The Purple Coat Clinic 

When I started as a general physician, after medical school, I was practicing only modern medicine on day-to-day basis. Soon, I started seeing that I was merely treating the symptom without fixing the problem. Yes, sugar levels were under control for some, blood pressure reduced, but they were still dependent on the pill years later and were constantly complaining of not “being well”. Modern medicine sadly cannot even understand the general uneasiness that someone experiences. Modern medicine cannot treat anything without a name or a diagnosis. This is what led me to learn homeopathy.

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My family has been taking homeopathy for 30 years and since my mother was a homeopath, we had witnessed some miracles growing up as well. Naturally, I was inclined towards it. Homeopathy was something I had imbibed since childhood and studying it was a natural progression for me. For 9 years I practiced homeopathy alongside general medicine. Again, like any other therapy, I was seeing a percentage of cases that were not being cured using either of them. Every case that I got stuck in, I would research into the various treatment options available. More often than not, one of those modalities would work.

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A big piece of the puzzle got solved when I understood the importance of nutrition. Unfortunately, in the medical curriculum there is very little we learn about nutrition. We hardly go beyond fats, protein and carbohydrates. This realization came to light with my own journey to cure my PCOS. I got diagnosed with PCOS when I was 24. Suffering from irregular periods to mood swings to weight gain, I still wanted to avoid using the hormonal “pill”. Homeopathy did help me symptomatically but I had to use it regularly. All in all, I knew I wasn’t feeling my 100 percent. I then came across an amazing book called “Brain Grain” by Dr. Perlmutter which talked about how the Gluten protein in wheat causes inflammation and a host of health issues in the body. Through my research, I came across functional nutrition and started apply those principles in my lifestyle and BOOM! I lost 6 kgs in 2 months, better periods, better energy levels, better digestion and much better sense of being. This particular experience made me realize that medicines can do only a part of the healing if nutrition and lifestyle do not complement the healing process.

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Gradually, I started using a combined approach with herbal medicine, homeopathy, modern medicine and nutrition to heal my clients and I was seeing much better results. In chronic diseases, I was seeing a reduction in dependency on medicines (any) and a reduction in the time required for feeling better.

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Then, one day, a previous client of mine walked in with her 9-month old baby with developmental delays and an MRI scan that showed no white matter in the brain. She was suffering from a genetic condition (undiagnosed at that time) and was one of 2 cases in the world that was identified later. The doctors had not given them much hope, but being parents, they still wanted to try everything and decided to opt for homeoapthy. We saw some changes in neck control after starting the treatment but the improvement was not consistent. Like I always do, I got down to researching about this. I stumbled upon medical cannabis (medical marijuana) and its neuroprotective role. Wanting to understand more on this, I did a certificate course in the use of medical cannabis for doctors. We started with cannabis for the little girl when she was 1.3 years old, and for the next 7 months, we saw tremendous progress in her development. By the time she was 2, she was rolling over and even pulling herself to sit. Since this case, I have also been using medical cannabis, with very good results, as part of my toolbox.

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Through all these years, I was also observing my clients very closely. Since I am a family physician, I am blessed to witness the healing journey more intimately for most of my clients. I became more of a confidante for them and started understanding their daily-life problems more deeply. It was very clear to me that emotions play a huge barrier in any healing process. Addressing them thus became mandatory.

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In the meantime, a personal experience of mine also aided in this shift of perception. For 2-3 years, I was suffering from a single patch of neurodermatitis which used to flare up twice a month. I could never figure out what caused the flare ups. I was living the right lifestyle, eating the right food, sleeping well and taking the right medicines/ supplements and yet I suffered from this inexplicable condition. Then I stumbled up on an amazing book called “Molecules of emotions” by a Dr. Candice pert and it opened my eyes to what I already knew. I did identify certain patterns in my life that caused me lot of grief and unhappiness. I decided that in order for me to feel better, I have to correct this. I started with therapy and healing circles and to my utter surprise, as my head started clearing up, my skin healed and never once did flare up after that! Mind-body medicine thus became another tool in my toolbox.

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Things further shifted when Yoga was added to my toolbox. Swati joined in as a yoga instructor specializing in women's health. Lot of my clients who worked with her, could wean of them medications sooner than expected. Also, lot of health problems today are caused by wrong posture, lack of movement and improper breathing. Sadly, no medicine can fix a mechanical error in the body, it has to be fixed via doing the right movement. Also, the original “Yog” speaks a lot about mind-body connection and most of the modern techniques for relaxation are taken from this ancient text. With yoga in the tool box, I saw much better results with sciatica, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, depression and diabetes. It is the best tool to have for post-partum mothers mentally and physically.

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Traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure and acupuncture are also great tools to have in the tool box. I personally practice only acupressure and I guide clients to seek this treatment if I feel it can help. Psychotherapy, counselling, NLP, hypnosis, etc. are some of the tools that give clarity and direction to our thoughts and emotions thereby aiding the healing process.

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Energy healing like Reiki, pranic healing, cranio-sacral therapy, and others also can help tremendously as a Mind-body tool.

Modern society has limited the role of the doctor similar to a mechanic. A mechanic fixes a car and a doctor fixes a body. But we are not inanimate objects, we are alive, dynamic beings with a very complex system that is only just being understood by modern medicine. We cannot remove the person from the body and try to treat the body as an inanimate object. A more apt role of a doctor as I see it, is that of a healer. In ancient days, they were called as shamans who guided you on your healing journey but the ultimate walk has to be done by you.

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As a doctor and a healer, I learn and grow everyday with my clients. Every challenge brings me the opportunity to learn and guide in the best possible way I can. No doctor can know everything but the openness to learn and apply is what distinguishes a doctor from a healer.