About > Paracelsus Biological Medicine

An Introduction to Paracelsus Biological Medicine
Paracelsus Biological Medicine (PBM) is a highly sophisticated, scientific, holistic medical philosophy developed by Dr. Thomas Rau of the Paracelsus Klinik in Lustmuhle, Switzerland. For most Americans, PBM is a new paradigm for medicine and health. It is completely different from the conventional medicine (allopathic medicine) we grew up with. While all doctors and staff at the Paracelsus Klinik were originally trained in conventional allopathic medicine, they have chosen to dedicate their professional lives to Paracelsus Biological Medicine because they have experienced the effectiveness of a vision of health that works in harmony with the rhythms of life itself.

PBM and Conventional Allopathic Medicine
At present, conventional medicine is in a period of great upheaval. Past paradigms that addressed the problem of infectious disease do not provide adequate solutions for the many chronic and degenerative illnesses prevalent today. The stresses of modern society, our increasingly toxic environment, and lack of appropriate nutrition have all contributed to the current epidemic proportions of cancer, autoimmune disorders and numerous other degenerative diseases. A new way of looking at health and disease is required.

PBM’s philosophy is rooted in many “traditional” medical systems that offer ancient, proven solutions to modern ailments. A number of alternative and traditional medical practices are integrated in its holistic approach: elements of Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Anthroposophy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine all find a place in PBM. These traditions are imbued with the understanding that we are Nature’s creatures, not just machines that malfunction. On many levels, we ARE what we eat, drink, and breathe. We ARE how we feel, live, and work. We absorb elements that nourish us; we eliminate elements that are toxic to us. When either the nourishing or eliminatory functions of the body are compromised, disease happens: malnourishment restricts our bodily processes, and faulty elimination leads to a buildup of the useless and harmful byproducts of our metabolic processes. As the body struggles to handle this double blow, opportunistic diseases can gain a foothold.

Instead of addressing the underlying imbalance that allowed disease to flourish in the first place, many allopathic treatments try to heal by destroying the organisms or cells that have taken advantage of the body’s compromised state. For example, when a patient has an infection, allopathic medicine aims to kill the bacteria that cause it with antibiotics. When a patient has cancer, allopathic medicine aims to destroy the cancer cells with chemotherapy and radiation. This approach, especially in the treatment of chronic or degenerative disease, is often toxic to the very organism it tries to help. You may have your own experience, direct or indirect, with treatments that are intended to heal, but instead cause additional problems.


The PBM Perspective on Causes of Disease
Have you ever wondered what causes disease? Say you have an infection. An overabundance of certain bacteria “causes” the infection. But what caused the overabundance of bacteria? What malfunction created an environment, a milieu, in which the bacteria could flourish? In Paracelsus Biological Medicine, symptoms of diseases are considered alarm signals that appear as patterns of “regulatory disharmony”. Symptoms are the final manifestation of what is usually a long chain of pathological events. The initial causative factors of disease often lie in much deeper dimensions, far removed from the apparent symptom. Allergies, inflammation, pain, headaches, exhaustion, depression, tension, sleeplessness, indigestion and recurrent infections are all signs that the body’s internal milieu is disturbed. These symptoms are, in fact, classic responses to an overload of drugs, toxic chemicals, pollution, poor quality or "allergy providing" foods, emotional stress and other causative factors.

Dr. Rau uses the metaphor of a "disease barrel" to describe illness. Over time, environmental toxins, our internal ecological terrain, our genetic inheritance, and the detritus from unprocessed aspects of our emotional lives can fill up our “barrels”. Overflow from the barrel manifests as an acute illness, a chronic condition, or even a life threatening disease. Rather than treating particular symptoms (the overflow of the barrel), Paracelsus Biological Medicine addresses the "root causes" of those symptoms (the contents of the barrel itself).

The PBM Approach to Healing
All healing, in essence, is “self-healing”. All healing involves the regenerative forces of the organism. The primary goal of Paracelsus Biological Medicine is to empower the human organism to heal itself. The guiding principle of its diagnostic and therapeutic methods is the cultivation of our bodies’ regulatory mechanisms, so that we may respond to the environment around us with healthy ease and grace.

PBM holds a view that our forebears, who lived in greater harmony with their environment, probably understood instinctively: our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits are part of a vast matrix of interconnectedness. We are deeply, irrevocably entwined with the world in which we live. In order to facilitate healing, PBM orients therapeutic methods to the individual’s unique life stresses and the ways in which the individual and his/her environment are in disharmony. It combines ancient medical wisdom with current scientific technological advancements to enhance the organism’s ability to regulate, regenerate, adapt and self-heal. In fact, PBM takes its name from this cultivation o f the inherent flexibility and natural rhythm of the organism; many European scholastic circles call this therapeutic promotion of the body’s regulation “Biological Regulatory Medicine”.

Your Role
Paracelsus Biological Medicine stresses patient participation through education, and self-care through lifestyle and dietary changes. If illness is a manifestation of disconnection between the individual and his/her environment, the patient must carefully consider the ways in which s/he can actively embrace choices that affirm healing and the flourishing of life.

When in the role of the patient, we all want to feel as comfortable and confident as possible with both our choice of physician and method of treatment. Each of us needs to engage in his or her own exploration. Use these links to read more about PBM Diagnostics, Therapies, Dentistry, and Diet. For more in-depth information, visit the Resource Section (books, videos, articles), or contact the Paracelsus Biological Medicine Network.

To become a patient at the Paracelsus Klinik in Switzerland, please contact the Paracelsus Biological Medicine Network (508-748-0816) and we will have our comprehensive Patient Packet sent to you and answer any of your questions. To start the process, the simple two-page questionnaire that you will find below must be filled out and mailed or faxed (508-748-1976) to the PBMN office. The questionnaire will be sent to the clinic to be reviewed by Klinik physicians, and then we will contact you to discuss appointment dates and other details about your visit to the clinic.