What follows is a brief overview of the philosophy and history of the main branches of medicine we practice at the Westchester Center for Natural Health. If you have a moment, browse through these brief summaries to get a better sense of the scope and history of these medical paradigms.
At this clinic, the three of us share a unified philosophy of healing through the practice of classical homeopathy, which we believe to be the most powerful healing modality in alternative medicine. Our shared commitment to homeopathy allows us to converse with each other on difficult cases and learn from the successes we each have. Classical homeopathy, where one remedy is prescribed at a time, is the primary medical modality used at our clinic. Please read on to learn a little more about the history and philosophy of this medicine.
Though its roots and foundation reach much further back into the history of medicine, homeopathy as a cohesive medical practice first began in the last decade of the 1700’s in Germany. Interestingly, homeopathy came about as a result of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’s long experience in the conventional medicine of the time, which led him to explore the idea of natural substances treating the same set of symptoms in disease that they could cause if given to a healthy person. From early in its history, homeopathy utilized plant, animal, and mineral substances to treat both the acute epidemic diseases prevalent at the time, as well as chronic disorders. Homeopathy went on to become very popular in the United States, with the first homeopathic medical schools appearing in the late 1800’s. At this time, and in to the early 1900’s, many of the largest medical schools in the country taught homeopathic medicine, including the New York Medical College, Boston University, and Stanford University. The utilization and teaching of homeopathy declined in the U.S. during the early to mid-20th century, both because of external pressures like the powerful American Medical Association, as well as an internal lack of unification and shared goals. Despite this decline in the U.S., homeopathy has seen steady growth in Europe and Asia over the last century, and represents a popular medical modality in many parts of the world today. More recently, homeopathic use in the U.S. has risen; in 1996 Americans spent 230 million dollars on homeopathic remedies. Currently in the U.S. there are many homeopathic schools with programs that provide years of training and clinical experience, and these programs are likely to form the backbone of future professional licensing in homeopathy.
The philosophy of classical homeopathy is completely different from mainstream allopathic medicine and we encourage anyone who receives homeopathic treatment from us to understand some key differences:
Naturopathic medicine comprises a diversity of natural medical modalities including botanical medicine, nutritional counseling, and homeopathy. It is rooted in a modern biomedical education and holds to a medical philosophy that puts the ability of an individual to heal himself or herself at the highest level of importance. The naturopathic medical modalities, including homeopathy, serve to strengthen or supplement the body's ability to heal itself, and include the following branches among others:
The historic roots of naturopathic medicine are in the natural healthcare revolution which took place in 19th century Germany and included the movements of nature cure, hydrotherapy, hygiene, eclectic medicine and homeopathy. All of these modalities and ideas initially became popularized as a reaction to harsh medical therapies in Victorian Europe. The term naturopathic medicine was developed in the 1895 by Benedict Lust, and after a period of rapid growth in the early 1900’s, it fell into decline with the advent of penicillin and conventional pharmaceuticals. By the 1970s, disenchantment with what had become "conventional medicine" started to grow. The profound clinical limitations and out-of-control costs were becoming problematic and the side effects of prescription drugs often outweighed their benefits. As a result, millions of Americans were starting to look for options and alternatives. Naturopathy, and all of complementary and alternative medicine, began an era of rejuvenation. Currently Naturopathic medicine is licensed in 15 states and is growing.
The six core principles of Naturopathic medicine are as follows:
Manual manipulation of the spine and other joints in the body have been around for a long time. Ancient writings from China and Greece dating between 2700 B.C. and 1500 B.C. mention spinal manipulation and the maneuvering of the lower extremities to ease low back pain. In fact, Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., published a text detailing the importance of manual manipulation. In one of his writings he declares, "Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases". Evidence of manual manipulation of the body has been found among the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Japan, the Incas, Mayans and Native Americans.
The official beginning of the chiropractic profession dates back to 1895 when Daniel David Palmer restored the hearing of Harvey Lillard by manually adjusting his neck and something told him that he was on to something good. Two years later, in 1897, Dr. Palmer went on to begin the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, which continues to train doctors of chiropractic to this day.
Throughout the twentieth century, the profession of chiropractic has gained considerable recognition and scientific support. Research studies that have clearly demonstrated the value of chiropractic care in reducing health care costs, improving recovery rates and increasing patient satisfaction. In fact, one very large study conducted in Canada, the 1993 Manga Study, concluded that chiropractic care would save hundreds of millions of dollars annually in work disability payments and direct health care costs. Several major studies conducted by the U.S. Government, the Rand Corporation and others, have all demonstrated the incredible value of chiropractic care.
The body is in constant internal motion, even when you are at rest. Two and a half million cells are replaced every minute of your life. Healing occurs when the body replaces unhealthy cells with healthier ones. It is your choice to help this process or ignore it. You can help your body to heal through a healthy, balanced diet, regular exercise, good posture, a positive mental attitude, and a well functioning spine and nervous system.
Often, the health of the spine and nervous system is ignored in medicine. Unless there is a serious medical condition effecting it, physicians typically do not check it's function. This is where Chiropractic fits in and plays an important role in the health care system. The brain communicates to the body via the nerves that travel down the spine. For the body to function properly and heal itself, the spine and nervous system must be working properly.
It was discovered in 1895 that the vertebra of the spine can malfunction and put pressure on the nerves that travel through them. Pressure on a nerve is what people commonly refer to as a "Pinched Nerve". Pinched nerves, or what chiropractors call a "Subluxation" cause dis-ease, ill health, disruption of the normal healing process, and eventually a myriad of pain and symptoms.
Chiropractic works according to the principles of spinal biomechanics and neurophysiology. Simply stated, when the vertebra of the spine are misaligned and putting pressure on the nerves, problems will occur within the body. These problems may manifest as symptoms, such as pain, achiness, burning, numbness, tingling, etc.., or there may be no symptoms at all. Instead there might be other signs of spinal dysfunction such as poor posture, muscle spasm, muscle weakness, spinal tenderness to touch only, a short leg, or reduced range of motion. As a chiropractor, my treatments have one primary objective - to reduce and ultimately correct your vertebral Subluxations. A subluxation is a vertebrae of the spine that is out of alignment with the one above and the one below resulting in nerve pressure. This nerve interference has an effect similar to that of an electrical short circuit between the mind and body. The result is bodily dysfunction, pain, and/or other symptoms. The Chiropractor's job is to remove the subluxation allowing the nerve impulses to get to the tissues and replace the abnormal cells with normal cells. This is how chiropractors aid the healing process.
Any physical, chemical, or emotional stressors - which are greater than ones' internal resistance, can adversely effect the muscles and ligaments that support and protect the spinal vertebra. Physical Stress - can range from serious trauma to simple repetitive stressors such as sitting at your desk day after day with your head turned to the same side for six years. Past history of injuries from auto accidents, sports injuries, falls, overuse, etc....will cause subluxations to develop and accumulate. Chemical Stress - is anything from eating too much sugar and preservatives to breathing environmental pollutants. This upsets the body's chemistry which disrupts the muscle's and ligament's tone resulting in subluxations. Mental, Emotional Stress - is something we all experience just from our individual life circumstances. Mental stress effects the nervous system. Muscles tighten and subluxations develop. When subluxations are corrected and kept at a minimum, the body has greater potential to heal and stay healthy.