Neurological

 

Everyone who practices medicine has a frame of reference of how their experience forms their views on treatment. In dealing with neurological issues the fact of living and working in Marin County (immediately north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge) colors our perspective. This is because of the prevalence of three major neurological impacts here which are mercury poisoning, mold toxicity, and lyme disease.

Abandoned mercury mines with piles of tailings leave a toxic legacy in this area as well as many places in California. The most productive mercury source in all of America came from just south of San Francisco in Santa Clara County.  In West Marin where we are, there are at least two abandoned mines with mercury laden run-off into local waterways.

Lyme disease will be dealt with in a separate section, yet its impacts on neurological conditions is widespread and potentially devastating. One clue to this is how useful the herb cat’s claw is in treating Parkinson’s.  Cat’s Claw is a primary herbal treatment for lyme.  Lyme disease like mercury poisoning can be an underlying cause of neuro-degenerative illnesses.

Another source of our perspective is that we are acupuncturists and that the viewpoint of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) on neurological issues is primary to our understanding. Much of TCM diagnosis is based on nature and the elements having been formed thousands of years before. Tremors are likened to the movement of wind, and neurological conditions are usually termed Internal Wind cases.  Remedies for Internal Wind have their place in our treatment protocols.

Another influence on our thinking is that of Chiropractic or Osteopathic with its emphasis on structure. Yet another is the influence of practicing Internal Medicine. Look at how diabetes can result in neuropathy.

We have taken in many influences, yet the cornerstone of our treatment of neurological conditions is based on detoxification. Besides mercury and lyme, we live in a sea of chemicals and frequencies that are relatively new to human systems. Our current approach to detoxification had its roots in the approaches of Dr. Hans Nieper, Dr. Patricia Kane and Dr. David Perlmutter. The core idea revolves around cell membranes, including how to repair the myelin sheath.