The Journal of Integrative Medicine On-Line
The Institute of Preventive Medicine
The American Academy of Integrative Medicine
The American Academy of Preventive Medicine

A journal committed to the philosophy of medicine that requires physicians to offer their patients all that is safe and effective without any subservience to one or more schools of medical thought.

Next Scheduled Update May 24, 2006

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The Journal of Integrative Medicine Volume 1 Number 1

AA Oxidopathy

Improved Myocardial Perfusion

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Oxidative Regression to Primordial Cellular Ecology (ORPEC)

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Editorial: Under Darwin's Glow

Darwin, Fatigue, and Fibromyalgia

Darwin, Oxidosis, Dysoxygenosis, and Integration

Fibromyalgia: An Oxidative-Dysoxygenative Disorder (ODD)

ODD Trigger Points in Fibromyalgia: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Resolution

 Volume 7 Number 1
The Oxidative-Dysoxygenative Model of Aging.

The Cause of Fibromyalgia:
the respiratory -to-fermentative shift
(the DysOx State)
in ATP production.

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From Pathology to Preventive Medicine.
J Integrative Medicine 1997;1:146-149.

From Pathology to Preventive Medicine
Judy Juco, M.D.

    Recently, the editor of the Journal wondered out loud if I wanted to write an article for the first issue of the Journal, describing my transformation from a clinical pathologist practicing Western medicine to one practicing integrative medicine.

    I have been a practicing pathologist for 28 years now, a Diplomate in Clinical and Anatomic Pathology. I have performed hundreds of autopsies, examining and rendering diagnoses on thousands of organ and tissue samples. A clinical pathologist encounters a wide range of disease processes and is constantly interpreting the results of laboratory data.

    Majid Ali was known to me as the Director, Division of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratories at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey. I got to know him personally when I joined Clin-Path, Inc. initially as a pathologist and later as the medical director. Soon I was to develop a special personal interest in Dr. Ali's work on allergies and chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome.

    About a year before I left Clin-Path, Inc. I found myself struggling with the all-too-familiar stresses of modern life as I tried to combine the roles of competent physician, super mom, and perfect wife. Finally, my body began to rebel. I developed migraines so severe that I was rushed to the emergency room twice. I was in a constant state of exhaustion, with unrelenting muscle aches and joint pains. Eventually my muscles were so weak that I could stand up from my chair only by gripping the arm rests. Nevertheless, I pushed myself to continue working full time. All along I knew that I was manifesting the classic symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Even before I got sick, I had been curios about this illness, collecting many scientific publications on the subject. I knew that no specific diagnostic test existed for chronic fatigue syndrome. But in order to rule out other serious problems, I ran some tests. The only abnormalities I found were a moderate evaluation of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies and a borderline positive antinuclear antibodies result. My symptoms continued to worsen, and I knew I needed help.

    Through extensive reading of scientific papers published in leading medical journals, I knew that no effective drug is available to combat chronic fatigue syndrome. Antibiotics, antiviral drugs, immunosuppressant agents and antidepressants have all been used, without significant results. These drugs are given to patients because there is no true understanding of the disease. I knew that I was not going to see an internist, since many do not even recognize chronic fatigue syndrome as a legitimate illness. I did not want my symptoms to be trivialized. I knew better than most that modern medicine has failed suffering chronic fatigue patients, who are ultimately referred to psychiatrists in the belief that their symptoms are "all in the head".

    In search of relief, I went to the Denville, New Jersey clinic to see Dr. Ali with m,y laboratory results. Dr. Ali put me on oral supplements alone. I was skeptical at first, hoping that he had something more esoteric in mind than just vitamins and minerals. However, I did take the supplements religiously. To my surprise, I started to feel better and, after three months, I was my old self again. I got over chronic fatigue rather quickly because my symptoms were of short duration and I had no other significant health problems.

    Before this episode, I had taken vitamins very sporadically. As an educated physician, I thought eating the right foods was sufficient to maintain good health. I was actually ignorant about nutrition. Little did I know how many vegetables and other foods we need to eat in order to receive the right amount of vital nutrients. Nutrition had not been emphasized in medical school nor in my post-graduate training.

    When I left Clin-Path Inc. Dr ali asked Alfred Fayemi, M.D. and me to join his practice. Initially I was an observer, I could decide later if I was interested in joining his work. A friend of mine, Laura Marcelo, M.D., had been working with Dr. Ali for about a year. She was very impresses with how well the different oral supplements, intramuscular and intravenous protocols worked. During the training period, I would listen to Dr. Ali and his patient. It was overwhelming at first, as there was so much I needed to learn.

    The books and monographs that Dr. Ali had written and published were read avidly for the next several weeks. Being used to standard medical publications, I found his books difficulty to read at first. I then understood that he was teaching not only those interested in integrative medicine, but also the lay people or patients. I had to revise some of the things I learned in medical; school and what I had gathered through readings of medical journals and attending continuing medical education.

    There were times I was not sure if I would join Dr. Ali's practice--not because I did not believe in his work, but because of my lack of knowledge and experience. However, I persevered. With the patience and guidance of Dr. Ali and the help of dedicated nurses and other personnel in the clinic, I now feel I have learned enough to be confident in dealing with the patients.

    At first it was difficult to combine the standard Western medicine and integrative medicine. Does one have to draw a differentiating line? Does one have to separate the two types of practice? In general, Western medicine focuses on diseases of a particular organ or system of the body--laboratory workups are ordered, diagnoses are made, and drugs prescribed. In integrative medicine, the focus is on the health of the entire individual, with health being defined as the sum total of the proper functioning of every cell, organ, and system of the body. It seems self-evident that factors affecting one section of the body will ultimately effect the rest.

    There is a role for both Western and integrative types of medical practice. Indeed, the medicine of the future may well combine the best elements of both. We acknowledge the use of drugs and the benefits of modern technology, especially in surgical techniques for acute or emergency cases. The significant difference in medical dogma in the management of chronic illness. May of the drugs used in chronic diseases primarily suppress the symptoms, but fail to address the causes of the illness. A good example is colitis, both ulcerative and crohn's disease. The drugs of choice are antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents. In our practice, we recognize colitis as an altered state of the healthy bowel ecosystem. Our primary goal is to restore normal bowel ecology. We examine whether food sensitivities play any role. We also believe in the efficacy of nutritional supplements, not to correct deficiencies, but for their value in boosting metabolic activities.

    There is still so much to learn about holistic, complementary, alternative or integrative medicine. I prefer the term integrative medicine, because I believe it fills in the gaps created by Western medicine, making the current practice of medicine whole and enabling the interchange of ideas to flow freely. Interestingly, Dr. Majid Ali is one of the founders and Dr. Fayemi is the dean of a university in Washington, D.C. named "Capital University of Integrative Medicine." It was an honor when I was recently appointed associate professor at the university.    

Index of Article Authors
Majid Ali, MD
Omar Ali, MD
Mary Ann Carroll, RN
Alfred Fayemi, MD
C.Grieder-Brandenburger, RN
Judy Juco, MD
Tsuneo Kobayashi MD
Jean A. Monro, MB, BS
(This index is incomplete and will be completed shortly)

Past and
Current Editors
Omar Ali, M.D.
Robert Atkins, M.D.
Robert Bradford, D.Sc
Paul Cheney, M.D., Ph.D.
Steven Davies, M.D.
Alfred O. Fayemi, M.D.
Claus Hanke, M.D.
Doug Hutto, N.D.
Judy Juco, M.D.
Paris Kidd, Ph.D.
Oscar Kruesi, M.D.
Derrick Lonsdale, M.D.
D. Vijen Poleszynski, B.S.
Christine Radulescu, Ph.D.
Ray Russamono, M.D.
Susan Test, Ph.D.
Lowell Weiner, D.D.S.
John C. Williams, M.D.

The Journal of Integrative Medicine shall not be held responsible for statements of the contributing authors. The views and opinions expressed are those of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Journal of Integrative Medicine, The American Academy of Integrative Medicine,
The American Academy of Preventive Medicine, any advertisers or staff members of The Journal of Integrative Medicine
 

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The Journal of Integrative Medicine shall not be held responsible for statements of the contributing authors. The views and opinions expressed are those of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Journal of Integrative Medicine, The American Academy of Integrative Medicine, The American Academy of Preventive Medicine, any advertisers or staff members of The Journal of Integrative Medicine