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Early Entry Pathway: Perhaps the Opposite Direction We Should be Taking
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Table of Contents | 2024 | December
Early Entry Pathway: Perhaps the Opposite Direction We Should be Taking
Node Smith, ND What follows are ideas, questions, and food for thought. While they certainly stem from my own personal opinion, what is offered is part of a conversation that each and every student, faculty member, school administrator, and the profession as a whole...
Notes from the Field #37
Jared Zeff, ND, FNMI, LAc The following is not an article prepared for a medical journal. Not every statement of fact is cited or referenced. This is a commentary on medicine—a running set of observations about practice in the field. It’s not meant to be a...
Mind-Body Medicine for Empaths: A Case Study of Hives
Nikita Patel Empaths differ from empathetic individuals. People with empathy show compassion for those suffering without taking on that suffering themselves. Then there are empaths, who not only feel the pain of others but internalize it as their own. Empaths possess...
Tapping into Your Patient’s Biofield to Optimize Healing
Johanna Ryan Intro to the Biofield The biofield plays an important role in the workings of the body and its ability to heal itself. But what exactly is it? Working definitions include1: A network of homeostatic mechanisms made up of fields of energy and information...
Resourcing Positive Emotional States Through Embodied Memory
Erin Westaway, ND What can we do for a client/patient when mindfulness fails to produce tangible results? Much has been written on the power of mindfulness to improve wellbeing, and decrease anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed. Many attribute this power to a...
The Elephant in the Room: Navigating Conversations About Eating Disorders with GI Patients
Jayne DuBois, ND Eating disorders are complex psychiatric conditions that frequently present in medical settings under the guise of benign gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, bloating, or abdominal pain. Because of the way that these disorders manifest in...
The Invitation of Illness
By Erin Hayford, ND, SEP “Incurable…really only means that the particular condition cannot be cured by ‘outer’ methods and that we must go within to effect the healing.”—Louise L. Hay1 I was 21 years old when I was diagnosed with an incurable illness. According to my...
Biofeedback Training for a Young Woman with Anxiety and Chronic Constipation
Samantha Pryor, ND Constipation is defined as having fewer than 3 bowel movements per week, often accompanied by difficulty defecating. As naturopaths, we agree that daily Bristol Type 4 bowel movements that feel complete are the most indicative of a healthy digestive...
We are Nature: Healing People, Healing the Planet
Leslie Solomonian Introduction We are in a crisis of collective psychological distress, with myriad consequences for the physical body. We are also in a planetary health crisis. The two are interlinked, and part of the larger global polycrisis.1 The discipline of...
Psilocybin’s Therapeutic Pathway
Targeting 5-HT2A Receptor: A Case Study Pam Conboy and Leah Linder, ND Background Psilocybin has been used as a ceremonial sacrament for thousands of years. It may offer, along with holistic and community support, a safe, nonpharmaceutical approach to optimizing...
Archived Case Studies and Featured Content
Childhood Trauma and Mental Health: A Systems Biology Approach to Treatment-Resistant Anxiety and OCD
Childhood adversity may leave lasting physiological effects that extend beyond psychological symptoms. Through a case of a 19-year-old woman with persistent anxiety, OCD, emotional eating, and hyperandrogenic metabolic dysfunction, this article examines how neuroendocrine, metabolic, immune, nutritional, and gut-brain pathways may interact—and how a systems biology approach can complement conventional psychiatric care.
Observation Over Interpretation: A Homeopathic Case of Phosphorus in an 8-Month-Old
When an 8-month-old developed sudden distress whenever his mother left the room, the choice between Phosphorus and Pulsatilla initially appeared uncertain. Through direct observation, a previously overlooked response to physical touch became the defining symptom guiding a Phosphorus prescription, followed by reported improvement within one week.
Listening Beyond Language: A Narrative Medicine Case Study for Neurodivergent Children
For neurodivergent children, communication extends beyond spoken language. Through a composite pediatric case, this article explores how narrative medicine, creative expression, sensory-aware facilitation, and caregiver co-regulation can support emotional communication, self-advocacy, and connection in children with autism, ADHD, and related developmental differences.
First, Do No Harm: Managing Pediatric Klebsiella Dysbiosis Without Delaying Diagnosis
A young child with recurrent abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, sleep disturbances, and behavioral changes experienced repeated symptom improvement during integrative treatment targeting intestinal dysbiosis. This case examines the challenges of managing suspected Klebsiella-associated symptoms while navigating inconsistent treatment across two households, parental hesitation toward additional testing, and the possibility of an underlying inflammatory bowel disorder.
Medication-Induced Kidney Injury: Mechanisms, Risk Factors, and Prevention
Medications may account for an estimated 20% of community- and hospital-acquired acute kidney injury, with risk amplified by CKD, older age, chronic disease, dehydration, and polypharmacy. This review examines the major mechanisms of drug-induced nephrotoxicity and practical strategies for medication review, hydration, renal monitoring, and prevention.
Low Testosterone and Cardiovascular Disease: Risk Marker, Mediator, or Both?
Low testosterone is consistently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, but whether it is a cause of vascular disease or a marker of underlying metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction remains unresolved. This review examines the epidemiology, vascular mechanisms, hypertension and atherosclerosis data, TRAVERSE findings, and the cardiovascular implications of TRT-induced erythrocytosis.
Male Infertility and Pain Medication: When Analgesic Exposure Becomes a Fertility Clue
Could overlooked pain-medication use provide an important clue in male infertility? This case follows a 40-year-old man with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia whose total motile sperm count increased from 2.72 million to 26.5 million over 111 days following analgesic discontinuation and a multicomponent integrative fertility plan.
Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Men: A Naturopathic Cardiology Perspective
Cardiovascular risk extends beyond LDL cholesterol and the standard lipid panel. This review explores how plaque biology, inflammation, oxidation, metabolic and hormonal health, advanced biomarkers, CGM, and cardiovascular imaging can complement established therapies to create a more individualized approach to cardiovascular risk assessment in men.
The Role of Hormonal Changes in the Etiology and Treatment of Paternal Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Approximately 1 in 10 fathers experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, yet paternal PMADs remain frequently overlooked. This review explores the hormonal and psychosocial changes accompanying fatherhood and their implications for recognizing, screening, and supporting paternal mental health.
Oral Curcumin and Artesunate Protocol in Prostatic Carcinoma: Case Study Series in PSA and Pathology Outcomes
Can curcumin and artesunate play a role in integrative prostate cancer care? This two-patient case series examines PSA trajectories and pathology during an oral botanical protocol incorporating curcumin and artesunate, while highlighting potential mechanisms, iron-related adverse effects, and the need for further clinical investigation.
A New Chapter in Pain Pharmacology: Suzetrigine, NaV1.8 Inhibition, and the Future of Non-Opioid Analgesia
Suzetrigine introduces a novel mechanism for treating moderate to severe acute pain by selectively inhibiting NaV1.8 channels on peripheral nociceptors. This review examines its mechanism, clinical efficacy, safety, and potential role within multimodal naturopathic and integrative pain management.
Beyond the Tumor: A Whole-Person Approach to Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance
Active surveillance does not have to mean simply “watching and waiting.” This case follows a man with localized intermediate-risk prostate cancer over approximately 20 months, integrating conventional oncologic monitoring with serial assessment and individualized management of metabolic health, inflammation, gastrointestinal dysbiosis, environmental exposures, nutrition, and lifestyle.
Breath of Fresh Air for the Profession: Reflections from AANP 2026 in Madison
The 2026 American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Convention arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, under unusual skies. Wildfire smoke had drifted across the region, leaving the city enveloped in smoke and fog as naturopathic physicians, students, educators,...
Daraxonrasib and Pancreatic Cancer: A Breakthrough for Precision and Integrative and Naturopathic Oncology
Daraxonrasib is reshaping the therapeutic landscape of RAS-driven pancreatic cancer and raising new considerations for integrative clinicians. This article explores pan-RAS inhibition alongside practical strategies for nutrition, exercise, symptom management, and careful evaluation of botanical and nutrient interactions within a precision integrative oncology framework.
Oral Curcumin and Artesunate Protocol in Prostatic Carcinoma: Case Study Series in PSA and Pathology Outcomes
Can curcumin and artesunate play a role in integrative prostate cancer care? This two-patient case series examines PSA trajectories and pathology during an oral botanical protocol incorporating curcumin and artesunate, while highlighting potential mechanisms, iron-related adverse effects, and the need for further clinical investigation.
A New Chapter in Pain Pharmacology: Suzetrigine, NaV1.8 Inhibition, and the Future of Non-Opioid Analgesia
Suzetrigine introduces a novel mechanism for treating moderate to severe acute pain by selectively inhibiting NaV1.8 channels on peripheral nociceptors. This review examines its mechanism, clinical efficacy, safety, and potential role within multimodal naturopathic and integrative pain management.
Beyond the Tumor: A Whole-Person Approach to Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance
Active surveillance does not have to mean simply “watching and waiting.” This case follows a man with localized intermediate-risk prostate cancer over approximately 20 months, integrating conventional oncologic monitoring with serial assessment and individualized management of metabolic health, inflammation, gastrointestinal dysbiosis, environmental exposures, nutrition, and lifestyle.
Breath of Fresh Air for the Profession: Reflections from AANP 2026 in Madison
The 2026 American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Convention arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, under unusual skies. Wildfire smoke had drifted across the region, leaving the city enveloped in smoke and fog as naturopathic physicians, students, educators,...
Daraxonrasib and Pancreatic Cancer: A Breakthrough for Precision and Integrative and Naturopathic Oncology
Daraxonrasib is reshaping the therapeutic landscape of RAS-driven pancreatic cancer and raising new considerations for integrative clinicians. This article explores pan-RAS inhibition alongside practical strategies for nutrition, exercise, symptom management, and careful evaluation of botanical and nutrient interactions within a precision integrative oncology framework.
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.
Custom Publishing
Clinical Application of Essential Oils for Microbiome Balance Across Three Mucosal Systems
Essential oils contain complex compounds with antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-inflammatory, and other biological activities. Dr. Sarah LoBisco explores how essential oil chemistry, formulation, and route of administration inform targeted applications for microbiome balance across the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary systems.
Co-Prescribing Probiotics with Antibiotics: The Case for Omni-Biotic AB 10
Omni-Biotic Human clinical trials demonstrate that functionally targeted Omni-Biotic AB 10 prevents diarrhea, reduces C. difficile risk, and eliminates multidrug resistant organism colonization in the gut. Introduction Antibiotics are among the most...
Quantum Energy Effects on Cell Recovery Rates
Robert Sheaff, PhD, and Ian Mitchell This study investigated whether quantum field exposure generated by Leela Quantum Bloc Technology influences cell recovery rates in human cell lines. A series of double-blind experiments were conducted using Human Dermal...
Featured News
ClarityTx Launches Clinical Decision-Support Platform for Integrative Medicine
ClarityTx, a healthcare technology company, announced the launch of its clinical decision-support platform designed specifically for integrative and functional medicine practitioners. Created by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, the platform helps practitioners...
Naturopathic Medical Education: A Comprehensive Curriculum
Colleen Huber, NMD April 9 2026 The following is a comparison of my conventional medical education and subsequent naturopathic medical education. I wrote this in 2015, and now update it in April 2026, only with updated curriculum links and screenshots from the various...
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