Autoimmune Disease and Naturopathic Treatment By Ann Aresco, ND
I
t was not very long ago that I became interested in Naturopathic Medicine. I always thought if I was ever to become a Naturopathic Physician
I would strive to have a specialty in autoimmune disease and allergies. Autoimmune diseases were interesting to me particularly because my sister-in-law was suffering from Scleroderma and her health began to improve greatly after seeking Naturopathic Medicine in California, where she was living. She had been diagnosed when she was in her early twenties and told by MD’s, that she only had a few years to live before this disease would inevitably lead to her demise. The drug treatments began immediately, but she reacted negatively to everything she was given. She tossed all the pharmaceutical meds
into the trash and sought help from a Natur- opathic Physician, who began by placing her on a restricted diet. Although I didn’t know her at that time, I’m sure she thought she could NEVER eat the way he was telling her to. It was a radical diet stripped of all dairy, wheat, and sugar; while avoiding all nightshade vegetables (potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes). As her skin continued to show signs of advancing disease she gave up all these foods, exercised as often as she could, and vowed to use only the remedies the ND suggested unless she had a dire need for standard medicine assistance.
Her friends and family were nervous that she was seeking treat- ment from some natural doctor and not getting all her medicine from the socially respected MDs. They must not have known very much about natural medicine and been under the assumption that she was taking a big risk with her disease management. She had her ups and downs, but taking care of her own health was a constant job she never gave up on, and more importantly never stopped learning about. Once I was in medical school she began calling me for my advice, as well as checking with her own ND. Between the two of us she would decide what was going to work best for her and fol- lowed through with it, acting as the manager of her own healthcare. Because of our advice, she lived for more than twenty years beyond the prediction of the MDs. She learned how to handle the ups and downs with mostly natural remedies until she ran into a situation in which she needed standard medical help. After a year of having to rely on the medicine she had shunned more than twenty years previ- ous, she passed. I have held the same opinion all these years that she made the right choice in dealing with natural medicine. Although she did need the standard medicine at one time or another, the MDs working with her were not open to discussing options that might have been best for her healthcare. In the end it was the NDs who had preventatively helped keep her healthy for so many years.
Had she been able to discuss alternative methods earlier, I believe she would still be with us. Hopefully the day of compromise between these two medicines is now closer than ever to becoming a reality for other patients
who suffer from autoimmune conditions. MDs are becoming increasingly aware that the Naturopathic Physicians practice traditional medicine with a number of modalities and philosophies that are different than their own pharmaceutically based training. NDs recognize the need for pharmaceuticals, but only use them as a last resort, followed by the goal to determine when the drugs are no longer needed. This, of course, requires the commitment and cooperation of all involved. The lessons from this case that helped
drive me into naturopathic medicine, I now see repeated
over and over when treating autoimmune conditions. It isn’t neces- sarily which medicine the patient takes for the condition, but more importantly, it is what they do or don’t do with their lifestyle changes and managing their own health care choices. Patients should always try to make their own decisions and seek treatments that work for them. If they don’t find the answers they desire with a practitioner, they should keep looking. There is an old saying that I have heard, possibly of Buddhist origin, which states something to the effect of “no one person, doctrine or religion has the monopoly on knowl- edge.” Patients with autoimmune conditions should keep this in mind as they begin the search and education for wellness.
Diet
No matter what anyone else has told autoimmune patients they should know that the food they ingest has a huge effect on their condition. It is logical sense that the human body requires the ability to assimilate all the nutrients possible to function. A frequent response I hear when I explain this to a patient is, ‘I have been eating this way all my life so how could food be the issue?’ Think about this statement. If food is even part of the issue and the patient has been eating the same way their entire life then couldn’t this have been causing the damage that has lead to a bigger health problem? The human body is amazing in what it can do given the correct tools to heal. It is also unbelievable just how much abuse it will take before breaking down and creating a condition that is going to be more dif- ficult to repair. With any chronic condition the patient will improve by eating naturally and eliminating foods that do not help and can even be causing more issues. The first two foods to be eliminated are inevitably dairy and wheat. In case you haven’t read any labels on food items, just about every processed food has wheat in it. To help
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