by Sheila Julson

Dr. Conrad G. Maulfair, Jr. is a pioneer in integrative wellness. As a second-generation osteopathic physician, he had always taken a whole-person approach toward health. But when he found that many of his patients—particularly those that had chronic degenerative diseases—weren’t getting well through traditional medical care, he began looking for alternatives. In 1974, he formed his own integrative medicine practice, Maulfair Medical Center, where he focuses on prevention and detoxification to help patients maintain optimal health.

“I would change current nomenclature; we talk about ‘health care systems’ but a more accurate description would be ‘disease care system,’” Dr. Maulfair says. “If you have high blood pressure and take a pharmaceutical agent to lower your blood pressure, are you actually healthier? No, because the problem is still there.”

Dr. Maulfair is a health detective, getting to the underlying causes of illnesses, which he notes often can be traced to toxins in the body. His primary services include intravenous treatments. Administering nutrients intravenously bypasses the digestive system and gets them directly to the cells, he explains. He also offers a chelation program, which binds toxic metals and removes them from the body, thus improving circulation and cellular energy production.

“We’re hearing more and more about autoimmune disease, and unbeknownst to a lot of people, the majority of the body’s immune system is located in the intentional tract. If left unaddressed, an autoimmune disease can be mishandled,” he explains. He uses in-depth diagnostic testing such as checking for toxic metals through hair analysis and a blood test. He also uses a comprehensive stool analysis to detect dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. “That’s where you absorb everything you need to live, and it’s also the route petrochemicals, pesticides and toxic metals enter the body, so each evaluation is of critical importance.”

Restoring a patient’s health often includes IV infusions of nutrients, chelation, glutathione, oxidative IVs, vitamin C, magnesium and others, depending on a patient’s needs, he says. Patients relax in a recliner while the IV is administered, and they can read, rest or chat with other patients. Once a patient’s health is restored, patients return for periodic treatment to maintain their health benefits. Dr. Maulfair states the IV therapies and chelation program can help with diabetes, vascular disease, arthritis and chronic degenerative diseases. “If you have any circulatory problems, high blood pressure or heart disease, and you have not been evaluated for heavy metals status, you have an incomplete diagnosis,” he notes.

Dr. Maulfair reiterates that toxic exposure is gradual and cumulative. His approach is looking for causes, as opposed to suppressing symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs or other means. “So we look at the intestinal tract comprehensively, and we test for things like toxic metals and look for underlying causes of health issues. That philosophy sets integrative practitioners apart.”

In addition to operating his clinic, Dr. Maulfair also gives educational seminars and workshops throughout the Lehigh Valley area and hosts his podcast, “Answers Instead of Prescriptions," which is available on iTunes. But seeing his patients get better and stay healthy is his true passion. “When patients say they haven’t felt this good in 20 years, it makes my day—not because their symptoms got better, but because they have more energy,” he concludes. “I enjoy restoring somebody’s quality of life at any age. We do more so you can do more.”

Maulfair Medical Center is located at 5925 Tilghman St., Ste. 90, Allentown. For more information, 610-682-2104 or visit MaulfairMedicalCenter.com.