Exploring Wellness using Integrative and Western Medicine: Guest blog by Dr. Milan Chavarkar, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, IFMCP

How long have you been working as a Family Nurse Practitioner for people in the Bay Area?I have been a nurse midwife for 26 years and family NP for 23 years, I moved back to the Bay Area 21 years ago after finishing my education.

Who are your favorite types of clients or patients to work with?
I like working with couples for fertility, menopausal females, and women of any background with any issue. I have always been passionate about women’e health and some of my interest areas come from my own health issues- facing PCOS, infertility, and now menopause.
What can a client expect to leave with after working with you?
 I have programs in which I work with clients for a minumum of 3-6 months, I have clients who have been with me from when I opened 5 years ago. I do a quantitative symptoms questionnaire at the beginning of the program, everyone’s symptoms have reduced by a minimum 50% when they have worked with me. Most importantly, patients come away with tools they will use lifelong to improve their health.

What inspired you to start a private practice combining both Western and integrative medicine?  I was frustrated with the treat and street model, in which I gave prescriptions and had little time for education. I felt there was a better way to help people profoundly, on a deeper level, by addressing the root cause. Integrative and functional medicine proved to be the answer.

What made you passionate about women's health? I felt so many topics were taboo to talk about when I was growing up due to my conservative cultural background- menstrual periods, sexually transmitted infections, vaginal infections, pregnancy, miscarriages, abortions, sexuality, sexual intercourse. These topics were vital to women yet were brushed under the rug. I wanted to break that barrier and give women a space to get real answers.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced when starting your practice?
As a woman, who is caring for so many others, it is a challenge to birth a new venture and still take care of yourself. It’s like having a baby, you need a lot of support and there isn;t a lot of resources for women to start businesses. Luckily, I found a wonderful nurse practitioner business coach, got support from friends, and my mother who is a real estate entrepreuner. 
What kind of treatments do you provide?
I provide a mix of conventional and integrative therapies- including diet, lifestyle, supplements, presciptions, reiki, and low level laser. Along with lots of time to discuss and analyze health issues and come up with treatment plans that are meaningful.

Do you have a specific approach when working with people who have experienced trauma? Or those who have mental health conditions?
Quite frankly, all of us have issues that need to be addressed- the mind-body-spirit connection is powerful, so to address the physical elements of health, we need to look deeper. I work with and count on professionals like yourself to ensure we are addressing health holistically.

What happens during a first appointment with you?
I have a 1 1/2 hour long visit to review the history, do a physical, and cover the treatment plan for the first month. My hope is to have a deeper understanding to root cause of symptoms and disease.

What do you wish more people knew about accessing appropriate medical care?
I think unfortunately the insurance based medical model is focused on pharmaceuticals. To truly address health, we need health providers that we can discuss our health concems and that takes time. I’m all for technology, but that can not replace the human connection that heals. People will have to seek health care providers that are out of the system to get true understanding of their health issues and healing.

How can people learn more and contact you?
I offer a free discovery call- schedule a Zoom call at 
https://calendly.com/milanchavarkardnp or via www.lotusintegrativehealth.com

What's one fun thing about you that most people don't know?

I love dancing, and studied classical Indian dance as a child.