Treat the person, not the disease

A group of persons having been diagnosed with the same illness vary in other ways, and this individuality must not be denied. They vary in the intensity and details of their main symptoms, have a different overall symptom picture, medical history, vitality level, diet, lifestyle, mental-emotional outlook, familial and cultural background, inner strength and spiritual life. A medical diagnosis is not enough information to begin a holistic treatment. The main symptoms are always part of a larger pattern which needs to be discerned. Micro-managing individual symptoms is not as efficient nor as artful as looking after the whole person. Diseases can be seen as the varieties of human suffering and they are part of an individual's overall life experience. As such, they are tied to everything that makes up an individual life.


Powerful Medicine

My experience shows this approach to be very powerful. In my 12 years of clinical practise I have had experience with the following scenarios and more importantly have been of significant clinical assistance to persons diagnosed with the following conditions:

Arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergies, sinusitis, ear infections, acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit disorder (ADD), irregular or painful menses, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, enlarged prostate, infertility, impotence, thyroid conditons, angina, high or low blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, elevated lipids, sciatica, low back pain, headaches, cystitis, gallstones, kidney stones, chronic constipation, ulcers, digestive and intestinal conditions, ulcerative colitis, chron's disease, weight gain or weight loss, immune deficiency, multiple scelrosis (MS), acute musculo-skeletal injuries and supportive treatments to chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer patients.


                                              In devising a clinical approach, I utilize the following elements:

Diet and Nutrition

My clinical approach encompasses diet, nutrition and cooking from the Ayurvedic and Chinese medical traditions, healthful eating practises from other regions of the world and modern micronutrient supplementation. Without a proper diet it is difficult to regain health. Here, the art is to match the diet to the person's digestive ability, constitution and current medical assessment.


Herbal Therapeutics

My clinical practise of herbal therapeutics encompasses the Ayurvedic, Chinese, Homeopathic, modern European and North American approaches. The Ayurvedic, Chinese and Homeopathic approaches involve their own unique energetics while the modern European and North American approaches are based upon the modern scientific understanding of the body. It is important that herbal medicines be prescribed differently than are pharmaceutical drugs; that is, they should be matched with the overall symptom picture so as to fit the whole person, rather than be aimed against a single symptom. In doing this artfully, one avoids side-effects and an otherwise wasted effort.


                                              Bodywork

                                              For me, an important focus is working directly with the body. My approach to the body integrates Eastern methods such as Acupuncture, Ayurvedic bodywork, Shiatsu and Thai Massage with Western approaches such as Cranio-Sacral therapy, Strain-Counterstain technique and Chiropractic manipulation of the joints. The Eastern approaches seek to modify energy flow in the body and thereby ease muscle tension and improve internal function whereas the western approahces generally focus on posture, holding and muscle tension. My experience shows that the body and the mind are so intertwined that in working with the body, one neccessarily shifts the mind. Skillful bodywork is an incredibly powerful method whose effects are almost always deep and immediate. I often utilize a series of bodywork treatments as part of my overall clinical approach to                                               help persons shift towards well-being and wholeness.


                                             Breathwork

                                             The approach to the body and mind cannnot be complete without working with breath. I have found that many persons breathe incorrectly; that is, shallow, chest breathing which is tied to a state of anxiety. This habitual breathing pattern can be easily corrected when awareness and discipline are brought upon it. My experience shows that clinical improvement is greatly tied to achieving this shift. After all, the body when functioning in a physiologic state of anxiety cannot optimally benefit from otherwise sound dietery recommendations, herbal therapeutics and bodywork. I thus teach many of my patients to breathe properly and often instruct them in Yoga postures especially suited to their condition. In linking breath and posture artfully, one experiences a letting go and a sense of deep well-being; one changes.


Self-awareness

Self inquiry leads to self-awareness. With Yoga and meditation it is possible to see more deeply into ourselves. These approaches provide insight into one's deeper workings and thus help one to more easily change for the better. Used artfully, they help the person move towards self-awareness and self-command. As self-awareness grows, the Spirit flowers.

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