It’s Only NaturalChapter X
Natural Therapy Of Gynecological Problems
While not personally a zealot for the Women's Liberation Movement, I do think that men have taken advantage of the fair sex in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. Women's bodies for years have been fair play for almost every kind of surgery the fertile mind of man could invent.
The professor who taught me natural gynecological methods used to say, "As soon as an ovary becomes inflamed, the physician is all too eager to remove it. But, on the other hand, I have seen many men with very severely swollen and inflamed testicles, but I have never seen one of them cut off yet." Apparently it bothers these physicians very little that they may produce psychological and physiologic traumatic effects on their patients that are all too often completely unnecessary.
Dr. Ralph Wiser, who specialized in gynecology by natural methods, used to say, "Cutting into a woman's sexual organs is like cutting into her brain." What he meant, of course, is that the emotional nature of a woman is so integrally entwined with her sexual structures that one must assume that any surgery on these organs may have far-reaching and unforeseen effects. This doesn't mean that surgery should never be performed on these organs, but if it is to be performed, one should be sure that it is the only answer. Many natural nonsurgical methods of treating disorders of female organs are available to be tried first.
If surgery is a necessity, its extent should be limited. Often, it is necessary only to remove the uterus or just one ovary. Some surgeons are all too inclined to remove far more than the patient desires or is necessary. At our Centers we have come across many case histories of patients subjected to complete hysterectomies for simple uterine fibroids without any substantial justification other than the surgeon's whim. I have known cases in which such women were subsequently placed in mental institutions for lengthy periods because of the traumatic shock induced by such surgery. We have seen others who have previously been healthy develop a variety of physical conditions that specialists certified were, in there opinion, caused by premature removal of the female organs.
Surgery is not necessary for many of the female disorders for which it is now used. Many of these disorders can be treated successfully by the use of drugless therapeutics, especially if seen at an early stage. The causes of female problems are generally simple; if proper precautions are taken or treatments given in time, rarely will a hysterectomy be necessary.Menstrual Difficulties
Most female problems are directly related to the patient's function as a woman. The first problems encountered usually occur with the beginning of a girls menstrual cycle. While such a cycle is uneventful in many women, as it should be, some women have great discomfort. Most of these women can be helped readily by natural methods. If no structural abnormalities are present, which must be checked for, most of these difficulties are due either to an imbalance in hormones or abnormal enervation.
Our usual treatment, which has proven most effective, is to place these women on a supplement of raw wheat oil extract, relieve nerve tension in the pelvic area by chiropractic adjustment and correct imbalances by the use of electromagnetic energy (Magnatherm). We have found only certain wheat germ oils to be effective. It isn't the vitamin E content of these oils that is helpful, but rather some undiscovered compound(s) that must be present in the natural product. This oil is processed below body temperature to preserve such activity; oil not so produced doesn't seem to be effective.
At times we also use oil-soluble chlorophyll pearls. These seem to function similarly to wheat-germ oil. Although either oil is sufficient for most, an occasional patient requires both types.
Chiropractic adjustments that correct lesions in the lumbar and sacral spinal areas are usually necessary and are a routine part of our therapy for this condition. Many of these young women have pelvic torsion or sacroiliac syndrome (See Chapter III). When this is corrected, the menstrual periods improve greatly.
Our patients also receive specific electromagnetic regeneration treatments of the gland structures involved.
Prenatal Care
The next most important group of disorders that usually affect young women are those connected with childbirth. There is no other condition in which natural therapy has been more discussed than that of childbirth, and in our profession, we find this very interesting and heartening. Little credit, however, has ever been given to the natural healers who have developed and practiced this art long before Dr. Ralph Read or any of the other latecomers had even considered such methods. Long before thalidomide or any of the other drugs that were found to cause congenital defects, we admonished our patients to refrain from medications and X rays during pregnancy. Because there are many excellent books about childbirth, I mention here only a few special factors that I have not seen before in general circulation and that I believe are helpful for mothers-to-be.
We give our pregnant patients a mixture we call "Mother's Cordial," which is a combination of various herbs noted for their salutary effect before, during, and after delivery. This mixture consists of two parts Mitchella Repens (partridgeberry), one part Viburnum opulus, one part Leonurus Cardiaca (motherwort) and half part of Hydrastis Canadensis (goldenseal). To this formula may be added other herbs that the individual patient may need. This remedy should be continued through lactation to assure a good supply of breast milk.
Besides the foregoing, Dr. Swinburne Clymer always recommended an adequate supply of iodine during pregnancy, and for some patients suggested the use of thyroid substance. He held that many cases of mental retardation were caused by subclinical under activity of the mother's thyroid gland during pregnancy.
We also prescribe a good natural vitamin-mineral formula designed especially for the mother-to be. If you want the best ask your physician at our Centers. Remember, we are the ones who specialize in good nutrition and it is our job to know the best of all supplements for each specific condition. Wheat germ oil pearls are given for their normalizing action on the hormonal production. It is also important to make certain that the mother-to-be had sufficient folic acid in order to assure proper neural tube closing. Here again we have always insisted on the use of this nutrient while the FDA specifically restricted its use in supplements to prevent it from masking the pernicious anemia. One cannot help but wonder if by such action they did not cause a great deal more pain and suffering than they prevented. Such is the nature of things when men presume to control the lives of others.
One of the most common discomforts of pregnancy is the low backache. Most patients are told by their doctors that this is just an expected part of their pregnancy and nothing can be done for it. We find that most of these backaches respond very readily to mild chiropractic adjustments of the pelvis and lower spine. The type of adjustment used doesn't require the patient to lie on her stomach and no pressure is put on the abdomen or fetus. Such treatments can be used up to the time of delivery. (See chapter III)
At Woodlands Medical Center we are now building a maternity live-in section where those who desire natural childbirth will have all the advantages available in a home delivery plus equipment on hand to take care of unforeseen medical difficulties.Natural Treatment of Problems Arising From Childbirth
After delivery, several difficulties can develop that if corrected in time are of little consequence, but if left uncorrected can sow the seeds of much future discontent. The disorders that occur most frequently are vaginal constriction, cervical erosion, misplacement of the uterus and ovaries (usually due to a lack of tone in the broad ligament and other associated structures), and boggy uterus.
Episiotomy and Vaginal Constriction
During most first deliveries, some form of cutting and repair (episiotomy) is required. Although such surgery theoretically shouldn't be necessary in a woman who is properly prepared for childbirth and who has conscientious care during delivery nevertheless such a minor operation is invariably essential. I think this procedure is necessary because we have deviated so far from the natural ways of living that the tissues of most women are insufficiently elastic to enable the first birth to occur without some form of surgical relief. Such an operation isn't required in all cases, however, and the conscientious physician truly skilled in his craft will wait until the child's head fully crowns, or seats itself in the perineum, ready for delivery, before he makes his decision to cut. As the head moves slowly forward distending the vaginal opening, he can watch carefully for signs of strain on the tissues between this opening and the anus because this is where tearing generally occurs. If the physician sees that the head can't pass through without tearing these tissues, he can make a simple clean cut of just sufficient size to enable the head to emerge without further injury to the mother. If the episiotomy is done in this manner, it is always beneficial because here it is used only as an alternative to tearing and a ragged, torn perineum is much more difficult to repair and heal than a clean, smooth-edged incision. If this procedure is properly followed, it will be found that there are those, even with their first child, who do have sufficient elasticity to deliver without perineal injury. These can then be allowed to deliver without the necessity of surgical intervention .
When episiotomy is necessary, the suturing must be carefully done if future difficulties for the mother are to be avoided. Dr. Wiser used to teach that a few separate sutures, not too tightly sewn, was the best possible form of episiotomy repair. Although such a procedure doesn't look particularly neat at the time, it does provide for ample drainage during the healing process and allows for the normal swelling and contraction that take place when such a wound heals. If the incision is sewn tightly to begin with, by the time the wound is healed the opening will be more constricted than normal and later intercourse will be painful.
The all too common form of episiotomy repair used by many obstetricians is what is known as a continuous, or basket, stitch. This produces a neat, professional looking wound closure that unfortunately can be painful during the healing process, because it doesn't provide for tissue expansion. Even more important, however, is that once healing is completed, the wife and husband often find that the scarring has left her with a vaginal opening that is smaller than before and very sensitive to distention. If this contracture is slight, dilation will occur with normal intercourse. In time, the vaginal opening will resume its normal size and sensitivity. Unfortunately, not all patients are so lucky and we find many women so repaired who continue to have severe vaginal constriction pain on intercourse for long periods after the original delivery. Probably because of residual Victorian attitudes, these women rarely seek medical advice for their problem or discuss the difficulty with their husbands. They simply suffer and, because intercourse is painful, they usually find excuses to keep sexual activity to a minimum. Their husbands, not understanding the true cause of their difficulty, may assume that they are merely growing cold. Thus are sewn the seeds of much marital discord.
In some instances, with subsequent children, the condition may be corrected by a more understanding and knowledgeable obstetrician. Unfortunately, once nerve reflexes are produced that relate sexual intercourse to pain, they are difficult to eliminate, even though the original cause is corrected. If a woman has gone through several years of unpleasant sexual experiences, she will begin to relate the unpleasantness with intercourse itself, not with the poor technique of her obstetrician. When we correct these physical contractures at our Centers, we generally must do a considerable amount of emotional and psychological retraining before these women can once again become truly loving, sensual creatures.
Although the mishandled episiotomy is one of the most common causes of vaginal constriction, it isn't the only one. This problem is also found in widows who may remarry after some years without sexual relations. When the vaginal tract of the middle-aged woman is not used for sexual relations, the tissues surrounding the outer opening will often gradually contract. This constriction may become so severe that it is not possible to insert more than an index finger without causing severe pain. If such women remarry, intercourse is practically impossible until corrective measures are taken.
This problem may occasionally develop in married women where sexual intercourse must be suspended for a time because of an illness of either party, or perhaps because of a job that keeps the husband away from home for long periods. Still other cases seem to occur simply because of advancing age. When some women reach late middle life, their tissues surrounding the vaginal opening undergo a natural progressive constriction. As this process continues, intercourse becomes gradually more and more distressing. These women also tend to find increasing excuses for not having intercourse. Few seek medical advice; most are content to let their husbands assume they are growing cold or old and in time intercourse between them becomes only a memory. If the husband is still sexually vigorous, he may seek other women. The woman often tends to become neurotic-going from one doctor to another with a variety of conditions that resist even the most competent care.
It may seem that I am overstating the consequences of such a seemingly simple difficulty. The difficulty is definitely simple, but the consequences can be far greater than I have intimated. I know of women who have committed suicide because of this condition. The far-reaching consequences it can produce when not corrected are due to the ignorance of both women and physicians regarding the true nature of the woman's emotional system and of its interrelation with her sexual structures. Any problem that affects the proper functioning of a woman's reproductive or sexual nature is serious. No one can truly foretell its complete consequences. Therefore, we believe it absolutely necessary that every possible attempt be made to remove and correct any problem or difficulty that might affect the proper functioning of a woman's reproduction or sexual apparatus.
Treatment
The treatment of such vaginal constrictions is simple, but it may be accomplished with a high degree of art and care by one who knows all the factors. In our Centers, treatment consists of gentle manual dilation of these tissues at weekly or biweekly intervals, depending on the nature and severity of the condition. In this method, the physician simply inserts the first two fingers of a well-lubricated gloved hand into the vaginal opening. If scar tissue is present, as after episiotomy repair, this must be done with exquisite care at first; with persistence, even the most resistant case can soon be corrected and the woman may once again resume her normal role in marriage.
Where the condition, particularly in the middle-aged woman, has been a problem for some time, gentle but definite reassurance about the value of her true role as a woman and the possibility of reawakening her somewhat dulled sexual sensitivities must be effected. If the physician is willing to accept the role, he may become a true psychological evangelist. These women often believe the once-pleasurable aspects of sexual intercourse have passed them by and that they must content themselves with only the more mundane activities of life. While the doctor removes the physical obstructions, he must also work hard to remove these emotional and psychological obstructions. If he doesn't, he is not truly performing his task as a healer.
You women readers should never allow any physical discomfort to rob you of the pleasures of your sexual and loving nature. If there are problems, seek professional attention.
Cervical Erosion
The mouth of the womb (cervix) is one of the areas most commonly subject to pathologic conditions in a woman. Next to the breast, it is the most common sight of sex organ cancer and it is from this area that we take our samples for the well known Pap (Papanicolaou) test. The cervix is an interesting structure, in that while it may be susceptible to many pathologic conditions, it has no real amount of sensory or pain nerve endings. Therefore, very little direct pain is experienced from cervical diseases and many cervical conditions may go unnoticed and untreated for years.
The lack of sensitive nerve endings in this area is essential to the conduction of normal childbirth. It is necessary for the cervix to stretch many times its normal size during delivery. If it contained many sensory nerve endings, such dilation would produce unendurable pain. Although such a lack of nerve fibers is a physiologic necessity, it makes it imperative for a woman to be examined in this area at least once a year during her childbearing years and at least every other year thereafter. Cervical disease does not give the warning symptoms that diseases of other areas do.
The portion of the cervix visible through the physician's vaginal speculum is covered by tissue that is inherently resistant to vaginal secretions and to substances introduced by the penis. Within the os (the part of the cervix from its opening to its entrance into the uterus) is a different type of tissue, which isn't generally subjected to such substances and which has no natural defenses against them. During delivery, the cervix must dilate from a diameter of a couple of millimeters to the normal head size of a hundred millimeters or more. Shortly after the passage of the child, the cervix must again return to its shape and condition before this dilation. Often in this process, small portions of the inner tissue of the os are left exposed and are subject to the various effects of the environment of the vaginal canal. These tissues, bereft of natural defenses, tend to break down and form a type of lesion (sore) known as cervical erosion. Cervical erosions can range all the way from a small amount of tissue that remains slightly inflamed but without other apparent abnormalities, to a state in which bacterial invasion may occur, cystic formation follow and the entire cervical area become an angry pathologic problem. Although cervical erosion can occur at almost any age, it is most common during the childbearing years. It is the obstetrician's duty to detect such a problem at the six weeks check-up and to correct it so that it doesn't progress from the uncomplicated form to the more severe variety.
Although the cervix doesn't have pain nerve endings as such, it does have nerves that can cause reflex patterns, which may cause backache, vague abdominal aches and even such unrelated problems as headaches and nervous tension.
The milder forms of cervical erosion are often ignored by the gynecologist. When they become severe, he often performs a procedure known as cautery, in which an instrument is inserted into the cervical erosion area and the offending tissue is burnt off. This treatment usually causes a discharge, a certain amount of discomfort and even more important, a definite degree of scar formation (cicatrix). This scar formation can make dilation of the cervix more difficult in future deliveries. If the woman doesn't plan to have more children, cautery might be more rationally considered as a form of therapy. However, I have found in these patients that the resultant scarring can often so constrict the normal cervical opening that future menstruation is made difficult and painful. Most erosions can be treated best by natural methods without such searing, so these difficulties following cautery don't have to be accepted.
The milder forms of cervical erosion are usually left untreated by the thoughtful gynecologist. His reasoning is honest, though not entirely practical. He is all too familiar with the possible consequences of cautery and he may reason that mild cervical erosion is probably less problematic than the scarring effects resulting from the surgical method. The only difficulty is that a small cervical erosion left untreated usually progresses to a state in which some form of treatment is necessary and the physician is thus brought to use cautery whether he wishes to or not.
In treating these patients by natural therapy, we can institute treatment on even the simplest forms of erosion and cure them rapidly so they don't progress to the more severe types. There are also natural methods of treating the most severe of these cervical erosions without the use of cautery and its resulting cicatrix (scarring).
Cervical Erosion Treatment
For our treatment to be successful, we must take into consideration the basic physiology of the area. The vagina is normally slightly acid, and this acidity helps protect this area from the invasion of pathologic organisms. In the normal vagina, an organism called the Doederlein bacillus is found. This is a lactic-acid-producing bacillus whose end products produce the necessary acidity to keep the vaginal tract clean and normal. If as often happens after delivery, small portions of the cervical os remain exposed to vaginal secretions, these tissues won't become pathologic as long as the vaginal secretions are normal. Under such normal conditions the tissues change to a more resistive type of tissue similar to that normally found on the exposed portion of the cervix. Generally, only when the cervical secretions are abnormal and parasitic organisms inhabit the vagina does distressing cervical erosion occur. It is thus imperative that the gynecologist using natural therapy make every effort to keep the vaginal secretions normal during the first three to six months after delivery. If this is done and the cervix is carefully watched during this period, it should return to a near-normal state, thus avoiding the ravages of cervical erosion.
The most physiologic method to accomplish this end is the daily douche with a dilute lactic acid solution, followed by the insertion of a lactic acid yeast tablet. The douche, which helps to eliminate all organisms that are unable to live in its acid medium, leaves the physiologic lactic acid as a residue rather than the unnatural acetic acid left by the commonly suggested vinegar douches. The lactic acid yeast tablet provides an ideal growth medium for the normal Doederlein bacillus. When a properly growing Doederlein bacillus culture is established, it will eliminate all foreign organisms, producing the acid pH needed for the natural restoration of the cervix.
When the erosion has advanced beyond the simple stage, the treatment just mentioned is usually not sufficient for complete healing. It is usually necessary that the inflamed and diseased tissue first be removed and then the physiologic treatment be instituted to complete the cure. Although this morbid tissue can be removed by cautery, I think the scarring inherent in this method is too great a price to pay when less damaging and superior methods are available. We use a variety of herbal packs with mild astringent and escharotic properties that first draw out the inflammation and then encourage a proliferation of healing granulation tissue. This is accomplished over a period of several treatments and in such a way that scar tissue formation is not stimulated. When the treatment with these packs is finished, the cervix should look completely normal, with its normal elasticity entirely intact. When properly used, these packs often produce in a middle aged woman a cervix that looks as if it belongs to a much younger woman. Once the treatment with the packs is completed, an occasional lactic-acid douche and bi-yearly check-ups are recommended to be sure that nothing causes a recurrence of the difficulty .
I also must mention that a common complication of this difficulty comes from the use of the “pill.” Oral contraceptives often cause an imbalance, breaking down the normal tissues in the cervix. This not only causes a certain form of cervical erosion, but also often causes a cystic degeneration of the cervix. We have yet to discover an satisfactory cure unless the contraceptive pill is discontinued. When the pill is discontinued and a nonchemical form of birth control is used, these patients respond rapidly to herbal pack therapy.
Displacements of the Uterus and Ovary
A considerable number of female disorders begin because of malpositions of the uterus and ovaries. These malpositions are usually caused by an incomplete reinstatement of these structures after childbirth. During fetal growth the uterus must enlarge many times and the ovaries are pulled from their normal position by the growth and extension of the related structures. The broad ligaments that connect the uterus and ovaries are much stretched during pregnancy. After delivery, these organs must return to their pre-delivery positions for the normal function of the female sexual and regenerative system. Often, these organs don't completely return to these positions and one or the other of the organs becomes malaligned, causing considerable distress in the future.
The most common problems encountered are those caused by a weakness in the ligaments that control the position of the uterus and ovaries. A forward-bending (anteroflexed) uterus or a backward-bending (retroflexed) uterus is the most common result of these weakened ligaments. Such abnormal positions put unusual stresses on the pelvic structures and can cause a variety of symptoms. The most common of these are backache, bearing down pains, vague aches and discomforts in the lower abdomen, headaches and exhaustion and tiredness after standing for some time.
Some gynecologists believe that it is possible for malposition disorders to cause congestion in the organs and lack of proper nerve conductivity and blood flow so that conditions such as menstrual pain, hormonal irregularities, certain types of cystic involvement, fibroid tumors and even cancer could be produced.
Many operations are done to correct problems that might have been prevented had uterine and ovarian malpositions been taken care of when they occurred. I find there are few mothers who don't have some sort of pelvic malalignment due to childbirth, which, if corrected early, should definitely decrease the flood of hysterectomies.
The most important factor in treatment is the physical replacement (through manipulation) of the malaligned organ. Owing to the stretched and weakened ligaments, it may be necessary that this replacement and corrective tone-building treatments be given several times before the organ will retain its proper position. However, Dr. Wiser, one of the first men to work in this rewarding field, said that in more than 40 years of practice he never had seen an organ that couldn't eventually be corrected. The measures used in treating these conditions are akin to an older therapy known as bloodless surgery, in that the various organs are nudged and coaxed into proper alignment while adhesions are stretched and blood and nerve supply freed so that they might again initiate proper activity to these organs.
Because muscle tone is generally low in these cases, the patient is encouraged to eat as many natural foods as possible, supplemented by nutritional additives to increase the tone of the normal supporting structures attendant to these organs.
After the manipulative therapy has begun to have effect, specific exercises are prescribed to aid directly in promoting the good results of the office treatment.
One of the happiest and most satisfying experiences our practice offers comes when we can assure a woman that a suggested operation on her sexual organs is not necessary and that our constructive manipulative method of treating these conditions will help her. Such work may sound somewhat dull, but it is deeply rewarding. It not only helps prevent unnecessary surgery, but it also helps sustain a woman's belief in herself and preserve her being as a woman. No matter what philosophic words we use to console her or what masculine scientific rationale we preach, no woman divested of her "female" organs can help but feel less than that which God created.
The Boggy Uterus
After childbirth, the uterus may not return to its normal compact shape and size, remaining large and soft-the boggy uterus. This condition is usually accompanied by a retroflexed or anteroflexed uterus, perhaps because the size and weight of the uterus are such that, even with normal ligamentous tone, it can't be held in its normal position.
Treatment of the boggy uterus is similar to that of uterine and ovarian misplacement-that is, general pelvic manipulative therapy, toning exercises and nutritional and supplemental therapy. To these, other natural methods such as electromagnetic-wave energy and sine-wave therapy may be added to aid in strengthening the general muscle tone of the area. In addition the various herbs give good results in these cases. Viburnum, Mitchella, and Leonurus as used in the "Mother's Cordial" often are of great value in the boggy uterus. In fact, where these herbs are used during pregnancy and for at least three months afterwards the boggy uterus is rarely found.The Middle Years and MenopauseIf a woman passes through childbirth with her female organs functioning properly, there is usually little to concern her until she nears menopause. However, the fibroid tumor, the ovarian cyst and cancer may occur at almost any time.
The Fibroid Tumor
The fibroid tumor is a hard, benign (noncancerous) tumor that generally occurs in the uterine wall. It usually has no toxic effects on the body and causes problems only if it grows large enough to physically encroach on vital structures. If such tumors are present in the uterus as the woman approaches menopause, they may produce abnormal menstrual bleeding. At times this bleeding can be controlled only by removing the uterus. Luckily, in many cases, much less extreme measures are satisfactory. The cause of fibroid tumors remain unproven though there are many theories. Researchers in the natural field believe they may be due to certain trace mineral deficiencies. The specific trace minerals involved, however, have not been adequately verified. The ovarian hormones must play some part in their formation because as a woman goes through menopause, the fibroids present frequently retrogress and atrophy along with the normal shrinking of the uterus.
We usually follow a conservative treatment of fibroid tumors at both our Centers. Many patients-especially when the tumors are in the early stages or are small-respond well to the use of certain homeopathic medications and trace mineral supplementation. Because the effects of specific trace minerals are not well understood, we use a supplementation containing a broad spectrum of trace minerals. The supplementation, combined with manipulative therapy (both chiropractic and the internal manipulation of the female organs) and the use of electromagnetic energy, has proven very satisfactory in many patients.
If the patient is nearing menopause and the tumors are small and not causing abnormal bleeding, usually no treatment is given unless the patient requests it. In these instances, the tumors usually retrogress with menopause and no external therapy is necessary. If the tumors cause bleeding, our regular therapy is instituted and specific measures are taken to control the bleeding. To accomplish this, we use Geranium (the herb); supplements such as ionizable calcium; chlorophyll pearls for its vitamin K activity; and protein supplementation usually in the form of unflavored gelatin. This combined therapy is effective in most patients. In the few in whom the bleeding can't be controlled or in those in whom the tumor is so large that the vital organs are detrimentally affected, we usually suggest that the patient undergo surgery for removal. When surgery is necessary, we try to arrange it with a surgeon who will remove only the fibroids involved, leaving as much of the uterus and cervical structures as possible. If the whole uterus must go, we make sure that the ovaries are not removed unless so affected by disease that their presence would endanger the future welfare patient.
Regarding surgery for fibroid tumors, time and again we hear of a surgeon who removes healthy ovaries during the fibroid operation simply because the woman wanted no more children or he believes that the ovaries might later become diseased. Such action should be cause for criminal prosecution of the surgeon; I believe that if a few of these surgeons were prosecuted, this despicable practice would soon stop.
Ovarian Cysts
Ovarian cysts are of many types. Some are innocuous-only sacs filled with sterile fluid, which often break by themselves and are self-curing. Some can be dangerous. The normal medical procedure is surgical removal. We find that many cysts respond to constructive internal manipulative therapy. Once the circulation is promoted and the congestion removed, the cyst is often reduced and even disappears entirely. This can't be assured in every patient however and we send some of our severe cyst cases for surgical removal. Here, as with the fibroid tumor, however, we are very conservative with ovarian tissue and we insist that the surgeon remove only the tissues that are definitely abnormal and beyond the help of our general reparative methods. Here, as with fibroids, we seldom find indications for the complete removal of the ovaries. I can't remember a case of our own in which complete removal of both ovaries was necessary because of cystic involvement. Most surgeons are not particularly happy when we insist on these restrictions. However, those that have worked with us for some time find that our patients recover much more rapidly than most of their patients and have many fewer complaints after surgery. Some of these surgeons have even made our requirements part of their own general procedure. I only hope that in time all gynecological surgery can be so influenced.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer can usually be detected by using the Pap (Papanicolaou) smear. The smear is a harmless and simple method that can be used to find cancer in an early state, when correction is usually successful. We recommend that our patients get a Pap smear at least once a year and if there is any problem, more frequently. If definite trouble is found, we usually recommend removal of the uterus, for although many natural therapies can be used, there is none that is absolutely 100 per cent certain. The safest method known is removal of the uterus. However, when the results of the Pap test are suspect but not obviously positive for cancer, we use various natural methods to build up the resistance of the tissues to overcome the precancerous condition. According to subsequent smears, we are successful in many cases. We are careful not to fall back on past laurels, however, and these patients are constantly checked to ensure that such improvement is truly permanent. If the state of the cervix ever becomes what we consider dangerous, we insist on surgery.
Breast Cancer
The most common site of cancer in women is the breast. Because the female breast is such an integral part of femininity and its removal such an obvious blow to this femininity, breast cancer produces greater fear in most woman than almost any other cancer. This fear is not unfounded because breast cancer has a very high incidence. In fact, some physicians have even suggested that the woman whose mother or other close female relatives have had breast cancer should have their breasts removed in their youth to prevent the possibility of development. I don't advocate this and consider it an extreme form of therapy. However, the mere fact that it could be suggested gives us some insight into the prevalence of this disorder.
As common as breast cancer is, no one has adequately explained why this organ should be so affected. My naturopathic training teaches me to examine any abnormal condition that may be present in the breasts that may stimulate the development of this disease. For surely God in all his wisdom did not mean to plant in this organ-one of the most beautiful forms of his handiwork-the seeds of its own self-destruction. Surely, something we have done causes our women this grave problem.
Many of the substances we take into our bodies today may be carcinogenic (cancer-forming). One factor, however, might alone have affected the breast-the changeover from almost universal breast-feeding to almost universal bottle-feeding. Through propaganda from physicians and the milk companies, women were told that it was indelicate to put a baby to their breast. Therefore, the breast that usually produced milk after delivery was unceremoniously forced to cease its production, usually by means of hormone therapy given the mothers. Isn't it possible that when we don't allow an organ to fulfill its purpose, we create abnormalities that may plague us later? I haven't seen statistics on breast cancer related to breast feeding or non-breast-feeding, or to the use of the hormones for drying up the milk. Such statistics probably don't exist; thus I can't substantiate this argument. I just suggest at this time that this is a possibility. Happily, this trend is now being reversed, with increasingly more women being encouraged by orthodox physicians to once again nurse their offspring.
The diagnosis of breast cancer has often proven a fertile ground for the greed of certain physicians. I am appalled at the authoritarian approach of many surgeons, who upon discovering any palpable abnormality in the female breast insist that it promptly be removed for examination. The character of breast cancer is relatively distinct from the ordinary lymphatic swellings and cystic disorders common to the female breast. Any physician can easily and convincingly differentiate a mild lymphatic enlargement from a cancerous growth in the breast, without creating the fear produced by surgical biopsy. Most physicians on the West Coast, where I practiced for thirteen years, were very practical and constructive in their breast examinations; they requested a biopsy only when there was doubt about the nature of a breast abnormality. In eastern Pennsylvania, where I have practiced for the last twenty-seven years, I find physicians much more eager to slash into this lovely piece of feminine anatomy.
Fortunately in the last few years, two new methods of diagnosis have been perfected that should greatly aid in preventing unnecessary surgery. Mammography (now Xerox mammography) is a new method of breast X-ray that enables the physician to rapidly distinguish between most benign enlargements and true breast cancer.
The other new diagnostic measure is thermography, using a heat-detecting electronic instrument (thermograph) that records changes in tissue temperature and displays them on a television tube. These pictures can be photographed by a camera (usually Polaroid) and a permanent record kept of the woman's breast skin temperatures. If a mammary carcinoma is present, a change in the skin temperatures will show up on the thermograph reading. These new methods of diagnosis make it possible to decide accurately whether the lump in the breast is a cancer without surgery. (This method was gaining popularity in 1975 when the first edition of this work was published but we have heard little of it lately. I feel that this is a pity since it was effective and without the possible damage of X-Ray.)
Once breast cancer is diagnosed, the physician must decide whether radical or sub-radical removal is best. There is much controversy on this point. Many recent reports show that if the lymph nodes are removed-especially the ones under the arm- the body's defense mechanism for stopping any further cancer growth is reduced. If any cancer cells are left after surgery, they thus can spread rapidly because one of the body's main lines of defense against such cancer activity has been removed. Recent reports again validate the evidence that simple lumpectomy (just removing the cancerous lump) is just as successful as removing the entire breast in most instances. So the argument rages on. Whatever the outcome, it is at least good to know that some physicians are challenging orthodox concepts.
If the tumor is detected early, breast cancer can be successfully treated surgically. The rate of recovery in these cases is high, certainly far better than any of the other internal cancers.
Many cancers are detected too late for surgery, either from ignorance on the part of the patient or from fear of breast removal. In the past, we recommended surgery for some of these patients in the hope that a chance of success still was possible. They all died miserable deaths. On the other hand, those who did not undergo surgery but were treated by natural means are still alive and comfortable, some as long as eight to twelve years after we first started therapy. I don't want to indicate that we have a specific treatment for breast cancers. I only want to state that some breast cancers, if not treated by surgical means, are often very slow in their growth and the patient can often live a considerable time before succumbing to the disease. On the other hand, most breast cancer patients that are operated on unsuccessfully usually don't survive longer than a year.
This knowledge has made me very cautious in advising a woman in whom we suspect breast cancer. The problem facing us is this: If the patient is operated on, there is some chance that she may be cured. There is also a chance, even if the operation is seemingly successful, that she will die in six months to a year. If the patient is not operated on, she may survive several years, but with the possibility of gradual increasing distress from the breast cancer. There is always the hope, however, that medical science or our own natural therapists will discover a method other than surgery of correcting and controlling the cancer.
I carefully weigh my words in speaking to these patients but I must be honest in telling them what chances I believe they have with such surgery. I generally never advise any form of therapy to my breast cancer patients, but I believe it is my duty as an honest physician to tell them the truth as I see it. I make every attempt to explain as clearly as possible the percentages of success with the various treatments, enabling the patient and her family to make the choice.
In recent years I am beginning to place all breast cancer patients into one of two simple categories. Those whose cancer is systemic and those whose cancer is not systemic. If it is systemic, surgery will have little to offer except a small hiatus period before it returns with a vengeance to metastasize all over the body. If it is not systemic it has little tendency to metastasize and surgery is almost always successful. In these latter patients the growth of the tumor is such that even not removing the growth may have little adverse effect on the life span or life quality of the patient. In the patient with systemic cancer, as mentioned above, they may well live a longer and more contented life if the tumor were left undisturbed.
If my conclusions are correct (obviously they are not shared by the vast majority of the medical professions) then we would do well to develop tests to determine just which of the types of cancer a woman has. Let pray that such will be forthcoming.
Noncancerous Breast Diseases
Fortunately, most lumps in the breast are not cancerous. The most common type of nodule is usually caused by an imbalance of female hormones or the ingestion of caffeine and caffeine like substances. This imbalance may often be readily corrected by the same procedures suggested for the treatment of menstrual difficulties-the use of the raw, unrefined wheat-germ oil; oil-soluble chlorophyll; and manipulative therapy of the thoracic and pelvic structures. To this general therapy, I usually add specific homeopathic remedies indicated in the specific case and some of the herbal remedies such as Mitchella or Caulophyllum. Occasionally, the specific hormones involved are given, but generally I find them very difficult to use, more satisfactory results usually being obtained by using the nutritional substances.
Lymphatic congestion of the breast is also a common cause of lumps. For treating this condition, we institute general measures to encourage a normal flow of the lymphatic fluid. This, along with specific lymphatic DNA substance and the homeopathic remedy Conium, is often successful in controlling these Iymphatic enlargements.
The chronic cystic breast is very difficult to treat. The best therapy is to do all one can to improve the general health of the patient, then using the selected herbs and homeopathic remedies to make the specific changes desired in each patient. Although patients usually can be helped, no single definitive treatment is successful for all of them.
Recently, many physicians are convinced that caffeine in any form can cause or at least aggravate cystic breasts. Therefore, it is imperative to avoid anything containing caffeine if the treatment of this condition.
We are also using the Low Level Laser on this condition. At the time this is being written the results are still inconclusive.
Breast Size
Next to cancer, the greatest concern women have about the breast is its size. Although I have occasionally been asked if I can reduce an oversized breast, the usual request is for a natural therapy to enlarge the breast. I wish I could hold out a great deal of hope, but I know of no natural form of therapy consistently useful in enlarging the breast.
Breast structure is usually determined by heredity and it generally isn't possible to change this by any natural form of therapy. On the other hand, the deflation of the breast that occurs after childbirth and nursing may be minimized by certain measures. A properly designed supporting bra during pregnancy and lactation can help retain good breast function and structure. A diet high in nutritive elements and supplemental additions where necessary helps improve the tone of the various muscles and ligaments connected with the breast. Exercises that include the arms and the chest improve the muscle and ligament tone, and thus provide more support for the breast.
Menopause
In addition to several conditions already described in this chapter that may occur at menopause, several problems are unique to this period.
To some, menopause is nothing but a name. They pass through it so easily and smoothly that they can't understand the concern of most women approaching this time. Fifteen per cent of women pass through this period without any recognizable difficulties. Thus, to eighty-five per cent of women, menopause can be characterized by anything from mild inconvenience to an almost hellish torment. Much of her difficulty during this period depends on a woman's own attitude and on the type of medical advice and care she receives.
Menopause begins anywhere from the mid-30s to the early 50s and beyond. It can last anywhere from a few weeks to many years. Most of its effects are due to the irregular production of the female hormones. It is not the mere lack of female hormones that produces most of the distressing menopausal effects but their sporadic appearance. In the early stages of menopause, in which the estrogen levels vary from day to day, hormone therapy is recommended to even out these variations. We usually suggest the minimum dosage of natural conjugated estrogens (though of late we are beginning to use more sophisticated natural products for this purpose), which will control the symptoms. While, the most common symptom is hot flashes (irregular changes of body temperature), menopause is also characterized by many other symptoms, particularly those of an emotional nature. These generally aren't recognized by the woman herself and it is much easier to use her hot flashes as a guide in therapy than to use any of the other manifestations of menopause. In early menopause, a woman may have periods of several weeks, even months, when her hormone output is level. At this time, it isn't necessary for her to continue hormone therapy. However, we always make sure that a woman has hormones available if the hot flashes return.
Many women are afraid of hormone therapy because they have heard that it causes cancer; some physicians fear its use for the same reason. I believe when natural hormones are used such an attitude is overly protective. The body already produces, and has for many years produced, hormones identical to the ones we use. We only attempt to balance a production that has long been active. We don't put a foreign substance into the body. We only supplement the severely erratic hormone production that occurs at various times during early menopause. In forty years, I have yet to see cancer in any one of my patients-nor have I heard of it from any of my colleagues-that was related to natural hormones used in treating menopause. Until such evidence is forthcoming, we shall continue to give help to these women in the form of natural hormone therapy.
Besides hot flashes, menopause can cause many neurological symptoms. I've known women to go into extreme states of hysteria, and, true cases of psychosis may even occur at this time. Such cases are rare, however, and most untreated women become merely peevish and generally "bitchy," as they say themselves. Heart palpitations may occur, leading many women to imagine all kinds of diseases. Most of these symptoms disappear with a little considerate treatment, understanding and a rational use of hormone therapy. It is understandable that the busy physician may dislike taking time to talk to a woman going through menopause when he has other more serious cases to treat, but most of these women require only a small amount of time and understanding, if it is given early and factually. I personally enjoy talking to these patients and find them full of gratitude for all the care given them. Only rarely do I find them irrational or overly demanding once proper therapy is instituted.
One common mistake many physicians make in treating menopause is to attribute too many symptoms to it. Women often develop other conditions at this time and a symptom of uncertain source may not be related to menopause. At the Healing Research Center, we take great care in listening to and checking every complaint of our menopause patients. If we don't do this, many conditions may be overlooked, causing potentially serious problems.
The adrenal glands must take over much of the work previously done by the ovaries, which atrophy during menopause. If the adrenals are strong and healthy, few or no difficulties are encountered. If the integrity of the adrenal glands is only marginal, the patient may become hypoadrenal owing to the stress of menopause. These patients must be treated for hypoadrenalism (see Chapter II), as well as for menopause. Many of our patients previously under treatment by other physicians using hormone therapy for menopause without success have responded nicely when the adrenal was also treated.
Those women who, because of previous cancer or fears, can't or won't be treated with natural hormones can usually be treated successfully with specific nutritional and herbal support. More time is usually required, however, to obtain the proper combination than for those on hormonal treatment.
No woman should suffer physically, mentally or emotionally from menopause. With proper hormone therapy, natural foods and herbs, psychotherapy, and nerve-and muscle-relaxing methods (see Chapter XI), we can readily overcome the difficulties involved in menopause. Properly managed, menopause can be as constructive a time in a woman's life as any other. If your present physician doesn't agree, keep searching until you find one willing to treat you in the manner you deserve.