Philosophy of Healing
My goal as a Naturopathic physician specializing in vector-borne illness and associated diseases is to provide progressive, integrated and individualized healthcare to all of my patients, working towards maximizing optimal function and health.
In the last two decades, the United States as well as Europe and other areas of the world, have experienced a rapid emergence of zoonotic diseases at an alarming rate. Multiple factors including: global climate change, escalating deer populations, human urban development encroachment on feral animal habitats, pollution, excessive EMF exposure, and the human misuse of energy and waste management has given rise to the 21st century global epidemic of Lyme Disease, a perfect "storm." Even the Center for Disease Control suspects that there may be as much as 6-12 times the number of reported Lyme disease cases in the United States that have not been recognized and/or diagnosed. This is a national (and global) tragedy given that scientific evidence repeatedly demonstrates that early antibiotic intervention for tick-borne illness halts disease progression and perhaps even eradicates it.
My personal belief about the treatment for multiple chronic zoonotic infections comes from a nearly 25 year career in medicine and science which emphasizes the need for: 1) integrating science and intuition, 2) utilizing a combination of eastern and western medicine philosophy’s, as well as alternative and conventional treatment modalities, 3) interfacing with other disciplines that shed new insights on old problems, and 4) exhibiting compassion and mindfulness for the needs of others.
The following are principles of healing, treatment and conduct that my staff and I strive for in delivering healthcare to my patients:
- To deliver safe and effective healthcare
- To use a combination of wisdom and experience
- To participate in continuing education to remain at the forefront of information about the role tick-borne diseases play in chronic illness
- To use an integrated medicine approach to healthcare for tick-borne illness
- To maintain appropriate standards and boundaries for personal and patient health
- To never lose sight of individual differences
- To utilize insight and instinct whenever possible
With respect specifically to tick-borne illness, my core treatment philosophy includes:
1) decrease the pathogen load
2) decrease inflammation
3) degrade the biofilm
4) support the immune system
5) support general organ function where necessary
6) thin the blood
7) detoxify the body
My hope is that in the next decade (known as the “Decade of the Microbe”), we find therapeutic agents with new mechanisms of action that complement existing natural and pharmacologic treatments, which eliminate the unnecessary suffering that Lyme Disease patients experience. New and ongoing national and international research efforts offer promising insights into future therapeutics for tick-borne illness.
