About Tahira Jiwani
Dr. Jiwanis Story
Three hours in the waiting room seemed like an eternity on my 26th birthday. Although I donned the darkest sunglasses I could find, even closing my covered eyes did nothing to protect me from the lingering light that struck excruciating pain within my brain. This was the third recurring eye inflammation, so sudden and severe, that I was debilitated. I had to be imprisoned in a darkened room, tortured by even the slightest exposure to light. The diagnosis of Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic, painful, degenerative inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints, causing eventual fusion of the spine. Complete fusion results in a complete rigidity of the spine.[/tooltip]and the related Iritis (eye inflammation) was determined, as I recounted my family history & symptoms. I was crushed, as my perception of boundless health seemed forever ruined. I was now high maintenance, health wise, and I knew it!
1sm 2sm 3sm
(Dr. Jiwani 2002)
Severe bald spots diagnosed as Alopecia areata crowning my head appeared. Weakened immunity and chronic severe back pain ensued, despite the time between my car accidents. I wasnt healing, I was weakening, and then I realized that I had to become my own patient. My Ankylosing spondylitis and the related Autoimmune Disease genetics had reared its ugly head to the fullest extent, in varying parts of my body. That was enough; I rose up & treated myself.
The pictures you see here are of me, Dr. Jiwani, with 3 different large bald spots. A well-known dermatologist stated that it was the worst case he had ever seen, this inherited Autoimmune Disease of mine that was creatively expressing itself in many ways. I was also suffering from severe back pain and excruciating eye pain, but dealing with my bald spots was almost as difficult. I awoke with them, as I carefully fixed my hair in the morning, and I bleakly viewed them as I brushed my teeth before bed. I couldnt walk down the street without worrying that the wind was blowing my hair to reveal the balding spots. The worst was constantly asking my office manager if my hair covered the bald spots between patients.
Having suffered these distressing health challenges has helped me to become a better, more supportive doctor. In school, no matter how much they teach you with textbooks & clinical experience, nothing compares to the actual day to day suffering of going through it yourself. In retrospect, I am glad that my symptoms were so obvious, as the constant suffering provoked me to stand up and treat myself.
Thank goodness I was practicing naturopathic medicine already, as conventional medicine only prescribed immunosuppressant drugs: Prednisone, Cortisone injections & Rogaine for my Alopecia areata; muscle relaxants, and painkillers for the chronic back pain, and nothing for my weakening immunity. I didnt take the drugs, because I was trained to know better. But I recalled my childhood, worrying for my mother, a victim of her own deteriorating health; a downward spiral that was expedited by the grand concoction of varied pharmaceutical drugs that wreaked havoc on her frail system. I had to watch a strong, independent, powerful woman concede to the drama of multiple diagnoses of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (Autoimmune Disease ), severe environmental allergies, migraine headaches, recurrent bronchitis and pneumonia. Many doctors visits were to recount the mysterious drug interactions that created bizarre rashes all over her body. It was the insanity of the itchiness, and the multiple steroid drugs driving her to eat, and cry. Drugs, whose effect eventually wore off, so new, stronger, more severe drugs replaced them, until she became a slave to an oxygen machine & nebulizer.
These were the thoughts and fears that drove me to naturopathic medicine, since my desire to practice medicine arose when I was seven years old. But it was another 14 years that passed, until I serendipitously discovered naturopathic medicine. I had already applied to medical school, written my MCAT Admissions Exam, when a friend showed me a brochure on naturopathic medicine. I read the philosophy of do no harm, treat the cause of the symptoms and doctor as a teacher, and instantly I was home. I knew then and there, that this was my destiny.
That is why I have a ONE CLINIC, ONE DOCTOR POLICY. It is through my experiences, suffering daily mental, emotional & physical afflictions that I better understand how crucial and nurturing it is to have a compassionate one-to-one contact that you deserve. Someone that understands what you are going through, to work together with, to achieve your true health. Thus, my One Clinic, One Doctor Policy means that I am and always will be the only naturopathic physician & healthcare practitioner in my clinic, to ensure that you have my personal care, experience and expertise.
EDUCATION
Dr. Jiwani completed her Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Human Nutrition at the University of British Columbia, after which she accomplished her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Ontario.
Dr. Jiwani is the naturopathic physician at the Natural Therapeutics Health Centre Inc, with a focus on family healthcare, including female, male and childrens health. She emphasizes educating her patients, enabling a holistic and preventive approach to healthcare. Dr. Jiwani cultivates an eclectic practice utilizing Clinical & Intravenous Nutrition, Intravenous Chelation Therapy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Botanical (Herbal) Medicine, Dietary and Lifestyle Counseling. Dr. Jiwani has been injecting for over ten years, and is certified for Mesotherapy and Lipotherapy, trained by the actual pioneers from France & Brazil.
Dr. Jiwanis goal to educate the public is accomplished not only through private practice, but also in the media. In addition to her seminars, Dr. Jiwani has been heard on her radio show. Dr. Jiwanis Natural Health on CFUN 1410AM, and various television appearances on Womens Television Network (WTN), Knowledge Network, Vancouver Television (VTV), Global Television and the new alternative health channel ONE.
Dr. Jiwani benefits her patients through her years of experience as a Naturopathic physician and her commitment to her profession. Her efforts have included being the previous Vice-President of the British Columbia Naturopathic Association, and a previously elected board member of the regulatory body the College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC. Her most recent efforts were on the government required Quality Assurance
Committee of the licensing and regulatory College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC.
Since 2003, Dr. Jiwani has also spent hundreds of hours yearly investigating countless scientific journals, probing the paper ridden halls of UBC Medical Libraries, and scrutinizing International Scientific Medical Databases. Thereby to assist her challenge in formulating, rationalizing and validating, with researched evidence, the optimal therapeutic use of multitudes of botanical and nutraceutical products in the marketplace for various national and international nutraceutical manufacturing companies. Dr. Jiwani has been involved in consulting with officers of Health Canadas Natural Health Product Directorate, reviewing with quality assurance officers & technically advising various national and international nutraceutical manufacturing companies, in their compliance endeavors to attain regulatory status for their nutraceutical products. This extensive and continuous research has proved invaluable to Dr. Jiwanis clinical practice, by providing the most up-to-date information on the safety and effectiveness of the many nutraceuticals & botanicals available.
DEFINITIONS
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune disease is a genetic condition, wherein a part of the immune system goes crazy, and attacks the bodys own tissues. This can manifest in many ways, tiredness, weight gain, depression, joint pain, back pain, diarrhea, constipation, skin rashes, & muscle weakness. These symptoms can be caused by autoimmune diseases in various parts of the body. Examples are in the thyroid causing Hyper & Hypothyroidism such as Graves Disease or Hashimotos thyroiditis, in the spine & eye as Ankylosing spondylitis & Iritis, in the nerve coverings as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), on the whole system as Lupus, on the bowels as in Celiac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns, and on the skin Vitiligo & Psoriasis & joints as in Psoriatic Arthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis. These are just to name a few. Others include Autoimmune Hepatitis, Diabetes Type I, Dermatomyositis and Temporal Arteritis.
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, painful, degenerative inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints, causing eventual fusion of the spine. Complete fusion results in a complete rigidity of the spine.
Iritis
Iritis refers to the inflammation of the iris part of the eye, causing severe eye pain, light sensitivity & pain with exposure to light, blurred or cloudy vision, and redness, all making functioning in life difficult, if not impossible.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata (AA) is a condition in which hair is lost from areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1%2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp (Alopecia totalis) or to the entire skin (Alopecia universalis).
The condition is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth. There is evidence that T cell lymphocytes cluster around these follicles, causing inflammation and subsequent hair loss. As with most autoimmune diseases, alopecia areata is associated with increased risk of developing other autoimmune diseases, specifically systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.
