We subscribe to a very practical form of medicine which entails cooperative identification and review of what the healing arts have to offer the patient, prioritized for each individual. Thirty years of medical practice offers many aspects of conventional medicine, while constantly seeking the best risk/benefit profile as determined by review of patient- and provider-derived information. With an overabundance of information on many disciplines to navigate, "Two heads are better than one." As a multitude of disciplines and recommendations circulate, we are here to professionally facilitate you in your quest. The goal is total health.
There is a flood of information and services available. We stand prepared to assist in determining what is best for you as a collaborative effort between the practitioner and the patient to find an agreed upon a path to optimized organ and system function. Quality of life is precious. Side effects are to be avoided if at all possible. The best outcome for resources spent is a pragmatic essential.
Most degenerative illnesses fall into the category of "idiopathic," meaning that we do not know their cause. Examples are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy, Crohn's Disease, and others. To treat illnesses that are not understood, with medicines whose mechanisms are not known or which act by poisoning systems that appear to be sick, makes little sense. On the other hand, to correct immunologic, gastrointestinal, hepatic, neurologic cardiac and endothelial malfunction by therapeutic nutrition and detoxification, makes sense. You, the lay public, understand this better than our medical system.
Just as an automobile will fall apart more rapidly if it is not maintained, the human body will degenerate more rapidly if not maintained. Since the body heals itself, the focus should be on first enhancing this normal process. Given good food, adequate sleep and exercise the body will usually repair itself. Bear in mind, the body needs adequate time to repair. If we are unable to rest productively due to stress; unable to provide adequate materials for repair, or have toxins that suppress or directly interfere with the repair, we fall apart. Acute injuries that do not fully heal become chronic. Prevention and ergonomics apply. Both acute and chronic traumas, incompletely healed, become degenerative disease. Although we think of these in the context of muscles, ligaments and bones, the principle also applies to the heart, blood vessels, GI tract and even the cells themselves.
Chemical pathways in our bodies generate energy, synthesize structural components, provide mechanisms for defense, and rid ourselves of poisons. If we eliminate obstacles to the normal function of this chemistry by providing essential cofactors, good fuel and quality building blocks, and by removing toxic influences on these pathways, all these functions can be improved. As these functions improve, health improves. Many readers already practice this approach. Most need help and direction in the face of a rapidly increasing groundswell of technology and increased competition among the purveyors of both conventional and alternative medicine.
Because degenerative illness stems from several factors, there is no one substance or intervention that works for all. Genetic differences expand upon the several expressions of what various combinations of stressors can produce. We identify those malfunctions that are most prominent in an individual, and prioritize and deal with each in a systematic way, understanding that it sometimes requires intervention at many levels. A focus on performing the more natural, lower risk methods first avoids the consequences of using other, higher risk interventions right away. The complexity of God's creation is also best helped when His guidance is sought in dealing with multiple interdependent variables.