The UK is rightly regarded as one of the countries at the forefront of medicine, with it's universities consistently investing millions of pounds in new treatments, chemical compounds, and drug delivery systems. No-one denies that in many areas, potentially huge strides have been made - none more noticeable than than the field of cancer research: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7738352/New-drug-reverses-even-untreatable-cancers.html.
However, we clearly live in a 'pill society'. Patients go to their GP with complaints, whether they be physical or mental, and the philosophy appears to be that every symptom mentioned can be relieved effectively with a drug. Got an infection? Antibiotic. Got a virus? Ibuprofen. Got depression? Paxil. Whilst man-made drugs can be highly beneficial to serious and debilitating conditions, the medicinal community seems to have lost sight of the fact that our bodies are machines of nature, and almost any unnatural substance introduced to the system will be detrimental in some way.
Let me illustrate with my own experiences. Last year I discovered I had a substantial infection of Candida Albicans, a common yeast found in the gut which has morphed out of control into a parasite. Basically this made me feel like sh*t - all bloated and bunged up with the mobility equivalent to that of a beached seal. I would later discover that I have likely had this condition since before puberty, despite frequently visiting clinicians with a range of symptoms attributable to the yeast, and receiving only new rounds of antibiotics and topical creams for my trouble. The breakthrough was finally made after I visited an osteopath, who used touch and a whole body appraisal to diagnose me. His name is Richard, a cheerful man whose knowledge of the gastro-intestinal tract is unprecedented. I initially treated him as if he were the second coming of Christ, with the power to heal with a sweep of his palm, but unfortunately his expertise regarding Candida extends to diagnosis only. I now take probiotics daily, a natural remedy which has worked very well on my symptoms.
Richard's views on the UK health system broadly tie in with my own. He told stories of patients remaining undiagnosed for years simply because their doctors had failed to do what even the Ancients did - inspect and feel the bodies of their patients, and treat the whole body as one connected ecosystem instead of a 'zoo' of different parts. Instead, many clinicians skip straight to prescribing painkillers or even sanctioning operations when they arent required. I was surprised to learn that the process of diagnosis and treatment is far different in countries like France and Australia, where doctors are more comfortable with using osteopathic methods to aid in diagnosis and treatment.
Now, I'm not suggesting that we should tear up every prescription handed to us - although if you do decide to, it would surely be more fun to do it directly in front of the GP who wrote it! I am suggesting that it is illuminating to know that the most commonly used methods in the UK aren't necessarily the ones that work, and that you shouldn't be frightened of alternative medicine approaches like osteopathy. Either way, it never does any harm to get an informed second opinion.
Until next time,
James x
