Prior to becoming involved in the alternative medical field, I was an emergency room doctor for two decades – and before that I spent seven years as a pharmacist.

As an ER physician, I saw people with all kinds of hardships … people who had been shot, stabbed, had heart attacks or strokes, been in car accidents … you name it, I’ve probably seen it. If you are in an urgent or life-threatening position, then the emergency room certainly is the place to go.

However, if you are not in a life-or-death situation, exposure to alternative medicine is often a real eye-opening experience to my patients. It’s different in many ways, but here is the fundamental root reason why: The “regular” doctor is trained to prescribe drugs for almost everything, which in effect often only treats the symptoms rather than the actual root of the problem. The alternative medicine physician goes into greater detail and, wherever possible, finds other ways to effectively treat the cause of the issue.

Both my parents are classic examples. When my father complained of digestive problems, his doctor told him to take both over-the-counter and prescription-strength antacids. Just before he was finally correctly diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, he was given a very strong acid blocker, which only made the situation worse. In the case of my mother, a well-known neurologist diagnosed her with ALS and told her she had less than a year to live. Fortunately, I’d already begun my Alternative Medicine practice, so I knew the value of what it could do. I took her to an alternative neurologist in Naples, FL, who correctly discovered she had a magnesium deficiency. With the use of magnesium supplements and other treatments, my mother went on to live another five years – despite a lot of damage already being done (because a great deal of time passed before she was being treated correctly).

Perhaps now you can better understand why I am so passionate about what I do, and as I said in my last blog, why I take such great care with every patient I see.

My patients, as well as others who have been in my office, often comment on how I take the time to personally greet them in the waiting room. There are several reasons I do this.

First and foremost, I truly care about the health and wellness of every patient I see – but it goes well beyond that. I understand that every aspect of a person’s life plays a part in their health. As humans, we are more than just physical beings; we’re emotional and spiritual beings, too. That’s part of the reason why I spend so much time with everyone. I ask questions and listen carefully to the answers, because finding out what’s happening in a person’s life assists me in determining the best way to help someone.

Here is what I mean: Let’s say I find out while speaking with a female patient that her life is more stressful than usual. Knowing this information about her is invaluable to me. That’s because, during times of extreme stress, it’s vital that women keep their immune systems at peak efficiency. If this is not done, it is a time when cancer could begin to get a foothold on the patient’s body because the immune system has been weakened by so much stress. Example: You would be amazed at the number of women who get breast cancer just 2-3 years after a divorce.

That’s why it’s of utmost importance for you to be open and honest about what’s happening with you during your office visits. My goal is to help you be the best you can be and, working together, we can achieve this.

Thanks for visiting my first-ever blog! I’ll be writing these on a regular basis going forward, so please check back frequently.

Most of you know that my title is Linda G. King, D.O., but I’d like to explain more about what that means. D.O. stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. This benefits you because I have specialized training that goes well beyond the spectrum of what “regular physicians” study.

Osteopathic Medicine places an extra emphasis on the entire body as a whole, so we have a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between the structure of a person’s body with their overall health. We also use manipulation to treat a variety of conditions, something not often done in the office of an M.D.

I look forward to telling you more about myself and my practice, as well as giving you details of the products and services we offer in future blogs.

Have a great day!