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For San Diego Alternative Medicine, check
out the clinic and health programs of Brian B. Carter, MSci,
LAc
Brian practices acupuncture
and Chinese herbal medicine at his San Diego alternative
medicine clinic. He is an author of international renown
and public speaker. Brian is currently writing his book
Chinese Medicine: A Practical Guide to
Optimal Healing.
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Everyone comes to alternative medicine for different reasons.
Some are tired of drug side-effects, or philosophically opposed
to drugs and surgery. Others don't like what their doctors have
told them or the lack of success they've had. Yet another group
wants to live in optimal, vibrant health and well-being.
Amazing Results with San Diego Alternative Medicine
Let me start by telling you about a few of my patients's successes:
- A jet-skier had a severe case of hives for 6 months,
had been to many MD's, had spent about $11,000, and had gotten
no relief. He couldn't sleep comfortably, work, or be out in
the sun. Doctors were ready to admit him to UCSD. He came to
see me, and after 2 acupuncture treatments and 2 days of a 7-day
herb formula, his skin was completely clear. When I lasted talked
to him, he was getting ready to race in the world jet-ski finals
at Lake Havasu. Oh, and his entire treatment cost less than
$200.
- A 9-month pregnant woman came to me because her baby was
facing the wrong direction. Her MD wanted to physically
turn the baby from the outside, or put her through the surgery,
cost, and scar of a C-section. I heated an acupuncture point
on each of her little toes 10 times for 3 days, and the baby
flipped. She was ecstatic and thanked me profusely.
- A 55 year old man had high blood pressure. With just
weekly acupuncture, I lowered a man's blood pressure sufficiently
to get him disqualified from a blood pressure medication study
he was in. We were both happy he didn't have to take the meds!
- I brought a lupus sufferer back from a flare-up of
pain, insomnia, and depression to well-being and comfort.
- Several of my patients have had weakness and nerve tingling
in their fingers that starts deep inside the shoulder (supraspinatus
nerve impingement). The only alternative is surgery. This usually
takes about 8 acupuncture treatments to cure.
- I have eliminated acid reflux in several patients with
Chinese herbal medicine. In both cases, they have been off drugs
and herbs for 6-12 months, and still have had no recurrence
of the reflux. In both cases, their MD's told them they'd have
to take the drug aciphex for the rest of their lives. Evidently
not!
The Biggest Advantage of San Diego Alternative Medicine
Taking advantage of alternative medicine gives you more than
just the western medicine choices, which are drugs and surgery.
Surgeries are generally irreversible, don't always work, carry
certain risks, and may take significant time to recover from.
Drugs always have side effects and can cause permanent dependencies.
You can choose alternative medicine FIRST in cases that aren't
life-threatening. If it doesn't work, then fall back on the more
dangerous options - drugs or surgery. This way, alternative medicine,
which is generally safer, should be primary therapy, and western
medicine should be the alternative.
If you're stressed, in pain, anxious, overwhelmed, can't sleep,
or want alternative medicine solutions to your medical problem,
take a look at my alternative medical practice and health programs
below.
When is San Diego Alternative Medicine Best?
Alternative medicine is a broad category. At my clinic, however,
we choose the best remedy for the patient instead of adhering
blindly to one therapy or philosophy. Sometimes we order lab tests
or x-rays to get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes the main
treatment for your condition won't be acupuncture or herbs.
For example, some people with multiple long-term health issues
have an 'intestinal dysbiosis.' If you have too many antibiotics,
they can deplete the good intestinal bacteria (which help you
digest your food). Unimpeded, the bad bacteria multiply and take
over. This can lead to all kinds of problems including constipation,
repeated vaginal infections, deficiencies in nutrients, proteins,
carbohydrates, and fats, poor digestion and indigestion, hormonal
problems, food allergies, and more. Not everyone has this problem,
but if we suspect it, we need to do tests. If we find you have
a dysbiosis, then your treatment may be only natural substances,
or a combination of drugs (from your doctor) and natural substances.
So, you see that we use the best tests and therapies for your
individual situation. Our goal is to get to the root of your problem,
answer your questions, and get you back to good health.
San Diego Alternative Medicine vs. Western Medicine - Taking
the Time to Help People
Just the other day, I saw a first-time patient for weight loss.
She had several symptoms of hypothyroidism (weight gain, feeling
cold, hair loss, and sleepiness). Since hypothyroidism is one
of the few diseases that's actually better treated by western
drugs, I sent her to her MD for thyroid lab tests. Usually, we
can help a patient. But sometimes, we're the only medical practitioners
who spend enough time with you to find out what you really need,
and sometimes what you need is western medicine. I have no problem
with MD's or western medicine, I can communicate with your doctor
and understand their tests, diagnoses and treatments, and sometimes
I agree with what they do. It's important to realize that you
can take advantage of western medicine tests without committing
to doing their idea of therapy.
The Many Therapies of San Diego Alternative Medicine
1. Herbal self-care: This is probably the most popular
kind of alternative medicine. Most people read about an herb,
or a friend tells them about it, and they go buy it in the store.
This is self-medication (medicating yourself without making use
of a trained medical professional). It has some pro's and con's.
It's not incredibly effective, and it can be dangerous. Not all
herbs are safe. Even ginseng has an "overuse syndrome."
Not all herbs are for everyone. It's much better to work one on
one with an expert who understands your health concerns, and who
is specifically trained and experienced in herbal medicine.
2. Chiropractic: Keeping the spine flexible and the spinal
nerves functioning properly makes sense and improves health. We
have a very good chiropractor in our office, Dr. John Schaefer,
who has been helping people with chiropractic for 15 years.
3. Acupuncture: This phenomenal therapy is based on an
insightful medical system. It's the safest medicine there is (besides
food and exercise). It's the best medicine for pain relief. More
and more research supports it, and more doctors are recommending
it. Most MD's are more comfortable with acupuncture than chiropractic.
The California Bureau of Workers Compensation says acupuncture
is the most effective therapy for low back pain. Acupuncture also
can treat internal problems, mental-emotional issues, and addictions.
It's one of the main therapies at my clinic. In most diseases,
it can assist in healing or normalization of your immune system,
digestion, or nervous system.
4. Chinese herbal medicine: This is sophisticated medicine
that combines multiple herbs for sophisticated, safe treatment
of complex health conditions. This has been a scholarly, literate
tradition since 200 A.D. There are about 400 herbs commonly used
in Chinese medicine (12,000 or more are known). We use about 100
standard herbal formulas. Chinese herbal medicine can even help
in cancer and AIDS by supporting immune system and/or attacking
the disease as chemotherapy does. Modern herbal formulas use a
pharmacological understanding of the herbs to treat just about
any modern diseases - e.g. hypertension, acid reflux, insomnia,
sciatica, hypercholesterolemia, and more.
5. Ayurveda: This is another ancient medical system. It
is not as popular as Chinese medicine, but it does have a well
known spokesperson, Deepak Chopra, whose clinic is located in
La Jolla.
6. Massage: There are many types of massage. Acupressure
is less effective than acupuncture but still helpful. We sometimes
use Tui Na (Chinese medical massage), for various muscle-related
problems.
7. Cupping and Gwa sha: Cupping is the application of
vacuum-like pressure to move stagnant fluids and blood in the
muscles. Gwa sha does the same thing, but without the vacuum pressure.
These can help heal structural issues.
8. Functional Medicine: This means discovering health
problems with lab tests like western medicine does, and then curing
the problem naturally. See the dysbiosis example above under "Taking
the Time to Help People." This includes supplements, vitamins,
minerals, etc.
9. Food Selection: In a similarly sophisticated way, Chinese
medicine can help you choose the best foods for your patterns
of imbalance, and avoid the bad ones. This means a different good
and bad food list for each person. Personalized food selection
therapy can make a big difference in how long it takes for the
acupuncture and herbs to work (if you eat the wrong foods, you
work against the treatment). No one's perfect, of course, but
this information helps you make better choices.
Get Started with San Diego Alternative Medicine
How does it work? I use a 4 phase process. Here are more details
on each phase of the process:
Part 1 of San Diego Alternative Medicine - Forms
As with all medical experiences, we begin with the fun task of
filling out some forms. The following are the basic forms I like
to see before we meet. You can download and save them, enter the
info and email it to me (bbcarter at pulsemed dot org), or print
them, fill them out, and fax them to me at (619) 282-1332. Make
sure to call for an appointment though, at (619) 208-1432.
Right-click and 'Save As' each
of them:
Part 2 of San Diego Alternative Medicine - Exam and Assessment
We start with an initial exam and assessment. We'll talk about
your problem in detail. I'll consider the condition of the rest
of your body and how it relates to your main complaint. I use
of both western and Chinese medicine in my diagnosis. For pain
problems, I may run you through some physical exam (orthopedic/neurologic)
tests to pinpoint the cause of the pain. I may send you out for
x-rays or other tests, if you haven't had them and they are indicated.
If your doctor has already conducted any part of this assessment,
I can use that information.
Part 3 of San Diego Alternative Medicine - Treatment
We have several treatment options depending on my assessment,
and how well you respond. We already discussed the different kinds
of alternative medicine above. Usually we'll do the treatment
at my clinic. In rare cases, we may refer you out for something
specific.
Part 4 of San Diego Alternative Medicine - Results and Completion
My goal is to get you results quick. I apply the tools in my
toolkit, until I see a change in your pain. Once that happens,
we know we're on the right track. We continue until we hit a plateau
in results. Then we try another strategy.
After your complaint is gone, we continue for several treatments
to make sure it won't return - experience shows that stopping
acupuncture too soon is more often associated with a return of
the problem, but a few more treatments prevent this.
Will You Have to Come Back Forever?
No! My goal is to getter you back to 100% pain-free, functional,
capable, joyous living. I do not want you to be dependent upon
me. It's a strange business I'm in: I meet all these interesting
people, and then I do my best to make sure they won't see me anymore.
I want you to get better quickly as possible for as little money
as possible.
Payment for San Diego Alternative Medicine
You pay as you go. Every patient and every condition is different.
It's impossible to say up front how many treatments it will require.
If you pay with cash, check, Visa, or Mastercard at the time
of the visit, I offer a discount: the first visit is $85, and
follow-ups are $50. Chinese herbal formulas are separate, and
cost between $13-25 per week, if we use them.
Your insurance may cover your visits- let us check your coverage
for your at no charge. Just call, or email (bbcarter at pulsemed
dot org) and give us your insurance information.
If you were injured at work, workers compensation may cover your
pain management. In some cases, you can choose acupuncture, but
in others, your orthopedist has to prescribe it. Again, we can
check that for you. Just give us a call. Also, California law
states that 30 days after your injury, you can designate an acupuncturist
your primary care provider - that's your freedom and you can exercise
it! For more about workers comp injuries, click here.
More Questions?
If you have any other questions, just give me a call at 619-208-1432.
I look forward to meeting you, and hope you choose to take advantage
of my brand of San Diego Alternative Medicine!
Brian B. Carter, MSci, LAc
619-208-1432 call for appointments
619-282-1332 fax
6629 Convoy Court
San Diego, CA 92111
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