Cannabis sativa is a potent herbal medicine, with numerous potentially beneficial applications in clinical care. Yet, with increasing medical and recreational access to Cannabis, some concerns are increasing related to its cardiovascular health effects. Increasing epidemiologic evidence suggests Cannabis use is associated with arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and premature cardiovascular mortality. Yes, recent evidence suggests some of the risk may be overstated. This presentation will summarize the state of new science from 2023 to the end of 2024 related to the cardiovascular health effects of Cannabis, including potential mechanisms directly related to cannabinoid receptor function, and route type of administration.

Addressing chronic pain presents many challenges and we are all too familiar with situations where our tools to address pain just don’t work. Perhaps this is driven in part because we are working in an outdated model of pain: neuropathic versus nociceptive versus inflammatory. This series of talks seeks to educate integrative providers about the new neuroscience of pain. A new perspective will be explored through a dynamic interchange between two pain centered providers who approach neuroplastic pain from different vantage points. The mutual goal is to create biological and nervous system safety in patients that feel the opposite in their bodies.

The presentation “The Neurological Consequences of Screen Addiction: Unveiling a Hidden Impact on Pediatric Development” explores the intricate relationship between excessive screen time and its impact on the neurological development of children. It sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of screen addiction, delving into the ways in which prolonged exposure to screens can affect the developing brains of young individuals. Through a comprehensive analysis of scientific research and case studies, the presentation elucidates the neurological mechanisms underlying screen addiction and its detrimental effects on pediatric development. It highlights how excessive screen time can disrupt neural pathways, impair cognitive functions, and hinder emotional regulation in children. Moreover, the presentation addresses the hidden nature of these neurological consequences, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and implementing preventive measures. It underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach involving parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to mitigate the impact of screen addiction on pediatric neurological development. By uncovering the hidden neurological consequences of screen addiction, this presentation aims to empower stakeholders with knowledge and strategies to promote healthy screen habits and optimize the neurological well-being of children.

Want to supercharge your DEI initiatives in healthcare? Join Dr. DeJarra K. Sims, ND, for a high-energy, hands-on session where you’ll learn game-changing strategies to foster empathy, improve communication, and build inclusive teams. Through dynamic, interactive exercises, you’ll break down barriers and create a culture of collaboration. This isn’t your typical training—get ready for an experience that will transform how you approach DEI in your practice.

Most patients that come in for mood disorders are already on some kind of mood altering drug. While sometimes drugs can be helpful, in many cases, these drugs make it more difficult to heal the underlying issues. Dr. Peter will take you through a few cases and illustrate how to approach patients on antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs and how to get them off these medications.

Complex Chronic Disease – what is included in this diagnostic umbrella and how do we identify these patients so they can be treated appropriately. These are the patients who inevitably have multiple layers of dysfunction and multiple causative factors. They have often been ill for a long time and are often only marginally improved by treatments you expect to help. What are the hallmark symptoms of the major contributors to illness, and how can these present in patients. Various infections, toxins, and other contributors to disease can create multilayer symptom pictures – what patterns can we see. A constellation approach to diagnosis – the details are important, but not as important as how they are interrelated in the big picture. How do we conceptualize this, a shift in diagnostic perspective is essential for these patients. Creating treatment strategies by identifying intersecting pathophysiology and repairing damaged systems – treating the cause is important, but not more so than repairing the broken systems that allowed the illness to occur in the first place. We will discuss some strategies for creating treatment plans to support these patients; there is no algorithm, but we can hold a big picture for treatment and refine for each individual patient.

There are several different applications for glutathione. Which is the best current delivery method and ways we can support bodies production of glutathione.

“Microbiome Restoration” feels like THE current pop wellness topic on the internet, with patients clamoring for the “right” approaches and no shortage of available products marketed for the purpose. The necessity for tools to restore gut-based microbial communities is obvious; nearly all major disease processes, from autoimmunity to cardiometabolic disease to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have been associated with various forms of dysbiosis. And persistent and recurrent dysbiosis can keep many of our GI patients stuck on what feels like a never-ending merry-go-round of treatments. Understanding how to rebalance the health of our gut microbial ecosystem is essential! But just how much do we actually know about HOW to do this? What role do pre-, pro-, and post-biotics play in attempts at microbiome restoration and how effective are they, really? This presentation will explore the currently available research on commonly utilized microbiome restoration techniques in clinical practice, discuss tips for developing patient-oriented and evidence-informed treatment protocols, and highlight key gaps in our current knowledge around how to achieve the very important and very lofty goal of “Microbiome Restoration”.

We will take a dive into what is currently known and unknown about the benefits and risks of several extremely restrictive food plans that are trending today. Discussion will include brief summaries of the current research and observations from my medical practice on veganism, the ketogenic diet, and the ‘carnivore’ diet. If time allows, insight into the psychological drivers of extreme dieting behavior will also be discussed. Included will be a summary of the progress of ‘The Carnivore Diet Nutritional Assay Project’, an in-house clinical research project currently underway at Mountain Apple Medicine and Apple A Day Primary Care. Our clinics are conducting a study on the functional nutritional adequacy of the carnivore diet as compared to a Mediterranean omnivorous diet. We are enrolling participants following a ‘carnivore’ diet for at least 3 months with age and gender matched Mediterranean diet controls. The study involves a pre and post diet health assessment questionnaire, physical exam, and basic lab work and a post diet RBC Cellular Micronutrient Assay on 5-10 carnivore diet patients and controls.

Since the western discovery of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, scientists have attempted to understand their mechanism of action and safety. In addition, they have used this information to discover appropriate indications. In this talk we’ll review the safety, and the fascinating mechanism of action of psilocybin. We’ll also review current research and indications, as well as research gaps and reasons for these gaps.

Microplastic has been detected in everything from testicular tissue, coronary atheromas, and neonatal blood samples, to coastal sea breezes. But what are the known health implications of ubiquitous exposure to microplastics? This presentation will review recent observation and experimental evidence regarding the human health risks of microplastic exposure, with an emphasis on reproductive and cardiometabolic risks. The presentation will conclude with strategies to reduce or eliminate plastic exposure, including common household sources as well as filtration or binding strategies.

This lecture will have a focus on anorectal and prostate cancers, with a discussion on the standard-of-care approach and the challenges experienced by patients and clinicians with SOC alone and proposed integrative management/treatment solutions. The application of novel treatment strategies will be discussed, including PDT and local-regional hyperthermia, in tandem with other complementary therapies to improve the rate of complete response, avoid the need for surgery and prevent recurrence. Dr. Gurm will present the clinical data supporting complementary therapies, along with several case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel integrative approach.

Do a deep dive with integrative care specialists, Dr. Williams and Dr. Hayes, on proactive and collaborative endometriosis management. This chronic condition is like a chimera with multiple ways it can hide behind the guise of other conditions, including SIBO/IBS, pelvic floor dysfunction, interstitial cystitis, and unexplained infertility. Not only do these conditions mask endometriosis and complicate the internal landscape of this condition, but they also need to be managed in their own right. Lost in years of confusion and struggle, patients often wait 8 years, on average, before receiving a formal diagnosis. Unfortunately for many, even once diagnosed, they can continue to struggle. Find out how to collaboratively manage these patients for their wellness throughout their entire menstruating years. Learn when to recommend surgery if needed and how to avoid it when possible. Understand the benefits of combining western and natural medicines together to manage endometriosis and all its concomitant conditions. Learn numerous treatment techniques and tips for diagnosis, symptom management and long-term disease stability, to improve patients’ fertility, minimize pain, optimize GI wellness, and maintain pelvic anatomy. Numerous clinical pearls will be shared through chronic case management examples.