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Natural Awakenings Lehigh Valley

Restoring Possibilities

Nov 18, 2013 03:09PM ● By Beth Davis

 

by Beth Davis

 

From the time he was six years old growing up in Moscow, Russia, Mikhail Artamonov knew he was going to be a doctor. After all, his father and his grandfather were both physicians so Dr.  Artamonov never even thought of doing anything else.

His father began teaching him acupuncture at a young age. It was this early introduction to Oriental medicine that sparked his interest in integrative care. “Integrative medicine was something I was always interested in, but in Russia, you had to attend medical school to practice acupuncture,” he explains. He earned a medical degree at the prestigious First Moscow Medical Sechenov School, but it was only the beginning of his journey. 

He went on to receive a master’s degree in Oriental philosophy and linguistics at Tianjin University, in China; a combined residency in rehabilitation, pain and complementary medicine at Hannover Medical University, in Germany; and then returned to Moscow for a Ph.D. in clinical research. In 1999, he moved to the United States for an internship in internal medicine and primary care at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, in New York. He realized internal medicine was not stimulating enough for him, so he switched to a residency training program in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Temple University, in Philadelphia. Lastly, he received a Combined Pain Fellowship at Harvard Medical School for acute, chronic and cancer pain in adults and children.

After his immense training, he was a bit disillusioned with the medical-pharma complex. He wanted to focus on a more integrative approach and felt the only way to do that was to go into private practice. “It’s important to me to have knowledge of both systems of medicine—traditional and alternative—for a more open-minded approach,” he says.

He launched MJA HealthCare—now with three locations—to focus on the management of pain and general health and wellness. He specializes in anti-aging and functional medicine, as well as regenerative medicine. He utilizes the most advanced and non-invasive technologies, allowing him to achieve optimal results. The ultimate goal, he says, is to help patients enhance their quality of life and overall wellness.

“Patients often come to us who are not satisfied with their current model of care, so they’re interested in finding a doctor who offers a different perspective,” notes Artamonov.

MJA HealthCare offers a vast array of cutting-edge technology services including Plasma Rich Prolotherapy (PRP), stem cell rejuvenation, high-tech ultrasounds, infrared therapy, minimally invasive carpal tunnel release and more.

According to Artamonov, PRP therapies have been used by maxillofacial and plastic surgeons for more than two decades. The procedure has now been perfected and re-engineered as Pure PRP, an extraction of the patient’s blood that contains a matrix of highly concentrated growth factors containing no red blood cells. These growth factors have been clinically proven to balance skin tone, reduce scarring, increase wound healing and thicken and regrow thinning hair. It has most recently been used for ortho-biologic therapy treating tendon repair, acute muscle injuries, chronic tendon problems and even regrow cartilage and menisci.

Oxygen-ozone therapy is an option to treat lumbar disc herniation that has failed to respond to conservative management, It is offered as a recourse before surgery or when surgery is not possible. Treatment consists of an injection of oxygen and ozone to treat a herniated disc. There are two types: an injection outside of the disc and an injection directly into the disc. The ozone injection directly into the disc reacts with the inner disc material to reduce inflammation, shrink the disc and the hernia.

He is particularly passionate about ozonotherapy, the use of medical grade ozone, a highly reactive form of pure oxygen, to create a curative response in the body. He has been a frequent speaker on the subject and is a founding member he is a founding member of The American Academy of Ozonotherapy (AAO).

It is no secret that the body has the potential to renew and regenerate itself. According to the AAO, when it becomes sick, it is because this potential has been blocked. The reactive properties of ozone stimulate the body to remove many of these impediments, thus allowing the body to do what it does best—heal itself.

When it comes to anti-aging and functional medicine, Artamonov takes a whole body approach. For example, a saliva test can be done to identify the potential root cause of a problem. People are often surprised at the results. “One patient was in her early 40s, so she thought her issues may be the result of pre-menopause. After testing, we discovered much of her issues came from stress. The ideal solution is to walk, meditate, do yoga, etc. to de-stress but that’s not always possible, so we offer alternatives such as oxygen therapy.”

A total body nutritional and biochemical assessment can also be performed to enhance overall health and well-being. This offers an in-depth evaluation of both objective and subjective data related to an individual’s food and nutrient intake, lifestyle and medical history. “Once the data is collected and organized, we can assess and evaluate the nutritional status of each individual,” he explains. The assessment then leads to a plan of care designed to help the person either maintain the assessed status or attain a healthier status.

He also utilizes bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to counteract the negative effects of aging. This therapy involves replenishing the body’s deficient hormones with bio-identical hormones, which are identical to those made by the body.

Artamonov says he is still inspired by the possibilities of medicine and loves to keep an open mind. “Medicine gives you the opportunity to express yourself and make a difference,” he says. “It is always inspiring when a patient has seen 25 doctors before you, but then you do something that helps. It gives you new energy.”

For more information, including locations, call 570-872-9800 or visit MJAHealthcare.com.