Background on JHNP

BACKGROUND

Joseph H. Navach, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, devoted his professional life helping people who were seriously compromised surgically as well as medically to return to reasonable functioning, utilizing traditional medical techniques and cutting-edge clinical biophysics.

Navach was guided by the Vascular Autonomic Signal (VAS), a diagnostic acupuncture pulse technique discovered and developed in the early 1950’s at the medical school in Lyon, France, by neurologist, Paul Nogier.

The VAS is a reflex. It is initiated by any stimulus inside or outside a human or other animal. An outside stimulus can be present in the immediate external environment of the subject without touching the subject. When a stimulus is present, the physiological response in the subject is an instantaneous change in the tone of the wall of all arteries. Clinically, the non-invasive palpation of the change in the tone of the wall of the radial artery in conjunction with a Timed Therapeutic Window has been utilized to evaluate the potential usefulness of acupuncture needles, food, medications, etc. The manual use of Nogier’s magnificent discovery has been carried forward by several thousand physicians worldwide over the past forty years.

Few physicians in the U.S.A. know about the uses of the VAS. Navach did, however, and he became fascinated with Paul Nogier’s manual Auricular Medicine techniques, recognizing their usefulness in combination with traditional medicine and foreseeing their potential applicability to medicine in the future. Navach believed that the VAS should be considered as a guide regarding the status of homeostasis and the regaining of homeostasis.

Dr. Navach’s mother, father and sister were pharmacists with great interest in herbal formulations. That influence plus a great interest in physics gave foundation to Joseph’s interest in the medical profession.

Joseph was a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and practiced orthopedic surgery in Van Nuys, California. He did his medical training at McGill University, receiving both Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees, followed by training in General Surgery, Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, and at the Brown University-Rhode Island Hospital Medical Center. His general medical skills were refined during a three-year practice of Emergency Medicine. Active duty as a military surgeon for three years was then followed by private practice.

During the last 18 years of his life, Dr. Navach, in addition to his surgical practice, devoted much of his time to basic science research on the Vascular Autonomic Signal (VAS) to understand its biochemistry, physiology and clinical applications. He hoped ultimately to develop technology to duplicate, independent of an operator, the way in which the VAS, when utilized manually, can help to discriminate clinically which therapeutic vehicles might be useful. Once automated, the process would lead civilization internationally toward a more gentle, sensitive, humane and non-invasive approach to diagnosis, treatment and healing.

In fact, Navach was one of the first to set scientific precedent at the Group Lyonnais d’Etude Medicales (GLEM), reporting as early as 1980 at annual meetings on various topics, including recording of the VAS using infrared reflection and three types of ultrasound, continuous wave form, Doppler and set angle reflection.

Navach also discovered how to evaluate which aspect of the brain is the farthest from clinical homeostasis. Once that information has been obtained, a clinician can discern which acupuncture points on the ear to treat in order to have the greatest impact on the brain imbalance. Such treatment facilitates healing of various medical problems. Once treatment of acupuncture points has begun, finding the greatest area of brain imbalance can also, with the use of the VAS, help the clinician know which amino acids and other supplements should be used to maintain the activity of previously dormant biochemical activity.

Navach claimed he identified and isolated special compounds in acupuncture points that have the capacity to oscillate (vibrate) when induced by electromagnetic stimulation. He believed that these "novel" neurohormones (1) facilitate transfer of subtle energy information in meridians (energy channels in the body); and (2) speed the healing process by accelerating the transfer of subtle energy information from DNA to messenger RNA.

He also established a way to use Human Lymphocyte Antibodies (HLA’s), phenotypes A through D, in conjunction with an individual’s complete blood count (CBC) and arthritis and chemistry panels to predict which foods, based on any one individual’s genetics, should be avoided because they may inhibit the process of healing.

Navach’s basic science research became the cornerstone for his development of electromagnetic prototypes to facilitate healing and develop optimal physical, emotional and intellectual capacities of world-class and wheelchair athletes. For example, he developed a special seat for quadriplegics which reduces decubiti (pressure) ulcers by fifty percent. The seat prototype utilizes knowledge about acupuncture points to produce a system which maintains all pressure points at less than one pound per square inch (1 PSI). A second prototype measures changing pressures at strategic areas and utilizes a pump to change the pressure of each area as the pressure on the respective points changes. Three additional prototypes are still in experimental stages. To date, the seats have been able to address the needs of paraplegics who were formerly bedridden and who, with the help of these prototypes, can now sit and even drive cars.

In 1997, after her husband’s untimely death, Beverly Navach, M.D., was presented an award by the Governor of New Mexico honoring Joseph Navach for the special seat he created. This success reflected the first conversion of a government contract to civilian use.

Beverly Navach, their four children and three grandchildren survive Joseph. She is eager for others to corroborate her late husband’s work.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL JOSEPH H. NAVACH PROJECT

People or organizations desiring more information and/or wishing to contribute to the research budget, please contact the Director, John M. Ackerman, M.D. at jkrayk@silcom.com.