Good health is something most people desire, whether they act on making it so or not. If we have good health, we are free to do the things in our life we enjoy. Thus, I have often said good health equals freedom. If true, it would be important to know what causes us to fall out of optimal health. Why does the body go into a state of dis-ease, producing symptoms that cause us to suffer? This is the question that I employ when caring for patients.

Naturopathic physicians offer a slightly different point of view when it comes to dis-ease. We believe the body is intelligent. It produces symptoms for a reason. These symptoms are an expression of the body communicating a message. The challenge is to interpret the message. Conventional medicine sometimes aims to treat the symptoms we are experiencing. While this may make us feel better by covering up the symptoms, it is not necessarily the answer to alleviating the problem. Discovering the root cause of the symptoms and treating the root of the illness aims to restore optimal health.

Let’s look at a simple example of the common cold. Nobody likes to get sick with a head cold; it can be miserable. The reason for a head cold is that rhinovirus has inhabited your nose and throat. The immune system becomes activated and fights the virus, causing sneezing and congestion. Sneezes are your body’s attempt to get rid of the virus. Congestion is due to white blood cells fighting the virus. A common method of dealing with these symptoms is taking decongestants or antihistamines. However, this simply suppresses your symptoms. Naturopathic physicians believe that suppressing symptoms can drive disease deeper into the body because we are stopping the body from doing what it is meant to do: heal itself. Naturopaths treat the common cold differently through the use of anti-viral herbs, vitamins, hydrotherapy or other means to support the immune response. And of course, rest, so that the immune system can work properly to eliminate the virus. The bottom line is that we want to support the body in its intelligent efforts.

Let’s look at a more complex example such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). With this condition, people often suffer from diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal pain. Conventional treatment for IBS can be anti-spasmodic medications (to reduce spasms in the gut), anti-diarrheal medications or laxatives to deal with constipation. Again, this is not addressing the root cause of the symptoms. It is simply attempting suppression of the symptoms.

Naturopaths look to uncover the causes of the irritable bowel syndrome: What kind of diet is the person eating? Does the individual have food allergies? Is there an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut? Is excessive stress in his/her life causing the symptoms? Does the person have a deficiency of hydrochloric acid or other digestive enzymes? These are all things to consider and address to help uncover the root cause of irritable bowel syndrome.

There are many more examples of conditions where the root cause of the illness is not addressed in conventional medicine. In hypothyroidism, patients are often given a medication to address the body’s inadequate production of thyroid hormones. While medications are necessary in some cases, it is also important to remember there is a reason the thyroid is underactive. Most of the time it is due to an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In other cases, it can be due to blood sugar imbalances, stress, digestive dysfunction, other hormonal imbalances, or neurotransmitter imbalances. Remembering that the body is intelligent and expresses symptoms for a reason can help us remember to address the root cause.

While it is not always easy to uncover the root cause of disease in the body, it is an important step if one wants to experience optimal health. It can take time and a lot of effort to get to the bottom of dis-ease. I encourage you to find a doctor that will help you do just that, so you can obtain optimal health and have the freedom to live the life you desire.

— Lisa Morse owns Vashon’s Fern Cove Natural Medicine. She is a naturopathic physician with a degree from Bastyr University.