What We Are:
The Columbia Center for Integrative Medicine (CCIM) is a holistic wellness and medical service with offices in Columbia, MD, Woodland Hills, CA, and Palm Desert, CA. CCIM specializes in reversing, preventing, and treating chronic medical illness in the scope of internal medicine, via customized high quality CCIM programs tailored to the individual needs of patients and clients.What to expect:
Our Vision:
- Reverse illness by resolving the underlying causes
- Improve quality of life by optimizing physiology and psychospiritual health
- Offer the most detailed and thorough healthcare delivery service in the world today
- Create customized plans for each patient
- Resolve the causes of chronic inflammation
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:
- Go to: CCIMHEALTH.COM
- Email: ether@ccimhealth.com
- Call: 1 (888) 250-CCIM (2246)
- Write a letter and mail us at this address: 21900 Burbank Blvd. #300 Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Awards & Certifications:
Dual board certified: Internal Medicine & Integrative Holistic Medicine 2013 “Top Internist and Integrative Medicine Specialist” in Maryland (by the Int’l Assoc of Internists) 2015 “Top 10 Holistic Doctors in Los Angeles” (by the Motion Picture & Television Directory) CCIM integrates the aspects of human experience–spirituality, social connection, emotional well-being, nutrition and physical fitness–into the assessment of each patient. Abundant evidence has shown the importance of these aspects in medical care and in quality of life indices. CCIM integrates, in one unified perspective, an understanding of the mutually interdependent and interconnected organ systems: Cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, neurologic, immunologic and gastrointestinal. Like different components of an orchestra, these systems work together to create the symphony of the human body. CCIM integrates traditional allopathic modalities (pharmaceuticals, invasive therapies) with non-allopathic approaches such as nutritional therapies, acupuncture, energetic approaches (reiki), naturopathy, hormone balancing, prolotherapy, physical fitness, yoga, manual medicine, and ayurveda.Miscellaneous points:
- All services used at CCIM are evidence-based and customized to the needs of the patient.
-
CCIM specializes specifically in translational enteroimmunology and endocrinology, which refers to the immune system dysfunction that occurs as a result of gut microbial dysbiosis. The compensatory mechanisms that occur as a sequelae of this immune system dysfunction lead to hormone imbalances which lead to metabolic problems, symptoms that cause suffering (fatigue, headaches, rashes, insomnia, atherosclerosis, joint problems, etc), and serious illness (cancer, organ failure, serious infection).
- We focus on conditions within the scope of internal medicine which may present with pain, fatigue, insomnia, poor quality of life, appetite problems, reflux, gastrointestinal problems, joint pains, rashes, metabolic problems, hormone imbalances, mental disorders and more.
- We have specialized programs for people with the following conditions: Diabetes, obesity, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, chronic liver disease, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, estrogen excess, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary disease, chronic myofascial, ligamentous, and muscular joint pain, low back pain, gut dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, hormone imbalances, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, chronic lyme disease and autoimmune conditions.
- We offer comprehensive, cutting-edge diagnostic testing aimed at articulating the underlying physiology and biochemistry imbalances that are the fundamental causes of symptoms. Testing may include: blood, saliva, stool, urine test, biopsies or imaging.
- Treatments are customized to the particular situation and include: bioidentical hormones, herbal formulations, nutriceutical formulations, physical therapy, yoga therapy, acupuncture, prolotherapy (regenerative injection technique), reiki, integrative alchemy, counseling, exercise therapy, functional massage therapy, ayurveda, meditation, pranayama, weight loss programs, meal planning, micronutrient replacement therapies, cooking classes, nutritional consultations, customized gastrointestinal detoxification, pharmaceutical medication if needed and psychospiritual methods.
- Testimonials abound of the efficacy of this novel approach to the practice of medicine. Every patient receives a thorough evaluation aimed at addressing their chief complaint and each person is seen by our Wellness Coordinator.
- CCIM offers the world’s most progressive, proactive healthcare delivery system, focusing on your healing, each day, every day.
- MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:
- Go to: CCIMHEALTH.COM
- Email: ether@ccimhealth.com
- Call: 1 (888) 250-CCIM (2246)
- Write a letter and mail us at this address: 21900 Burbank Blvd. #300 Woodland Hills, CA 91367
History:
The Columbia Center for Integrative Medicine (CCIM) started in 2012 in Elkridge, MD as a collaboration between Dr DV, Dushyant Viswanathan, MD, ABIM, ABOIM, our integrative internist and Medical Director, and Columbia Physical Therapy, a multi-modality physical therapy service. Initially the patients we served were those in chronic pain or who were status post recent injury or surgery. We inherited a patient cohort from a pain management practice in Havre De Grace, MD, that had closed down. We offered a multi-modality approach for chronic pain, including acupuncture, physical therapy, Yoga Therapy, Prolotherapy, and a formal weight loss program. CCIM distinguished itself as a place where chronic pain could be resolved as doses of opiate medication de-escalated. By early 2013, as a result of Dr DV’s extensive training and credentialing in integrative endocrinology, as well as multiple published writings on the topic of Women’s Health and Hormone Balancing, patients from all over Maryland were coming to CCIM for our nationally renowned Hormone Balancing Program featuring a comprehensive endocrine diagnostic workup followed by customized compounded bioidentical hormone therapies. Also internal medicine patients who were admitted at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Kernan Rehab Center, and Northwest Hospital of Baltimore were referred to CCIM for integrative internal medicine strategies to improve health. CCIM was able to work very well with primary care doctors and specialists of all kinds. Since 2013 CCIM has expanded to become a nationwide center for excellence in integrative internal medicine. This was acknowledged in 2013 when we were given the distinction of “Top Integrative Internal Medicine specialist” in Maryland. Dr DV published writings in Be Well and Your Health magazine, became a certified Nutrametrix Health Care Practitioner making use of customized micronutrient therapies, and underwent more extensive training in Prolotherapy with the American Association for Orthopedic Medicine. Due to Dr DV’s capacity to work as a hospital-medicine specialist as well as integrative medicine specialist, hospitalized internal medicine patients who visited CCIM for “Post-discharge clinic” underwent comprehensive integrative protocols to improve physiology, lifestyle, lose weight and reverse the pathophysiology underlying chronic illness. This led to improved quality of life, less re-hospitalizations, less polypharmacy, and improved outcomes. In July 2014, CCIM opened in Los Angeles, CA, and most of the initial patients were associated with the Motion Picture & Television Industry. In addition to outpatient work, Dr DV rounded on inpatients as faculty internal medicine attending physician at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, CA, and performed high quality house calls as Medical Director of Guardian Angels Home Health Care in Palm Desert, CA. Due to the abundance of patients now around the country, CCIM started the CCIM Membership program, a telemedicine service which makes use of real-time communication using HIPPA-compliant modalities, in order to offer unfettered, unrestricted access to CCIM staff, thereby facilitating rapid troubleshooting of clinical issues. As a result of our high quality care in service of the Southern California community, CCIM was ranked among the “Top 10 Holistic Doctors” in Los Angeles in 2015 by the Motion Picture & Television Directory. In November 2015, Dr DV joined the faculty of the Age Management Medicine Group, and presented CCIM methods and case reports at the Age Management Medicine Group Conference in Las Vegas, NV, on the topic of “Longevity & Optimization of Health.” CCIM offers high quality integrative internal medicine office-based clinical encounters, which can be as long as 3-5 hours, depending on the complexity of the case. Each patient receives the following on the initial encounter:- Comprehensive history from childhood on including chronological review of systems
- Comprehensive physical examination
- Structural Alignment Assessment
- Nutritional Assessment
- Psycho Spiritual & Emotional Assessment
- Information about lifestyle-based solutions to improve well-being
- Comprehensive diagnostic workup featuring blood, saliva, stool, urine, and hair testing
- Establishment of a complete medical support system
- Access to high quality naturopathic therapeutic solutions
- Wellness evaluation
Current CCIM Affiliations include:
- Health & Human Performance (chiropractic, acupuncture, corrective exercise therapy), Woodland Hills, CA
- Valley Presbyterian Hospital (inpatient care) Van Nuys, CA
- Guardian Angels Home Healthcare (home health / house call service), Palm Desert, CA
- Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA
CCIM Diagnostic Strategies (covered by Medicare 100%; PPO coverage is about 70%):
Functional Gastrointestinal Testing [2] which is the test of choice to evaluate causes of IBS, unexplained bloating, constipation, and pain, diarrhea, rashes (dermatologic manifestation of gastrointestinal illness). Functional Immunologic Testing, with focus on immunoglobulin levels, inflammatory cytokine levels, and autoantibody levels. Comprehensive Hormone Testing. Salivary Hormone Testing [3] which provides tissue levels of steroid hormones melatonin, cortisol, estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA. Blood testing provides valuable information re thyroid function, autoimmune serology, coronary inflammation, iron levels, Vitamin D levels, blood sugars (HbA1C), and is mostly covered by insurances. Brain Chemistry Testing [4] which is a urinary neurotransmitter metabolite test (involving the second urine of the day) to assess functional levels of serotonin, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, glutamate. This test is useful for patients with dementia, anxiety, agitation, POTS / dysautonomia, any psychiatric illness, depression, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, and can help customize medication regimen to each patient. Micronutrient Testing, which is a urinary metabolite test to assess functional levels of amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, B vitamins, which can help us resolve deficiencies via customize replacement therapies, leading to improved energy, cellular health, GI health, and physiology.[5] We also use hair testing to assess levels of heavy metals and micronutrients not assessed by the urine test. [1] http://www.bravewell.org/content/pdf/IntegrativeMedicine2.pdf [2] https://www.dropbox.com/s/ovvqc08l6nc3h5g/sample%20GI%20test%20report.pdf?dl=0 [3] http://www.natural-progesterone-advisory-network.com/PDFs/salivary_hormone_paper.pdf [4] https://www.dropbox.com/s/ou99ec680dgt8xf/NeurotransmitterImbalancesAndMoodDisorders.pdf?dl=0 [5] Postgrad Med J. 2006 Sep; 82(971): 559–567. Other useful tests we use include blood testing for chronic Lyme syndrome, diagnostic ultrasound, and ALCAT for food/chemical/mold hypersensitivity.CCIM Therapeutic Strategies:
Therapeutic Strategies are customized to each patient based on clinical assessment, test results, and goals; the purpose of the therapies are to achieve clinical goals, not to simply administer therapies. With this reasoning in mind, each therapy is not a permanent addition to the medical regimen, but is customized to the evolving and changing needs of each individual patient.Therapies include:
- Hormonal Therapies (thyroid, cortisol, progesterone, growth hormone, testosterone, estrogens, oxytocin, ghrelin)
- Comprehensive Customized Nutritional Meal Planning featuring functional foods
- Isotonic Micronutrient Therapies (highly bioavailable formula to deliver micronutrients into the bloodstream of patients with measured deficiencies and for particular clinical goals- i.e. branch chain amino acids to treat sarcopenia)
- Intravenous & Intramuscular micronutrient therapies
- Customized compounded medical therapies. Our compounding pharmacist can create customized regimens including using doses that aren’t commercially available, again, to optimize customization to each patient
- Clinical Yogatherapy (YT). Yoga is a therapy which has been shown to significantly lessen chronic pain[1] and reduce carotid intimal medial thickness[2] and in our experience, works well with PT, standard rehab services. We have a nationally-recognized Clinical Yogatherapy program featuring customized regimens for particular medical issues. This program includes YogaSCULPT, Sadhana, Meditation, Mudra, and Structural Alignment based YT
- GI Detox and Restoration of normal physiology, depending on the results of the stool testing, aiming to bring the gastrointestinal physiology back to normal function (and thereby resolve symptoms). Therapies include natural medicines with established GI benefit such as aloe[3], zinc carnosine[4], probiotics, and fiber[5]
- Phytonutrient Anti-inflammatories (proanthocyanidin therapy) which can help lower inflammation, therefore useful for painful arthritis, chronic pain syndromes, recovery after stroke.[6] Other phytonutrients we use include Astaxanthin, berberine, curcumin
- Integrative Alchemy (IA) with emphasis on development of self-care protocols
- Essential oil therapies useful for anti-microbial, anti-neoplastic, mood-regulation, hormone balancing, and brain chemistry balancing.
- Amino Acid therapies such as glycerophosphocholine[1] (improves memory scores in Alzheimers), tyrosine[2] (which repletes depleted catecholamine levels), and arginine.[3]
- Prolotherapy or PRP to repair degenerated joints, ligaments, and entheses.[4]
- PRP and microneedling to improve skin health, resolve scars, wrinkles, keloids
- Immune Reconstitution Therapies such as stem cell infusion, IVIG, SQIG, Fulvic Acid, Liver support herbal formulas, optimization of sleep/wake and cortisol/melatonin levels, hormone balancing, GI detox & restoration, and integrative alchemy strategies for this purpose
- Oral Chelation therapy (useful for diabetes[5], atherosclerosis, mercury / heavy metal toxicity, chronic lyme syndrome) featuring EDTA and fulvic acid
- Practitioner-dependent therapies also are offered, such as Yogatherapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Corrective Exercise Therapy, in conjunction with our networked practitioners.