The plan I came up with as a young man was quite simple: do an apprenticeship, finish my A-levels, do my military service and then do what I wanted to do – study biochemistry.

But then things turned out so much differently than I had imagined.

One of my teachers told me that there was an opportunity to study biochemistry: in Moscow, six years studying biochemistry and medicine. That’s what happened. From 1979 to 1985, I studied “Medical Biochemistry” at the Pirogov Institute of the Second Medical Institute in Moscow and completed my studies with a thesis on the diagnosis of severe withdrawal symptoms in alcohol addiction. My studies were followed by my license to practice medicine in 1985. In the same year, I began training as a specialist in laboratory medicine at Charité Berlin. I graduated in 1990 with a doctoral thesis on questions of fat metabolism in the brain.

The fall of communism brought with it a number of detours: after trying to pursue a career at university or as a research doctor in industry, I returned to one of my areas of study and turned back to the profession of a practicing doctor.

A whole series of experiences from my time as a junior doctor at the Charité were the reason why I devoted myself to alternative medicine from 1991. A wide range of further training in the fields of nutritional and environmental medicine, in the most important naturopathic treatments and in the field of classical homeopathy ultimately led me to identify with the concept of “holistic medicine” and to work as a doctor in this sense to this day.

The medical concept of holistic thinking, which – despite all prophecies of doom – must be an integral part of an ever necessary diversity in medical science, is based on two pillars:

1. The human organism is the sum of the interactions of all its organ systems and not the “mere” sum of its individual parts.

Basically, the concept of holistic medicine is “merely” about identifying the causes of a disturbed interaction between the organ systems. As the systems (must) act in orderly interaction and are therefore interdependent in their effects, nature has created “control circuits” to monitor all life processes. The “coordinator” of these control circuits is the autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

If the autonomic nervous system detects an overload caused by external factors, it initially changes the intensity and direction of the processes in the affected organ system. This is followed by a readjustment of all other control circuits in order to stabilize the optimal possible interaction for all organ systems (also) under the new, overstraining conditions.

The interesting thing is that almost all the reasons for a disrupted interaction can almost always be found outside the body. Consequently, the therapeutic approach is primarily concerned with finding the reasons for these excessive demands in order to reduce or even eliminate them.

This makes it potentially possible to cure all chronic diseases.

2. Our organism always (only) produces symptoms – whether acute in the short term or chronic in the long term – to indicate that its compensatory and adaptive possibilities are overstretched.

For the holistic doctor, it is then “only” necessary to discover and eliminate the sources of these overload(s) – whereby the organism, with the help of its own self-healing powers, independently establishes the necessary, individual and optimal order of all control circuits. Once all the causes of the overload(s) have been eliminated, all existing symptoms (or illnesses) disappear “as if by themselves”. This sometimes borders on magic (often misunderstood as spontaneous healing), but is nothing more than simply bio-“logical”.

The organism never makes mistakes in its efforts to pave the way for the optimum in a given situation, which is forced upon it by external factors. If these efforts then lead to serious illnesses, this only shows how dramatic the causes – external factors – must be for the body to see such “training” as the only sensible solution.

These two principles are the reason why I have dealt with “external factors” from the very beginning – with the specialist areas of nutritional medicine and environmental medicine – which are still my most important ones today.

In over 30 years of medical practice, it has ultimately become clear to me that the normalization of all (living) conditions leads to an improvement in the individual’s state of health, sometimes even to a complete, lasting recovery. This is possible even with the most serious chronic illnesses; I have experienced such examples myself and experience them again and again every day.

For the restoration of any “order” – the goal of medical activity – should be clear to every patient:

“If you don’t change anything, nothing will change.” (Dr. med. Franz Xaver Mayr)

This can also mean changing the previous, pathogenic order in life, possibly completely.

The second aspect of my work as a doctor and scientist is my lecturing.

For over 25 years, I have been making the principles of holistic medicine accessible to a wide audience through lectures and seminars. For me, “holistic nutritional medicine” as a first-rate therapeutic method in the treatment of (all) chronic diseases is the basis of my medical practice. Environmental medicine aspects are an important part of “Holistic Nutritional Medicine”.

In lectures, seminars, workshops and coaching sessions, I impart theoretical principles and practically applicable knowledge. It is my sincere desire to pass on my knowledge and experience in the treatment of seemingly hopeless clinical cases and to promote the spread of holistic medical methodology for the benefit of patients and colleagues.

Understandable and applicable knowledge is the best “help for self-help”, especially for interested laypeople, but also for everyone affected – more important than ever in today’s world.

In most cases that doctors describe as (incurable) chronic illnesses (” … that you have to live with”), it is usually a case of the human organism’s compensatory and regenerative possibilities being overtaxed. As long as the human organism still has the fundamental potential for recovery (the extent of which no one in the medical profession can conclusively assess), as long as the organism has sufficient vitality, improvement and even healing is always possible.

In my opinion, the two most important tasks of the doctor are to:

• searching for the factors that are overtaxing or even threatening the organism and
• supporting the organism in restoring (health-promoting) order.

I am happy to accompany people on the path to health, with all my knowledge and skills, on the arduous journey of change in their lives. One thing is important: you must understand everything I suggest. Therefore: always ask why something makes sense. I can always explain it to you. Take the first step towards a future without discomfort: it is a pleasure for me to assist you.

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