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Healing Fibroids: A Doctor’s Guide to A Natural Cure

by Allan Warshowaky, MD and Elena Oumano, PhD

Simon & Schuster, Inc., Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 USA

Paperback, 2002, $14US/$21.50 CAN, 281 pp.

One of the most intractable of all women’s health complaints, fibroid tumors, is routinely “treated” by surgical removal of the tumor, and more often, hysterectomy is recommended. Among women of childbearing age, the incidence of fibroids is 25 to 40%, presenting women with hard choices — one of which is the possibility of being unable to have children. Some women with fibroids have no symptoms, while others suffer from a myriad of complaints, including lower abdominal pain and pressure, heavy menstrual bleeding, infertility, miscarriages, anemia, and bladder irritation and infections. Fibroids can grow in many different locations around and in the uterus, and range in size from barely perceptible to the size of a grapefruit. Fibroid tumors can be an endless source of pain, bleeding, and frustration.

In Part 1, “The Basics,” the authors explain what is known about this difficult health problem. No one really knows what causes fibroids but it is suspected that long-standing disturbances that create hormonal imbalances may be at the root of this condition. It is known that estrogen stimulates fibroid growth, opening the door to speculation about environmental sources.

After a review of the many negative effects of hysterectomy, some of the new “more limited surgical procedures” are looked at including one in which I took a personal interest. Myomectomy: “This procedure is viewed by many in the medical field as heroic because it involves removing the fibroid only and therefore should not interfere with the woman’s ability to have children. Yet this surgically conservative operation is more difficult than a hysterectomy so it must be performed by a highly skilled surgeon.” There were some drawbacks listed like not preventing fibroids from growing back. What was so interesting to me is that 40 years ago, I was diagnosed with a large fibroid growing through the wall of the uterus. My Ob/Gyn was a well-known doctor in the Seattle area, and without discussing it with me in advance, spent considerable time in the operating room removing the tumor and repairing the wall of the uterus. He was certainly a man ahead of his time, and one of the best doctors I have ever known.

What happens when a writer/health educator/ psychotherapist/musician embarks on an eight-year journey to improve her own health? In the case of Nina Silver, PhD, that quest evolved into a 448 page well-researched, easy-to-read treatise on frequency healing. Not only does the book discuss the genius of its primary proponent, Royal Raymond Rife, it includes a superb explanation of the differences between allopathic and holistic approaches to treating disease.

At a time when health-conscious individuals are concerned about the over-medication of children, bio-terrorism, drug-resistant infectious diseases, the government’s push for mass inoculations, and the negative side effects of vaccines and other drugs, along comes a book that revives the natural healing of Rife frequency technology.

In the late 1920s, Rife invented a unique microscope through which he could observe microorganisms, even miniscule single viruses, in their living state. This allowed him to prove that the majority of pathogens, ordinarily considered foreign to the system, were once harmless proteins indigenous to the human body that change in response to their environment. When the environment becomes toxic, the microbes become toxic and more complex, causing symptoms that we call disease.

The book pays due respect to Antoine Bechamp, whose theories were quickly eclipsed by the germ theories of his contemporary Louis Pasteur. Bechamp understood that germs are everywhere and only proliferate when conditions favor their growth. A weakened or compromised immune system allows disease to take hold, whereas a strong immune system does not.

Long ago in ancient Greece, the great hero god Heracles was invited to the cave of the centaur Pholos. Chiron, a wise and beneficent centaur and a great master of healing, was also present. As a token of appreciation and hospitality, Heracles brought a flask of heady wine to the gathering. The rich fragrant liquid attracted other centaurs, who, unaccustomed to wine, became drunk and then began to fight. In the ensuing melee Chiron was struck in the knee by an arrow shot by Heracles. Chiron then instructed Heracles in the art of treating the wound. Since the arrow had been tipped with poison from the Hydra-a many-headed monster nearly impossible to slay-the wound would never fully heal. Capable of healing others, the greatest of healers was unable to completely heal himself; and being immortal, Chiron lives forever with this wound as the archetypal wounded healer. Following his wounding, Chiron received and trained thousands of students at his cave on Mount Pelion. It is said that one of these students, Asclepius, learned from Chiron the knowledge of plants, the power of the serpent, and the wisdom of the wounded healer. It was through the lineage of Asclepius that Hippocrates began to practice the art and science of medicine.

Henri J.M. Nowen in his book, The Wounded Healer (1972, p. 82), identifies a wounded healer as “one who must look after his own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others.” Nurses fit this description better than any group of people I know. We are constantly called upon to be healers not only in the work place but also outside the work place, while often ignoring our own needs and wounds, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual. Let’s explore the ancient practice of Qigong to better understand how we as nurses can heal ourselves in order to better heal those who come to us: our clients.

IN HUNDREDS OF SPOTS across the country, the earth bubbles with mineral-imbued water that can nourish joints and bones, clear up skin conditions, reduce respiratory and circulatory problems, and melt away tension and pain. “Mineral springs are a unique healing resource that most Americans aren’t aware of,” says Nathaniel Altman, author of Healing Springs: The Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters. “But in Europe and Japan, mineral bathing is a mainstream form of medicine. It’s even covered by health insurance.”

Indeed, much of the research on the therapeutic elements of mineral bathing, known as balneotherapy, comes from across the ocean: A recent Hungarian study found that soaking in sulfur spring water may ease lower back pain; a 2001 report from the Israel Medical Association Journal concluded that bathing in the Dead Sea improved symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, and a 2000 investigation at the University of Vienna Medical School indicated balneotherapy’s potential value for people with high blood pressure.

The benefits flow from two sources, says Deborah Coryell, director of the health and wellness division of King Ventures retreat resorts in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “First, you start with hot water, which is good for anybody because of its relaxing quality,” she notes. “But you’re also working with water that’s mineral-rich, so your body can absorb the minerals into the circulatory system.”

Of course, some people take their minerals orally–see “Minerals 101″ on page 93 for more on supplementing–but swallowing pills doesn’t give you the sensory rewards of bathing. After soaking for just 30 minutes, you’ll feel a glow inside and out. And that’s a pleasure everyone should enjoy, not just those looking to rinse away aches and pains. “You can incorporate mineral bathing into your

health care like you would massage,” Coryell says. “Think of it as one of your resources for good health.”

Healing Without Fear: How to overcome your fear of Doctors, Hospitals, and the Health Care System and find your Way to True Healing

by Laurel Ann Reinhardt, PhD; Foreword by James Jealous, DO

Healing Arts Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767 USA; www.InnerTraditions.com

paperback, 2002, $14.95, 175 pp.

After turning to alternative medicine for more effective help for her asthma, the author relates how, when faced with a lump in her breast, she felt a terrible fear rising up that sent her running back to an allopathic doctor. After waiting ten days for the results of her mammogram, by the time she saw the surgeon again, the fear had taken over and she was not able to take the time to make a decision that was not fear-based. Fortunately, it was a holiday and she couldn’t be scheduled for biopsy for some time. Because of the delay, she was able to think more clearly and finally decided to try alternatives (herbs and dietary recommendations) first. By the time she saw the surgeon again, the lump was gone.

Her doctor was as restricted by fear as she was — fear of being sued, fear of the medical board, etc. Even if we begin without fear, the author says, “the field in a doctor’s office or hospital is often palpable, and can induce that fear in us. Our society has become extremely fearful about health concerns, most of the fear being fed by pharmaceutical ads on TV, medical news, and government recommendations for screening, tests, etc. The author says “There is a collusion of silence, fear, and disempowerment of ourselves and each other that creates a morphic field of fear surrounding the Western health care system in general, and some illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS, in particular.”

The morphic field of fear which surrounds the practice of Western medicine is created by the following:

* the personal fears we each have about pain, illness, disability, life, and death

* the fears of doctors that we assimilate, sometimes called “white coat fever”

* doctors’ fears of making mistakes, failing their patients, or being sued

* fear-based methods of teaching and practicing medicine

* financial fears of patients, doctors, insurance companies, and the government

* fear-based sales tactics of insurance companies and advertisers

* fears engendered by media reports on health care topics

* fears of loss of power and control

* fears of the unknown

When Deborah Kesten called her book The Healing Secrets of Food, she was not referring to nutrient content or nutraceuticals. Rather, she was referring to food’s ability to nourish the spirit. Ms Kesten says, “The food-as-medicine approach is unique to America. Most cultures throughout the world do not relate to food as a “product” to be analyzed each time it’s eaten. Rather, they enjoy food as the social, ceremonial, sensual delight it is.” Although The Healing Secrets of Food includes basic nutritional guidelines, its strength lies in Deborah Kesten’s explanation of”integrative nutrition”–the social, spiritual, and energetic components of food and eating.

Socializing, connecting and uniting with others, as we eat is the first health secret. Ms. Kesten relates an experiment conducted by Dr. R.M. Nerem at the University of Texas in which rabbits were fed artery-clogging rabbit food. Rabbits that received cuddling and interaction from their caretaker at mealtime had 60% less plaque. Social interaction, rather than the consumption of wine, may be the primary explanation for the “French paradox.” The incidence of heart attack is very low in France even though the French diet is high in saturated fats and aerobic exercise is uncommon. Researchers point out that the French take long, leisurely meals and share the meals with friends and extended family. Extended family meals tend to be the exception rather than the rule in the US. Take-out and microwave food is the norm, and eating is often seen as a necessity to dispose of as quickly as possible. Ms. Kesten offers several suggestions for bringing social connections back into one’s life, such as arranging potluck get-togethers or simply turning the TV off during mealtime. For those who usually eat alone, Ms. Kesten suggests feeding a pet before sitting down to one’s own meal or setting the table for two and placing a photo of a loved one nearby to foster feelings of connection and love.

Historians of slavery have come a long ways since the days of Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Stanley Elkins, even Eugene D. Genovese. An evolving field ever since its scholars put pen to paper, the last decade has perhaps witnessed the greatest upheaval in the study of human bondage. A flurry of innovative, imaginative, and ground-breaking interpretations have lifted enslaved peoples far and away from what was once the stultifying position assigned them by Ulrich Phillips. Slaves talk back, act back, and fight back. In the process, they, as much as those who claimed proprietorship over their bodies, gave shape and meaning to America’s “peculiar institution.”

Sharla M. Fett locates herself securely within this new interpretive framework. Working Cures: Healing, Health, and Power on Southern Slave Plantations adds yet another dimension to the unceasing struggle by enslaved peoples to reclaim, in this case nearly literally, their bodies from the master’s grasp. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including private papers, Works Project Administration interviews, and antebellum medical treatises, Fett redirects our attention away from a previous focus on medical therapies and toward the implicitly political contests that erupted between masters and slaves over the purposes and performance of healing.

Taking up first the meanings and methods Southern practitioners–slave and free–brought to their healing work, Fett demonstrates that slaves understood sickness (and its obverse–health) in relational terms. Social disruptions (jealousy, anger, fear) were as likely to result in illness and disability as were disease, injury, and poor diet. From the perspective of the enslaved, healing thus required attention be paid to community as well as corporal afflictions. To perform this work, slave healers (midwives, conjurors, diviners, and herbalists) selected from among a lengthy menu of strategies. Some of which they appropriated from their owners; some they borrowed from Native Americans; some they imported from Africa. Thus a healer might appeal to a Christian God, serve a tea steeped in the indigenous Jerusalem oak, or use divination to trace an “illness to its origins in social conflict.”

When she was growing up in Aurora, Colorado, Andrea Pennington always told people she would take over her mother’s medical practice one day. After graduating with honors from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and training in pediatrics at Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown University Hospital, she has done more than that. Today Andrea and her morn, Abigail Pennington, M.D., are partners in the three-year-old Silver Spring, Maryland, Pennington Institute for Health & Wellness. The 6,000-square-foot facility, with a staff of 13, earned revenues of $350,000 in 2003 by providing a blend of traditional medicine with acupuncture, fitness, nutritional consultations, antiaging solutions and motivational support.

Founder and president Andrea Pennington (above, left, with her room) is today a nationally recognized wellness expert who has appeared twice on the Oprah show and was a medical director and correspondent for the Discovery Health Network. She is also the author of The Pennington Plan: 5 Simple Steps to Vibrant Health, Emotional Wellbeing and Spiritual Growth.

Realizing the Vision: “I did my homework, and with personal savings and an airtight business plan, I was approved for a bank loan and financing in record time to cover the half-million-dollar start-up costs of renovation, equipment, furnishing and advertising. In our first nine months, I juggled a full patient load and 80-hour workweeks, and hosted two national television shows.”

Putting Patients at Ease: “We designed the facility like a spa so patients wouldn’t feel as if they were in a doctor’s office. Our 12-week Life Transformation Makeover is an intensive program of psychotherapy, physical fitness, acupuncture and beauty makeovers. We accept most insurance plans and offer incentives to patients with perfect attendance.”

Changing Lives: “One of our biggest success stories was a man who weighed 525 pounds and wanted a weight-loss solution without surgery. Within five months he lost 140 pounds and the need for several diabetes medications. Our trademark motto is: It’s your life, embrace it.”

It started out as a routine checkup. You took your blood test, got you cholesterol and cardiovascular evaluations, even a flu shot. Later in the week your doctor contacts you to discuss an “abnormality” found during one of your tests and wants to see you in a few days for “possible counseling.”"What could it be?” you ask, slipping into an inexorable panic, as you mentally catalog disease while playing pick-a-plague in your head: “Isnt there a history of hypertension and diabetes in my family? And didn’t my cousin get diagnosed with cancer last month?”

At this point even a die-hard atheist just might throw up a prayer–and ask for the prayers of others–when confronted with the frailty of his own life. But can prayer be the cure for what ails you? Is faith healing better than a trip to the doctor’?

“I believe that they need to go hand-in-glove,” says Randall W. Maxey, M.D., Ph.D., of Los Angeles, who is president of the National Medical Association (NMA). “There should not be a separation between the two. In the world as I see it, physicians are often vehicles through which God works,and in my practice, I practice a blend that encourages people to have faith that they will be healed. “I am a Christian and I strongly believe that faith plays a role in healing,” Maxey affirms.

He continues: “Not only do I give traditional pharmacological medications that an M.D. would give, but I also make sure that I do pray for my patients,” says Maxey. “In many cases I pray with them, and I myself have seen many instances where it was clear that it was the faith component that led to their healing more so than just the medications that we give.”

And according to recently released information concerning faith and healing, the good doctor may be right.

Studies at several medical centers conclude that prayer and faith help in the recovery from heart attacks, drug addiction, stroke, alcoholism and depression. Research from the University of Miami showed AIDS patients who became long-term survivors were more frequently engaged in religious worship and involved in volunteer work.

Also, Duke University has just released a study of 4,000 men and women of different faiths, 65 or older. The study found that the relative risk of dying was 46 percent lower for those who frequently attend religious services. It also found that those who attend religious services have healthier immune systems.

Back in 1980, a prominent pediatrician named Barton Schmitt coined the term “fever phobia” to describe the understandable desire of many parents to bring down fevers in their children as quickly as possible. Although almost a quarter-century has passed since Schmitt’s phrase caught on, fever phobia is still alive and well.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics shows that 91 percent of parents surveyed thought that a fever can cause harmful effects, with 56 percent of caregivers very worried about the potential harm of fevers for their own children. And 89 percent of parents reached for such fever reducers as acetaminophen and ibuprofen before temperatures reached 102 degrees.

Why should any of this matter? Because it is often not necessary–and may not even be wise–to be too quick to rush for the medicine cabinet when your child has a fever. “Nothing bad is going to happen if you don’t treat the fever,” says Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She’s also author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby’s First Year.

A fever, not surprisingly, indicates that your child is fighting off some kind of infection, such as a simple cold, the flu, or an ear infection. It is not an illness in itself. In fact, a fever may do some good. A study published in the February 2004 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that children who ran a fever during their first year were less likely to develop allergies later in childhood than children who did not have fever.

More importantly, according to the AAP, a fever can help your child’s body fight off infection. Many illness-causing microbes do best at the body’s normal temperature. A fever raises the temperature beyond which certain microbes need to reproduce. A fever also kicks your child’s immune system into high gear, spurring the rapid production of bug-clobbering white blood cells. A small but growing body of research shows that letting a fever run its course may reduce the length and severity of such illnesses as colds and flu.