By Kathy D’Agati
I will start by stating I have the utmost respect for all health care professionals that work tirelessly to help heal their patients. When it comes to dealing with viruses, pandemics, and triage, this country is blessed to have access to quality care and some of the brightest minds in the world.
Unfortunately, we are losing the battle when it comes to treating the chronic conditions that plague millions of Americans today.
We train our doctors to identify the treatments that alleviate symptoms. Medications don’t address the underlying cause of chronic disease, they simply quiet the pain point. Making the pain go away is great, but not if that is all you do.
While no one advocates for suffering, it’s important to remember that the symptom itself is not the problem, it is the result of the problem. The symptom is your body’s way of sending up a flare, letting you know there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.
If you want the problem to go away permanently, you must be willing to go beyond taking a pill.
When you medicate chronic conditions (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, autoimmune diseases etc.), you may no longer suffer the symptoms, but the damage that caused the symptom in the first place is continuing to do harm. You have experienced that for yourself if you have ever tried discontinuing one of your medications. The symptom comes raging back, probably worse than before.
Practitioners trained in Functional Medicine are taught the detective work required to get to the root cause of the problem. When you address the underlying cause, your body heals, and continued treatment isn’t necessary.
Dr. Mark Hyman describes the difference in approach this way:
“You can step on a tack and go to the doctor complaining that you have a terrible pain in your foot. He will prescribe you a pill that will ease your pain, as long as you keep taking it. When you go to a functional medicine practitioner, the first question asked will be, “Why do you have pain in your foot?” He will look until he finds the tack. Once the tack is removed, the pain goes away, and no further treatment is necessary.”
Most of the illnesses debilitating Americans today are not caused by viruses and bacteria. They are the direct result of diet and lifestyle choices. There isn’t a pill that can fix that, but there are solutions.
The answers will vary greatly from one person to the next. You can see 10 different patients presenting with all the same symptoms, yet each of them will have very different underlying triggers. To make the determination, an extensive intake must be taken.
Getting to know the patient, lets the practitioner know where to start looking.
Have you traveled abroad? Could you have been exposed to parasites? Mold? Heavy metals?
Where do you work? Are you exposed to chemicals and pesticides?
How is your home life? Are you under a lot of stress?
Do you sit all day? Do you exercise?
Do you have down time to spend with friends? Do you have any hobbies?
How is your sleep?
What is your diet?
These are just some of the questions that can give us clues as to where the problem originates. When we get to the root cause (usually more than 1), we can begin to make the necessary changes.
It may sound a little overwhelming, but I can assure it is not. Change always feels a little awkward in the beginning, but these changes will have feeling better very quickly. Feeling great is very motivating and empowering, especially knowing-
You have the power to take your life back.
With the right guidance, healing is possible. You can make that happen. You just need to be given the right tools. A functional medicine practitioner may be just what you have been looking for.
Kathy is a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach specializing in food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions and brain health. She can be reached at kathy@backtobasicwellness.com
