Treatment Methods

Since appropriate treatment is based upon diagnosis, it is every licensed physician's responsibility to first diagnose the condition and then prescribe the treatment.

In the United States, there are three types of physicians licensed to diagnose disease. These are M.D. (allopathic physicians), D.O. (osteopathic physicians), and D.C. (chiropractic physicians).

Persons holding any of these licenses are responsible for determining the health condition of their patients, including disease processes, and caring for those conditions as the patient allows. Other persons using the title of "Dr." are such as their education provides, but are limited by their license as to the responsibility they have to their patients to diagnose disease.

Therefore, as a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, the first step necessary before any treatment is prescribed is to diagnose the condition(s). Further, since chiropractic is the leading profession of natural therapeutics, and the DABCI (Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Internists) has provided me the post-doctoral education to more completely understand the physiology behind disease processes, some of the diagnoses will have conventional names and some will not.

Those that do not are found as imbalances in normal physiology that have not yet become full-blown disease. Proper diagnosis and treatment of these is true preventive medicine

I. Natural Medicines

This consists of products taken orally or used topically. They come from the finest sources available and are guaranteed not to be tainted or toxic in any way. 99% of all the products used are available only to physicians and so availability is limited. This, however, ensures greater quality control as the products are not made in large mass quantities for the retail market. Also, there may be contraindications between these and a patient's condition or a pharmaceutical drug. Therefore, a diagnostic work-up is necessary prior to their prescription.

A. Nutritionals

These products are usually in capsules or tablets, and sometimes in powder form. They are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and fatty acids. Their value is in the repair of injured cells and in the support of biochemical processes that have malfunctioned due to lack of raw materials necessary for those functions.

B. Herbals/Botanicals

These are mostly in capsules or in liquid form. They are sometimes formed in combination with Nutritionals. They have medicinal value as they cause certain chemical functions to occur. For example, one may decrease an inflammatory reaction, another may thin mucus or decrease mucus production, another may increase liver metabolism, etc. While they are medicinal, they do not typically have the toxic side effects as do all pharmaceuticals.

C. Homeopathics

These are products made from natural sources (animal, vegetable or mineral) but created by a specific process which derives the energy pattern of that natural source without actually having the physical molecules present in the medicine. Although this may sound very futuristic, this process was discovered by Dr. Samuel Hanneman in the late 1800's! This was the medicine doctors typically used prior to the creation of pharmaceutical drugs. There action is to signal the brain to start a certain process in the body. So, these medicines work directly on the nervous system's control of the body very gently but with profound effects. They come in the form of either an alcohol or water based liquid, or sugar pellets that melt in the mouth.

II. Clinical Kinesiology

As explained under Diagnostic Services, this is a manual technique that helps locate areas of blocked energy that is inhibiting the healing process. (See Services - Diagnostics - Clinical Kinesiology). The treatment techniques found employ very gentle and specific manipulations of joints, organs, ligaments, muscles and other soft tissues. Acupressure points and other reflex points are also used. Because of this specificity and exactness, a seemingly small amount of treatment yields a great amount of result.

III. Chiropractic

The central nervous system (CNS) is the main electrical system of the body. It is composed of the brain and spinal cord which are housed and protected by the skull and spinal column, respectively. The CNS controls the function of all the organs and tissues via electrical energy. It keeps all the body parts in communication for smooth, coordinated function. The skull and spinal column can impinge upon the brain and spinal cord causing a change in their function and ability to control the organs and tissues they go to. Therefore, depending upon the person's case, chiropractic adjustments that relieve those impingements may be used. There is a variety of chiropractic adjusting techniques that range from extremely gentle to more forceful. Each case is evaluated individually both for the effectiveness of the technique and the patient's tolerance or preference for the technique.

IV. Referrals to Medical Doctors and Other Health Practitioners

When a patient's case is such that it is necessary to have conventional medical attention, either for testing or treating, the doctor will let the patient know and refer that patient to the appropriate specialty. It is sometimes misunderstood that if a patient is using natural medicine, they cannot also use allopathic medicine. This is very far from the truth. The two disciplines can work together wonderfully well.

Other healthcare professionals that are sometimes recommended are acupuncturists, reflexologists, and NAET (a specific allergy treatment) practitioners, among others.

Piro Clinic of Natural Medicine
971-B Virginia Ave., Palm Harbor, Florida 34683
(Palm Harbor is in Pinellas County, in the Tampa Bay area of Central Florida)
727-789-4020