As Hope Clinic is an essential business we remain open to caring for our patients with our regular clinic hours.
Our staff and practitioners have been educated and are keeping informed about the COVID-19 situation. Your safety and health is our main priority.
This article covers a bit about the COVID-19 virus, specific immune-boosting vitamins and safety precautions we are maintaining to help you feel comfortable in our clinic lobby and treatment rooms.
Is anyone around here feeling confused?
Overwhelmed? Afraid? Isolated? We hear you.
There’s a head-swirling amount of information out there right now about COVID-19 and, in many ways, life has been turned upside down. We thought it might be helpful to our Hope Clinic community if we chimed in with a few thoughts—and some encouraging words.
Let’s start here.
What do we know for sure about this virus? Well, we know this virus acts like a cross between a cold and a flu. And like a cold and flu virus it can clear through the body fast.
Most healthy people who test with having the presence of
COVID-19 will likely have mild to no symptoms. This is similar
to the regular cold and flu in that our bodies fight off
and clear viruses with their immune fighting powers.
So far, based on what we know, for those who contract the COVID-19 virus, similar to the normal cold and flu, people with extreme weakened immunity such as those who are bed ridden, or on immune suppression meds are more at risk.
We believe in hope.
As you know, Hope Clinic is here to help your body support your immune system. If you’ve been a patient here for even a short time, you’ve probably already experienced how helpful chiropractic, functional medicine, Chinese medicine, homeopathy and neuro emotional technique can be.
Our resources remain available
during this time. This is great news indeed.
If you’re feeling sick
Our bodies are greatly affected by the change in seasons—and right now, here in Minnesota, we’re in the middle of the transition from winter to spring. This means our bodies are currently even more prone to colds, flus, and allergies, which is causing additional anxiety for many people. If you’re feeling sick right now, that is not surprising. This is normal this time of year.
Keep in mind: COVID-19 symptoms typically come with a fever and a dry cough—not a runny nose and phlegm.
Ways you can support your body right now
One of the best things you can do right now is to take good care of yourself and your family. It was good to see the former CDC Chief, Dr. Tom Frieden, share the benefits of Vitamin D:
Coronavirus infection risk may be reduced by Vitamin D: One thing that might help is as obvious as the sun in the sky and as close as your medicine cabinet – Vitamin D.
Higher COVID-19 mortality rates among older people and those with chronic conditions suggest that a weakened immune system contributes to poor outcomes. There are many crackpot claims about miracle cures floating around, but the science supports the possibility – although not the proof – that Vitamin D may strengthen the immune system, particularly of people whose Vitamin D levels are low.
Vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of respiratory infection, regulates cytokine production and can limit the risk of other viruses such as influenza. A respiratory infection can result in cytokine storms – a vicious cycle in which our inflammatory cells damage organs throughout the body – which increase mortality for those with COVID-19. Adequate Vitamin D may potentially provide some modest protection for vulnerable populations.
This is especially important for people who are Vitamin D deficient – and, surprisingly, that might include more than 40 percent of US adults. People who live in the northern part of the U.S. are at greater risk of deficiency.
For more help, here is what Dr. Brad suggests we can all do each day:
· Stay hydrated. For adults, we recommend drinking 40-60 oz. of water per day. Kids under 100 lbs. should be drinking 30 oz. of water, and kids under 50 lbs. need 15 oz. Infants will do best with breastmilk.
· Get outside.
· Engage your body in out-of-breath exercise for 10-30 minutes every day.
· Find ways to relax, refresh, and de-stress.
Add supplemental nutrition every day, including:
o Vitamin C—3 times per day
o Vitamin D3—5000 IU 1 time per day
o Vitamin A (Cataplex ACP) and/or Beta-carotene – a suggested dosage is 3 tablets 2 times per day or ask your doctor about specific dosage.
o Zinc—2-3 times per day, ½ tsp. in 1/8 cup of water, gargle and swallow.
· Apple Cider Vinegar—1 tsp. in 1/8– 1/4 cup of water and drink two times a day. For more see the immune boosting tip for the whole family below.
· Drink ginger tea. Slice up some ginger root, throw it into a pot with some water, and steep. Drain the ginger water through a sieve and dispose of the ginger root. Add some honey to the tea and enjoy. If the ginger is too strong, heat up some plain water and just add a tablespoon or two of the ginger base. This is a good option for kids as well.
· Take garlic internally (if your stomach is up for it). Simply cut up a clove a bit and swallow with water as you would take a tablet. About half a clove is plenty and you can do this two times a day. Or you can avoid the stomach, see the video below for Dr. Brad’s explanation to applying garlic to the feet.
The videos with more information about apple cider vinegar and the garlic instructions are on the website’s homepage at hopeclinicmn.com, and on our Instagram and Facebook pages; @hopeclinicmn.
Since we know that mental health
is a big part of overall health, be assured
we continue to provide a safe and
clean environment at Hope Clinic and are
taking extra precautions during this time.
Our lobby is spacious, allowing for patients plenty of space (the recommended 6+ feet) between people to help you feel comfortable.
We connect with each patient prior to their appointment to confirm if they have symptoms of a fever, dry cough or difficulty breathing, or if they have had exposure to those symptoms in the last two weeks. If yes, we do not allow them in the clinic and we will provide care by phone.
Any practitioner or front desk staff with any symptoms will stay home. The desk will contact you if we need to reschedule your appointment.
The front desk staff are being intentional to socially distance from patients.
We have our clinic door open, and have a note posted asking patients to head down to the restroom to wash hands prior to entering.
Practitioners are washing hands in between treating patients.
We have masks available as needed.
We are sanitizing testers in between appointments and the treatment beds.
There is no need to sign credit card slips during this time, if a patient is in need of a pen we have these available and those will be taken home.
You have the option to just pull up to the building and give the front desk a call to pay over the phone and we will walk supplements out to your car.
If you'd like to discuss any symptoms or have general questions for Dr. Brad or any of our other practitioners, you are welcome to call the front desk and we will set up a phone consult.
We understand this is a unique
and stress-filled time for our
community, and we’re here to support you.
We believe in hope, and we’re here to walk you through this season. We are open for our regular business hours and are ready to serve you with all your healthcare needs.