From the Editor’s Desk


by: Virginia Kessinger


We now live in an extreme world! We bounced from the ice age to global warming. We’ve gone from horse and buggies, to cars that drive themselves. We have gone from a country of rich history, to tearing down historical statues so we don’t have to be reminded of simple truths. We seem to always be trying to re-invent the wheel.


In healthcare, we have gone from the very basic “medicine man” concept to a revolutionary new scientific-based, research related approach system. We call this modern medicine.


I accept that without medical research we would be doom- ed to failure with all the health hazards we face today, but if we go back to the early days of our soldiers dying on the battlefields from wounds; strange enough, the actual wounds were not killing most. The infections were the biggest enemy. Along came the discovery of penicillin and a huge problem was solved. Many deaths were averted and the antibiotic era was born. This was a great discovery.


The problem with this new revolution was, a new theory was established. A “pill for an ill” was accepted! All research seemed to look toward this concept.


Isn’t it ironic that we have fundraising drives for most diseases. Run, walk or sponsor the Cure for Cancer, Heart Disease or Diabetes, etc.


Since there is actually no “one pill for each ill” answer for most diseases, I wonder if the fund raising groups understand that? I wonder if they believe one thing causes cancer and that they will find the magic pill to irradicate this dreaded disease. Maybe we should concentrate on looking for a basic cause, rather than the cure. It is evident that cancer has many causative factors. One person may smoke, another may live in a tainted environment, while another may just eat Twinkies and drink soda pop for fuel? Why doesn’t everyone living in a bad enviromental situation have cancer? Why can one person smoke three packages of cigarettes daily and not have cancer, while their neighbor is a non-smoker but is diagnosed with lung cancer?


Back to the old medicine man days; herbs, botanicals and natural cures were based on the affected organs. Remember Doan’s Kidney pills or Carters Little Liver pills? Those


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remedies were thinking “system breakdowns”. The more we are able to learn about the body functions through research, the more we should think beyond “what is the effect” and more toward “what is the root cause”?


I remember a Times Magazine front cover during the 1980’s with a caption reading: “With the advent of modern antibiotics, all disease processes could be eradicated by the turn of the century.” What a concept! The problem with this prediction was, the more frequently antibiotics were used, the more super bugs appeared. This same roadblock is discovered every year when the influenza season appears. Scientists build a serum to prevent patients from contracting the flu. It is rarely effective because the serum is based on last season’s flu strain. Our “super” bugs seem to stay a step ahead of us!


We live in a more environmentally challenging world every day. We are exposed to more unhealthy roadblocks than ever before. I have often wondered, if it were possible to place a human of 100 years ago into today’s environment and society, could they possibly survive a day? With so many changes in our atmosphere, food, lifestyle, I think not.


Now back to modern day medicine. There are a lot of organizations out there teaching concepts of functional medicine. This is a great start! However, the “pill for an ill” is rooted in that concept more often than not. If the thyroid is not functioning properly, it is recommended to give thyroid support. If the liver is not able to perform its duties, give it liver support. This procedure is not harmful but…… what if other systems are the actual root cause? Maybe there is a dental problem? What about blood sugar regulation? Are we considering hidden food sensitivities? How about a hidden infection? Has the diet in general been addressed?


If we start looking at the human body as a finely tuned machine, we will more likely solve many health issues.


If a patient seeks medical help for dizziness, how many times do we hear they are treated for inner ear involvement? What if the billiary tree is not working properly? That causes dizziness as well. A simple blood test would be a great start.


When physicians stop looking for a “pill for the ill” and become better detectives, we will see more wellness. When the Walk for the Cures funds look into causes of disease, rather than effects, we will solve diseases.


It has taken many years but the concepts for wellness are surfacing. The public is beginning to hear more recommendations for diet and exercise and healthy life- styles.


I think it is a common acknowledgement that pills of any kind are not the answer to good health! u


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