Natural Pediatric Care

One thing I know very personally is pediatric medicine.  We have 4 children ages 3-9 (with another on the way!).  No world record, but we know babies, toddlers, and pre-teens.  (and looking forward to the teen years when the child suddenly knows more than mom and dad!)  

We have experienced the gamut of pediatric problems… allergies and spitting up, neurologic issues affecting school performance, bronchitis (in a 2 day old!), tummy and headaches, urinary tract infections, colds, strep throat, flu, chicken pox, fifths disease, random vomiting, potty training challenges, warts, bad cases of poison ivy (including the private parts!), eczema…what else?  I think we have seen and experienced all the common problems (not to mention all the emotional struggles).  

We have never visited a pediatrician, however, as we have been able to identify the problem, including the root cause, and apply a treatment (naturally) that effectively resolved the symptoms.  

The closest to a label we have experienced was our school mentioning the name dyslexia.  But, when brought to my attention, I devised a neurological processing treatment that resolved the symptoms, and there hasn’t been any mention of it since.  

I have thought about creating a website that is specific to pediatric needs…but first, you tell me if this would be of benefit to you and your kids.  

Gates has been going back and forth with potty training…he’s got it…oops, he’s not even close…  He also has some separation anxiety (mom of course), anger and aggressiveness (hurting) his twin sister, and some feeling sad or low self esteem when people won’t listen to him (good luck with 3 sisters!).  

Our main concern was helping him master the potty training, but I want to consider all symptoms, challenges, and difficulties when doing an assessment.

Now, with no real experience with pediatricians, but knowledge of medical protocols…what would your local pediatrician offer?  Stool softener?  Antidepressant?  Counseling?  A wish of good luck?  

Here’s what we did.  Using what is called indirect muscle testing, (using a third party), we asked his nervous system and energetic system what it needs.  We found a primary need in the part of the brain called the Amygdala, which is part of the limbic or emotional brain, plus the water element in eastern medicine.  

Oh great, that’s very useful!!!  (Obviously we translate into practical advice!)

That allows us to assess stressors…from a physical level, we discovered a couple immune challenges, including corn and peanuts, and heavy metals…a stress challenge (noradrenaline)…and an organ challenge (gall bladder).  Our process also allows us to assess remedies…again on the physical level… cilantro for heavy metals, probiotics and enzymes for food sensitivities (along with reducing intake), sage for stress, and choline for gall bladder.  

That might seem like a lot for a little kid (he’s 3), but it will most likely mean a few droppers of each tincture mixed into one bottle for one dose per day, and an open capsule of enzymes in his oatmeal or yogurt.  Our kids eat the probiotics straight up because they have chickory root in them, which tastes like sugar.  We certainly understand that it has to be easy or it just won’t happen!  

Moving to brain health, we know that this area of the brain is associated with fear, so we ask about the fear.  In his case, the fear is losing mom’s nurturing.  He wants to be a “big boy” but is conflicted with the comforts of mom’s closeness.  This is a classic values conflict…I want this (growing up) but I also want that too (nurturing from mom).  As adults, we know how a mother-son relationship evolves, and that a mother at 95 years old would give anything to a son of 70.  It never ends, it just changes.  

Gates doesn’t know that though…he sees a scary world, and if mom doesn’t stay in her protective role, he is a goner!  (to be more accurate, part of him sees it this way…another part is hungry to take on more).  But what a blessing to know his internal struggle and help him soothe his fears.  

Moving to energetic needs…the water element has to do with developing an ability to listen to internal cues and make a choice…safely and beneficially.  As this skill develops, a parent’s role and goal is reassurance.  “You can do this,” along with a careful watch, is the key to developing this internal guidance system that makes such an impact on his ability to be successful and handle failure in a positive way.  

Knowing his internal development process allows us to respond exactly to his current needs.  His potty failures are a clinging to mother protection…he simply needs reassurance of the choices that stand in front of him.  The choice for increasing independence is always scary.  Letting him know that he can do this may be all it takes.  We can reinforce with building value into making that choice…things he sees his big sisters do and have fun with…play dates, sleep overs, more choices, more options.  We can focus his little brain on the positives of a difficult choice.

We also have a physical treatment plan to soothe his energy system…acupressure points to stimulate that make the transition all that much easier, along with words to comfort, and natural medicine to increase his health and constitution.

I honestly don’t know how parents are parenting with-OUT this advantage!  Parenting is a challenge…and being a kid is a challenge…this just makes it soooo much easier on both ends.  

So…would this be of value to you as a parent?  Would it be helpful to know what your child’s internal fears are (or other emotional challenges), and have a game plan to soothe them…to know what the physical needs are to help your child stay strong and healthy in a toxic and stressful world…to know what the neurological needs are to help develop a resilient brain?? 

The Art of Referring

You are having wonderful results.  Your doctor is hilarious.  The staff is kind and helpful.  Your visits are more fun than most of the rest of your week.  You feel listened to and heard…cared for and guided.  You feel empowered and more confident.  You are grateful for your experience.  

And still, you can’t get so and so to pick up the phone and call Dr. Stone.  You watch them struggle, feel lousy, function lousy, complain loudly, take advice that clearly isn’t working…and you really care about them.  

What’s the deal!?  Can’t they see how much better you are doing?  Can’t they see that what they are doing is not working?  Why won’t they listen to you!?

First…know that this is not unusual.  I have family…I know how it works.  Our culture is soooo immersed in medicine, even my own kids refer to MDs as “real” doctors.  (Although I think they have my sense of humor and are messing with me.)

Your best probability for getting someone to try something new or different, and this is for anything, is to know your audience’s needs.  

If you communicate how our process meets their needs, their motive will change.  If their motive, or motivation changes,  their actions…and their result…will change.  

You know what you need, but it is different for everyone.  Something I said in an email, video, or wherever, MET YOUR NEEDS.  That is why you showed up and took the chance.  Some people are motivated by connection, others by making a difference, growth, certainty, variety or contribution.  Those are the basic human needs.

Some people will love to hear the excitement of your results, as well as patient testimonials, and case studies. They would appreciate to hear that our patient satisfaction rate in the past year and a quarter is 89%! 

For others it will just trigger an anxiety that it WON’T work for them.  

These people may be more motivated by your telling them that Dr. Stone really hears your problems…he really listens.  He takes his time, pays attention, and is really dedicated to helping you.  

Some people are tired of explaining what their problem is…what they need is some “scientific” security.  Again, met by our process…you might tell them how complete the lab testing is…that you have never seen anything so in depth.  It checks every system and identifies what EVER is wrong with you.

Still others have no faith in the testing…in fact, after spending a ton of money on testing, their doctor told them nothing was wrong with them.  These people may appreciate how unique this process is.  You can tell them how much different this process and protocol is than what they are used to.  “Check it out, see how different it is.  If you’re not wowed by how unique the examination and explanation is, don’t go back…but if you are, well, maybe it could be the right path for you.”  

Still others have no interest in different, or same, or differently same.  Who cares…nobody can tell me what is going on with my health.  These people will truly appreciate validation…that is the process of understanding what is wrong…that it’s not all in their head.  You can tell them that Dr. Stone looks at your health from a new perspective, and can tell you what is going on.  You will have a clear reason for and understanding of your symptoms by visit 2.  Get your exam and labs, and if he can’t explain to you why you have (whatever symptom), he’ll tell you and you don’t pay for that time (there is no cost for the second visit if care is not agreed upon and started)…if he can explain, he’ll then show you a precise plan to change that problem.  

How do you know what approach to take?  You really don’t.  But, now you have a few approaches to try.  You’ll know you got it right when they call you and thank you for the recommendation.   

One more thing…NEVER give advice without asking if they want it.  I go through a process with my kids that goes something like this.  “I see you are crying…what happened?  What did you do when that happened?  Would you like my help?”  

With an adult with a health problem…same steps.  Notice the pain… “You look exhausted, what’s going on?  (Inquire about action steps) Have you seen anyone about that?  What did they say?  What do you think about that?  (Inquire about results)  Is it working…is it getting better?  Are you satisfied with the explanation or result?  (If the problem is NOT being solved you can offer…) Would you like my advice?”  

Depending on your relationship with the person, you might even add, “Would you take my advice if it makes sense to you?”  Now you have permission to try all angles while asking, “Does that make sense?”  “Does that make sense?”  

I have had people tell me that they have referred over 30 people, and none had actually taken action.  They observed an unresolved problem.  They offered a potential solution.  But no action.  

They also missed one of the points I have mentioned.  Did they ask permission, inquire into the situation to see if there was a perceived problem to solve (sometimes just asking if it is working will draw attention to the fact that it is NOT!), did they consider the different needs that people have, and connect their solution to that persons needs?  Something in that list was missed.  

Having that experience…telling people what you believe is valuable and not having them take your advice… is a major emotional trigger for people…called feeling ignored.  Using these basic steps will not only increase your ability to help other people, it will also reduce your upset and frustration.

Happy referring! 

I’m Depressed!

One of my clients recently wondered out loud if she should just “get something” for her depression.  It reminded me of the strange (in my opinion) associations we have with depression.

First of all, we think depression is a thing…some “thing” that attacks us like a virus, and we need the anti-biotic (anti-depressant) to be cured of it.  Second…there is nothing that can be done other than this magic pill, because it’s a “chemical imbalance in the brain,” and genetic, so it is our parents fault.  

One more…we (some?) also have an association that depression means we are “crazy” in some way, or something is wrong with us, so we rationalize that it is some-thing we are powerless to help…but thankfully, there is a drug.  

Personally, I think it is crazy NOT to feel depressed at times.  

Here’s more of my crazy opinions on depression…

Depression is normal.  If it is physiological…like from low thyroid…it is part of your body (regulation), saying…stop, rest…heal.  

If it is psychological, it’s not crazy-ness…it’s more lacking a resource to solve a problem.  

In either case, if it becomes chronic…over 6 weeks for instance…your body needs something to heal (my specialty)…or you are not “seeing” the problem, unconsciously attempting to ignore the problem, and “depress” the feeling.  (I also am quite an expert at pointing out your problems!)

Now, before someone yells at me for suggesting they are ignoring a problem…let me explain.  This is done unconsciously…it’s a reflex and you cannot NOT do it.  As I mentioned in another article, we are hardwired to look away from our own blood…and this applies to all painful experiences.  And just like with a bleeding wound, health comes from forcing ourselves to look at the problem and deal with it.   

I can’t tell you how many times I was surprised to hear anger come out of me towards my amazing and wonderful wife…only to figure out I had been “ignoring” a problem that I didn’t know how to fix.  Sometimes that outburst is the first clue that you get consciously.  And also the reason I practice and preach noticing the negative.  The better we notice, the less depression, and the less outburst-ing.

Another “weird” opinion…  All symptoms are messages, including the symptom of depression.  It is a signal that a change is needed…perhaps health…perhaps life…but definitely a change.  Using a Five Element model in my practice…which is something like the “life wheel,” requiring balance in all areas…it offers insight into both life and health.  It will not only tell you if you need less inflammation, it might say you need less defending…or better boundaries…or guide you toward the resource you need to resolve whatever problem you are experiencing.  

Seriously, I check all my life problems against the wisdom of the five elements…through muscle testing.  Every “problem” reveals a hidden hurt, upset, or a pattern of behavior that is keeping you in the problem.  And I can say with absolute certainty…no exceptions…the patients that do the best in my care are willing to hear any problem that comes up…large, small, ugly…even funny…and willing to respond to the problem…very important.  

Last “different” opinion...since depression is normal…and really a blessing…I might suggest we are all crazy…and dumb.  And, we all have pure genius within us as well…Regulation.  Regulation is “that something” that keeps our heart beating, lungs breathing, cells healing, adapting to life, and so forth.  Medications by definition are suppressors of the messages (symptoms such as depression) that we receive from Regulation.  If we choose to put into practice the skill of listening and responding to these messages, our lives becomes much more comfortable…sometimes even easy.  

Would you agree that an easy life is more enjoyable than a “hard” life?  Then embrace your depression and look for the message it is bringing you.  KNOW that Regulation is grabbing your attention, for a very good reason, and that reason is ALWAYS for your greater enjoyment in life.  

Disclaimer…I am not suggesting that a person should NOT medicate, as if my health strategies are an either/or with medicine.  I will use pharmaceuticals…AND, begin the process of inquiring into what the message is attempting to bring up for me.  Or, if the message is not so severe, ie. mild depression (or whatever symptom), I will just endure the discomfort and use the symptom as an indicator to know if I am on the right track.  Hint…the message will quiet when you are on the right track. 

Caution: Dangerous Bug Sweeping Nation

I have seen an outbreak of this in my practice, and many people are infected worldwide.  It is life threatening (depending on your definition of life), and it is contagious.  (mostly spread from parents to children.)

Signs of the infection:

“Should-ing” on yourself.  If you notice yourself frequently feeling unworthy because you should really be getting something done, you are probably infected.  

Bipolar behavior…happy when you do what you should and depressed when you don’t.

Tourette behavior…uncontrollable verbal outbursts, commonly heard as “idiot!,” “what’s wrong with you!?,” and “oh, my god!”  (Spoken to self)

If you have any of these symptoms…you may be infected…with a dangerous bug called Self Loathing!  (Don’t worry, it is curable with the right medicine)  

Step one: Notice who is should-ing on who.  Awareness that you are infecting yourself (and your kids, as they model your behavior, for better or worse) is half the challenge.  Once you notice, you can even make a point to pay attention to the positives, to override the habit of focusing on the negative.  The fact is you should never do anything you “should” do…you should only do what you want to do!  Consider the results also…you might want to eat a quart of ice cream, but do you really want to feel bloated and sleepy?  

Step two:  Try this attitude on for size:  We are born with ZERO resources.  We poop in our pants, our communication is terrible, we sleep a lot (Lazy!), we hardly accomplish anything in a day, and depend entirely on someone else for our basic needs.  WE ALL START THAT WAY!  No Resources.  

And, EVERYTHING WE TRY, we fail.  We screw it up.  We want to walk like all those big people around us, so we pull up, get on two feet, and BOOM, we take a header into the coffee table.  (Stupid…idiot…what is wrong with me!?)  But, since we don’t have that language (yet!), we simply notice that letting go too soon caused pain…or leaning too far to the right led to a poor result.  We added some experience and a tiny bit of resource.  

Somewhere, somehow, we developed a thought stream that failure is stupid, and stupid is bad.  It causes us to focus on the mistake and not the experience…or the resource.  What a block to growth!  

Imagine expecting failure in early attempts at anything and everything.  Good salespeople have this attitude…they expect 10 failures for every success.  Imagine looking for the wisdom in every failure.  Heck, we might actually become wise, or get up to 1 success for every 5 failures!  

Step 3:  This attitude is caused by a hypersensitivity to “Ignorance” AKA being stupid.  Hypersensitivities are shaped in our nervous system through experience.  That means that the reason you are so offended by stupid or ignorant people is because you had the experience of feeling stupid or ignorant.  

It might have been one BIG experience of Mom or Dad really getting mad because you made a mess out of something, or it can be slowly carved by the messaging of our culture…stupid is BAD!  We have “You’re stupid” looks and gestures…we laugh at painful mistakes, even have home video TV shows that highlight mistakes and pain.  I don’t mind the laughing, I find myself hilarious at times…what is missing in our culture is the value of mistakes (failure, screw ups, etc.).  The value of failure, if we focus on the value… is growth.  The detriment of focusing on the stupid-ness of the mistake is lack of growth.  

So we all have these hypersensitivities, what do we do?  

Hypersensitivity responses, in my experience, are best treated with acupressure tapping.  If you search for EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, you can easily locate and download a full system tapping protocol that works well.  Armed with your tapping regimen, you relax and recall the memories of stupidity.  As you recall the ones that make you squirm, or some emotional response, you perform the tapping.  As you approach the end of the tapping, you look for the value in that experience…you want to finish with a resource…some gathering of wisdom.  Repeat on every look you got from momma, embarrassing school experience, big trouble, etc.  And if you can’t find the resource in the experience…just tap and move on to step 4.  

Step 4:  When you notice the results…and you notice that they are not what you want…just like the baby, reach out your hand for stability.  Look to people with specialized knowledge, people who have already mastered walking, and make it look easy (or whatever you are trying to master)…and ASK FOR HELP. 

One common sign of infection (infected with self loathing) that I see in my office is not doing the diet right (eating “bad” foods) and not taking the supplements right (missing doses).  As well as, “I don’t exercise enough, stay up too late, don’t drink enough water, meditate, etc., etc.”  All those things you “should be doing!”  I often reply… “Oh, you too!?”  And then share how I am not doing what I “should be doing.”

I am a collector of resources, however, and I have managed to improve my health all while NOT DOING MANY THINGS I SHOULD BE DOING.  For instance, exercise…I pay gym dues and go to the gym about twice a month…but I have found a way to keep in decent shape with 5 minutes a day…in my office, or at home.  I eat pizza and chocolate several times a week, but have developed multiple ways to “pay off” my indulgences.  I don’t meditate but have found a way to calm my mind by tapping on my face.  I don’t stretch but I use exercises that challenge a full range of motion and increase flexibility. 

And every resource I have found, I found through asking.  Sometimes I ask by reading a book by someone who has mastered something I wish to master.  Sometimes by asking a colleague or friend, and others by hiring an expert.  

And, I choose my experts carefully…a white coat and big clinic do NOT equal expert in health.  Most of these people are experts in naming your disease and helping you manage it for life.  Success to that kind of expert is slowing down the progression of your disease.  

The experts I choose always fit my life philosophy.  I know that some of my experts are more expert than others, and I value their advice more heavily.  I know who my experts are and what they stand for. 

This way, I get advice that works for me to increase my growth process, and accumulation of resources.  And that makes life easier (nice!).

There you go…if you are infected…and chances are you have at least a mild case…you now have the 4 step de-lousing formula!!  I have been delousing for years, and still have some signs of infection.  These are grooves in our subconscious that can go pretty deep.  Follow this formula and you will notice improvement (not perfection), that just might approach perfection as you grow and increase resources.  

And remember, you will never have ALL resources, so you will always be “stupid” to some degree, in some fields, in some ways…don’t fight it, join the team! 

True Health Mission

"To impact global cooperation and happiness by teaching and guiding parents and families to meet their own needs, thereby multiplying their available energy.  Individuals and families with sufficient energy naturally share their energy.  A philosophy and practice of looking within to meet individual and family needs will not only improve health, it will allow access to passionate, value based action, improve self esteem, and increase the probability that each individual will discover and reveal his or her own deepest gifts to humanity.  A person sharing his/her greatest gifts will receive value and significance from others creating greater connection for people as a whole.  Each person we reconnect to Regulation (my term for internal wisdom) is a pebble of cooperation and happiness in the pond of humankind." 

Think about that one for awhile….

Imagine a growing number of people practicing this art of looking inside.  Ultimately, it is what I teach.  What I use to look inside are the messages your body is giving you every day (formerly known as symptoms), the nervous system through muscle testing and other neurological tests, and lab testing.  Labs are an actual measure of all the chemicals that are working for Regulation and for you increasing your likelihood of surviving another day. 

Using these windows to your internal wisdom, Regulation, we create a plan to work with Regulation and meet your greatest needs.  It might mean eating protein every 2 hours to assist exhausted adrenal glands with their primary J-O-B: balancing blood sugar.  It might mean taking an herb that supports a tired immune system. 

As each person experiences success in reading their internal messages, it increases connection to the most important person on the planet - YOU!  Your cells are concerned about only one thing: the health of themselves.  Your brain is concerned with only one thing: the health of your cells.  If you, the thinking you, gets on board with Regulation, the result is abundant energy. 

All your needs must be met in order to achieve this state, which is ultimately your GIVING state.  That means all your systems must be running amazingly well.  This state is devoid of sickness, disease, and suffering.  It is your BEST health insurance available.  (And it doesn’t mean perfection…Regulation finds that goal stressful!)

So you are healthy, happy, and energetic.  All your needs are met.  What next?  The natural flow is to spend your energy doing what you love…and when you do that over and over, you accumulate experiences that make you an expert.  What a concept, being an expert at what you love! 

When you are an expert at what you love, the natural flow is to share your expertise or genius.  And anytime you share genius, people are very appreciative.  Sure, as you develop your genius, there may be frustration…people not understanding or valuing your genius…maybe not even wanting it.  But, since it is what you love, you would never give up.  You would do this for free and have for most of your healthy life.  As you near genius (expert, gifted, awesomeness, etc.), more and more people want to hear what you have to say or experience what you provide. 

In the end you are rewarded with appreciation, (one currency being money), significance, and contribution (now you are really “rich” when you improve others lives!)  People love you, and of course, you love people who love you.  Connection!

People also want to be part of what you are providing.   And as a practiced listener, you don’t run into the troubles of people who drag you down.  You acknowledge feelings and intuition in your choices of who you surround yourself with, and you enjoy people who make you feel good. 

Also, you are never in fear of losing what you have because your greatest asset is within you.  And if you do lose something you value, it’s ok, because you have learned to listen to yourself.  You know and readily ask for what you want; therefore, you simply replace it. 

Again, there is a learning curve to this listening art, and you miss many messages along the way.  The missed messages always end up providing some pain or discomfort, but you see this as your most valuable lessons.  You know that what you don’t know can ONLY show up as pain or discomfort, and you have a growing community of experts in other areas of life with their own gifts, who will help you discover the next amazing resource that is clearly coming your way. 

Your growing community of listeners begins to make waves in the larger community.  People who are not listening are curious…they wonder about your big smile, not about how easy your life is, but how easily you clear life’s hurdles.  They are curious to know your secrets for all that energy and happiness.  How much life you have to give, when they struggle so much just caring for themselves and their family.

And of course…you share your secret, because you don’t want it to be a secret.  “Learn to listen…  Would you like to hear how I learned…?”

I truly believe the art of listening is that powerful!  I don’t claim to have achieved that level of listening, but as I practice, I see the process accelerating.  I don’t imagine that my practicing will ever be complete…or yours or anyone else’s.  Perhaps the one brilliant message of medicine is the term practice: medical practice.

I do want to invite you to practice, and perhaps, be part of the community that spreads this message of healing…not only the healing of the individual but of every person that individual touches as they learn to listen.  I think it could be quite profound! 

Deeper messages by Dr. Stone

Remember the SNL bit…Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handy?  Just to remind you…

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself. Basically, it's made up of two separate words — "mank" and "ind." What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why, so is mankind.

If you ever reach total enlightenment while you’re drinking a beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose.

I believe in making the world safe for our children – but not our children’s children, because I don’t think children should be having sex.

                Deep Thoughts-By Jack Handy

Ok, that’s fairly random, and just for fun…but I do have a point here.  

THINKING DIFFERENTLY…yeah…that’s my point.  

If I am having a problem, and I have plenty…I try to attend to it by thinking differently.  Many times, this requires the help of someone to do the thinking (assessment) for me.  When I was struggling with mold allergies, I was completely stuck in trying to think outside my own box and figure out what was going on.  Only when I asked someone else to look at the situation (with a unique way of thinking and processing the situation), was I able to break the pattern.  

I will never stop asking for help outside myself, but I have made some discoveries that sure make my life easier.  

For instance…my shoulder has been bothering me all day…a really sharp pain when I bring it out to the side.  It was “grabbing” and “pinching” when I was driving if I brought my left arm up to rest on the window, or if I reached up to the top of the steering wheel.  I brag about my low tolerance of pain…so it may have been a 2 for the tough guys…but it was a 7 for me (rating pain 0-10).  It had my attention. 

A common thought process would be a rotator cuff problem…or I slept on my arm funny (I hear this explanation all the time and still don’t know what the heck it means!)…or bursitis…tendonitis…maybe even a pinched nerve.  

A common action would be to take a –itis pill…-itises are inflammation, so advil or aspirin.  (I wonder who taught us that association!?)  If it lasts a week or month (depending on your pain tolerance), call the orthopedist, because it is a joint problem, or maybe a sports doctor, or a chiropractor.  If the joint specialists can’t fix your joint problem… “well, I am 40 something…I guess this is how 40 feels.  I’ll just drive with my right hand.” 

But I think differently…and one of those different thoughts is that symptoms are messages.  From eastern medicine associations, I know that shoulder pain is often immune stress.  And I know that association well, because I had an autoimmune disease at age 1, allergies most of my life…and curiously, my shoulders always hurt.  

And I DO differently…so when all the kids were in bed, I sat down and checked in.  

One of the major…and I mean biggest…stressors of the immune system is adrenaline.  Most people think of infections, allergens, even toxins…but fix adrenaline (if it’s a problem) and most of your immune problems fade away.  

As I checked in…I found a weakness of the infraspinatus muscle.  This is one of the rotator cuff muscles, and  it is also associated with the thymus gland.  When I tested adrenaline over the thymus reflex point, a strong muscle I was testing weakened.  When I held a supplement called AdrenalCalm, which is a constant in our “medicine” cabinet, the muscle strengthened.  

Now whether you understand muscle testing or not, here is the result…  I massaged the AdrenalCalm behind my knees, tapped a point for the adrenals, rubbed the thymus reflex…and the PAIN WAS GONE.  I can fling my arm up to the side, pain free.  

How is that for instant gratification…compared to Advil…orthopedist…chiropractor…massage therapist…and finally… admitting I’m old!?  

But, I’m not done!!  Are you kidding me…I just had a 7 out of 10 pain message.  It said I was stressed out.  It said I was suppressing my immune system.  Is a dose of AdrenalCalm and tapping ENOUGH?  Heck no…I have to soothe that stress response into optimal balance.  With a quick look at my stressors…I had doubled up on caffeine the last two days.  I almost always drink coffee, but I had a Monster energy drink the last 2 days on top of my coffee.  

I’m not recommending Monster energy drinks for health…I do it for pleasure and understand the consequence.  In fact, I almost always pour the drink over ice, and squirt a shot of Passion Flower in to “pay off the indulgence.”  Regulation had reported to me that I was still in debt…with the shoulder pain.  Thank you regulation for the warning…I don’t want to get into the allergy bit again!  

So…I may lay off the Monster drinks (I don’t do it too often more because of the splenda than the caffeine)…and I will definitely stay on the AdrenalCalm for awhile.  (Which you should have in your medicine cabinet too!)  And keep checking in on the infraspinatus weakness, which is a “sign” that I missed until the pain directed me to look.  I bet if I would have looked closely in the mirror, my shoulder would have looked slightly drooped and the hand would have been turned inward…long before the pain began.  

I don’t perseverate or agonize over my health (clearly…since I was busted drinking poisonous energy drinks for a “buzz!”)…I trust that Regulation will give me a message (like the shoulder pain), and if I know how to listen…and respond…Regulation won’t have to kick my butt to get my attention.  

Now…Deeper Messages by Dr. Stone…

If your hands get numb and some orthopedist names it Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a “bad” condition that needs scalpel discipline, perhaps you should love your pancreas, because this is an insulin problem.  (An extra dose of fish oils and protein every couple hours is a good start for insulin problems)

If your knee aches, and your orthopedist says a shaving and cleaning are required, perhaps you should be kind to your adrenals, because this is a cortisol problem.  (AdrenaCalm works on cortisol and adrenaline) 

If your low back “goes out,” consider inflammation or infection of the colon…especially if you have some bloating.  I have a product called Inf-Fighter in our medicine cabinet that is a good go to for tummy infections.  

Also, always consider your lifestyle.  Just a quick look at what I was doing revealed I wasn’t being very care-ful.  Don’t be perfect, but note where you are not “caring for” Regulation.  If you are like me, these little (or big) messages are there to adjust lifestyle as well as respond to the imbalance created with the lifestyle choices.  

  

These Deeper Messages will save you from feeling old (or coming to the conclusion that you ARE old)…suffering for great lengths of time…and wasting tons of cash on docs and therapists who will only consider your problem based on their specialty.  And I bet the knife doctors will find a “need” for surgery… and the pharmaceutical doctors will have a med for you…that’s the old, “if you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail” process.  

I…I will simply ask what regulation wants…and provide it (or recommend it).  Sometimes the need is an adjustment…or muscle work…or nutritional/herbal…and once I did find a need for surgical repair in one of my patients.  Most often, I find the associations I describe above…plus a little body work to heal the physical damage of being “out of balance.”

A Secret Health and Healing Strategy

Do you realize that you have within you an amazing and wonderful healing power?  I like to call this power “Regulation.”  Do you recognize that it NEVER makes a mistake?  Every adjustment it makes to your hormones, your circulation, your blood pressure, your digestion…is perfectly designed to give you the best probability of you living another day…week…month…year.  

It never gets “bummed out” because we don’t show it enough appreciation.  It never acts passive-aggressively to hurt us.  It is always with us, lovingly on duty…never sleeping.  

Do you know that it knows far more than we do about health and healing?  And I mean waaaaay more.  Even with the advances in modern medicine, the extent we can look inside the body, measure function, and observe what hormones seem to do…we are less than a child looking at a fine work of art… and seeing scribbles.  

We might learn more if we stopped trying to fight Regulation.  We suppress symptoms and block functions with pharmaceuticals, add hormones where Regulation has decreased those hormones, and cut out pieces that are damaged or diseased.  Regulation could clean and shine each and every organ…vanquish all invasions from immune challenges…and cure any chronic disease (and it has cured all diseases on some occasions).  

The primary way that Regulation communicates with us is our symptoms.  Symptoms are the things we feel…like headaches, tummy aches, or tiredness.  We can also observe “signs.”  Signs are things we can see or hear…like a drippy nose, diarrhea, sneezing, swelling, or redness.  

I think Regulation would really appreciate if we listened closely, noticed and responded in ways that support Regulation…maybe even thanked Regulation for sending the message.  Living in appreciation of regulation is a HUGE secret of health and healing.  

How might that look?  Well, we’d have to completely change our attitudes about symptoms.  We wouldn’t have to like them, but we would appreciate them, much like we appreciate the brake light that forewarns us of disaster.  We might suppress the symptom, like a smoke alarm after we were able to put out the fire on the stove.  If we ever suppressed the symptom, though, we would always be attending to the cause of the symptom.  

We would practice listening.  If we feel tired, we would consider if we are sick (immune challenges), stressed, dehydrated, undernourished, over stimulated or under stimulated.  If we guessed sick, we would eat Echinacea, goldenseal, or other immune herbs (our family uses Congaplex and Elderberry most often) and we would rest.  If we guessed stressed, we would eat ginseng, lemon balm, passion flower, or other “anti-stress” plants or nutrients (our family uses AdrenalCalm and most of what I have mentioned)…and we would rest.  Or we would drink, eat, rest, or exercise.  If we rested and we felt worse, we might exercise…or vice versa.  

If we had a headache, we would consider the same…and maybe add considering injury or muscle tension and rub our neck and take a relaxing herb like chamomile or a nutrient like magnesium.  

If our symptoms became chronic, we would say, “I’m sorry, I love you (me), please forgive me, thank you”…which is a mantra from Hawaiian Kahunas or healers.  We might then visit the local healer to discover the natural medicines your body wants to aid this state of imbalance.  And then we would go home and rest, nourish, drink, and (lightly) exercise (if it felt energizing…and I mean a lasting energy, not “I am on speed and then crash”).  

We would also be patient at this point…perhaps continuing the Kahunas’ mantra.  We would look for little signs of returning health…a little more energy…a little better digestion…elimination…sleep.  That means we would have to take inventory daily…really pay attention to the subtlety of the messages, to see if they are getting louder or quieter.  We would not demand silence; in fact, we might even offer appreciation to Regulation for letting us know that we are not living in balance.  We would only take a symptom suppressing medication if the symptom was sooo loud it prevented sleep. 

     

We would take special care in our nourishment…extra greens which are soothing, as is regular protein, every couple hours.  If the tummy is talking to us, maybe some ginger, cabbage soup, or fermented veggies.  If the joints are complaining, maybe some curry veggies, cherries, or whole chicken soup (meaning soup bones, not feathers).  If your brain is foggy, maybe some walnuts, avocado, or salmon steak (I just take fish oils, personally).  We would not eat endurance foods, like rice, potatoes, grains or other carb rich foods, and instead exchange that “spot” on our plate with other healing foods…cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, etc.  If we listened closely, we might discover what our body is desiring in that moment.

We might also scan our lives for defensiveness…what do we feel criticized about…what triggers our anger…what do we argue about (don’t forget that sometimes we argue by disconnecting or avoidance)?  We might scan for our burdens…obligations…have to’s…shoulds.  Often times we can’t see them as in the old analogy of asking a fish about the water (it’s such a part of your environment and experience that it becomes sub-conscious…like air) …so your healer should have an ability to observe these stressors and guide you toward ease.  Keep looking though, with practice we will get better at observing our environment.

What a difference that would be compared to our current attitudes and actions.  In our culture, people see symptoms as a nuisance and pain, rather than a message.  Our medical system practices symptom suppression, and we have a message suppressor for nearly every symptom.  Rarely do we take responsibility for our health, assuming modern medicine will fix what breaks, and assuming that our bodies are less than perfect and will break down.  (If Regulation had a “thinking” brain, it would surely be offended!)

It’s actually amazing that Regulation keeps us alive as long as it does!  

I invite you to join me…brag about your low threshold of pain, suffering, or even discomfort!  Tune in to your messages and learn how to respond.  Embrace your symptoms as signs of imbalance in your life.  Stock your medicine cabinet with herbs and nutritionals for immune, digestive, stress, and inflammation support.  Admit that life is often challenging, and that you do need stress support (I am almost always on stress support, and we routinely rub Adrenalcalm on our kids feet…being a kid is tough too!).  

Live in appreciation of Regulation…that is a powerful, and no longer secret, health and healing strategy!