Holistic concepts of health and disease

SUMMARY

In Western holistic concepts, disease seldom arises from a single cause. Three or more factors in combination may be needed for the dis-ease to become manifest. These factors upset the balance between the external and internal environments and overload the capacity of the adaptive mechanisms.

In Chinese concepts, dis-ease occurs when the balance of the vital energy (Qi) in the acupuncture (AP) Channels² is disturbed. This arises as a result of external or internal insults overcoming the body's defences. Chinese and unorthodox concepts recognise many more forces which can cause dis-ease (and many more ways of controlling dis-ease) than are recognised by orthodox science.

There is considerable agreement between progressive, holistic Western concepts and ancient Chinese concepts of dis-ease. In both philosophies, any dietary, medical, physical, psychological or other treatment which restores the balance of Qi or the balance between the external and internal environments will automatically restore health. The exception is in cases where irreparable damage has occurred, for instance, death of nerve cells, inoperable malignant cancer, extensive fibrosis of the liver or kidneys etc, or where physical damage renders self-healing impossible (for instance in tuberculous spinal injury, severe dislocation of joints etc).

Theorem: the BODY HEALS ITSELF by its own defence/adaptation mechanisms. Medicines, surgery, acupuncture etc do not cure disease!

Implications:

a. Orthodox and unorthodox medicine may help the organism to heal itself and to adapt to its new reality. (This is the best therapy).
b. Orthodox and unorthodox medicine may suppress the symptoms/remove dis-eased organs or functions. (This is inferior therapy).
c. Orthodox and unorthodox medicine may fail to help the patient, due to incorrect understanding of the case or because the defence mechanisms can not be activated sufficiently. (This is useless "therapy").

INTRODUCTION

A dictionary-definition of holism is: "A philosophical theory according to which a fundamental feature of nature is the existence of wholes which are more than the composite assembly of the parts and which always tend to become more highly developed and complex". A transcendant element is inferred, i.e. something greater than the sum of the parts.

A poet's definition of mysticism is: "Man's dialogue with God, Man-in-the-world-and-why" (Brendan Kennelly 1983).

By definition, a holistic concepts involve all possible component parts, how they interact (fit together), how they fit into the larger plan of Nature and (in the end) an artistic-intuitive search for aspects of the transcendant immaterial blueprint which religious people call God or atheistic physicists see as the infinite interchange of matter and energy. Holism and holistic concepts of health, disease and medicine contain elements of scientific medicine, art, poetry and mysticism.

Mechanistic materialistic medicine has blind spots. It tends to label "Man-who-dialogues-with-God" as duped, irrational or mad. It tends to look on "Man-in-the-World" through half-blind eyes. It does not recognise transcendant "Whys".

Ancient Chinese medical philosophy states that "Man stands between Heaven and Earth." In modern concepts, this can be translated as: "The organism is the product of (embodies the characteristics of) Heaven (spirit, mind, non-material forces) and Earth (food, physical environment, material forces)." This can also be translated as: "The organism is influenced by spiritual, psychic arid non-earthly forces (cosmic, solar, lunar forces) as well as forces in its immediate environment (nutrition, climate, electro- magnetic and geophysical forces)".

Other factors which influence the organism include hereditary influences and the internal environment (emotions, neuroendocrine system).

Health in man and animal may be defined as harmony within the internal environment and with the external environment. The organism has adapted successfully to stimuli from its internal and external environment and can carry on its natural functions in a variable (changing) world. Thus, health is not an absolute state. It is a relative state which depends onthe environment. For instance, it might not be healthy (normal) for men to have a heart rate of 84 and a PCV of 57 in Holland, but for men living high up in the Andes or in Mexico City these could be normal, healthy values.

Dis-ease arises when there is disharmony or imbalance/maladaptation between the internal and external environment, or within the internal environment. Dis-ease seldom arises from a single cause. A combination of three or more factors may be needed for the dis-ease to become manifest. The combination overloads the body's adaptive (homeostatic) mechanisms. It follows that dis-ease may be treated by removing the causes singly or in combination and/or by enhancing the adaptive/homeostatic mechanisms.

Holistic medicine, including acupuncture (AP) and homoeopathy, must be seen against this holistic (unified) theory of health and dis-ease. AP is only one modality among many which can be used to help the adaptive mechanisms. Other forms of therapy which work in the same direction will usually complement the effects of AP. Whatever can be done to remove the causes or to neutralise them will increase the probability of cure.

The concepts which will be discussed now are based mainly on concepts of human health and dis-ease but many of them apply also to animals.