COVID-19 RESPONSE

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional supplement and prescription protocols we can provide are not a substitute for visiting an emergency care facility. Please call 911 or go to such a facility if you feel your condition may be life-threatening.

Long-Haul Covid

We are now treating patients with Long-Haul Covid effectively. 

Our New Rapid Response System

Clearly, it would not be of value for you to be added to our regular schedule weeks later when you have suddenly come down with symptoms of a COVID-19 infection. So in order to provide the best service to our community during these unprecedented times of acute illness, we have recently instituted a system for providing care to those with symptoms of respiratory infection.
When you call our office, one of our front desk staff will gather essential information. It will be reviewed by Dr. Reisman. Within a few hours he will formulate a protocol of the appropriate supplements and prescriptions based on the type and severity of your symptoms. We will then communicate that to you as soon as it is complete.
The following information covers the three levels of the types of measures that apply to general self-care and building the strength of your immune system.

Level One

Mind-body empowerment is our ultimate source of energy and protection; there is much to do beyond washing hands and disinfecting surfaces. For example:

Live from gratitude.

Celebrating and appreciating simply being alive enhances the quality of our life. Our immune system is a mind-body entity, and we learn and practice respect for it not out of a fear-based need to avoid illness, but rather out of appreciation, gratitude, and love for being alive as human.

Optimize sleep.

Sleep is our opportunity to process thoughts and images that otherwise would remain as stress, compromising our immune system. Effective sleep is our means of recharging our batteries. In order to obtain the most benefit from this essential “Vitamin S,” plan to be in bed no later than 10 p.m.

In addition:

  • Allow sufficient time to focus on relaxation before getting into bed, perhaps through gentle stretching exercises in a room that is dimly lit and either silent or with soft, relaxing music.
  • Continue the practice of stretching with slow, deep breathing until sleepy.
  • Absolute darkness during sleep is of the utmost importance. Unless the bedroom can easily be kept pitch black, a sleep mask is a valuable investment.
  • Deep, slow breathing can assist in falling asleep as well as relaxing ourselves back to sleep if awakened during the night.
  • In the morning, start the day with deep, slow breathing once again. Breathing is the most essential movement we ever make; it is truly a gift to ourselves to make a gentle transition from sleeping to active living by moving air in and out of the lungs in a deep, slow manner.
Partition the day.

Our breathing practice, as a way to settle the mind, is a source of power throughout the day. Life is often stressful, yet here we have a great opportunity through simple practice. At various intervals amidst the day of activity, find a quiet place, sit and take at least 10 minutes for deep, slow breathing. Perhaps before each meal? The important aspect is to do it on a regular schedule, to make it a ritual, and to use it as a show of our power to protect our composure from the frenzy of the world.

Move to mobilize energy.

Our relationship with gravity is essential to life; walking and stretching are valuable. To derive even more out of stretching and movement, we might attend classes of tai chi, Qi gong, yoga or Pilates. Any of these activities are best approached in a way that is gentle and enjoyable, not one that pushes us to our limits of exhaustion.

Empower your chemistry.

Energy is the bottom line with dietary considerations. Select foods that help rather than hinder the immune system, but also respect the energy level at the time of eating. Eating too large of a meal or eating when tired will overburden the digestion and weaken the system.

  • It’s especially important to eat lightly later in the day to minimize disruptive digestive activity during sleep.
  • It may be advisable to reduce intake of liquids later in the day so that sleep is less interrupted by bathroom trips.
  • In the morning, we begin rehydrating with lots of healthy teas and water. Adding a pinch of unrefined salt to purified water will make it more similar to body fluids and more effective at hydration.
  • A few examples of immune-empowering items would be garlic, ginger, colorful spices, fruits, and vegetables, and all the nutrient-rich seeds, such as chia, flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin.
Communicate respect.

Returning to our orientation to living, it is even more powerful to pair our attitude of honoring life with actually expressing it in words. So as we are joyfully doing things that demonstrate our love of life, we may also take full advantage of all our relationships. All the people we encounter, whether we find them supportive or challenging, are parts of our life. There is a difference between respect and approval. To support our immune system, we address all the players that make up our world with respect. It is the entirety of our world that we are respecting, even when we see parts of it ripe for change.

Level Two

The next level of antiviral protocol might involve the use of nutritional supplements that empower the immune system. There is a broad spectrum of these to consider, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes and all sorts of potent plant extracts.

Dr. Reisman has been working on protocols aimed specifically at prevention and treatment of respiratory viruses.

In addition, some form of ongoing irrigation of the sinuses will be helpful. This may be done with saline, with or without a small amount of peroxide. We also prepare a peroxide solution in the office that can be used with a nebulizer (which turns the liquid into mist) for detoxification.

Level Three

This relatively underutilized form of intervention includes intravenous infusions of hydrogen peroxide, high-dose vitamin C and ozone, as well as ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI), a technique of purifying the blood and energizing the immune system. UBI was a major weapon against infectious illness before the age of antibiotics. As more and more new viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerge and present challenges to our health, these forms of therapy may well become our most valuable resources.

We’d be happy to explore the options with you at any time. Contact us at (615) 373-0555.

Please remember that for the foreseeable future, only patients with appointments will be admitted into the office (and no one who has been in an airport within the previous two weeks will be allowed); visits scheduled with Dr. Reisman will be switched to phone consultations whenever possible; and supplements will be available only by drop-off box or via mail.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Pandemic

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

– Lynn Ungar