My story...

I have had several requests to speak a little about myself and how I came to Bastyr and the ND program.  I would love to share with you my journey to naturopathic medicine...

I was born and raised in a Swedish-American family in the Pacific Northwest.  My relationship with nature grew at an early age, and thanks to the encouragement of my parents much of my childhood took place outdoors.  I spent my summers picking blueberries and wild strawberries in Sweden, swimming and playing in Lake Washington and hiking to alpine lakes in the Cascade mountain range.  Winters were dominated by my love of snow, with plenty of adventures by skiing, snowshoeing and sledding.  These activities laid the foundation for my appreciation of nature, and eventually led to my decision to become a naturopathic physician.

As a right-brained child, I gravitated to various art and music classes.  At age 6 I joined an internationally touring children’s choir, and at age 8 I began learning classical piano.  I took drawing, painting and ceramics classes throughout my youth to feed my desire for creativity. 
Music and art became my therapy during adolescence, a healing power that I still value.

As a teenager I retained my love of the arts but also discovered the pleasure of solving puzzles, especially in math and science.  I followed both of these passions throughout my undergraduate education at Gonzaga University where I finished my bachelor’s degree with a double major in visual arts and biology.  Originally I planned to become a medical illustrator but soon realized that a career in an isolated cadaver lab was not for me. I realized that I love people and that I thrive in an environment where I can develop relationships with others.  Because my biology degree closely mirrored the premedical curriculum, I started thinking about attending medical school to pursue a field where I could help and heal others.  Taking some time off of school, I moved to Nashville after graduation to participate in an AmeriCorps program in a low-income health clinic.

In 2005 my family and I had our lives dramatically changed when my father had a major stroke.  After weeks of hospitalization and months of physical therapy, his insurance stopped paying for rehabilitation.  At this point my parents turned to several alternative therapies, including acupuncture, warm-water physical therapy and Feldenkrais.  On one weekend home I had the opportunity to take my father to his acupuncture appointment with Dr. Yuanming Lu, who also happened to be a professor at Bastyr University.  My parents, wanting me to move back home to Seattle, encouraged me to check out the naturopathic medicine program at Bastyr.  In 2006 I visited Bastyr and immediately fell in love with the campus, the community, and the philosophy of naturopathic medicine.  My eyes were opened to a completely new type of medicine - a natural, holistic and truly patient-centered model of practice. 

At the same time it was becoming apparent that I had my own health issues that were getting progressively worse.  After multiple rounds of imaging and medication trials to find the cause of my stomach pain, I was finally diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was told by my medical doctor that there was nothing more I could do.  Being a motivated patient, I searched for answers on my own, and learned of the link between food sensitivities and IBS.  After my doctor refused to do the testing, I called the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, and the year before I began the ND program I had my first experience as a naturopathic patient.  I learned that I had multiple food sensitivities, including gluten, soy and dairy.  Eliminating these foods from my diet, in addition to other naturopathic therapies, changed my health and changed my life.  I am happy to report that I am now 99% symptom-free, and my health continues to improve year after year. 

In 2007 I began my education at Bastyr University in their Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program. The journey continues to amaze me, and every day that I am in school I fall more deeply in love with this incredible medicine.  I am excited to become a Physician, a Counselor and a Healer, and I am honored to be a part of the lives of patients as they are transformed.

Docere - Doctor as Teacher

We are in the age of passive medicine.

Our current medical model reimburses physicians for investigating/making a diagnosis, and managing treatment of that particular diagnosis.   Physicians get paid for the diagnosis or treatment, not for the amount of time spent with patients (with some exceptions).  This leads to short patient visits and very little time discussing the rationale behind the treatment or the implications of the diagnosis.  The result is what I call "passive medicine,"  because the patient has almost no active role in the healing process.

The role of the naturopathic physician is to fulfill the original meaning of the word doctor.  "Doctor" derives from the Latin "docere," which means "To Teach".  The process of education shifts the role of participation back to the patients so they can take control of their own health. 

Bastyr University describes the principle of Docere as such:

"Naturopathic physicians educate the patient and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship."

This definition of Docere is really describing empowerment.  Naturopathic physicians teach so patients can reclaim authority over their own bodies.  Empowered patients are savvy healthcare consumers and are better able to stay safe and prevent mix-ups in the medical system. Educated patients also tend to have more success in completing treatments, and feel more confident in their health.

The concept of Doctor as Teacher is really about shifting the balance of power back to the patient.  Personal empowerment is the only prescription that can create permanent change leading to better health.

The Vis Medicatrix Naturae - Vitalism, Evolution, Creation or Homeostasis?

I love the philosophical principles of naturopathic medicine: Treat the Whole, Treat the Cause, Prevention, First Do No Harm, and Doctor as Teacher. I find these concepts easy to discuss with patients, colleagues and my peers in the medical profession.

Then we get to The Vix Medicatrix Naturae, translated The Healing Power of Nature. Opponents of naturopathic medicine have used this philosphical principle to label naturopaths as "vitalists," a term which many in the scientific field equate with quackery or fraud. I would like to offer multiple interpretations of this principle.

Bastyr University provides the following explanation for the Vis Medicatrix Naturae: "Naturopathic medicine recognizes the body's inherent ability, which is ordered and intelligent, to heal itself. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to recovery, and to facilitate and augment this healing ability."

In this definition there is no mention of the concept of vitalism, despite the use of the term by many who are antagonistic to naturopathic medicine. Vitalism, as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary is "1. a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces 2. a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life is in some part self-determining." Vitalism is a theory which forms the foundation of many branches of traditional and alternative medical approaches (for example, the concept of "qi" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or the concept of the vital force in Homeopathic medicine).

Bastyr's definition of the Vis Medicatrix Naturae also provides room for the concepts of evolution or supernatural creation. Creationists can accept the "order" and "intelligence" to be governed by a higher power or deity. Evolutionists can appreciate that much research has shown evolutionary advantages to many nonspecific symptoms like fever and inflammation. The "intelligence" of the human body, to an evolutionist, is simply a result of natural selection that favors organisms that have mechanisms for healing tissues, combating infections, and restoring disrupted processes.

The concept of homeostasis may also be relevant to the discussion of the Healing Power of Nature. All physiologic processes aim to create and maintain homeostasis in the body. The maintenance of homeostasis is a dynamic process, where each change in the body is countered by a "force" which precipitates movement back to equilibrium.

Regardless of philosophical views, the role of the naturopathic physician is to support each individual in their path toward better health. Naturopaths should encourage the self-healing ability of the body by removing barriers to cure and assisting the process for swift recovery.

Tolle Causem

One of the 6 prinicples of naturopathic medicine is Tolle Causem, or Treat the Cause. The ultimate goal of a naturopathic physician is to identify and treat the cause of the patient's disease or symptoms.

Conventional physicians will often claim to do the same thing. I recently saw an advertisement for a medication for GERD (also known as heartburn) that claims to treat the "cause" of heartburn by preventing the stomach from making stomach acid.

Do people with heartburn really have a deficiency of Tums or Prilosec? Wait a second...does stomach acid actually cause heartburn? Why do we even have stomach acid?

According to MDConsult.com (a great resource for you aspiring physicians), stomach acid is a requirement to break down proteins into smaller pieces for easier digestion. Stomach acids also help the body absorb certain minerals and vitamins (did you know that long-term suppression of stomach acids can lead to osteoporosis?). Having stomach acid is also a vital part of our immune system (not very many bacteria can survive in that acid!), and decreasing your stomach acid can leave you vulnerable to infections by nasty bacteria like E. coli and others.

In fact, stomach acids are not the cause of GERD. Heartburn is actually caused by a weakness or relaxation of the muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus. When this muscle relaxes, stomach acids come up into the esophagus and cause heartburn.

The job of a naturopathic physician is to figure out why this is happening, and to treat the true cause (not just give a bunch of drugs).

Note: this information is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Always consult your physician (preferably an ND) before making any medication or lifestyle changes. Remember, this is a blog, not a virtual doctor.

Natural Medicine is the Best Medicine...

Who am I? I’m a 4th year Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) student at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. Bastyr University is one of 7 accredited naturopathic medical colleges in the United States and Canada (check out the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, www.aanmc.org). At the time of this posting, naturopathic physicians are licensed in 17 states and territories in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

To quickly summarize, naturopathic medicine is evidence-based medicine founded on philosophical principles that emphasize treating the whole person, finding the root cause of disease, and focusing on prevention. Naturopathic physicians are trained in four-year medical schools and learn the same system of diagnosis as allopathic physicians, but choose to treat their patients with a variety of therapies, including botanical medicine, vitamin/mineral supplementation, hydrotherapy, counseling, dietary recommendations, and physical manipulation.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the role of naturopathic medicine in our current healthcare system. I truly believe that naturopathic physicians are the best primary care providers in the United States. Future posts in this blog will address the role of naturopathic medicine in prevention of many chronic diseases that causes significant morbidity and mortality in this country. I also aim to discuss the cost-benefit ratio of naturopathic care versus the current medical model, as well as issues of access to primary care providers. I also hope to further discuss naturopathic philosophy and the utilization of our naturopathic principles.

You, the reader, are encouraged to use this blog as a discussion board. Any questions that are thoughtfully and respectfully asked will be answered and posted for others to see. What I won’t allow is any naturopathic bashing, or for that matter, any disrespectful comments about my naturopathic OR allopathic (conventional medical) colleagues. Any such comments will be promptly removed.

Let’s start the conversation!