Key Services of Our General Practice

• Check-up 35 for individuals aged 35 and over, every 3 years; one-time check-up for 18- to 34-year-olds
• Annual cancer screening for men aged 45 and over
• Skin cancer screening every 2 years from age 35
• One-time ultrasound screening for early detection of abdominal aortic aneurysms for men aged 65 and over
• Routine vaccinations
• Minor surgery and wound care
• Basic psychosomatic care
• Home visits
• Participation in Disease Management Programs (Coronary Heart Disease, Asthma, COPD, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus)
• Pre-operative assessments
• Adolescent health check-ups
• Occupational health examinations for young people

• Ultrasound
• Resting ECG
• Blood pressure diagnostics including long-term blood pressure monitoring
• Pulmonary function test
• Laboratory tests (blood, urine, stool)
• Throat and wound swabs
• ABI measurement for detecting circulatory disorders (heart attack and stroke risk)

Holiday trips and business stays take us to increasingly distant countries around the world. Their climatic and geographical conditions make individual health counseling an important part of every travel preparation.

The type and duration of the trip, as well as the season, also play a role in addition to personal constitution.

As a physician trained in travel medicine, Dr. Olszewski will inform you about potential health risks and discuss with you which preventive measures and vaccinations are necessary and whether malaria prophylaxis is advisable. Even after your trip, you can contact us with any health problems that may arise.

Please schedule an appointment for travel counseling as early as possible, so that vaccinations can be completed in good time before your trip begins. Please note that some vaccinations – e.g., rabies – must be administered multiple times: It takes approximately 4 – 6 weeks to build up immunity.

Travel medicine consultations and vaccinations are not included in the scope of services covered by statutory health insurance. Private health insurance companies also generally do not cover the costs. Therefore, you will receive an invoice from us based on the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ), which depends on the type and extent of the consultation. You can submit this invoice to your health insurance company, which usually reimburses at least a portion of the costs as a voluntary benefit. Further information on travel medicine can be found on the website of the Centre for Travel Medicine at: www.crm.de

Focusing on the person and their quality of life – and not just the illness

When people are so severely ill that a cure is no longer possible – for example, with an incurable cancer – palliative medical treatment comes to the forefront. The goal of palliative medicine is to help those affected achieve the best possible quality of life during the time they have left. To this end, palliative medicine combines medical treatment with compassionate care, assistance with practical and organizational matters, and support through emotional and spiritual attention.

Approach to Palliative Medicine: Like a protective cloak

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as follows: “Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.”

The term “palliative” is derived from the Latin word “pallium” = cloak. This refers to the approach of palliative medicine, which is to wrap a cloak around those affected, providing protective care during their final phase of life: Accompanying them until death, alleviating pain, easing fears, providing a sense of security – palliative medicine supports patients and their families in diverse and comprehensive ways.

Palliative Medicine Services

Palliative medicine became established in Germany at the beginning of the 1980s. Since practical experience has shown how successfully palliative care can support patients, palliative medicine is continuously being expanded in Germany.

In palliative medicine, treatment is primarily palliative (and not curative). The main focus is on symptom relief and reducing the physical pain and discomfort of patients, such as loss of appetite, nausea, shortness of breath in advanced tumor diseases or organ diseases. Measures here can include, for example, pain therapy, but also respiratory therapies or massages.

In addition, psychosocial support and assistance for patients and their families form an important part of palliative medicine. This involves addressing emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs, for example, in the form of grief counseling, discussions about fears, (unresolved) problems, worries, and distress that arise from the direct confrontation with a life-limiting illness, with dying and death. Palliative medicine also provides advisory and supportive assistance to patients and their families in coping with any existing social and/or organizational challenges (such as drafting powers of attorney and living wills, organizing home care, etc.).

It is important to note: In palliative medicine, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment. Maintaining quality of life means something different for every critically ill and dying person. The treatment approach of palliative medicine is to support patients in shaping their own lives until death and experiencing it with dignity.

Understanding death and dying as part of life – we accompany you

Palliative medical treatment is interdisciplinary and multiprofessional: Among others, nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and chaplains are active in palliative medicine. Palliative care is available for patients in inpatient settings, in hospices and palliative care units, but also on an outpatient basis for people who wish to remain in their own homes and whose condition allows it.

If you require palliative medical care, please contact us – we are here for you.

Acupuncture (from Latin acus = needle, punctio = puncture) originated in China. As a treatment method of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture has been used there for approximately 3000 years for a variety of illnesses. It is based on the energy concept of Yin and Yang, which are in balance in a healthy body. In TCM, it is assumed that illnesses occur when the flow of life energy Qi is disturbed by an imbalance of these energies. Acupuncture’s task is to allow Qi to flow freely again and to restore the harmony of Yin and Yang in the body.

How does an acupuncture treatment proceed?

Acupuncture treatments usually take place while lying down. Depending on the illness or pain, sterile single-use needles, which are specially ground, are inserted at selected points. Patients only occasionally feel a minimal prick. After some time, a dull sensation of heaviness or warmth may develop in the treated areas. After 20-30 minutes, the needles are removed. Additionally, there are techniques that work with heat (moxibustion), laser, or subliminal electrical stimulation.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is a stimulation therapy and aims to stimulate the body’s own regulatory mechanisms and self-healing powers. In TCM, it is assumed that with each needle prick, energy is either supplied to or withdrawn from the body. There are 361 acupuncture points, each of which is assigned to specific organs, bodily functions, or illnesses. Through the delicate needle pricks, blockages are released in the 14 meridians or energy pathways that run through our body according to TCM, thus restoring the balance of energies.

For approximately 40 years, acupuncture has also been present in Europe as an alternative natural healing treatment, offered primarily by pain clinics and private practitioners. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of acupuncture. Mechanisms of action of acupuncture include:

• Pain relief
• Regulation of muscle tension
• Regulation of hormonal cycles
• Improved blood circulation
• Balancing effect on the autonomic nervous system
• Balancing psychological effect

What conditions can acupuncture help with?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a list of currently about 100 diseases for which acupuncture is recommended as a therapy. This list is based on studies indicating that acupuncture can be as effective as or more effective than conventional therapies and medications for:

• Chronic headaches
• Chronic back pain
• Chronic spinal disorders
• Tennis elbow
• Menstrual problems
• Childbirth support
• Sleep disorders
• Hay fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Allergic asthma, rheumatism, and addiction withdrawal (nicotine)
• Stress

Since 2007, statutory health insurance companies have covered the costs of acupuncture treatments for chronic lower back pain and knee joint pain. However, certain conditions must be met: Firstly, the treatment must be performed by qualified physicians. Secondly, chronic pain in the lower back or knees must have persisted for at least six months. Furthermore, many health insurance companies voluntarily pay for or subsidize the costs of acupuncture for other conditions as well.

Various institutions such as schools, sports clubs, employers, or insurance providers (life insurance, occupational disability insurance) often require health examinations.

These usually include an extended medical history, a complete physical examination, laboratory tests, possibly further examinations (such as ECG, lung function), vaccination status, and a summarizing statement from the physician. These are usually not covered by statutory health insurance and must therefore be paid for privately. Please feel free to contact us regarding this!