‘Healing’ Category

Patient Beliefs and Care

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

A patient’s beliefs about life and health need to define the care he / she receives. When this concept was under discussion during a planning meeting at BodhiCare, an emergency physician (MD) said that he did not “get that” until he had a patient come in whose religious beliefs prevented any kind of blood transfusion. This patient needed a blood transfusion; however, the physician figured out an alternate way to give the patient what was needed to recover from his health crisis without giving a blood transfusion. A naturopathic doctor (ND) in the meeting said he had similar experiences. Whether it is a religious, cultural or personal belief about health and life, care needs to conform to what a patient believes will restore or maintain health. One of the dictionary definitions for conform is “to act in harmony.”

Health is the result of harmony of energies. For each of us harmony is achieved through unique journeys and with varying methods, treatments and therapies. Beliefs contribute to one’s harmony (or lack of). When care providers seek to understand how to harmonize their approach to care with the beliefs of a patient, health and trust in the physician are the outcomes.

For more on this topic read Anatomy of An Illness by Norman Cousins.

Natural Doctors International: Haiti

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Sabine Thomas, ND, a Haitian-American naturopathic physician from Seattle, Washington and Natural Doctors International are working to support Haitian citizens using naturopathic medicine and treatments.  Acupuncturists Without Borders are also participating in this effort.  How wonderful that natural and alternative medicine will be available to Haitian people.  If you are interested in supporting them or knowing more about their work, you can learn more on their web site.  Our neighbor and good friend, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, Arizona is one of many naturopathic colleges joining this effort.

Laughter, a Wonderful Medicine

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

What is something that is free, that almost anyone can do and that enhances the immune system? Answer: Laughter!   A physician in India, Dr. Madan Kataria, has been promoting laughter to heal and to promote health in a variety of populations and communities of people.  He refers to it as laughter yoga.  Enjoy the video on his work; however, I must caution you.  Laughter is contagious; as you will see in the video.

Joy and Healing

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Optimism and joy are great, untapped sources of healing.  We know relatively little about the power of joy, but it IS powerful.  Norman Cousins demonstrated it healing himself with movies that made him laugh.  Laughter yoga is healing groups of people or at the very least making their days more enjoyable.  Here is another testimony to the power of joy.  Singing to heal stroke damage.

MRSA Superbug Solution

Monday, February 8th, 2010

An Associated Press (AP) article written by Martha Mendoza and Margie Mason “Solution to Killer Superbug found in Norway” describes a solution so simple it boggles the mind. Aker University Hospital in Oslo, Norway has virtually stopped MRSA spread.  How they did it?  Norwegians stopped taking so many drugs.  They cut back on the use of antibiotics.

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) causes 19,000 unnecessary deaths a year in the U.S., more deaths than from AIDs. It is an antibiotic resistant bacteria.  The World Health Organization says antibiotic resistance is one of the leading public health threats on the planet.

Simplicity trumps complexity.  Let us return to the least invasive, the simple foundations of restoring health and treat manufactured drugs and invasive treatments with respect and use only an exception basis.