Frequently Asked Questions

What happens on the first visit?
Dr. Martin will review the patient’s history, then perform a tailored physical exam, depending on the presenting symptoms. Patients requiring a full gynecological evaluation will be referred to a local gynecologist, if needed. Orders for indicated laboratory or other diagnostic testing will be submitted electronically. Dr. Martin will then talk with the patient and answer questions about established diagnoses, as well as symptoms whose cause has yet to be identified.

How does the doctor approach treating illness?

Dr. Martin believes that treating any serious chronic illness involves effort on eight facets of health. At the first meeting, as well as every follow-up visit, doctor and patient will be evaluating these points:

1. The symptom diary. Every patient will be given a notebook in which to make daily entries concerning new or ongoing symptoms, as well as the patient’s current emotional state and expectations of the future.

2. Sleep. Lack of sleep can cause the build-up of amyloid in the brain, resulting in learning and memory problems, and ultimately the death of neurons, which leads to dementia. Therefore, some discussion of recent sleep quality is ongoing. Dr. Martin discusses sleep strategies and herbal sleep aids with every patient.

3. Diet. The ideal diet is organic, anti-inflammatory, low glycemic, high in phyto-nutrients, and has a good balance of protein and fiber. No one in the 21st century should be eating sugar or other highly processed carbohydrates. By genetic predisposition, some people develop inflammation when they eat gluten, some when they eat dairy, but all human beings develop inflammation when they eat sugar. ( In fact, one way pharmaceutical researchers create arthritis in animals, in order to generate study trials of new arthritis drugs, is by injecting them with sugar.) Inflammation is so deadly that it even made the cover of Time magazine in 2004, as the root cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. But getting to the ideal diet can be difficult without counseling, education, and encouragement, which are part of every office visit.

4. Detoxification. We live in a world with unprecedented levels of environmental contamination. Unfortunately, most of those toxins adversely affect our immune systems, and therefore, our health. The most effective detox strategy is to take in less poison to begin with — air purifiers, reverse osmosis water filters, eating organic, using non-toxic bath, beauty, and cleaning products. Once toxins are in the body, there are five known pathways of elimination: the sweat glands, kidneys, lymphatics, liver, and colon. These detox pathways can be enhanced by certain foods, herbs, and supplements. Sweat can be increased by exercise and sauna, and lymph flow by massage or other physical manipulation. If the patient has an abnormally depressed immune response, it is possible to screen for many toxins with a urine test. Depending on the result, a course of corrective action can be taken.

5. Exercise. How much is too much? How much is enough? When is the best time to exercise? What kind of exercise is best? When should a patient abstain from exercise? These are the kinds of questions the doctor will answer on the first visit. At follow-up visits, she will help the patient monitor the effects of a specific exercise regimen on symptomatology.

6. Hormone balance. Endocrine status is crucial to overall health. Perhaps the most underdiagnosed condition in the United States is metabolic syndrome, or “pre-diabetes.” This is particularly tragic because it is easy to recognize and treating it properly prevents the development of Type II diabetes. Many women also suffer needlessly from lack of natural hormone replacement. That subject may be part of a patient’s initial evaluation, depending on her age and symptoms. Estrogen in women and testosterone in men are critical for brain, heart, and joint health. The body makes these hormones from cholesterol, which can be in very short supply in patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Such patients benefit from hormone testing, as do chronic Lyme patients who frequently have depressed adrenal function. Hormone tests are readily available and relatively inexpensive.

7. Herbs and supplements. Vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements tend to be better tolerated by the body than pharmaceuticals. This is not surprising as we co-evolved with plants, not drug companies. On the first office visit, Dr. Martin reviews the patient’s medications, vitamins, and supplements and makes recommendations for an optimal regimen. Sometimes this complements medications the patient is already taking. In other cases, natural medicines suffice.

8. Antibiotics. Antibiotics deserve special attention, as they can disrupt a patient’s microbiome, the 90% of the body consisting of bacteria. The health of one’s immune system depends directly on the health of one’s microbiome. Dietary manipulation and beneficial probiotics can mitigate the undesirable side effects of antibiotics. Also, potent herbal antiviral and antibiotic preparations are readily available. In a world of pathogens with ever-increasing drug resistance, having alternatives to pharmaceuticals is growing in importance. So for patients who need antibiotics, on each visit Dr. Martin evaluates their impact and reviews strategies to lessen their ill effects.