Clinic Visit Reflection

I was looking forward to the visit to Vitale Medical Oasis, but with the mentality that the tour and information would be old news. I have spent most of my childhood herded from many "holistic" practitioners, including a variety of Naturopaths. So by old news, I mean that I assumed I would not learn anything new. However, after Naturopathic Doctor (ND) Teresa Evans began her introductions, I realized quickly that there was much to be learned. It is a very different experience going as a child with an illness to be healed, versus going as a student to learn and question.

I now admit that previosly I had not understood fully the term Naturopathic and what training is involved. Teresa Evans stressed that in Washington, along with 16 other states, NDs are recognized just as MDs are as primary care physicians. Also, the training and education of an MD student versus an ND is more similar than I had thought: ND students take primarily the same courses as MD students, except they also include alternative training (herbal medicine, homeopathy, etc). Also, NDs can prescribe regular pharmaceuticals if need be.

Why was I not aware of these factors if I had been going to Naturopathic Doctors for most of my youth in Florida (spent most of my childhood there)? Teresa Evans illuminated this for me by explaining that Florida was one of the states where Naturopathic practitioners are not recognized by the state government. She also stressed that a state like Florida comes down hard on Naturopathic practitioners, even taking legal action. After the visit, I decided to follow up on this information with my mom. She seemed unaware of Florida not recognizing Naturopathic medicine. However, she also commented that our Naturopathic doctors tended to be MDs who used "alternative" ways of healing within their practice. On a side note, my mom mentioned that one of our licensed dentists in Florida who used homeopathy in his practice, eventually got in trouble with the law over this homeopathy addition to dentistry.

Other than the training and legal issues, another aspect to Naturopathy that was totally new to me was intravenous therapies. ND Teresa Evans mentioned this foremost, and than ND Margie Ikeda went into greater detail. Basically a mineral and vitamin solution is entered intravenously to heal the body from the inside out. Margie Ikeda indicated this procedure is used for something as minor as the common cold to something more serious like aiding the immune system before and after radiation (chemotherapy). In addition, a calcium mixture is used in case of toxic poisoning. Margie Ikeda compared how the AMA does not recognize as many toxicities by not linking internal and external reactions. She also said that people who see an MD with concerns about being poisoned from environmental hazards might end up seeing a psychologist instead! Whereas a Naturopathic doctor instead of treating symptoms, would treat the toxicity itself (at Vitale Medical Oasis it would be intravenously).

So I came away learning a lot more than I initially expected. I found it interesting how both Margie Ikeda and Teresa Evans reiterated the differences between Naturopathic medicine to that of Allopathic (even though they did not use this term). I understand how this would be necessary in order to contrast the different approach to healing and also present that perhaps their clinic and other Naturopathic clinics offer something more cohesive. In addition I felt that they had to stress the differences in order to indicate that Naturopathy is not "quackery." Growing up, I can remember my mom in many heated debates regarding the validity of alternative methods of healing. Her father, my grandpa is a MD and my dad was a Nurse Practitioner (my parents have their own debate regarding organ donation). In a way there is definitely a defense mechanism that has to be used when discussing a minority medical approach in the United States.