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Kim Stewart

Inadvertent Stereotyping Leads to Healthcare Disparities

Going to the doctor’s office is a stress-inducing event for many people But for blacks, it can be particularly terrifying, because of something called negative racial stereotyping. And while racial stereotyping may not be intentional, it can seep into a patient’s psyche in ways you might not realize. A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at USC and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has found evidence that the persistent health disparities across race may, in part, be related to anxiety about being confronted by negative racial stereotypes while receiving healthcare. Black women who strongly identified with their race were more likely to feel anxious in a healthcare setting – particularly if that setting included messaging that promoted negative racial stereotypes, even if inadvertently. Posters can be one source of this negative stereotyping. In light of this research, Today’s Practitioner tracked down some positive messaging on aging that you can download for your office (high-resolution downloads available free for Today’s Practitioner’s registered users). By Cleopatra M Abdou and Adam W Fingerhut, published in the American Psychological Association journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, July 21, 2014, Vol. 20.

Naked Mole Rat, “You are My Detox Hero,” by Kara Fitzgerald, ND

There’s no disputing naked mole rats are hideous. They’re beady-eyed, hairless, with massive protruding front teeth. They are so ugly we didn’t want to post their picture on our site for fear of scaring and permanently scarring our readers. But there is a lot we can learn about DETOX from NMRs, says Kara Fitzgerald ND, a speaker at the upcoming DETOX Summit. For instance, “they live forever, feel no pain, and they don’t get cancer,” she says.

Reader Question: At what age, what circumstances, presenting pathologies, and/or family history should one undergo genetic testing?

QUESTION:  At what age and what circumstances or presenting pathologies or family history with certain pathologies should one undergo genetic testing? For instance, let’s say a patient had a grandparent who had colitis and died in his 70s from an adenocarcinoma, but his parents did not have any colitis or intestinalRead

Wet Wrap, a Drug-free Option for Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema

Parents are very reluctant to use steroids on their children’s eczema, which is why they often request alternative therapies. Wet wrapping is one option. From a practitioner perspective, wet wrapping to address atopic dermatitis and eczema seems like a fairly simple and straightforward approach. But does it work? Our slideshow introduces you to Lucie, a two-year old with chronic eczema and how her condition inspired the the largest study ever conducted on wet-wrap therapy. Experts at National Jewish Health in Denver saw a dramatic improvement in symptoms without traditional therapies like antibiotics, steroids or immunotherapy drugs. By Noreen Heer Nicol PhD, Mark Boguniewicz, MD et al, published in J. of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 2, Issue 4, July 2014.

Patient Handout on Biochemical Individuality

biochemical individuality

The following is a free patient handout by John Neustadt, ND, and Steve Pieczenik, MD, PhD. Originally published in Integrative Medicine, a Clinicians Journal, this downloadable information sheet explains to patients how biochemical individuality refers to the unique nutritional needs each person has based on their genetics, lifestyle, and environmentalRead

Case Study: Escharotic Treatment for ECC-positive Cervical Epithelial Neoplasia in Childbearing Years

rheumatoid arthritis
A persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of a high-risk type is necessary for cervical cancer to develop. The severity of the diagnosis, together with colposcopy findings, determines the standard for treatment, and ablative or excisional options may be recommended. Escharotic treatment, together with an oral, anticarcinogenic HPV protocol and a

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