Steps to Healing: Part 1
Did you know that acute care or relief from symptoms is only the first part of the puzzle when it comes to achieving long-term health goals?
In our current fast paced, instant gratification world, we have immediate access to almost everything. While this is wonderful when placing an online order to replenish favorite moisturizer, when it comes to our health the instant access paradigm doesn’t serve us much beyond treating the symptom. It’s true there are medications and treatments that will relieve symptoms, in some cases almost instantly. This immediate reduction in symptomology can be a critical piece of a treatment strategy, especially when it enables a dad suffering with back pain to return to work so he can support his family or a grandmother struggling with IBD to venture out of the house and visit her grandchildren. That said many medications and treatments that provide instant benefits; only mask symptoms, come with long term side effects and thus may not be sustainable long-term.
Once strides have been achieved in reducing acute symptoms, it’s essential we begin to look at root cause. For true healing to take place we must look beyond easing the symptoms and implement a long-term strategy supports the body’s natural healing processes, minimizing dependency on external interventions.
Here’s how natural modalities like Acupuncture can help you live a more vibrant life through long-term, holistic healing plans.
The Healing Process: Three Steps
Sometimes we hear about miracles where people are “cured” at an unusual speed. This does happen, but in most cases, true healing takes time, patience, and care. In my practice, we consider three key phases as a part of a comprehensive care plan:
Relief Care
Treating the Root Cause
Prevention
Each stage is critical if one is to attain a state of sustainable health; physical, mental and emotional.
What is relief care?
Relief care is typically what initially attracts patients into our clinic. They phone for an appointment because they want to get rid of the symptoms – for instance, they may be facing chronic pain, headaches, and insomnia.
This first step of relief care is essential.
Once a person starts to feel relief from their symptoms, we can begin to address associated factors which may be causing or contributing to the problem. Natural healing methods like Acupuncture typically involve a comprehensive care plan which starts with relief care and incorporates more. In fact, even if you aren’t experiencing an exacerbation of symptoms but you are experiencing low lying health problems, there’s probably an imbalance preventing your body from naturally restoring itself. Sometimes exacerbations in pain show up as an indicator for a problem that has been present for a long time.
The Cause Versus the Symptom
Conventional medicine, and our “instant gratification” society, often work towards addressing symptoms, not causes. We typically only address health when symptoms start to impede daily life. Some call this sickness-care and often a prescription from an MD to relieve pain can be the very thing that gets us back to work. For true healing to take place we need to look at health problems not just as a subset of symptoms but rather as part of a bigger picture that contribute to imbalances in body, mind, and emotions and prevent an individual from healing.
In our practice we are committed to a thorough intake process so we can truly understand beyond just a symptom. We help patients see the interrelationships between various symptoms, lifestyle and root cause and empower patients to actively participate in their treatment plan.
Relief care can help to take the pressure off and relieve symptoms. It is the first step and for true healing must be followed with a comprehensive care plan which can (hopefully) tackle the root cause of the problem or imbalance in your system.
Prevention & Empowered Wellness
Steps 1 and 2, Relief Care and Treating the Root Cause are about helping you get well. The third step is focused on maintenance and prevention and is key to lifelong wellness. Health is a long game and while a treatment plan can get you back on track, many of the stressors of modern day life can throw the body off balance. For some the best strategy to combat this is a maintenance plan designed to keep you well.
Are you ready to live your best life?
If you’re struggling to understand why you have chronic health problems such as headaches, chronic back pain, anxiety, obesity, or insomnia, chances are that there are a number of different factors contributing to these problems.
Starting with relief care and working through a careful set of steps, natural medicine modalities use a holistic approach to investigate all aspects of health, thereby getting to the root cause and developing a realistic, long term care plan for permanent relief.
When you pay attention to healing your body, mind, and emotions, you will find that long-term recovery is not only possible but will help you to feel more confident and empowered in your life.
Learn more about how to reduce pain, stress, and illness by booking a free consultation today.
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This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2020 and 2022 just for you!