Thoughts for World Health Day – Treating the Cause, Not the Result

As part of World Health Day, I have joined with the American Recall Center, a site devoted to providing up-to-date FDA news, to spread awareness about medication safety.

Below are some thoughts I had about how each of us can improve our healthcare and encourage our doctors to listen and learn from us.


Doctors are trained to treat the result and not the cause. Medical journals have more pages devoted to drug advertising than to therapeutic information. Several years ago an add in a major journal read: I was depressed, unable to cope. I went to see my physician. He prescribed (advertised drug). I feel better now.

I wrote the company and journal and said they ought to put in a line about the doctor asking the patient about what was happening in their life and not just giving her a pill. The ad was cancelled.

For personal and family reasons I have learned the importance of holistic and integrative care. I and my wife take many supplements to sustain our health and treat any illnesses we are living with. It is rare for a doctor to learn from patients who do well. They have to realize healing is self induced and not spontaneous. Years ago my wife was diagnosed with colitis which did not respond to antibiotic therapy. I started her on Boswellia, an anti-inflammatory herb, and in short order the disease was gone and never recurred.

When you care about yourself and your health you keep an open mind and explore the therapeutic options available to you. We all have the potential built into us and when we choose supplements wisely we nourish our bodies. Again i have personally seen it with cardiac issues, Lyme disease, MS, cancer and more. keep an open mind and teach your doctor what natives know and tourists don’t understand. The best doctors are coached by their patients. They listen and learn and don’t make excuses or refuse to listen.

Bernie Siegel, MD