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Notes from the Field: September, 2019
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Table of Contents | 2019
Male Infertility: Successful Results Achieved By Antioxidants
Tolle Causam Chris D. Meletis, ND According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology, infertility is a reproductive system disease characterized by failure to achieve clinical pregnancy after 1...
Homeopathy in Oncological Care
Vis Medicatrix Naturae Kalyan Gaddam, ND Todd A. Born, ND Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.1 Conventional cancer treatment options – including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery – are stressful and often result in the patient (and...
Determining Addiction Factors: Implications for Naturopathic Medicine
Student Scholarship – Honorable Mention Research Review Jocelyn Faydenko, ND Fraser Smith, MATD, ND Drug addiction has become an increasing problem in the United States. David Sheff, in his book Clean, published in 2013, mentions the Centers for Disease Control and...
Ultrasound-Guided Injections: Applications for Musculoskeletal Conditions
Regenerative Medicine Fred G. Arnold, DC, NMD Palpation-guided injections have been the method for administering regenerative joint injections for decades. Ultrasound-guided injections have been gaining in popularity as technology and practitioners’ skills have...
Notes from the Field: July, 2019
Nature Cure Clinical Pearls Jared L. Zeff, ND, VMNI, LAc The following is a not an article prepared for a medical journal. Not every statement of fact is cited or referenced. This is a commentary on the medicine, a running set of observations about practice in the...
Novel Cholesterol Modifiers: Probiotics and Fruit Polyphenols
Vis Medicatrix Naturae Carrie Decker, ND As we support our patients’ health holistically, we often find ourselves seeking interventions that not only are naturally derived but which also simultaneously address multiple issues. Antioxidants and botanicals such as...
Resistant Bugs: Can Natural Medicine Prevent the Next Plague?
Naturopathic Perspective Decker Weiss, NMD, FASA As a human species, we face grave dangers from climate change, food shortages, wars, terrorism, and more. As a physician, there is not much I can do to solve these issues; however, there is one planet-wide epidemic...
Healing a Tired Heart: Naturopathic Medicine to the Rescue
Tolle Causam Nancy Utter, ND The following case study is just one of so many. I have been a naturopathic doctor for 16 years, and I have so many amazing patient cases that are a tribute to how well naturopathic medicine works. I am a general practitioner and started...
Into the Forest? Making Space for Elders’ Wisdom
Naturopathic Perspective Jacob Schor, ND, FABNO Let me confess right up front that I made the decision to retire this past June, turning over the keys to our office to a pair of younger doctors. Davis Lamson wrote me an email in late July to inform that it was his...
NAET: Resolving Allergies & Sensitivities
Tolle Causam Michelle Hagel, ND Rabia Meghji, ND As defined by Traditional Chinese Medicine, allergies represent an energetic blockage. Something has triggered the blockage to occur, whether it is an allergy to pollen, chemicals, or even food. In this article we will...
Change is Inevitable
Naturopathic Perspective John H. Furlong, ND Change in naturopathic medicine is inevitable. As it marches forward, it behooves us to recall the words of Dr John Bastyr: “The truth of our medicine will always win out, the truth of what we are doing will always...
Nano-medicine & Ancient Wisdom: Homeopathy in Cancer Care
Student Scholarship – Honorable Mention Research Review Chelsea Azarcon, NMD Nazanin Vassighi, ND In the 1700s, German physician Samuel Hahnemann postulated the concept of Similia Similibus Curantur, or “Like Cures Like,” which proposes that a substance causing...
Castor Oil: Magic or Myth (Part 1)
Vis Medicatrix Naturae Marisol Teijeiro, ND Walk into any health food store, talk to any naturopathic physician, midwife, nurse, medical doctor, herbalist, or functional medicine practitioner, and ask them about castor oil. You will receive polar responses, as to...
Naturopathic Medical Education: So far, we’ve only just begun
Education David J. Schleich, PhD Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. (Neils Bohr) In the widening circle of inter-professional medical education, there is a startling statistic afoot. Dr Michael Pitt, from the University of Minnesota School of...
Dementia: How to Measure, Monitor, and Reverse It
Tolle Causam Decker Weiss, NMD, FASA It is debatable whether dementia is on the rise. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, brain disease and dementia are on the rise across all 50 US states, with an estimated 5.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.1...
Archived Case Studies and Featured Content
5-MTHF and Autism: From Nonverbal to First Words in a Pediatric Case Report
After years of speech-language and occupational therapy without functional spoken language, an 8-year-old boy with autism began vocalizing and spontaneously spoke a meaningful word approximately two weeks after starting 5-MTHF supplementation. This case examines the temporal association, potential relevance of folate-dependent pathways, and the need for further research into communication outcomes in minimally verbal autistic children.
The “Possessed” Child: Celiac Disease, PANS/PANDAS, and the Gut-Brain Connection
An 11-year-old boy with celiac disease experienced recurrent hallucinations, night terrors, aggression, and profound behavioral changes requiring multiple hospitalizations. This case explores the suspected relationship between infections, gastrointestinal disturbances, immune responses, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including reported improvements following dietary modifications and microbiome-directed interventions.
The Developmental Terrain: How Gut Health, Nutrition, Sleep, and Stress Shape Child Development
Healthy child development depends on more than genetics alone. This review examines how gastrointestinal health, nutritional adequacy, sleep quality, and stress physiology contribute to the developing nervous system, offering naturopathic clinicians a practical framework for identifying modifiable factors that support growth, learning, and emotional well-being.
From Constipation to Language Regression: A Longitudinal Case of Recurrent Behavioral and Communication Changes in an Autistic Child
In a child with autism, recurrent constipation consistently preceded episodes of behavioral dysregulation or loss of previously functional language. Through years of symptom tracking, laboratory assessment, and individualized treatment, this case explores two distinct clinical patterns potentially involving the gut-brain axis, with reported improvements following antifungal and antibacterial interventions.
Advanced Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Complete Response with Naturopathic and Immuno-Oncology Treatment
This case follows a 44-year-old woman with inflammatory breast cancer that progressed to osseous metastatic disease and was managed through a multimodal naturopathic, immune-directed, and conventional oncology strategy. Serial imaging and molecular surveillance ultimately demonstrated complete metabolic response, zero circulating tumor cells, and repeatedly undetectable ctDNA, highlighting the potential value of adaptive, interdisciplinary integrative oncology care.
Ketogenic Diet in Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Integrative Oncology Case Study
Can a ketogenic diet play a supportive role during treatment for advanced breast cancer? This case follows a 34-year-old woman with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who adopted a ketogenic diet and broader lifestyle changes alongside chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy, while examining the evolving evidence, potential metabolic benefits, and limitations of ketogenic diets in cancer care.
How to Get the Most from Your Cancer Doctor Visits: A Guide for Patients and Survivors
Cancer care can be complex and overwhelming, but preparation can make medical appointments more productive and less stressful. This practical checklist offers 18 strategies to help patients communicate effectively with providers, organize their care, explore treatment options, and build a collaborative medical “dream team.”
Botanical Immunomodulation for Pancreatic Neoplasia: An Integrative Medicine Case Report
Can botanical immunomodulation play a supportive role in patients with pancreatic neoplasia? This case report describes the clinical course of a patient who declined surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and pursued a physician-directed botanical regimen alongside nutrition, exercise, meditation, and other lifestyle measures, with subsequent imaging reportedly demonstrating stabilization followed by reduction in lesion size.
Serial ctDNA in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma: Bridging Naturopathic and Conventional Oncology Care
Serial ctDNA testing provided an evolving molecular picture of advanced ovarian cancer, helping inform treatment decisions as the patient moved between naturopathic and conventional care. This case illustrates how multiple liquid-biopsy platforms can complement CA-125 while adding molecular detail relevant to treatment response and progression.
The Future of Precision Oncology: Molecular Profiling and Personalized Treatment in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
How can precision oncology move beyond simply matching a mutation to a drug? Through a case of KRAS G13D metastatic colorectal cancer, this article demonstrates how serial molecular profiling can help clinicians interpret tumor evolution and integrate genomics with metabolism, nutrition, immune-directed strategies, natural medicines, repurposed pharmaceuticals, and conventional oncology.
The Naturopathic Therapeutic Order in Cancer Care: A Framework for Integrative Oncology
How can naturopathic therapies be thoughtfully integrated across the continuum of cancer care? This article applies the Naturopathic Therapeutic Order to oncology, illustrating through a breast cancer case how foundational care, self-healing strategies, system support, symptom management, and conventional treatments can be organized within a comprehensive integrative approach.
Topical Calendula Oil for Cancer Pain: An Opioid-Sparing Analgesic Approach in Recurrent Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Can topical calendula help manage severe cancer-related anal pain? This case report describes a rapid, sustained reduction in pain following topical Calendula officinalis oil in a patient with recurrent anal squamous cell carcinoma, highlighting its potential as a well-tolerated, opioid-sparing adjunct worthy of further clinical investigation.
Viscum album for High-Grade Cervical Dysplasia: A Novel Direct-Application Protocol
This case report describes a novel protocol using direct cervical application of Viscum album in a patient with persistent high-grade cervical dysplasia who was awaiting LEEP. Although causality cannot be established, treatment was well tolerated and was followed by an unexpected absence of residual dysplasia on the excised specimen, supporting further investigation of localized Viscum album therapy as a potential adjunctive approach.
Micronized Progesterone in Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Two Integrative Naturopathic Oncology Case Reports
Could micronized progesterone have a broader role in supportive care for advanced endometrial cancer? These two case reports describe its integration primarily for sleep support in women with high-risk disease, alongside naturopathic and conventional oncology therapies, and discuss its potential hormonal and anticancer relevance as an area for further investigation.
The Future of Precision Oncology: Molecular Profiling and Personalized Treatment in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
How can precision oncology move beyond simply matching a mutation to a drug? Through a case of KRAS G13D metastatic colorectal cancer, this article demonstrates how serial molecular profiling can help clinicians interpret tumor evolution and integrate genomics with metabolism, nutrition, immune-directed strategies, natural medicines, repurposed pharmaceuticals, and conventional oncology.
The Naturopathic Therapeutic Order in Cancer Care: A Framework for Integrative Oncology
How can naturopathic therapies be thoughtfully integrated across the continuum of cancer care? This article applies the Naturopathic Therapeutic Order to oncology, illustrating through a breast cancer case how foundational care, self-healing strategies, system support, symptom management, and conventional treatments can be organized within a comprehensive integrative approach.
Topical Calendula Oil for Cancer Pain: An Opioid-Sparing Analgesic Approach in Recurrent Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Can topical calendula help manage severe cancer-related anal pain? This case report describes a rapid, sustained reduction in pain following topical Calendula officinalis oil in a patient with recurrent anal squamous cell carcinoma, highlighting its potential as a well-tolerated, opioid-sparing adjunct worthy of further clinical investigation.
Viscum album for High-Grade Cervical Dysplasia: A Novel Direct-Application Protocol
This case report describes a novel protocol using direct cervical application of Viscum album in a patient with persistent high-grade cervical dysplasia who was awaiting LEEP. Although causality cannot be established, treatment was well tolerated and was followed by an unexpected absence of residual dysplasia on the excised specimen, supporting further investigation of localized Viscum album therapy as a potential adjunctive approach.
Micronized Progesterone in Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Two Integrative Naturopathic Oncology Case Reports
Could micronized progesterone have a broader role in supportive care for advanced endometrial cancer? These two case reports describe its integration primarily for sleep support in women with high-risk disease, alongside naturopathic and conventional oncology therapies, and discuss its potential hormonal and anticancer relevance as an area for further investigation.
Optimizing Preoperative Nutrition in Cancer Surgery: The Role of Tumor Type, Glycemic Load, and Hydration
Preoperative nutrition in cancer surgery is not a one-size-fits-all intervention. This article examines how tumor metabolism and malnutrition risk can guide protein intake, carbohydrate selection, immuno-nutrition, pancreatic enzyme support, and hydration strategies to better prepare oncology patients for surgery and recovery.
Mebendazole and Fenbendazole for Cancer: Examining the Evidence, Risks, and Potential Harms
Mebendazole and fenbendazole have attracted attention as unconventional cancer therapies, but how strong is the clinical evidence supporting their use? This critical review examines proposed anticancer mechanisms, reported outcomes, potential neurotoxicity and drug resistance, and the importance of informed risk-benefit discussions with cancer patients.
Integrative Supportive Quality of Life Care in Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma Following COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report
This case report describes the treatment and recovery of a 45-year-old woman with Stage II Classic Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed following COVID-19 infection. Alongside standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy, a structured integrative supportive care plan—including intravenous nutrient therapy, nutritional optimization, and restorative modalities—was implemented to reduce treatment-related toxicities, support immune resilience, and enhance long-term quality of life.
The Infection Nobody Thought to Look For: Post-Infection Autoimmune Conditions
Jaquel Patterson, ND, MBA, FMCP-M Emerging research links pathogens such as Epstein-Barr virus, SARS-CoV-2, Lyme disease, and other infections to autoimmune disease through molecular mimicry, chronic inflammation, and immune...
Paresthesias, White Matter Hyperintensities, and Possible Preclinical Multiple Sclerosis: The Emerging Role of Environmental Mycotoxin Screening
Saied Mushtagh, ND Patients with paresthesias and nonspecific white matter hyperintensities often present diagnostic challenges when imaging is inconclusive for multiple sclerosis. This review examines differential diagnosis, neurologic risk stratification, and...
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Sports Medicine: Clinical Applications in Concussion and Musculoskeletal Injury
Joseph Thomas, MD, MBA, Fellow of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine In collaboration with Oxygen Health Systems Abstract Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has gained traction as an adjunct in sports medicine, particularly in concussion management and musculoskeletal injury....
Quantum Fields and Frequency Medicine
Quantum Fields and Frequency Medicine A Conversation with Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff Fehling on Remote Quantum Technology and Human Performance Interest in frequency medicine and subtle energy technologies continues to grow within integrative and naturopathic...
Increased Intracellular NAD+ Levels via Oral Supplementation With a Novel Liposomal Delivery Method: A Non-Randomized Crossover Study
Blair E, Miller A, McDonald R. NAD+ is a critical coenzyme for cellular energy production, DNA repair, and sirtuin activity, with levels known to decline with age. While oral NAD+ supplementation is proposed for healthy aging benefits, its efficacy in raising...
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