Putting Out the Fire Book Review
As an individual living with RSD / CRPS for over 25 years I couldn’t wait to read Dr. Katinka van der Merwe’s, DC, QNCP book Putting Out the Fire New Hope for RSD / CRPS. I first discovered Dr. Katinka van der Merwe after reading a blog post on the rsds.org website entitled “Putting Out the Fire, A Brand New Approach to Treating RSD/ CRPS. The article was intriguing to say the least!
In her book Putting Out the FIRE, she discusses many of the same topics other books on RSD / CRPS do. She defines what RSD / CRPS is and how it affects the lives of those around us and whether RSD is genetic or not. She also discusses how RSD / CRPS is usually diagnosed and treated. However, that is where the similarities end.
What Dr. Katinka Discusses
In her book, she discusses RSD / CRPS from a more holistic approach, looking at the whole person individually. Dr. Katinka van der Merwe is a Chiropractor who grew up in a household that promoted natural health and was raised to focus on prevention. She was blessed to grow up in that environment and learned a lot from her father, who was also a chiropractor. She shares in her book that she has found her purpose, and I believe that she has!
Putting out the Fire – About the Book
The Beast that It Is
She discusses many things about RSD / CRPS, like the mysterious symptoms you may be having that you didn’t think were related, yet most likely are. How our nervous system becomes a bull firing non-stop and how that firing places excess wear and tear on our glands. She looks at the role of inflammation and who some of the players involved are. She also goes in-depth on the spine, its health, and its relationship to RSD, especially the vagus nerve.
How You Got Sick
She also discusses how we all got sick. Which I agree with her on. Even though we feel that RSD / CRPS just happened, it didn’t just happen. A perfect storm was brewing inside each of us for years. It was that last incident that resulted in the RSD / CRPS that was the straw that broke the camel’s back! She takes you through this journey in her book.
She discusses factors like how your diet, emotions, past illnesses, toxins, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria, fungus, molds, and stress all contribute to creating an unhealthy environment within our own bodies. This unhealthy environment brews the RSD and many of today’s chronic health issues. As I have always said, everything we have done up to the point the RSD / CRPS occurs, or whatever ails you, happened and contributed to it, and we have to unravel it. Unraveling it is what she focuses on best.
She focuses on inflammation, coexisting conditions, the Vagus nerve, and energy medicine to compile a holistic program addressing the whole you! She works out of her clinic in Arkansas, and you can learn more about her by visiting her website.
The Sharing of a Viewpoint
She and I share the viewpoint that it is important to look past the pain itself and support the whole person. In natural health, I believe it’s important to look at the different factors that may be affecting your overall health. Reading her book reminded me of my own journey managing and healing from RSD. I approached my health in a very similar manner she described in her book – holistically.
Back in 2005, I was introduced to energy healing devices, like far infrared therapy and the Chi Machine. I also changed my diet, focused on my gut health, reduced my exposure to toxins, worked on balancing my emotions, and had lots of chiropractic sessions. That holistic approach became an important part of my own journey, and it eventually shaped how
I share my journey in my book, The Healthy Habits Challenge, which focuses on the 8 habits I changed that I felt impacted my health the most! Whatever you decide to do, read the book; it’s very interesting and definitely worth reading!