Hello Folks and Welcome to all who are interested in Naturopathic Medicine. I want to use this blog to discuss aspects of natural medicine that interest YOU, so please comment and let me know what you'd like to talk about within the realm of natural healthcare. I am a licensed naturopathic doctor, in private practice in San Francisco. I've been practicing for 12 years, treating people of all ages and conditions. I have a chronic condition myself - rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - which has forced me to steepen my learning curve in a timely manner to get this autoimmune condition under control before it ruined my quality of life. I can say with conviction and certainty that natural medicine should be the primary approach with chronic conditions. Managing a condition longterm with pharmaceuticals is simply unsustainable: eventually the side-effects of the drug will make it unuseable. One example of this is the gastritis or kidney damage that arises from the longterm use of NSAIDS for arthritis. And then, for many people trying to manage conditions longterm with drugs, the body adapts and the drugs no longer work (case in point: anti-hypertensives or pain meds,) making it necessary to continually raise the dose or pile on more and more drugs. There is a place for pharmaceuticals in medicine, but generally that place is in the treatment of acute conditions (such as trauma or infection,) rather than those that we have to manage over the long haul. Unfortunately for the American healthcare consumer, Big Pharma has made sure that drugs form the bedrock of treatment for virtually every patient seeking health within the conventional medicine paradigm.
When I see a patient for the first time, that visit is 1-1/2 hours long. (The title of this blog relates to the fact that, at the end of that hour and 1/2, you get a comprehensive treatment plan and all of the recommended supplements are provided at no additional cost.) I really try to get a good picture of who a new client is - physically and mentally. My experience with RA has reinforced the notion that there really is no separation of body and mind. A huge part of my own personal wellness plan is managing stress, finding peace within, and harmonizing mind and body. Of course, I take my share of supplements too. I love the fact that naturopathic medicine addresses the mind/body connection in so many ways. For example, the herb ginger root, when used fresh rather than dried, is revered in traditional East Indian medicine as being a harmonizer between body and mind (I take 2 tsp. of freshly juiced ginger root everyday.) Constitutional Homeopathy affects the mind-body axis in such a major way that there are NDs and a few psychiatrists who use it exclusively for mental conditions. When people talk of Mind/Body medicine, they usually imagine meditation or counseling. I have been astounded again and again in my twelve years of practice, at the extent to which almost all natural medicine treats the person holistically.
The 2000 or so of us licensed naturopathic doctors that are practicing in this country would like to play a bigger role in the transformation of our healthcare system. Everyday I read an article bemoaning the shortage of primary care practicioners in this country. There is no good reason why NDs cannot fill that need. An ND should be the FIRST doctor seen - not the final desperate visit after every other more invasive form of medicine has failed. Doesn't it make sense to try the least toxic possibility first? If people across the country became more aware of natural medicine and demand it of their insurance companies, they'll increase their coverage of our services and nutritional supplements. Naturopathic medicine stresses prevention and wellness (which means really feeling well, not just "not sick.".) People don't realize how much control they have over how they feel. Naturopathic medicine puts the power of attaining and maintaining optimal health in the hands of the patient. It's your body, your mind, your life. Let's talk about how to feel great!
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