 |
|
Betty Erickson receives naturopathic treatment
|
Narrator: When Betty Erickson first began having neck pain, she did what many of us would do—she visited her doctor. Her physician found that a car accident had damaged two of Betty’s vertebrae in her upper spine.
Betty Erickson: And he explained to me what was going on and that there were a couple of things I could do. I could go to the pain clinic and they would put cortisone down through the middle of these vertebrae. And I did that. And it worked and it helped me through about nine months.
Narrator: But the cortisone shots soon wore off, and Betty was faced with a decision: find a way to manage her pain, or undergo surgery.
Betty Erickson: I was worried about driving. I have grandchildren. I don’t want to drive my car with them in it and it would be dangerous for them. I was worried about turning my neck in different areas. I knew I had good peripheral vision but it’s not that good. This fall, when it flared it up, my daughter had had very good luck with Dr. Khosh with a damaged shoulder. So she explained to me that she thought I ought to try it.
Narrator: Betty visited Dr. Medhi Khosh. Dr. Khosh and his brother are both naturopathic doctors. They treat patients from their clinic in Lawrence, and come from a long heritage of natural healers of Persian ancestry.
Dr. Medhi Khosh Back home they didn’t them naturopathic doctors they called them natural healers. And my grandfather was one of them, and I had a chance to see how he treats and how he sees patients.
Narrator: Licensed naturopathic doctors must complete a four-year graduate degree that includes the basic science courses taken by traditional allopathic medical students as well as one year of residency. However naturopathic doctors are primarily trained in acupuncture, homeopathy and other natural healing techniques.
Dr. Medhi Khosh We don’t use pharmaceutical drugs but instead we use botanicals, which are herbs, homeopathy, nutrition, and counseling or stress medicine and physical medicine, which are mostly oriental medicine, or acupuncture.
Narrator: The philosophy of naturopathic medicine includes six principles:
Narrator: “First, do no harm.” Also a principle of allopathic physicians.
Narrator: “The power of nature.” Naturopathic doctors are trained to respect the body’s ability to heal itself.
Medhi Khosh: Remove the obstacle. Like if somebody has bronchitis, we ask them not to smoke in order to the body a better chance to take care of itself.
Narrator: “Treat the whole person” –both body and mind. Dr. Khosh says he often prescribes activities such as yoga for martial arts to help patients heal their spirits.
Dr. Medhi Khosh: This is a culture where everything goes fast. Lots of stress, lots of deadlines. So, if you follow this lifestyle, you won’t survive long, your body gets tired and frustrated. So, you have to make time for body and for your spirit. Yoga, tai chi, praying, meditation, that’s food for your spirit.
Narrator: “Identify and treat the cause” N-Ds look for the root of the health problem instead of simply suppressing a patient’s symptoms.
Narrator: “Prevention is the best cure” Dr. Khosh encourages patients to adopt his principles while they are still healthy.”
Narrator: And finally “the Doctor as Teacher”
Dr. Medhi Khosh: We have to educate our patients in order to help us to heal their bodies. As my grandfather used to say, the patient must be involved in the process of healing. And they shouldn’t just rely in the tablet we give them. They have to know what is going into their body and what’s the process of healing, and we have to educate them.
Narrator: For Betty Erickson’s neck pain, Dr. Khosh prescribes a series of acupuncture treatments, small changes in her diet—like cutting back on caffeine—and an herbal supplement he says promotes bone health. Betty says she’s pleased with the results.
Betty Erickson: After the relief I received from the first treatment, I sort of let him call the shots after that. But this has worked wonderfully. And I don’t hesitate to tell anybody. I have found Medhi and his wife to very acceptable. If I need to move an appointment, there’s no problem with them. This has just really worked out great for me.
Narrator: Only Eleven states currently have licensing procedures for naturopathic doctors, and Kansas is not one of them. This leaves the research largely up the patient, and Dr. Khosh urges Kansans to use caution when choosing a naturopath.
Dr. Medhi Khosh: Since there’s no regulation and there is no law, the patient’s in charge. So a patient has to go check the background each doctor.
Narrator: The Khosh brothers give seminars and write columns in several local health publications, all in an attempt to educate the public on naturopathic medicine.
Dr. Medhi Khosh: I’m very optimistic. Because I’m seeing the way patients react to this kind of medicine, and the response we get is very good. This is not a new medicine, this is a very old medicine, and we used to use this and I would like to bring it back. And I would like to partner with others in allopathic medicine in order to benefit our patients.
Narrator: Dr. Khosh is quick to clarify that he is NOT a medical doctor, and his methods should not replace those of a physician—especially in acute-care situations. Yet he says he sees acceptance of his field growing in the U-S, and hopes one day to see naturopathic doctors practicing alongside MDs.
Dr. Medhi Khosh: We are part of the puzzle; we are not the whole puzzle. Allopathic doctors are needed. Chiropractic doctors are needed. Osteopathic doctors are needed. Naturopathic doctors are also needed. So far, most of my patients see all different kinds of practitioners as well as us. I would like it to be that way. I would like all of us to work together for the benefit of our patients.
#####
This transcript is from KTWU's Sunflower Journeys 2002 season.
Sunflower Journeys Home
A production of:
KTWU Channel 11
Washburn University
Topeka, Ks. 66621
785-231-1111
journeys@washburn.edu
|