Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Alik Minikhanov, AP, DOM
April of 2023 felt like a fresh start as I had just graduated from Pacific College of Health and Science with a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine degree.
Revamping myself and my passion while ushering a broader vision to my practice at I Am Designed to Heal felt refreshing.
I want to share how this will benefit my patients as I continue to study and expand my knowledge.
Integration brings greater benefits to patients.
I specialize in various areas, from chronic pain and surgical recovery to neurological disorders and Alzheimer’s care. In an effort to help patients discover an improved quality of life, I strive to work in tandem with Western medicine because current studies show that integrative therapeutics may offer complementary options to patients interested in such modalities.1
Another study highlighting the benefits of complementary and integrative medicine states that “although advances have been made in treatments for chronic pain, it remains inadequately controlled for many people. CIM [complementary and integrative medicine] offers a multimodality treatment approach that can tackle the multidimensional nature of pain with fewer or no serious adverse effects.”2
The best way for me to integrate Eastern and Western medicines in a professional and ethical way was to obtain a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine degree in addition to my recognized Diplomate of Acupuncture by NCCAOM.
Standards in this field matter
You wouldn’t see just any oncologist for breast cancer. Why would you see just anybody who says they offer complementary medicine?
Short answer: you shouldn’t!
Standards are necessary when it comes to practicing medicine; they’re there to protect both parties.
I am a National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine [NCCAOM] Board-Certified Acupuncturist and a Florida State Medical Association [FSOMA] member because I believe in the quality of care I provide.
These organizations are a boon to my field as they uphold professionals like myself to highly qualified and ethical standards.
With my previous education and accreditations at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, the American Institute of Alternative Medicine, and the LesGaft National State University of Physical Education in Russia, I can bring validity to my practice and integrate holistic options for patients into established Western healthcare through research-based and FDA-approved therapies.
Combining my previous education with the new allows my practice to enhance our services and options for my patients.
Expanded services enhance your experience.
I enjoy my field, and obtaining this new degree has given me greater freedom to meet patients in more ways that benefit them.
This degree also expands my services to include hospital rights in the state of Florida as well as the ability to perform Primary Care physician duties based on my scope of practice.
No longer are you confined to limited options to schedule in-office visits only. I can meet you or your loved one in or outside the clinic, in a hospital, assisted living, nursing home, and hospice facilities!
I want to bring new choices and solutions for all of my patients that are backed by scientific research as well as traditional approaches. I also want to work hand in hand to help a patient experience the best of both western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine by offering collaborative medical testing, medical history review, and even inter-disciplinary consultations with a patient’s established medical team.
Experience something different, something better.
I am excited to bring a level of care that integrates into Western medicine while maintaining holistic roots and benefits that will improve a patient’s recovery.
From my days in the Russian hospital system as a physical therapist to providing massage therapy in a five-star resort setting, I have learned that people with severe and chronic conditions often have little recourse and, as a result, seek out alternative therapies to complement their Western medicine.
My passion is to help people live the best they can with minimal impacts from their condition(s).
Finally, complementary and integrative medicines, like acupuncture, have been given a platform in the Western medical community to work harmoniously to provide pain relief options, other than opioids, to patients!
A chance to work together to provide health benefits to those suffering from Alzheimer’s, recovering from surgeries, or those suffering from mobility issues!
A chance to create a comprehensive approach to your health!
A chance to provide a better way to live!
Please call us for more information or to schedule an initial appointment at (239) 322-3817.
I AM DESIGNED TO HEAL
239.322.3817
WWW.IAMDESIGNEDTOHEAL.COM
826 Anchor Rode Dr., Naples, FL 34103
References:
1 Wells RE, Baute V, Wahbeh H. Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Neurologic Conditions. Med Clin North Am. 2017 Sep;101(5):881-893. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.04.006. Epub 2017 Jun 23. PMID: 28802469; PMCID: PMC6006390.
2 Chen L, Michalsen A. Management of chronic pain using complementary and integrative medicine. BMJ. 2017 Apr 24;357:j1284. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j1284. PMID: 28438745.
