On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through the Medical Cracks [Paperback]

Neil Nathan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through the Medical Cracks is a resource book offering the latest information on a range of illnesses (chronic pain, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia) that most family practitioners are unequipped to diagnose or treat effectively. Written in nontechnical language, On Hope and Healing also offers clear, readable explanations for the causes for and cures of today's onslaught of complex/chronic illnesses. Physicians and patients alike will benefit from this book.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

 

 

     From the time I was a medical student, it has always been my passion to try to help as many of my patients as possible. I was never satisfied with sending patients home with the cliché: of "Sorry, we just don't have any answers for you." For me, and for my patients, conventional medicine had lots of answers, but sometimes they just weren't enough.

     Starting my 38-year medical career as a family physician, I delivered babies, did some minor surgery and worked in the emergency room, providing the most comprehensive care that I could. Over time, it seemed to me that other disciplines, some of which were a part of medicine and part of which were tangential, held the promise of useful answers for those patients who did not receive adequate benefit from conventional medicine.

     So I threw myself into studying as many of them as I could uncover. I spent hours learning osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, homeopathy, prolotherapy, Reichian therapy, therapeutic touch, herbal supplementation and chelation. Each new field clearly added another dimension to improving my practice of medicine. As we learned more and more about the biochemical underpinnings of chronic illness, (a field often referred to as functional medicine) I was able to understand and provide better medical care.

     Slowly, my practice evolved into something new, that didn't really have a name, and I called it Complex Medical Problem Solving. Over time, I found that I was working mostly with those unfortunate patients who had not received a diagnosis from conventional medicine, and were suffering with persistent and debilitating illnesses. These included fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic Lyme disease and its co-infections, autism, and all varieties of chronic pain, amongst others.

     Several years ago I began to teach my colleagues what I had learned about working with chronically ill patients, and I called this course:  "What Every Physician Should Know About Working with Complex Medical Illness." My patients asked me to provide this same information in a simplified but understandable form, and that is how this book evolved.

My text is derived from the distillation of countless patient visits. When I found a patient's eyes glazing over as I began to explain some aspect of chemistry.....I took note. When they sat up, alertly, and asked cogent questions....I also took note.

     Despite my many years of clinical practice, I am still optimistic that I can help every single person who comes through my door. The truth is that I haven't been able to do that, but the truth is also that I have helped the vast majority of them to improve or heal. It is that experience that motivated me to write On Hope and Healing. There are millions of suffering individuals who have not been able to be diagnosed or helped by conventional medicine, and who are not aware that help is indeed possible. This book was intended to be a starting point for their journey into health, and it is my hope that it will reach as many patients as possible. 

From the Back Cover

What prominent physicians have said about Dr. Nathan and his book:

     "With unusual clarity and first-rate science, Dr. Neil Nathan encourages us to shift
     our thinking to a more holistic, multifactorial, and positive approach to chronic and
     recurrent illness. On Hope and Healing eloquently transports health and medicine
     into the 21st century. It is, I believe, by far the best book, the most
     comprehensive book, and the clearest book ever written about integrative holistic
     medicine."
                                   ---Bill Manahan, M.D., Past President, American Holistic   
                                             Medical Association, author of Eat for Health
      "Dr. Neil Nathan's  On Hope and Healing makes an essential contribution to the
      millions whose medical care has suffered under the limited vision of our
      conventional medical system. Professionals and consumers alike will find
      innovative approaches that combine cutting-edge healing options with practical
      medical care choices. "
                                    ---Robert Anderson, M.D., Founding President, American
                                             Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, author of
                                             Clinician's Guide to Holistic Medicine and Wellness
                                             Medicine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Et Alia Press LLC (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982818408
• ISBN-13: 978-0982818404
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia

More About the Author

Neil Nathan, MD, is a Board Certified Family Physician who has been practicing medicine for almost 40 years. As he studied and learned a wide variety of alternative concepts, his practice gravitated into primarily helping to diagnose and treat those patients who have not been helped by conventional medicine. He wrote "On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through The Medical Cracks" to educate both patients and physicians about how to accomplish this. This book represents the distillilaton of his work with thousands of patients with complex medical illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic Lyme disease, autism, and chronic pain. Dr. Nathan hopes that it will provide a starting point for those who have been told by their physicians that "there is nothing more we can do," so that they can move forwards towards improved health.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Path to Health January 31, 2011

By Braidwood

Format:Paperback

My daughter has Lyme, Babesia, Bartinella, Erlichia and a host of other diseases brought about by a compromised immune system. She has been a patient of Dr. Nathan for over a year. She suffered greatly for over 15 years at the hands of a medical establishment that refuses to take the time to listen to patients' concerns, that dismisses symptoms as psychosomatic, that stops at the "easy" answer and then declares the patient is cured. Dr. Nathan's book is a must for anyone suffering from a chronic illness or symptoms that their general practicioner can't diagnose. The book is clear, concise, and easily readable. Many alternative therapies are explored as healing options. I am thrilled that I purchased the book because it gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the many care options available. Thank you Dr. Nathan for taking the time to write your book and for the excellent care you give to your patients. Louise Larro

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent December 22, 2010

By John63

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're dealing with a complex chronic illness (CFS, Lymes, Fibromyalgia etc.), it doesn't get much better than this. It takes the best protocols offered and combines them all in one location. What took me two years to figure out by reading many books on these topics is now laid out nicely into one location, this book. Another good one is "fatigued to fantastic" by jacob teitelbaum. From the foreward in this book, these two doctors know each other.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars As a physician January 26, 2011

By Marianne Herr-Paul, D.O.

Format:Paperback

Dr. Nathan has been my mentor for at least six years, ever since I took his course on chronic illness. His insights, and step-by-step approach have helped me immeasurably, as I have teetered along the precarious path of understanding serious and complicated cases of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain. As a breast cancer survivor myself, with at times moderate to severe fatigue, his words and wisdom have struck home. Countless of my patients have been the benefactors of the methods I learned from him. This book steps out the process in a readable and learnable format, accessible to anyone who has been captivated by the eager souls awaiting release from the cage of fatigue and pain. Highly recommended for physicians and patients (laypeople) alike. (As an osteopathic physician, I am grateful for the great chapters on osteopathy as well--in that this kind art of hands-on therapy is recognized and made available in such a readable format.)