Rational Prescribing Article Series

Article 1: Rational prescribing – Melatonin for better sleep and brain wellness

If you suffer from insomnia, and are looking for a safe natural remedy, you should consider melatonin. It has been well-studied in clinical trials in many conditions, and its low cost and demonstrated safety make melatonin a sensible therapy to try out and see if it helps your symptoms. This is called rational prescribing, and you can do it on your own, or with your doctor or wellness provider.

Article 2: Rational prescribing – Magnesium for managing pain and cramps

If you suffer from pain in your muscles, joints or other tissues, or if you experience cramps, twitching, tremors or muscle spasms, you should consider magnesium.

While clinical trials have not yet confirmed its effectiveness, its low cost and low risk make magnesium a sensible therapy to try and see if it helps your symptoms. This is called rational prescribing, and you can do it on your own, or with your doctor or wellness provider.

Article 3: 5-HTP for Depression – A rational prescribing approach

Depression has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. It affects more than 10% of the world’s population, and prescription drug treatment is inadequate in more than half of cases. While the stress of the pandemic has made mental illness a higher priority than ever, many people still struggle with the stigma attached to these disorders. That is unfortunate, because there are many other treatment options that address the brain, mind and body. The specialized fields of neurology and psychiatry are still worlds apart, making an integrative perspective of brain health more important than ever.

Article 4: Does Acupuncture Work? Rational Prescribing Meets Evidence-Based Medicine

As a medical doctor who treats chronic pain, I do a lot of acupuncture. If you are a doctor, a researcher or a layperson guided by science, your first question might be “what is the evidence for that?” While this may seem like a valid question, it is a bit misguided, and the answer is not as important as you might think. To find out whether acupuncture or any other therapy might help you, a rational prescribing approach makes more sense.

Article 5: Ozone Therapy – A Rational Prescribing Approach

Ozone therapy is not very well-known, but it should be. Ozone generators are simple devices that can turn oxygen into ozone, which can be used in many different ways to promote tissue healing and repair. Published studies support its potential role in treating painful disorders of the joints, tendons and ligaments, in addition to wounds, skin disorders and a wide range of other conditions. If you are considering this therapy, a structured trial is the best way to find out if it is right for you. This is called rational prescribing, an evidence-based approach to integrative medicine.