Root cause treatment for chronic illness

Many patients in my acupuncture practice want to find ways to address the root cause of their chronic illness. Often, they feel let down by a healthcare system that has only supplied them with bandaid solutions.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treating the root of a health issue involves addressing your constitution. Your constitution is essentially your unique body type. With the same diet, two people can grow up with very different body types.

In biological terms, your constitution is the equivalent of your genetics. Your DNA carries information about your body, including hereditary diseases. This information comes in the form of genes. Think of your DNA as the folder, and your genes as the instruction page for each different component in your body.

The information that exists in your DNA isn’t all being used at all times. Epigenetics tell us that your DNA can carry genes for certain diseases, but you aren’t guaranteed to get these diseases. Factors such as stress and diet (among others) can impact whether those genes will be expressed. In other words, they’ll determine whether you end up getting these diseases. These are the factors we look at when working on the root cause of the issue.

For instance, let’s say that there is a history of heart disease in your family. You can inherit genes that make you more susceptible to heart disease, but it doesn’t mean that you will necessarily have heart disease. Keeping a healthy diet, regularly moving your body, and managing your stress can all help prevent heart disease, even if you’re genetically predisposed to it.

Root cause acupuncture

The goal of treating your constitution with acupuncture is to encourage your body to manifest its healthy form. This doesn’t replace your other healthy habits; it’s done in addition to working on your nutrition, healthy stress management, sleep, etc.

It’s important to mention that this doesn’t mean flipping a magical switch forever. It’s not about finding the right combination of acupuncture points that will make you get rid of your chronic illness forever. If your body has a propensity toward a certain illness, all forms of stress can encourage your body to go into another flare of that illness.

So, does targeting the root of your chronic illness mean curing you of this illness? No, it doesn’t. But it means that together, we’re working to address more than just your current symptoms.

If you’d like to target the root cause of your chronic illness, book your acupuncture appointment!