For nearly 18 years, Dr. Darryl Osborn had a successful chiropractic practice based in Decatur, and as a man of faith, felt deeply blessed. He was doing what he loved, had a beautiful family, and was grateful for the freedom to follow his dreams. He took none of it for granted, but like so many Americans these days, he also felt highly stressed. When he got home from work each night, he was “tapped out.” He had virtually no energy, and to his dismay the couch became one of his best friends.
One day Dr. Osborn was giving an adjustment to a long-time patient who, along with her husband, was a friend of the Osborns. “Please be careful, my hip is a little bit tender,” she said. The doctor asked her if there was a problem, and she replied, “Oh, no, there’s no problem. I just had a bio-identical hormone treatment.” Intrigued, Dr. Osborne got more information from her, and decided to check out a bio-identical hormone clinic in Nashville for himself. He became an enthusiastic patient and his life changed, along with his energy level, muscle mass, body fat percentage, and more. At the time, the only two cities in our area that offered bio-identical hormone treatments were Nashville and Birmingham. At the strong encouragement of his wife, Dr. Osborn began to look into opening a facility of his own, and studied extensively before being personally mentored by one of the experts in the field. The search began to find a MD that wanted to make the journey with him. Dr. Jeffrey Markham joined the team and began training.
Complete Hormone Solutions opened on Danville Road in Decatur in March of 2013, and they are hoping at some point to open their next facility in Athens because, as Dr. Osborne says, “Athens is a very cool place.”
Dr. Osborn gave me a brief lesson on bio-identical hormones, and the needs of men and women. What few people know is that men have naturally occurring estrogen that is needed in their bodies, and by contrast, women have naturally occurring and necessary levels of testosterone in theirs. Both are essential for optimum health; however, just as male testosterone levels diminish with age, female testosterone and estrogen diminish, as well. When these hormones reach less than optimum levels, health is compromised, and a multitude of symptoms follow.
The following is a list of hormone deficiency symptoms we don’t have to live with: Restless sleep, anxiety, depression, irritability, painful intercourse, night sweats, mood swings, unexplained weight gain, high cholesterol, hair loss, dry skin, memory lapses, erectile dysfunction, no sex drive, poor focus, heart palpitations, hot flashes, achiness, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lack of energy, restless leg syndrome, migraines, and low exercise tolerance.
The first step in the process of incorporating bio-identical hormone treatment into a patient’s life is a thorough interview. This is conducted by Dr. Osborn, and he takes a great deal of time to educate a prospective patient, get their history, and answer any questions. Next, Dr. Markham orders blood to be drawn which is then sent to Cleveland Heart Lab. The testing is extensive. “Cleveland Heart is the best there is,” Dr. Osborn said. Blood work is not part of the package, but is part of patient care, and is billed separately.
Once the exact hormonal treatment has been determined, the hormones, which are derived from yams, are put in pellet form by a compounding pharmacy. They are then shipped to the patient, who brings them to the clinic, and they are put just under the skin by Dr. Markham. Each treatment lasts for about 3 months, and functions essentially as a time release medication. Occasionally there are minor side effects, but not the ones that gave hormone treatments such a bad rap years ago.
Interestingly, one of the women who works at Complete Hormone Solutions is a breast cancer survivor, and became a “raving fan customer” before she ever started working there. That and the fact that Dr. Osborn continues to get treatments himself intrigued me, as he is essentially functioning as his own “guinea pig,” something you don’t often encounter.
Complete Hormone Solutions also offers medically supervised weight loss plans which start at $97 per month.
Complete Hormone Solutions offers three different payment options, and there is a 5% discount for paying up front. Financing is done in-house, and the team is ready to help you, as one satisfied customer said, “Get your life back.” Call today for a complimentary consultation at 256-350-9880.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
