Vis Medicatrix Naturae (literally "the healing power of nature", and also known as natura medica) is the Latin rendering of the Greek Νόσων φύσεις ἰητροί ("Nature is the physician(s) of diseases"), a phrase attributed to Hippocrates. This phrase sums up one of the guiding principles of Hippocratic medicine, which is that organisms left alone can often heal themselves.
We’re living in an age where this principle has been either forgotten or ignored. We see where everything labeled a disease process requires chemical intervention. We have drugs for pretty much every ailment imaginable, and even for those the medical establishment has been dreaming up.
We see where symptoms are now given disease names so drugs can be prescribed for those particular diseases. Often times, the symptoms are just pointing to deficiencies, which if addressed go away. Us physicians need to be better detectives to identify the underlying issues, and address them instead of just grabbing the labeled drug to erase the symptoms.
Having spent a couple weeks away from the office and basking in the wonderful healing warmth of Hawaii, I got to see much of the healing aspects of nature along with the often challenging aspects of creation. Seeing the volcanic action creating and enlarging the island, I also saw how nature eventually establishes change and restoration in the midst of what looks totally destructive.
Should you get the opportunity to visit the islands, consider downloading the app “Shakaguy” to your phone. This will pair with your GPS and you get a guided tour of the island as you drive around. Along with this you’ll get history and amazing information about the islands and how they’re changing. Seeing how vegetation eventually changes the hard, rugged lava, is inspirational when I consider the role of organic foods to change the sometimes damaged terrain of our bodies.
Returning to reality here in the wet northwest wasn’t all that inviting, but this is where I’ve been called to aid the health and wellbeing of my patients. I’d love to have taken the Hawaiians up on staying and practicing there, but the grass on the other hill isn’t always as green as it looks.
During our stay, the access to fresh fruits from local farms was abundant and delicious. We started every day with these tropical fruits and I’ve got to say, digestion was the best it’s ever been. Unfortunately, what we have available here isn’t quite the same. It has inspired me to include more of these fruits in my diet anyway on a regular basis.
Now back to the issues of our bodies healing themselves. I just returned to my office after a phone conversation with an investigator for the Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine, since they have accused me of wrong doing in creating a medical exemption for a teacher with major health challenges who didn’t want to participate in the Covid experiment and didn’t want to lose her source of income.
It’s sad when the very foundation of wholistic medicine comes under attack for protecting the health and welfare of people who hold to the truths of medicine. The foundation of the Hippocratic oath is to do no harm. Last week I spent time with a retired Navy pilot who had to go through open heart surgery because the day after his Covid shot his mitral valve was severely damaged requiring he go in for emergency surgery. This is far from being an isolated case.
I learned a long time ago how our body creates a defense against disease. How we obtain natural immunity without intervention in the form of immunizations. When challenged by viruses or bacteria, the healthy body will initiate a response to neutralize the invader, then create a defense against any future attacks. I’ve never taken a flu shot and have never experienced the flu during the 37 years of practice here in Clatskanie.
When we nourish our bodies with all the essential nutrients, protection from disease is what our immune systems automatically does. Unfortunately, foods provided in many circumstances either lack these nutrients or contain elements which burden the body’s clearance abilities.
Case in point is the dominance of ear infections, sinus infections, tubes in our kids ears and the dependance on antibiotics to deal with these bacterial infections. In most of these cases these individuals are lacking adequate vitamin A. This is important. What if the person is using drugs which either displace the vitamin A or prevent absorption? This is often the case.
To add to this, the lack of vitamin A is where skin conditions flourish. This includes acne as well as affecting tissues of the lungs, resulting in asthma, or even the intestinal lining resulting in leaky gut issues, candida, and small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Instead of providing what the body needs to address and heal them, antibiotics are often resorted to, prolonging the conditions.
We’re living in an age where this principle has been either forgotten or ignored. We see where everything labeled a disease process requires chemical intervention. We have drugs for pretty much every ailment imaginable, and even for those the medical establishment has been dreaming up.
We see where symptoms are now given disease names so drugs can be prescribed for those particular diseases. Often times, the symptoms are just pointing to deficiencies, which if addressed go away. Us physicians need to be better detectives to identify the underlying issues, and address them instead of just grabbing the labeled drug to erase the symptoms.
Having spent a couple weeks away from the office and basking in the wonderful healing warmth of Hawaii, I got to see much of the healing aspects of nature along with the often challenging aspects of creation. Seeing the volcanic action creating and enlarging the island, I also saw how nature eventually establishes change and restoration in the midst of what looks totally destructive.
Should you get the opportunity to visit the islands, consider downloading the app “Shakaguy” to your phone. This will pair with your GPS and you get a guided tour of the island as you drive around. Along with this you’ll get history and amazing information about the islands and how they’re changing. Seeing how vegetation eventually changes the hard, rugged lava, is inspirational when I consider the role of organic foods to change the sometimes damaged terrain of our bodies.
Returning to reality here in the wet northwest wasn’t all that inviting, but this is where I’ve been called to aid the health and wellbeing of my patients. I’d love to have taken the Hawaiians up on staying and practicing there, but the grass on the other hill isn’t always as green as it looks.
During our stay, the access to fresh fruits from local farms was abundant and delicious. We started every day with these tropical fruits and I’ve got to say, digestion was the best it’s ever been. Unfortunately, what we have available here isn’t quite the same. It has inspired me to include more of these fruits in my diet anyway on a regular basis.
Now back to the issues of our bodies healing themselves. I just returned to my office after a phone conversation with an investigator for the Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine, since they have accused me of wrong doing in creating a medical exemption for a teacher with major health challenges who didn’t want to participate in the Covid experiment and didn’t want to lose her source of income.
It’s sad when the very foundation of wholistic medicine comes under attack for protecting the health and welfare of people who hold to the truths of medicine. The foundation of the Hippocratic oath is to do no harm. Last week I spent time with a retired Navy pilot who had to go through open heart surgery because the day after his Covid shot his mitral valve was severely damaged requiring he go in for emergency surgery. This is far from being an isolated case.
I learned a long time ago how our body creates a defense against disease. How we obtain natural immunity without intervention in the form of immunizations. When challenged by viruses or bacteria, the healthy body will initiate a response to neutralize the invader, then create a defense against any future attacks. I’ve never taken a flu shot and have never experienced the flu during the 37 years of practice here in Clatskanie.
When we nourish our bodies with all the essential nutrients, protection from disease is what our immune systems automatically does. Unfortunately, foods provided in many circumstances either lack these nutrients or contain elements which burden the body’s clearance abilities.
Case in point is the dominance of ear infections, sinus infections, tubes in our kids ears and the dependance on antibiotics to deal with these bacterial infections. In most of these cases these individuals are lacking adequate vitamin A. This is important. What if the person is using drugs which either displace the vitamin A or prevent absorption? This is often the case.
To add to this, the lack of vitamin A is where skin conditions flourish. This includes acne as well as affecting tissues of the lungs, resulting in asthma, or even the intestinal lining resulting in leaky gut issues, candida, and small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Instead of providing what the body needs to address and heal them, antibiotics are often resorted to, prolonging the conditions.
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