• Many respected practitioners now recognize noted environmental issues as a rising threat to our health, and correlate the large number of cases of Autism, Lyme, autoimmunity, food allergies, and chronic ailments to the increasingly toxic environment we are exposed to daily. Even otherwise “healthy” individuals are beginning to show signs of a burdened system with more mild symptoms, like fatigue, headaches and indigestion.
• The people that show the stress first  are the ones that reveal where we have gone astray in our environment. An awareness is already emerging as we identify issues like pollution, mold, electromagnetic fields (EMFs), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), toxic dentistry practices and unaddressed infectious disease.
• Join us as we explore these complex rising health concerns with our nations leading holistic physicians and healthcare practitioners.

PLEASE WELCOME THE FOURTH INTERVIEWEE:

Dr. Christine Schaffner

Dr. Christine Schaffner is a board certified Naturopathic physician who graduated from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. She completed her undergraduate studies in Pre-medicine and Psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.Dr. Schaffner’s style of practice is strongly rooted in traditional Naturopathic principles. She believes in the importance of establishing a strong health foundation in order to achieve optimal health. Dr. Schaffner combines both Naturopathic and Conventional therapies to develop individualized treatment plans that focus on addressing the underlying cause of complex chronic illness.

Dr. Schaffner listens to her patient’s story and actively involves them in their health plan. She enjoys educating her patients so that they feel empowered in making decisions in their health journey. Dr. Schaffner has trained extensively with Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD.  She has also completed Dr. Robert Rowen’s Oxidation Therapy Course, Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s Biotoxin Illness Course, Advanced Classes in Biotherapeutic Drainage, and recently attended Medicine Week in Baden-Baden, Germany.  She thoroughly enjoys staying current with the latest developments in chronic illness so she can better serve her patients.

IMPORTANT LINKS:
Sophia Health Institute
Bella Fiore Klinik
Thank you Stacy and Well Scent for inviting me to be part of this interview series.
I am grateful that you are such an informative resource for patients suffering from MSIDs.  It saddens me that so many patients are still struggling to find meaningful answers on why they are sick and steps on how to regain their health.

I am extremely passionate about the medicine we practice at Sophia Health Institute. We have an amazing team of physicians and practitioners led by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt.  I love this work, and it is such a joy to see patients finally find answers, renew their hope, to get well, and to transform through this process.
Resources being equal, why aren’t some people getting better?

I look at each patient’s health through the lens of chronic infections, environmental toxicity, genetic susceptibilities, diet and lifestyle, and emotional trauma.  At Sophia, we also identify interference fields that may present roadblocks to healing and may prevent a patient’s protocol from working effectively.  Interference fields are often in asymptomatic areas of the body and may include a surgical scar, an untreated dental infection, or a focal infection in the tonsils.  We rely on a thorough clinical history, panoramic dental x-ray, lab testing, and Autonomic Response Testing to identify potential interference fields in the body.  Dr. Louisa Williams does an excellent job explaining this philosophy of healing in her book Radical Medicine.  By identifying and treating these areas, patients typically are able to unlock an important key in their health and better respond to treatment.

Another consideration if someone is not getting better, despite good treatment, is to rule out current ongoing mold or electromagnetic field exposures.

To identify mold in your home or office, we recommend the ERMI or HERTSMI2 mold test through mycometrics.com.  Dr. Shoemaker has a wealth of information on his website survivingmold.com

A very important aspect of our treatment protocol is to educate and ensure each patient is following Dr. Klinghardt’s electromagnetic field precautions in their home.  These include eliminating wireless and cordless phones, turning off fuses at night, and taking necessary action to avoid having a smart meter on your home.  Take Back Your Power, http://www.takebackyourpower.net/, is a great resource to remove or opt out of having a smart meter on your home.

What is different about your protocol?

I feel extremely fortunate for the tools and skills Dr. Klinghardt has trained me and continues to train me in that make our medicine non-protocol and highly individualized.

Autonomic Response Testing and Neural Therapy are two unique and integral tools we use in our approach.

Autonomic Response Testing allows us to identify and prioritize treatment.  When treating patients suffering from complex chronic illnesses, it can be challenging to choose the appropriate therapy for the patient’s current state of health.  Autonomic Response Testing guides our ability to prescribe the right therapy at the right time.

Neural therapy is an injection technique not only for treating scar interference fields, but is also used to support and improve the functioning of an organ or gland.  It is an extremely effective tool that I use daily to support patients through their protocol.

Name your top three tips for detoxification.

First we must do our best to educate ourselves and try to minimize exposures to environmental toxins in your indoor air, water, food, cleaning supplies, and personal care products.

Colonics are an amazing therapy to not only cleanse the colon but also stimulate the release of bile from the liver.

Cilantro plus Ionic foot bath-Dr. Klinghardt’s colleague in Europe did a study that demonstrated the internal use of Cilantro tincture plus regular Ionic Foot Baths and showed a significant reduction in heavy metal excretion.

Lymph drainage using manual lymphatic drainage alone or in combination with Lymphapress pants can improve symptoms dramatically.  The lymphatic system is often overlooked in conventional medicine, and is extremely congested in our patient population.  Dry skin brushing at home can support the movement of the lymphatic system as well.

Detoxification strategies are part of the foundation of our treatment plans.  If patients are on  any “anti” strategies or mobilizing environmental toxins or biotoxins at a rate that is faster then the body’s ability to remove them then people can become more symptomatic.

Why do you feel that detoxification is crucial in the healing process?

Our bodies are miraculous in their ability to process and eliminate harmful substances.  Nevertheless, chronic toxic exposure in our modern world has become inevitable and overwhelming to our bodies.  Even as adaptable as our genetics are, our detoxification abilities have not caught up to the rate of harmful chemical and energy exposures that challenge us daily.  Many of these toxin exposures become cumulative, and severely compromise normal physiologic function.

These toxic burdens compromise immune function, and modern medical and agricultural practices have also increased the likelihood that chronic infections become harbored in our tissues. These infections themselves create a constant stream of biotoxins that the body must deal with.

Detoxification strategies are, therefore, foundational to our treatment plans.  Our goal is to get people “cleaner” from the inside out, and free up a huge burden from their bodies.  This often means reducing the heavy metal burden (e.g. lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.) in the body, and supporting the removal of glyphosates from the body – two major categories of toxins that our bodies really struggle with removing.

How important is diet in each individual’s treatment plan and is there one diet you recommend more than others?

Most people are now aware that diet is a foundational aspect to health.  Eating real, whole food in a peaceful environment is a basic necessity to a healthy life.  There is much to be said about the challenges of obtaining and affording real food that I can’t cover here, but a basic focus on eating real food is always a first step!

Beyond this foundational approach, diet is a complex subject.  The illness with which people present to us – particularly the state of their digestive tracks – necessitates specific dietary strategies that can be very unique to the individual.  Food allergies/intolerance, parasites, malabsorption, dysbiosis, leaky gut syndrome and many other issues necessitate practical strategies for the individual looking to heal.  Genetic and epigenetic differences including blood type, metabolic type, heritage, etc. are also very important to look at.  This is a constantly evolving aspect of medicine.  There truly isn’t one specific diet I recommend more than others, other than one that emphasizes real, fresh food.

Do you test for food allergies/sensitivities and if so, how? There seems to be a lot of controversy around blood testing for food allergies. Do you feel that these blood tests to detect food allergies are accurate? If so, why?

Food allergies and sensitivities are a reality for most of our patients.  Certain types of immune reactions, like Type 1 Hypersensitivities, are often immediate and severe.  However, this isn’t the only type of immunological food reaction.  Because many different immune mechanisms may be responsible for food reactions, specific blood tests aren’t always accurate or, moreover, all encompassing.  A person’s biochemistry is adaptable and always changing.  For example, the type of bacteria and parasites a person harbors can alter immune function.  Autonomic Response Testing is extremely helpful in distinguishing what food or substances a person should avoid in the given moment, so that this burden to their immune function can be avoided.

How much of an impact do you feel parasites have on overall health, the ability to heal? Do you feel parasites can be eradicated without medications?

Parasites have a huge impact on human health and are often a main obstacle to healing.  Moreover, they are an often over-looked issue that many other practitioners are not looking for, or have experience with.   They significantly affect the overall health of an individual and a wide array of symptoms and conditions are associated with, or worsened by, parasitic infection.  Dr. Simon Yu’s “Accidental Cure” is a wonderful introduction into how anti-parasitic medications benefit seemingly unrelated conditions like cancer.

Many parasitic issues can be resolved without medications since there are many wonderful herbals, homeopathics and other non-prescriptive agents to use.  Nevertheless, pharmaceutical medications are extremely helpful tools, and we often prescribe them depending on the type and strength of the infection.  Convenience and cost are also notable factors when choosing an anti-parasitic regime.  CD enemas are extremely cost effective, but not for everyone.

Do you feel that emotional healing has a valuable place in your health paradigm? If so, list your top three strategies/therapies for emotional healing.

Emotional healing is an inseparable reality from any other type of healing.  Healing the physical body affects the energetic, mental and intuitive bodies and healing on these levels likewise affects the physical body.  Dr. Klinghardt’s 5 Levels of Healing is a beautiful model to become familiar with.   PsychoKinesiolgy, Family Constellation work and Mental Field Techniques are all emotional healing techniques that Dr. Klinghardt has helped foster in practitioners and patient’s lives all over the country.  They are our top go-to strategies for supporting emotional healing in very profound, yet un-traditional ways.

Do you find that mold plays a role in neuro-immune illness? What are your top tips for addressing mold exposure and biotoxin illness?

Mold plays a definitive role in neuro-immune illness for so many individuals.  The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has highlighted for many East coasters the compromised health that mold-exposure brings.  Mold exposures are also insidious and happen all over the United States.  Anyone suspicious of current mold exposure should test their home and/or work environment: mycometrics.com provides these tests. This is a tough and heartbreaking aspect of our medicine.

Mold exposure is often the tipping point in a long line of health insults, and all of these health parameters should be addressed holistically.  Some individuals are more susceptible to mold related illness genetically, and avoiding further exposures and supporting the binding of mold toxins in the gut and body become foundational approaches.  Having a propolis vaporizer in the house as well as a hepa air filter are simple yet profound strategies.  Survivingmold.com is a fantastic resource for those wanting to learn more.

For your patients who are struggling financially and must be selective about where they spend their resources, what are the top three things that you recommend they do for their health?

Coming up with an individual plan that correctly identifies the roadblocks to healing is often the most financially responsible strategy long-term.  Most people can’t go wrong with coffee enemas, CD enemas, and other colon hydrotherapy techniques.  Castor oil packs are another simple cost effective strategy to support the liver and can be used over any other organ that needs gentle detoxification support.  Making Miso and Cilantro Soup a regular part of your diet is a wonderful food based heavy metal detoxification strategy as well.

Do you feel that chlorine dioxide plays an important role in healing?

Chlorine dioxide plays an important role in healing for many in our patient population.  While it isn’t for everyone, all of time, we get the most consistent results in helping people eliminate Rope Worm, biofilm and other parasitic material this way.

From Well Scent:
We are incredibly honored to share this opportunity with Dr. Christine Schaffner. We know this community will also appreciate her contribution.

Thank you Dr. Schaffner for sharing your wisdom with this community. We appreciate your work and generous contribution to this project.

With gratitude,
Stacy and The Well Scent Team