So much depends on how we look at health and disease. By its very nature, health is positive and is a rich experience that includes a sense of well-being. Disease, on the other hand, is generally riddled with fear, pain, loss of control, and is dis-empowering. These may be obvious statements, but there are huge implications in a culture that is focused on disease rather than health.
In the U.S., we are fortunate to have a Disease Care System that is one of the best for the treatment of Acute and Infectious Disease. Western technology is nothing short of phenomenal for accidents, injuries, severely ill people, and life-saving situations. However that same technology is highly ineffective when it comes to Chronic Disease, which is where over 75% of our health care dollars go. The "silver bullet" model, that Western Medicine has evolved from, simply doesn't work for Chronic Disease.
Chronic Disease happens when the body malfunctions.....It is an absence of normal function of the body. Doesn't it then make sense to use a health care model that maintains normal function and works to restore normal function when it is out of balance?
The first 30 pages of "Your Inner Pharmacy" explains this in depth. It is absolutely true that the Healthcare Landscape has changed and requires a new model to be effective. The best that Western technology has done for chronic disease is to manage it, which has itself become an over "Two Trillion dollar a year industry." One of the most unfortunate side-effects of using an obsolete model for a new problem is the destructive and costly "Opioid Epidemic".
The new model is centered around Health, on restoring and maintaining health. While this may sound like the same thing as treating disease, it is very different. The fact that most people don't recognize the immediate difference is a result of how deeply indoctrinated we are about disease. We see disease constantly in the media and on TV. The standard American diet and lifestyle create disease.
I'll be writing more articles about the new model and the focus on health. For now, if you have ongoing pain or a chronic disease, don't just look for whatever pharmaceutical agent or pills that are being advertised to help with your symptoms. Consider seeing a doctor that will first ask the question of what is malfunctioning in your body that is producing your symptoms, and second, what can be done to return that malfunction to normal.
Our Denver practice is a prime example of doctors who work with patients to restore and maintain their health. You can read more about us on this site.