Celebrating over 30 years - Dr Bhatti's holistic approach to health stands the test of time

Dr. Hussain Bhatti worked in conventional Western medicine until an injury in the 1980s led him in a new direction. Having experienced the benefits of complementary medicine, he went on to train in that field.  He now specialises in treating stress and illnesses it causes, as he tells JUDY MURPHY

(This article appeared in both the City Tribune & Connacht Tribune, February 8 2019)

When Dr Hussain Bhatti, a qualified and experienced medical doctor, decided in the 1980s, to start focusing on complementary medicine, many of his colleagues thought he was mad.  He wasn't.  Rather the Galway based doctor was streets ahead of his time.  Since then, increasing numbers of people, including members of the medical profession, have become more aware of taking a holistic approach when it comes to tackling illness.

That's central to Dr Bhatti's philosophy and has been for more than 30 years.   "For me, it's about treating the whole body,"he says simply.  Having a conventional medical background is "brilliant" he says, "because I know about an illness and I know about body parts". 

Dr. Bhatti trained as a GP in India and went on to earn further qualifications when he moved to Ireland.  Coming here "just happened" through a friend of his uncle who was training as an eye-surgeon in Dublin and loved Ireland.  "I never looked back.  From day one I just loved this country."

Dr. Bhatti's first job in Galway was in Merlin Park, in medicine.  He also worked in surgery at the Regional (UHG) and went on to do a post-grad in paediatrics with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.  He continued to add to his qualifications, with psychiatry among his specialisations. Dr. Bhatti also worked in Portiuncula and St. Brigid's Psychiatric Hospital in Ballinasloe and spent three years in charge of the Alcohol and Addiction Unit there in the late 1980s before changing direction.

He had previously been working in orthopaedics in Merlin when he developed back problems - and the chronic pain he endured marked the beginning of his journey to holistic medicine.   Dr. Bhatti was treated by different consultants for the excruciating pain, but nothing helped.  Then, while attending a wedding in the UK, "after taking a fist-full of Ponstan" painkillers, he met an English GP who suggested he try an alternative approach. 

Acupuncture was what he turned to and after three sessions, the effect "was like a miracle".  Until then, Dr. Bhatti had been sceptical about acupuncture. "I thought it was a piseóg," he says honestly.  "But after that experience, I decided to look into it.  "I had trained in India and I would always have been a believer in Western medicine until I hurt my back.  But Western medicine didn't have the answers to my back problems." 

Later, he realised that there was more to illness than just the physical element.  Dr. Bhatti quotes from recent research that state that most visits to family doctors (70 percent) are stress-related, directly or indirectly.  In his experience, its the "silent killer". 

A small amount of stress can be good for you as it brings energy "and it's motivating", he says.  But when it becomes chronic "it can start affecting your home, your work, or other areas of your life and you might start showing signs, like a pain in your neck or in your back".   Humans are like animals in their initial response to stress, he observes.  "If a dog is on high alert, the muscles from his neck to his tailbone will rise.  But the dog has learned to relax when the alert passes.  We haven't and those muscles will stay tight, especially if there's non-stop stress."

Dr. Bhatti reels off a list of illnesses that are triggered by ongoing stress, including high blood pressure, heart issues, diabetes, and digestive disorders including Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The biggest issue is its effect on your immune system, he says, so tackling it is a priority.  "When someone contacts me; before you come in, I'll ask you to write down a bit of history - family history and your own personal medical history.  And when you are in here, we'll expand a bit more and I'll pay attention to any traumatic events in your life."  Childhood events, such as moving house or the death of a granny, might seem trivial to an adult but to the child going through them, they are major.  And if they aren't addressed, they can leave a legacy.  "Some people cope better with trauma - it will depend on your support," he observes.  "And emotional pain can be worse than physical pain.  Some people think emotional pain is imagined pain but it's real: it can be emotional or it can manifest itself physically." 

He mentions the syndrome known as Fibromyalgia in this context. "It's a collection of symptoms but pain is the biggest issue," he says and often it can be trauma-related.  Dr. Bhatti cites the example of a woman in her 50s who came to him with a series of symptoms that included "pain and foggy brain".  Eventually she revealed that, in the 1980s, shortly after getting married , she had suffered a miscarriage at nearly seven months. This woman had never seen her dead child and the loss had preyed on her mind ever since.   Dr. Bhatti treated her with acupuncture and talk-therapy, and prescribed tonics for her.  "Eventually, when she was stronger, I suggested she go and ask about the burial site.  She did go.  And when she came back to me, she was a different person.  She still had some symptoms, but her Fibromyalgia had almost disappeared."

For that and any severe painful conditions such as ulcers, reflux or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Dr. Bhatti looks at the emotional side of matters.  Migraine too is related to the emotions and "any excitement, good or bad, can provoke it", he says. 

One group of people in contemporary Ireland who are particularly affected by stress are carers, he says.  Caring is constant and it's wearing and support is vital.  "Keep your family close, if they are worth keeping but keep your friends closer. Friends are invaluable."

Having chosen a complementary path, Dr. Bhatti went on to train in Dublin, the UK, Germany and America in a range of areas - he has done courses in Mindfulness, Suicide-Prevention, Anger Management Therapy, Addiction Counselling, Complex Homeopathy and Acupuncture, including Laser Acupuncture. 

He offers a range of anti-ageing treatments, "because a lot of people age prematurely.  I love working with those people and a lot can be done about it".  Circumstances and temperament can play a role in ageing, because "not everybody is dealt the same hand in life". 

Dr. Bhatti describes what he offers as "lifestyle medicine", which is about discovering someone's lifestyle and working with that.

Gut health has become a big topic in recent times, and it's something he's already aware of, having done a lot of study in that area.  "If your good gut bacteria go into disharmony, it can affect you mentally, causing depression and anxiety.  And it can affect your total general health; your gastro-intestinal system and your immunity. " 

Dr. Bhatti's clients are a mix of male and female, and are sometimes referred by GPs.  He offers low-dose medicine, including a range of psychological regulating medicine when required.  Dr. Bhatti stresses that operates within strict guidelines.  "I always send a patient back to the GP to inform them before starting any treatment, just to rule out any serious illness, because I am not a GP.  I have a medical qualification and post-graduate qualifications in alternative medicine, and I still lecture on complementary medicine to General Practitioners. "I tell people never to stop medication and to stay in touch with your GP,"he adds.  "I am working on the complementary side and it complements the other.  I know what I can do and don't overstep.  If I'm not the right person for someone, I won't take them on. "

The complementary doctor and father of four daughters is filled with enthuasism for his work and for life generally.  "The glass has always been half-full.  I can get irritable at times, and things might get me down for a day or two but I don't have bad moods." "Your demeanour is going to have a direct effect on your life. But sometimes, if there's an onslaught of pressure on someone, day in day out, it all has to have an effect on your health".  However, it can be addressed, he adds, and if you take the stress away, everything becomes more bearable. 

"I firmly believe there is hope for everyone.  It's important to have hope."