Cure, Palliation, Suppression:What are we Doing?

The practice of natural medicine is one that emphasizes the interdependence of science and art. At Bambú Clinic, our physicians draw on the strengths of the scientific mind (discerning, practical, and systematic) and the gifts of the heart (compassion, creativity, and joy) to develop an innovative, wholistic approach to patient care. Deeply rooted in naturopathic philosophy, we apply four important approaches to each individualized treatment plan: cure, palliation, suppression and prevention. Understanding these principles is fundamental to tracking the progression of a healing journey.

Palliation:
From the Latin pallium, meaning ‘to cloak’, palliative care aims to cloak, or ease, symptoms. It is important to be aware that palliative care does not alter the course of disease, nor does it attempt to move a patient towards cure by addressing the underlying causes of imbalance. Instead, palliative care focuses on reducing uncomfortable signs and symptoms that disrupt the activities of daily living and can inhibit a felt sense of well-being. The lessening of signs and symptoms experienced by the patient will last as long as the therapy is continued. However, signs and symptoms will return as soon as therapy is suspended. Utilized as a tool to reduce pain and discomfort, palliative therapies also act to enhance quality of life by soothing the harmful effects of stress on psycho-spiritual health. Palliative therapies are routinely used in the beginning phase of treatment, to quell symptoms while working to restore balance and find the underlying cause of illness. In the conventional medical model, palliative care is often employed in end of life care, with a primary goal being to minimize discomfort.

Suppression:
Literally meaning ‘a pressing under,’ suppression is an aggressive medical strategy that strives to keep an existing condition from spreading. Suppression sometimes begins as well-intentioned palliation (alleviation of symptoms). Prolonged palliation, however, has the potential to insidiously morph into suppression. Any forceful, continual blocking of the body’s attempt to communicate (which is how we understand the body’s signs and symptoms), will result in the creation of a deeper dysfunction. Using suppressive therapies will minimize the original signs and symptoms, but to what end? By definition, suppression disrupts the body’s natural means of communicating imbalance, making it necessary for the body to finding other means to relay its messages. Clinically, this presents as the body driving the imbalance deeper, causing more serious signs and symptoms, in an attempt to get you to pay attention! In time, the body will move further into chronic degeneration, and at some point pass a threshold where cure is no longer possible. Suppression is medically necessary, for example, in life threatening situations, or when signs and symptoms make daily life intolerable.

Cure:
In the broadest definition, cure means to bring about recovery from a disease or disorder. In the conventional medical model, an illness is often considered ‘cured’ if a certain amount of time passes without recurrence of a disease. At Bambú Clinic, our physicians hold higher standards of cure. To us, cure is only possible once we have seen the restoration of homeostasis (balance) in all systems in the body, and the person is living a full and contented life (free of any pharmaceutical or nutraceutical interventions or medications). Once this level of optimal wellness and deep healing has occurred, focused treatment is no longer necessary. Our aim is to guide patients to the point where they are able to maintain their health with simple, daily lifestyle habits.

Prevention:
True preventive medicine focuses on establishing a strong foundation for health by incorporating healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine. Taking these daily steps to promote health –today (!)- not only begins to correct imbalances that are causing the current health challenges you may be experiencing, but will also increase your over all sense of well-being, and, perhaps most importantly, will decrease your future risk of developing chronic, debilitating disease. At Bambú Clinic, our physicians know that prevention can only truly be measured by its future effect. For example, treatments that reestablish health are curative — the symptom in question resolves completely without the necessity of ongoing medications. However, sometimes, the remedy itself is what causes the symptom to disappear, without ever addressing the underlying driving force. These types of treatments are considered either palliative or suppressive. The only way to distinguish between these two is to look ahead in time: a palliative treatment can ease discomfort while working towards correcting the root imbalances and regenerate balance, while a suppressive treatment will cause a future deeper manifestation of the original health challenge. To practice true preventive medicine, we must adopt strategies that will bring about long-term balance by optimizing normal physiology.