The Vision of Functional Medicine

This excerpt is a part of a white paper put out by the Institute of Functional Medicine. To see the paper in its entirety you can download it here. Wouldn’t this be nice!

“The doctor of the future will be an integrative healer whose practice differs in many ways from that of today’s typical physician. The doctor of the future will provide care that is patient-centered and comprehensive (body, mind, and spirit), care that is both high-tech (using genomic prediction tools, systems biology, and functional medicine, for example) and high-touch. Care will focus more extensively on preventing disease and injury.

The practice of the future will be provided by smoothly working teams that will include primary care physicians, complementary and alternative health practitioners, health coaches, and wellness mentors, as well as medical specialists, allied health and nursing practitioners.

Putting the patient in the driver’s seat allows representatives from any number of disciplines to serve as navigator through the healthcare system, helping people sort through conflicting data as well as the many difficult choices they must make during their lives in times of both wellness and illness. Tomorrow’s physicians will consistently assess new evidence, to ensure that their practices meet the highest standards of quality and patient outcomes.

To a great degree, the body has the capacity to heal itself; this concept, in some ways, opposes the mechanical model in which doctors act as fixers. One goal of future practitioners will be to guide and empower patients toward self-healing.  Consonant with this approach will be use of prevention and health promotion, the full range of natural treatments, use of the safest and least expensive interventions first, and also the mobilizing of community and social support for healthy living.

This vision of the future doctor does not reflect a purely in-the-clinic model.  Future clinicians, if they are to be integrative healers, need to be out where people are and to participate in social and environmental policy change.”

Post Polio Syndrome and Homeopathy Update

On October 20th I wrote about deciding to explore homeopathy as a way to deal with the fatigue of Post Polio Syndrome (see the past post). I wanted to write now about what I have found in that exploration.

It has been three and a half months that I have been taking the remedy that Steve Coward gave me. What I first noticed was that I had unexpected energy and alertness in the evenings. Then I realized I wasn’t experiencing any mid-afternoon energy dive. As time passed, I noticed that I hadn’t had any bouts of central nervous system fatigue (I still haven’t). I began to have a sense of well being I hadn’t known in a very long time.

Wikipedia pans homeopathy, and perhaps it’s a placebo effect, but I’m convinced. I would, from my experience, recommend to anyone with PPS to try homeopathy. It might not work, every individual is different, but there is no reason I can think of not to try it. Based on the improvement I feel in my own health, I want to let everyone know this may be an undiscovered option.

SCENAR is, in my experience, also very helpful to those who have PPS. I believe it somehow nourishes the 40% of remaining motor neurons that are struggling to survive under the load. I have given treatments to a number of clients with Post Polio Syndrome, and the most of them were amazed by their improvement, just as I was 6 years ago with I encountered it.

Just wanted to pass along more options. Options are freeing and empowering.

SCENAR and Complementarity

One of the most wonderful things about SCENAR is how it complements any other modalities that are available in the treatment of pain. There is one exception to this, which is important for those who are considering using SCENAR to know. If  narcotic pain killing pharmaceuticals are being used on a schedule of more than once a day, the receptor sites for the body’s own opiate substances (endorphins) are taken up by the synthetic narcotic drug and prevent the body from using its own internal pharmacy to address pain.

The SCENAR’s main action is to help the body regulate and heal itself. Pain relief is the most obvious of the effects, however, much more is being activated within the body to reestablish homeostasis. In my experience over the last 6 years, I have noticed that clients who are using other modalities as well as SCENAR find that they make better progress toward healing. I have worked closely with chiropractors who find that SCENAR treatments can make adjustments easier and that they hold better. SCENAR also can find subluxations in the spine easily, which can be addressed quickly by the Chiropractor.

There is an acupuncturist, Dr. Donald Snow, in Louisiana who uses SCENAR and acupuncture together and finds that his results are better with the combination than with using either modality alone.

There have been times, because of Post Polio Syndrome, when I have used Physical Therapy.  Along with the PT, I have used SCENAR to ameliorate the pain that can result from those treatments. I have also found that I recover a lot faster, since using the SCENAR in this way, than I did before I had the SCENAR to complement what I was doing in PT.

My experiences with the complementary way in which SCENAR works with massage therapy have been impressive.  If someone has a SCENAR treatment before a massage, the relaxation and pain relieving effect is enhanced. It also makes it easier for the massage therapist because it is easier to go more deeply into the muscles to effect a release.

In SCENAR literature it is often suggested that when working with someone who is taking a pharmaceutical for a chronic condition such as diabetes, that the levels of the drug be monitored. This is because as the body begins to balance itself and recover, not as much of the drug will be necessary.

Unlike the idea in conventional medicine that one cure fixes all, natural medicine recognizes the uniqueness of each individual, and that very often a mix of modalities appropriate to the individual will speed healing faster than using only one. For this reason it is good to find a natural practitioner, such as a naturopath, who understands this and can monitor your progress if you are using more than one modality.

This capacity of the SCENAR to complement other treatments is also a good reason to own one. If you are interested in discussing owning a SCENAR and which one might best suit your needs you can contact me at 828-337-6854.

Holistic Medicine and Chronic Pain

If one looks only at the philosophy of the alternative and conventional  medical approaches, holistic or alternative medicine would seemingly be the place to start if a chronic condition is the issue. American conventional medicine is the best in the world related to treating acute trauma or crisis situations. But, because its approach is toward the disease, not the patient, and  seeing the person as a collection of parts resulting in the narrowed view of specialization, the holistic well-being of the patient is often overlooked. In relationship to pain, the major intervention is drugs, which usually only mask the symptoms and can have dangerous side effects.

In the late fall, a conversation of sorts between an MD and a DC was carried out through letters to the editor of the Crossroads Chronicle, the Cashiers, North Carolina local newspaper. In a column titled, “Arthritis one of most common problems treated by physicians,” written by Dr. Richard Matthews, the only recommendation for the treatment of the pain of arthritis was the use of drug therapy. In response to this article, Dr. Jim Johnson, DC, DACBN, CCN, writing from the perspective of holistic medicine, illuminated not only the numerous alternatives available, but also the philosophy of healthcare guided by respecting the whole person and the capacity of the human body to heal itself. I was so impressed by what he wrote that I wanted to include it here in its entirety.

“I read with much interest the article on arthritis in the Crossroads Chronicle Wednesday, October 20, 2010. As someone who has worked with patients to find alternative approaches to health challenges, it strikes me that only drugs are offered as the answer to such problems. Aleve, Advil, Motrin, Mobic, Feldene, etc. are pharmaceutical drugs that offer effective pain relief; however, their long term use is not desirable due to a large number of secondary effects. NSAIDs, in particular, actually make the overall disease process of arthritis worse, by increasing ‘leaky gut’ and by depleting the very nutrients necessary for joint repair, including iron, folic acid, calcium, and zinc. COX 2 inhibitors, introduced with a media blitz touting them as a much safer drug therapy, are now known to also have serious side effects.

Are some diseases, or even all diseases, the secondary manifestations of altered or abnormal states of health? Does the swamp exist first, and various pests such as mosquitoes find it to be a good habitat for their propagation; or do such pests pick a random landscape and then set about to create a swamp to support them? Read more »

The Body’s Natural Process of Healing Itself

All forms of holistic health care follow the innate principles of the built-in way the body heals itself. The goal of all who are involved in natural healing is to assist the body in this natural process.

Our bodies are always engaged in an ongoing effort to create and maintain homeostasis. This effort is centered in the processes of the Parasympathetic nervous system. The operating principle is “self-regulation” whereby the body organizes its functions to restore balance from imbalance. Just as a tightrope walker is always moving and correcting in order to maintain their balance on the wire, so the body is always in a dynamic process of restoring its own balance which we call health.

If the body encounters a challenge that it is unable to completely resolve, it will temporarily “adapt” by reorganizing itself in a new way that will allow it to continue functioning even though there is still an unresolved issue. This kind of reorganization is called an adaptive reaction or response.  It is an interrupted cycle of self-regulation that is acceptable to the body in the short term because it maintains function until the problem gets resolved.

However, issues may remain unresolved because the body has  “lost sight of them” through a reversal of cellular polarity, or because of prioritization of energy and resource utilization the body may be unable to address them. Over time, the adaptive reaction can interfere with healthy self-regulation and evolve into other new challenges to health and well-being. Those in the natural health field search out these unresolved adaptations and assist the body in completing the goal of moving the adaptation to reintegration and healing. Read more »

Healing Innovations Update

Likely you have noticed that I have been unusually “quiet” these last couple of months. My experiences with providing SCENAR treatments have expanded, and with that expansion, my time to write or gather my thoughts enough to write, has been limited. But, what I am doing is inspiring, and I, at least, wanted to share that.

Starting last May, I began collaborating with Mountain Air Wellness Center (a natural health center that has offices in Asheville, Cashiers, Highlands, and Franklin) to provide SCENAR treatments for their patients. The Center provides a comprehensive wellness venue that involves a number of interventions for promoting health. Led by Dr. Jim Johnson, Dr. Resa Falk, and Dr. Sue Aery, the center offers nutritional counseling, acupuncture, massage, Graston technique, and chiropractic care, just to name a few. Their commitment to their patients, continuing education in the field, and desire to provide the best possible interventions for natural health and healing are exemplary. The staff are wonderfully professional, caring, competent, and positive which makes for a sense of welcome, comfort, and “home”. If you are from that area or have friends and family there, this natural health practice provides a state of the art opportunity for  holistic health care. SCENAR treatment has proved to be a collaboration that has been  of great benefit to their patients. Their vision of providing high quality natural health care is a pleasure to be a part of. This may sound like an ad, but it is based in my experience of working closely with the various practitioners and staff in their Cashiers and Highlands offices. They have become my personal “natural health home.”

My practice in Asheville at Asheville Natural Health and Homeopathy has also expanded. I have two office days on Wednesday and Saturday to provide SCENAR treatments. Working with Dr. Steven Coward, Dr. Louise Bahnson, and Dr. Leanne Apfelbeck has also been a wonderful collaboration. Working with these committed professionals in the field of natural health is a pleasure. Within this practice, Healing Innovations is expanding to include another SCENAR practitioner, Christina Morrison, who has been trained by Dr. Revenko and has 7 years of experience with providing SCENAR therapy.  Another office day is being planned so that SCENAR therapy can be offered in Asheville three days a week.

The awareness of this unique and effective treatment is growing. Healing Innovations is expanding in order to provide the best possible opportunities to those who are interested in experiencing for themselves this remarkable pain relief and healing modality. Call 828-337-6854 for an appointment to see what SCENAR can do for you.

Things You Can Do For Foot Pain

I have run into another flurry of a certain type of painful situation and it is foot pain. I have written about foot pain previously, but wanted to provide readily available information about things that anyone can do to prevent and relieve foot pain.

Stretching is the single most important thing you can do for foot pain. Tight hamstrings can communicate issues all the way from the sitzbones to the Achilles Tendons. Keeping them stretched and flexible is an important way to maintain the health of the foot. Two easy stretches we have found helpful are:

The Runner’s Stretch – Place your hands about two feet away from each other on a wall while standing about two feet away and leaning into the wall. Step forward with one foot, while leaving the other with the heel on the ground behind you. You are looking for a gentle sensation of stretch, not discomfort in that leg. Krista Kelley at Mission Rehab Services told us that a stretch any shorter than 45 seconds is not worth doing, so count slowly to 45 and then switch the positions of the feet and stretch the other leg. Doing this in the morning and evening will help the hamstrings to not get so tight. Muscles get tight from normal use so slowly that we may fail to recognize the sensation. Doing this exercise will help you become more familiar with the feeling of muscle tension so that you can monitor the status of your hamstrings more accurately and stretch them more effectively, thus preventing issues from arising.

The Hamstring Stretch – While laying in the bed, before arising, use a towel or strap and loop it under the ball of the foot. Holding an end of the towel in each hand, gently raise the leg while using the towel to keep the foot at a 90 degree ankle to the leg. Raise the leg until you feel a gentle stretch, not pain. Hold for 45 seconds, bring the leg gently down to the bed, and do the stretch on the other leg. Over time you will be able to raise the leg higher and higher as the hamstring is re-educated to be relaxed rather than tight. This will prevent the discomfort and possible micro damage to the tendons that can occur when getting out of bed when hamstrings have tightened up during sleep.

Things you can do to improve the health of your feet:

Massage - In the evening, while relaxing, deeply rub and massage your feet in a conscious way from the tips of the toes to the backs of the heels. Let it be your intention to touch every single inch of skin on the bottom of your foot. When you find areas that are tender, press into them and hold. In just a few minutes the tenderness will dissipate and the area will relax. This can also be a good way to improve your overall health through Reflexology.

Strengthen the Muscles of the Foot - The muscles in the feet need exercise and strengthening, just like any other muscle in the body. However, shoes are not conducive to exercising foot muscles. Take off your shoes and socks and while sitting in a comfortable position, imagine (or use real ones if you’d like) that you are picking up marbles with your toes. This strengthens the muscles in the arch which tend to flatten as our foot muscles weaken with age and wearing shoes.

Strengthen the Muscles of the Ankle and Top of Foot – How many of us have sat on the beach and almost unconsciously (because it feels so good), moved our feet back and forth from side to side in the sand, digging a little trough. This motion strengthens the muscles in the ankles and top of the foot to provide better stability for walking. You don’t need sand to do this. Sit in a comfortable position and imagine doing this little activity as if you were at the beach, moving your feet against the floor back and forth from side to side. If you vividly imagine you are at the beach digging the comforting little trenches with your feet, your body will not know that you are not, and other benefits such as shoulder and neck relaxation can be experienced as well.

Our feet are probably the most ignored area of the body. They carry our weight and do whatever we ask for most of our lives without complaint. As we age, our inattention to caring for our feet can take its toll. Notice your feet. Appreciate how hard they work for you. Do kinds things for them like massage or hot soaks. Become friends with your feet. They will love you for it!

Nine Supplements to Boost Your Mood

Part of the action of SCENAR is to boost mood through the stimulation of the parasympathetic system causing the release of endorphins and the neurotransmitters that regulate the emotional state. Our experience of happiness is a unique biochemistry in the brain, and nutrition also plays a vital role regulating it. I have found that clients who pay attention to their diet and lifestyle around eating respond much faster to SCENAR treatments. If the body has at its disposal the nutrient building blocks needed for the production of regulatory peptides, the availability of the internal pharmacy for healing is greatly enhanced, facilitating a rapid recovery.

The major cause of mood regulation difficulty is stress. When the sympathetic system is turned on for long periods of time, the parasympathetic system is turned off and the body can’t recover well. Stress depletes the body of the chemicals it uses to heal itself, including the “feel-good” neuropeptides (endorphins) and neurotransmitters(serotonin, dopamine, nor epinephrine, and gamma aminobutyric acid – GABA). The most used pharmaceutical drugs these days are for reducing anxiety and depression. Before turning to these drugs, which can have significant side-effects, it is worthwhile to try a natural route.

Other than regular exercise, a good multivitamin, and fish oil which improve overall health and help with mood regulation, there are some supplements  that can help lift depression, reduce anxiety, improve your resilience to stress, and improve sleep.

Be Aware: If you are already taking drugs for depression, anxiety, or insomnia, talk with you doctor about adding natural supplements. There can be negative interactions which you want to be mindful of. It is always a good idea to thoroughly research any substance you are considering taking into your body, whether pharmaceutical or natural.

There are nine nutritional supplements that can help you reduce the effects of stress and improve mood: Read more »

Finding Your Way in the CAM World

The number of modalities and options for treatment available in complementary and alternative medicine can be quite daunting to those who are looking into this field for the first time. With names like craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, SCENAR, rolfing, chiropractic, homeopathy, herbalism, etc. selecting what might work can be challenging. In any medical field, one therapy does not necessarily fit all. In traditional medicine seeing a specialist may actually narrow one’s choices. When you see a orthopedic surgeon, likely surgery will be the main option.

So what are some guidelines for exploring the natural, holistic options? Read more »

Healing Innovations Is Opening a New Opportunity

Beginning next month, we will be offering SCENAR pain relief treatments through Mountain Air Wellness Center in Cashiers, NC. Expanding into this market will give access to this revolutionary technology in the far western region of WNC. We look forward to being a part of this dynamic, creative, and visionary natural health practice.