Therapies
Naturopathic Therapeutic Techniques
Botanical Medicine
This involves the prescription of North American, European, and East Indian herbs. Herbs have been used for thousands of years, giving us a wealth of traditional knowledge and insight into their many profound healing effects. Within the past 50 years, a great deal of scientific research has confirmed many of these traditional uses and has allowed us to learn how the studied herbs work in the body. There are several ways in which herbs can be prepared for use, including tinctures (herbs extracted in alcohol), compresses, teas, and topical salves.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Also commonly referred to as Traditional Asian Medicine, this area of medicine uses Asian herbs, acupuncture, and a range of other techniques to treat illness. With origins dating as far back as 2000 years ago, TCM has an extensive philosophical background that perfectly compliments the naturopathic ideal of recognizing imbalances and bringing them back to equilibrium. The crux of this thought system is the idea that all living things have an inherent energy within them, known as “qi” (pronounced “chi”). Ideally, qi flows in a smooth and steady manner through the body within theoretical pathways called meridians. Disease is said to occur when the flow of qi becomes disrupted or if the body has too much or too little qi in certain areas. These abnormalities are righted through the use of Asian herbs or acupuncture, which involves placing thin needles at points along the meridians. While TCM has a rich history of anecdotal success stories, there are now a large number of medical journals containing research studies which support those earlier findings.
Note on acupuncture: a common concern among patients regarding acupuncture is that the procedure will be painful. Acupuncture needles are very thin, averaging 1/5th of a millimeter in diameter, and thus only occasionally come into contact with pain receptors in the skin. When they do, the sensation is fleeting and is commonly replaced by a feeling of warmth, coolness, mild tingling, pulsation, or relaxation. A typical treatment will last for 30 minutes and is often a very relaxing experience.
Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional therapy includes dietary counseling and the use of functional foods and nutritional supplements as therapeutic tools. Dietary counseling analyzes the patient’s current diet for foods that might be aggravating his or her condition, nutritional deficiencies, and for eating patterns that might lead to additional health concerns. Nutritional supplementation can take many forms, from correcting nutrient deficiencies to optimizing the levels of beneficial substances in the body that can treat and ward off future disease.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a medicinal technique in which preparations of different remedies are used to treat patient illness. Remedies are most commonly made from herbs, other plants, or minerals; they are diluted in a mixture of alcohol and water and are then grafted onto sucrose pellets to be taken orally. Through empirical trials, each remedy has been associated with a list of signs, symptoms, and other characteristics that they are able to address. The remedy that best matches up with the signs, symptoms, and other characteristics of the patient being treated is then selected as the one to bring him or her back towards health. For example, the homeopathic remedy made from the mineral calcium is associated with back pain, anxiety, and feeling cold all the time. If a patient presented with back pain, anxiety, and feeling cold all the time, calcium would likely be a good remedy to prescribe.
Lifestyle Counseling
This involves working with patients to help them live healthier lives. Along with the dietary counseling mentioned above, patients are also educated on proper ways to exercise, relax, set goals, and cope with the stressors of day to day life.
Psychological Counseling
NDs can help patients suffering from mild to moderate mental-emotional conditions and can also provide a supportive role for patients with more severe afflictions. This is achieved through various means, such as self-introspection exercises, cognitive behavioural therapy, meditation, and talk therapy. Oftentimes counseling is complimented by other naturopathic interventions, especially nutritional supplementation, botanical medicine, and homeopathy.
Neural Therapy
When and where did neural therapy originate?
Neural therapy was pioneered in 1925 by Drs. Ferdinand and Walter Huneke in Germany. They observed that infiltrations with local anaesthetics (e.g. procaine, discussed below) in affected tissues could exert healing effects in their patients.
What does neural therapy address?
Neural therapy addresses imbalances in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a component of the nervous system that is outside of conscious control. On a larger scale, the ANS regulates body functions such as heart rate, breathing rate, hunger, thirst, etc. On a smaller scale, the ANS helps to regulate cellular function and communication between cells. The ANS also influences the manifestation of pain, swelling, and muscle spasm in areas of trauma (or areas related to a site of trauma).
How do autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalances occur?
ANS imbalances occur due to some type of trauma. For example:
- an ANS imbalance leading to pain in the shoulder might be due to an improperly healed scar from a past shoulder surgery incision
- an ANS imbalance leading to neck pain might be secondary to a past car accident that resulted in whiplash
- an ANS imbalance leading to chronic digestive issues might be due to continual ingestion of foods that the digestive tract is sensitive to (i.e. which will lead to chronic inflammation in the gut)
Normally when trauma occurs the body goes through the expected healing process and the damaged tissue is brought back to health. However, when this does not occur – such as when tissue is not reformed in the right way, not healed completely, or when the tissue is continually exposed to the same trauma – an ANS imbalance can manifest, leading to chronic symptoms.
How does an ANS imbalance affect the body?
ANS imbalances affect the body in two possible ways:
- They can cause pain, inflammation, swelling, spasm, and/or weakness in an area of the body (e.g. in the low back, neck, shoulder, knee, etc)
- They can lead to underfunctioning of some tissue(s) in the body (e.g. lowered function of the adrenal glands, thyroid, liver, heart, lungs, immune system, etc)
#1 Explained: excess pain, inflammation, etc, typically follows OVERstimulation of the nerve fibres responsible for those symptoms…in this case, the ANS is not able to inhibit such signalling.
#2 Explained: underfunctioning tissue typically results from UNDERstimulation of the nerve fibres that regulate them…in this case, the ANS is not able to stimulate tissues adequately.
How does neural therapy correct ANS imbalances?
Neural therapy corrects ANS imbalances by “resetting” the ability of ANS nerve fibres to transmit signals properly. Dysfunctional ANS fibres are typically “hyperpolarized”, meaning that they cannot operate properly because they are overwhelmed due to previous or ongoing trauma. This “resetting” is achieved through the administration of procaine, a locally-acting anaesthetic agent. Procaine is a sodium-channel blocker, allowing it to further hyperpolarize the ANS nerve fibres. When the procaine wears off, the polarization heads back to normal levels, ideally passing the previous hyperpolarized state and returning to the proper level. Thus, in essence, procaine is the finger that hits the reset switch for the ANS fibres. Please note: in practice it typically takes more than one procaine injection to fully “reset” the ANS fibres; indeed, each treatment should reduce the hyperpolarization more and more until proper polarity is achieved.
Is procaine safe?
Yes – the only contraindication to using procaine is an allergic sensitivity to it (in which case lidocaine is used instead).
What happens when the ANS imbalance is corrected?
In the case of pain, inflammation, spasm, etc, those symptoms should reduce (if another issue co-exists with the ANS imbalance) or resolve completely (if the ANS imbalance is the sole underlying issue). In the case of underfunctioning tissues, their function should improve.
What is a typical treatment like? (please note that the following applies to biopuncture, below, too)
After performing a physical exam to determine the underlying issue(s), the patient sits or lies down and the area to be treated in sterilized. Injections are typically done intracutaneously (i.e. into the skin), which is the most superficial type of injection possible (anyone who has had a TB test has had an intracutaneous injection). For other conditions, especially those involving large muscle groups, injections are done into the muscle itself. I prefer to use the smallest gauge of needle possible (30G) for maximal patient comfort – indeed, the 30G needles are approximately the same size as an acupuncture needle.
Biopuncture
What is biopuncture?
Biopuncture is the use of injectable anti-homotoxic remedies to exert healing effects in the body. Anti-homotoxic remedies are analogous to homeopathic remedies (i.e. highly dilute preparations of natural substances); however, they are of a much lower dilution (usually one in 10,000 parts rather than 1 in 10030 parts).
Are biopuncture injectables safe?
Yes – one virtue of their high dilution is that they do not have the potential to cause a toxic reaction.
Why do you use biopuncture?
I use biopuncture either alone or to complement the use of neural therapy. Neural therapy is excellent at correcting ANS imbalances; however, biopuncture allows for the more specific direction of treatment. For example:
- A patient has persistent reflux secondary to a past chest injury – neural therapy corrects the ANS imbalance…adding injectable nux is a specific remedy to help resolve reflux issues
- A patient has persistent low adrenal gland function – neural therapy corrects the ANS imbalance…adding injectable adrenal gland extract amplifies the effect and helps to regenerate depleted adrenal hormones
- A patient has trouble sleeping for years after an emotional trauma and testing shows ANS imbalance in the heart – neural therapy addresses the heart ANS imbalance and Neuro-Heel helps to promote sleep faster
What conditions can neural therapy/biopuncture treat?
Technically one or both could be indicated for any health condition; however, I tend to reserve it for conditions such as:
- Any acute musculoskeletal injury (can speed recovery time immensely)
- Any chronic musculoskeletal injury, especially those not responsive to other treatment modalities. MSK injuries that I’ve treated include:
o Shoulder pain
o Knee pain
o Neck pain
o Back pain (upper and lower back pain)
o Sciatica
o Piriformis syndrome
o Hamstring pulls
o Whiplash injuries
o Chronic pain following an accident
o TMJ syndrome
- Insomnia not responsive to other treatments
- Fatigue (chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, low thyroid function, fibromyalgia) not responsive to other treatments
- Heartburn/reflux not responsive to other treatments
- Low immune function (frequent infections, chronic infections, long-standing respiratory symptoms)
- Sinus congestion
IV Therapy (Parenteral Therapy)
Why is IV therapy used in a naturopathic clinical setting?
IV therapy can be used for a wide range of health conditions, including:
Cancer
- enhancing effects of chemotherapy and reducing side effects
- direct anti-cancer effects
- cancer prevention and reduction of risk of recurrence
Low Energy Syndromes:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Low energy
- Low adrenal function
Immune System Support:
- Acute and chronic infections (colds, flus, pneumonia, etc)
- Lyme disease
- Low antioxidant levels
Environmental issues:
- Elevated heavy metals (e.g. lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, etc)
- Liver detoxification support
Other Conditions:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Pain management
- Nutritional supplementation in patients with malabsorption (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, Celiac’s, etc)
- Migraines
- High blood pressure/arterial disease
- Neurological disorders, including
o Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
o Parkinson’s Disease (Perlmutter glutathione protocol)
o Alzheimer’s Disease
Why use IV therapy instead of oral supplementation?
The primary advantage of IV therapy is that it allows us to administer nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract in the process. When nutrients are taken orally, their structure can be altered as they pass the lining of the small intestine or when they are transported through the liver (known as the “first pass effect”). A classic example is that of oral glutathione (i.e. the most potent antioxidant in the human body): oral glutathione has great benefits to the intestinal cells; however once it is absorbed into the bloodstream it is denatured and has no antioxidant benefit at all.
Another factor that influences the ability of oral nutrients to make it into the blood is digestive capacity. If a patient has inflammation in the gut (whether they are aware of it or not) then nutrients won’t be efficiently absorbed through the intestinal wall, passing into the stool instead. If patients are not responding to oral supplements as expected, a diagnostic trial to rule out malabsorption would be an IV treatment of the same nutrients to see if benefit is noticed.
Does IV therapy hurt and is it safe?
IV therapy should not be a painful process. Practitioners trained in parenteral therapy learn the safe dosages of nutrients that can be administered and how to dilute them properly to prevent vein irritation. The only part of the process that may be expected to be uncomfortable is the initial insertion of the needle – fortunately, the needle gauge that is used is significantly smaller than that used for laboratory blood draws, and I find that patients oftentimes don’t perceive pain.
IV therapy is safe if it is administered in a careful, cautious manner. Adverse reactions to injected substances are rare, with most unwanted side effects coming from administering high doses too soon or too quickly. Allergic reactions to IV therapeutics are very rare but possible, thus a detailed history of patient allergies is crucial.
What types of nutrients can be administered?
- B complex - B6 - B12
- B5 - vitamin C - magnesium
- Glutathione - homeopathics - selenium
- Heavy metal chelating agents
Neural Prolotherapy (Pain Management Dextrose Injections)
What is neural prolotherapy?
Neural prolotherapy involves superficial injections with dextrose (aka glucose) to treat a wide range of pain conditions. It was developed by Dr. John Lyftogt, MD who specializes in sports medicine and uses dextrose injections as his sole tool for pain management in his practice.
How does it work?
Pain is a complex area of human health and researchers and clinicians only understand vague fragments of it. In the context of neural prolotherapy it is known that pain fibres express a protein channel called TRPV1. If TRPV1 levels are kept to a minimum pain is not an issue. In fact, if TRPV1 levels are kept in check it promotes healing and repair of the nervous system. However if pain fibres become sensitized (e.g. due to trauma, inflammation, etc) their TRPV1 expression skyrockets and pain follows suit. Pain fibres overexpressing TRPV1 release excessive amounts of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (sub P) which lead to pain, increased blood flow, and possible swelling in the affected area.
Dextrose is a TRPV1 inhibitor, meaning that if TRPV1 is overexpressed on pain fibres the dextrose stops their function. When the TRPV1 function is arrested, pain is decreased (important for immediate relief) and tissue repair is allowed to occur (important for sustained relief and healing).
What conditions does it treat?
Neuroprolotherapy treats pain, so if pain is present the treatment has the potential to resolve it. According to Dr. Lyftogt’s clinical studies the percentage of patients who achieve satisfactory clinical results are:
- Achilles tendon pain (93%)
- Hamstring pain (90%)
- Shoulder pain (88%)
- Tennis elbow (100%)
- Compartment Syndrome (78%)
- Groin pain (90%)
- Knee pain (89%)
- Neck pain (90%)
- Back pain (90%)
What should I expect during a neural prolotherapy treatment?
The initial session will involve an assessment of the painful area(s) (inspection, palpation, possible orthopaedic testing) to determine which points need to be injected. The number of injections can range from 5-15 per painful area. The injections are very superficial, only going into the fat layer just under the skin (subcutaneous layer). One phenomenal feature of neural prolotherapy is that, if effective, it will reduce pain immediately. This immediate effect will last on average from 4 hours to 4 days. It is important to remember that while this acute pain relief is of great comfort to the patient, the true value is in the long-term tissue healing that occurs after that immediate relief abates.
How many treatments are required?
The average number of treatments is 6-8, with 1 week apart between treatments (please note, for patients who are traveling from a distance for treatment, the treatment schedule can be condensed if needed. Indeed, it appears that the number of treatments ultimately affects the end result, rather than the timing). Patients typically report a 10-20% cumulative pain improvement with each session.
Is the treatment safe?
Superficial dextrose injections are safe. Indeed, neural prolotherapists have not seen a negative reaction to date. This makes sense as dextrose is a benign substance and is not accompanied by preservatives. One theoretical contraindication would be a severe allergy to corn (dextrose is commonly derived from corn). In such cases, a sugar beet extract could be obtained instead.
Ozone Therapy and Prolozone Therapy
What is ozone? Ozone is a molecule that exists as a gas at room temperature. It consists of three oxygen molecules bound together – usually written as O3 (just as oxygen gas, with two oxygen molecules, is written as O2). Most of us are familiar with the ozone layer, which exists in our atmosphere and protects against harmful UV rays. Also, we have all smelled ozone before as it is created in the presence of lightning during a rainstorm. Why is ozone used therapeutically? Ozone has three main therapeutic actions: 1. it is the most potent “oxidizer” that has been discovered, 2. it is an incredibly powerful antimicrobial (any bacteria, fungus or virus is killed in its presence), and 3. it heals tissues (through its oxidative capacity) “Oxidizer”: put simply, ozone brings oxygen into our tissues. It does so through the formation of ozonides, which enter our cells to bring extra oxygen to our mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy factories of the cell – without them life would only exist as single cell organisms. In order to create energy, mitochondria need oxygen; however if not enough oxygen is present in our tissues they can’t make as much energy as we need to feel optimally healthy. Low mitochondrial oxygen can occur for a wide variety of reasons, including poor diet, hormone imbalance, heavy metal/toxin exposure, poor circulation, and inactivity (and locally in musculoskeletal injuries). Antimicrobial: ozone kills any microbe it comes into contact with, which makes it incredibly effective for infected sinuses, joints, abscesses, wounds, osteomyelitis, gangrene, etc. Tissue healing: studies have shown that painful or damaged areas of the musculoskeletal system have lower oxygen concentrations than the unaffected tissues beside them. As discussed above, ozone is the best known oxidizer and as such is very effective in raising oxygen levels in affected tissues. Locally administered ozone reduces and eliminates pain and swelling and stimulates tissue healing to lead to both an acute relief of pain as well as healing of the damaged tissue (i.e. so pain will not return). What conditions does ozone treat? Ozone treats conditions associated with low oxygenation, which as mentioned above can be due to poor diet, hormone imbalance, heavy metal/toxin exposure, inactivity, poor circulation, musculoskeletal damage etc. As such, except in rare cases ozone is not a standalone treatment – the underlying factors that lead to poor oxygenation in the first place must be addressed (using other naturopathic tools) in order to effect a long-standing cure. Conditions that are the most directly treated with ozone include: Pain (at any site and of any origin) Cardiovascular dysfunction (angina, cardiovascular disease, poor circulation, high blood pressure, stasis dermatitis, intermittent claudication, etc.) Viral infections (hepatits, herpes simplex virus, HIV/AIDS, mono, etc.) Macular degeneration (halts progression and helps regain lost function in 50-75% of patients) Dental infections (including post-root canal) Interstitial cystitis Conditions that are greatly helped with ozone as part of the full treatment protocol: Low energy (general fatigue, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome Difficult weight loss Cancer Autoimmune conditions Low thyroid function Premature aging (ozone therapy is a crucial component of an “anti-aging” protocol) COPD Any patient who cannot implement a proper exercise regime (ozone therapy is like “exercise in a bottle”) How is ozone administered? Ozone can be administered in several ways: What is Prolozone? Prolozone is a termed coined by Dr. Frank Shallenberger, MD, one of the world’s leading experts in ozone therapy. It simply refers to the injection of ozone for the treatment of pain, after a pre-treatment with an anti-inflammatory or healing solution (including procaine, dextrose, homeopathics, etc.) Is ozone toxic or dangerous? No, when used in a medical setting it is ozone is 100% safe and without side effects. Ozone does have to be used with caution in some disorders (e.g. thrombocytopenia), and as a general precaution is not used in pregnancy. If one were to fill a room with ozone it would be toxic in time; however the same would be true of any gas, including oxygen or carbon dioxide. It must be noted that ozone therapy can be dangerous if it is being generated with an inappropriate ozone generator (must be from a certified manufacturer) or if being used by a physician without proper training. Which naturally begs the next question… What type of ozone generator do you use? Where did you receive your ozone training? I use the EXT-120 model from Longevity Resources from Sydney, BC, one of the few reputable manufacturers in North America. Ozone generators must be properly calibrated and built with ozone-resistant internal parts. Otherwise the dose of ozone won’t be controlled and toxic breakdown products will contaminate the final product. I first learned how to administer therapeutic ozone from Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD. I have furthered my knowledge in the field by training with Dr. Shallenberger and corresponding with other physicians who use ozone therapy. I am a member of the American Association of Ozone Therapy as well. Is ozone therapy scientifically validated? Ozone therapy has more research supporting its use than many therapies out there. A multitude of studies have shown us how ozone therapy works (i.e. through its various oxidative effects) and its effects on human biochemistry (numerous studies done by Italian researcher Bocci). There have also been several studies showing that ozone is effective versus placebo for treating pain and that it is superior to steroid injections and some surgeries. Isn’t oxidation a bad thing? Isn’t that the opposite of what antioxidants do? Free radical formation and oxidation are frequently confused, which unfortunately has led to some misunderstanding about ozone. Free radicals in excess are a bad thing and they are essentially the “opposites” of antioxidants. Oxidation, in contrast, is essential for proper mitochondrial function and thus our health. In fact, healthy levels of oxidation have been shown to improve antioxidant levels in the body, thus further bolstering health. Where can I find more information about ozone therapy? www.antiagingmedicine.com (Dr. Shallenberger’s website) www.healingwithoxygentherapies.com