Ask the Doctor
Hello all – have I got a deal for you! Have you ever had a burning question you wanted to ask your doctor, but didn’t because: a) you only have 8 minutes in that cold exam room, stripped to your skivvies and wearing that cruel johnny, and somehow those random questions just seemed to slip your mind, b) you have to wade through receptionists, patient care representatives, medical assistants, and nurses before you can actually speak to your doctor, c) it’s hard to get the attention of someone when they’re typing, clicking, and staring at a computer screen whilst throwing you off with all kinds of embarrassing and personal queries, or d) you forgot to write it down and it plum slipped your mind?
Well, I’m here to introduce myself and to offer my humble services as your Integrative Medical curbside consultant. First off: what the heck is Integrative Medicine? Well, you’ve probably heard of terms like allopathic medicine, holistic medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, or natural medicine. Integrative Medicine simply takes the best of each of these approaches and combines them into a new way of practicing medicine. My aim is to address the root cause of a patient’s illness rather than just cover up symptoms. By employing a combination of nutritional changes, lifestyle modifications, natural supplements, and (when necessary) pharmaceutical medicines I try to help my patients achieve true health. This is so much more that not feeling sick!
I think of ‘health’ as physical, mental, spiritual, and community well-being. Do you feel truly alive? Are you living to your fullest potential as a vibrant and beautiful human being? That’s what we try to help our patients strive for at Integrative Health Center of Maine. IHCM is a group of independent practitioners that share a common vision of “providing the best of conventional and natural healthcare” to the whole family. I’m here, like I said, to answer your random medical questions. How do I reverse my diabetes? Why do we have hangnails? What’s the deal with the mumps outbreak? Do I really need to floss? Should I go gluten-free? But I can’t answer your questions unless you ask!
Please email your questions to sarah@essentiallivingmaine.com. I’ll do my best to give you an honest and integrative solution to your everyday health dilemmas. Thanks and be well!
Sean McCloy, MD, MPH, MA is the Medical Director at Integrative Health Center of Maine in Portland. He is dual board-certified in family medicine and holistic medicine. He specializes in Integrative Family Medicine and can be seen walking around the Old Port with his family and his therapy dog, Hershey.
ELM™ | Maine
