Healthcare vs Sickness Care: Changing the Paradigm

  In my last post I explored that, even with our great wealth and scientific sophistication, we Americans are far from healthy.  Let's discuss why.

     First and foremost we need to define what "health" and "Healthy" really mean. The World Health Organization, (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".  Actually, that is close to my definition of health: "The optimization of and harmony between one's mental, physical and spiritual state of being".  Health is not simply lack of symptoms or not feeling sick; it's much more.

     Why is there a "Healthcare Crisis" in America?  The main reason is that we have a system of  "sickness care " rather than "Healthcare" as defined by the WHO.  Instead of teaching our patients to be healthy, we have traditionally waited for them to get sick, then intervene.  Hence, our system is not one of health maintenance, but sickness intervention.  Let me explain:

     Chiropractic physicians, like myself, were one of the first groups to advocate the concept of health maintenance instead of crisis intervention in healthcare. Chiropractic pioneers, like Dr. Forrest Shaklee who engineered the field of food supplement "Vitamins"; Dr. Carlton Fredricks, mutimedia pioneer and advocate of preventive nutrition, and Dr. Jack LaLanne, fitness guru and  nutritional and health advocate, all embraced the concept of "keeping yourself healthy before you get sick"  long before it was popular.  All were chastized in their time as "health nuts" because of America's preoccupation with the "sickness care" paradigm.

     Thankfully times are changing, due mostly to public education and the realization that our current system of "sickness care" is not working to keep us healthy.  More people are concerned with their nutrition, doing some regular exercise, and seeing their healthcare providers for check-ups before they get sick.  More healthcare providers, like internists, dentists and other medical professionals are educating their patients on how to stay healthy and avoid getting ill.

     We have a long way to go, however.  Next: What you can do to stay healthy and avoid getting sick.