A few months ago I unexpectedly found myself gathered around my boyfriend’s grandmother’s kitchen table, munching on dosas and chutney with an anesthesiologist. Ever since I’ve been digging my brain into the tortuous research issue that I am often confronted with when one discovers that I am studying naturopathic medicine. I’d dreamed of this moment for a long time; the moment where I would, by happenstance, find myself at dinner with a doctor where we would both discuss our philosophies and listen to each other with sincere interest and appreciation. The doctor would be taken aback by my verbal fluency and savvy medical knowledge, and after hours of meaningful conversation when we are parting ways, the doctor would walk away having a new found respect and understanding for naturopathic medicine.

This isn’t quite how things went down.

Understandably, and quite respectfully, this doctor had a plethora of questions as to what role naturopathic medicine has to play in this modern era. He admitted his doubt and his skepticism, both qualities which I consider necessary for any doctor, scientist, philosopher, or human attempting to expand their understanding of the world to which we belong. Contrary to my fantasy dinner, his skepticism seemed to create a harsh, dismissive tone and made it difficult for me to trudge my way through the conversation with the poise I had imagined. I was intimidated and overwhelmed. It seemed that questions were being thrown at me at a pace that was too fast to give a fulfilling answer.

With each question I was scrounging for the correct words and self-assurance to provide this doctor with the explanation that he deserved, the explanation that anyone who is inquiring about this affective, gentle, holistic philosophy of medicine deserves. After about fifteen minutes, the doctor bid his farewell and I was left humbly at the table perplexed, wondering how I could have better handled that treasure of an encounter.

Though Emerson boldly pronounced that “to be great is to be misunderstood”, I felt like this was a cop out in my situation. The most frustrating aspect of this encounter was my inability to express what I know is indeed expressible. Since that dreary December evening, I’ve made it my mission to understand how to convey the gentle, tenacious, credible nature of this medicine, and in particular, the research “issue” revolving holistic health care.

What is this research issue anyway? The question I find that I am most often confronted with by medical and scientific professionals concerns our relationship to the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). The RCT is a kind of omniscient force within the health care industry and is definitely held as the gold standard within the conventional medical community. Therefore, my first aim has been to understand RCT and how it relates to naturopathic research. Thus far in my research-issue exploration, I’ve learned that the RCT is indeed a cherished asset to all medical fields. It is with this type of study that we have been able to infer causal relationships, test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions, and, when performed correctly, RCTs have an effective method to control for research bias.

So why is the RCT not held with the same esteem within the naturopathic medical community? In regards to holistic medicine, it is the exclusive nature of RCT upon which we base medical intervention that is the problem. RCTs isolate a single variable to fix a single problem of a very complex system. It has undoubtedly been advantageous in testing the effectiveness of that isolated variable on a specific mechanism. However, it is inherently against the philosophy of naturopathic medicine function in this way. Naturopathic medicine is a whole systems approach to health care and this form of study is not reflective of that philosophy. This is not to say that we should not test the safety and efficacy of our methods, we are just requiring an exhaustively comprehensive method of testing our interventions.

While the RCT takes into account a single variable, the holistic model aspires to factor in the doctor-patient relationship, the patient’s family, personality, sense of well-being, emotional state, spiritual life, diet, stress, sense of self, and the list continues…. Isolating a single factor, as in the RCT, simply isn’t enough to capture all the humanity in our patients. This type of research design treats participants one of two ways. In naturopathic medicine, there is not necessarily a single standard of care for a given ailment. An individual may leave the doctor’s office with one treatment option while another individual with a seemingly similar diagnosis will leave with a completely different treatment plan.

I believe the naturopathic research community is proposing a balance between the preponderate RCT, inclusion of other studies, and development of a type of whole-systems study design that encompasses the true nature of holistic medicine. It is important to remember to not throw the baby out with the bath water. Despite the RCT’s limitations in regards to holistic medicine, there is a reason it is held with such high regard in the conventional medical community.

Though all designs will innately have their own shortcomings, I believe that if we are approaching research with integrity, solidarity and the wholehearted intention of forming a better world, we are on the most auspicious path.

As health professionals and researchers, we bear a responsibility to keep medical practices pure, beneficial, and altruistic in nature. Therefore, we must be willing to forgo our pride, cooperate with one another, and see our shortcomings from a brave perspective so that we can progress on our path to excellence, understanding, and unity.

I hope that in future encounters when I find myself munching on dosas with a doctor or any other inquisitive individual, I will be so dignified as to honorably share the philosophy of naturopathic medicine while respecting my counterpart in conversation.  I will accept the constructive criticism, especially if its intent is to make our health care system better, and to always remember that behind our arguments and differences, we’re all people.

Musicians are impressively able to interpret a vast sea of information from internal and external cues, and then weave it into an experience for others to enjoy. But how is this possible?

Have you ever stopped to wonder how musicians get their ideas? The ability of the brain to make sense out of nonsense is truly an art form.

Every great musician possesses the ability to read or understand underlying musical harmonics, the inflection and structure of sound. Most musicians start with the basics, the known building blocks, applied on a conscious or subconscious level. A rather tactful example of this is Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, where he successfully integrates two distinct genres of music, present-day hip-hop artist Jay Z’s The Black Album with select sounds bites from The Beatles’ White Album. Danger Mouse sampled pieces of music, speeding up tempos and overlapping patterns from an existing medium in a quite ingenious manner. One of the reasons why Danger Mouse pulled off the task so elegantly was through the use harmonic structures from each respective album, relying upon a basic backbone comprised of complementing sounds and rhythms.

Songs stylishly fashioned upon elementary construction require an acutely perceptive artist, one who knows the codes of musical composition. This knowledge can be based upon different abilities derived from circumstances such as hours upon hours of piano practice; a collection of alphabetized LPs that continue to earworm in and out of your head; or an exceptional innate talent, such as Beethoven.

Either way, musicians possess the ability to prepare, interpret, and understand these basic construction tools. So when musicians get together, this universal structure for communication literally allows them to speak another language, conveying thought and emotion, predicting and playing off each others patterns. It’s like a conversation between people, only words are not used, rather instruments and notes are the medium of dialogue.

Turns out, the structured aspects of music, such as octaves and harmonics, are akin to our language skills in the brain. Neuroscientists, or people who study the brain, are particularly enchanted by the musical muse and are actively refining and defining how musicians create new material. The unlikely pair has teamed up in the laboratory setting using fancy, hi-tech machinery in order to uncover how the brain is able to cut through the noise and chaos to create a song, and well… do it with style.

Neuroscientist Dr. Charles Limb reports that the areas of the brain, which become active for improvisational jazz pianists, are the same areas that light up when complex language is used. This area of the brain is known as the prefrontal cortex and is located just behind your forehead. Despite the excitement from the scientific spectrum, this rather bland description does not adequately give full justice to the experience of musical perception and participation. For me, a blip on a brain map seems somewhat after the fact… the ‘how and where is music downloaded?’… is the other half of the equation that remains to be solved.

Legendary music contains a creative edge that digs deep into our souls and goes beyond just playing the same old song. A lot of passion gets put into music, perhaps it’s the  exploration of the unknown, pushing past the usual tones and the status quo. The creation of music also has a great deal to do with building off the old, adding improvisation into the medium, in essence adding different perspectives on top of or inspired by previous musical renditions. Not to mention the ability for a musician (or any artist for that matter) to be in the moment acting as a conduit or an interpreter for that exact derivation of time. The whole equation– if you really think about it– is pretty profound.

Visionaries in the fertile fields of music are not afraid to tread upon new ground, define boundaries in the chaos of musical notes craftily designed to reshape our minds. According to James Lincoln Collier, author of “The Making of Jazz”, jazz is essentially a musical experiment, in search of the new and striking discoveries, adding and subtracting on top of existing permutations. An unspoken language that is created on-the-spot is described as improvisational, or spontaneously created without preparation.

Neuroscientists and musicians alike can see a similarity for the language of music, it is built upon two factors: structure and potential. Brain activity reflects just that, yet current research still does not adequately describe the illusive muse, and maybe none of it originates in the fatty tissues of the brain anyway, rather our brains are the mere records of our ethereal dances. Musicians are perhaps more akin to philosophers, taking the abstract and formulating auditory patterns from its chaos rather than volumes upon volumes of quizzical wordplay. Either way, it’s pretty interesting to think about how communication, be it language or music, can excite the same neurons and insight new parameters of thought and tempo.

_____________________________________. .. . . .. . . . . . .

Limb CJ, Kemeny S, Ortigoza EB, Rouhani S, Braun, AR. Left hemispheric lateralization of brain activity during passive rhythm perception in musicians. The anatomical record. Volume 288A; Issue 4; p 382-389. 2006.

Limb CJ, Braun AR. Neural substrates of spontaneous musical performance: An fMRI study of Jazz improvisation. PLoS One. 3(2): e1679. 2008.

Neuhaus c, Knosche TR, Friederici AD. Effects of musical experience and boundary markers on phrase perception in music. J. Cognitive Neuroscience. 2006. March; 18(3): 472-93.

Robertson P. What is a Musical Genius? Clinical Medicine 8:178-81. 2008.

Sieborger FT, Ferstl EC, Cramon DY. Making sense of nonsense: An fMRI study of taks induced inference processes during discourse comprehension. Brain Research Vol 1166. 29 August 2007, p77-91.

Yep. The rumors are true; yours truly has decided to plant her roots in a sunny location with views of the ocean, embedded within 300 acres of pristine forestland and old-growth citrus and avocado groves, tending to the needs of poorly understood words and propped up ponies. My educational experience at NCNM continues to foster new growth and direction for me, yet the arrow shoots outside the confines of my cubical (or for you long-time readers: my inspiratory), literally moving me to modify medicine outside the box.

My last day at Helfgott will haphazardly fall somewhere within the first week of March, and, yes, you could say I’m willy-nilly to the very end. In the meantime, my focus is to help solidify an infrastructure for research students (as natural explorers) so that each student:

• Gets the most out of his/her educational experience,
• Finds mentors both in- and outside of NCNM to facilitate personal and professional growth,
• Learns how to navigate certain conditions/ therapeutic models using the latest technologies or oldest translated texts…

… so that upon graduation, each student walks the walk of a healer, knows how to speak a multitude of  medical disciplines, and, through cultivated confidence, becomes whole-heartedly present with each of their patients.

That was my dream when I graduated NCNM three years ago, Heather Zee heard me, and it’s pretty darn cool that Helfgott’s student research program has flourished to its present day level.

And need I say anything about Heather Zee or the fabulous research staff and investigators at Helfgott that made all this extraordinary stuff happen? Where would any of us be without the shoulders of giants to spit from?

If you will it, dude, there is no dream. T’was an honor to have had an extended stay at NCNM, to see it shine that much brighter with a little help from my friends.

So, in summation, I will miss you all, and totally trust that y’all will kicka$$ in the next stages of your life. Don’t forget to let it all hang out on occasion, howl at the moon, whatever it takes to hold presence and be real in our surreal world. Y’all make such a difference already.

My best,
Kimberly

Ps. If a loose end needs tying before I go, let me know; I’m still at the helm until March and will continue to fulfill my job description until that time.

If you care to keep in touch, I’ll probably still peck away at the Helfgott Blog; moreover, you can earmark my bookbinding/poetry outlet: Whispering ink if you ever miss my playful prose; I plan to bend the poetry medium upon its ear, or in the very least, make it a little more lopsided.

Dear Office Spacers,

You ever wondered why we get distracted at work? Unable to concentrate on the task at hand? Perhaps it’s seeded in the earworms that plague us or the inability for sit still for an 8-hour workday. Perhaps it’s the glowing computer screen that stares blankly back at its imputer, waiting for insight or more number crunching into its cubicula datasets. Maybe it has something to do with the unnaturalness with which we lead our lives, one day at a time, pushing ticker-taped deadlines with the click of a ‘submit’ button.

All I know is that my keyboard’s gone feral, the fuzz surrounding its individual keys has become so thick, it’s like I’m pushing upon little swampy, hairy lily pads. Attending to the humdrum of maintaining normalcy for a rather abnormal 40-hour-a-week existence has grown tiresome. My drive to be outdoors, weaving grass blades between my toes, feeling the sun radiate off my skin, has gotten the best of me.

I think it’s about time that I define health in a way that contains more horse sense…. Yep. Take me out to pasture, let me learn from the earthworms, let me converse with the babbling brook, ‘cause this little 9ft by 6ft cubical of mine is a bit too confining for this one-trick pony, it’s time to learn some new tomfoolery outside the proverbial box.

Now accepting mulish, outdoor enterprises,

C. Biscuit

By Will Newman II, Co-founder of OSALT and thoughtful blogger for Think About it

So buying local is the latest progressive thing to do. But what does it mean, to “buy local”?

Here’s what “buy local” means – not just buying from your locally owned store (which is very important), but buying stuff made locally – the closer to home the better, e.g. if you live in Portland, in descending order of “goodness”: made in the Portland metro area, made in Oregon, made in the Pacific Northwest, made in the United States, then Canada, then Mexico.

Here is the real challenge: while it is true that there is much to be found that is made more or less locally, there is also much that is not to be found made anywhere in the West. For example, have you tried to buy a wind-up alarm clock not made in China lately? And sometimes the price of locally made things is higher than the alternatives.

I suggest some strategies here: paying more (at the counter) for locally made things is worth it – the benefit to the local economy (our neighbors) outweighs the additional price (at the counter) because when we do not buy locally we end up paying additional costs: higher unemployment, increased crime, poorer health, and declining neighborhoods.

But what to do when there is no local (say within the United States) article? Now the decision is, do I really need this? Is there a substitute I can get that is produced locally?

Please remember, if we want to be serious about sustainable societies we need to recognize that most of us have way too much stuff. There is a basic rule in sustainability: if you consume more than you produce you are being subsidized. The subsidy is always in some form of energy and natural resources. For most of the history of humankind that energy subsidy has been mainly slave labor/peons/indentured servants/peasants. That pretty much came to an end in the United States in the early part of the 20th century, when we shifted to petroleum energy – but now this abundance of high-density, easily portable energy is coming to an end.

Some years ago we began shifting our subsidies to cheap labor in distant economies. The cost has been the loss of control of our economy, which means that we have lost wealth, resources, productivity, key industrial capability and the skilled labor needed to be a productive society. The price we pay is not only at the cash register (which might be better called a “credit register”), but in the loss of the ability to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves. The question we must now face is “Who do we want to be dependent upon/subsidized by?”

How about ourselves? Buy local? Unquestionably, yes!

What do you think?

Port Au Prince, Haiti

We have all been incredibly saddened by the news of the earthquake destruction in Haiti.  Bastyr University graduate Sabine Thomas, ND, who is Haitian-American and has family in Haiti, has teamed up with Natural Doctors International (NDI) to respond to the relief effort, and they need your help.

NDI is coordinating with Dr. Thomas, Bastyr University, and many other volunteers in the naturopathic community to purchase supplies and organize a disaster relief team to travel to Haiti to give care. Their goal is to fundraise money to create a sustainable effort to send food, medical supplies and teams of interdisciplinary health providers (ND’s, LAC’s, LMP’s, CNM’s, MD’s, ARNP’s, etc) to Haiti.  The official trip date has not been set, but will occur as soon as logistically possible.  If you would like to participate in the trip or volunteer in any way, please email NDI at haiti@ndimed.org.  Donations can be made on the NDI site.

Getting your ideas off the ground in the age of electronica can seem a little bit overwhelming, especially if you consider yourself a technophobe. However, it’s a lot easier than you think. My web design skills grow with a little help from my friends, and lucky for you all, one of such friend is now offering his services to a wider audience to give lip service to, well, your own ideas and dreams. And it goes without saying that healthy expression leads to a healthy community.

Ted Emeric is THE man to go to for a quick and painless way to start up your own webpage. Not only is he personable, but he’s a rather cool dude. We met out at Lovena Farm on a sunny afternoon under a shade tree. He was lying on the ground, grass blades bending underneath, while I began spouting my ideas to him about health care, and how I’d like to see it change for the better using the HeART of Healing bandwagon.

After my little moment of preaching, Ted asked if I had a web presence, and if not, he’d be happy to help promote my ideas to a larger audience because he believed in my heARTful project. Creating a dynamic hub for others to find me would certainly further my mission; I mean, come on, in this day and age, who performs the Johnny Appleseed version out on grass knolls? And those that do… how do they stay connected to their audience?

And it’s really true: If you build it, especially on the internet, people are more likely to find out about you and your ideas.

For me, I wanted to connect people over common causes - better health care and community communication resources. Ted not only understood that I wanted to contribute to society in my own little way, but he helped me organize my thoughts onto pages using succinct descriptions and calendar links.

Heck, he even added the grass growing in my logo for the HeARt of Healing imagery, citing that “if you’re talking grassroots, let grass play with your bunny’s toes.”

Couldn’t agree more. In fact, I find it rather refreshing and healthy for a self-starter (such as Ted) to help other self-starters (such as myself) grow and prosper in our current set of circumstances. Plant the right seed, folks. Figure out what will support your next steps on both a personal and professional level, and if you need a little help from a friend, consider Ted Emeric.

The City of Roses blossomed another honor with the recent recognition of Jacki Gethner, a pioneer massage therapist in the treatment of HIV/AIDS infected clients by Kaiser Permanente who presented her with the Kaiser Permanente HIV/AIDS Diversity Award at their 32nd Annual Diversity Conference in San Francisco in November 2009.

Ms. Gethner is a renowned international and national health advocate/activist/educator based in Portland, Oregon where she provides massage therapy to a devoted clientele who appreciates her expertise and compassionate spirit felt through her healing touch.

In addition, Ms. Gethner has worked in collaboration with a variety of health educators, partners and advocates including pharmaceuticals, faith-based organizations, civic and government agencies to help minimize the spread of AIDS among vulnerable communities.

In 1987, Ms. Gethner began her involvement in HIV/AIDS education and advocacy work after learning about a girl friend’s diagnosis and discovering the limited resources and service available to persons diagnosed with the virus.

Her first opportunity to work was as a student at the Rocky Mountain School of Massage where she refined her skills and knowledge of massage therapy. Later that same year, she would attend the “1st Annual Holistic and Western Medicine Conference: Aids, Medicine and Miracles” in Colorado where her epiphany would take place as a pioneer in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients via massage therapy.

Ms. Gethner recognized the myths and challenges that limited HIV/AIDS patients from receiving massage therapy so she convinced conference organizers to let her present a workshop at the conference to educate practitioners and clinicians, as well as providing an on-site team to work on conference participants.

Since the inception of her pioneering efforts, Ms. Gethner has utilized her “touch and energy” to treat numerous patients and consulted thousands concerning the positive side to treating positive HIV/AIDS patients.

The Kaiser Permanente HIV/AIDS Diversity Awards Selection Committee looked at the following criteria in awarding the Kaiser Permanente HIV/AIDS Diversity Awards:

• Identified HIV/AIDS prevention and/or care practices that are replicable
• Implemented innovative and promising practices in HIV/AIDS prevention and/or care
• Demonstrated effective and impactful HIV/AIDS prevention and/or care strategies to curtail spiraling rates of HIV infection and AIDS
• Contributed to reducing and eliminating disparities in HIV/AIDS incidence and care
• Significant community involvement and collaboration efforts in HIV/AIDS prevention and/or care

National Diversity, Kaiser Permanente presented the 2009 Kaiser Permanente HIV/AIDS Diversity Awards to two organizations, the Antioch Development Corporation and the Central City Lutheran Mission and one individual, Jacki Gethner, during the 32nd Annual National Diversity Conference in San Francisco, California.