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.”

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 »

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.

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 »

The Latest Quantum Health Magazine Issue

For those of you who are interested in Bioenergetic/Informational Medicine, here is the latest issue from the online magazine Quantum Health.

Why Do We Believe in SCENAR?

So, what does SCENAR do that is different from what traditional medicine offers for pain relief? The biggest benefit is that it alleviates pain rapidly without drugs or  invasive procedures. Using the body’s own adaptive capacity, the SCENAR wakes up the brain and central nervous system to the areas of pain that need attention, and often accelerates the body’s process of doing what it is designed to do: HEAL ITSELF. Although drugs can provide pain relief, they often interfere with the body’s self-healing ability and create negative “side effects”. What we are trying to do is relieve our pain, but we may end up constipated or woozy or addicted.

SCENAR causes the release of regulatory chemicals called neuropeptides, including endorphins, which naturally alleviate pain. By using frequencies native to the body, SCENAR supports the body in doing the healing work that is its natural capacity. So, not only does the SCENAR alleviate pain, but it supports the body in healing the issue that is creating the pain. Because it speaks to the body in the body’s own language, it can speed up the healing ability so that positive results occur more rapidly than could be accomplished without it.

Under what circumstances and conditions is getting a SCENAR treatment helpful? Although pain is always a good indicator that a treatment would be helpful, the SCENAR, in its support of the body healing itself, can affect other dynamics besides  pain. For instance, the SCENAR has an anti-inflammatory effect, anti-venom effect,  it lowers fever, reduces swelling and edema in general, promotes tissue regeneration, and helps the body in its effort to restore homeostasis. So, it can have a wide ranging effect from fast recovery from  insect stings to muscle strains and sprains, and  from chronic pain syndromes to post operative recovery. In Russia, the SCENAR accompanies the ambulance responders and is also used in hospitals to promote a quicker recovery from surgical procedures without having to use as many pain medications.

So, in essence, the SCENAR can be helpful anytime there is a need to recover the body’s natural balance, whether an imbalance occurs from injury, pain, surgery, infection or anything else. We carry our SCENAR everywhere with us, just in case. On many occassions, we have been glad we did.

Why Consumers Turn to Alternative Medicine

In June of 2009, the Journal of Consumer Research published a study  that asks in layman’s terms why consumers choose to use alternative medicine. Based on surveys done in the US, China, and India, the authors found that consumers prefer alternative medicine when they are uncertain about the cause of an illness because holistic medicine tolerates uncertainty better than western medicine. Most alternative modalities favor a holistic approach, view the mind and body as a whole system, and rely on inductive tools and methods for treatment. The study also found that survey respondents preferred holistic approaches because they tend to focus on underlying sources of the problems rather than symptom alleviation, which is the focus of western medicine.

In another study reported in the June 2008 Journal of General Internal Medicine, primary care physicians who see the bulk of patients with chronic pain are frustrated by the limited options of western medicine (opioid drugs, physical therapy, or surgery), and the overwhelming numbers of alternative therapies which are only now being researched more empirically. This makes it difficult for them to know what treatment will work for a given patient. The researchers also say that these physicians have not been well trained in pain management.

Reading these studies brought to mind a client we have worked with who had surgery to treat a dangerous narrowing of his cervical vertebrae that could have impinged on his spinal cord causing paralysis. He had been in constant pain for nearly a year since the surgery. In working with him with the SCENAR, it was pretty clear that the muscles of his upper back were in severe spasm, likely from trying to adjust to relating in a new way to the four fused vertebrae in his neck. He related that he had developed significant pain in his mid back as well that radiated around to the sides. When he talked to his neurologist about it, he was told that it was his heart and he was sent to a cardiologist who after running numerous tests said that his heart was fine. The neurologist had nothing further to offer about the intractible pain the client was suffering. It was after that experience that he decided to try something alternative. The SCENAR identified the area in distress and the treatment greatly reduced his pain there as well as in his upper back. The SCENAR  assists the body to gently relax spasming muscles so they can return to their normal positions, thus relieving pain. The experience of this client exemplifies why consumers turn to alternative medicine.

The Living Matrix Movie Part 1

Perhaps you are already aware of this, but we just encountered it this week through an invitation to a private showing of the movie here in Asheville. We started researching it, and found they have a webpage on Facebook. In reading it, we found a lengthy paper (8 single spaced pages) written by the creators of the movie. It was such an excellent explanation of quantum biology and informational medicine, that we want to share it here.

The paper is in a question and answer format, so we will post one question and answer at a time, so as to not overwhelm you. Hope you find it as fascinating as we do. If you want to find out more go to www.thelivingmatrixmovie.com There is a great trailer you can watch. This movie will bring quantum awareness to biology like The Secret did for physics. Enjoy!

What role does The Living Matrix take in the health care conversation? What does it tell us that we didn’t know before?

People have become discontented with the current explanations of health and wellness and the limited choices within the conventional medical community. They know there are other explanations that can reduce their suffering and keep them well. But the choices are overwhelming, information is fragmented, and conventional medicine casts doubt and skepticism by controlling the dissemination of information.

The Living Matrix brings hope to people who want to consider alternative medicine. It presents a new understanding of human biology through established scientific principles. And it demonstrates the effectiveness of alternative medicine, specifically science-based bioenergetic medicine, through the experiences of real people, even those who approached it with skepticism.

The Living Matrix aims to prepare the viewer for a coming shift in health care by understanding the current revolution in human biology. It reveals that the body is more than a distinct machine built on separate mechanical parts. That energy and information fields – not genetics – drive physiology and biochemistry. And that all living things are connected by energy and information fields, making wellness the result of optimal energy connections among those fields. The Living Matrix reinforces the idea that people are responsible for their own health, not just in choosing the health care that is right for them or the practitioners who treat them, but more importantly, the thoughts that are imprinted on the energy waves that instruct and inform their well being.

Sound interesting so far? More to come…

Healing Innovations Pioneered the Use of SCENAR in WNC

Healing Innovations pioneered the use of the SCENAR in Asheville. SCENAR is the holistic treatment that is changing the world of pain relief. This powerful biofeedback process provides effective relief for both acute and chronic pain without drugs or invasive procedures. Athletes find they rapidly recover from sprains, strains, and overuse issues, as well as seeing it improve their performance in their training programs. Those who have suffered with chronic pain for years find the treatments give them relief and return function they had lost long ago. There have never been any documented side effects in over 50,000 case studies.

SCENAR is a small, hand-held device that stimulates the body’s own healing mechanisms by activating the nerve receptors in the skin, and triggering the release of endorphins and other natural peptide chemicals (the body’s own internal pharmacy). Through biofeedback, an interaction is formed between the device and the body, thus establishing an “interactive dialogue” to correct body dysfunctions and relieve pain. The device itself does not heal the body, but rather alerts the body to mobilize its own healing forces. Acute injuries usually take 1-5 sessions, chronic conditions can take 5-15. During treatment, recipients feel gentle tingling sensations and often experience a sense of well being and relaxation.

Healing Innovations has helped hundreds of people with pain from acute injuries and chronic conditions since 2005. For more information see our website at www.biohealingweb.com or call us at 828-337-6854. If you mention finding out about us from our blog, we will give you a free 30 minute session.