Gary Kaplan, D.O.
 Founder and Medical Director
Board Certifications: Family Medicine, Pain Medicine, & Medical Acupuncture
Fellow, American Board of Medical Acupuncture
Associate Professor, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Gary Kaplan, D.O., is the founder and medical director of The Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is one of only 19 physicians in the country board-certified in both family medicine and pain medicine. He is also board-certified in Medical Acupuncture and is a fellow of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture.
In 1985, Dr. Kaplan created the Kaplan Medical Center to offer patients suffering with chronic pain and illness a more effective model of medical care. Utilizing a broad range of conventional and alternative medicine strategies, the Center’s physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, dietitian and physical therapists collaborate closely on patients’ progress, sharing their insights and treatment recommendations to ensure the best outcome for each patient. This coordinated, multidisciplinary approach has proved to be highly effective — especially for patients suffering with complex and longstanding medical problems.
In seeking the best outcomes possible for patients, Dr. Kaplan has studied and practiced Osteopathic Manual Medicine, emergency medicine, medical acupuncture, family medicine, pain medicine and herbal medicine. Dr. Kaplan explains, "My commitment is to take the time to listen carefully to patients so I can understand how and when the pain problem started, what treatments have been tried, and what has and hasn't worked in the past. My approach is offer to each patient their own individualized treatment program, integrating, as appropriate, both conventional and alternative medical approaches. My goal is to provide evidence-based medical care that supports and enhances each patient's natural ability to heal."
In response to growing numbers of patients presenting with heavy metal toxicity, Dr. Kaplan was recently was certified by The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), in the science and practice of chelation therapy. After graduating from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa and completing his residency training at Georgetown University/Providence Hospital's Family Practice Residency Program, Dr. Kaplan was trained in acupuncture at the University of California's Los Angeles School of Medicine Extension.
Dr. Kaplan worked with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish acupuncture as a medically effective treatment for a range of chronic pain problems. He has trained physicians in medical acupuncture through the Helms Institute for Medical Acupuncture, sponsored by the UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Kaplan also served on the NIH Consensus Panel that authored a paper on the Treatment of Chronic Pain & Insomia with Relaxation Techniques.
A clinical associate professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Kaplan was one of the directors of a $1.7 million NIH grant that funded an educational initiative to incorporate complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine into Georgetown's medical curriculum.
A past president of both the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation and the Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, Dr. Kaplan has written and lectured extensively on acupuncture and integrating complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of pain and chronic illness. The media have sought out his expertise and he has appeared on news programs such as Fox News 5, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN News, and NPR's Diane Rehm Show. His comments regarding acupuncture and other alternative therapies have been quoted by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is a frequent guest on call-in health radio shows.
Washingtonian Magazine has included Dr. Kaplan in its list of the "Best Doctors in the Washington, DC Area," and Checkbook Magazine recognized the Kaplan Medical Center for providing consumers with a "great value - outstanding services, reasonably priced."
Dr. Kaplan frequently writes and speaks on a variety of medical topics. Please find samples below:
Video: Migraines & What You Can Do to Avoid Them
Video: Diagnosing & Treating Celiac Disease
Article: Celiac Disease & Thyroid Disease - Overlap of Symptoms but Distinctly Different Diagnosis & Treatment This article was published in the November 2010 edition of "Today's Dietician." The American College of Gastroenterology also featured this article as the top story in their daily email newsletter on November 19, 2010.
Article: Sleep Disorders: How They Affect Us & How To Lay Them to Rest.
Article: Meditation, Can It Help Reduce Your Pain? | 
