Cause Based Medicine™ is the systematic process of finding and treating the core cause of health concerns by using a classic naturopathic approach combined with scientific research to optimize patient outcomes.
In Cause Based Medicine™ we use the knowledge of classic naturopathic medicine and scientifically proven possible causes(s) of health conditions.
The focus is cause-based. It is the identification of the root cause, the “why” behind the symptoms. Treatment programs address the root cause of the health condition, not the symptoms.
To truly understand this branch of medicine, we must define the terms “classic naturopathic knowledge” and “science.”
Classic Naturopathic Knowledge
The root cause or causes, the “why” behind numerous diseases has been recognized by practitioners of natural medicine for many years. How certain supplements work and that they work for a variety of health conditions has likewise been recognized in the field of natural healing for many years.
Only recently has modern science begun to accept, prove, and expand upon the traditional knowledge that has been in use in natural medicine for centuries.
Science
Science is organized knowledge learned through observation and experimentation.
Dr. Michael Nowazek, BSc, ND, defines science as: “The attempt to determine what nature has been doing for millions of years.”
Scientific Method
Scientific method is how knowledge is acquired. First, a problem must be recognized as a problem. Then information about the problem must be collected from a combination of already-verified facts, observation, and experimentation. When all the data has been collected, a tentative solution can then be tested.
The Guiding Principles of Classic Naturopathic Medicine
The guiding principles of classic naturopathic medicine are:
- Do No Harm
- The Healing Power of Nature
- Identify and Treat the Cause
- Doctor as Teacher
- Treat the Whole Person
Some naturopathic associations have added a sixth guiding principle:
6. Prevention is the Best Cure
How Cause Based Medicine™ is Practiced
Cause Based Medicine™ is firmly grounded in applying a scientific methodology to treating individual cases.
Practitioners of Cause Based Medicine™ recognize that pain, disease, and illness are symptoms and that there is something causing the symptoms, something that is preventing the body from healing itself.
Headache, for instance, is a symptom affecting millions of Canadians every year.
“Headache” is a broad term used to describe pain or discomfort in the head. Some of the more common types of headaches include tension headaches, cluster headaches, and migraine headaches.
Headaches as a Symptom
Cause Based Medicine™ views headaches as a symptom of an underlying physiological or environmental cause or causes. The science shows that headaches, and particularly migraine headaches, can stem from a number of root causes such as:
Alteration in Gut Microbiota (Microbiome)
The gut microbiota is the community of living organisms such as bacteria and viruses, including those that are helpful and those that are potentially harmful.
If one or more of the microbes grows out of proportion to the other species, the balance becomes upset resulting in a state called dysbiosis.
There is a growing body of evidence linking dysbiosis with migraine headaches. One study notes that “Gut dysbiosis seems to play a key role in the pathogenesis [the origination and development of a disease] of migraine… “
If alteration of the gut microbiome were the suspected cause of the headaches, the doctor practicing Cause Based Medicine™ would consider performing digestive issues testing for infectious agents and quantifying the helpful bacteria in the bowel. The treatment program would be customized for the patient based on the test results.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities are not the same as food allergies although they are both an immune system response.
Allergic reactions generally happen fairly quickly, anywhere from a few moments to a few hours. Because the allergic reactions occur in a relatively short time, it’s often easy to identify the food or substance that caused the reaction.
Reactions to food sensitivities are different than allergic reactions. Food sensitivity reactions are delayed, sometimes by hours or days or even longer, so the specific food to which you are sensitive is much harder to pinpoint.
If you ingest food to which you are sensitive, your immune system will generate a large number of IgG antibodies because it thinks the body is under attack. The IgG antibodies will bind to the offending food substances to create antibody-antigen complexes.
Interesting cells called macrophages are in charge of removing these complexes from the body. They do this by engulfing and digesting the antibody-antigen complexes. But if the antibody-antigen complexes are present in large numbers, the macrophages cannot remove them quickly enough and they start to build up over time.
This buildup can occur in many places in the body such as bowel tissue, joints, and the brain and can cause inflammation. If they deposit in the brain, for instance, headaches and migraines could result.
The pain and inflammation in the place(s) in the body where the antibody-antigen complexes have built up can gradually increase until the symptoms are obvious.
Food sensitivities can be tested for with a simple blood test to identify the foods to which the body is reacting. Once these reactive foods have been identified, a program can be tailored to eliminate them.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones comprise a complex and intricate system of chemical messengers that tell various organs and tissues what to do and when to do it.
If there is too little or too much of one hormone, it can throw the other hormones out of balance.
Low levels of reproductive hormones, principally estrogen in women and testosterone in men, have been established as a risk factor for headaches.
The HPA Axis (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal glands) can play a role in headaches. One study found that “an investigation into certain neurochemicals in migraine sufferers found abnormal patterns of hypothalamic hormonal secretion.”
In Cause Based Medicine™, hormone testing would be considered if a hormonal imbalance were suspected of being the root cause of the headaches.
Infection and Inflammation
Studies have determined that infection can lead to headaches. One such study notes that “headache may present as a manifestation of systemic or CNS [central nervous system] infection”.
Infection can lead to inflammation. It is important to note that the resolution of an infection does not always mean that the inflammation will stop. The inflammation can continue after the infection has been successfully treated. Post-infection inflammation can become chronic inflammation and can cause a variety of conditions including fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain.
Infections are not always easy to spot because some may be subclinical, meaning they are not detectable by the usual clinical tests. Infection can be detected in blood tests. However, chronic infection can sometimes be missed because the results fall within the “normal” range.
A doctor practicing Cause Based Medicine™ would carefully study the results of the blood test and look for anomalies such as results that are either high normal or low normal.
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system and create hormone problems all through the body.
EDCs are almost unavoidable in today’s environment. They are present in many common products such as plastics, epoxy-lined cans of food or beverages, grooming products such as shampoos and conditioners, essential oils, and other household items.
Pesticides, for instance, are specifically designed to be toxic to the pests’ nervous system and/or reproductive system. Unfortunately, they are also toxic to the human nervous system and reproductive system.
Most studies examining the health effects of pesticides target those working in agriculture. However, pesticides can often be found in household indoor air.
Among the many health risks associated with pesticide exposure is headache. One study noted that “toxic substances such as lead, insecticides, organophosphate pesticides, chemical solvents, acetaldehyde from alcohol (a hangover), carbon tetrachloride, and various home cleaners can trigger headaches.”
In Cause Based Medicine™, if EDCs are the suspected cause of the headaches, toxicity testing would be considered. The testing is done through a urine sample.
Processed Food
Among the other widely recognized health risks of processed food is the greater incidence of headache. The Illinois Department of Central Management Services notes that “food and the chemicals in it may trigger migraine attacks”.
There is no specific test to confirm whether processed food is the cause of the headaches. A practitioner of Cause Based Medicine™ could have the patient complete a 7-day diary detailing what he or she eats and drinks. This may or may not be done in combination with nutritional testing to measure the levels of various important vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function well.
Treating the Cause, Not the Symptoms
In Cause Based Medicine™, symptoms are regarded as indicators of what could be wrong rather than something to be treated. In the case of a patient presenting with headaches, for instance, a naturopathic doctor practicing Cause Based Medicine™ would not recommend the natural equivalent of a painkiller. He or she would look for the root cause of the symptoms. He or she would know that headaches can be caused by different contributing factors such as alteration in gut microbiome, food sensitivities, infection, toxic chemicals, and the other scientifically proven causes.
The Cause Based Medicine™ doctor develops a preliminary diagnosis using his or her clinical judgement and experience and may use testing to confirm the diagnosis.
The test results will determine the most effective course of treatment of the cause of the symptoms, and further testing may be used to monitor progress and make any needed adjustments to the treatment plan.
Testing and treatment options are implemented only after full discussion with the patient and are performed at a rate suitable to that patient.
In Cause Based Medicine™, treatment plans are unique to each individual patient, based on scientific evidence and the needs of that specific patient. They are customized for each patient to address the cause(s) of the health problem, not the symptoms.
A practitioner of Cause Based Medicine™ works with the patient to design a treatment plan specifically for them.
It’s not always easy and it might not be perfect. A patient could have multiple concurrent causes that are overlapping and covering each other. Depending on the complexity of the health condition and the number and severity of underlying causes(s), treating a patient’s health condition could require a multi-stage program to address the underlying cause(s).
The treatment program is designed to be a systematic process where each step is completed before moving on to the next step.
Treatment program steps are usually not instant. They can be time-consuming and patient commitment is required.
In Summary
There’s a big difference between treating the symptoms of health issues and treating the cause of them.
Cause Based Medicine™ is rooted in classic naturopathic medicine. The focus is on identifying and treating the scientifically proven cause(s) of the symptoms.
In Cause Based Medicine™, symptoms are not something to be managed, suppressed, or treated. Symptoms are nothing more than indications that something in the body is not working as it should.
Cause Based Medicine™ is centred on what is not working properly and why it isn’t working properly. When the “what” and the “why” are addressed, the symptoms will diminish or vanish.
The Cause Based Medicine™ practitioner determines the likely cause(s) of the symptoms based on an examination of the patient and the practitioner’s knowledge, experience, and the scientific evidence.
Cause Based Medicine™ is the systematic process of finding and treating the core cause of health concerns by using a classic naturopathic approach combined with scientific research to optimize patient outcomes.
Green Apple Health Care practices Cause Based Medicine™ which is the systematic process of finding and treating the core cause of health concerns by using a classic naturopathic approach combined with scientific research to optimize patient outcomes.
Our focus is cause-based. We are relentless in identifying the root cause, the “why” behind the symptoms, and we address our treatment programs to the cause of the health condition, not the symptoms.
Call us at (780) 485-9468 to book a consultation. If you prefer, online booking is available for both new patients and repeat patients.
