Maria wrote:
>>
Just made me wonder what other homeopaths' experience is with pathology
tests knowledge. We didn't learn to read blood tests at College, except
very basically, and it is only my pursuit of naturopathic and nutritional
seminars that I have any sort of understanding of them - Maybe others don't
feel the need to understand them, since 'we only treat symptoms'. I think
they are very important, but feel this part of learning(i.e. being taught to
decipher them that is in any way helpful, homeopathic or not) very lacking
in my part of the world. Does anybody know of any practitioners who are on
the teaching circuit who has experience they may wish to share, or am I
really wishful thinking??? I do realise we don't need to know the ins and
outs of blood tests as would someone working in Pathology, or Microbiology,
for example, but nevertheless, I would like to know more.
Thanks for any insights!
Regards, Rhonda Bird
Pathology Tests(was Ramakrishnan's...)
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Rosemary Hyde
- Posts: 403
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Re: Pathology Tests(was Ramakrishnan's...)
Hi, Rhonda,
A couple of comments.
You can get easy to interpret information on the common pathological medical tests and what the results mean scattered throughout the Merck Manual Home Edition. I think the Merck Manual is also available online -- put it into a search engine, and you'll undoubtedly find it.
Second, medical tests are somewhat useful, but not tremendously so for homeopaths. For one thing, they do not respond very reliably or immediately to successful homeopathic treatment, so it even seems advisable to tell patients not to worry about lab values for at least several months after they begin to feel better from homeopathic treatment. For another thing, medical tests are considerably less reliable than actual symptoms or pathological manifestations as markers of what's happening with the patient's health. Someone may well have high cholesterol, for instance (within reason), but not have any significant heart disease or even heart disease risk. They're learning, in fact, that cholesterol is not the primary indicator of impending cardiac episodes.
It's a good idea to have some basic familiarity with the most common tests, so that one can sound at least semi-intelligent when patients anxious about their health come in and rattle off by heart a whole list of numbers from endless tests. Beyond that, symptoms are more useful.
What's a lot more useful to garner from the allopaths' work with patients is information about the medications they're taking and what they're taking them for (i.e., what symptoms are the medications suppressing) -- also what symptoms have started since the medications began. Allopathic diagnoses (in addition to prescriptions) can likewise furnish a useful basis for inquiring about symptoms that can be useful homeopathically.
Rosemary
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
A couple of comments.
You can get easy to interpret information on the common pathological medical tests and what the results mean scattered throughout the Merck Manual Home Edition. I think the Merck Manual is also available online -- put it into a search engine, and you'll undoubtedly find it.
Second, medical tests are somewhat useful, but not tremendously so for homeopaths. For one thing, they do not respond very reliably or immediately to successful homeopathic treatment, so it even seems advisable to tell patients not to worry about lab values for at least several months after they begin to feel better from homeopathic treatment. For another thing, medical tests are considerably less reliable than actual symptoms or pathological manifestations as markers of what's happening with the patient's health. Someone may well have high cholesterol, for instance (within reason), but not have any significant heart disease or even heart disease risk. They're learning, in fact, that cholesterol is not the primary indicator of impending cardiac episodes.
It's a good idea to have some basic familiarity with the most common tests, so that one can sound at least semi-intelligent when patients anxious about their health come in and rattle off by heart a whole list of numbers from endless tests. Beyond that, symptoms are more useful.
What's a lot more useful to garner from the allopaths' work with patients is information about the medications they're taking and what they're taking them for (i.e., what symptoms are the medications suppressing) -- also what symptoms have started since the medications began. Allopathic diagnoses (in addition to prescriptions) can likewise furnish a useful basis for inquiring about symptoms that can be useful homeopathically.
Rosemary
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Pathology Tests(was Ramakrishnan's...)
Hi, Rhonda --
Sorry for the delayed reply, but I just returned from a two-week intensive clinical seminar at the Government Homeopathic Hospital in Kerala, India. It was a wonderful, exhausting experience, and it confirmed for me that our education in homeopathy, at least in the U.S., is sorely lacking, particularly when it comes to clinical and case management issues.
No, theoretically we do not need to know how to read lab test results because we do not "diagnose." But this knowledge sure is handy when it comes to monitoring a patient's response to remedies! Values like cancer markers and PSAs may be all over the place, but they tend to stabilize with time (and a successful Rx), and knowing how to interpret these and other blood tests can be helpful in reassuring patients.
In Kerala, we spent one morning learning how to interpret X-rays, which was fascinating. It's great to be able to differentiate between damage from TB and damage from emphysema -- and it's especially grand to be able to confirm a patient's progress through changes to the X-ray.
We take anatomy, physiology, and pathology courses to understand various disease processes, yet they tend to seem abstract (at least to me) until I can see them reflected in a particular patient -- and that patient's lab tests. I'd like to see a more clinical and less abstract approach to pathology in our homeopathic education.
Peace,
Cinnabar
Sorry for the delayed reply, but I just returned from a two-week intensive clinical seminar at the Government Homeopathic Hospital in Kerala, India. It was a wonderful, exhausting experience, and it confirmed for me that our education in homeopathy, at least in the U.S., is sorely lacking, particularly when it comes to clinical and case management issues.
No, theoretically we do not need to know how to read lab test results because we do not "diagnose." But this knowledge sure is handy when it comes to monitoring a patient's response to remedies! Values like cancer markers and PSAs may be all over the place, but they tend to stabilize with time (and a successful Rx), and knowing how to interpret these and other blood tests can be helpful in reassuring patients.
In Kerala, we spent one morning learning how to interpret X-rays, which was fascinating. It's great to be able to differentiate between damage from TB and damage from emphysema -- and it's especially grand to be able to confirm a patient's progress through changes to the X-ray.
We take anatomy, physiology, and pathology courses to understand various disease processes, yet they tend to seem abstract (at least to me) until I can see them reflected in a particular patient -- and that patient's lab tests. I'd like to see a more clinical and less abstract approach to pathology in our homeopathic education.
Peace,
Cinnabar
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Shannon Nelson
- Posts: 8848
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 10:00 pm
Re: Pathology Tests(was Ramakrishnan's...)
Hi Cinnabar,
That sounds terrific!
If you get inspired to write up some of what you learned, I know you'd find
an eager audience here!!!
Shannon
on 9/2/03 11:35 AM, DMH at igan@gis.net wrote:
That sounds terrific!
If you get inspired to write up some of what you learned, I know you'd find
an eager audience here!!!
Shannon
on 9/2/03 11:35 AM, DMH at igan@gis.net wrote:
Re: Pathology Tests(was Ramakrishnan's...)
Hi, Shannon --
It was terrific, and I'd love to write up what I learned -- once my gray matter stops behaving like molasses in winter. Thirty-five hours in transit from India is not kind to the body or the mind!
Peace,
Cinnabar
It was terrific, and I'd love to write up what I learned -- once my gray matter stops behaving like molasses in winter. Thirty-five hours in transit from India is not kind to the body or the mind!
Peace,
Cinnabar