Beyond Medicine

This caveat is directly related to the one that precedes it, but more clearly defines the need to understand the cause when attempting to resolve a symptom complex. It also clearly demonstrates the dilemma associated with attempts to remedy healthcare concerns utilizing symptoms as the exclusive determining factor in selecting an approach to treatment.

Since anything can cause anything and everything works, the ultimate challenge is in opting for an action that produces a reaction specific to the cause of the problem. Then, and only then, can a cure be achieved, which in no way qualifies as a panacea for other like-symptoms. In the absence of a cause-specific cure, the best that can be achieved, in terms of resolving healthcare problems, is the successful result of relieving or improving symptoms through the application of substances or procedures that have consistently demonstrated an effective outcome in a given situation.

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This leads to yet another caveat: “Everything works.” Since there is a reaction for every action that is not necessarily an equal and opposite reaction, not everything works for everybody. Nor does every action produce the same reaction. Everything works most effectively when it is applied to a specific set of circumstances for which it is most indicated. For instance, antibiotics work well in general, but they may not be appropriate for symptoms of a cold. Nor will they necessarily be effective against all bacteria, or for all people with bacterial infections. All too often, I have seen individuals with cold-like symptoms, not linked to a germ-specific cause, prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic only to become worse. So too, I have seen patients with what appeared to be similar infections completely improve in response to something as simple as oil of oregano or a broad spectrum probiotic. The same non-specific responses are seen for virtually every pharmaceutical, exercise program, diet, and stress management technique currently available.

So, despite the fact that biochemistry conforms to a somewhat linear model of observation and function (that of cause and effect), it remains a transitional arena linking the physical with the unseen realms. This relationship demonstrates an unpredictable and seemingly random pattern of behavior. As a result, part of this realm is observable and explainable, while the other is still a mystery rooted in yet another realm-that of the unseen.

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As I attempted to apply these same methods of analysis to the unseen realms, I encountered a small problem. They do not work the same way and are far less predictable. Even less predictable was my attempt to correlate cause and effect between or among realms. Regardless of this detail, these methods did work to the extent that they unveiled another tier of knowledge in the form of another caveat: “For every action there is a reaction.” But there was a fly in the ointment. It was not just only or always an equal and opposite reaction. How could this be possible? On closer inspection, the individual realms displayed unique characteristics that further defined an orderliness of function. Yet a frustrating randomness pervaded their function. These realms flourished as individual entities, but somehow interacted to bring about life’s experiences.

For example, the biochemical realm is transitional in nature. Certain aspects of this realm are tangible and observable, while others just seem to unexpectedly appear. Consider the more than one billion cells that comprise our physical bodies. This unimaginable number arises predictably, yet without explanation, from one single cell after only fifty replications into 250 different types of cells. Each of these cells performs several million functions per second with no obvious instruction or apparent intervention.

No less amazing is the body’s response to everything and anything. If a finger is cut, emergency response teams rush in to manage the crisis. If any form of cardiovascular activity is engaged, a symphony of synchronized activities occurs in response. The heart beats faster and pumps more blood. The lungs breathe faster and harder, blood sugar levels are elevated, conversion to carbon dioxide and water intensifies as oxygen consumption increases and energy demands escalate. Conversely, saturating the body with stimulants, antacids, carbonated beverages, lifeless foods, alcohol, medications, and numerous other poisons can directly challenge this bio-chemical environment. Similarly, depriving the body of sleep, subjecting it to stresses, or abusing it in untold ways, causes predictable reactions to occur.

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