Integrative Medicine & Endocarditis [and other life-threatening conditions]

[Guest guest]

Phil,

Your posting is very well thought-out, and I agree with much of

what you say. I am less than enthusiastic about chemotherapy as a

cancer treatment, and feel that biomedical research should more

strongly test and fund vaccines and other less invasive therapies, and

that CM and other cancer therapies should be investigated and utilized

as well.

The problem with the above solution as well as what you are

calling integrative medicine is politics and economics.

We are not ready for integrative medicine, in my opinion. We are

not strong enough in our own knowledge base, our profession is weak in

infrastructure, there are many problems. Chinese medicine is a young

profession in the West.

Integration now would lead to the loss of the great strengths of

Chinese medicine, starting with its theoretical foundations and

diagnostic methods which few understand in depth. Chinese medicine is

as much culture and lifestyle as profession, and it is difficult to

practice these methods, (including herbal medicine) in hospital

settings.

We would be understudies in a hierarchical system, taking all our

orders and cues from the doctors, insurance companies and HMO's.

For now, I would choose to support what is known as 'complimentary

medicine', where two independent health professions respect each

other, Chinese/alternative and biomedical, and refer, interact and

cross-fertilize as necessary.

Many of us, I think, would like to keep our autonomy while having

access to biomedical technologies as necessary.

But the true gem of Chinese medicine is its theoretical

foundations, which can be applied to any technology, East or West,

herbs/needles or MRI's. It is a grand unification theory

extraordinaire.

This is the 'path' I choose to follow.

 

 

 

On May 28, 2008, at 4:59 AM, wrote:

 

> Hi Z'ev, Emmanuel, Doug, Yuk-ming, Hugo & All,

>

> The thread on endocarditis raises three topics for more discussion.

> It could be expanded to include all life-threatening conditions.

>

> Topic 1: Can we regard TCM (herbs + AP + chinese physio, etc) as a

> stand-alone form of healthcare? IMO, we cannot!

>

> Like it or not, optimum healthcare requires:

> expert diagnostics (X-ray, ultrasound scans, MRI, scintigraphy, bone

> scans, blood tests, biopsy / histopathology, etc),

> expert surgery, intensive care, hospice-care,

> expert medical care / modern medication (iv antibiotics,

> chemotherapy, etc.

>

> Topic 2: Can we regard conventional medicine / surgery (WM) as a

> stand-alone form of healthcare? IMO, we cannot!

>

> WM has become too focused on high-tech Dx, surgery [often

> unnecessary] and long-term medication with inadequately tested or

> dangerous and expensive drugs. It often ignores the value of dietary

> supplements (vitamins, major- and trace-elements, antioxidants, etc).

>

> In particular, few if any of the GPs that I know have a clue of the

> human requirements for essential nutrients, such as trace-elements.

> For example, cattle vet practitioners are more likely to know the

> daily bovine selenium requirement than GPs know the human selenium

> requirement.

>

> WM largely ignores the value of complementary therapy (optimum

> vitamin-mineral nutrition, nutraceuticals, TCM, chiro/osteopathy,

> homeopathy, etc), especially in chronic disease, or as a support to

> cancer chemotherapy / radiation therapy.

>

> Topic 3. Can we regard Integrative Medicine (combination of the best

> aspects of WM and Complementary Med) as the optimum form of

> healthcare? IMO, YES!

>

> As regards life-threatening or very serious conditions, the TCM /

> complementary practitioner (as Z'ev said), or a GP in WM, should

> refer the case IMMEDIATELY to a WM expert in that area.

>

> Conversely, WM GPs and even WM experts, should refer complex cases to

> complementary (including TCM) practitioners for follow-up care. This

> is especially true for many chronic diseases, for which WM has little

> to offer.

>

> If the good of the PATIENT (rather than the good of the professions)

> is the top priority, integrative medicine is the way to go. But will

> this happen? IMO, no, at least not in the short-term.

>

> As regards state recognition as primary providers of healthcare, the

> hospital industry and the WM professions are in the driving seat.

> They are in a special (privileged and protected) position in the

> authority hierarchy. That hierarchy usually regards complementary

> medicine and its practitioners as a nuisance and / or threat to their

> authority and income.

>

> IMO, integrative medicine has a rocky road ahead before it shall have

> received its rightful recognition and full backing by the State. More

> is the pity.

>

> PS: In theory, any infectious agent can cause endocarditis. Though

> viral infection (esp Coxsackie virus) is said to have caused some

> cases, bacterial infection causes most cases of endocarditis. See

> http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/endocarditis-000057.htm

>

> #1 therapy of bacterial endocarditis includes iv antibiotics,

> possibly followed by surgery to remove endocardial nodules and / or

> replace incompetent heart valves.

>

> Note that acupuncture is suspected to have caused some cases of

> bacterial endocarditis. See: http://tinyurl.com/6zd7ue

>

> Best regards,

>

>

>

 

 

Chair, Department of Herbal Medicine

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

San Diego, Ca. 92122

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Z'ev, Emmanuel, Doug, Yuk-ming, Hugo & All,

 

The thread on endocarditis raises three topics for more discussion.

It could be expanded to include all life-threatening conditions.

 

Topic 1: Can we regard TCM (herbs + AP + chinese physio, etc) as a

stand-alone form of healthcare? IMO, we cannot!

 

Like it or not, optimum healthcare requires:

expert diagnostics (X-ray, ultrasound scans, MRI, scintigraphy, bone

scans, blood tests, biopsy / histopathology, etc),

expert surgery, intensive care, hospice-care,

expert medical care / modern medication (iv antibiotics,

chemotherapy, etc.

 

Topic 2: Can we regard conventional medicine / surgery (WM) as a

stand-alone form of healthcare? IMO, we cannot!

 

WM has become too focused on high-tech Dx, surgery [often

unnecessary] and long-term medication with inadequately tested or

dangerous and expensive drugs. It often ignores the value of dietary

supplements (vitamins, major- and trace-elements, antioxidants, etc).

 

In particular, few if any of the GPs that I know have a clue of the

human requirements for essential nutrients, such as trace-elements.

For example, cattle vet practitioners are more likely to know the

daily bovine selenium requirement than GPs know the human selenium

requirement.

 

WM largely ignores the value of complementary therapy (optimum

vitamin-mineral nutrition, nutraceuticals, TCM, chiro/osteopathy,

homeopathy, etc), especially in chronic disease, or as a support to

cancer chemotherapy / radiation therapy.

 

Topic 3. Can we regard Integrative Medicine (combination of the best

aspects of WM and Complementary Med) as the optimum form of

healthcare? IMO, YES!

 

As regards life-threatening or very serious conditions, the TCM /

complementary practitioner (as Z'ev said), or a GP in WM, should

refer the case IMMEDIATELY to a WM expert in that area.

 

Conversely, WM GPs and even WM experts, should refer complex cases to

complementary (including TCM) practitioners for follow-up care. This

is especially true for many chronic diseases, for which WM has little

to offer.

 

If the good of the PATIENT (rather than the good of the professions)

is the top priority, integrative medicine is the way to go. But will

this happen? IMO, no, at least not in the short-term.

 

As regards state recognition as primary providers of healthcare, the

hospital industry and the WM professions are in the driving seat.

They are in a special (privileged and protected) position in the

authority hierarchy. That hierarchy usually regards complementary

medicine and its practitioners as a nuisance and / or threat to their

authority and income.

 

IMO, integrative medicine has a rocky road ahead before it shall have

received its rightful recognition and full backing by the State. More

is the pity.

 

PS: In theory, any infectious agent can cause endocarditis. Though

viral infection (esp Coxsackie virus) is said to have caused some

cases, bacterial infection causes most cases of endocarditis. See

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/endocarditis-000057.htm

 

#1 therapy of bacterial endocarditis includes iv antibiotics,

possibly followed by surgery to remove endocardial nodules and / or

replace incompetent heart valves.

 

Note that acupuncture is suspected to have caused some cases of

bacterial endocarditis. See: http://tinyurl.com/6zd7ue

 

Best regards,