Natural Medicine| About Me

About Me

Dr. Lewis has been in practice as an osteopathic physician since 1986. She graduated from Reed College in 1965 with a background in physics and chemistry and went into research in the medical field. After years of vigorous competitive athletic activities, she began to struggle with constant headaches and muscular and back pain. Within several years this condition developed into fatigue as well. She explored many avenues to help herself, each helpful, but none that made a substantial change. She recognized that there had been a break-down in her system from the various injuries - one that had resulted in a deterioration of her vitality. Therefore, after years of research in biochemistry involving asking questions about the role of a specific hormone or protein in cellular function, she began to be more and more interested in the answers to questions about the breakdown of the complex system – the breakdown of health.

So when she was in her late thirties, she chose to attend osteopathic medical school to change work to one that would find answers about health and well-being of the whole person.  The osteopathic physician is advised that - “anyone can find disease; the role of the osteopathic physician is to find health“. Once in medical school, as she began reading about the basis of osteopathic medicine she found a science that involved a tremendous amount of information about this health and well-being of the whole person. Homeostasis is defined as the internal mechanism of an organism to regulate and maintain its internal conditions to stabilize health and functioning. The study of homeostasis is the study of the body’s inherent healing mechanism. The osteopathic profession’s dedication to the pursuit of health and understanding the body’s homeostatic mechanism has continued to this date.

Because she has gone through many of the struggles that you have faced and also has the benefit of years of education and experience, she can help you understand your problem in a way that teaches you how to regain a youthful muscle function. She can help you understand why you feel your areas of pain or weakness, showing you the anatomy relationships, and help you to better understand how to work your own body. Ideally your brain tells the muscles to work as teams to accomplish their goal – to move the bones, to stabilize the joints, and to lift the spine optimally up into gravity. However, some of the habits of movement we have don’t allow the muscles to do their job properly. In that case going to the gym or personal trainer isn’t going to teach your body how to use all the muscles in the way that creates movement in which, for instance, your hips, shoulders, and knees are always stabilized.

Her goal is to empower her patients to help themselves, to understand when they are getting in trouble and what to do to bring their function back to ideal. When some muscles get short, opposing muscles get longer. You can learn how to change the way you use your body so that 1.) you work your muscles long and therefore don’t need to constantly stretch them out, 2.) feel how to move with integrated opposing muscle function that stabilizes your joints, 3.) be able to do activities requiring vigorous muscle function without “post-exercise” pain, and 4.) to improve your practice of Tai Chi, Qi Gong.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Judith L. Lewis, D.O.

Stillpoint Osteopathic Center7211 29th Avenue NESeattle, WA  98115Phone:  (206) 258-4580Fax:      (206) 258-4581

EDUCATION

Undergraduate Reed College

Portland, ORBA in Chemistry1961---1965

Graduate

University of OregonEugene, ORGraduate Studies in Theoretical Chemistry1965---1966

Medical

College of Osteopathic Medicine of the PacificPomona, CA1981---1986This includes one year of an Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship in Osteopathic Principles and Practice

Licensure

Washington 1398 025207

Internship

Riverside Osteopathic HospitalTrenton, Michigan1986---1987

Examinations

National Boards passed 1987, #166931Cranial Academy Competency Examination, 1991Board Certified, American Osteopathic Board of NeuromusculoskeletalMedicine and OMM, 1999 and 2010, Certificate # 317

HONORS

Dean's List two semestersWho's Who in American Medical SchoolsDean's Award for Service and ScholarshipAwarded Fellow of The Cranial Academy (FCA), an honorary fellowshipExceptional Service Award, The Cranial Academy

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

American Osteopathic Association, AOAAmerican Academy of Osteopathy, AAOThe Cranial Academy, CAWashington Osteopathic Medical Association, WOMA

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

Chairperson, Publications Committee, American Academy of Osteopathy, 1990---1992

Chairperson, Osteopathic Medical Economics Committee, American Academy of Osteopathy, 1992 -1996Member, AOA Work Group on OMT Coding committee, 1993Member, Task Force on Strategic Planning, AAO, 1991-1993Member, Practice Guidelines Committee, AAO, 1994Member, Education Committee, The Cranial AcademyBoard member, The Cranial AcademyPresident, The Cranial Academy, 1997-1999Basic Course Director, The Cranial Academy, 1993-1995 and 2001-2005Intermediate Course Director, The Cranial Academy, 1998 and 1999Co-Director, The Cranial Academy Annual Conference, 2000Course Director, TMJ Course for The Cranial Academy, 2001Washington Osteopathic Medical Association Representative, Carrier Advisory Committee to Medicare, 1997-1999Board Member, Washington Osteopathic Medical Association, 1998-presentPresident-elect, Washington Osteopathic Medical Association, 2002President, Washington Osteopathic Medical Association, 2003

LECTURES AND COURSES TAUGHT

Lectured The Cranial Academy Conference 2000 on PostureLecture/Lab 6 CME hours "Muscle Function From an Osteopathic Point of View"OPSO July 6, 2008Lecture/Lab 6 CME hours "Muscle Function From an Osteopathic Point of View"PSAO November 8, 2008Lecture/Lab 6 hours "Muscle Function From an Osteopathic Point of View"PSAO January 17, 2009Lecture/Lab 6 CME hours "Achieving Optimal Health in Stance and in Function"Touro, CA February 27, 2009Lecture/Lab 6 CME hours "Achieving Optimal Health in Stance and in Function"San Francisco Study Group February 27, 2009Lecture/Lab 4 hours "Achieving Optimal Health in Stance and in Function"Osteopathic Cranial Academy Education Committee June, 2010Lecture/Lab 21 hours "Achieving Optimal Health in Stance and in Function"Osteopathic Cranial Academy Faculty Development Course December 2010Lecture/Lab 16 hours "Achieving Optimal Health in Stance and in Function, specific aspects"OCA Faculty Development Course September 13-15, Tulsa 2011Lecture/Lab 21 hours "An Osteopathic Paradigm of Muscle Function"Osteopathic Cranial Academy September 15 – 18, 2011Tulsa, OklahomaLecture/Lab 24 hours "An Osteopathic Paradigm of Muscle Function"Colorado Society August 17 – 19, 2012 Denver, ColoradoLecture/Lab 24 hours "An Osteopathic Paradigm of Muscle Function"San Diego Osteopathic Medical Society November 2-4, 2012

For more information or to request an appointment for osteopathic medical treatment, contact me in Seattle, Washington at (206) 258-4580.