Well, here I am in the midst of writing a somewhat professorial blog about integrative health, when lo and behold I find myself putting it all into practice. At work four days ago, I was aware of some low back pain I attributed to my new free weights and mat workout with Dave, a former fitness trainer and current vintage hunk. As my shift continued, the pain intensified, until I got a glimmer that the only times I have felt compelled to press my lower back into an available wall were when I had a kidney stone and when I was in preterm labour. Knowing that I was not possibly in preterm labour, I trotted (yeah, right...) off to go pee on a stick (not the pregnancy kind). With a moderate amount of blood showing on the urinalysis, I concluded that my old nemesis, the kidney stone, was back. I defied all exhortations to go to the ER (but only after completing my shift, of course), preferring instead my warm, cozy bed to the plastic-covered slabs in the hospital and Dave's light, occasional snoring to a roomful of IV pump alarms, snoring and coughing (for my American audience, Canadian hospitals typically have ward rooms of three to four or more patients per room, and not usually same sex patients at that). Dave's energy work saw me through much of my last kidney stone experience, and I was confident in relying upon that. Dave was at work at the health food store, so he brought home chanca piedra and serrapeptidase for me to take, the former to dissolve the stone and the latter to relieve inflammation and pain. He studied up on alkalizing foods and we settled in for a night of reiki, reflexology, and diluted apple juice (locally produced, of course).
By Day Three it was apparent that no immediate progress was ensuing, so I made an appointment with my new primary provider, a general practitioner I know from the hospital who is interested in CAM. Her locum tenens was covering for her, but he concluded his interview with me by ordering a CT scan and bloodwork, and remarking that ordinarily he would prescribe NSAIDs, but if I was happy with what I was doing already to keep doing it. Wow--no condescension, no argument!
By that afternoon, the vomiting began--with a vengeance. I advised Dave that I was now ready to present to the ER. First order of the day--a normal saline IV and repeat urinalysis. And waiting...five or six hours later (no quicker, regrettably, than U.S. ERs) the news was, no kidney stone, but major uterine and ovarian issues. Hence the feeling of being in preterm labour again.
So, nothing is urgent at this point and we can ride it out for a few weeks to see what transpires in my pelvic cavity. I continue on the serrapeptidase to decrease inflammation but with my history, I'm hanging on to the chanca piedra for later. Dave has upped his energy work on me, and I anticipate these issues will resolve with all this intervention and energy. If not, though, I'm ready to "get it fixed". Through it all, I have been very pleased with the level of openness of my allopathic practitioners. Could it be that we really ARE moving towards integration of ALL best practices? ~Whitney
28 November 2009
27 November 2009
Biologically Based Practices of CAM
Wow, where do I even start with this broad topic? (How about by explaining it?) Biologically Based Practices include the use of substances that are derived from nature. Mostly these are botanical, or from plant sources, but some treatments come from animal parts. Some examples of animal sourced treatments include fish-derived omega 3 oils, oyster-shell calcium (one of the least bioavailable forms of this mineral, BTW), honey and bee pollen, and shark cartilage. Additionally, many traditional indigenous healers around the globe use plant and animal (and mineral) parts both directly and energetically in healing treatments and ceremonies.
Which one(s) will work for you and your situation? That's a rather impossible question to answer; i.e., it really does depend on whose book you use to gather your information. Many sources differ in their suggestions, despite the fact that most have done their homework and offer the most allegedly accurate of findings. There is good (meaning, accurate and thorough) information available on the Web, but you will have to navigate around quite a bit of inaccuracy to find it. We'll have some hints and tips for researching health on the internet in a later post.
There is no panacea. There is no Magic Pill or Bullet. All remedies, no matter how 'natural' and effective, can't do the identical job for everyone. Considering that we consist of trillions of cells, it makes sense that we would differ in our responses to the same stimulus.
Even products deemed 'natural' leave much to be desired, for they are often compiled or concocted in the laboratory. Few supplements on today's shelves are completely natural; they couldn't be since Nature didn't grow a capsule or tablet. These substances have their place; don't get me wrong. But after working in this business for so many years (40+ for Dave--before Whitney was even born [just kidding]), it has come to my attention that few substances in supplemental form began anywhere but a lab.
Biologically based therapies, such as herbs, are not strictly regulated in the United States or Canada. Potential variations in potency and concentration of the therapeutic substance in a remedy can occur anywhere from the farm or habitat through the production to even transport and time on the shelf. For this reason, it is important to look for guaranteed potency products and buy from a knowledgeable, reliable merchant with good turn-over of product.
Look for substances that have been extracted from raw, organic foods, for example. Another example of a natural and effective product may be found in the form of a tincture or liquid extract - derived from an organic source of course.
Bottom line here is that there is no substance - regardless of how natural or allegedly powerful it may be - that works equally well and is suitable for everyone. Such a creature does not exist. Or, if it does, it has eluded me for over 40 years.
One final, but critical, consideration for using biologically based therapies: If you are pregnant or have altered liver or kidney function, only use these products under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider. Same goes for use in children and the elderly, or those with chronic conditions such as glaucoma, heart disease, diabetes, and any other condition requiring frequent monitoring and treatment. Know that these products MAY interact with other herbals or pharmaceuticals, so consult a pharmacist if you take any medications or other herbals before adding a new remedy. ~Dave (and Whitney)
Which one(s) will work for you and your situation? That's a rather impossible question to answer; i.e., it really does depend on whose book you use to gather your information. Many sources differ in their suggestions, despite the fact that most have done their homework and offer the most allegedly accurate of findings. There is good (meaning, accurate and thorough) information available on the Web, but you will have to navigate around quite a bit of inaccuracy to find it. We'll have some hints and tips for researching health on the internet in a later post.
There is no panacea. There is no Magic Pill or Bullet. All remedies, no matter how 'natural' and effective, can't do the identical job for everyone. Considering that we consist of trillions of cells, it makes sense that we would differ in our responses to the same stimulus.
Even products deemed 'natural' leave much to be desired, for they are often compiled or concocted in the laboratory. Few supplements on today's shelves are completely natural; they couldn't be since Nature didn't grow a capsule or tablet. These substances have their place; don't get me wrong. But after working in this business for so many years (40+ for Dave--before Whitney was even born [just kidding]), it has come to my attention that few substances in supplemental form began anywhere but a lab.
Biologically based therapies, such as herbs, are not strictly regulated in the United States or Canada. Potential variations in potency and concentration of the therapeutic substance in a remedy can occur anywhere from the farm or habitat through the production to even transport and time on the shelf. For this reason, it is important to look for guaranteed potency products and buy from a knowledgeable, reliable merchant with good turn-over of product.
Look for substances that have been extracted from raw, organic foods, for example. Another example of a natural and effective product may be found in the form of a tincture or liquid extract - derived from an organic source of course.
Bottom line here is that there is no substance - regardless of how natural or allegedly powerful it may be - that works equally well and is suitable for everyone. Such a creature does not exist. Or, if it does, it has eluded me for over 40 years.
One final, but critical, consideration for using biologically based therapies: If you are pregnant or have altered liver or kidney function, only use these products under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider. Same goes for use in children and the elderly, or those with chronic conditions such as glaucoma, heart disease, diabetes, and any other condition requiring frequent monitoring and treatment. Know that these products MAY interact with other herbals or pharmaceuticals, so consult a pharmacist if you take any medications or other herbals before adding a new remedy. ~Dave (and Whitney)
25 November 2009
Body/Mind Medicine
Body/mind medicine uses the concept of wholism to produce balance in a person's body, mind, and spirit by effecting a change in one or more of these. Examples of body/mind medicine include prayer, meditation, yoga, creative therapies such as art therapy, and support groups.
Hans Selye was an early researcher into body/mind medicine when he proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome (yes, GAS--oh, that Hans!) Because of Hans and his GAS, today we understand that our bodies don't differentiate between a physical stress or an emotional one, or even between a real threat and an imagined one. Whether you encounter a mother grizzly bear on your hike or simply THINK that the movement you see up ahead is a bear, your heartbeat quickens, you might begin to shake, and your entire being moves into a "fight or flight" response. This is pure, unadulterated survival. When a person no longer turns off the adrenaline flow and moves into chronic, low level stress, however, the body begins to wear out and fail. Often the person then goes to an allopathic medical doctor to "get fixed"--and depending on how long the person has maintained this stress, she or he might indeed need a few parts "fixed". Because of the interrelatedness of our beings, though, simply altering how we perceive ourselves and our lives can bring about physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. Namaste. ~Whitney
Hans Selye was an early researcher into body/mind medicine when he proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome (yes, GAS--oh, that Hans!) Because of Hans and his GAS, today we understand that our bodies don't differentiate between a physical stress or an emotional one, or even between a real threat and an imagined one. Whether you encounter a mother grizzly bear on your hike or simply THINK that the movement you see up ahead is a bear, your heartbeat quickens, you might begin to shake, and your entire being moves into a "fight or flight" response. This is pure, unadulterated survival. When a person no longer turns off the adrenaline flow and moves into chronic, low level stress, however, the body begins to wear out and fail. Often the person then goes to an allopathic medical doctor to "get fixed"--and depending on how long the person has maintained this stress, she or he might indeed need a few parts "fixed". Because of the interrelatedness of our beings, though, simply altering how we perceive ourselves and our lives can bring about physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. Namaste. ~Whitney
24 November 2009
An Overview of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary medicine includes healing practices carried out alongside, or in complement to, allopathic medicine. Alternative medicine are those practices done in lieu of, or as an alternative to, allopathic medicine.
CAM (complementary/alternative medicine) differs from allopathic medicine in a number of ways. Recall that allopathic medicine is reductionistic (the person is reduced to a series of parts) and mechanistic (the body behaves predictably, similar to a machine). CAM, in contrast, is wholistic (the person is a whole being rather than the sum of parts) and individualistic (each person is a unique being). These philosophical underpinnings become more important when facing healthcare, especially treatment, decisions. More on that in a later post.
Those in the allopathic realm of healing often dismiss CAM as unproven and anecdotal, meaning that CAM relies on individual experiences rather than on the results of the carefully controlled clinical trials that are the "gold standard" of research into allopathic medicine. Indeed, the very existence of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is to provide support for and dispersal of research findings into CAM. However, recall that the philosophical underpinnings of the two approaches differ in how they even perceive the nature of a human being. While clinical trials supporting CAM practices are extremely valuable, many of the concepts underlying some CAM practices defy control and manipulation by traditional quantitative research methods. Many CAM practitioners believe that it is more effective and safer to treat a person based upon his or her individual nature than it is to apply a treatment that has been generalized to a faceless crowd. Another way of looking at this is "shooting a gnat with a cannonball".
CAM includes four categories of healing interventions: body/mind medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body based practices, and energy medicine. These categories are frequently used in conjunction with one another, and occasionally a healing action could conceivably fall into more than one category. For example, homeopathic remedies often crossover between biologically based and energy medicine--being plant-, mineral-, or animal-based but working on an energetic level. So these four categories are not at all mutually-exclusive. Despite this, that's how we'll discuss them in upcoming posts. ~Whitney
CAM (complementary/alternative medicine) differs from allopathic medicine in a number of ways. Recall that allopathic medicine is reductionistic (the person is reduced to a series of parts) and mechanistic (the body behaves predictably, similar to a machine). CAM, in contrast, is wholistic (the person is a whole being rather than the sum of parts) and individualistic (each person is a unique being). These philosophical underpinnings become more important when facing healthcare, especially treatment, decisions. More on that in a later post.
Those in the allopathic realm of healing often dismiss CAM as unproven and anecdotal, meaning that CAM relies on individual experiences rather than on the results of the carefully controlled clinical trials that are the "gold standard" of research into allopathic medicine. Indeed, the very existence of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is to provide support for and dispersal of research findings into CAM. However, recall that the philosophical underpinnings of the two approaches differ in how they even perceive the nature of a human being. While clinical trials supporting CAM practices are extremely valuable, many of the concepts underlying some CAM practices defy control and manipulation by traditional quantitative research methods. Many CAM practitioners believe that it is more effective and safer to treat a person based upon his or her individual nature than it is to apply a treatment that has been generalized to a faceless crowd. Another way of looking at this is "shooting a gnat with a cannonball".
CAM includes four categories of healing interventions: body/mind medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body based practices, and energy medicine. These categories are frequently used in conjunction with one another, and occasionally a healing action could conceivably fall into more than one category. For example, homeopathic remedies often crossover between biologically based and energy medicine--being plant-, mineral-, or animal-based but working on an energetic level. So these four categories are not at all mutually-exclusive. Despite this, that's how we'll discuss them in upcoming posts. ~Whitney
19 November 2009
An Overview of Allopathic Medicine: Fixin' What's Broke
Allopathic medicine is the healing system with which most North Americans and Europeans are familiar. The term "allopathic" refers to treating illnesses ("-pathy") by administering the opposite ("allo-"). For example, medical doctors have traditionally prescribed antipyretics (such as acetaminophen/Tylenol[tm]) to reduce a fever. I say "traditionally" because, as the world of medicine and healing moves towards integrating the best of all healing systems (albeit at glacial speed), even medical doctors are beginning to view a low-grade fever as a normal process the body uses to protect itself from "pathogens gone wild". (Wow, now THERE'S a blog title for an epidemiologist, eh?) Makes sense--most pathogens (organisms capable of causing illness) have a very narrow tolerance for temperatures before they stop reproducing--preferring something along the lines of 98.6F/37C. Kick up the body temperature even a couple of degrees and suddenly the pathogenic version of Spring Break in Miami Beach turns into just another weeknight in the college library for the little germs (referring to the pathogens, not college students). A non-reproducing pathogen is a dead pathogen, once the rest of the body's immune response kicks in.
Allopathic medicine has evolved to a current focus on illnesses, their identification and treatment. In this system, human beings are viewed as a whole comprised of various parts--cells (reduced further to organelles and chemical components), tissues, organs, organ systems. These parts can wear out or break, or sometimes are simply "factory seconds" right from the beginning. The role of allopathic medicine, then, is to fix these parts. Obviously, when a bone breaks and the ends are out of alignment, it's an extremely good idea, brilliant even, to pull those bone ends back together and then stabilize the area until the bone heals. Alternatives are just not going to have the same success, and indeed energy work such as reiki is considered by many of its practitioners as contraindicated (meaning, DON'T DO IT) in this situation, until the bone ends are realigned and stabilized. This is the clearest, least controversial example I could imagine to illustrate the allopathic philosophy, methodology, and goals. Less clear, but equally allopathic "fixin' what's broke" is the use of medications. Blood sugar high because your pancreas isn't kicking out insulin like it used to? We've got drugs for that. Blood sugar high because your cells don't recognize insulin like they used to? We've got OTHER drugs for that. Sure, you should balance your macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and get off your duff, too. An especially enlightened physician would even address stress management with you. But you will rest assured that your doctor has scientifically developed, controlled potency, synthetic cures and treatments refined to target precisely what's wrong.
So, to summarize, the allopathic system of medicine and healing maintains a reductionistic (reducing a whole to its most basic parts) and mechanistic (viewing the body as a machine that behaves mechanically and predictably) perspective. This perspective is borne of the Scientific Method, a protocol for controlling and quantifying natural phenomena to gain understanding and, ultimately, manage these phenomena clinically. Sounds geeky and a bit overwhelming? So does Star Wars, and you like that, don't you? You don't? Me, neither--but I do find science interesting and fun, and important to understand even just a little, to make educated decisions about our health. Read on for discussions of other systems--it won't hurt...much... ~Whitney
Allopathic medicine has evolved to a current focus on illnesses, their identification and treatment. In this system, human beings are viewed as a whole comprised of various parts--cells (reduced further to organelles and chemical components), tissues, organs, organ systems. These parts can wear out or break, or sometimes are simply "factory seconds" right from the beginning. The role of allopathic medicine, then, is to fix these parts. Obviously, when a bone breaks and the ends are out of alignment, it's an extremely good idea, brilliant even, to pull those bone ends back together and then stabilize the area until the bone heals. Alternatives are just not going to have the same success, and indeed energy work such as reiki is considered by many of its practitioners as contraindicated (meaning, DON'T DO IT) in this situation, until the bone ends are realigned and stabilized. This is the clearest, least controversial example I could imagine to illustrate the allopathic philosophy, methodology, and goals. Less clear, but equally allopathic "fixin' what's broke" is the use of medications. Blood sugar high because your pancreas isn't kicking out insulin like it used to? We've got drugs for that. Blood sugar high because your cells don't recognize insulin like they used to? We've got OTHER drugs for that. Sure, you should balance your macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and get off your duff, too. An especially enlightened physician would even address stress management with you. But you will rest assured that your doctor has scientifically developed, controlled potency, synthetic cures and treatments refined to target precisely what's wrong.
So, to summarize, the allopathic system of medicine and healing maintains a reductionistic (reducing a whole to its most basic parts) and mechanistic (viewing the body as a machine that behaves mechanically and predictably) perspective. This perspective is borne of the Scientific Method, a protocol for controlling and quantifying natural phenomena to gain understanding and, ultimately, manage these phenomena clinically. Sounds geeky and a bit overwhelming? So does Star Wars, and you like that, don't you? You don't? Me, neither--but I do find science interesting and fun, and important to understand even just a little, to make educated decisions about our health. Read on for discussions of other systems--it won't hurt...much... ~Whitney
18 November 2009
What is Integrative Healing? (Some Semantics)
Perhaps a better place to start would be with the question, What is "healing"? Many practitioners involved in alternative or complementary medicine question the use of the terms "healing" and "healer". These terms are viewed by some as egocentric and unbalanced, indicating that the "healee" is somehow lacking something that the "healer" has. This is, then, a fundamental power imbalance. Many who seek to help their fellow humans strive to do so in a humanistic, egalitarian, reciprocal manner. Dave and I are sympathetic to this view, and support it as much as humanly possible in our own practices. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, we ask (nicely) that the readers of this blog allow us to use these terms, understanding that we in no way imply that healing is not of a Universal and individual source. In other words, healing is innate within each of us, and "healers" simply support the individual to open to and channel his or her innate abilities to heal.
I've already used the terms "alternative" and "complementary" medicine. These are often interchanged, but really they are not synonymous. Both terms relate to what is frequently called "Western" medicine--allopathic medicine, the realm of MDs and their allies; nurses and various technicians working alongside in medical offices, clinics, and hospitals. Why it is inaccurate to call this "Western" medicine will be covered in a later post. For now, suffice to say that "alternative medicine" refers to healing practices conducted in lieu of allopathic medicine, but "complementary medicine" refers to healing conducted alongside or in conjunction with allopathic medicine. An example of alternative medicine would be someone with signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection (burning on urination; flank tenderness; cloudy, malodorous urine are some of these) taking the supplement d-mannose and drinking large amounts of cranberry juice WITHOUT going to the medical doctor for an exam and antibiotic. "Without" is the key word. Someone with a urinary tract infection would be using complementary medicine if she were to go to an MD, begin on an antibiotic, and then take probiotics such as live culture yogurt and perhaps an immune-enhancing supplement to help the antibiotic work better while minimizing its side effects.
Integrative medicine, then, is the marriage of the best of complementary medicine and alternative medicine with the best of allopathic medicine. There are times when health is best attained or maintained using natural processes, whether energetic, botanical, or mineral. Believe it or not, though, there are times when allopathic medicine is required to "fix what's broke". Yes, that can mean synthetic substances and even sometimes "fooling Mother Nature" a bit. It does not mean, though, a dehumanizing, non-egalitarian process. That is not what we believe to be the best of allopathic medicine. To come: An Overview of Allopathic Medicine, An Overview of Alternative Medicine, How Can You Decide Where to Turn?, and more... ~Whitney
What has been YOUR experience with integrative medicine?
I've already used the terms "alternative" and "complementary" medicine. These are often interchanged, but really they are not synonymous. Both terms relate to what is frequently called "Western" medicine--allopathic medicine, the realm of MDs and their allies; nurses and various technicians working alongside in medical offices, clinics, and hospitals. Why it is inaccurate to call this "Western" medicine will be covered in a later post. For now, suffice to say that "alternative medicine" refers to healing practices conducted in lieu of allopathic medicine, but "complementary medicine" refers to healing conducted alongside or in conjunction with allopathic medicine. An example of alternative medicine would be someone with signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection (burning on urination; flank tenderness; cloudy, malodorous urine are some of these) taking the supplement d-mannose and drinking large amounts of cranberry juice WITHOUT going to the medical doctor for an exam and antibiotic. "Without" is the key word. Someone with a urinary tract infection would be using complementary medicine if she were to go to an MD, begin on an antibiotic, and then take probiotics such as live culture yogurt and perhaps an immune-enhancing supplement to help the antibiotic work better while minimizing its side effects.
Integrative medicine, then, is the marriage of the best of complementary medicine and alternative medicine with the best of allopathic medicine. There are times when health is best attained or maintained using natural processes, whether energetic, botanical, or mineral. Believe it or not, though, there are times when allopathic medicine is required to "fix what's broke". Yes, that can mean synthetic substances and even sometimes "fooling Mother Nature" a bit. It does not mean, though, a dehumanizing, non-egalitarian process. That is not what we believe to be the best of allopathic medicine. To come: An Overview of Allopathic Medicine, An Overview of Alternative Medicine, How Can You Decide Where to Turn?, and more... ~Whitney
What has been YOUR experience with integrative medicine?
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