Blog Archive
Your musculoskeletal system is the tissue that connects your bones and joints to your muscles with tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bursae. This system is connected to all of your 206 bones, and injuries and conditions that affect the soft tissue of that system can lead to pain that can hinder...
Technically, chronic pain is any pain that lasts beyond 12 weeks. It can be the result of surgery, an injury, nerve damage, and serious illness, such as cancer. Over the last several decades, oral pain medications, many of which were addictive, were frequently prescribed to ease many types of persistent...
When you think of estrogen and testosterone, you probably think about their effects on reproductive and sexual health. But that’s just a small part of what these hormones do. When levels of estrogen and testosterone decline, you can experience a wide range of symptoms that affect your health and quality...
This fall and winter, everyone is working to stay in tip-top shape and improve their overall wellness. With COVID-19 still in the mix this cold and flu season, it’s more important than ever to stay healthy so you can remain infection-free. While getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet,...
Everything you eat affects your gut, so if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it’s in your best interest to manage your diet. That’s easier said than done. Fortunately, Dr. Jake Schmutz at Integrative Medica has extensive experience treating IBS with medical nutrition therapy. As a naturopathic physician, he specializes...
The cosmetic world is always on the lookout for techniques that can crack aging, turning to advanced technologies with increasingly greater success. But one of the most powerful tools has been under our noses the whole time (or rather under our skin) — blood platelets. Our team at Integrative Medica...
The thyroid gland plays a vital role in producing hormones that regulate metabolism, among other things. Located at the base of your neck, this endocrine gland releases two main hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are essential for the proper functioning of all cells in your body. However, when...
Living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is like being a detective in your own health mystery. When it’s calm, everything seems fine. You might even forget it’s there until your belly tightens like a vise, your bowels go rogue, and you suddenly need instant relief — and a bathroom. Naturopathic...
Stress, anxiety, and depression are common mental health issues that people struggle with every day. For some people, the side effects of these issues can take over their lives and leave them feeling hopeless and helpless. The good news is you can gain control over these issues through neurofeedback training....
Some hair on your brush is normal; on average, you lose 50-100 hairs per day. But if your hair looks thinner than usual and doesn’t seem to bounce back, you could be experiencing hair loss. Hair loss is worth investigating, not just for cosmetic reasons. It could result from an...
Sleep isn’t a luxury. Quality sleep is necessary for your body and mind to function optimally. Without enough sleep, your brain, immune system, metabolism, and mood may suffer. As your sleep debt grows, you may feel like you’re running on fumes. But being constantly tired δΈ€ even if you’re in...
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is nothing new — it’s been around since the 1960s. It’s helped many aging women and men experiencing a natural decline in hormones, but some studies showed that the risks might outweigh the benefits. Scientists met the challenge and found a better way to replace lost...
Physical balance is something that can be easily taken for granted, but it is crucial to how we move and how we perceive the world around us. Our balance is our method of maintaining postural control and stability as well as our equilibrium, all of which helps to keep the...
Ozone therapy is an alternative treatment that boosts the amount of oxygen cells use. Ozone is a specific type of oxygen with a third atom that the body can use in several ways to fight infections, lower inflammation, and slow down aging. At Integrative Medica, in Salt Lake City, our...
The peak of cold and flu season will be here before you know it. Is your immune system ready? To get your immune system in peak condition, you want to be providing your body with plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other similar substances that it needs to fight off illnesses...
It can be easy to be worried about whether or not you’re at a healthy weight these days since nearly 75% of American adults weigh more than is healthy, not to mention two-fifths of these adults struggle with obesity. Because so many people weigh in above normal, it can be hard to...
Roughly 5% of the American population over the age of 12 deals with hypothyroidism, which means their thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. That means that in a room of 20 individuals, one person likely lives with this condition. The thyroid is a small gland in your neck, but it plays a...
When summer rolls around, it brings with it the opportunity for doing a plethora of enjoyable outdoor activities, including hiking on wooded trails. With more time spent outside comes a higher risk of getting all sorts of insect bites, including tick bites. Ticks are most active from late spring to...
Can’t remember why you entered a room or where you put your keys? Before you jump to conclusions and think you’re developing dementia, you should know your brain changes with age. As the size and structure of the brain change over time, we experience a decline in how well it...
The gas, bloating, and abdominal pain, along with diarrhea or constipation (or both), that comes with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can make life very difficult. Finding a treatment that helps you get relief from your symptoms is a top priority. At Integrative Medica, our naturopathic physicians, Dr. Jake Schmutz and Dr. Joshua Hersh, take an individualized...
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. You get Lyme disease when a tick infected with the bacteria bites you. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they receive about 30,000 reports of Lyme disease cases every year from state health departments....
Any time you feel that you can positively impact your health through fairly simple actions and lifestyle adjustments, it helps you feel more in control. Dr. Jake Schmutz and Dr. Joshua Hersh at Integrative Medica encourage their patients to follow the tips presented here to better manage brain health, including...
You wake up first thing in the morning, and you can already tell that today will be another long day of feeling tired, even though you should have gotten enough sleep the night before. Or, maybe fatigue doesn’t hit you until later in the day, but once it does, your...
Insomnia isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a sleep disorder that can wreak havoc on your physical and mental health. Your body needs ample sleep to repair itself. Without the right amount of sleep, you’re more likely to struggle with mood disorders, irritability, decreased immune system, fatigue, and chronic health problems, such as kidney...
For many people, back pain starts early in life. While you might be fortunate enough to find lasting relief somewhat quickly, chronic back pain is a prevalent issue that can last for years. In fact, chronic back pain impacts the lives of roughly 8% of all adults in the United States and...
When you have diabetes, you can be at risk for a number of serious complications. One of the most common and significant complications is diabetic ulcers, which can lead to chronic infections and even amputations. If you’re a diabetic prone to chronic diabetic ulcers, integrative medicine specialists Jake Schmutz, NMD, and Joshua...
IBS affects 10-15% of the world’s population, and more than half of those with this gastrointestinal disorder report moderate-to-severe symptoms. While there may be some comfort knowing you’re not alone, you may still feel isolated as you cope with the limitations that IBS can place on your life. Here at Integrative...
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your throat. It secretes hormones that travel to every part of your body. When there’s a problem with your thyroid, you may experience a wide range of often subtle and seemingly unrelated symptoms. At Integrative Medica, Dr. Jake Schmutz...
Lyme disease is carried by black-legged ticks, but it’s the harmful bacteria introduced to your body through tick bites that cause this perplexing condition. Walks through the woods or time spent in tall grass increase your risk of infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium carried by ticks. One of the...
Hormones are chemical messengers that control almost every aspect of your body’s functions. Although you may associate hormones with puberty — when your body ramps up growth hormones and sex hormones — they affect you throughout your life. Whether you’re a woman or man, as you approach your 30s and 40s,...
In her 1929 book, A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf wrote: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” She was certainly onto something. Diet plays a huge role in your physical, mental, and emotional health, thus the adage: “you are what you eat.” ...
In a healthy digestive system, the food you eat is broken down in the gut before it travels through the bloodstream to fuel and nourish your body. A healthy gut contains immune cells and healthy bacteria that fight off infectious bacteria, fungi, and viruses while communicating with the brain to...
You’ve probably had the experience: You mention a problem you’re having to a friend, family member, or neighbor, and they respond with, “Oh you should start taking vitamin D (or B or iron or any other of about a million available vitamins or supplements)! My brother’s friend had the same...
Fiber is an essential part of an overall healthy diet. To start, it supports your gastrointestinal health. But what’s more, as researchers have discovered how much the GI tract actually influences other processes in your body, they’ve realized that fiber has the ability to improve your overall health through its...
Although you may think of hair loss as a primarily male problem, the truth is that both men and women can experience alopecia, the medical name for hair loss. And, hair loss can be problematic, no matter your age, sex, or other characteristics. If you feel uncomfortable because you’re losing...
The idea that your body could fail to recognize itself and mount an attack to destroy its own tissue seems like the plot of a low-budget horror film, but autoimmune diseases are all too real. In fact, they're even fairly common — about 24 million Americans suffer from one of...
As the part of your body responsible for thought, memory, emotion, breathing, hunger, and regulating every process your body uses to live, your brain is vital to your overall well-being. This three pound organ uses 100 billion neurons, connecting to 500 trillion points via your synapses, to process 70,000 thoughts...
If your fingers and toes frequently fall asleep or feel tingly, it could be a sign that your circulation isn’t as good as it could be. Your circulatory system is responsible for delivering oxygen, blood, and nutrients to your entire body. When it’s working properly, you should feel healthy and...
Waking up feeling more exhausted than when you went to bed can certainly affect the rest of your day. And if your fatigue is a chronic problem, you want to know why. At Integrative Medica in Salt Lake City, Utah, our naturopathic physicians — Dr. Jake Schmutz and Dr. Joshua...
Accidents and injuries happen all the time, and they lead to 39.5 million medical office and 24.5 million emergency room visits a year. Whether you’re working around the house or playing sports, injuries such as pulled muscles, strains, sprains, joint pain, and tendonitis are common. Not only that, but the...
If you’re familiar with intravenous (IV) therapy, you probably know it’s used in hospital settings to deliver fluids and medications. However, IV therapy also has benefits outside of the emergency room. Integrative Medica offers IV therapy to help boost the wellness of our patients and keep them out of the...
Are you feeling a little off? Is your energy level plummeting despite getting enough sleep? Are you no longer in the mood? It may be hormonal. Your hormones serve as chemical messengers in your body telling your tissues, organs, and body systems what to do, and any imbalance can send...
Ozone gas is a form of oxygen. Medical ozone has been used for over 100 years to disinfect medical supplies and to treat certain conditions. While ozone in the air is a lung irritant, it can be beneficial when applied as a therapeutic regimen. Research suggests that ozone therapy may...
While it’s normal to experience periods of fatigue due to an acute illness or emotional stress, feeling this way for six months or more can indicate chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue is a condition in which you experience extreme exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep. Symptoms may also include...
Did you know that a routine eye exam can detect signs of Lyme disease? This tick-borne illness, spread by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi starts out as a rash and can lead to a wide variety of symptoms, such as joint pain and fatigue. If left untreated, the infection can spread...
It’s easy to assume that surgery or risky pain relievers are your only option when you have painful ligament and tendon problems. But our team sees things very differently. At Integrative Medica, we take a holistic approach to medical care at our Salt Lake City, Utah, office and other offices....
It’s almost unthinkable that your body could be its own worst enemy, but when you have an autoimmune disease, that’s exactly what happens. There are more than 80 different types of these self-attacking conditions, and millions of Americans suffer from them. While autoimmune diseases have no cure, that doesn’t mean...
If you’re losing your hair and wondering why, you’re not alone. Over 80 million Americans experience hair loss, and the results can have devastating effects on your self-esteem. At Integrative Medica, naturopathic doctors Jacob Schmutz, NMD, Joshua Hersh, NMD, and our entire care team understand how troubling noticeable hair loss...
We want our brains to function well and stay sharp as we age. But did you know that age is only one factor in brain health? The things you do today play a large role in your brain health for years to come. At Integrative Medica in Salt Lake City,...
November is here, and with the colder weather comes the beginning of this year’s cold and flu season. No one wants to get sick, and this year, the COVID-19 global pandemic makes staying healthy even more important. Washing your hands frequently, getting lots of sleep, and eating healthy foods all...
Are you one of the millions of American men and women struggling with imbalanced hormones? For both men and women, fluctuating hormones can disrupt your life well after the turbulent teenage years. Even though most dramatic hormone shifts happen with puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, hormone imbalance can result from a...
Are you one of the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain each year? Everyone experiences pain occasionally. But if you’re struggling with chronic pain from an injury or underlying condition, the pain can last for weeks, months — sometimes years. At Integrative Medica in Salt Lake...
As we age, our skin changes. Time spent in the sun, years of smiling and laughing, and even the foods we eat can affect our appearance. The result? Our age starts to show in the fine lines, deep wrinkles, and droopy skin that appear. At Integrative Medica in Salt Lake...
Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are typically associated with treating decompression sickness, usually as a result of a scuba diving trip gone wrong. But this type of controlled oxygen environment has many other medical uses and benefits. The caring providers at Integrative Medica are dedicated to offering the best in healing therapies...
Did you know that recent advances in medicine have led to improved nonsurgical treatment options for erasing fine lines and wrinkles, reducing the appearance of scars, toning and lifting sagging skin, and working to decrease the appearance of aging? While some of these treatments work as promised when delivered by...
The human body uses hormones to regulate every bodily function, from when you sleep to your reproductive systems. If you’re like most people, you assume your hormones are getting the job done. Unless you experience the side effects of an imbalance, you probably won’t ever notice the critical role hormones...
Men or women going through the hormonal fluctuations that accompany andropause or menopause may wonder whether they’ll ever feel normal again. Traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may give you pause because of the life-threatening conditions like cancer and heart disease associated with it. There’s an alternative available: Bioidentical hormone replacement...
Everyone deals with digestive issues like gas, diarrhea, and constipation from time to time. But if you’re experiencing these symptoms chronically or if your stomach troubles are painful, they could be a sign of an underlying condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can be hard to know if...
Despite the transition from the cold of winter to warm springtime, spring can also mean a lot of allergies for you and your family. Seasonal allergies happen which can lead with to different symptoms such as itching, runny nose, and sneezing. These symptoms can greatly affect your quality of life and prevent...
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition that affects approximately 15 to 30 million men in America. Unfortunately, it's a common sexual problem that gives men difficulty with erections on a regular basis and tends to worsen with age. Men struggling with ED have trouble getting and keeping an erection. ED can...
One form of exercise that tends to be overlooked by many people is cardio. If you haven't been doing any cardiovascular exercises, you are missing out on many of the benefits you could be receiving. Some of the benefits include a stronger heart and lungs, less stress, better sleep, and especially...
Humidifiers are an effective tool to help you deal with dry air and avoid falling ill to viruses and bacteria. Our mucous membranes are our body's first defense against viruses and bacteria. Humidifiers add moisture to the air in the room it's in to deal with dry air. Get relief from these symptoms...
You need Vitamin A to help your body be at its best every day. There are several different benefits that come from Vitamin A which include better eyesight, muscle tissue repair, and the prevention of urinary stones. Deficiency of Vitamin A may lead to negative symptoms such as fatigue and brittle nails....
For anyone dealing with problems such as back pain, neck pain, arthritis, and joint pain, Prolotherapy may be the perfect solution. What is Prolotherapy? Prolotherapy involves injecting an otherwise non-pharmacological and non-active irritant solution into the body, generally in the region of tendons or ligaments for the purpose of strengthening weakened connective...
Your home is special. It's where you start and end every day. Your home is what your family counts on to be a safe, happy, and healthy place for them to enjoy. That being said, here are ten super easy tips to keep your home clean and healthy: Take out...
Stem Cell Prolotherapy is a way to help your body go through the natural healing process. It's an effective procedure that can save people from the high financial costs and long recovery time of surgery. What's the process? Stem cells are carefully injected into an area of the body that...
There's a natural way to help your body recover from different forms of chronic pain and it's called Prolozone therapy. What is Prolozone therapy?: The homeopathic injection technique was developed and brought to light by Dr. Shallenberger. Oxygen is used to help damaged joints, ligaments, tendons, and tissues heal and regenerate....
Are you drinking enough water? If not, you are definitely missing out on all of the benefits that result from being properly hydrated. Our body needs water to function properly. When our body starts to run low on water, we begin to experience negative symptoms of dehydration such as headaches...
Chronic pain is no fun. It affects everything you do from work to play and often times, even sleep. Here are four different causes of chronic pain you may not know about: Hormonal imbalance: Sudden changes in hormone levels can lead to widespread pain. Some of these hormones are cortisol, estrogen, thyroid hormone...
Your health is everything. Staying healthy helps you have the energy you need to work and play. Here are twenty simple ways that will improve your health: Sleep at least 7-9 hours each night: Your body needs sleep to perform at its best. Some of the benefits of sleep include injury recovery,...
Losing extra weight and improving your physical fitness is a worthwhile goal. These simple workout tips will help you achieve your fitness goals: Warm-up You can prevent a wide range of injuries by warming up properly before your workout. Your warm-up will depend on what you're doing for your workout. Is...
Winter time in Utah is synonymous with the inversion. The temperature inversions are no fun for anyone living in Utah due to all of the negatives that come with them. What are inversions? Inversions happen when a layer of warmer air traps air near the ground. This layer of warmer air...
If you're not averaging at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night then you're not getting enough rest. Sleep is essential to helping your body do everything from recovering from a long run to being ready for tomorrow's long day at work. Here are several all-natural tips that will give...
Many restaurants offer gluten-free options and grocery stores now have gluten-free products. Many patients we've helped here at Integrative Medica with severe illnesses such as IBS have improved after eliminating gluten from their diet. If you're gluten-intolerant, the presence of these options makes you happy knowing you have choices. Here...
With all of the guests you have coming over this holiday season, you need a natural, cost-effective way to clean your bathroom. A clean bathroom makes everything more enjoyable. Here are several natural solutions and tips to keep your home spick and span: Baking soda White vinegar Microfiber cloths Hydrogen...
Taking time to rest and recover after every work out session is an important of taking care of your health. You may already know why you need to take some time after exercising or training for competition. What you may not know is how to rest and recover after working...
Vitamin C helps you function properly and stay healthy. Your body doesn't produce vitamin C so you need to receive the vitamin by eating fruits, vegetables and taking supplements. This water-soluble vitamin helps you do everything from forming scar tissue to repairing and maintaining teeth. Here are eight easy, natural ways to increase...
We’ve all heard how a natural approach to food is the best. We know that we shouldn’t eat high fructose corn syrup. We’ve all wondered if we should be buying free range chicken eggs. We’ve visited local farmer markets to pick up local produce. We understand that there needs to...
I recently left a person speechless when I told him that my family only drank water. Only water. As a family of 5, we only use about 1/2 gallon of milk a week - and that is only for our milk consuming toddler. The only time we drink anything other than...
It seems like it just keeps on getting more popular. Most restaurants now offer gluten-free meals, and a lot of grocery stores have gluten-free products. But, is there a legitimate reason for this trend? While gluten-free products and services are indeed a fast growing trend, there might actually be some truth...
We were already honored to have our doctor, Dr. Jake Schmutz NMD, present at the Autism Hope Foundation. If anyone is looking for some help, we highly recommend attending any of these sessions.
Ingredients:SpinachFresh mandarin orangeAppleWalnutsLemon Place a handful of spinach on a plate. Peel a mandarin orange. Chop 1/4 of the apple. Place both the orange segments and apple chunks on top of your spinach. Sprinkle a tablespoon of walnuts on top. Cut the lemon in half and discard the lemon seeds....
Increased intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut is a major cause of autism. Leaky gut is caused by an insult that occurs to the gut that damages it. A healthy gut lining has tight gap junctions, which only allow certain sized particles to pass through it. This helps protect...
We’ve all heard how a natural approach to food is the best. We know that we shouldn’t eat high fructose corn syrup. We’ve all wondered if we should be buying free range chicken eggs. We’ve visited local farmer markets to pick up local produce. We understand that there needs to...
We do a lot of gluten free baking in our home. And, over the past few years, we have learned a number of things we will be sharing over the next few months. But, when you first start baking gluten-free, most people go out and purchase an all-purpose gluten free...
When deciding to be "more healthy" many people first try to eat better and exercise. What they don't realize is that a key ingredient to feeling better is to eliminate harmful chemicals that are surrounding them everyday. Just as germs are harmful to our bodies, harsh cleaning chemicals can be...
We are just heading into cold and flu season. It's a great time to reevaluate your habits and some of the ways you can prevent getting a cold or the flu this year. We've compiled 10 great ways to help you prevent getting a cold or the flu this season....
Find out what might be the real cause to your autoimmune disease and an alternative approach to treatment with Integrative Medicine by reading Dr. Schmutz' article on AltHealthWorks.com