FAQs

Weight Loss

  • Semaglutide is an injectable treatment that, when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, can assist with blood sugar regulation, appetite control, and potential weight loss. It is classified as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, which mimics the natural hormone GLP-1 in the body to help lower blood sugar levels after eating. In a recent clinical trial involving nearly 2,000 participants using Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy® (semaglutide), about 70% of participants experienced a weight loss of at least 10%, while approximately 50% achieved a loss of 15% or more.

  • Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that plays a key role in regulating blood sugar by stimulating insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner. Insulin helps cells absorb sugar, stores it as glycogen, promotes fat storage, and signals the body to build muscle. Additionally, GLP-1 reduces the release of glucagon (which slows sugar release into the bloodstream, helping the body burn more fat), delays gastric emptying (which helps you feel fuller longer), and decreases hunger, as a result of the feeling of fullness.

  • First, it’s important to limit your alcohol consumption while on compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide. Alcohol can affect your blood sugar levels, and there’s a risk of it dropping too low when combined with semaglutide or tirzepatide, particularly if you drink on an empty stomach.

    Oftentimes patients report meals with a high fat content causing indigestion. Avoiding spicy and known gas-producing foods may also be wise with delayed gastric emptying.

    Additionally, make sure your healthcare provider is aware of any other medications you’re taking before starting this medication.

  • Semaglutide is usually well-tolerated, but some people may experience side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation, heartburn, and burping. These are typically mild and tend to lessen as your body adjusts to the medication. While other side effects may occur, it's important to work with a skilled healthcare provider, like we have at Rapha Wellness, who can assess whether semaglutide is right for you and adjust your dosage to help minimize discomfort during treatment.

  • In our practice, we offer personalized nutritional counseling and recommend supplements to improve diet quality and support physiological and metabolic functions. While these supplements may be recommended for specific therapeutic purposes, they primarily aim to support metabolic function. Nutritional supplements can be safely combined with pharmaceutical medications, though there could be potential interactions. Therefore, it’s crucial to inform all of your healthcare providers about any medications, supplements, herbs, or hormones you're using.  Our nutrition consults always end with our team providing recipes and recommendations in order to get our patients to a healthier lifestyle.  

Functional Medicine

  • Functional medicine focuses on understanding the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that impact health and contribute to complex, chronic diseases. Our approach involves collaborating with patients to identify and correct imbalances in nutrition, biochemistry, or physiology, aiming to restore the body's natural function. Treatment plans often include integrative therapies, lifestyle adjustments, dietary changes, and sometimes the use of nutritional supplements.

Ozone Therapy

  • Ozone IV MAH Therapy is a scientifically supported medical treatment that involves introducing ozone gas into your bloodstream. The goal of this process is to improve cellular oxygenation, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, boost the immune system, and promote overall health. 

    • Boosts Mitochondrial Activation: Enhances cellular energy and vitality.

    • Addresses Inflammatory Issues

    • Fights Fatigue: Restores energy and vitality.

    • Supports Self-Repair After Physical Stress: Aids in natural healing post-surgery or injury.

    • Facilitates Detoxification: Helps cleanse the body, removing toxins and promoting revitalization.

    • Improves Circulation

    • Immune System Stimulant

    • Increases metabolism

    • Relieves Pain

  • Ozone IV MAH Therapy is an advanced treatment that shows promising benefits. To prioritize your safety, we recommend consulting with our experienced healthcare professionals before undergoing the therapy. They can offer personalized recommendations and guidance, especially if you have any pre-existing health conditions. Our goal is to ensure that your treatment decisions are well-informed and customized to meet your specific health needs.

Regenerative Therapy

  • PRP therapy involves drawing the patient’s blood and placing it in a centrifuge, a machine that separates the blood into different components, including platelet-rich plasma. Platelets are rich in growth factors that play a key role in the healing process. The centrifugation process concentrates these platelets, increasing their concentration far beyond what’s typically found in the bloodstream.

    This concentrated platelet-rich plasma is then injected directly into the injured area to help stimulate and potentially speed up the body’s natural healing process.

  • The procedure uses the patient's own blood, eliminating the risks of transfusion or blood-borne infections from a donor.

  • Numerous research studies have been conducted, with many more ongoing, to assess the effectiveness of PRP treatment. The most encouraging results so far have been seen in soft tissue injuries, such as tendonitis, tendon tears, ligament sprains or tears, loose ligaments, and muscle tears. PRP has also shown effectiveness in treating cartilage degeneration, including arthritis. In certain cases, it may be used alongside surgical procedures.

  • Pain levels and the return to activity after the procedure can vary between patients. Patients generally start range-of-motion exercises at the injection site immediately, and most can resume normal activities and light aerobic exercise within a few days to two weeks, depending on the treated area (see the General Instructions sheet for more details). It’s normal to experience some increased pain right after the injection, but this typically resolves within one to two weeks.

Functional Lab Testing

  • Functional medicine laboratory testing is used to assess nutritional, biochemical, or physiological imbalances and determine if a medical referral is necessary. These tests are not designed to diagnose diseases but to help identify underlying issues. We employ both conventional laboratory tests and functional medicine assessments. These assessments are intended to help our healthcare providers uncover the root causes of health conditions. Functional medicine is an interdisciplinary field, combining insights from clinical nutrition, molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, conventional medicine, and other scientific areas. It looks at the body holistically, considering how different systems interact and how nutrient deficiencies or toxic buildup might disrupt these interactions.

  • GI Mapping, or the GI-MAP test, is a thorough stool analysis that assesses the gut microbiome—the collection of microorganisms residing in the digestive system. It measures:

    • The types and levels of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites in the gut

    • Inflammatory markers and immune function indicators

    • Specific bacterial species linked to digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and celiac disease

  • A stool sample is collected and sent to a lab for analysis. The lab utilizes PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology to detect and measure the microorganisms in the sample. The results are provided in a comprehensive report that includes:

    • A list of identified microorganisms

    • Their relative abundance

    • Insights into their potential impact on health

    Oftentimes patients report meals with a high fat content causing indigestion. Avoiding spicy and known gas-producing foods may also be wise with delayed gastric emptying.

    Additionally, make sure your healthcare provider is aware of any other medications you’re taking before starting this medication.

  • Hormones are chemicals that transmit signals throughout the body, instructing organs, muscles, and other tissues on how to function. Hormone levels can vary, with significant shifts occurring at certain life stages, such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.  Women should get their hormones tested for several reasons:

    1. Identify Imbalances: Hormone testing can help identify imbalances that may contribute to symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, irregular periods, weight gain, or sleep disturbances.

    2. Monitor Reproductive Health: Regular hormone testing is crucial for tracking reproductive health, including issues related to menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause.

    3. Manage Menopause Symptoms: Hormone testing can provide insight into changes associated with menopause, helping women manage symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and hormonal fluctuations more effectively.

    4. Optimize Health and Wellness: Testing helps ensure that hormone levels are in balance, which is important for overall well-being, mood stability, energy levels, and maintaining a healthy metabolism.

    5. Prevention and Early Detection: Regular hormone checks can help detect potential issues early, such as thyroid dysfunction, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), or other conditions that may affect long-term health.

    6. Personalized Treatment Plans: Knowing hormone levels can guide healthcare providers in offering tailored solutions or treatments, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), diet adjustments, or supplements, based on individual needs.

    Hormone testing offers valuable insights into a woman's health, empowering her to take control of her well-being at every stage of life.