Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Well, hello, we're here with Carol Roberts, MD, of Tampa Bay.
Carol, thank you very much for being with us today.
I really want to talk to you about holistic medicine,
which I know you've spent twenty years kind of cultivating, developing,
and you're really passionate about it.
I think a lot of people hear this term a lot.
Please tell us, what exactly, is it?
Just share with us those thoughts on holistic medicine.
Good question, Bob. Because it is a grossly misunderstood term,
and I'd like for people to know, what I do.
So, the word, 'holistic', means 'the whole package'.
We're looking at the person, not just their body parts,
like I used to do, as an ENT doctor.
I'm looking at the person, in their entirety, and in context with their life.
So, not only do I ask questions about 'How much energy do you have?',
'Do you sleep well?', and 'What do you eat?', that's very important.
I have to know these things, I have to know what your social situation is;
what do you do for hobbies; what kind of jobs you've had in life;
do they have support systems; are they alone; are they happy?
Do you know that happiness is the greatest indicator
of whether someone's going to have a heart attack or not?
If they're happy with your job, they're much less likely to get sick.
So at any rate, that's the holistic model.
Then, the treatment is different, too.
It's not just going to my rulebook of what to prescribe for what symptom.
I'm actually looking deeper than that.
I want to know what's causing the problem.
It's not enough to label something, for example, arthritis,
it's not going to advance or further that person's health,
by putting a label on them.
So, what I've tried to do, is figure out why is this person having joint pain,
and why did it start now?
And, I've oftentimes we come up with food allergies as the cause, for joint pains.
Or even heavy metal exposure, that we all have.
Some people are more susceptible than others.
We have to look at their background, you have to look at their belief system.
Sometimes depression can produce symptoms.
Sometimes the old resentment can make you sick.
So, it's really free-for-all, no-holds-barred,
I want to know everything about the patient, that might impact on their health.
Sounds like there's a lot more work involved, in terms of what you do,
because one size doesn't fit all when it appears that, in traditional medicine,
we see that a lot, where 'well, they fit into this cubbyhole,
let's prescribe what we've done before'.
You really look at the individual, and all aspects of the individual,
which are all different.
Exactly. Say, you've got an eighty-year old woman with high blood pressure,
who weighs ninety pounds.
She is going to get the same prescription as a 300-lb. linebacker.
And that so-called standard of care, well, that's not really helping.
Well, fantastic. Carol Roberts, thank you very much for being with us today.
Thank you.