Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
This term applies to the use of compounded medications that are made into creams at the very specific concentration prescribed by your doctor. The large pharmaceutical companies have been lobbying against compounding pharmacies because the American public is starting to find out about this long-kept secret. This is actually more the way pharmacists used to work “in the old days” , where they would mix doses of medications for particular patient’s needs.
There of course benefits of standarization. Quicker turn around time, lack of need for higher level of expertise in medication understanding, less margin for error.
However, it is part of the “one size fits all approach” when in fact, everyone is unique in many ways.
Compounding allows the doctor and pharmacist to work together once again to customize the treatment regimen that is just right for you.
Bioidentical hormones are made from plant sources and are the same molecular structure as is found in your body. Some prescription medication made by pharmaceutical companies are also “bioidentical” but cannot be customized to the exact needed dosage.
We utilize all types of “bioidentical” hormones delivered through the skin and closely monitor the levels of these important body chemicals. Standardized reference ranges of hormone blood levels used by laboratories have not been accurately studied. In fact, it was only after years of study and practice that Dr. Bunsic was able to truly understand how inaccurate these ranges can be, and based on her experience with numerous patients, developed a process to balance patient symptoms, timing of medication and blood hormone levels to keep hormone levels optimal in each individual patient.
These hormone medicines taken by mouth, such as the birth control pill, especially when taken by women over 35 for prolonged periods can begin to cause other problems. Also, many clinics claim to be centers for BHRT and utilize hormone pellets placed under the skin. Although claims are made that these are slowly absorbed into the skin, Dr. Bunsic has seen laboratory proof in several patients leaving these clinics, that hormone levels initially reach too high of levels in the body for optimal function. You deserve to talk to someone with expertise in all realms of hormone management to find the best solution for you.
There of course benefits of standarization. Quicker turn around time, lack of need for higher level of expertise in medication understanding, less margin for error.
However, it is part of the “one size fits all approach” when in fact, everyone is unique in many ways.
Compounding allows the doctor and pharmacist to work together once again to customize the treatment regimen that is just right for you.
Bioidentical hormones are made from plant sources and are the same molecular structure as is found in your body. Some prescription medication made by pharmaceutical companies are also “bioidentical” but cannot be customized to the exact needed dosage.
We utilize all types of “bioidentical” hormones delivered through the skin and closely monitor the levels of these important body chemicals. Standardized reference ranges of hormone blood levels used by laboratories have not been accurately studied. In fact, it was only after years of study and practice that Dr. Bunsic was able to truly understand how inaccurate these ranges can be, and based on her experience with numerous patients, developed a process to balance patient symptoms, timing of medication and blood hormone levels to keep hormone levels optimal in each individual patient.
These hormone medicines taken by mouth, such as the birth control pill, especially when taken by women over 35 for prolonged periods can begin to cause other problems. Also, many clinics claim to be centers for BHRT and utilize hormone pellets placed under the skin. Although claims are made that these are slowly absorbed into the skin, Dr. Bunsic has seen laboratory proof in several patients leaving these clinics, that hormone levels initially reach too high of levels in the body for optimal function. You deserve to talk to someone with expertise in all realms of hormone management to find the best solution for you.
Cycling Women
Women’s hormones have been mistreated and misunderstood by many medical societies for decades. Let’s face it, women are more complex than men. There are hormonal cycles that when they are off cause horrible symptoms. Painful periods, ovarian cysts, moodiness, cramping, acne can make life miserable.
The traditional medical establishment puts any woman who complains of any female hormonal symptoms on hormonal suppression: birth control pills, patches, implants, injections or rings. Whereas these medications have their place, many women could achieve healthy hormonal balance through hormone restoration.
Sadly, many women when coming off of these “suppressive” hormone therapies find they have difficulty conceiving. Other times, they begin to develop other hormonal issues such as adrenal fatigue or thyroid disorders due to the chronic lack of important female hormones in their system.
Healthy cycles the way God intended is not unobtainable. It just takes advanced understanding of and patience to work with the unique female system.
The traditional medical establishment puts any woman who complains of any female hormonal symptoms on hormonal suppression: birth control pills, patches, implants, injections or rings. Whereas these medications have their place, many women could achieve healthy hormonal balance through hormone restoration.
Sadly, many women when coming off of these “suppressive” hormone therapies find they have difficulty conceiving. Other times, they begin to develop other hormonal issues such as adrenal fatigue or thyroid disorders due to the chronic lack of important female hormones in their system.
Healthy cycles the way God intended is not unobtainable. It just takes advanced understanding of and patience to work with the unique female system.
Functional Medicine Approach
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Do any of these scenarios relate to your experience?
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Your Endocrine System is amazing. It is so beautifully complex and interrelated. Sadly, oftentimes physicians oversimplify hormone problems, thinking that there is just one simple solution. Sometimes there is, great. Oftentimes, problems in the system are silently lurking, creating a ripple effect in your body’s hormonal network that seems to be incompletely understood by most medical practitioners.
We utilize our unique skill sets to look at your symptoms, your physical exam, and your laboratory studies together to determine all the factors that are effecting your health. You are not crazy, and if you don’t feel well, it’s not just because you are getting older.
Actually, what is happening is that there is a dysfunction that has occurred in your body’s system due to factors such as stress, poor diet, environmental poisons and genetic predispositions. Your body is trying it’s hardest to do the best it can in face of whatever dysfunctions you have. But it needs help!
It needs our expertise to uncover the hidden places where things are out of balance and to put you on a plan of restoration. Your hormones are your life force; they are what make you thrive. Even small disruptions over time can lead to feeling sluggish, poor memory and less enjoyment in life to say the least.
We look at the whole hormonal picture. Not just your thyroid or your sex hormones, but your entire endocrine system: female and male hormones, adrenal hormones, thyroid system and pancreatic hormones. We work meticulously to balance your system the way only an integrative practitioner can. You see, an OB/GYN specialist understands the common hormones of the female system, an Endocrinologist understands hormone disorders, but both are oftentimes prone to putting patients in specific categories and missing “ripple effects” in the system. In our practice, we look at the “whole you”. We are looking to achieve balance in your system that is so seam-less that we conceptualize what we do as more “rebalancing “ and “restoring” , rather than “medicine”.
The knowledge of the appropriate, customized use of hormones is not widespread.That is why we began our journey of education and advanced hormonal protocol development seven years ago in East Tennessee. We had desperate patients in need of a caring physician who could guide them through the murky waters of hormone replacement.
Over these years, Dr. Bunsic and Ashley Greene, PA have undergone extensive training in BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) and Functional Medicine approaches. We use the best scientific knowledge available and combine it with a truly integrative approach that is safe, effective and truly comprehensive.
We utilize herbal supplements, natural compounds, plant-based hormone creams (transdermal compounded creams), dietary interventions, exercise regimens, osteopathic treatments (OMT), appropriate prescription medications and other modalities to restore your hormonal health so you can feel energetic, happy and balanced again.
Don’t just trust your health to anyone with initials behind his/her name. Trust only practitioners that are truly dedicated to gathering good information, processing that information intelligently, and applying solutions to your particular case in a caring, logical and step-wise manner.
We are here to help, even if you have failed other therapies in the past. Don’t give up! Don’t just survive…THRIVE!
We utilize our unique skill sets to look at your symptoms, your physical exam, and your laboratory studies together to determine all the factors that are effecting your health. You are not crazy, and if you don’t feel well, it’s not just because you are getting older.
Actually, what is happening is that there is a dysfunction that has occurred in your body’s system due to factors such as stress, poor diet, environmental poisons and genetic predispositions. Your body is trying it’s hardest to do the best it can in face of whatever dysfunctions you have. But it needs help!
It needs our expertise to uncover the hidden places where things are out of balance and to put you on a plan of restoration. Your hormones are your life force; they are what make you thrive. Even small disruptions over time can lead to feeling sluggish, poor memory and less enjoyment in life to say the least.
We look at the whole hormonal picture. Not just your thyroid or your sex hormones, but your entire endocrine system: female and male hormones, adrenal hormones, thyroid system and pancreatic hormones. We work meticulously to balance your system the way only an integrative practitioner can. You see, an OB/GYN specialist understands the common hormones of the female system, an Endocrinologist understands hormone disorders, but both are oftentimes prone to putting patients in specific categories and missing “ripple effects” in the system. In our practice, we look at the “whole you”. We are looking to achieve balance in your system that is so seam-less that we conceptualize what we do as more “rebalancing “ and “restoring” , rather than “medicine”.
The knowledge of the appropriate, customized use of hormones is not widespread.That is why we began our journey of education and advanced hormonal protocol development seven years ago in East Tennessee. We had desperate patients in need of a caring physician who could guide them through the murky waters of hormone replacement.
Over these years, Dr. Bunsic and Ashley Greene, PA have undergone extensive training in BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) and Functional Medicine approaches. We use the best scientific knowledge available and combine it with a truly integrative approach that is safe, effective and truly comprehensive.
We utilize herbal supplements, natural compounds, plant-based hormone creams (transdermal compounded creams), dietary interventions, exercise regimens, osteopathic treatments (OMT), appropriate prescription medications and other modalities to restore your hormonal health so you can feel energetic, happy and balanced again.
Don’t just trust your health to anyone with initials behind his/her name. Trust only practitioners that are truly dedicated to gathering good information, processing that information intelligently, and applying solutions to your particular case in a caring, logical and step-wise manner.
We are here to help, even if you have failed other therapies in the past. Don’t give up! Don’t just survive…THRIVE!
Healthy Gut
Maybe you have heard of probiotics. Maybe you have heard about the things that can slowly or quickly kill the good bacteria in your intestinal tract. Researchers around the world are curiously studying the microscopic dwellers of our bodies. We now understand that certain types of bacteria help us to digest our food, absorb vitamins and nutrients, process out chemicals and toxins, protect the lining of our intestines, and create a natural barrier against invaders like harmful bacteria and viruses.
Having a healthy gastrointestinal system is something that people take for granted. Sadly for those individuals who suffer from ongoing constipation, bouts of diarrhea, effects of nutrient malabsorption, intestinal infections or functional problems, the gastrointestinal tract is their worst nightmare.
We look at the natural balance of hormones, enzymes, beneficial bacteria and yeast, pH, food imbalances and genetic predispostions to help restore a health digestive system. We have worked with numerous patients that have been to Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbuilt and other medical education meccas but have found no solutions to their chronic problems.
By looking at the entire system of the individual patient and addressing all imbalances, we have worked together to improve the GI systems’ function and the overall health of the patients.
Having a healthy gastrointestinal system is something that people take for granted. Sadly for those individuals who suffer from ongoing constipation, bouts of diarrhea, effects of nutrient malabsorption, intestinal infections or functional problems, the gastrointestinal tract is their worst nightmare.
We look at the natural balance of hormones, enzymes, beneficial bacteria and yeast, pH, food imbalances and genetic predispostions to help restore a health digestive system. We have worked with numerous patients that have been to Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbuilt and other medical education meccas but have found no solutions to their chronic problems.
By looking at the entire system of the individual patient and addressing all imbalances, we have worked together to improve the GI systems’ function and the overall health of the patients.
Lifestyle Changes
I have heard many individuals that are unhappy, overweight and out of shape say that they don’t need to come into the office to discuss their health because they already know what they have to do. They have simply chosen not to do it.
This mode of thinking can be crippling. Firstly, you know there is a problem. However, you overestimate your depth of knowledge of the problem. Lastly, you doom yourself to failure , because in your expertise you have determined that the solution, for you, is an impossibility.
The truth is, you do know some things about health. That is wonderful, and that knowledge needs to continue to grow so you can start and continue to make the best decisions you can for your body.
We can help you take a truly reflective look at your major health parameters, health history, and create reasonable health goals that we help you stay accountable to. We are here to help you achieve your optimum health.
It often takes the whole picture, exercise, progressive dietary changes, correct supplementation, and strong mental and spiritual health to be the best version of you that you can be. We are glad to help you along this road . Are you ready?
This mode of thinking can be crippling. Firstly, you know there is a problem. However, you overestimate your depth of knowledge of the problem. Lastly, you doom yourself to failure , because in your expertise you have determined that the solution, for you, is an impossibility.
The truth is, you do know some things about health. That is wonderful, and that knowledge needs to continue to grow so you can start and continue to make the best decisions you can for your body.
We can help you take a truly reflective look at your major health parameters, health history, and create reasonable health goals that we help you stay accountable to. We are here to help you achieve your optimum health.
It often takes the whole picture, exercise, progressive dietary changes, correct supplementation, and strong mental and spiritual health to be the best version of you that you can be. We are glad to help you along this road . Are you ready?
Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
We believe the Integrative, Holistic and Osteopathic Philosophy that the human body is a unity. It is wonderous complex and contains elements of physical body, emotional/mind and spirit. We believe that these parts of each person are interacting in countless and profoundly complicated ways. Sometimes problems in one of these areas can lead to problems in others.
Have you ever known anyone who became very depressed and then actually became sick with cancer or heart disease? Have you ever known anyone who became very anxious and paniced and began to question if there was a God looking out for him or her? Or someone who became addicted to medication and then not only became depressed but physically weak as well?
These are some common scenarios that demonstrate the interaction of mind, body and spirit. We look at all aspects of the patient to see what needs to be addressed and help tailor treatments to all arenas of the individual to create healing and restoration.
Have you ever known anyone who became very depressed and then actually became sick with cancer or heart disease? Have you ever known anyone who became very anxious and paniced and began to question if there was a God looking out for him or her? Or someone who became addicted to medication and then not only became depressed but physically weak as well?
These are some common scenarios that demonstrate the interaction of mind, body and spirit. We look at all aspects of the patient to see what needs to be addressed and help tailor treatments to all arenas of the individual to create healing and restoration.