What health issues can I treat?
I am often asked by individuals seeking my help what I do and what I can treat.
It is helpful to say that you can regard me as a GP. So you can consult with me on any aspect of you or your family's health problems.
Drawing upon my medical training and clinical experience I shall discuss and agree with you the best way forward, helping you to alleviate your health issues.
The outcome of this consultation may either be a referral on to specialist care or a prescription of medicine. This prescription can be a combination of either : pharmaceutical, acupuncture, herbal, nutritional, or psychological medicine.
I encourage everyone who seeks my help to learn to take responsibility for taking care of themselves.
At this point it is important for you as the patient to understand a little background knowledge to help you get the most from your treatments with me.
Background knowledge
How I practise medicine
The way that I practise medicine reflects the way that I perceive a human being.
This perception draws on several models of scientific knowledge and experiences presently in this world.
A science is any model that has clear and sound theoretical concepts, has a systematic basis of investigation, and has verifiable and repeatable outcomes.
These models are usually based upon understanding that all functioning things are impermanent and they arise as a result of causes and conditions (the law of causality).
For me these scientific models exist in Western, Oriental, and Buddhist traditions.
Levels of human knowledge
Phenomena exist at three levels, manifest, hidden, and very hidden. These levels are relative and arbitrary but function to allow us to better understand our health and use of medicines to heal ourselves and others.
Manifest phenomena are mostly tangiable and can be experienced directly by the five waking senses. Examples are food, chairs, people, cars etc.
Hidden phenomena have the nature of energy and are less tangiable such as gravity, radiowaves, light waves, molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and so forth. We can only experience them if we have developed the technology to allow us to make use of them.
Very hidden phenomena such as Qi/prana/inner energy winds, and the levels of mind from the gross to the very subtle levels of mind are very intangiable. These can only be known if we have developed our minds. Buddha defined the mind as a formless continuum whose nature is clarity and functions to know things. Many have developed their minds in this manner and have understood this to be true through their own experience. The outcome is that they have solved all their temporary and ultimate health problems.
Levels of a human being
In my opinion, for a healthcare system to be holistic and therefore very effective, it has to draw from all three levels of human existence. These systems though distinct must also work harmoniously together for the welfare of ourselves and others.
As a living being we are composed of manifest, hidden and very hidden phenomena. This means that we exist as a manifestation of the physical, energetic, and spiritual/mental levels. Whether we are aware of this or not it does not stop us from existing in this way. For instance we are not always aware of our body but it continues to function; we are not always aware of our energy but it continues to function; also we may not be aware that it is our mind that knows things but it still functions to know things!
Levels of medicine and healthcare
Western medicine treats illnesses that are in the physical body. Oriental medicine treats illnesses that are at the energetic level. Buddhist/psycological medicine treats illnesses at the level of the mind.
Each system of medicine has its own unique and valid method of diagnosis and treatments.
Diagnosis & Treatment
The process of diagnosing any illness is itself the application of scientific investigation. The method is the same for Western, Oriental, and Buddhist medicine.
Diagnosis consists of four parts listening, observing, examination, and investigation. This puts the patient's needs at the centre of the process. As the consultation progresses there is a dynamic interaction between patient and physician.
At each point the physician may draw up a set of differential diagnoses which are a list of possible causes of the patient's health complaints. The physician then spends the rest of the time confirming or refuting these differentials until a possible problem presents itself as the most likely reasons why the patient is sick at this point in their life.
The physician listens to the patient's symptoms, observes the signs of the patient's illness, carries out appropriate examination. They then set about ordering investigations to confirm or refute the diagnoses. Finally the most likely diagnosis is reached and appropriate action is carried out to help to alleviate the problem.
Diagnosis & Treatment applied to Western, Oriental & Buddhist medicines
In Western medicine, examining involves physical examinations; investigations consist of blood tests, X-rays, scans and so forth. If there is a manifest, physical, problem then they often show up on these investigations. The treatment often consists of prescription or referral to specialist care. The prescriptions are often lifestyle recommendations together with pharmaceutical drugs.
In Oriental medicine, examining involves energetic examinations - listening to the pulse, looking at the tongue, palpating the energetic function of various organs through their meridians and so forth. This process often gives the diagnosis and consequently there are few investigations that are required for energetic problems. The treatments often involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal and nutritional supplements, food therapies, and Tai Qi/Qigong exercises.
In Buddhist medicine, examining involves understanding the nature and cause of the patient's spiritual/mental problems. The problem is often reflected to the patient for them to contemplate. The patient is then prescribed an appropriate meditation on a particular aspect of their mind's functioning to help them to overcome their temporary and finally, over time their ultimate problems.
Summary of my treatment strategy
In this way I can effectively treat physical illness with Western medicine; energetic illness with Oriental medicines; and mental/spiritual sickness with spiritual medicines to heal the mind.
This background knowledge and experience allows me to very simply and practically draw upon the most appropriate level of medicine to suit your health needs. I can discuss this with you and together we can agree a way forward.
For those patients who wish to learn how to look after themselves using these three levels of medicine, I have devised a complete personal healthcare programme called, Care for your Qi.
If you wish to make an appointment to see me then please contact Medical Alternative at The Berkeley clinic :
T : 020 7724 4004 or 020 7724 4246
E : gwen@theberkeleyclinic.com
