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2. What can a Naturopath offer you? 3. Naturopathy & Holism in Medicine 4. Naturopathy and Maintaining True Health 6. The Healing/Disease Process and Homotoxicology 8. Health and the Maintenance thereof – the cellular level 9. A Nature Cure Treatment Protocol 1. What is Naturopathy? Naturopathy is a branch of medicine, which strives to recreate the natural balance inherent in the human body. A Naturopath aims to treat the whole person, to maintain health and prevent disease. This is achieved by removing the cause of the disease and not merely the systems - in other words: "to cure disease, not postpone it."Lindlahr spoke of "the vital force of life", with its natural flow towards health and harmony. The diseased state is an abnormal thing and due to an imbalance in the system. What can a Naturopath offer you?- True health rather than merely the suppressing of symptoms - Increased vitality - Comprehensive diet and lifestyle programmes - Long term health solution without side effects - Treatment of acute and chronic diseases
"The part can never be well unless the whole is well" Plato
"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" Hippocrates Naturopathy & Holism in Medicine Natural Medicine focuses on the constructive laws of nature thus stimulating the body to heal itself. There are a variety of modalities at its disposal. These include the use of: - Therotherapy - Dry needling & triggerpoint therapy - Neomuscular integration - Live Blood Analysis (and other diagnostic tools) This also enables Naturopathy to work in conjunction with conventional/allopathic medical practitioners, providing the patient with a truly comprehensive treatment plan. Naturopathy and Maintaining True Health Naturopathy is a branch of medicine, I would like to call it a way of life, which strives to recreate the natural balance which is inherent in the human body. A Naturopath aims to treat the whole person, to maintain health and prevent disease; this is achieved by removing the cause of disease and not merely the symptoms; - in other words "to cure disease, not just postpone it." Lindlahr spoke of "The Vital Force of Life," with its natural flow towards "Vis Medicatix Nature" As in any field of study, each practitioner brings their own personal insights and interests into how they apply their knowledge. So, herewith some background and history around Naturopathic treatment philosophy and how that came about. I personally am fascinated by what used to be called the microzyme, now more frequently referred to as micro-organelles, but let me start at the beginning…. These micro-organisms play a significant role in the understanding of true health and the maintenance thereof. First termed microzymas, they were found to make up all forms of life and are its most basic constituent thereof, thus determining its very constitution. The microzyme was first discovered by Pierre Bechamp (born 1816), a medical doctor, scientist and pharmacist, who discovered an air-borne microbe released in the fermentation process. (Several years before Louis Pasteur made the same discovery). Louis Pasteur, a chemist, (born 1822), theorized further, that all disease was caused by these organisms. He thus gave birth to the "germ" theory and the subsequent war to destroy them. Bechamp however found that all healthy cells contained living organisms, which under unhealthy conditions, could evolve into bacteria. He gave them their name, microzymes. They are present from the beginning until beyond the end, in all forms of life and imperishable. In other words, all cells contain and are made up of chromatin granules - when the cellular environment is healthy they build up the cell, if it is unhealthy they self-destruct the cell. Chromatin/microzymes go through 9 phases of bacterial and viral-like organisms. In death the microzyme becomes a bacteria, decomposing the body and then reverting back into a microzyme. Microzymes were subsequently found buried in chalk from past dead plant and animals. Many scientists after Bechamp have made the same discoveries. Dr Beres (Hungary) discovered them in human cancerous tissue and in the cells of sick plants and animals; Dr Reich discovered them in blood samples and noted their increase in patients with chronic disease - he found the bacteria proliferated in toxic conditions. So while one branch of medicine became obsessed with fighting the outside enemy germ - a whole branch of scientists were finding that true health comes from within. The Healing/Disease Process and Homotoxicology If our complex immune system is to function properly, its state of cellular health is all important. There are six stages of health or disease; and it is at the first two that the immune system works best, and at which we are experiencing true health. They are: It is in the excretion phase that the body rids itself of toxins through perspiration, the formation of sebum, gastrointestinal secretions, uric secretions, etc. The reaction phases include dermatitis, eczema, rhinitis, neuralgia and many more "disease" reactions like hepatitis, herpes zoster, and endocarditis, which are generally treated using suppressive medications. Strangely enough, these are the very two phases conventional medicine seems bent on avoiding, thus pushing their patients further and further down the Homotoxicology chart and often into chronic disease. However, this is literally the most vital healing phase available to the body, often accompanied by healing fevers, it is during this excretory process that the body rids itself of toxins/pathogens and reacts with the full force of its immune system. This purging process is often referred to as a healing crisis in Naturopathy and is a sign of good vitality. It has been found that patients able to react in these phases are able to fight severe pathological conditions and regain true health; while those treated with suppressive medication are often pushed deeper into the disease process. The third stage on the Homotoxicology chart is the Deposition Phase (retention of toxins) It is in this phase that so called "healthy" people may be stuck. And it is exactly that, a stuck phase. The lymphatic fluids have begun to stagnate due to an overload of toxins; the interstitial fluid becomes viscous. Things stop moving and the patient is relatively symptom free; that is to say - they experience no cleaning reactions. Disease in this phase include adiposis, warts, neuralgia, rheumatism, constipation, oedema etc. The deposition phase is crucial as it is the turning point at which a body can still easily be guided into a healing crisis - following the constructive laws of nature towards health; or if left on its path it can move into the next disease stage, the Impregnation Stage, at which the extra-cellular toxic environment penetrates the cell wall and becomes an intracellular condition. Conditions in this phase include migraines, tics, virus infections, toxic damage to the liver, asthma, pigmentation, angina pectoris, and myocarditis. This toxic intercellular environment is very unhealthy, irritating the cell itself and effecting its DNA make up - it can lead to cellular instability and push the body into the Degenerative Stage of disease, where the microzymes may begin to rid the body of damaged cells. The toxins produced around and in the cell are known as foci. It is at this stage, when the cell begins mutation that external bacteria are attracted to the "mutated" bacteria or foci producing cell. This cellular state creates an environment conducive to bacterial growth, which working symbiotically with the body, feed of the toxins until unhealthy cells are removed and the battleground is cleared by white blood cells. Hence the environment determines which bacteria/virus is attracted, which explains why certain bacteria/viruses are linked to specific conditions. The above describes the body's natural waste removal system, in which we live in harmony with the microzymes and bacteria in and around us. Should the body be too toxic and in such a state of disease, unable to clean itself, it moves further into the Degeneration Phase and finally into the Neoplasm Phase, both of which involve actual mutation of cellular tissue, and if not treated within the constructive laws of nature, lead to cancerous tissue. However, at any stage of this process all the body needs is a stimulus in the direction of health and it will endeavour to cure itself. When the conditions are right, it does exactly that. How does this effect my treatment Protocol as a Naturopath? Let us begin by looking at the body as the wonderful self-healing organism that it is. Its natural state is health, hence the maintenance thereof should not require undue effort but rather a 'letting go' of disease or the causes thereof. If a stream of water is left to run, it naturally flows in the direction and speed that water will flow. We can liken health to that stream of water. Like it, it will flow and health will be maintained as it naturally is. This balance can be disrupted when obstacles are put into its pathway. These obstacles are often found in our lifestyles or environment and more often than not, they are self-imposed. Wellness is thus not a complex thing to achieve, but rather a process of rebalancing and often letting go of destructive habits and patterns. Our environment is not our enemy - we live in symbiosis with it. It is through a deeper understanding of this principle that true health is maintained and disease prevented. Of course the immune system is another vital component in keeping the body disease free and healthy. In an attempt to make this complex system a bit more accessible, I have but together a little spider diagram below. Complement (a substance found in the blood) - It binds to the surface of any cell (bacterium or normal body cell) How the immune system works T-cells - Specialize in identifying viruses and other organisms specially adept at catching inside the cell. B-cells - Secrete antibodies and are bacteria and similar intruder which are usually outside the cell. They require memory cells (initial exposure) to the antibody Genetic make-up - The binding of complement to a bacterium can increase the production of antibody by the B-cells T-CELL / CELL MEDIATED IMMUNITY How do T-cells reach viruses that are buried within the cell? - MHC manufacturers transport molecules that deliver organisms to the surface of the cells where they are detected by immune cells. - T-cells born in the stem cell immature cells migrate Thymus in chest cavity - here they mature AND Each cell is tested against a segment of human DNA T-cells specialize in combating viruses that penetrate interior of cell (viruses need genetic material to reproduce) Problem viral infections are e.g. Hepatitis B - where the virus may spread too fast for the immune system, eventually destroying the liver. Class IIMHC - Involved in cell-mediated immunity (Usually fighting bacteria) - Inflammatory T-cells stimulates macrophage to digest vesicles within itself *"Cell mediated and humoral immunity work together" The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) - occurs in fetal stage of development Make two varieties Class IMHC Class IIMHC Killer (cytotoxic) or suppressor Helper or inflammatory T-cells T-cells T-cells passing the screening process are programmed to respond to a single enemy They join the B-cells in the lymph nodes and spleen When an intruder attacks: This system is activated Transplant rejection Allergic reaction Containment of Infection (Humoral Immunity) B-cell development and antibodies B-cell derived from Any cell that is designated as a new B-cell must then receive a second signal from a specialized structure, the surrogate complex (it decides which B-cells are permitted to circulate the immune system - abnormal cells are not allowed to escape the bone marrow) Healthy cells are released into the spleen and lymph nodes
Helper T-cells -DAMAGE- Vaccines (allopathic theory) Viral vaccines (bacterial also available) Dead viruses "killed" Live but weakened viruses WHITE BLOOD CELLS -Eat foreign invaders THREE CATEGORIES OF WHITE BLOOD CELLS - Humeral immunity - B-cells/destruction of foreign invaders by means of antibody secretion Colony forming unite (offshoot of the original stem-cell NEUTROPHIL (eat bacteria and dead cells) - band - segmented neutrophil STEM CELLS Health and the Maintenance thereof - on a cellular level According to Pierre Bechamps findings on the microzyme, the body's state of health is determined not by external enemies such as bacteria and viruses, but rather from within the organism itself. The microzyme has the power to maintain the health of an organism, known as the constructive law of nature or, should the cellular environment become toxic beyond repair, hence it is the internal environment that determines the disease. "Bacteria is nothing, the terrain is everything" Claud Bernard The Cellular environment: This extra-cellular space plays a fundamental part in maintaining true cellular health. It is this space surrounding the cell that capillaries, nerves and lymphatic tissue as well as white blood cells such as macrophages are found. These all work together to protect and maintain the health of each cell, and so in turn the entire organism. In-between these structures is found a most important substance known as the biophysical filter, or the tissue matrix, it consists of a three dimensional web of protoglycanes. Any substance wanting to travel from blood vessel to cell, or from cell to lymphatic system has to pass through this wonderful filter. Pathogens are thus slowed down enough for the immune defence cells such as macrophages to stop them penetrating into the organ's cells. The above reaction occurs in healthy bodies on a daily basis and is part of our natural self cleaning/healing ability. However, should the toxic overload in the body become too great for both immune and lymphatic systems to carry, the body moves into a disease stage, which I mentioned before as the desposition phase. Drawing of the extracellular environment - and its biophysical filter It is this phase that the biophysical filter becomes blocked; much the same way a sieve would that was used and never washed. This creates a toxic, literally rotting extra-cellular environment, which inevitably spills over into the cell itself. This condition or substance is called foci, and it is this foci that attracts the bacterium/virus into our bodies. Microzymes also have the ability to mutate into bacteria-like organisms, which like the external "invaders" are triggered off by foci producing cells. In a healthy body this situation will stimulate a healing crisis. As the immune system gears up into full force a fever is produced. Viruses dislike high body temperatures, while the immune system works at is best above 38C. Our organs of excretion are activated and we are successfully launched into excretion/reaction phase. Only a body that is vital is able to have a healing crisis and so rid itself of congested toxins in its tissues. It is therefore of the utmost importance never to suppress but rather to encourage such a vital reaction. I am furthermore of the opinion that it is the virus and bacteria and/or bacteria/microzyme which acts in symbiosis with the body to stimulate such a healing reaction. Rather than viewing them as an outside enemy, I believe that we are living in harmony with our environment and its organisms. Maintaining primary cellular health: Generally the allopathic approach to viruses and bacteria is to eradicate them with the use of drugs/antibiotics.( Which makes perfect sense if you follow the school of thought which sees external pathogens as the primary cause of all disease.) What happens on a cellular level is very interesting; let us presume to have a foreign invader in our extra-cellular tissue. In the case of a viral infection it was most probably heading towards the cell itself when our biophysical filter traps it. With the introduction of allopathic drugs the pathogen would have been killed before the natural next step could occur, which is the activation of macrophages by the body's immune system. Under normal circumstances the macrophage would have engulfed the intruder and together with the lymphatic system disposed of it. However, with the introduction of chemical drugs, the invader is killed on the spot. The dead virus/foreign protein left to rot in the biophysical filter. If this happens often enough, we are left with a clogged, rancid biophysical filtering system, which apart from loosing its function as a defensive mechanism, adds to the toxic state of the body it inhabits. This toxaemia of the extra-cellular tissue inevitably leaks into the cell where it causes all manner of problems, not the least of which is cellular mutation may lead to a neo-plastic phase of disease and cancer. This is not always, but can be the result of prolonged use of suppressive treatments and medication. Had the body been encouraged in its natural course of action, the pathogen would have been removed for good and true health restored. As mentioned before this process will often include the excretion/elimination of toxins, which may in a powerful reaction be achieved via a healing crisis. When the body heals itself it is in a state of awareness. Discomfort, fatigue and pain are how our body communicates and transmits neural/cellular information during times of intense healing. It is hence not a sign of weakness to feel the above but rather an indication of a physical need, be it to fast, or rest, or have supportive treatments during this time of healing and re-balancing. Once the body is cured, natural medicine strives to maintain good health in the patient and so encourage prolonged health and vitality. A Nature Cure Treatment Protocol The primary objective in all natural/functional medicine is to work with the natural healing force of the body. Suppressive treatments generally work toward the destructive rather than the constructive laws of nature. A person; being a physical, chemical, structural, emotional and spiritual being cannot be treated in isolation. Nor can they be treated merely by format, we are all uniquely different. When treating any patient, we are treating a person with a unique genetic make up, strengths and pre-dispositions; unique spiritual and emotional backgrounds and experiences. I thus firmly believe that it is that person alone who holds the key to their health and healing. As practitioners we are merely the stimulus sometimes needed to set the body's own healing energy in motion. A basic treatment protocol would entail a general assessment of all components of the patients health. When confronted with any form of disease it is of primary importance to isolate the root of the problem as effectively as possible. I like to determine a hierarchy of organs in all my patients, this enables me to better assess any familiar pre-dispositions (see diagram on organ dominance). This assessment also enables one to determine the urgency of the condition. A patient experiencing, for example, hormone related symptoms, that has the digestive system as their dominant organ, are in better health than the patient displaying the same dominance with a bowel condition. Hierarchy of Organ Dominance Base = digestive organs / liver Dominant Base Parietal = glands / nerves Dominant Parietal Frontal = lungs / respiratory Dominant Frontal As the embryo develops into a foetus inside the womb it slowly gains independence as an organism. It's organ systems begin taking on more and more of a life support function while the baby is nurtured via the placenta. Both genetic pre-dispositions and individuality determine which organ system develops a dominance in the developing body. As they mature neurologically, the brain mirrors their hierarchy so determining the shape of the skull. In times of dis-ease the dominant organ system has the ability to carry other/weaker systems. Hence, a glandular disease in a patient with an organ hierarchy consisting of: Digestive / liver Lungs Glands / nerves Is not considered at far into the dis-ease process or with same loss of vitality as a digestive disorder would be in the same patient. Glandular disease could be treated by stimulating this patient's digestive system; this would vitalise the entire organism via its dominant organ. This glandular/nervous system would only require a simple removal of stressors to restore balanced/true health. However, should a dominant organ system indicate dis-ease the patient needs to be treated severely and totally, as a dis-ease of dominant organ has a domino effect on all other organ systems. The digestive system would need to be cleansed, re-balanced and supported by vitamins/herbs/probiotics - once restored other organ systems are likely to recover with ease. Categorising the dis-ease on "Heels" Homotoxicology chart will also allow for a clearer understanding of the patient's health, determined by which stage of the chart they find themselves. There are many primary diagnostic tools and methods of catergorising dis-ease, including Irisdiagnosis by Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Bianchi's Neurovegetative Outlines; acupuncture's pulse / meridian diagnosis etc. These are all tools and as long as they are applied within the constructive flow of nature cure, they are part of naturopathy. Once the condition has been defined within the unique spectrum of the patient, the next step is to remove any stressors acting upon the body and prolonging or causing the condition. This may be achieved using the following treatment plan. Remove: Remove all toxins and allergens from the patient's environment and diet; depending on the individual common stressors such as coffee/tea, dairy products, sugar, alcohol and excessive animal protein are worth investigating. Repair: Next, allow the body to recover and rest: by removing the stressors we are providing an opportunity for the body to react to its environment. (e.g. On the homotoxicology chart - we are moving back into the reaction/excretion phase). In chronic dis-ease it may be necessary to introduce stimulating herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy or any other constructive therapy (see list of natural therapies, tools of the trade, to aid this process) to "kick-start" the body back into action. The more chronic the disease, the more stagnant (Deposition/Impregnation phase) the extra and intracellular make up will be. In such cases a treatment programme will often have to be repeated many times before the body gains enough vitality to produce a healing reaction. Replace: The body is now reacting positively to its environment both internally and externally. In the case of disbiosis (a bacterial imbalance often accompanying a state of dis-harmony in the body) we will need to recreate a positive bacterial balance. This can be done by encouraging prolonged changes in diet/lifestyle, or by introducing probiotics, via supplementation, back into the guy. Nutritional dis-harmony may likewise be rebalanced through both diet/lifestyle and supplementation. (see list of vitamins below) Again as long as the practitioner works within the healing direction of the body, the precise treatment programme depends on the individual patient. What is of utmost importance is that the patient is encouraged to acknowledge their own healing power - that they have the ability to maintain their true health. In the previous chapter we discussed treating both the physical; and chemical make up of the body. Another component not to be overlooked is the emotional and spiritual. The interrelationship between a person's emotional stage, nervous system and immune function has been termed physchoneuroimmunology. Our emotional state has a direct effect on how well our immune system functions. In 1977 studies on twenty-six bereaved spouses documented the link between grief and a depression in immune function. It was shown that anxiety, grief and stress significantly reduced natural killer cell activity. In 1979 Norman Cousins, further proved, in his book Anatomy of an Illness, that similarly positive emotional states enhance the functioning of the immune system. As do exercises in imagery, hypnosis, meditation, prayer and so on. The above list being especially effective when treating stress related immune suppression. Stress: Prolonged stress leads to an increased level of adrenal gland hormones, noradrenaline and corticosteroids/cortisol. These cause the thymus gland to involute and inhibit white blood cell formation which equals in a drop of immune function. Stress over an extended period also has an imbalancing effect on the autonomic nervous system (this is the involuntary part of the nervous system). It is made up of a sympathetic and parasympathetic branch. The sympathetic nervous system governs our flight or fight response; it is dominant when we are busy and active. It is also responsible for the digestion of food and is most active during 3am and 9pm. The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant during periods of rest and relaxation. It aids sleep and is responsible for the uptake and assimilation of food and nutrients. It is while we sleep that we release potent immune-enhancing compounds - it is during the parasympathetic nervous phase that many immune functions are greatly increased. Hence the effectiveness of the previously mentioned treatments such as meditation and other relaxation techniques, as they stimulate this immune system and thus enhance overall immune function. Conversely an overactive sympathetic system, in the case of continued stress, disturbed sleeping patterns and biorythms, can often result in a thinning of the mucous membrane lining in the gut, sometimes resulting in leaky gut syndrome and a resultant overactive immune system e.g. allergic reactions, a high acid environment in the body and generally lowered immunity. Psychoneuroimmunology / Noradrenal Cycle The above diagram represents a prolonged period of stress and how it impacts on the adrenal/immune system. As already mentioned, the sympathetic system comes into play in flight or fight situations. When experiencing short-lived stress our body adopts a sympathetic mode and the adrenal glands pump adrenaline into the system. If the stress is short-lived, for example focused, vigorous exercise of a temporary emotional upheaval; the reactive adrenal cycle will last up to approximately four hours and correct itself. It is during prolonged exertion both physical and emotional that the body suffers. Over long periods of stress, instead of the natural rise and fall of the automatic nervous system (sympathetic 3am - 9pm / parasympathetic 9pm - 3am) - the body finds itself in a more or less continued sympathetic phase. Instead of adrenaline it starts producing noradrenaline/cortisole. As it is experiencing a flight or fight situation, it does not go through the normal reactive stages it would when in a parasympathetic phase. In other words it does not heal, instead it moves into a deposition phase. An example her would be a busy executive who is very stressed, overworked, suffers from insomnia but NEVER gets "sick", no cold or flues - he/she may however experience chronic repetitive pains and or discomforts such as joint or muscle pain and/or headaches and migraines. Eventually the adrenal glands fatigue and hormone production decreased. It is at this point that the body often begins searching for an adrenal substitute, often in the form of a chemical stimulant (coffee/tea/nicotine/drugs/sugar). Immune function drops and the body becomes deeply fatigued. It is at this point that a patient will often experience exhaustion, listlessness - as the adrenal level drops below normal, symptoms of chronic fatigue/M.E.. and depression may occur. Although uncomfortable and difficult, it is at this stage that the body heals. The immune system regains its reactability as the body moves back into a reaction/excretion phase. When allowed to rest the body recovers and resumes a normal adrenal balance. . Dr. Eva Mihal-Bazzea Registration Number |
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Copyright 2007 - Dr. Eva Mihal-Bazzea
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