The Clinic of Dr. Arrigo

How Health Is Planted

Why is it that while individuals within a group of people (e.g., a family) may have a common genetic tendency to develop a disease, only some of them will actually develop the illness while others won’t? And why is it that virulent bacteria can be found in certain people, of whom only a few will actually become infected and sick?

These two examples show us that diseases are caused by factors other than just a certain genetic background or the mere presence of an infective agent (e.g., bacteria or virus). For every alteration in the homeostatic balance there corresponds a body reaction having a healing process or a pathological process. Both the processes are the expression of the organism’s ability to adapt.

In case of pathological process, the adaptation causes the stressor to affect the are area outside the cells or the cell itself, which then leads to the altered production of biological molecules and the inefficient deterioration in recovering the physiological homeostasis.

Various studies indicate that stress events or breakdown of psychological defenses are related to the onset of allergic, autoimmune, infectious, cancer, digestive, heart and circulatory, and other illnesses. The decline of immune function through stress may be responsible for the ability of pathogens and toxins to cause infection or of a genetic trait to become expressed as an actual disease. Abnormal activation of the sympathetic nervous system (the “get-up-and-go” nervous system) in response to stress negatively affects the digestive tract thusly affecting the defense system of the digestive tract and the immune system in general.

Over-stimulation of the hormonal system (living in a state of constant arousal to stress) can lead to the exhaustion of the adrenals (the glands that are essential for the proper biological response to stress). This throws the hormonal system out of balance and puts stress on the other hormones. This situation can lead to the suppression of the thymus (one of the major immune glands of the body) and the immune system.

The same mind-body mechanism that causes disease can work in the reverse direction and enhance health. This is called, Progressive and Regressive Vicariation, respectively.

What must not be misinterpreted is that acute inflammation, usually treated as ‘abnormal ‘ by conventional (allopathic) medicine is actually an attempt of the body to cleanse itself of disruptive homotoxins.

Chronic inflammation on the other hand is not normal or beneficial and can be the result of recurrent infection intoxication, or allopathic (pharmaceutical) suppression. Our answer is that the most correct treatment must be in accordance with the laws of biological nature. Prudent applications of therapies that are most congruent with such laws will inherently and naturally always address the fundamental cause. Ill-aligned philosophy to assessment treatment will be directed at signs and symptoms and will by its incorrect approach to the human body miss the cause.

As a Naturopathic Doctor practicing and adhering to the philosophies of Biological Medicine, I must stress the importance of understanding our bodies response to stress and the ensuing course of “dis-ease”. Only by shifting our perspective from a paradigm of quick-relief medications to one of understanding and trust in body’s innate wisdom will our individual and collective health improve.