• attention to the whole person - body, mind and spirit;
• allowing more time face to face at your visit (permits a better understanding of your problem and its depth)
• emphasis on communication and relationship between patient and physician
• your active participation in your care: decision making, choice of therapy, past experiences, intuition, desire to try new methods
• a more creative evaluation of symptoms and illnesses using the combined reasoning methods of conventional Western science and medicine and holistic healing methods including Oriental medicine and classical homeopathy
• the sole use of natural treatments wherever safe and possible or in combination with conventional medical treatments
• the sole use of conventional medical treatments as indicated or as you choose
• special consideration for people who are sensitive to medications, who may be taking multiple medications and want to use natural supplements more safely; for those who have had adverse reactions to correct therapy
• special attention to the greater development of self-awareness and self-care in health maintenance and to the mental and spiritual state of the patient where appropriate; these areas are more important than is often acknowledged, especially when someone's illness is not easily diagnosed or is not improving on current treatment.
• exploration of the value of various nutritional supplements, herbals and vitamins (and other alternative/complementary medical methods) and their safe use, including those used while you are on conventional medications;
• guidance in the proper use of diet and exercise in self-care
• the coordination of your care using the opinions, testing and treatment plans of other physicians and healthcare practitioners or where there are several or more doctors and practitioners involved in your care
• consultation for reanalysis of medical records and conventional or alternative diagnostic testing and treatments that have already been performed or used which are less than or not effective; to verify a diagnosis or explore for other diagnostic possibilities overlooked or not considered
• patients who unfortunately have had bad experiences in the health care system (or knows someone who has) that were never properly resolved
• the development of discussions and enhancement of learning about existing medical conditions that are poorly or incompletely understood by patients with such conditions or who may be confused or overwhelmed by unfiltered, often biased information from the internet, "infomercials", advertisements or other sources.

I offer a range of care in internal medicine and general medicine including:

• routine physical examinations and blood work (I do not perform gynecologic physical exams or "pap" testing - most female patients have their own gynecologist or are referred)
• evaluation and treatment of our most common, acute conditions: ("colds", "flu", "allergies", sinusitis, bronchitis, headaches, back, neck, shoulder, foot and other pain problems, stomach pain, acid reflux, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, female and male health issues, etc.)
• monitoring and follow-up of treatment and progress for patients with established conditions (hypertension, high cholesterol, depression, insomnia, etc.)
• the interpretation of laboratory and x-ray tests regarding your condition.

I also specialize in the evaluation and treatment of more chronic, often hard-to-treat conditions (see CONDITIONS TREATED section).

I have observed that many conditions do not initially appear to have a clear cause (also called an "etiology"). Of course, all symptoms and illnesses ultimately do have a definite cause - it just may be we are unable to as yet discover what it is in some cases or physicians (or patients) do not take them into account. Consideration of the cause of your condition may be critical to effectively treating it. Listed are some areas of interest where such causes may be found. Often we are unaware of such causes because of the way we lead our lives, work in our jobs or because they may be outside our usual knowledge and experience and our concepts of what causes illnesses:

• overwork, job dissatisfaction, relationship turmoil, marital and family problems
• stress and the role of such mental states as preoccupation, excessive worry, chronic anxiety, inability to control unpleasant situations, unresolved grief, sadness and hurts from the past, effects of abuse
• poor sleep habits
• environmental chemicals, including heavy metals, chemicals involved in hobbies and certain jobs, insecticides, food additives, etc.
• deficiencies of certain vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals (due to their lack of intake or their be used up too quickly due to stress or illness)
• food allergies and food intolerances
• inadequate diets and food combinations, low nutrient/high calorie diets (i.e. "fast foods", processed foods)
• the role of climate, weather and environmental temperature and seasonal changes (chronic exposure to air conditioning, cold drafts, wind, working outdoors- not all cold or other symptom development is due to pollen or ragweed!)
• air travel (not just sinus, respiratory or ear problems)
• low level, non-invasive yeast (candida), mold and viral infections (especially of sinuses, dental or digestive systems) not easily detected by conventional medicine
• parasitic infection (often missed using less accurate diagnostic methods)
• subtle, unrecognized adverse effects of taking conventional medicines or supplements, short- or long-term, or drug-nutrient interactions
• the effects of genetics and family history and practices
• constitutional strengths and weaknesses.

In my opinion, after over 15 years in practice (and sometimes being a patient myself!), these factors, often operating in combination, can significantly contribute to or cause our most common illnesses.

I take these into careful account during your interview and evaluation. Their recognition can often be the key to understanding our symptoms and illnesses and can be essential to successful treatment. Such factors are often at the root of recurrent, slow-to-resolve or non-resolving illnesses or symptoms and will not reverse until they are properly addressed.

This may simply involve recognizing and becoming more aware of their presence through a history of exposures, events or habits and altering or guarding against their existence or occurrence. Formal testing methods for some of them exist and can be used to confirm their presence, effects or severity. The medical literature makes reference to some of them. In some cases, more active research is being done to explore them as disease causes. More ancient medical systems, such as the Chinese, Ayurvedic and Native American, have such concepts as essential part of their foundations.

Dr. Garbacz also uses a variety of creative diagnostic testing including salivary sampling for hormone evaluation and comprehensive stool analysis for digestive disturbances (see A NOTE ON TESTING). Such testing has proven to be a very useful addition to diagnostic efforts and frequently adds significantly to a better understanding of the current state of the patient. to correct diagnoses and to more effective treatments.

Where indicated, he prescribes himself (or supports the self-use of or refers to other practitioners for) a variety of equally creative, complementary therapies that address some of the root causes of our illnesses: stress reduction and increasing self-awareness and personal and spiritual growth. These include exercise, diet therapy, movement and meditation arts (stretching, qigong, taichi, yoga), nutritional medicine, herbals, flower essence therapy, homeopathics and acupuncture.

Where conventional medical treatments are already being employed, such therapies often aid in the better tolerance and effectiveness of these medical treatments and support our bodies through such treatments.

Dr. Garbacz is especially oriented toward the incorporation, where appropriate, of the personal choices or preferences of therapies by patients themselves . He has amazingly found that many patients correctly intuit or have a sense of what is right for them even though they lack specific medical knowledge. This is a God-given "knowledge" that is universal for all people but often not taken into account or even acknowledged by some doctors, but still is available and operates on our behalf all the same. Its recognition and engagement can greatly assist choosing, understanding and complying with treatment and self-healing.

Medical diagnosis and treatment by any method (like all human endeavor itself) involves a relationship between two people, physician and patient. It is, in Dr. Garbacz's opinion, as sacred, vital and life supporting a relationship as that of marriage or between family members and friends. This relationship needs attention and care and is based on careful communication, both verbal and non-verbal, between patient and physician. Dr. Garbacz firmly believes this is critical to proper treatment, healing or cure (see PUBLICATIONS for article on the "Doctor-Patient Relationship").