As an MD and fellowship-trained Integrative Physician, I am often asked about “health conditions” that are not recognized by the medical community and do not qualify as medical diagnoses for a number of reasons: (a) there may be an evolving theory that has not been thoroughly researched, and/or (b) there may be an oversimplified physiologic process or finding that, while having some science, lacks consistent connections to the disease process or outcomes. Some theories, when fully investigated, may in time come to be recognized while others will not – the scientific method is a lengthy process. When approached with these “conditions,” I often find myself “somewhere in between” and I continually pour over new research outcomes in an effort to treat patients who are feeling unwell. While I am sympathetic to those who are frustrated with the pace of medicine and the lack of answers pertaining to their health, we must remember that little truths that are strung together produce interesting headlines, but do not make for sound medical practices. This is the final entry in a three-part series.
Continue reading “Somewhere In Between: Estrogen Dominance”