Complementary Healing Modalities and Alternative Medical Systems
Modern Western biotechnological medicine is only one of thousands of medical systems in existence, so let us not be tricked into believing that there is nothing outside of your CF doctor's office that may be helpful to you. Biotech medicine is a very young system and some practitioners can be arrogant, often trying to convince their patients that other medical systems are just a bunch of hocus pocus. But how could have these other systems been successfully healing people for thousands of years if they didn't work? Of course, it's all based on cultural biases, and it can be hard to break out of the bonds of our society's paradigm. But if we desire true healing, that is what we are called to do. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Bob Marley: "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds." And none but ourselves can do the healing, so we might as well give ourselves as many tools to work with as possible.
Acupuncture/ Traditional Chinese Medicine
I have been using acupuncture since high school, and I very much appreciate the holistic, systems-based approach that Traditional Chinese medicine employs. A good acupuncturist is also well-educated in the other healing modalities of Chinese medicine, including herbs, nutrition, and non-needle therapies such as cupping, massage, aromatherapy, and acupressure. A particularly good acupuncturist is so adept at reading the pulses that she can help you test for food sensitivities simply by having you hold a particular food. But in general, acupuncture is fantastic at relaxing muscle tension and unblocking stagnant energy, which can manifest in the CF body in a number of ways including mucus plugging, constipation, or a dysfunctional liver or gallbladder. The point of acupuncture is to help the body rebalance its yin and yang energies so that there is no stagnation. Regular treatment with acupuncture is best. I would do it every week if I could afford it, but right now I am going every month, which is still helpful.
Massage
It would make a hell of a lot of sense if insurance companies would cover massage therapy for certain diseases (ours included), don't you think? With all the coughing we do, it is really hard to avoid developing back spasms, rock-hard knots in the shoulders, a locked-down diaphragm, or super-tight muscles between the ribs. Boy oh boy, if I could get a massage every week, I'm sure I would be able to breath deeper and more expansively! If you can afford to get a massage often, please do! Working on loosening up those tight muscles in the chest around the rib cage, the pectorals, the shoulders, the diaphragm, and the entire back will really help you become able to expand your lungs and breath deeper, getting more oxygen and moving out more mucus. If you can't afford a massage very often, coerce a friend or significant other help you out - it doesn't have to be professional to feel good!
Naturopathy and Osteopathy
Although two different disciplines, both naturopathy and osteopathy are non-biotech medical systems that are really great in that they understand the body as functioning more like a living, interconnected system, not as a machine with isolated parts. I love visiting my naturopath or osteopath because he or she will present me with a totally different take on an issue than my CF docs would, and help me think more expansively while relating all of my health concerns to one another, forming a more coherent, interdependent vision of my body and how it works. Naturopathy in general focuses on natural treatments for health issues. Instead of reaching immediately for pharmaceuticals, naturopaths discuss diet options, herbal and supplemental treatments, and can even use certain tools that biotech doctors use (like supplemental hormones) in a more holistic and biologically-appropriate way. Some naturopaths may practice functional medicine, which essentially is the understanding of the body as a whole system where every facet of your body is connected to every other facet. A good naturopath can have a much deeper and more accurate understanding of the way the body actually works in all of its many interconnected organ systems than a regular MD, and can modify a therapy so that it is very specific to a patient's needs, not just a one-size-fits-all dose that biotech docs usually use. A naturopathic doctor has the initials N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor) after her name and takes the title Dr.
Osteopathy is a medical system that understands the body as a living, dynamic system made up of many interconnected subsystems. In a way, osteopathy is the application of systems theory to the human body. In the US, osteopaths go to a medical school very much like regular MDs, and so have a very strong medical science background. However, osteopaths attempt to treat health issues very differently than MDs in that osteopaths try to understand the cause of the issue and to correct it naturally, while MDs usually just prescribe drugs to mask symptoms. Osteopaths also can do somatic physical manipulations, kind of like a physical therapist, to help the body heal itself. In the US, osteopaths are essentially full doctors that just specialize in osteopathy, so can order labs and even prescribe medications. An American osteopath has the letters D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) after his name and takes the title Dr.
I believe that it would be very beneficial to have as one's primary care physician a naturopath or osteopath instead of an MD. In Vermont, this is allowed and insurance companies are required to cover visits to both naturopaths and osteopaths.
Herbalism
Using herbs and plants to help treat illness and maintain health has been done since before we became Homo sapiens. Literally. We've been eating herbs to heal ourselves forever, and every traditional culture on earth has used numerous local plants to make medicinal teas, tinctures, poultices, as essential oils, and in cooking. According to my teacher Guido Mase, we evolved with herbs as a staple of our diet, and a diet lacking in herbs can be as dangerously unhealthy as a diet lacking in any other essential macronutrient, like protein or fat. It's no wonder so many Americans are unhealthy, nobody takes herbs anymore! So let's fix that - eat more herbs! This can include the more "medicinal" kind that can be prescribed by an herbalist, like goldenseal, red reishi mushroom, or lobelia, or it can include more well-known culinary herbs like peppermint, licorice, basil, or black pepper. There are thousands and thousands of herbs that have innumerable health benefits. Some herbs are more mild and can be used liberally, like peppermint. Other herbs are extremely potent and should only be used under the guidance of an experienced herbalist. In general most herbs are pretty safe if not taken in large doses, however it is always best to consult an herbalist to determine which is the right herb to treat a particular ailment, and what the form and dose should be. There is not an herbalist license in the US, however there is a professional guild that has a number of qualifying criteria that if met, a practitioner can become a Registered Herbalist (R.H.). A good herbalist should have a solid foundation in human physiology and pathology, botany, as well as an in-depth understanding of any given herb's characteristics and applications through the lens of Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine. I am going to an herbalist school that will teach me all these things as well as the basics of biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition, pharmacology - essentially, what you'd want any of your medical practitioners to know, right? Look for a good herbalist or start reading up on it yourself. It is one medical practice that is easy and fun to immerse yourself in. I will be taking clients soon as a clinical herbalist intern at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.
Acupuncture/ Traditional Chinese Medicine
I have been using acupuncture since high school, and I very much appreciate the holistic, systems-based approach that Traditional Chinese medicine employs. A good acupuncturist is also well-educated in the other healing modalities of Chinese medicine, including herbs, nutrition, and non-needle therapies such as cupping, massage, aromatherapy, and acupressure. A particularly good acupuncturist is so adept at reading the pulses that she can help you test for food sensitivities simply by having you hold a particular food. But in general, acupuncture is fantastic at relaxing muscle tension and unblocking stagnant energy, which can manifest in the CF body in a number of ways including mucus plugging, constipation, or a dysfunctional liver or gallbladder. The point of acupuncture is to help the body rebalance its yin and yang energies so that there is no stagnation. Regular treatment with acupuncture is best. I would do it every week if I could afford it, but right now I am going every month, which is still helpful.
Massage
It would make a hell of a lot of sense if insurance companies would cover massage therapy for certain diseases (ours included), don't you think? With all the coughing we do, it is really hard to avoid developing back spasms, rock-hard knots in the shoulders, a locked-down diaphragm, or super-tight muscles between the ribs. Boy oh boy, if I could get a massage every week, I'm sure I would be able to breath deeper and more expansively! If you can afford to get a massage often, please do! Working on loosening up those tight muscles in the chest around the rib cage, the pectorals, the shoulders, the diaphragm, and the entire back will really help you become able to expand your lungs and breath deeper, getting more oxygen and moving out more mucus. If you can't afford a massage very often, coerce a friend or significant other help you out - it doesn't have to be professional to feel good!
Naturopathy and Osteopathy
Although two different disciplines, both naturopathy and osteopathy are non-biotech medical systems that are really great in that they understand the body as functioning more like a living, interconnected system, not as a machine with isolated parts. I love visiting my naturopath or osteopath because he or she will present me with a totally different take on an issue than my CF docs would, and help me think more expansively while relating all of my health concerns to one another, forming a more coherent, interdependent vision of my body and how it works. Naturopathy in general focuses on natural treatments for health issues. Instead of reaching immediately for pharmaceuticals, naturopaths discuss diet options, herbal and supplemental treatments, and can even use certain tools that biotech doctors use (like supplemental hormones) in a more holistic and biologically-appropriate way. Some naturopaths may practice functional medicine, which essentially is the understanding of the body as a whole system where every facet of your body is connected to every other facet. A good naturopath can have a much deeper and more accurate understanding of the way the body actually works in all of its many interconnected organ systems than a regular MD, and can modify a therapy so that it is very specific to a patient's needs, not just a one-size-fits-all dose that biotech docs usually use. A naturopathic doctor has the initials N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor) after her name and takes the title Dr.
Osteopathy is a medical system that understands the body as a living, dynamic system made up of many interconnected subsystems. In a way, osteopathy is the application of systems theory to the human body. In the US, osteopaths go to a medical school very much like regular MDs, and so have a very strong medical science background. However, osteopaths attempt to treat health issues very differently than MDs in that osteopaths try to understand the cause of the issue and to correct it naturally, while MDs usually just prescribe drugs to mask symptoms. Osteopaths also can do somatic physical manipulations, kind of like a physical therapist, to help the body heal itself. In the US, osteopaths are essentially full doctors that just specialize in osteopathy, so can order labs and even prescribe medications. An American osteopath has the letters D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) after his name and takes the title Dr.
I believe that it would be very beneficial to have as one's primary care physician a naturopath or osteopath instead of an MD. In Vermont, this is allowed and insurance companies are required to cover visits to both naturopaths and osteopaths.
Herbalism
Using herbs and plants to help treat illness and maintain health has been done since before we became Homo sapiens. Literally. We've been eating herbs to heal ourselves forever, and every traditional culture on earth has used numerous local plants to make medicinal teas, tinctures, poultices, as essential oils, and in cooking. According to my teacher Guido Mase, we evolved with herbs as a staple of our diet, and a diet lacking in herbs can be as dangerously unhealthy as a diet lacking in any other essential macronutrient, like protein or fat. It's no wonder so many Americans are unhealthy, nobody takes herbs anymore! So let's fix that - eat more herbs! This can include the more "medicinal" kind that can be prescribed by an herbalist, like goldenseal, red reishi mushroom, or lobelia, or it can include more well-known culinary herbs like peppermint, licorice, basil, or black pepper. There are thousands and thousands of herbs that have innumerable health benefits. Some herbs are more mild and can be used liberally, like peppermint. Other herbs are extremely potent and should only be used under the guidance of an experienced herbalist. In general most herbs are pretty safe if not taken in large doses, however it is always best to consult an herbalist to determine which is the right herb to treat a particular ailment, and what the form and dose should be. There is not an herbalist license in the US, however there is a professional guild that has a number of qualifying criteria that if met, a practitioner can become a Registered Herbalist (R.H.). A good herbalist should have a solid foundation in human physiology and pathology, botany, as well as an in-depth understanding of any given herb's characteristics and applications through the lens of Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine. I am going to an herbalist school that will teach me all these things as well as the basics of biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition, pharmacology - essentially, what you'd want any of your medical practitioners to know, right? Look for a good herbalist or start reading up on it yourself. It is one medical practice that is easy and fun to immerse yourself in. I will be taking clients soon as a clinical herbalist intern at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.
