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Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment Options

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Anxiety is loosely defined as an emotion that is characterized by feelings of tension and worried thoughts. Family, finances, health or relationships are all things that we experience anxiety over. This is normal. However, anxiety that starts to overwhelm an individual or affects how they live their day to day life can be harmful.

At the Kaplan Center, we think about anxiety a little bit differently. A growing body of research suggests that it might not be a mental disorder in and of itself, but rather a symptom of physical inflammation stemming from the brain. Celiac disease, an unhealthy diet or thyroid disease are just a few conditions that may be related to anxiety. By recognizing these connections, we are able to take a broader approach to diagnosing and treating anxiety.

Symptoms of anxiety

It is important to separate the normal anxiety that we all experience from a more serious anxiety disorder. Some of the following are things to look for:

  • Worry and fear that are constant and overwhelming.
  • Responding to certain events or situations with extreme fear or dread. This may be accompanied by physical signs of anxiety such as a pounding heart, trembling and sweating.
  • Anxiety that interferes with your day-to-day activities or stops you from carrying out routine tasks.
  • Edginess and restlessness.
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Diagnosis of anxiety

The diagnosis of anxiety is one that should be made by a healthcare professional. At the Kaplan Center, we recognize that the causes of anxiety revolve around an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings. In almost all instances, diagnosing anxiety does not require any invasive medical tests.

Our doctors take the time to speak to patients about these issues and allow them to discuss their anxiety as they experience it. To help diagnose anxiety we’ll ask you a few questions about:

  • Past medical history
  • Family history
  • Medication history
  • Social history

Treating anxiety

The under-recognition and under-treatment of anxiety is a widespread problem. Because anxiety can have physical symptoms, it makes the treatment somewhat challenging for traditional medicine to deal with.

At the Kaplan Center, after diagnosing anxiety our goal is to offer treatments that help address the root causes of the condition. Therefore, we offer a wide range of treatment options tailored to each individual. This may include:

We work with patients to create a personalized treatment plan that’s suited to their needs.

In many cases, anxiety is not a single-treatment condition. A holistic approach, such as the one we favor at the Kaplan Center allows us to look at the whole patient. We may suggest one or more of the treatments listed above or include other elements that fit your lifestyle.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610617/
https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/

 

 

PODCAST: “Stress, Sleep And Total Recovery With Dr. Gary Kaplan”

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Dr. Gary Kaplan, Director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Total Recovery, A Revolutionary New Approach to Breaking the Cycle of Pain and Depression joined Cate Stillman, founder of the YogaHealer Podcast to chat about the various impacts of stress and sleep deprivation on the brain and overall health. Topics he covered included:

  • What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
  • What causes brain inflammation and how it impacts our quality of life
  • Why sleep is so crucial for long-term health and tips on how to optimize your sleep
  • How Yoga treats pain
  • Why meditation is so effective for sleep and pain disorders
  • Why sleep apnea is so dangerous for your overall health
  • What really causes Lyme disease
  • What is EDS and how does it impact the body on a deeper level

Listen now –>>

 

Timestamps:

  • 4:00 – 9:00 Stress and inflammation in the brain
  • 9:00 – 17:00 Optimal sleep and sleep disorders
  • 17:00 – 24:20 Sleep Apnea
  • 25:30 – 29:30 Disease in adolescents and belief systems
  • 29:30 – 36:00 Meditation, processing emotions and gratitude
  • 36:00 – 40:30 The benefits of habits on overall health
  • 40:30 – 46:00 Lyme disease and EDS

More helpful links:

woman getting an acupuncture treatment

5 Things You Didn’t Know Acupuncture Could Treat

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Acupuncture and pain relief go hand in hand. Every month new research is published confirming that acupuncture can effectively relieve a variety of pain conditions from migraines to back pain. In fact, there has been so much research in support of its efficacy that in the battle to fight opioid dependency, some major medical organizations are now rewriting their directives to recommend acupuncture and other non-pharmacological treatments along with, or in place of, more conventional treatments.

  • As of January 1, 2018, the Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, mandated that accredited hospitals are required to provide acupuncture and other non-pharmacological pain management modalities as a strategy option for managing pain.
  • The guidelines of the American College of Physicians’ (ACP), updated in 2017, now “strongly recommend” physicians to look first at non-drug therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, and other mind-body techniques, for treating acute, sub-acute and chronic cases of low back pain.

Acupuncture treatment, which involves inserting very thin needles under the skin, is especially appealing because it is relatively safe and has very few side effects. And while most people are most familiar with its role in treating pain, there are also many lesser-known conditions that acupuncture treats effectively.

Here are 5 conditions you didn’t know that acupuncture could treat:

1. Environmental Allergies
An article in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy recommended acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for allergic rhinitis. The sniffling, sneezing, and runny nose that some people can experience in one season, or even all year long, can sometimes be managed with antihistamines. But for those who are not satisfied with conventional medicine or suffer from side effects of medications acupuncture can be beneficial. Studies have shown people with acupuncture had reduced allergy symptoms and required less antihistamine medication compared to control groups. Studies have even shown that acupressure on specific points on the face and ears can be helpful with no needles at all.

2. Symptoms of Menopause
Acupuncture can reduce the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats, symptoms that the majority of women experience during the period of menopause. A recent study showed a reduction in symptoms by 40%. Maximum benefits are experienced after eight treatments, and the benefits lasted for 6 months after the treatments stopped. While acupuncture alone can help reduce the symptoms of menopause, some cases may require a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for increased effect. The hormone balancing effect of acupuncture can also help with other symptoms of menopause including insomnia and mood changes.

3. Healing Scars
There are several ways to heal scars using Chinese medicine. Acupuncture needles can stimulate healing, and moxibustion, a warming treatment, can increase circulation. Liniments (soothing lotions to reduce pain) such as Zheng gu shui, aloe vera, or Vitamin E can be applied to encourage healing.  Older scars and scar tissue can also be worked on even if they are decades old. This can help with increased mobility and decreased appearance. Direct scar treatments should not be used until after 1 month after an injury or post-surgery to avoid infection.

4. Stress Reduction
We don’t need to explain the experience of stress. Unfortunately, this is all too common for most Americans. It is at the root of a whole host of problems from digestive problems, menstrual cramps, depression, and chronic pain.  Acupuncture has long been known to produce relaxation, reduce muscle tension, and increase mood. Recent studies have shown in biological models exactly why this is happening. We know that acupuncture releases endorphins, our body’s natural opioids. These are largely responsible for the pain-relieving effect. But these neurotransmitters also produce a relaxation response. Researchers at Georgetown University have shown that acupuncture in clinical models releases endorphins and lowered stress hormones including the sympathetic NPY peptide pathway. This is important evidence that suggests acupuncture can protect against the stress response.

5. Reduce Wrinkles
Cosmetic acupuncture* (also known as facial rejuvenation) is for people who are looking for a natural, alternative way to reduce the signs of aging and improve inner vitality for a healthy appearance to their face. Acupuncture provides a non-toxic, non-surgical way of looking and feeling your best at any age. The main benefit is a brighter and healthier-looking complexion. It reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dull skin by increasing circulation to the face, nourishing the skin and stimulating natural collagen production. It relaxes tension in the facial muscles for a more relaxed face. It’s not just a cosmetic process, you also get the benefits of an acupuncture treatment that has been shown to boost the immune system, reduce pain, relax and calm the body. Initial visits are ninety minutes and follow-up sessions are one hour. It generally takes six sessions and one month to start building collagen. Many report a glow to the skin after the first session. It’s recommended to get a series of twelve sessions, with weekly visits initially, and then every other week or once per month for maintenance. Acupuncture can be a complement to other cosmetic treatments, but people should consult their providers as to how long to wait after fillers, injections, and other dermatological treatments. A 30-minute consult is available for more information.

* Cosmetic acupuncture patients must have received a diagnostic exam by a licensed physician within the last 6 months and provide a documented recommendation for the treatment.

man sitting outside meditating

Functional Medicine: Evidence-Based Medicine With A Whole Body Approach

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When 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, psychotherapist, meditation instructor, 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.

5 Steps to Happier Holidays

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Greetings & Happy Holidays!

‘The holidays can be an intense time for many of us, with parties, travel and house guests, shopping, cooking, and more …. making it quite easy to get overwhelmed. So I would encourage you to try to slow down if you can – doing so really can help make the holidays more joyful and less stressful! Here are 5 ways that you can try to take it easier on yourself at this time of year:

  • Don’t over-schedule! Every day has exactly 24 hours in it — be honest with yourself about what you can accomplish each day.
  • Let go of expectations. Be fair to yourself and to others. If you allow expectations to determine your happiness you will often feel let down. Yes, it is hard, but in the end, your efforts will be worth it.
  • Be present in the moment. Meditating twenty minutes per day can help reset your body’s autonomic stress response. Over time, it can change your perspective on life for the better.
  • Exercise. The endorphins released in aerobic exercise are the body’s own natural anti-depressants. Not only does exercise lift our spirits, it boosts our immune system as well.
  • Keep smiling. Research shows the simple act of smiling can lift your mood, help lower stress and boost your immune system. What’s more? Smiling is also contagious!

As always, you have our best wishes for your optimal health,

Gary Kaplan, DO & the Kaplan Center Staff

coping with a cancer diagnosis

Coping With the Emotional Impact of Cancer

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Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a profoundly stressful event in a person’s life. According to NIH’s National Cancer Institute, there are over 18 million Americans living with – or have survived – some form of cancer. The emotional blow of the diagnosis, combined with the pain and discomfort of the disease and treatment, can impact one’s ability to work, provide financially for dependents, or engage in social and recreational activities. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment can cause unwanted changes in a patient’s physical appearance and self-esteem, undermine his or her ability to relate to loved ones emotionally or sexually, and lead to an increased sense of isolation and depression. Often, the diagnosis and the reality of living with cancer challenge an individual’s spiritual beliefs, their sense of purpose, and their life priorities.

Given the scope of cancer’s effect upon a person’s life, ideally, the treatment should not be focused only on the physical aspects of healing. It is estimated that as many as 65 percent of cancer patients seek complementary therapies to augment the conventional medical care they are receiving. Medical research has demonstrated that interventions such as psychotherapy, relaxation, prayer, meditation, and massage can reduce stress, improve sleep, encourage a sense of optimism, and boost the body’s immune response.

Here are 4 alternative therapies that, when used in conjunction with conventional medical care, can enhance the quality of patients’ lives by helping them to cope more effectively with the effects of cancer and its treatment:

Questions? Give Us a Call!

703-532-4892 x2

Psychotherapy can help patients find the inner strength they need to cope more positively with their diagnosis. Talking about their feelings with a qualified and caring professional, and receiving ongoing emotional support can help reduce the sense of isolation, anxiety, and hopelessness that cancer patients commonly experience. There are many different kinds of psychotherapy; some patients meet individually with a counselor, others meet in a group setting to discuss common problems and coping strategies.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a relatively new protocol used by some psychotherapists that can facilitate a remarkably swift and permanent healing of negative and distressing thoughts and feelings. It can also alleviate certain types of physical pain that have become “locked into” the memory of a person’s central nervous system.

Guided Imagery is a process where patients use their minds to visualize and sense soothing experiences, like the sight of a favorite place, or the feeling of warm sun on the skin or cool water on the toes. Guided imagery and hypnosis can help channel the power of a person’s own mind to produce real physiological benefits for the body, including boosting the immune response, reducing blood pressure, increasing the sense of well-being, and even decreasing the pain of cancer and cancer treatment.

Mind-Body Stress Reduction Programs help patients learn stress management and meditation techniques. Medical studies show that mind-body meditation can improve a patient’s mood, coping skills, and quality of life. It also can boost a patient’s immune response and help to alleviate disease-and-treatment-related symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and pain. Meditation programs have proven to be so successful in improving patient outcomes that they have become a reimbursable medical service under many health insurance plans.

Additional Resources:

Psychotherapy, EMDR, and Guided Meditation

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2