[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference hydra::dejavu

Title:Psychic Phenomena
Notice:Please read note 1.0-1.* before writing
Moderator:JARETH::PAINTER
Created:Wed Jan 22 1986
Last Modified:Tue May 27 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2143
Total number of notes:41773

2070.0. "Ayurvedic practitioner in Worcester, Mass." by TNPUBS::PAINTER (Planet Crayon) Wed Sep 13 1995 13:49

    
    Recently I attended the Whole Health Expo in Marlboro, Mass.  While
    there, I attended several workshops, including one given by Dr. Abbas
    Qutab, an Ayurvedic physician who is also the director of the Ultimate
    Health Center, in Worcester, Mass.  I was quite impressed.
    
    Dr. Abbas is an M.D., D.C., and N.D.  Given that I've wanted to see an
    Ayurvedic physician for quite some time, I just called up and made an
    appointment.  The cost is $65.00, and the appointment is for at least
    an hour (yes, a whole Hour!)  Followup visits are somewhere around 
    $30-$45, depending upon the amount of time spent there.
    
    At this Center, they specialize in Ayurvedic healthcare for women,
    including the following problems:
    
    	- Natural Hormone and Balancing Therapies
    	- PMS
    	- Menopause
    	- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia
    	- Chronic allergies/yeast infections
    	- Prenatal/postpartum nutrition
    	- Frequent headaches/backaches and neck pain
    	- Arthritis/prevention & management of osteoporosis
    	- Stress, anxiety, and weight loss
    	- Environmental illness/detoxification program
    	- Comprehensive wellness program for women/children
    
    Will let you know how the appointment goes, since I happen to have a
    few of the items on the list above.  
    
    Back in May, I attended the GAIA Herbal Symposium, and Dr. John
    Doulliard who wrote "Body, Mind, Sport", was there.  He studied
    Ayurveda - particularly the pulse diagnosis - for a year in India, and
    now has a spa-type place out in Colorado Springs which specializes in
    Ayurvedic treatments.
    
    During the Symposium, I signed up for the two seminar sessions in which
    he taught the pulse diagnosis.  For some reason, I could never fathom
    how one could determine illnesses and imbalances simply by feeling the
    pulse, however after his seminar and actually being able to detect 
    imbalances in my own pulse along with being able to determine my own
    body type (the Vata, Pitta, Kapha combinations), I'm now a True
    Believer (;^)  (based on my own direct experience here.)
    
    To do the pulse diagnosis, you use the first three fingers and place
    them gently under the bony part of the wrist.  With only a little
    training, it's possible to discern spikes in the pulse under different
    parts of each finger and actually make some sense out of it.  You then
    press moderately, then deeply, feeling at each position where the
    spikes (and lack thereof) are, and it's totally amazing the amount of
    information you can receive just from your pulse alone.  
    
    In any case, I'd been hoping to find an Ayurvedic practitioner in this
    area (other than the Maharishi Ayurvedic Center in Lancaster, which
    costs a small fortune to go to), and am quite happy to have found one 
    only a short drive away in Worcester.  Will fill you in after the 
    appointment in late October.
    
    Cindy 
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2070.1STUDIO::PALUSESBob Paluses @MROWed Sep 13 1995 14:1917
     My wife and some of her friends go there. The people there are great
    and Dr Abbas is first rate. His office is quite impressive, he has 
    certificates and degrees covering an entire wall. 
    
     He was once treating my wife for a migrain and while he was feverishly
    working on her with electronic acupunture rods, he still took the time
    to explain to my son and I what he was doing every step of the way so
    that we would know what he was doing.
    
     I found this to be quite a contrast to our more traditional doctors who 
    hardly speak and then treat you like an assembly line component.
    
     The other thing that is nice is that they are into treating the cause
    (what's causing the pain, discomfort, etc) instead of just treating the
    symptom (ie, take this pill to kill the pain).
    
    Bob
2070.2Re.1TNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonWed Sep 13 1995 17:576
    
    Thanks Bob!  That's excellent!
    
    Much appreciated,
    
    Cindy
2070.3IJSAPL::ANDERSONIt's apple harvest time!Thu Sep 14 1995 03:1419
    >His office is quite impressive, he has  certificates and degrees
    >covering an entire wall.

    Harry has two rather insignificant pieces of paper that certify that he
    is a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery. He also has a very
    large ornate certificate with a huge red seal on it that certifies him
    as a Doctor of Medicine.

    The first two permit him to practice medicine the last one is purely an
    academic title and means nothing whatsoever.

    None of these are displayed in his office. I suspect that his patients
    would not be impressed by them.

    A wall full of certificates would make me wonder why the Doctor was
    trying to impress me.

    Jamie.
      
2070.4KERNEL::COFFEYJThe Uk CSC Unix Girlie.Thu Sep 14 1995 06:006
>    None of these are displayed in his office. I suspect that his patients
>    would not be impressed by them.


Demanding sorts are they? 

2070.5BIS54::DYSONThu Sep 14 1995 07:3614
    
    Jamie,
    
    I see your on fine form again with your happy-go-lucky noting style.
    Personally I feel more comfortable in the office of an expert with lots
    of certificates on their wall. Also it gives you something to read when
    your waiting for them to finish on the phone or something. As far as
    how much value they have, who knows? A lot of the
    membership/fellow/associate thingies are just a matter of paying for
    them, but some are a little more selective. I have to agree with Jo,
    that Harry's patients would not be impressed by these certificates. I
    would be, cause he must have put a lot of work into getting them.
    
    Adam
2070.6BIS54::DYSONThu Sep 14 1995 07:4011
    
    OK, OK ...
    
    Sorry, had a slight logic break at the end of the last message, cos I
    am not feeling very well (aaaahh), you know what I meant ..
    
    I have to agree with Jo about you saying Harry's patients would be 
    unimpressed that by his certificates. I certainly would be, cause he must
    have put a lot of work into getting them.
    
    Adam
2070.7IJSAPL::ANDERSONIt's apple harvest time!Thu Sep 14 1995 09:244
    The patients who make it to Harry's department are inclined to be dead.
    He is a consultant Pathologist.

    Jamie.
2070.8BIGQ::GARDNERjustme....jacquiThu Sep 14 1995 09:252
    	THUD
2070.9If they have to push how many times they've been certified I suspect them of having something to hideKERNEL::COFFEYJThe Uk CSC Unix Girlie.Thu Sep 14 1995 09:2921
>  Personally I feel more comfortable in the office of an expert with lots
>    of certificates on their wall.

Well I've a digital Edu services form on my screen, only if you look 
closely are you likely to notice it says it's a qualification as 
Professional Pisshead - Level 6 :-) 

I actually prefer educational posters you can read and actually 
find interesting to certificates myself.. I really don't find them 
that reassuring.

Even if someone has the best qualifications in the world and 
plasters the place in prestidgious certificates they could 
still have been struck of any official registers the year before
for malpractice or whatever - basically all having that bit of 
paper says is that when the bits of paper were being handed out
the person handing them out deemed the person it was given to
(not even the person hanging it on their wall necessarily) 
worth of a bit of paper. 


2070.10CHEFS::THATCHER_DCap'n DelboyThu Sep 14 1995 10:1211
     <<< Note 2070.5 by BIS54::DYSON >>>
    
    �I see your on fine form again with your happy-go-lucky noting style.
    �Personally I feel more comfortable in the office of an expert with lots
    �of certificates on their wall.
    
    Lot's of certificates mean nothing.  Experts are ten-a-penny.  What you
    really need is a leading authority, they never bother showing their
    certificates.
    
    Del. 
2070.11Quit Needling The Acunpunturist!PKHUB1::MROPRTThu Sep 14 1995 10:2613
    
    	My favorite wall certificate of all time was a graffitied
    note over a roll of toilet paper in my college's Humanities
    building.
    
    			Bachelor of Arts Degrees
    
    			       Take One
    				   |		
                                   |
                                   |
                                  \|/
    BillM ;>)!
2070.12IJSAPL::ANDERSONIt&#039;s apple harvest time!Thu Sep 14 1995 10:594
    A good rule of thumb seems to be, the more ornate the certificate the
    less it is worth.

    Jamie.
2070.13STUDIO::PALUSESBob Paluses @MROThu Sep 14 1995 12:1621
    
    Regarding wall certificates. I only mentioned it because I had never
    been in a large office where an entire wall was literally plastered
    with certificates and diplomas. I wouldn't use that as the determining
    factor on whether a Dr was any good or not, because yes, they could
    all be generated from his pc printer or be meaningless scrap paper. 
    
     In my case, this was just another piece of data that my senses took
    in. We had already gotten raving recomendations from people we trusted,
    we have good vibes in dealing with them, and since going there my wife
    has improvements in health. 
    
     Drawing my own personal conclusions about this Dr and his wall of
    diplomas and certificates, I don't get the feeling that he is trying
    to impress anyone. It's just stuff that he's earned and you have to hang
    them somewhere......
    
    
     Bob
    
     
2070.14a few thingsTNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonThu Sep 14 1995 13:0437
    
    Getting back to the original topic here...God forbid...(;^)
    
    One of the top Ayurvedic practitioners in the US, as recognized by 
    countless many of his colleagues both here and all over the world, 
    is David Frawley.  David is a personal acquaintence of mine, however
    unfortunately for me, his practice is located out in New Mexico.  When
    I was in John Doulliard's pulse diagnosis workshop, I asked him if he
    knew David.  John said that while they had not yet met in person, David
    has been most helpful over the phone when he rang him up with some
    questions, and has nothing but the highest of praises for David's work
    and his knowledge on these subjects.
    
    David offers a certified correspondence course on Ayurvedic studies
    through the American Institute of Vedic Studies, of which he is the
    director, and which I hope to begin sometime within the next year or so.
    He has authored several excellent books on these subjects, especially
    the one on "Ayurvedic Healing" that I'm currently reading.
    
    Alternatively, there is an Ayurvedic course held 1 weekend per month
    for about a year, offered in the Boston area.  David is one of the
    faculty members for the course, and so is Dr. Qutab.
    
    I was delighted to discover this connection, and also that Dr. Qutab is
    located in this area.  Though I haven't seen his wall hangings (;^), I
    am quite impressed with his credentials - including his M.D. (medical
    and surgical intern) from Pakistan, Doctor of Oriental Medicine from 
    Japan, and Doctor of Chiropractic and Naturopathy in the United States 
    - but even more so of the knowledge and insight so apparent in his 
    lecture at the Whole Health Expo.  So I'm really looking forward to
    this visit. 
    
    Jamie - please give my best to the Pet Pathologist.  (;^)  Been too long 
    since I've seen you both.
    
    Cindy
               
2070.15APSMME::RAMSAYThu Sep 14 1995 16:261
    Cindy, what is the definition of "Ayurvedic," please?
2070.16here ye be!TNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonThu Sep 14 1995 16:519
    
    Susan,
    
    Ayurveda is the "Science of Life".
    
    For more details, see note 1964.2.  That string goes into greater
    detail.
    
    Cindy  
2070.17Ayurveda info.TNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonWed Sep 20 1995 13:1210
    
    If anyone is interested in the Ayurvedic self-study correspondence
    course, or the Vedic Astrology course, you can send a Self-Addressed 
    Stamped Envelope (S.A.S.E) to:
    
    	American Institute of Vedic Studies
    	P.O. Box 8357
    	Santa Fe, NM 87504-8357
    
    Cindy
2070.18APSMME::RAMSAYThu Nov 09 1995 14:225
    so, Cindy, have you been to see your Ayurvedic M.D.?
    
    And: do you know of any body-mind-spirit attuuned MD's in the Nashua
    area?  Ones who are familiar with and agree with Bernie Siegel,
    Louise Hay, Edgar Cayce???
2070.19yes, and here's what happened (;^)TNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonThu Nov 09 1995 16:4769
    
    No, don't know any holistic health physicians in Nashua offhand - maybe
    someone else does?
    
    Yes, I finally made it to see Dr.Qutab, 16 days ago.  It's been quite 
    interesting since then.  (;^)  To give the nutshell version - he 
    confirmed that one of my Vata subdoshas is extremely of balance, which 
    I already knew.  He found a few other things, too, that need attention.
    He spent well over an hour with me, taking my pulse readings, asking 
    questions and poking various accupressure points to confirm the
    diagnoses he came up with in the pulse.  Really, really nice person!
    
    I've also been struggling with candida (yeast) for many years...which got
    very bad when I was given unnecessary antibiotics 2.5 years ago and it
    literally took over my body.  I managed, through vitamin, mineral, and
    herbal supplementation, to get it back under some semblance of control
    again, but it has felt like a losing battle because it's never really
    gone away, and I've never felt 100% myself since then.
    
    Western medicine could only offer topical and invasive medicines that
    had nasty side-effects such as liver toxicity.  I tried some, but they
    didn't work, and finally just resorted to the inevitable 'living with
    it'.
    
    Dr. Qutab, though, had an entirely different approach.  He said that
    with the diet changes, supplementation (which I was using Herbalife and
    he said those were quite fine, except for the powder which has fructose
    in it), and different remedies he prescribed, that it really could be 
    eliminated.  I was extremely delighted to hear that.  My case was quite 
    advanced, and even had the nastier symptoms of blurred vision and 
    hoarseness, yet my GP doctors were useless.  
    
    So, for the last 15 days, I've been taking 5 different homeopathic and
    naturopathic remedies with no toxic side-effects whatsoever (take them
    30 minutes before each meal), and have been on what I call the 
    Diet-From-Hell (no wheat, no dairy, no sugar in any form, no raw 
    vegetables, no chocolate, no fruit except for bananas, no tomato 
    products, no mushrooms, no fermented products, no yeast products).  
    You may wonder just what is left.  (;^)  Fortunately he did provide a 
    list of possiblities, so all was not lost.  I've been getting by on 
    rice, cooked and stirfried vegetables in olive oil (only, no peanuts), 
    sort-of variations on Indian curries, oatmeal, and similar things.
    
    Now, 15 very difficult days later, I can really notice the prior 
    symptoms are subsiding.  Particularly my vision is much clearer, the
    hoarseness is much less, and I've dropped a few pounds. Even my aura
    'feels' lighter, clearer.  My body is still readjusting to the sudden
    shock of none of my former dietary staples, such as pizza for example
    (;^), so it's still a little early to tell fully what has happened.  I
    feel my sleep patterns are changing slowly for the better.  
    
    I've elected to go through their holistic program which involved
    something like 20 visits over a longer period of time, to work on 'what
    comes next'.  My next appt. is late next week with one of his
    colleagues.  Meanwhile I'll be staying on my current diet and the
    remedies until then.  The Herbalife supplements have been a godsend in
    that they have helped to make sure I get the proper nutrition as I went
    through such an extreme change and restriction in diet.  I know they've
    helped me to avoid a lot of the cravings that I have had in the past
    when I've tried the anti-candida diets.  There were only a couple of
    times that I experienced extreme cravings - right around day 9, and a
    couple of days ago.
    
    The true test came when I went to a party where there were piles of
    cookies, cakes and candies, along with all the things I couldn't eat,
    and I managed not to give in to the temptation...had my dal and rice
    instead.  It was hard, but not impossible.  (;^)
    
    Cindy
2070.20APSMME::RAMSAYFri Nov 10 1995 09:141
    thanks for the update, Cindy.  you deserve lots of credit!  good luck.