Beware of conventional wisdom

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Dr. G

When we hear the words conventional wisdom, we think of that which is tried and true and has withstood the test of time. Conventional wisdom, by definition, is a generally accepted belief system. What if conventional wisdom is wrong? What if conventional wisdom can hurt or even kill you?

I spent my entire career, with colleagues across the country, redefining conventional wisdom for several chronic diseases and common chronic, often severe, symptoms. Solutions are possible and, in many cases, quite dramatic, quick, and simple.

In my 30s, I began to lose my health and could not explain why. Like most people, I did not want to play doctor on myself, so I went to the experts.

Admitting there was a problem was difficult enough for me; after all, I was my father’s son (a joke only my mom and wife could appreciate) and a healthcare provider who practiced what he preached. I had a very good diet, I exercised often, and practiced clean living, for the most part. No one is perfect, nor do I believe we should try to be. I always had the philosophy to get it right most of the time, or in “moderation,” to quote a famous Greek ancestor of mine. (I, like most Greeks, believe Aristotle is somehow a distant relative of mine.)

My symptoms seemed unrelated to one another, but they were occurring all at the same time. Stomach and GI issues landed me in the office of a gastroenterologist; pain and multiple joint injuries sent me to the chiropractor’s office (being in the business made it easy to find the best); physical therapy ensued, and then ultimately, I headed to the orthopedist. Electric shocks in my face, brain fog, and depression sent me to the neurologist. Weight gain, fatigue, and inability to properly sleep sent me to the endocrinologist and psychologist.

All of these doctors and specialists focused on the body part or symptom that applied to their specialty, and after limited tests did not indicate a specific disease process, they stuck me with labels (diagnoses) that are merely descriptors of my symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome, depression, fatigue, etc.) and a prescription for a drug that does nothing for the cause and might help with the symptom. So what do I do at 35 years old? Do I start taking 3 to 6 medications without any chance of improving my health (some of which actually making it worse)?

People with chronic health issues like these have been through the medical wringer, so to speak. Innately, they know there is something wrong, but they are not getting healthier; they are getting sicker while the medications and visits to their doctor increase. We know who you are: You have been diagnosed with everything from type 2 diabetes, hypothyroid, gall bladder disease, depression, fibromyalgia, heart disease, peripheral neuropathy, to name a few common labels people are given.

This downward spiral is called healthcare. The truth everyone knows is that it is “sick care.” It’s making you comfortable if the conventional treatment works, decreasing your symptoms while you get sicker and sicker. We are not making a judgment here; sometimes reducing symptoms, such as pain, elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc., is necessary to prolong life long enough for you to do the hard work of restoring health.

Restoring health is healthcare. Unfortunately, most people stop at symptom reduction, and continued decline is inevitable. Restoring health after it has been lost is actually in the realm of alternative healthcare, what is considered UN-conventional wisdom. Our medical doctors are not educated on health restoration. I have never met or debated an MD who would deny that fact. Maybe Dr. Oz is making a half-hearted, feeble attempt on television. (That’s right, I said “half-hearted and feeble.” That will be the subject of a subsequent post.) The cost is too much to bear. Lost days at work or quality time with family and friends, depression, decreased productivity, dependence on family, friends, pills, doctors, and society are all subsequent results of this kind of “medicine.”

Health restoration and reversing incurable diseases can be done; it’s being done every day. It requires a deep understanding of how chronic disease develops and the interconnectedness of all the different systems in the body.

The most important role is played, not by the doctor, but by the patient, and it requires stepping out of your comfort zone, where all growth occurs. Here is a short list of what it takes:

1. Take responsibility for your health:
   • Understand that your contract with your insurance provider is for managing illness and disease, not restoring health.
   • With chronic problems have been developing for years, know that time is required to get your health back.
   • Understand that your genes respond to the environment you put them in. Just because your condition runs in your family does not mean your illness is a pre-determined fact. Stop blaming your parents for being dealt an unlucky genetic hand.
2. Commit to a process: The act of making a decision starts the process of healing before you even begin additional action. Be willing to make bold decisions. If that means never drinking soda again, quitting smoking cigarettes, or removing certain foods from your diet, then so be it. We ask that you test, not guess, what your needs are.
3. Have faith in your ability to heal: This does not mean blind faith; it means understanding that you were born with the blueprint for living a healthy life. I have faith that if I cut my hand with a knife, my only responsibility to make sure the tens of thousands of chemical process required for healing to occur over the next week or so will require me to keep it clean. There is an innate intelligence that manages the details.
4. Work with a professional healthcare provider: He/she can understand the web of physiology and can look at you as a whole person, not a label or a diagnosis. Labels are for cans, not for people.

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