Hi everyone. As many of you who follow me on twitter (@DrPaulND) know, I spent the recent Naturopathic Medicine week detailing some of the research on my profession. I have decided to summarize this for a blog post to have it available for reference. These are some of the predominate trials of Natuorpathic medicine as a whole, that is our interventions done together in the clinical context.

The first trial can be accessed here. It is a trial of whole Naturopathic care ( meaning care by a Naturopathic Doctor incorporating the whole of our arsenal, Nutrition, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Lifestyle, Counselling, and Supplementation) on the metabolic measurements used to assess the risk of a severe Cardiovascular event. The Naturopathic Program results in a reduced risk of 3.07% and a decrease in the frequency of metabolic syndrome of 16.9%, both of which are highly statistically significant.

The second trial (Click here for the link) assesses the economic impact of the above Cardiovascular trial. Including Naturopathic care resulted in a savings of $1138 to society and $1187 to employers per person per year of Naturopathic care.

These two trials prompted an editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal (click here to read it) which suggested that Medical Doctors delegate certain aspects of cardiovascular care to NDs due to these results.

The next trial (read here) is one comparing Naturopathic treatment of anxiety and Psychotherapy. Naturopathic care was found to be significantly more effective than psychotherapy in treatment success, although both had a good effect.

The next trial (read here) studies back pain. Naturopathic care was compared with the general standard of care for back pain ( which is exercises). Naturopathic care was significantly more effective in relieving pain, and also resulted in improved mental outlook, and weight loss. The economic analysis of this trial (read here) showed that Naturopathic care resulted in a savings of $1096 per patient in direct healthcare costs and $1212 in employer costs.

As we can see from these trials, Naturopathic medicine compares well, and often better with the standard of care in the treatment of many conditions. It also results in significant costs savings both to individuals, health spending, and employers.

More of these types of trials are underway, and we can anticipate more and more data on this subject in the future. Canadians and Albertans deserve the best care possible, especially if that care can result in significant cost savings to them and to society, and better long term health.

Our education is unto a high standard. One ND/MD recently wrote an article comparing the two educations they received. It can be found here.

As a final note, I would suggest watching this video, made by one of my Teachers, Dr Michael Prytula:

Take Care of Yourselves!

Dr Paul.

Since only two Bryozoan remedies exist, provings of any other Bryozoa would be well received. Some particularly interesting species would be a nosode made from “Doggers Bank Itch” a condition of chronic dermatitis caused by exposure to Alcyonidum diaphanum. Bugula neritina, a source of anticancer chemicals might also be an interesting choice. The noncolonial bryozoan species, Monobryozoon ambulans. would also be an interesting choice.

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bryozoa#/media/File:Flustrellidra_hispida_2090a.JPG

As many of you know, one of the most common things I prescribe are two foods, Liver and Bone Broth. As such I decided to write Blog posts about them.

Liver is one of the best foods anyone can eat. Historically it has been reserved for those with the most pressing nutritional needs such as pregnant women, the chronically ill and children. Since these early uses of liver it has been extensively researched by a number of amazing Nutritional practitioners, and knowledge on its uses and benefits expanded considerably.

Liver is an excellent source of B-vitamins, particularily B12 (difficult to obtain from other sources) Minerals, particularly iron, and a number of other nutrients in smaller amounts. Liver is said to be higher, gram per gram, in nutrients than any other food. Liver nutrients have the advantage of being comparatively easy to absorb as well, generally raising levels of Iron better than supplementation[i].

Furthermore, Naturopathic doctors have noticed over the years that regular consumption of liver, in addition to the nutritional effects, has a strongly fortifying effect on the liver as an organ, aiding in its detoxification, hormonal and metabolic efforts.

Normally I prescribe liver in the diet. However very few of my patients ended up doing it, as many people have a very strong dislike of liver. I now stock dehydrated liver as an alternative for those who wish to avoid eating liver.
I will soon write about Bone broth!

Take care of Yourselves!

[i] Rewashdeh et al. Pak J Biol Sci. 2009 Feb 15;12(4):367-72. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19579971

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liver_with_onions_from_Poznan.jpg

Ctenophores are so far almost completely unknown within Homeopathy, with only my own trituration proving existing. As such a proving of any Ctenophore would be a very useful addition to the Homeopathic materia medica. Since my trituration was of a Tenticulata, a proving of a member of the Nuda would be the best use of effort.

One interesting species of Ctenophores for proving would be Haeckelia rubra, a species which capture the cnidocytes of Ctenophores. Due to their unusual benthic and symbiotic lifestyle and wormlike bodies, members of the Platyctenida would also be excellent candidates for proving.

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LightRefractsOf_comb-rows_of_ctenophore_Mertensia_ovum.jpg

Finally!!! The Insects are done. As such I have largely completed the suggested provings of the Lepidoptera. Hope you all enjoy!

While Lepidoptera are indeed the most extensively proven of all Hexapod classes, due to the unique relationship of Lepidoptera with the Plant Kingdom, we still have a significant underrepresentation of Lepidoptera species in the material medica. There are many orders of plants which have no hosting Lepidoptera species either potentised or proven. Provings of any Lepidoptera which hosts on one of these orders would be a wonderful addition to the material medica. A chart of Dictoiledon orders, based on Michal Yakir’s work is included below.

As of yet, no Butterflies have been proven that host within the monocots, gymnosperms, or bryophytes. Within the monocots, amoung the Magnolids the Nymphales, Iliacles, Piperales, Aristolochiales, Ranunculales and Papaverales have no provings. Amoung the Hamamelids the Hamamelidales have only one tenuous proving. The Carophyllids have no provings whatsoever. Within the Dillenids the Dilleniales, Theales, Srraceniales, Malvales, Curcubitales, Primulales, Ericales and Ebenales all have no proven members. Within the Rosids noe species hosting upon the Myrtales, Euphorbiales, Cornales, Santalales or Celestrales are known. And within the Asterids no proven members host within the Gentianales, Rubiales, Lamiales, Verbenals or Campanulales are available.

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lycaenidae_0001.jpg

Hi guys. As many of you know, I have had my share of online scuffles. Comes with the territory I suppose, being both a very social media active person, and someone who publicly espouses Homeopathy. Many of these are disputes over misrepresentations about Homeopathy or about Naturopathic medicine in General.

So recently this issue has come up again locally in Alberta. As many of you have read, two parents of a child who had died of Viral meningitis have been charged with Failure to provide the necessities of life. This case is tragic, and regardless of the outcome, this poor family has been devastated. From early reports it seemed that the couple sought the advice of a Naturopathic Doctor before going to emergency care. It was alleged that she sold them a tincture for viral meningitis, which obviously was ineffective.

However my interest in this case stems from the Media commentary. Many of us first found out about this case from Headlines over the past few days which touted something like “Crown alleges child died because couple took child to Naturopath instead of Medical Doctor”. This media line was taken up by many in the skeptical movement, and even resulted in an opinion piece published in the Calgary herald which suggested that Alberta should review its regulation of Naturopathic Doctors.

However, in the actual testimony during the trial, it came out that the Naturopathic Doctor in question referred them to take their child to emergency care immediately. The tincture was sold to a woman who entered the clinic the next day, whom the ND in question did not know was the mother of the child.

Now, this raises a good point against selling to people who are not your patients. The Profession in Alberta now does not allow this (This incident happened before regulation in 2012), but the overall media coverage of this incident has been extremely slanted. The ND, rather than making an appropriate referral and having a rather peripheral role in this case, was made central and used as an argument against the expanding scope and importance of NDs in Alberta.

What we seem to have here is a media and online community which is lying and waiting for a mistake from an ND to make thier argument about marginalizing Naturopathic medicine. Mistakes happen, individuals make bad calls, and the unforeseeable occurs, but overall NDs are incredibly safe and effective practitioners. A media push against us wont change that.

I would encourage all of my patients to speak up in favor of Naturopathic MEdicine when something like this occurs. You all, and your political awareness is the only thing that motivated regulation of Naturopathic Medicine in the first place, and is the only force holding media narratives like this to some kind of criticism.

Love to all of you!

Take care of yourselves.

Despite the claims of many, Homeopathy does have an overall positive evidence base, taking into account research methodology. But that research reveals some interesting characteristics.Here for instance is a newer research paper on this phenomenon, testing Apis, a homeopathic medicine on gene expression (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4710123/). While the research is positive, the researchers are puzzled that an s shaped dose response curve is not visible.

 

Many have suggested that #Homeopathy, if correct, should display an s shaped dose response curve. This is a reasonable expectation, as most pharmacological (ie crude) substances when placed into a biological system show this kind of response.For an example of an s shaped dose response curve, see the diagram to the right:

 

Homeopathy however, while it has been demonstrated in multiple trials (such as the one below) in biological models it tends to show responses in a bell curve manner. Lower potencies cause a lower response of a given effect, medium potencies cause a larger effect, and higher potencies cause no effect.For an example of a dose response curve, see the left:

This effect has been found across several experimental models (for another using basophils, please see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19945674) , and is consistent with clinical practice. Patients wont respond to too low potencies of a remedy, will respond to just the right potency and will aggravate or not respond to too high potencies. This trick is of course what is too high, too low and just right varies from patient to patient.

 

This phenomenon of bell curve responses seems to be a characteristic of Homeopathy in general. Homeopathy, if it works at all, does not work via traditional pharmacological models of the body. It is quite fascinating to me that those looking for evidence on Homeopathy’s efficacy seem to insist it fit into another model of biological activity that they have accepted, rather than exploring the laboratory evidence available which indicates another model of responsiveness entirely.

Image credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Standard_deviation_diagram.svg
Image credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dose_response_antagonist.jpg

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Hi Everyone I just updated my website to include a section on food sensitivity testing. Here it is!

As Dr. Otis Carol said “Health must at all times come from and be maintained by digested foods.  Naturopathic physicians understand this principle and use it to repair the damage done to organs, tissues and cells which have become depleted of the necessary constructive elements.  These necessary elements can come only from digested foods.  After a food is digested, it goes through the circulation to every organ, tissue and cell.  Remember, this process begins first with the digestion of food, and no drug yet offered can rectify damage done by failure of digestion.”

Proper digestion of foods is the prerequisite to all health. Without good digestion the body cannot obtain the fuel it needs in order to maintain its own biochemical processes and continue it’s functioning. If digestion is poor, toxins can also be created by the bacterial flora of our gut, adding to our already high toxic burden.

One of the great insights in Wholistic Medicine of the 20th century was the concept that certain people could not digest certain foods properly. Furthermore, while some foods were universally poorly tolerated, it was observed that many people were adversely affected by foods which others were perfectly fine with, or maybe even found beneficial.

Finding effective and reproducible means to determine which foods are harmful to an individual is the great puzzle which has emerged from these findings. The gold standard for this has been the Elimination diet. However this diet is quite restrictive and can be challenging to maintain for long enough to fully determine the intolerance. Hence other methods have been developed

Dr. Otis G Carrol devised the first system for clinically determining food intolerances in his Carrol food intolerance test. This test has the longest history of usage, and has amassed a very strong clinical history of usage. Other clinicians have devised blood tests which test the amount of immunoglobulins which react to particular foods. These tests however can be quite costly, and cannot identify reactions to foods that occur without antibodies (and yes these do occur).

After searching through a number of methods of testing foods, I eventually selected the Radial Artery Food Test as the best. It is extremely cost effective, can be preformed in office,  generates immediate results, and detects all manner of sensitivities, rather than simply those which generate antibodies. As well it is also billable to insurance, as this is an in office procedure rather than a laboratory explanation.

This test is preformed by exposing the body to a sample of a number of foods. The reaction of the body, in the form of the pulse, is measured during the exposure. It is fast, simple and effective, and I have experienced great success in its use so far.

For more information, or to book in for an appointment, please do Contact us.

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Food#/media/File:Vegetarian_diet.jpg

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A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you, my dear patients and friends.

I am incredibly grateful that you all have shared your health and struggles with me. I know how much of a leap of trust this is, and I will ever endeavor to be worthy of that trust.

It really is my calling and my great joy to help you all in the return to health, and the furthering of your path upon life.

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