Tony Bianco, DO
Guadalupe, Ecuador with the Sisters of Teresita, 2017
Welcome to my blog, where I hope to bring insight into how your health has been transformed by the conditions of our modern world. As you go on this journey, realize that everyone is a unique individual with their own genetic variations, environmental exposures, and their own goals and dreams. In that same light, there are many qualities we share as humans. Consider some of our basic needs: pure water, clean air, whole food and general exposure to nature…how many of us are truly getting all of this?
For a brief background, I’ll take you through my biases (life experiences) that have shaped who I am and my current way of thinking. I was raised in the suburbs of west Cincinnati with a family-oriented, Italian American, conservative and Catholic flare. Basically, I lived in a very safe and loving box. This is the upbringing that led me to pursue a career in medicine and to continue working towards the American dream (high paying job, happy family life and the white picket fenced home).
My medical career began at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, OH where I earned my medical degree. After that, I completed a Family Medicine residency at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH. My final stop on the education journey was back in Athens at O’bleness Hospital, where I obtained my certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (NMM) and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).
So, who cares about all that…well, it’s the fine details in between all those bigger events that brings me to where I am in my medical career. As mentioned, I grew up with ample support and opportunity at my grasp; I am forever grateful to the generations before me that struggled mightily to provide what I have. Through that same privilege, I was blessed to spend time working in my second home, Ecuador. It was there that I witnessed the huge disparity in healthcare, yet at the same time experienced the amazing presence of God in all of nature. Conditions we would deem horrible by U.S. standards were juxtaposed with an incredible abundance provided in that “wall of green.” During medical school, I also jumped on the podcast bandwagon and began to open my mind to ideas we weren’t being taught in the books or lecture halls.
However, the moment that truly changed the projection of my life was an interaction I had in the family medicine residency. I was discussing options with a diabetic patient, to help reduce her blood sugar through lifestyle changes. I mentioned eating another vegetable a day or going for a walk, but I wanted her to decide what change she thought she could do. She replied, “Just give me another pill.” How does one respond to that? Well, I’m sure I gave her another pill, but that led me to begin questioning my training and profession. As a family physician, I was trained to distinguish the zebras from the horses to keep people safe and healthy, but internally I felt my future was just going to be managing a person’s laundry list of medications; too often, these medications are “band-aids” designed to mask the symptoms resulting from poor lifestyle choices. Was I really going to be equipped to provide true health care?
From that point on, I decided to follow the wisdom of the founder of Osteopathy, A.T. Still, “To find health should be the object of the doctor, anyone can find disease.” So, I ran with it…maybe a slow jog at first. I decided to further my education and skills by completing the residency in NMM/OMM and then was blessed with the opportunity to learn from and join Dr. Gary Huber at his practice in personalized medicine. Similarly, I met a group of ecologically minded friends who have opened my mind to the extraordinary power of nature, fresh water, whole foods and foraging. All of these experiences point to the fact that we need nature more than it needs us.
Here I am, beginning a career in Ecological Medicine; thus, the name “Elemental Health” seems fitting. “Elemental” is defined as primary or basic, also relating to or embodying the powers of nature. Health should be defined as a state of physical, mental, social and ECOLOGICAL well-being. I’m not yet sure how all of this works together, but as I go on my perpetual journey of learning, I want to share this knowledge and wisdom with you.
My desire is to help your body feel the way you want through tools including Osteopathic manipulation and natural movement, regenerative joint injection therapy, integrative medicine, and most importantly, lifestyle approaches to combat the modern world exposures that are contributing to poor global health.
If you would like to take a deeper dive into your individual health, you can schedule an appointment by calling Huber Personalized Medicine at (513)924-5300 and visit our website HuberPM.com
Elemental Health 