by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
There are three parts of the human brain, referred to as the "triune brain". Paul D.MacLean, an early research director for the National Institute of Mental Health, postulated his Triune Brain Theory what states that the human brain is a product of three stages of evolution and is actually three separate brains which have evolved into one brain over long periods of time.
The first section [the lowest portion of the brain] which is comprised of the top part of the spinal cord, the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the cerebellum, MacClean calls "the reptilian brain" as he stated "at its base [the human brain] was a variation in the elaboration of the reptilian brain."
The limbic system [located in the mid-portion of the brain] states MacClean, "was an elaboration of the new mammalian brain from the Jurassic period". He termed it the "mid-brain" or the neo-mammalian brain (new mammal).
The upper most and largest part of the human brain, the cerebral cortex, encompasses our logic centers, our "intellect". MacClean termed this portion "the neo-cortex" (new cortex).
Viewed thru the perspective of MacClean's "Triune Brain" theory, this is the time line on which the human brain evolved:
1. Reptilian portion = Triassic period - 248 to 206 million years ago. Regulates hunger, body temperature control, fight or flight responses; is shared with reptiles
2. Limbic Portion = Jurassic period - 206-144 million years ago. Regulates mood, memory, hormone control; is shared with older mammals = dogs, cats, mice.
3. Neocortex = Eocene & Oligocene Epochs - 55 -24 million years ago. Regulates logic and thought required for complex social situations, etc; is shared with monkeys and chimpanzees.
The Reptilian or "vegetable brain" [recall the autonomic nervous system functions], is fundamentally concerned with homeostasis, which is involved in regulating all of the body functions that allow each of us to be human, get up every day and live our lives. If you do not have a well-functioning lower brain, if you have a tumor, if you have a trauma, if you’re in an accident, if something happens to your brain stem, you may no longer have the capacity to control the day to day homeostatic functions to maintain your life.
Embedded inside the Limbic System is a structure identified as the Reticular Activating System which has pathways as well as neurons traveling throughout the lower brain, up through the medulla oblongata, across the Limbic System into the Neo-Cortex or the "thinking brain".
The Limbic System and Reticular Activating System interpret sensory motor messages that are "incoming" from the person's environment and it is in this portion of the brain that we not only interpret the "incoming stimuli and information" but we also select methods for survival and adaptation.
Here is where it gets exciting to put the anatomy and physiology of brain function and the psychology of personality together!
We know the neo-cortex is our thinking, intellectual brain - our "smart brain" and most of us know individuals who are brilliant academically or intellectually yet they are emotionally dysfunctional in the extreme. Our thinking brain would presume that being "smart" or intellectually capable would exercise dominion over one's emotions, however, the missing piece of information here is that our emotions actually are a survival adaptation mechanism that each of us individually develops as we process our early environment and social conditioning. Nothing is more powerful in the human being than its drive to survive! Hence, our emotions win the day in the battle between thinking and feeling.
It is critically important for each of us to understand that our emotions represent how we learned to adapt in our surroundings and environment, especially during the first 0-5 years of our development. Our familial "input" taught us, as did Pavlov with his dogs, how to respond to the stimuli we received as infants and toddlers.
This embedded neurological conditioning is not overcome by the thought process, as the thought process for humans is the "newest" component to our primordial brain. It is in the survival adaptive portion of our brain where we form our "personality" and where we become conditioned to create and interact within relationships.
When we understand the possibility that interpersonal issues which frustrate us may come not from "being difficult" or "bad intent" but rather from our drive to survive and our interpretation of the stimulation and environment we were conditioned by, then we can begin to be "kinder and gentler" towards ourselves and others.
In summary, our emotions are the way we learn to live and survive in our world. We cannot "think them" into changing, but we can step back and appreciate the service and challenge they offer us in our daily lives.
Please note no blog will appear on weekends of holidays - got the weekend off!
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2007-2010 all rights reserved
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Embryology and the Nervous System
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
To begin understanding the "whole picture of health"* one must begin with the moment of conception and the first system that develops within the body.
As the goal of this blog is to facilitate a demystified understanding of how everything is connected to everything else in the human mind/body experience, understanding the central nervous system and its origins in embryological development, is paramount to appreciate the brilliance and biological organization of being human.
Conception occurs when particular hormonal, biochemical and physical conditions are present. Human sperm and egg, proper vaginal PH, oxytocin to facilitate implantation and a healthy host uterus are all essential components. Also at play is the magical presence of "phermones" - powerful chemical/hormonal secretions which set the stage for attraction and healthy conception. When these elements collude, a fertilized egg is embedded in the uterus where rapid growth and cellular differentiation takes place to form the smallest of humans - the fetus.
Variations of fetal growth is effected by many influences. The health and nutrition of the
mother, genetic coding, chemical imput from the environment, stress, exertion, emotions, infection, the health of the sperm - all express their presence during early development.
The selective process of how one of billions of sperm succeeds in fertilizing the egg, soon to be fetus, is the miracle of conception. Even with our sophisticated understanding of the science of birth and conception, the dependably of how it succeeds, that it succeed, and has succeeded billions of times over thousands of years is truly awesome.
Within the first few days of embryonic development, after the primary group of (blastula) cells flatten and fold, like a piece of paper forming a tubular roll, little buds which are rudimentary vertebre and spinal nerves begin to develop. From the moment the "body" forms, the nervous system appears to facilitate and innervate function and movement as well as control every cell in the body.
Just how powerful and critical the human nervous system is cannot be overstated. When synapse is gone from the body, it can no longer function. Neurological synapse = life.
The brain is the synapse generator and the CEO of the nervous system. A simplistic look at the human nervous system:
There are two main systems - central and peripheral.
Central Nervous System -
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord and is located in the center of the body.
1. The spinal cord is a column of tissue about 18 inches long, the thickness of a human finger. It resides in the spinal canal, inside the bony structure of the spinal column or "backbone". The spinal cord has two primary functions. One is to respond to body stimulation by producing spinal reflexes. These are local responses and can occur even after a spinal cord is severed from the brain. For example, if you pinch the bottom of a frog, it will jump even if the brain and spinal cord are damaged. A second function serves as the physiological highway for the brain by conducting spinal nerve, technically called "supraspinal activity", to and from all cells, and to and from all parts of the body to the brain.
2. The human brain is the centerpiece of the central nervous system - the master organ of the body because without it - as in cases of brain death - the conscious human is no more. The brain controls almost all informational discernment as well as adaptation to the world at large. Through its control of the peripheral nervous system, it regulates lower, involuntary functions of the body, such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and digestion. The brain also controls higher order functions, such as thinking, analysis, integration and evaluation of information that humans can respond effectively to in the world it inhibits.
Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system connects functions of the central nervous system brain and spinal cord to the outer boundaries of the body. It has two main divisions: somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system.
1. The somatic nervous system - which means pertaining to the body - consists of 12 pairs of cranial nerves, which control functions in head, facial and some digestive functions and of 31 pairs of spinal nerves, which control functions in the rest of the body, including skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system receives information from the sensory motor components: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, touch and responds to that information, expressing it through the body's muscular function.
* This is an important piece of information to tuck in your hat. When we discuss the mind/body connection, the role of the somatic nervous system begins to take on a paramont meaning
2. While the somatic nervous system controls organs, mostly muscles, under voluntary control, the autonomic nervous system regulates individual organs which are made up of smooth muscle and which are not generally under voluntary control. These are "automatic" or "vegetable state" organics. This is why a body, deep in coma, will continue its organ functions even though the conscious state is absent. The heart, kidneys, blood vessels, liver and so forth can function "automatically" thru the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system has two main branches that control these "automatic functions".
The "sympathetic" nervous system, which enables the body to react in the "fight or flight" response and the "parasympathetic" nervous system, concerned with maintaining homeostasis or balance in the body. Odd names for the two aspects of the "automatic" nervous system that can be viewed as the ever viligant protector of the human body, working 24/7 to preserve and protect.
Understanding this basic organization is the first step to connecting all the dots and create "the whole picture of health."*
Our next discussion is on brain function and behavior and what emotions really are.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
* The Whole Picture of Health" is a registered trademark of
the National Institute of Whole Health
To begin understanding the "whole picture of health"* one must begin with the moment of conception and the first system that develops within the body.
As the goal of this blog is to facilitate a demystified understanding of how everything is connected to everything else in the human mind/body experience, understanding the central nervous system and its origins in embryological development, is paramount to appreciate the brilliance and biological organization of being human.
Conception occurs when particular hormonal, biochemical and physical conditions are present. Human sperm and egg, proper vaginal PH, oxytocin to facilitate implantation and a healthy host uterus are all essential components. Also at play is the magical presence of "phermones" - powerful chemical/hormonal secretions which set the stage for attraction and healthy conception. When these elements collude, a fertilized egg is embedded in the uterus where rapid growth and cellular differentiation takes place to form the smallest of humans - the fetus.
Variations of fetal growth is effected by many influences. The health and nutrition of the
mother, genetic coding, chemical imput from the environment, stress, exertion, emotions, infection, the health of the sperm - all express their presence during early development.
The selective process of how one of billions of sperm succeeds in fertilizing the egg, soon to be fetus, is the miracle of conception. Even with our sophisticated understanding of the science of birth and conception, the dependably of how it succeeds, that it succeed, and has succeeded billions of times over thousands of years is truly awesome.
Within the first few days of embryonic development, after the primary group of (blastula) cells flatten and fold, like a piece of paper forming a tubular roll, little buds which are rudimentary vertebre and spinal nerves begin to develop. From the moment the "body" forms, the nervous system appears to facilitate and innervate function and movement as well as control every cell in the body.
Just how powerful and critical the human nervous system is cannot be overstated. When synapse is gone from the body, it can no longer function. Neurological synapse = life.
The brain is the synapse generator and the CEO of the nervous system. A simplistic look at the human nervous system:
There are two main systems - central and peripheral.
Central Nervous System -
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord and is located in the center of the body.
1. The spinal cord is a column of tissue about 18 inches long, the thickness of a human finger. It resides in the spinal canal, inside the bony structure of the spinal column or "backbone". The spinal cord has two primary functions. One is to respond to body stimulation by producing spinal reflexes. These are local responses and can occur even after a spinal cord is severed from the brain. For example, if you pinch the bottom of a frog, it will jump even if the brain and spinal cord are damaged. A second function serves as the physiological highway for the brain by conducting spinal nerve, technically called "supraspinal activity", to and from all cells, and to and from all parts of the body to the brain.
2. The human brain is the centerpiece of the central nervous system - the master organ of the body because without it - as in cases of brain death - the conscious human is no more. The brain controls almost all informational discernment as well as adaptation to the world at large. Through its control of the peripheral nervous system, it regulates lower, involuntary functions of the body, such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and digestion. The brain also controls higher order functions, such as thinking, analysis, integration and evaluation of information that humans can respond effectively to in the world it inhibits.
Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system connects functions of the central nervous system brain and spinal cord to the outer boundaries of the body. It has two main divisions: somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system.
1. The somatic nervous system - which means pertaining to the body - consists of 12 pairs of cranial nerves, which control functions in head, facial and some digestive functions and of 31 pairs of spinal nerves, which control functions in the rest of the body, including skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system receives information from the sensory motor components: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, touch and responds to that information, expressing it through the body's muscular function.
* This is an important piece of information to tuck in your hat. When we discuss the mind/body connection, the role of the somatic nervous system begins to take on a paramont meaning
2. While the somatic nervous system controls organs, mostly muscles, under voluntary control, the autonomic nervous system regulates individual organs which are made up of smooth muscle and which are not generally under voluntary control. These are "automatic" or "vegetable state" organics. This is why a body, deep in coma, will continue its organ functions even though the conscious state is absent. The heart, kidneys, blood vessels, liver and so forth can function "automatically" thru the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system has two main branches that control these "automatic functions".
The "sympathetic" nervous system, which enables the body to react in the "fight or flight" response and the "parasympathetic" nervous system, concerned with maintaining homeostasis or balance in the body. Odd names for the two aspects of the "automatic" nervous system that can be viewed as the ever viligant protector of the human body, working 24/7 to preserve and protect.
Understanding this basic organization is the first step to connecting all the dots and create "the whole picture of health."*
Our next discussion is on brain function and behavior and what emotions really are.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
* The Whole Picture of Health" is a registered trademark of
the National Institute of Whole Health
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tools to Take Control of Your Health
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
It’s no secret that we Americans have reached an all time level of being “unhealthy”, thanks to an ever increasing stress-filled lifestyle. Despite widespread campaigns aimed at helping people stop smoking, eat better and exercise, the vast majority of Americans does not get regular exercise and are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. This has resulted in an explosion in obesity that has been sited as high as 63%, along with climbing rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases associated with lifestyle and behavior choices.
As far back as 1996, Harvard Medical School published a 7- year study which confirms up to 70% of all cancer, heart disease, stroke and mature onset diabetes are preventable with lifestyle and behavior changes. And yet, the health of the wealthiest nation in the world continues to decline. Today the fastest growing population for obesity is found in children ages 4 to 8 years old.
Core factors for this epidemic amongst Americans can be found in a recent government study. In 2005, the Institute of Medicine published a major study identifying that ninety million Americans are "health illiterate". This does not mean, in this internet dominant society, that people do not have access to or are not receiving enough health information. It means that the majority of us do not know how to interpret or use the health information we receive to control or improve our health or prevent chronic disease.
Think of the last time you read the results of a new study in a magazine, and realized you did not know how to use that information to support or improve your health. In fact, data, presented to the American College of Health Care Executives identifies, "lack of information as the number one root cause of disease and death”. Yet, experts like Susan Edgman-Levatin, Executive Director, John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital, acknowledges "It's no secret that traditional methods of patient education are hopelessly ineffective." To compound this, information on the internet may or may not be reliable and is not crafted to explain the how and why our bodies become sick. We need to know the specifics of how to prevent illness not just what modalities, supplements or therapies can treat the condition.
The focus for this blog is to offer mini-tutorials in the science of whole person health and wellness, sharing with readers information that can provide tools, skills and knowledge to
(1) understand why and how chronic illness or dis-ease manifests in our bodies
(2) what can you do to control and/or heal your chronic conditions
(3) what do these conditions represent with regard to your whole self - what are the physicial, emotional, nutritional, environmental and spiritual aspects of your life communicating
This information, while evidence-based and scientific in nature, will be demystified and include a self-care perspective to allow any and all who read this blog to take away some nugget of insight, knowledge or a new perspective they can apply to their personal health and wellness choices.
Tomorrow we will start at the beginning - with Embryology and the Nervous System.
With all good wishes ~
G
© by NIWH 2007-2010 all rights reserved
It’s no secret that we Americans have reached an all time level of being “unhealthy”, thanks to an ever increasing stress-filled lifestyle. Despite widespread campaigns aimed at helping people stop smoking, eat better and exercise, the vast majority of Americans does not get regular exercise and are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. This has resulted in an explosion in obesity that has been sited as high as 63%, along with climbing rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases associated with lifestyle and behavior choices.
As far back as 1996, Harvard Medical School published a 7- year study which confirms up to 70% of all cancer, heart disease, stroke and mature onset diabetes are preventable with lifestyle and behavior changes. And yet, the health of the wealthiest nation in the world continues to decline. Today the fastest growing population for obesity is found in children ages 4 to 8 years old.
Core factors for this epidemic amongst Americans can be found in a recent government study. In 2005, the Institute of Medicine published a major study identifying that ninety million Americans are "health illiterate". This does not mean, in this internet dominant society, that people do not have access to or are not receiving enough health information. It means that the majority of us do not know how to interpret or use the health information we receive to control or improve our health or prevent chronic disease.
Think of the last time you read the results of a new study in a magazine, and realized you did not know how to use that information to support or improve your health. In fact, data, presented to the American College of Health Care Executives identifies, "lack of information as the number one root cause of disease and death”. Yet, experts like Susan Edgman-Levatin, Executive Director, John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital, acknowledges "It's no secret that traditional methods of patient education are hopelessly ineffective." To compound this, information on the internet may or may not be reliable and is not crafted to explain the how and why our bodies become sick. We need to know the specifics of how to prevent illness not just what modalities, supplements or therapies can treat the condition.
The focus for this blog is to offer mini-tutorials in the science of whole person health and wellness, sharing with readers information that can provide tools, skills and knowledge to
(1) understand why and how chronic illness or dis-ease manifests in our bodies
(2) what can you do to control and/or heal your chronic conditions
(3) what do these conditions represent with regard to your whole self - what are the physicial, emotional, nutritional, environmental and spiritual aspects of your life communicating
This information, while evidence-based and scientific in nature, will be demystified and include a self-care perspective to allow any and all who read this blog to take away some nugget of insight, knowledge or a new perspective they can apply to their personal health and wellness choices.
Tomorrow we will start at the beginning - with Embryology and the Nervous System.
With all good wishes ~
G
© by NIWH 2007-2010 all rights reserved
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Integrative Medicine - What's Different?
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
There is no doubt that today more and more people are turning to integrative medicine and alternative modalities for their health concerns and disease prevention. This popular movement, winning one out of every two Americans as converts, may seem to some like a new idea or a “health revolution”. In reality, it is in a return to period in time, over 400 years ago, when health was seen from a more whole person, integrated and even spiritual perspective.
Until the early 1600’s, the realm of human health was believed to represent a person’s spiritual state. If one was healthy that meant they bore not demons. If one was sick, that meant they needed to purge sickness, which was seen as "possession" or a spiritual incorrectness that had to be remedied. The prevailing church of the day, ruled by the Vatican, exerted a huge influence over the medical community and how people viewed the cause and cure of their disease.
In 1612, physician Anton DesCarte, a powerful, influential physician and scientist, declared, "I think therefore I am" , stating that the mind and body were two separate, unrelated parts of a human being, and as such the study and treatment of the human being needed to be separated into the mind or spirit portion and the physical bodily portion.
DesCarte lead the political movement to separate the body from the soul, a separation in which he and his peers literally brokered a deal with the Vatican, which was reluctant to give up control over its flock. However, the “scientific revolution” was gripping the culture and the church knew it was prudent to agree. Thus, the division of mind and body began and the practice of medicine started down the slippery slope to where we find ourselves today.
Since this division set up a medical system that treated only physical health, it became considered, by the mass majority, that this form of medicine was the only legitimate form of healthcare. However, over the course of the past 50 years people have grown sicker and increasingly dissatisfied with the medical system.
This led to an increase in the use of “untried” remedies and treatments which offered success and often cures for varied ailments. These “alternatives” treatments attempt to address the whole person rather than just the physical body. Because of the success of alternative treatments, and their resultant popularity, we are currently experiencing a renaissance of the "whole-person" body, mind and spirit approach to healing.
Today, thanks to the Internet, we have more information about every aspect of health than ever before. Still, there exists confusion between allopathic medicine and integrative medicine, how their treatment approaches differ and how one can discern what is right for their particular need or condition. By comparing and contrasting both approaches individuals can be empowered with information to make an educated decision about how they would like to address their personal healthcare and what forms of health care they would like to incorporate.
Often called modern medicine, conventional or traditional, allopathic medicine defines health as the absence of disease. The term comes from the Greek roots meaning "opposite" and "disease", referring to a principle of curing a disease, disorder or problem by administering drugs or surgery that produce the opposite effect of the problem.
The main cause of illness is considered to be viruses or bacteria and scientific tests are used to diagnose before drugs or surgery are prescribed. Furthermore, the emphasis here is more on “attacking the problem”, seen as an invader or enemy outside the self rather than exploring the cause and effect of the problem and working to identifying what needs to be changed or altered to bring about the return of health.
Alternative, natural, complementary or holistic medicine practices approach the problem or condition from a focus of identifying what particular choices or behaviors the individual might be making that is leading to the expression of symptoms collectively called their “disease or diagnosis”.
In contrast, because integrative medicine bridges the gap between traditional and alternative medicine, an integrative physician or practitioner would evaluate not only the patient’s physical health, but also the other aspects of their life that may be influencing their health.
Scientific evidence and ancient teachings have proven that there are multiple components to health that make up a whole person, therefore, illness cannot be cured or wellness realized without taking multiple aspects into account.
For example, a traditional allopathic approach to a sore throat could include a drug substance or over the counter aspirin and possibly a cough and sore throat medicine. The integrative medical practitioner, trained to stimulate the body's natural healing potential, may well prescribe nutritional changes, herbs, aromatherapy, gargling with various natural extracts, vitamins, garlic, broths, vegetable or juice extracts, calcium sources or homeopathic remedies.
By looking at different patient situations we can see how traditional and integrative medicine differs in their approach. Patient A is a 35-year old male who is married with two children and works in a high stress job. He considers himself healthy however, despite working out fairly regularly and eating healthy, he is constantly tired and has trouble sleeping at night.
On the opposite end of the spectrum Patient B is a 50-year old single stay-at-home mom who is raising a young son. She has high cholesterol, is borderline diabetic and is generally not in good health.
Patient A: Conventional Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This patient would most likely be given a blood test to check for anemia or pathology and then prescribed a sleeping pill to deal with the insomnia. If nothing showed up on the blood test, the practitioner would probably recommend addressing the stress with a pill to calm down to seeing a therapist to deal with his stress.
Patient A: Integrative Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This practitioner would also probably order a blood test to check for anemia or pathology. After assessing that possibility, if the blood test came back “negative” (ironically, that’s positive!), the practitioner would then explore and discuss with the individual what they felt is contributing to their problem. Based on the patients’ self-awareness and the practitioners mindful listening and assessment of the patient, the practitioner might recommend a homeopathic remedy, a change in sleep venue or a new bed, meditation before retiring, an decrease in stimulating food such as caffeine and alcohol, and an increase in fruits and vegetables in t he diet. The multiple aspects of the individual’s life and their own innate awareness of their health would be considered.
Patient B: Conventional Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This patient would be given a blood work-up to determine her levels of cholesterol and glucose or blood sugar. Depending upon the values found on the tests, the doctor would prescribe medications appropriate for lowering the levels of cholesterol and/or blood sugar. The doctor may also suggest the patient make an appointment with a dietician to go over dietary changes.
Patient B: Integrative Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This practitioner would also do a blood work-up to assess the patient’s various blood values. However, rather than prescribing a drug to lower or later levels, this practitioner may invite the individual into a discussion about what she felt she could do to bring these levels down to avoid the need for a medication.
The discussion would outline and recommend options for lowering cholesterol which would include natural supplements, dietary changes or adding more vegetables and whole sprouted grains instead of high fat foods, an exercise program that she would be able to follow, drinking more water, using homeopathic remedies to improve her overall health, discuss her social life and recreation. This practitioner would focus on changing the causes of her chronic condition rather than just medicate it.
The options we are offered today through Integrative Medicine invite us to become more pro-active and better informed as well as become better health care consumers. This empowers us to take greater control over our health outcomes and longevity. That’s a prescription for good health we can all live with.
With all good wishes ~
G
© by NIWH 2007-2010 all rights reserved
There is no doubt that today more and more people are turning to integrative medicine and alternative modalities for their health concerns and disease prevention. This popular movement, winning one out of every two Americans as converts, may seem to some like a new idea or a “health revolution”. In reality, it is in a return to period in time, over 400 years ago, when health was seen from a more whole person, integrated and even spiritual perspective.
Until the early 1600’s, the realm of human health was believed to represent a person’s spiritual state. If one was healthy that meant they bore not demons. If one was sick, that meant they needed to purge sickness, which was seen as "possession" or a spiritual incorrectness that had to be remedied. The prevailing church of the day, ruled by the Vatican, exerted a huge influence over the medical community and how people viewed the cause and cure of their disease.
In 1612, physician Anton DesCarte, a powerful, influential physician and scientist, declared, "I think therefore I am" , stating that the mind and body were two separate, unrelated parts of a human being, and as such the study and treatment of the human being needed to be separated into the mind or spirit portion and the physical bodily portion.
DesCarte lead the political movement to separate the body from the soul, a separation in which he and his peers literally brokered a deal with the Vatican, which was reluctant to give up control over its flock. However, the “scientific revolution” was gripping the culture and the church knew it was prudent to agree. Thus, the division of mind and body began and the practice of medicine started down the slippery slope to where we find ourselves today.
Since this division set up a medical system that treated only physical health, it became considered, by the mass majority, that this form of medicine was the only legitimate form of healthcare. However, over the course of the past 50 years people have grown sicker and increasingly dissatisfied with the medical system.
This led to an increase in the use of “untried” remedies and treatments which offered success and often cures for varied ailments. These “alternatives” treatments attempt to address the whole person rather than just the physical body. Because of the success of alternative treatments, and their resultant popularity, we are currently experiencing a renaissance of the "whole-person" body, mind and spirit approach to healing.
Today, thanks to the Internet, we have more information about every aspect of health than ever before. Still, there exists confusion between allopathic medicine and integrative medicine, how their treatment approaches differ and how one can discern what is right for their particular need or condition. By comparing and contrasting both approaches individuals can be empowered with information to make an educated decision about how they would like to address their personal healthcare and what forms of health care they would like to incorporate.
Often called modern medicine, conventional or traditional, allopathic medicine defines health as the absence of disease. The term comes from the Greek roots meaning "opposite" and "disease", referring to a principle of curing a disease, disorder or problem by administering drugs or surgery that produce the opposite effect of the problem.
The main cause of illness is considered to be viruses or bacteria and scientific tests are used to diagnose before drugs or surgery are prescribed. Furthermore, the emphasis here is more on “attacking the problem”, seen as an invader or enemy outside the self rather than exploring the cause and effect of the problem and working to identifying what needs to be changed or altered to bring about the return of health.
Alternative, natural, complementary or holistic medicine practices approach the problem or condition from a focus of identifying what particular choices or behaviors the individual might be making that is leading to the expression of symptoms collectively called their “disease or diagnosis”.
In contrast, because integrative medicine bridges the gap between traditional and alternative medicine, an integrative physician or practitioner would evaluate not only the patient’s physical health, but also the other aspects of their life that may be influencing their health.
Scientific evidence and ancient teachings have proven that there are multiple components to health that make up a whole person, therefore, illness cannot be cured or wellness realized without taking multiple aspects into account.
For example, a traditional allopathic approach to a sore throat could include a drug substance or over the counter aspirin and possibly a cough and sore throat medicine. The integrative medical practitioner, trained to stimulate the body's natural healing potential, may well prescribe nutritional changes, herbs, aromatherapy, gargling with various natural extracts, vitamins, garlic, broths, vegetable or juice extracts, calcium sources or homeopathic remedies.
By looking at different patient situations we can see how traditional and integrative medicine differs in their approach. Patient A is a 35-year old male who is married with two children and works in a high stress job. He considers himself healthy however, despite working out fairly regularly and eating healthy, he is constantly tired and has trouble sleeping at night.
On the opposite end of the spectrum Patient B is a 50-year old single stay-at-home mom who is raising a young son. She has high cholesterol, is borderline diabetic and is generally not in good health.
Patient A: Conventional Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This patient would most likely be given a blood test to check for anemia or pathology and then prescribed a sleeping pill to deal with the insomnia. If nothing showed up on the blood test, the practitioner would probably recommend addressing the stress with a pill to calm down to seeing a therapist to deal with his stress.
Patient A: Integrative Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This practitioner would also probably order a blood test to check for anemia or pathology. After assessing that possibility, if the blood test came back “negative” (ironically, that’s positive!), the practitioner would then explore and discuss with the individual what they felt is contributing to their problem. Based on the patients’ self-awareness and the practitioners mindful listening and assessment of the patient, the practitioner might recommend a homeopathic remedy, a change in sleep venue or a new bed, meditation before retiring, an decrease in stimulating food such as caffeine and alcohol, and an increase in fruits and vegetables in t he diet. The multiple aspects of the individual’s life and their own innate awareness of their health would be considered.
Patient B: Conventional Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This patient would be given a blood work-up to determine her levels of cholesterol and glucose or blood sugar. Depending upon the values found on the tests, the doctor would prescribe medications appropriate for lowering the levels of cholesterol and/or blood sugar. The doctor may also suggest the patient make an appointment with a dietician to go over dietary changes.
Patient B: Integrative Analysis & Treatment Recommendation: This practitioner would also do a blood work-up to assess the patient’s various blood values. However, rather than prescribing a drug to lower or later levels, this practitioner may invite the individual into a discussion about what she felt she could do to bring these levels down to avoid the need for a medication.
The discussion would outline and recommend options for lowering cholesterol which would include natural supplements, dietary changes or adding more vegetables and whole sprouted grains instead of high fat foods, an exercise program that she would be able to follow, drinking more water, using homeopathic remedies to improve her overall health, discuss her social life and recreation. This practitioner would focus on changing the causes of her chronic condition rather than just medicate it.
The options we are offered today through Integrative Medicine invite us to become more pro-active and better informed as well as become better health care consumers. This empowers us to take greater control over our health outcomes and longevity. That’s a prescription for good health we can all live with.
With all good wishes ~
G
© by NIWH 2007-2010 all rights reserved
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