Are
you tired of 5 minute visits to your HMO doctor who won’t even listen to
you, getting the same prescription drugs you’ve been told you need to
be on for the rest of your life, yet they don’t really help your
condition and have irritating side effects that are worse than what you
went in for, and never being told why you have what you have?
If
so, you’re like most Americans who are sorely disappointed with the
conventional medical system that they feel is routinely ignoring their
needs, and are hungry for doctors who can teach them how to get well and
stay healthy, and is knowledgeable in both conventional and alternative
treatment methods.
Naturopathic
Medicine, also known as Naturopathy, may be just the answer you are
looking for. The Naturopathic Medical profession evolved in the 1800s
from a merger between Homeopathy, and an older system called Nature
Cure. In fact, the word Naturopathy was derived by combining the word
Nature from Nature Cure, and the “-opathy” from Homeopathy, creating
Naturopathy.
Naturopathic
Doctors are licensed as primary care providers in 18 states and
territories in the US, including California. Naturopathic doctors
attend 4-year graduate programs comparable to Medical doctors,
Osteopathic doctors and Chiropractic doctors, and receive training in
the basic medical sciences, diagnostics and treatment methods. Their
training differs from all other doctors in that, from their first day of
medical school, they are educated in the holistic model and taught to
use natural treatments as a primary method of treatment. These include
herbal medicines, homeopathy, physical manipulation, counseling and
mind-body medicine, and clinical nutrition. In fact, Naturopathic
doctors typically receive more nutritional training than an MD, DO, DC,
acupuncturist and a nutritionist combined.
What
truly makes Naturopathic doctors different is the underlying philosophy
which guides their actions with every patient encounter.
The
first point of Naturopathic philosophy involves the Healing Power of
Nature, sometimes referred to as your Vital Force. This concept
acknowledges that we each have within us a
natural form of organic, living energy. Oriental Medicine refers to
this as Qi, while Ayurvedic Medicine from India refers to it as Prana.
Proper flow and function of the Vital Force is required for optimal
health. This energy also contains part of the logic for our built-in
healing systems. Naturopathic doctors strive to always work in harmony
with your natural healing ability.
Just
as Hippocrates taught, all doctors, when caring for patients, should
endeavor to First, Do No Harm. Even though this same tenet is in the
Hippocratic Oath taken by all doctors in the conventional medical
system, when looking at the amount of side effects from prescription
drugs (which lead to more than 100,000 deaths each year) and
un-necessary surgeries performed, it is a valid question to ask if the
conventional system really honors this principle. Naturopathic doctors,
by treating each patient individually and customizing protocols based
on your response to treatment rather than blindly pushing forward
with a standard protocol, are constantly reassessing your progress to
ensure that, in fact, we Do No Harm.
As
a core part of our philosophy, Naturopathic doctors are taught to
always seek the true, root cause of your condition. Symptoms are
important only in that they point the way to the root cause.
Eliminating symptoms is not considered the end in itself. This is in
stark contrast to the conventional medical approach, where eliminating
symptoms is often the only focus of treatment. An example might be a
simple nutrient deficiency. B Vitamins are crucial for red blood cell
formation, nervous system function and your liver’s ability to remove
toxins from your body. You might be anemic resulting in severe fatigue
and poor healing ability, have mental or emotional symptoms such as
severe anxiety, numbness and tingling in your fingers or toes, and be
suffering from constipation and toxemia. In the conventional world you
could end up on half a dozen or more prescription drugs, while in a
Naturopathic office you could simply be given some B12 injections and a
high potency oral supplement, which treats the root cause of all your
ailments.
As
mentioned earlier, Naturopathic doctors are trained in the Holistic
principle – that all parts of our organism are interconnected and
constantly interact, and in fact it is impossible to change one area of
the body without affecting your entire being. Treat the Whole Person,
thus, is another keynote of Naturopathic Philosophy.
Naturopathic
doctors respect the fact that you, the patient, need to understand what
is going on in your body, and with your healing. This we accomplish
through education – taking the time to have a conversation with each
patient, and actually listen. Historically, the term Doctor comes from
the Latin “docere” – to teach. The Doctor as Teach is another point of
our philosophy.
The
final main point of Naturopathic philosophy is the concept of
Prevention. We regard Prevention as the Best Cure. A prime example
would be the interconnected epidemic of Obesity, Heart Disease and
Diabetes. All are approaching 50% of the population being affected. A
mere 100 years ago, these were all 2-3% or less. Clearly, the dramatic
increase in these conditions in the last year is driven by diet and
lifestyle factors, which are 100% in your control. As a society we have
the power to reverse this trend, merely by re-adopting whole food
diets, supplementing the Essential Nutrients to levels compatible with
our current needs, and gradually eliminating the environmental
toxicities which are driving the need for higher levels of vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants. Within 10 years, it is theoretically
possible to eliminate 90% or more of the cases of Diabetes, Heart
Disease and Obesity afflicting our society. Now that’s prevention!
When
you visit a Naturopathic doctor, you can expect a doctor who listens,
cares, educates, empowers, and understands how to customize treatment
approaches for each patient. You will find a doctor who is
knowledgeable in nutrition and nutritional supplements and how to
diagnose and treat any aspects of your condition which are nutritionally
related; a doctor trained in both the traditional and scientific use of
herbal medicines as well as homoepathy. One who can evaluate your
current treatment regimen for safety and compatibility between your
supplements, herbs and any prescription medications you may be taking.
Naturopathic Medicine represents the art and science of natural healing. Here in the 21st
century, Naturopathic doctors offer the best of modern scientific
western medicine, combined with the holistic philosophy that
distinguishes most systems of Alternative medicine.
Dr.
Arlan Cage, ND, LAc, is a licensed Naturopathic doctor as well as a
licensed Acupuncturist with a practice in Mount Shasta, California,
where he emphasizes primary care medicine from a Holistic point of
view. He routinely combines Western and Eastern holistic approaches
which are individually customized for each patient. He regularly treats
cases involving cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, endocrine
disorder, including thyroid illness, menopause, infertility, and
menstrual disorders, as well as acute care for a variety of infectious
illnesses such as colds, flus and intestinal disorders. His primary
treatment methods are nutrition, herbal medicine and homeopathy. He
also treats musculoskeletal pain using kinesiology and acupuncture. For
more information, visit his website at www.mtshastahealing.com, or call 530-926-1600.
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