .For more information
on how to actively get involved and learn about chronic care
management and prevention, check out Dr.Anca’s online E-Courses.
The best management of chronic disease is an integrative approach
combining traditional care(your M.D. and specialists) with
naturopathic therapies(your N.D.and their team).
Nutrigenomic(nutrition changing gene expression)
Therapies for Chronic Disease
-Beyond “One Drug – One Target” Treatments
UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN OF CHRONIC DISEASE
• It had been scientifically proven many times that environmental
triggers (Toxic Chemical Exposure, Drugs, Alcohol, Excess Medications,
Poor Diet, Trauma, Radiation, Smoking, Lack of Exercise, Stress and
Negative Emotions) can cause damages to the body’s metabolic
processes ( Decreased Energy/Production, Poor Detoxification, GI
Problems, Hormone Imbalance, Structural Stresses, Oxidative Stress,
Immune Imbalance, Inflammation, Emotional Stress) ultimately resulting
in changes at the cellular level.
Studies show that in the “blue ” zones all over the Earth, people live longer lives, free of disease. This is how you can start, by GOING BLUE:
GO BLUE
- 1. Move naturally
- 2. Hara Hachi Bu(=be a little hungry all the time; eat 20% less)
- 3. Plant slant(fresh veggies)
- 4. Grapes of…( a little red wine)
- 5. Purpose now
- 6. Down shift(quiet time: prayer, mindless walking, meditation)
- 7. Belong(to a community)
- 8. Loved one first
- 9. Right tribe(respect the elders)
In treating chronic disease patients, we consider:
The Continuum of Chronic Disease:
Normal Physiology to Preclinical Symptoms to Disease Manifestation
The Continuum of Lifestyle Change:
From the Red of Inflammation to the Blue of Blue Zones
The Continuum of Nutrients:
Phytochemically-devoid Foods to Targeted Phytochemicals
Continuum of Healing
Reversal of Disease Manifestation to Health and Vitality
Here are some quotes from reputable Medical Journals:
“The world suffers a tsunami of chronic diseases, and a typhoon of
acute illnesses, many of which are associated with the inappropriate
or exaggerated activation of genes involved in inflammation.” J OF
PAR AND ENT NUTRITION Vol. 30, no. 1, 2006, 45-51
“Finding therapeutic agents which can modulate the inflammatory
reaction is the highest priority in medical research today.” J OF PAR
AND ENT NUTRITION Vol. 30, no. 3, 2006, 45-51
“Current Western therapies for inflammatory diseases are suboptimal;
increasingly, patients are turning to complementary and alternative
medicine for symptom relief and improved quality of life.”
Nutrition in Clinical Practice 23: 49-62, Feb. 2008
“There is emerging evidence that many of these therapies have the
ability to modulate the immune system and disrupt the pro-inflammatory
cascade through a variety of mechanisms, including antioxidant
effects, alterations in cell signalling (in particular the nuclear
factor (NF) – B pathway, cytokines, proinflammatory mediators, and
disruption of bacterial flora.” Nutrition in Clinical Practice 23:
49-62, Feb. 2008
“Drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry have thus far been
associated with toxicity and side effects, which is why natural
substances are of increasing interest.” J OF PAR AND ENT NUTRITION
Vol. 30, no. 1, 2006, 45-51
“The autoimmune process can be arrested if the interplay between
genes and environment triggers are prevented…” NAT CLIN PRAC
GASTRO & HEP SEPT 2005 VOL 2 NO 9
Gene-Environment Fact Sheet CDC-August, 2000
- Virtually all human diseases result from the interaction of genetic susceptibility and modifiable environment factors…
- Variations in genetic makeup are associated with almost all disease.
- Genetic variations do not cause disease by rather influence a person’s susceptibility to environmental factors.
- Genetic information can be used to target interventions.
Fight Chronic Disease with Naturopathic FirstLine Therapy®
A Chronic Epidemic-Chronic disease is more than a health problem in the United States—it’s an epidemic. As the principal cause of death and disability, it consumes 78% of health expenditures.1 Unhealthy lifestyle habits are the underlying cause of many chronic yet preventable health problems. Overwhelming evidence from various sources—including prospective cohort, epidemiological, and intervention studies—links most chronic diseases to physical inactivity and inappropriate diet.2
Fight Back with TLC
We can help you avoid becoming part of this disturbing trend by recommending a therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) program along with other individualized Naturopathic Therapies you might need to balance your body,; helping your patients to reduce their risk factors through a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program is not only crucial for chronic illness prevention and management but can also help increase your quality of life.
FLT—Better Health Now and for a Lifetime
FirstLine Therapy (FLT) is a comprehensive TLC program recommended to help our patients address the following:
Blood Sugar & Diabetes Cardiovascular Health Obesity GI Health Men’s Health Women’s Health Mood & Cognition Bone & Joint Health Stress Management
FLT has been developed to help patients address the underlying causes of disease and lead a healthier, more vibrant life. The basic principles of FLT—a low-glycemic-load food plan, regular exercise, nutritional supplementation, and stress management—are the foundation upon which we can build a program tailored to your specific needs.
FLT provides everything you need to implement a successful TLC program:
- A clinically effective yet easy-to-follow dietary and exercise plan that was designed to fit your busy lifestyles
- An Individualized plan in tune with your needs , health goals and social life.
- Support tools that include self-testing forms, monitoring forms, turnkey electronic presentations, educational materials, tele-seminars, Electronic-magazines, etc… and patient collateral that are fully customizable with your own information
- Online support and training programs that will teach you and your family how to incorporate TLC into your life.
The Bottom Line: TLC Works
Many national health organizations, including the National Institutes
of Health, recognize the benefits of TLC and recommend it as a primary
treatment protocol for managing many chronic conditions—before other
popular approaches are applied. Adopting therapeutic lifestyle changes
can also help preserve good health and delay of onset of age-related infirmities
Changing poor lifestyle habits can delay the onset of illness in old age
and increase the years of good health.
References
- Holman H. Chronic disease—the need for a new clinical education. JAMA. 2004;292(9):
1057-1059. - Roberts CK, Barnard RJ. Effects of exercise and diet on chronic disease. J Appl Physiol. 2005;98(1):3-30.
- Fries JF. Aging, natural death, and the comparison of morbidity. N Engl J Med. 1980;303(3):130-35.
Naturopathic care helps restore more normal balance to your body;
balance=optimal health. Important benefits of this restored function
may be an improvement in the body’s ability to repair damaged tissues,
a strengthened immune system, and reduced levels of pain. Such
improvements may help lead to improved daily functioning. As levels of
pain decrease, a person may be able to engage in more physical
activity multiple benefits follow.
Whether you are ready to try a curative approach to your condition
or are seeking supportive care for your conventional treatment,
Naturopathy excels at treating chronic conditions in a safe and
supportive environment.
Naturopathic care is a key part of an integrative approach to the
management of the pain of chronic disease. Dr.Anca will be glad to
help you determine whether naturopathic care is right for you.
Our patients have available to them a variety of therapies including,
but not limited to Botanical Medicine, Detoxification, Enzymatic
Therapy, Homeopathy, Hormone Modulation, Immunotherapy, Nutritional
Programs, Oxidative Therapies and Physician-grade Nutriceuticals .
Whether you have been diagnosed or misdiagnosed, whether you have
been searching to get your life back to “normal” or you are just
starting to feel your body not working the way that it used to – there
is help for you. At Progressive Medicine Centre we are specialists in
providing an integrative approach to the treatment of chronic disease.
We encourage you to call or stop by to learn how we can help you or a
loved one reach wellness again. For answers to your questions or to
make an appointment, call us TODAY at (905) 884-765 . Let us help you
get your life back! Until then, start TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH
