Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care

Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care We are a monthly membership-based medical clinic providing holistic care for the entire family!

We have two practitioners who are available to help patients regain their health. Dr. Starkman is an Osteopathic Family Physician and Therese Adams is a Holistic Nurse Practitioner. Together, they practice Integrative and Holistic Medicine here in Libertyville, IL. Integrative Medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspec

ts of lifestyle. Our providers can treat and improve many conditions naturally, nutritionally, energetically and otherwise non-invasively.

Why does your jaw hurt…and why does your neck hurt too? 😬🧠Jaw pain doesn’t always stay in the jaw.The muscles and joints...
09/04/2026

Why does your jaw hurt…and why does your neck hurt too? 😬🧠

Jaw pain doesn’t always stay in the jaw.

The muscles and joints involved in chewing are closely connected with the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. That means things like clenching, grinding, stress, posture, and muscle tension can sometimes show up as:

😣 Jaw soreness or tightness
🤕 Headaches
💆 Neck and shoulder tension
👂 Ear-area discomfort or pressure
🦷 Pain with chewing or opening the mouth
😴 Morning jaw pain from nighttime grinding

From an osteopathic perspective, we look at structure and function together. If one area is working harder, moving differently, or carrying more tension, nearby areas may be affected too.

That doesn’t mean every headache or neck ache is caused by TMJ issues, but when symptoms keep recurring, it can be worth looking at the bigger picture: jaw mechanics, posture, stress, sleep, muscle tension, and overall movement patterns.

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts, we use a whole-person approach to understand what may be contributing to how you feel and function.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about our osteopathic and whole-person approach to care.

Candida is a type of yeast that naturally lives in and on the body, usually without causing any problems. But when that ...
09/02/2026

Candida is a type of yeast that naturally lives in and on the body, usually without causing any problems. But when that balance changes and Candida grows excessively, it can lead to infection. 🌿

Depending on where it occurs, symptoms can look very different. Candida may be associated with things like vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, certain skin infections, and, in some cases, more serious infections.

Risk can also be influenced by factors such as:

🌿 Recent or prolonged antibiotic use
💊 Certain medications
🩺 Diabetes or elevated blood sugar
🤰 Pregnancy and hormonal changes
🧠 Changes in immune function
🏥 Certain illnesses or medical procedures

Digestive symptoms like bloating, abdominal discomfort, or changes in bowel habits can be more complicated because they may have many possible causes. That’s why the right evaluation depends on your symptoms, history, and where an infection may actually be occurring.

Our newest blog takes a closer look at Candida symptoms, common causes, how it’s diagnosed, treatment options, nutrition, and when it may be time to talk with a healthcare provider.

At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we take a whole-person approach to persistent or recurring symptoms by considering the bigger picture, including medications, nutrition, metabolic health, immune function, lifestyle, and appropriate testing when needed.

🌿 Finish reading the full blog here:
https://ohadpc.com/candida-overgrowth-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/

What does “whole-person medicine” actually mean? 🌿It doesn’t mean choosing “alternative” medicine instead of conventiona...
08/26/2026

What does “whole-person medicine” actually mean? 🌿

It doesn’t mean choosing “alternative” medicine instead of conventional medicine. It means recognizing that your health doesn’t exist in separate little boxes.

A headache may involve more than your head. Fatigue may involve more than sleep. Digestive symptoms, pain, anxiety, hormones, nutrition, medications, movement, stress, and environment can all intersect.

Whole-person care considers things like:

🩺 Your medical history and current symptoms
💊 Medications and supplements
🥗 Nutrition
😴 Sleep
🏃 Movement and physical function
🧠 Mental and emotional health
🌿 Stress and environment
🤝 Relationships and support systems
🔎 Prevention and long-term health

It also means using appropriate labs, imaging, medications, referrals, therapy, lifestyle changes, osteopathic treatment, and other evidence-based care when they’re needed.

Whole-person medicine isn’t about rejecting conventional care. It’s about refusing to forget the person while treating the condition.

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we believe understanding the whole picture helps us provide more thoughtful, individualized care.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about our approach.

What exactly is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment? 👐OMT, or Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, is a hands-on approach ...
08/24/2026

What exactly is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment? 👐

OMT, or Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, is a hands-on approach used by specially trained osteopathic physicians, like Dr. Starkman, to evaluate and treat the musculoskeletal system and how it may be affecting the rest of the body.

Depending on the person and the concern, treatment may involve gentle stretching, pressure, resistance, positioning, or other hands-on techniques designed to improve motion and function.

OMT may be used as part of care for concerns such as:

🌿 Back or neck discomfort
🦴 Joint and muscle tension
🤕 Certain types of headaches
🏃 Movement restrictions
💛 Recovery from some musculoskeletal injuries

But osteopathic medicine isn’t simply about “adjusting” something that is out of place.

Dr. Starkman, DO, is fully licensed physician who practices medicine, prescribes medications, orders testing, and provides conventional medical care. Osteopathic training simply adds another lens: structure and function are connected, and the ENTIRE person matters.

OMT is one tool within that larger approach, and whether it’s appropriate depends on the individual.

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we combine medical care with an osteopathic, whole-person perspective to help understand what may be contributing to how you feel and function.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more.

🌿🧠Is it hormones…or something else? 🧠🌿For many women, changes in energy, mood, sleep, weight, periods, or mental clarity...
08/24/2026

🌿🧠Is it hormones…or something else? 🧠🌿

For many women, changes in energy, mood, sleep, weight, periods, or mental clarity can quickly get labeled as “hormonal.”

And sometimes hormones really are part of the picture.

Changes related to the menstrual cycle, postpartum period, perimenopause, menopause, thyroid function, or other hormonal shifts can affect how you feel. But similar symptoms can also be influenced by iron deficiency, blood sugar changes, nutrition, medications, chronic stress, poor sleep, and other health conditions.

That’s why symptoms like:

🌙 disrupted sleep
😩 fatigue
🧠 brain fog
💛 mood changes
⚖️ unexplained weight changes
🩸 heavier, lighter, irregular, or changing cycles
🔥 changes that seem to appear around perimenopause or menopause

deserve more than a quick assumption that “it’s just your hormones.”

A whole-person evaluation looks at your symptoms, menstrual and reproductive history, stage of life, medications, sleep, nutrition, stress, health history, and appropriate lab testing together.

The goal isn’t to blame everything on hormones or dismiss hormonal changes entirely. It’s to understand what is changing in your body, what else may be contributing, and what kind of support actually makes sense for you.

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we believe women deserve to have their symptoms taken seriously and evaluated as part of the whole picture.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about our whole-person approach to women’s health.

School lunches don’t have to be Pinterest-perfect to be nourishing. 🍎🥪For growing kids and teens, the goal is simple: gi...
08/22/2026

School lunches don’t have to be Pinterest-perfect to be nourishing. 🍎🥪

For growing kids and teens, the goal is simple: give them enough fuel to support energy, focus, mood, movement, and a long school day.

A helpful formula is:

🥚 Protein — turkey, cheese, yogurt, eggs, hummus, chicken
🥪 Carbohydrate — bread, wraps, crackers, rice, pasta, pita
🍓 Fruit or veggie — whatever they’ll actually eat
💧 Hydration — don’t forget the water bottle
🍪 Something they enjoy — because satisfaction matters too

Easy combinations might look like:

• Turkey + cheese wrap, grapes, cucumbers, crackers
• Greek yogurt, granola, berries, and a muffin
• Hummus, pita, carrots, cheese cubes, and fruit
• SunButter sandwich, banana, pretzels, and yogurt
• Leftover chicken or pasta with fruit and a favorite snack

And remember: enough food matters. Growing bodies, active kids, and hungry teenagers may need more than we expect.

Healthy eating isn’t about creating a “perfect” lunch. It’s about offering consistent nourishment, variety, and foods your child will realistically eat.

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we believe nutrition is one piece of whole-person health and supporting growing bodies well.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about our whole-person approach to family wellness.

Why does my child seem to fall apart the second they get home from school? 🧠💛Sometimes the after-school meltdown isn’t a...
08/22/2026

Why does my child seem to fall apart the second they get home from school? 🧠💛

Sometimes the after-school meltdown isn’t about bad behavior. It’s about a nervous system that has been working hard all day. Kids may spend hours navigating noise, transitions, social expectations, concentrating, following directions, sitting still, managing emotions, and keeping themselves together. Add hunger, thirst, fatigue, or sensory overload, and home may be the first place they finally feel safe enough to release it all.

That can look like:

😣 Irritability or tears
😴 Exhaustion
🍎 Suddenly being very hungry
🤯 Meltdowns over seemingly small things
🙅 Not wanting to talk about their day
📱 Wanting to completely zone out

Instead of immediately asking, “What’s wrong?”, try helping their body settle first.

🌿 Offer a snack and water
🤍 Give them a little decompression time
🏃 Let them move their body
🌳 Spend a few minutes outside
🔇 Reduce unnecessary noise and stimulation
💬 Save questions about their day until they’ve had time to reset

Every child is different, and ongoing or significant changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or functioning deserve a closer look.

From an osteopathic and whole-person perspective, we consider the entire child: physical health, sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, environment, and emotional well-being.

Sometimes they don’t need to “behave better.” They need a little help transitioning from holding it together to feeling safe enough to settle.

🌿 Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about whole-person care for children and families.

Not sure if it’s allergies or a cold? 🤧🌿They can look really similar, but a few clues can help:Allergies are more likely...
08/18/2026

Not sure if it’s allergies or a cold? 🤧🌿

They can look really similar, but a few clues can help:

Allergies are more likely to cause sneezing, itchy eyes, clear runny nose, and symptoms that stick around or flare with certain triggers like pollen, dust, or pets.

A cold is more likely to come with sore throat, body aches, fatigue, thicker mucus, and symptoms that usually improve within about 7–10 days.

If your symptoms keep lingering, keep coming back, or you’re not sure what your body is trying to tell you, it may be time to look a little deeper.

Save this post for later and share it with someone who’s currently asking, “Wait… is this allergies or am I getting sick?” 💛

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about our whole-person approach to health and wellness.

It’s not only what you eat. How quickly you eat matters, too. 🍽️When meals are rushed, it can be harder to notice your b...
08/11/2026

It’s not only what you eat. How quickly you eat matters, too. 🍽️

When meals are rushed, it can be harder to notice your body’s fullness cues before you’ve already eaten past comfortable satisfaction. Eating quickly may also contribute to bloating, indigestion, and reflux for some people.

Slowing down gives your digestive system and brain a little more time to communicate.

Try making meals just a little more intentional:

🍴 Put your fork down between bites
🥣 Chew thoroughly before taking the next bite
📵 Step away from screens when you can
🌿 Take a few slow breaths before eating
💛 Pause halfway through and notice how your body feels

You don’t need to count every chew or turn dinner into another wellness assignment. Simply creating a little more space around your meals can help you become more aware of hunger, fullness, and how different foods make you feel.

At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we believe whole-person wellness includes not only what we eat, but the everyday habits and environments surrounding our health.

Visit OHADPC.com to connect with us and find support on your wellness journey.

Anxiety in preteens and teens doesn’t always look like “worry.” 🧠💛It can show up as headaches, stomachaches, trouble sle...
08/10/2026

Anxiety in preteens and teens doesn’t always look like “worry.” 🧠💛

It can show up as headaches, stomachaches, trouble sleeping, irritability, muscle tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, avoidance, or feeling overwhelmed by things that once felt manageable.

When anxiety is persistent or begins interfering with school, friendships, sleep, family life, or everyday activities, it deserves to be taken seriously.

A whole-person approach doesn’t ask only, “How do we make the anxiety stop?” It also looks at the many things that can support a young person’s overall well-being:

🌿 restorative sleep
🥗 consistent nutrition
🏃 regular movement
📱 breaks from constant stimulation
☀️ time outdoors
🤍 safe, judgment-free connection
🫁 breathing, grounding, and mindfulness tools

These habits can support the nervous system, but they are not a replacement for mental health care when it’s needed.

From an osteopathic perspective, we recognize that mental and physical health are deeply connected. Anxiety can have very real physical effects, including headaches, digestive discomfort, muscle tension, changes in breathing, fatigue, and sleep difficulties.

Whole-person care may include therapy, medical evaluation, and medication when appropriate, while also considering sleep, nutrition, movement, physical symptoms, stress, and environment.

Sometimes one of the most important things we can tell a young person is:

“What you’re feeling is real. We’re going to take it seriously, listen to what you’re experiencing, and help you find the support you need.”

🌿 At Osteopathic Healing Arts Direct Primary Care, we care for children and teens as whole people.

Visit OHADPC.com to learn more about how we can support your family’s health and wellness journey.

Address

333 E. Illinois Rt. 83, Suite 106
Mundelein, IL
60060

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+12244240168

Website

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