After 4 years of service, Dr. Gary Kaplan has finished his term as a member of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC).
In 2013, Dr. Gary Kaplan was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius. The 11 member Committee, which holds biannual meetings, was established to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of HHS through the Assistant Secretary for Health on issues related to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
Selected for this Committee for his experience and excellence in treating patients with complex and longstanding medical problems, Dr. Kaplan brought with him his expertise in healthcare delivery, insurance, and problems experienced by individuals with ME/CFS.
During his appointment Dr. Kaplan served as chair for two subcommittees. In June 2014, Dr. Kaplan chaired a subcommittee charged to make recommendations for the creation of Centers of Excellence for ME/CFS to advance clinical research for biomarkers, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease as well as outreach to clinicians, researchers and patients, social services, patient education, and medical professional education. In January 2017, Dr. Kaplan was elected to chair another subcommittee charged with formulating a series of recommendations to the Secretary of Health on how to improve education for healthcare providers on ME/CFS.
While Dr. Kaplan’s appointment to the Committee has come to an end, he remains steadfast in his commitment to educate both patients and physicians about neuroinflammatory diseases such as ME/CFS and finding a legitimate path to recovery for long suffering patients.
The most recent meeting of CFSAC was held on December 13 & 14 and was Dr. Kaplan’s final meeting as a member. To view the entire webinar series, click here. To view Dr. Kaplan’s testimony, he first appears approximately midway through Day 1, Part 3, which can be viewed below.
For more information on CFSAC, please visit: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/cfsac/index.html
by Paul Wynn, Pain-Free Living Magazine, September 2017
THE FOUNDER OF AN INTEGRATIVE-MEDICINE CLINIC EXPLAINS WHY CHRONIC PAIN SHOULD BE TREATED AS AN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Imagine talking to your doctor and finding out that chronic pain is actually an inflammatory disease. It’s an unconventional idea that surprises many people, but it’s slowly gaining traction thanks to the work of Gary Kaplan, D.O., a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (Click here or on the image below to continue reading this article.)
If you’ve never heard of functional medicine (FM) before or don’t know how it differs from conventional medicine, you’re not alone. Behind functional medicine is a wonderfully simple philosophy that treats the body as a whole, interconnected system which looks at mind, body, and spirit as contributing elements to a person’s overall state of health. Functional medicine is evidence-basedmedicine and seeks to identify the root cause of disease by probing into the unique history of a patient’s life and genetics, as well as environmental and lifestyle factors.
In contrast, conventional medicine can be one dimensional and often results in treatment by medication. In acute cases, this may be very appropriate, but because we are not one-dimensional beings in most cases there is much more to the story. When it comes to complex, chronic disease, many physicians are, unfortunately, not adequately trained – and often don’t have time – to assess what may be the underlying cause(s) and apply diet, nutritional supplementation, exercise, and awareness of lifestyle stressors that are contributing to their patient’s illness.
As FM practitioners, we look upstream to assess the interactions of the patient’s history, physiology, lifestyle, unique genetic makeup, and mind-body-spirit that affect the function of the body as a whole.
What does this look like in an initial evaluation?
As a functional medicine practitioner, I start by asking what their story is and often that story starts with “I was fine until…” This is when we need to put on our detective hats and go back in time to reveal clues that may typically be overlooked; sometimes even going as far back as the time of mom’s pregnancy! For example: What was your mom’s pregnancy like? Was there a Caesarean section or vaginal birth? Were you breast or bottle-fed? Were there a lot of antibiotics used in childhood? The answers to these questions may indicate alterations of the microbiome in the gut (the bacteria that support our immune system). This is immensely important as research is uncovering a multitude of new data that shows how deeply interconnected our immune system is with the gut.
Other questions may include: Were there traumatic events in childhood or later? Was there ever exposure to environmental toxins like mold in the living or working environment? Were there ever infectious exposures or injuries? What are the patient’s diet, exercise regimen, sleep and emotional support system like? Is there ongoing stress at work or in personal life? Every answer peels away another layer of the mystery.
Fortunately, medicine as a whole is moving in the direction of functional medicine, but this approach takes time and a commitment in partnership between a patient and their physician.
Dr. Kaplan Completes HHS Appointment
/in News/by Kaplan CenterAfter 4 years of service, Dr. Gary Kaplan has finished his term as a member of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC).
In 2013, Dr. Gary Kaplan was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius. The 11 member Committee, which holds biannual meetings, was established to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of HHS through the Assistant Secretary for Health on issues related to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
Selected for this Committee for his experience and excellence in treating patients with complex and longstanding medical problems, Dr. Kaplan brought with him his expertise in healthcare delivery, insurance, and problems experienced by individuals with ME/CFS.
During his appointment Dr. Kaplan served as chair for two subcommittees. In June 2014, Dr. Kaplan chaired a subcommittee charged to make recommendations for the creation of Centers of Excellence for ME/CFS to advance clinical research for biomarkers, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease as well as outreach to clinicians, researchers and patients, social services, patient education, and medical professional education. In January 2017, Dr. Kaplan was elected to chair another subcommittee charged with formulating a series of recommendations to the Secretary of Health on how to improve education for healthcare providers on ME/CFS.
While Dr. Kaplan’s appointment to the Committee has come to an end, he remains steadfast in his commitment to educate both patients and physicians about neuroinflammatory diseases such as ME/CFS and finding a legitimate path to recovery for long suffering patients.
The most recent meeting of CFSAC was held on December 13 & 14 and was Dr. Kaplan’s final meeting as a member. To view the entire webinar series, click here. To view Dr. Kaplan’s testimony, he first appears approximately midway through Day 1, Part 3, which can be viewed below.
For more information on CFSAC, please visit: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/cfsac/index.html
CFSAC meeting December, 2017
Break the Cycle of Chronic Pain
/in Inflammation, News/by Kaplan CenterBreaking the Cycle of Pain
by Paul Wynn, Pain-Free Living Magazine, September 2017
THE FOUNDER OF AN INTEGRATIVE-MEDICINE CLINIC EXPLAINS WHY CHRONIC PAIN SHOULD BE TREATED AS AN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Imagine talking to your doctor and finding out that chronic pain is actually an inflammatory disease. It’s an unconventional idea that surprises many people, but it’s slowly gaining traction thanks to the work of Gary Kaplan, D.O., a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (Click here or on the image below to continue reading this article.)
Functional Medicine: Evidence-Based Medicine With A Whole Body Approach
/in Treatments, Wellness/by Lisa Lilienfield, MDWhen your doctor becomes a detective.
If you’ve never heard of functional medicine (FM) before or don’t know how it differs from conventional medicine, you’re not alone. Behind functional medicine is a wonderfully simple philosophy that treats the body as a whole, interconnected system which looks at mind, body, and spirit as contributing elements to a person’s overall state of health. Functional medicine is evidence-based medicine and seeks to identify the root cause of disease by probing into the unique history of a patient’s life and genetics, as well as environmental and lifestyle factors.
In contrast, conventional medicine can be one dimensional and often results in treatment by medication. In acute cases, this may be very appropriate, but because we are not one-dimensional beings in most cases there is much more to the story. When it comes to complex, chronic disease, many physicians are, unfortunately, not adequately trained – and often don’t have time – to assess what may be the underlying cause(s) and apply diet, nutritional supplementation, exercise, and awareness of lifestyle stressors that are contributing to their patient’s illness.
As FM practitioners, we look upstream to assess the interactions of the patient’s history, physiology, lifestyle, unique genetic makeup, and mind-body-spirit that affect the function of the body as a whole.
What does this look like in an initial evaluation?
As a functional medicine practitioner, I start by asking what their story is and often that story starts with “I was fine until…” This is when we need to put on our detective hats and go back in time to reveal clues that may typically be overlooked; sometimes even going as far back as the time of mom’s pregnancy! For example: What was your mom’s pregnancy like? Was there a Caesarean section or vaginal birth? Were you breast or bottle-fed? Were there a lot of antibiotics used in childhood? The answers to these questions may indicate alterations of the microbiome in the gut (the bacteria that support our immune system). This is immensely important as research is uncovering a multitude of new data that shows how deeply interconnected our immune system is with the gut.
Other questions may include: Were there traumatic events in childhood or later? Was there ever exposure to environmental toxins like mold in the living or working environment? Were there ever infectious exposures or injuries? What are the patient’s diet, exercise regimen, sleep and emotional support system like? Is there ongoing stress at work or in personal life? Every answer peels away another layer of the mystery.
Besides a comprehensive history, there are a number of functional medicine diagnostic tests that may be necessary. This could include a sleep study, digestive testing (stool, urine, breath), saliva testing to assess cortisol (which can indicate stress or inflammation), thyroid and other hormone testing, nutritional testing, mold, heavy metals, and infections like Lyme or Epstein Barr. A consultation with our dietitian, or psychotherapist, or treatments such as acupuncture, herbal therapy, massage therapy, physical therapy or injection therapy may also be appropriate.
Fortunately, medicine as a whole is moving in the direction of functional medicine, but this approach takes time and a commitment in partnership between a patient and their physician.