Annual Visions Conference Offers Alternative Approach to Healthcare

Traditional medicine has finally turned to embrace the practice of alternative healthcare providers, recognizing the value of a different approach and appreciating the complementary care that is given to patients.

Atlantic General Hospital’s Visions for Total Health Conference planners felt it was vital to include practitioners of alternative medicine in the conference to provide visitors with a whole, or total, approach to healthcare. Through the alternative and complementary healthcare track for the 2006 conference, Kim Furtado, ND, will be joined by Stephanie Porter, ND, to lead a discussion titled The Root Causes of Cancer.

Both are naturopathic doctors, hence the ND after their names, and maintain general naturopathic family practices, with Dr. Porter holding a specialty in cancer. During their breakout session, Drs. Furtado and Porter will present the theories about the underlying causes of cancer from a naturopathic perspective. They will also give an overview of the biology of cancer in a discussion of the multiple factors surrounding the development of cancer cells.

“Cancer is a complex disease, and in the conventional and naturopathic medical worlds, our attempts to understand its origins guide the development of treatments,” said Dr. Furtado. “With a naturopathic perspective, we will explore the risk factors that are known or suspected to be associated with the development of various cancers, and what that can mean for lifestyle and nutritional guidelines.”

Details

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct healthcare profession that combines the wisdom of centuries of natural, non-toxic therapies with current advances in health and medicine. Doctors of naturopathic medicine have completed a four-year course of study at an accredited graduate school and employ nutrition and dietary changes, counseling for lifestyle modification, herbal medicine, homeopathy, physical medicine, and nutritional supplements to promote healing. A focus is placed on preventative medicine, and naturopathic physicians provide care that complements a patient’s treatment as prescribed by an MD or DO.

Other breakout sessions in the alternative and complementary healthcare track include Tai Chi with True and The Healing Power of Touch, a session on the benefits of massage therapy, presented by True’ly Tiger Lilly, CMT, of A Peaceable Place. Georgette Rhoads, RN, RT, of Atlantic General Hospital, will provide a session on yoga.

The Visions for Total Health Conference, scheduled for Saturday, August 26 at the Ocean City Convention Center, is a day-long event of presentations, exhibits and demonstrations centered around three themes of environmental health, traditional medicine, and alternative and complementary healthcare.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is internationally-known physician, journalist and author, Bob Arnot, MD. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Dr. Arnot at the book sale and signing, provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers of Salisbury, after the keynote address.