www.naturalpractitionermag.com January/February 2016

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The oft-quoted assertion from 16th cen-tury English philosopher Sir FrancisBacon, "Knowledge is power," is andshould be a lively undercurrent of any

practice. Medical research in multifariousdisciplines continues at a rapid clip, andhealth care, as well as disease care, evolve justas swiftly.

Stagnation is anathema to any health-cen-tric practitioner. With the demands of agrowing and thriving practice interwoven bythe demands of home life, it may be chal-lenging to fit in hours of engaging in newlearning modalities.

Dorene Petersen, president and founder ofthe American College of Healthcare Sciences(ACHS) in Oregon, asserted, "Seeking outnew knowledge and expertise to remain vitalmembers of the evolving health care com-munity is very important to staying current."She pointed out that many licensing andmembership entities (such as the OregonBoard of Naturopathic Medicine) requireprofessionals to regularly provide proof of

continuing education credits in order tomaintain their licenses or memberships."This helps ensure all health professionals,including natural practitioners, are stayinginformed of developing research trends,policies and practices to best serve theircommunities."

Although in many states, ongoing profes-sional development is often mandatory tomaintain licenses and/or certifications, BethHowlett, MAcOM, LAc, director of commu-nications, Adjunct Faculty, OCOM (OregonCollege of Oriental Medicine) said shebelieves "it is also essential for practitionersto renew their understanding of the complexfield of patient-centered care, evidence-basedmedicine and the evolving landscape ofhealth care delivery. There is always some-thing new to learn—from best practices tonew technologies to new integrative andfunctional medicine approaches to disease,any natural practitioner should expect to be alifelong student."

A common characteristic of natural prac-

titioners, observed Cheryl K. Burdette, ND,Progressive Medical Centers of Georgia andTexas, is the compassion, curiosity and con-stant seeking for new and better answers toheal and empower patients. Yet, being edu-cated about the latest progressive therapieswhile also keeping up with evidence-basedresearch seems to be at odds with one anoth-er. "In order to ensure patients are gettingthe best treatment, but are not serving asguinea pigs it is imperative that naturalpractitioners keep their heads in the sci-ence," she stated. "The natural practitionershould attend a variety of events to keep abalanced perspective."

Ryan Cliche, executive director of theWashington, D.C.-based AmericanAssociation of Naturopathic Physicians(AANP), suggested that as the natural healthfield and available treatments continue torapidly evolve, it's the responsibility of prac-titioners to remain apprised of these develop-ments and implement them when appropri-ate. "By doing so, they are better positioned

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to safeguard their patients and provide thebest care possible. It also leads to increasedpublic confidence in the practitioners as indi-vidual professionals and our profession as awhole."

Rapidly Evolving AreasWithin the ever-expanding realm of healthcare practice, the natural approaches to well-ness also contain several areas of increasedinvigoration. In Petersen's viewpoint, aro-matherapy is a modality that is acceleratingin knowledge and practical application.Knowledge regarding the impact of engagedolfactory and limbic systems through thetherapeutic value of essential oils is evolvingquickly. "As more of the public becomesaware of the benefits of aromatherapy forgeneral wellness support, the need for high-quality, organic essential oils as well as edu-cated aromatherapists will continue toexpand," she predicted.

Another area Petersen sees as a quicklyevolving modality is holistic nutrition, aresponse to what she called the "three biggestkillers in the U.S.—diabetes, obesity andheart disease," which are largely related todietary habit. "This is leading to more jobopportunities in the holistic nutrition fieldfor holistic nutritionists, wellness coachesand community educators, to name a few,"she noted.

Gut health, specifically, how the individualmicrobiome environment impacts wellnessand disease risk, is gaining tremendous atten-tion, according to Dr. Burdette, and this hasamplified the notion of "who we are treat-ing." She explained, "our bodies are 90 per-cent bacterial DNA, and only 10 percenthuman DNA. Bugs in the gut will be the firstones to metabolize any treatment we take inor food we consume. This explains why twopeople can eat the same thing but gainweight differently. Different flora in the gutwill determine what is absorbed from thediet. Different flora can change medicationsand their metabolites. Our knowledge is rap-idly evolving in this area, making cliniciansmindful that it is not just the patient youtreat, but their microbiome as well."

Cliche said he views the evolving focus onthe genome as tremendous opportunities forindividualized, whole care." One area is anevolving focus on the genome, giving rise tonutritional genomics and personalized med-icine and health. Health care professionalswho have a focus on providing individual-ized care are well positioned to take advan-tage of this."

The Affordable Care Act, pointed outHowlett, has impacted opportunities for nat-ural interventions, with many states andplans providing coverage for such modalities

as acupuncture, for example. "Due to theprevalence of social media, everyone andespecially celebrity utilization is drivingawareness and interest in trying acupuncture,especially for things such as fertility, stressmanagement and pain."

Meanwhile, within the practice environ-ment proper, Howlett pointed to increasedand rapid sophistication of health technolo-gy, such as record keeping, patient engage-ment and patient-centric care, are evolving"in a way that is both exciting and over-whelming," she shared.

Beyond this should also be the constantawareness of other specialists and practition-ers, said Jacob Teitelbaum MD, author of thesmart phone app Cures A-Z, which meansthat practitioners from a wide array of back-grounds need to be able to know what theothers are doing. For example, he elucidated,in standard medicine, if an internal medicinephysician was not aware of cardiology,endocrinology, hepatology and many otherspecialties, the patient he or she is treatingcould suffer from complications or earlyfatality. "In the same way, to properly helpthe people they are serving, natural practi-tioners need to know when other branches ofthe healing arts are needed to help theirclients," he said.

TrendsNo doubt your client/patient population isbecoming a bit more savvy; they want morethan what their allopathic physicians canprovide. Consumers en masse are seekingpreventative approaches to remain in adecent state of health and to thwart lifestyle-related dire events and disease. They aredesirous of staying out of hospitals and sur-gical units.

This is evidenced by the continuouslycompounding growth of dietary supplementsales, as well as the better-for-you foods andbeverages that are more plentiful. Yoga andother forms of mind-body exercise andalignment are not just trendy, but are adopt-ed as part of healthier living.

"Here in Oregon, specifically, we are seeinga growing interest in natural, local and sus-tainable products, including foods, body careproducts, herbs and supplements," Petersenattested."As with any demand, there will be aneed for health professionals who can pro-vide the public with research-based informa-tion and safe and effective practices for usingthese products in a wellness routine."

Acupuncture, Howlett's specialty, is trend-ing due to media exposure and a growingevidence base. Case in point: the November28, 2015 edition of the Asbury Park Press, theGannett-owned regional newspaper coveringthe New Jersey Shore, carried a feature about

a new acupuncture business, the Zen Den. InGannett feature fashion, the reporter told thestory of a patient who suffered from rheuma-toid arthritis, and that acupuncture "gave memy life back."

Howlett elaborated, "I think mindfulnessinterventions from breathing exercises toadult coloring books are trending becausethey are approachable, portable and effectivein promoting wellness. Nutrition has alwaysbeen a core part of natural medicine and sci-entific advances in understanding of metabol-ic disease processes and impacts, epigeneticfactors, and general public interest in healthyschool lunches, GMO (genetically modifiedorganism)-free, local food and sustainabilityalso drive interest in nutrition topics."

The concept of the microbiome, as men-tioned, is what Dr. Burdette believes is alsotrending; as more health media report aboutit. For instance, she offered, people who havepsoriasis have different bacteria than thosewho don’t. "Conditions often thought to begenetic might actually be bacteria’s influenceon our genetics which is much easier to treat.It is likely that we will soon realize that veg-etables like broccoli have benefit not onlybecause of what they do to us, but how theyimprove our microbiomes. The saying, ‘Youare what you eat,’ may soon be, ‘You are whatyour microbiome eats, metabolizes and leavesfor you.’”

Thwarting StagnationLife in and of itself, for practitioners, tends tofall into a routine; much of that routine ischaracterized by appointments, both in theoffice and in personal lives. Beyond theannual recertifications, etc., it may be easy tobecome educationally stagnant as the dailygrind repeats itself for many months. Inother words, you may find yourself feeling abit behind in keeping up with what's new,attractive and applicable for your practice.

There are certain things you can do with-out the fear of having to overhaul your life.Petersen advised to continue exploring vari-ous modalities as the CAM industry is richlydiverse. "There are plenty of things to learnand get excited about!" she exclaimed. If apractitioner were to feel uninspired or stag-nant, research a new modality you have yet toexplore—holistic nutrition, aromatherapy,acupuncture, homeopathy, massage andherbal medicine, among others, as they alltruly are complementary. "There’s always newresearch and information coming to light,and the best way to stay excited about yourwork as a holistic practitioner is to dive intosomething new."

Numerous continuing education eventsHowlett said she attends bring together oldfriends, and establishes new referral and

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peer-to-peer opportunities for both personaland professional growth. Also, she suggested,understand your own unique learningstyle—for example, if you are a tactile learn-er, choose hands-on classes. This is also a rea-son to join professional associations to stayabreast of trends and opportunities.Networking and building your own naturalmedicine network are terrific payoffs as well.

When you have regular pockets of time,Dr. Burdette advised to stay current aboutpeer-reviewed medical literature by readingand "embracing" the research. There arethousands of evidence-based studies that dealwith natural therapies. Natural practitioners,she declared, share a responsibility to readand understand the research and speak thelanguage of standard care in order to exertinfluence for movement in a more whole-some direction.

And, be a part of the movement," she stat-ed. "This means being active on boards thatare supporting research and data collection."

For example, Dr. Burdette is active on theBrassica Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), thecompany that makes truebroc brand gluco-raphanin from broccoli. Brassica supportsresearch-based initiatives about broccoli-derived compounds. Natural ingredients areoften dismissed from study not because theyare not useful for human wellness, sheemphasized, but because they are not prof-itable. "By aligning my passion with a groupthat is investigating compounds, we can col-lect data and create evidence—even in theabsence of pocketbooks that are like those ofpharmaceutical companies. Being active onthis board connects me to hundreds of doc-tors and subject matter experts who haveextensive experience working with and study-ing broccoli compounds. Our collaborationhelps to educate patients who want to usenatural agents."

And, closer to home, why not have regulardinner meetings with other natural practi-tioners in your area, such as acupuncturists,nutritionists, energy workers, physicians,etc., Dr. Teitelbaum offered. "Pick a topic fordiscussion of how each different specialtywould approach it to help people, so you canlearn when to refer to each other. In additionto being excellent for getting the best resultsfor the people you treat, it is also one of the

most powerful ways available to build yourpractice."

Promoting Unity in the CommunityAs Dr. Teitelbaum suggested, the idea of pro-fessional yet informal get-togethers is a wayof becoming educated about related prac-tices, challenges, issues and successes. Yet it'salso a way of building a stronger united"face" in your shared community. Of course,you can add your local health food retailersto this as well. Work referral programs, andallow for talks in their stores.

Community also has a larger—but no lessimportant than local—connotation, and thelarger can have positive influence on the local."Join your professional associations at the stateand national level," suggested Howlett. "Thesememberships often come with reduced oreven free continuing education opportunities.For working across disciplines, join a localchamber of commerce and/or communityassociation and/or support groups if you arelooking to build locally. If the intent is to cre-ate referrals and advocacy networks, join non-profit groups such as a Pain Society of Oregonor the Rethinking Psychiatry group. It is oftenpossible to subscribe to newsletters andTwitter or Facebook feeds for these groups tostay connected and engaged."

Petersen said she encourages all ACHSgraduates to explore the holistic health com-munity by getting involved with other modal-ities and attending conferences and events.There are many professional organizationsthat provide excellent resources through theirmemberships and that host conferences andevents. For example, an aromatherapist couldbranch out by attending a nutrition, herbalmedicine, a massage and/or yoga conference."Building a network is important for individ-ual practitioners and our holistic health com-munity at large, but it’s up to all of us to buildconnections and community," she opined.

Dr. Burdette agreed, adding that joiningboards and physician discussion groupsallows for comparing outcomes and sharing"clinical pearls. These clinical observations,when joined together, are what eventuallybecome studies to move the entire communi-ty and society to action."

She added that without a collection of thegroup's work, outcomes are considered to beanecdotal, which doesn't carry serious weightand lack a certain authority. She noted thatProgressive Medical hosts regular grandrounds in which its clinicians and othersfrom the community gather to discuss whatis working and areas where support is need-ed, and this provides a strong team-basedapproach to individualized patient care.

"Overall," summarized Dr. Teitelbaum,

"scientific research in this area is growingrapidly, as is the public’s interest. Continuingeducation, therefore, is important to stayabreast of this information."

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■ American Association of NaturopathicPhysicians, (202) 237-8150,www.naturopathic.org,

■ American College of Healthcare Sciences,(800) 487-8839, www.achs.edu

■ Cheryl Burdette, ND,www.progressivemedicalcenter.com

■ Oregon College of Oriental Medicine,(503) 253-3443, www.ocom.edu

■ Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, (410) 573-5389

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

■ The area of holistic nutrition isgrowing, and seems to be a soundmodality for those concerned aboutcardiovascular disease, obesity anddiabetes.■ Microbiome is experiencing

robust growth in research andunderstanding; by addressing anindividual's unique microbiome,care protocols may be more suc-cessful to achieve wellness.■ The mass media is also report-

ing more favorably about a numberof complementary wellnessapproaches, which many consumersare finding intriguing, as they arefatiguing of the typical allopathicapproach.■ The Affordable Care Act has

and will continue to provide moreopportunities for patients to receivenatural, CAM-based treatment.■ Understand your own learning

style and select educational opportu-nities that suit. Subscribe to journalsoutside your specialty but may belinked or related, to generate astronger sense of patient care intu-ition based on the newfound knowl-edge. ■ Create unity among the CAM

and related wellness experts in yourcommunity—including workingclosely with health food store own-ers and staff.■ Join a professional services

board and become active; this helpsgenerate much keener networkingabilities and strengthens the relation-ships you have.

Healthy Take Aways

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