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The New Medicine
Author
Dr
Michael Ellis©2008
Abstract/ Summary
Major changes
are occurring in Medical Science in
terms of Consciousness research and
Mind Body Medicine. This article examines
the progression of Medicine in the
past 100 years and examines the growth
of the Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine and the Wellness industry
and the role of Quantum Physics in
underpinning the new science of Mind
Body Medicine. It also looks at healing
from a new diagnostic perspective
as well as looking at the social ,environmental
and relational aspects of health.
Key words:
Biomedical Model ,Allopathic treatment,
healing, psychoneuroimmunology, Quantum
physics, Mind Body Medicine, Consciousness
research, general practice, person
centered diagnosis, social determinants
of health, Health Promotion, Relaxation
Response, relationship.
__________________
We live in a time
of tremendous cultural complexity.
Different world views and traditional
healing methods are converging on
western culture creating new ways
of looking at the world and enhancing
new modalities in the practice of
medicine.
The traditional
biomedical model of western medicine
stems from the Newtonian ideal of
a materialistic universe where everything
can be measured and quantified. Indeed
the essence of materialistic science
which arose in the 1800's is based
on reductionism, materialism and determinism.
This led to the concept that the body
as a machine, whether it be composed
of organs, structures or chemicals
could be rectified by putting the
parts together and rectifying the
chemical imbalances.
In this model
of the human being, society was seen
as the collection of individuals molded
by economic forces where health was
defined as the survival of the fittest.
The presupposition in the biomedical
field of medicine was that human beings
lived and breathed in a random universe
and had illnesses which were a function
of external environmental causes or
due to defects in their genetic structure.
This gave power to the physician who
was able to rectify the situation
as a parochial redeeming force and
where the patient was purely a recipient
of treatment for an illness which
they could do nothing about.
This to an extent
is still the case in modern medicine.
Even though it is known that the placebo
response(1) accounts for 30-40% of
cure in patients, this is often considered
to be only a factor taken into account
when doing double blind trials to
assess pharmaceutical products.
We need a profound
renaissance in western medical care
following Osler(2) the brilliant physician
who lived 100 years ago. Osler said
that medicine is an art which considered
the constitution of the patient and
has principles of action and reason
in each case. This means that the
individual patient and their uniqueness
in being and constitution has to be
taken into account when treating the
patient.
The biomedical
model which is used by most of western
medicine is in fact only one modality
in a multiplicity of modalities of
healing which are now coming more
into fashion as now more and more
of the Australian population begin
to use complementary and alternative
medicine. These modalities include
nutritional and environmental medicine,
herbalism, acupuncture, homeopathy,
musculo- skeletal medicine , and also
mind body medicine.
Following World
War 2 and the meeting of eastern and
western cultures, naturopathic, herbal
and nutritional medicine became more
acceptable. Medicine also began to
be seen as related to psychological
wellbeing.
It is as if the
pieces of the puzzle regarding the
nature of the human being was beginning
to be unraveled particularly with
greater understanding of the nature
of psychological development and the
growth of quantum physics.
The growth of
the science of psychoneuroimmunology(3)
shows that our thoughts and feelings
influence the body through the mechanisms
of the nervous system and the circulatory
system.
Candice Pert(4)
showed that the neuropeptides in the
brain which she calls the molecules
of emotion are found throughout the
body, particularly concentrated in
the specific organs of the immune
system. She therefore showed that
our emotions and feelings are inextricably
tied up with the physiology and functioning
of the body. Mind body medicine focuses
on the interaction of the brain, mind
and body and behavior and the powerful
ways in which social, spiritual and
behavioral factors can directly affect
health.
Disease thus becomes
literally lack of ease and for many
people is a wake up call to greater
health. The implications of mind body
medicine is that we have more control
over our bodies and our minds than
the biomedical model has led us to
believe.
It also has tremendous
implications as to the nature of consciousness.
If the brain is in fact just an organ
then it is highly impossible for this
organ to be able to change itself
through the mind which in the biomedical
model is a purely epiphenomena of
the functioning of the material of
the brain. In order for the mind to
change the brain logically this presupposes
that the mind therefore exists outside
the brain.
Unfortunately
consciousness has been a term which
has been derided in western medicine
and western psychology, particularly
by the psychiatric profession who
consider that the brain is purely
an organ that can be changed by the
use of psycho active drugs.
However the evidence
is to the contrary. Not only do our
states of mind influence our state
of wellbeing but also our society
and culture influence the way we think
and the way we think has a profound
affect on our biology.
Quantum science(5)
shows that the consciousness of the
observer influences the outcome of
the experiment. Quantum science also
shows that on an atomic level events
occur instantly and are non linear.
Dr Dean Radin(6) in his book Entangled
Minds shows that experiments pertaining
to realisations ESP are more robust
than double blind trials used for
pharmaceutical drugs.
This gives us
food for thought. It is evident that
the body with its trillions of cells
working in coherence and harmony cannot
function purely as a chemical factory
but in fact works as a living quantum
organism.
Quantum science
has also shown that the essence of
matter is information and energy expressed
in the form of waves. We are not what
we seem but are in fact as energetic
beings connected with the total matrix
of life on the planet. This conclusion
which comes from the new quantum science
is still viewed with perplexity by
the majority of medical scientists,
biologists and psychologists who are
to a certain extent trapped by the
methodology of their disciplines.
More and more we live in a globalized
interconnected world and rising on
the horizon is a new science which
shows how our biology is intimately
related to society.
Indeed consciousness
and healing is not only about ourselves
but is about the larger system of
which we are part. Some of these realizations
are derived from the world's wisdom
traditions and many of these realizations
are now being calibrated through science.
Tools such as truth, gratefulness,
love and compassion are becoming fundamental
aspects of a full healing system.
The emerging world
view seems clearly to deal with whole
organisms, whole human beings and
a much more holistic view of everything
including ecological systems where
every part is related to everything
else.
Dr Leo Galland(7)
has created a person centered diagnosis
in which for diagnosis the individuality
of the patient is foremost. He seeks
to integrate disease, physiology and
psycho social functions. He divides
the diagnosis into mediators, antecedents,
triggers and effects of sickness on
the individual patient. Triggers are
what starts the illness and can be
emotional, physical or infectious.
Mediators are the biochemical processes
that occur and are reinforced or decreased
by the psychology of the patient and
the social circumstances. Antecedents
are basically the factors that predispose
the person to the illness and are
mainly genetic, although it must be
realized that genetic determinants
only make up about 5% of the population.
We see that within
the context of this form of diagnosis,
emotional and social stimulants may
well be the greatest determinant of
disease especially when we realize
the body mind and spirit is an integral
unit.
It is unfortunate
that in western general practice the
doctor hasn't got the time to understand
the social and life factors affecting
the patient. The consumer need for
instant satisfaction and instant cure
and the tremendous emphasis on the
use of drugs as the cure all has demoted
medicine to a pure technology. As
doctors we are loosing our art and
our pathway as the Australian Government
has no respect for the medical professional
or the life sciences, purely seeing
medicine as another economic process
that has to be manipulated for profit.
Unfortunately doctors and their patients
are not indices in a monetary gain.
The healing process which is innate
in a human being cannot function without
appropriate education and opportunity
for recuperation. This kind of intercession
by a physician is only possible with
an extended consultation where there
has to be a greater patient centered
diagnosis. In the prevailing system
there is no opportunity for this to
occur and this is one of the reasons
why we are seeing the huge increase
in degenerative disease in the overall
population, which obviously impacts
adversely on the GDP of the nation.
Sir Professor
Michael Marmot(8) is the advisor to
the World Health Organization (WHO).
He has produced 10 social determinants
of health for the WHO which are:
1 Social and economic
circumstances strongly effect health
throughout life. Stress harms health.
2 The effects of early development
in the neo-natal period and infancy
last a lifetime.
3 Social exclusion creates suffering
and morbidity.
4 Stress in the workplace increases
the risk of disease
5 Job security increases health, well-being
and job satisfaction.
6 Unemployment is deleterious to health.
7 Social support, friendship, good
social relations and strong supportive
networks improve health at home, work
and in the community.
8 Addiction to drugs and alcohol is
influenced by social determinants.
9 Nutrition is a key determinant of
health.
10 Transport through the use of walking
and exercise in a sustainable environment.
It is evident
that a healthy nation and the health
of an individual in society is tied
up and inextricably related to human
rights, human justice, lifestyle change,
reduction of stress and the fundamental
conditions for resources and health
including peace, shelter, education,
food, income, a stable eco system,
sustainable resources, social justice
and equity (Ottawa Charter for Health
Promotion 1986)(9).
The scientific
explanation for this is now forthcoming
through the field of mind body medicine.
By enhancing each persons capacity
for self knowledge and self care it
emphasis techniques which contribute
towards a more coherent and healed
society.
Since the 1960's
mind body interactions(10) have become
an extensively researched tool and
include such techniques as meditation,
imaging, the physiology of expectancy
(placebo response), cognitive behavior
intervention, stress management, relaxation
therapy and yoga.
Once it is understood
that a human being is not just an
assembly of human parts but contains
emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions
that cannot be reduced to material
processes, then what exactly does
healthy mean in such a multi dimensional
being? How many levels of being -
physical, emotional, mental, spiritual
- should a doctor treat? Can I be
healthy if I am spiritually malnourished?
(Reference Ken Wilbur(11).
Dr Herbert Benson,(12) Harvard physician and the inventor
of the Relaxation Response has stated
that 60-90% of visits to doctors are
in the mind body stress related realm.He
views health as being akin to a 3
legged stool-- The first being pharmaceuticals,
the second being surgery and procedures
and the third leg he defines as relaxation
response, nutrition, exercise, stress
management and above all else the
belief system of the patient.
Indeed, the key
to healing is relationship. Being
loved is about being seen and being
able to express yourself in a situation
where you can be heard. Social isolation
doubles death rates and social relationships
impact on our physiology. The most
famous mind body medical trials are
the increases survival time in patients
with breast cancer attending support
groups (David Spiegel(13))
and stress reduction techniques healing
malignant melanoma (Fauzey and Fauzey(14))
and reduction of heart disease with
physical confirmation of widening
of the coronary arteries through a
comprehensive lifestyle program treating
the mind and body (Dr Dean Ornish)(15)).
Perhaps one of
the greatest things we can say as
regards the new form of integrative
healing is that once the individual
knows that their life matters to someone
then it cannot be taken back(16).
Once we know that our life is important
and treasured and others feel this
way about us then this has huge effect
on our survival and health.
__________________
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The placebo effect - a neglected
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Osler, 1st Baronet (July 12, 1849
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physician. He has been called the
Father of Modern Medicine Osler
was a physician, clinician, pathologist,
teacher, diagnostician, bibliophile,
historian, classicist,essayist,
conversationalist, organizer, manager
and author.
- Psychoneuroimmunology
By Robert Ader
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9780120885770
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