Hepatitis C (HCV) is an epidemic, both in Santa Cruz County and across the country. Today, HCV is the most common liver disease, even more common than alcoholic hepatitis. While fatigue is the most common symptom, HCV can also induce muscle and joint pain, depression and irritability, digestive difficulties, impaired memory, headaches, and immune system dysfunction. In response to the liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus, the body starts laying down scar tissue. This process is called fibrosis. Some people have many symptoms and very little fibrosis, while others progress to cirrhosis without any symptoms.
At Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic we offer an integrative approach to treating hepatitis C.
William Morris, MD and I treat patients from both a Western and Eastern perspective. Dr. Morris runs the Primary Care Hepatitis C Clinic on Mondays. He provides affordable high quality Western medical evaluation and treatment to those afflicted with the hepatitis C virus. Using Asian medicine principals, I design an individualized treatment plan for those with HCV encompassing: acupuncture treatment, herbal therapy, nutritional supplements, plus diet and lifestyle suggestions. While most HCV patients elect to see me in my private practice, for those with Medi-cal and financial constraints I offer a low cost teaching clinic every Tuesday afternoon at Five Branches University.
Dr. Morris and I have had HCV patients travel from as far away as South Carolina to be seen at Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic. We are both on the provider committee of the Santa Cruz Hepatitis C Task Force and are advisory board members of the local hepatitis C patient advocate group HELP! (Help & Education for Liver Patients). Dr. Morris and I frequently consult with each other to provide our patients with the best possible integrated medical care.
