Medical Hegemony,
Alternative Medicine,
and the Emerging Wellness Movement
Leonardo Gonzalez
2002
I am a student with an
undying thirst for knowledge. My
passions are consciousness and healing. I
plan to attend medical school and do graduate research in cognitive
neuroscience. Until then, I am
supplementing my studies with apprenticeships and experiential learning in
areas of alternative medicine and psychology, and advancing my current career
in the information technology field. My
ultimate vision is to have an independent research institute to study the art
and science of healing people and helping them unleash their full potential.
I have
deep interests in health, medicine, education, collaboration, music, movement, ancient
traditions, and emerging technologies. I
hold a philosophy that values the positive aspects of life and the integration
of different disciplines. This work
presents an approach to integrate these themes into a greater understanding of
healing and how it relates to our culture.
In the
In contrast,
the emerging movements of positive psychology, preventive medicine, and
wellness approach health from the standpoint of human well-being instead of the
elimination of disease. Preventive
medicine has been shown, through decades of research, to be more effective and
cost efficient than the curing of illnesses after they have been contracted. For hundreds, even thousands of years,
alternative systems of medicine have emphasized the prevention of illness by
cultivating and maintaining a harmonious balance within the body.
Mirroring
these ancient healing traditions, some new therapies are emerging from the
latest scientific and technological advances and our increasing understanding
of the complexity of our beings. Network
Spinal Analysis, also known as Network Care or Network Chiropractic, is a
cutting-edge discipline, currently taught to chiropractors, that fosters renewed
health and vitality. Instead of seeking
to correct abnormalities, Network Care encourages the development of spinal and
neural integrity.
I had
the opportunity to experience Network Care with Dr. John Amaral. He collaborated with friends and family to
create a community wellness center in
Due to
the increasing public demand for alternative therapies, Congress established
the
Predominantly,
however, alternative systems of diagnosis and therapy receive little respect
and are even looked down upon as ineffective, superstitious, and
dangerous. While biomedicine claims to
be founded on objective principles of empirical science, it is effectively an
institution with all the biases, dogmas and claimed prerogatives of an organized
religion. The preponderance of biomedicine’s
domination is such that it has come to be described as a medical hegemony.
An
example of the biomedical authoritarianism can be seen in the health insurance
sector. Even such widely-sought and
medically accepted services such as chiropractic are still somewhat on the
fringe when it comes to coverage by health insurance plans. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised
when I found out that my Blue Cross insurance plan included partial coverage
for acupuncture.
I went
to see Adam Atman, a renowned healer who is an expert in the fields of
acupuncture, medical Chi Kung (also written as “Qigong”), homeopathy,
nutrition, and herbal medicine. When I
asked him about insurance payments, he regretfully told me that he was no
longer capable of billing insurance. He
had been removed from the Blue Cross plan because he had stated in a
questionnaire that he employed the methods of crystal therapy and
homeopathy. I thought it was outrageous
that simply using unorthodox methods of treatment was enough to condemn an
excellent healer as a quack.
This medical
hegemony is subscribed to by medical establishments throughout the world. A case in point is my own father, in
This
would be upsetting enough if it was simply a result of adhering to a strict
philosophy of only accepting therapies that have been scientifically
tested. In this particular case,
however, there is overwhelming scientific and clinical evidence attesting to
the effectiveness of garlic as a therapeutic agent:
Garlic
is probably also the most widely studied of all the natural products. In just
the last twenty years alone, an incredible 2,500 scientific studies have
occurred looking into the medical benefits of this product (
The
following information is presented by the Longwood Herbal Task Force, comprised
of members from Children's Hospital, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and
Allied Health Sciences,
In
numerous randomized controlled trials in hypercholesterolemic adults, garlic
powder supplements lower cholesterol by an average of 10%... In randomized controlled trials in
hypertensive adults, garlic lowers blood pressure by an average of 7%. In
randomized controlled trials in adults over 50 years old, garlic reduces
arterial plaque volume and enhances vascular elasticity. In case series and
randomized, controlled trials in healthy adults and in those with vascular
disease, garlic supplementation (600-800 mg daily) reduces platelet aggregation
and enhances fibrinolysis. Numerous
epidemiologic studies suggest that diets rich in garlic are associated with
reduced risks of several kinds of solid tumors... (Longwood Herbal Task Force,
2000).
This,
therefore, is indicative of another major class of problems I see in the
biomedical industry: the capitalist
influence and commercial motivating factors at play. The medical establishment is all too happy to
appease multinational pharmaceutical corporations in maintaining a status quo
of centrally controlled pharmacological treatment. It is not uncommon for profits to take
precedence over human health or even lives.
The following excerpt illustrates a classic example:
On March 5, the
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association and 39 transnational pharmaceutical
companies brought the South African government to court in
There
is tremendous economic pressure to sustain the model of patented
pharmaceuticals as the primary means of treatment. The influence that pharmaceutical
corporations exert on the medical establishment runs deep into the very core of
the curriculum at medical schools. I
believe that this economic pressure is largely responsible for holding back the
study and use of alternative therapies that are cheaper, safer, and more
effective.
Another
problem I have with biomedicine is its obsessive focus on pathology. The discipline is overwhelmingly concerned
with delving into the study of all that can go wrong and waging battles against
these diseases. Especially in the
While
pathophysiology has its place, I feel that we are missing out on the bigger
picture if we do not attempt a more thorough understanding of human beings in
their prime: healthy, joyous and
fulfilled. The obsession with the
negative aspects of health stands parallel to the
Accordingly,
the World Health Organization defines health as “not merely the absence of
disease and infirmity but complete physical, mental and social well-being.” Health is actually more complex a topic than
it might seem at first:
Health,
more than merely a physiological or emotional state, is a concept that humans
in many societies have developed in order to describe their sense of
well-being. Many medical anthropologists
regard health to be a "cultural construction" whose meaning varies
considerably from society to society or from one historical period to another
(Baer, 1997).
Reading
this opened me up to the concept of health as a cultural phenomenon, and gave
me renewed hope that I was not alone in my pursuit of a more positive approach
to health and healing.
The
first time I received such hope was at the 1998 American Psychological
Association annual convention in
Psychology
is not just the study of weakness and damage, it is also: or should be: the
study of strength and virtue. Treatment is not just fixing what is broken; it
is nurturing what is best within ourselves. And by focusing on our strengths
and virtues rather than on our deficits and wounds I believe we will have the
opportunity to effectively prevent many of the problems we have spent the past
50 years trying to cure (American Psychological Association, 1998).
The APA
had established a Presidential Task Force on Prevention charged with “the
process of attempting to identify the best practices in prevention and of
looking toward creating a new profession through training in prevention and
health promotion.”
The
sentiment continues today in the emerging field called positive
psychology. A recent book, Flourishing:
Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived, contains “a discussion of
targeted research priorities designed to extend and apply knowledge of positive
human functioning” (Ryff, C. D. & Singer, B.).
The
field of preventive medicine also extends beyond the scope of psychology. Proponents of preventive medicine have had
notable success even in mainstream society.
Perhaps the most successfully accepted facet of preventive medicine is
the prevention of heart disease:
During
the past 25 years, Dean Ornish, MD and his colleagues have conducted a series
of scientific studies demonstrating … that the progression of even severe
coronary heart disease often can be reversed simply by making comprehensive
changes in diet and lifestyle. These research findings were published in
leading peer-reviewed medical journals. (Preventive Medicine Research Institute).
Dr. Dean Ornish founded the
Preventive Medicine Research Institute to demonstrate the efficacy of
preventive treatments. He has also
designed a program for reversing heart disease, with participating patients
being supported by Medicare. I have seen
many high-fiber food products that display the emblem of the American Heart
Association and state the role of dietary fiber in helping with the prevention
of heart disease.
Prevention
is a common thread seen among several types of alternative medical
systems. This is especially true of
Traditional Chinese Medicine (including herbology, nutrition, medical Chi Kung,
massage, and acupuncture). It is
generally recognized that it is much easier to maintain health and prevent
illness than it is to treat a contracted disease. Due to overwhelming demand by the public,
complementary and alternative medicine is finding its niche among our medical
pluralism as a method of cultivating and maintaining wellness. The White House Commission on Complementary
and Alternative Medicine Policy states in their March 2002 final report: “The Commission believes that it is time for
wellness and health promotion to be a national priority and for the role of
Mirroring
some ancient healing traditions are emerging therapies that reflect similar
concepts. One example is Chi Kung (literally,
life energy cultivation), a practice that dates back thousands of years and is
the source of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. According to Chi Kung theory, emotions are
correlated with “organs” (functional systems, not anatomic) in the body
relating to different aspects of health.
Each organ system corresponds to different positive and negative
emotions, and expresses unique patterns of interrelation. By keeping the emotions in balance, energy
can flow harmoniously throughout the body.
Conversely, by regulating energy flow by means of Chi Kung movement,
posture, and meditation exercises, balance can be restored to the emotions. John Zielinski, one of my Chi Kung teachers,
told me that this conceptualization of the organs originates from as far back
as ancient Mongolian shamanism.
This psychosomatic
paradigm is echoed by one of the most cutting edge fields on the frontiers of
medical science today, psychoneuropharmacology.
Candace B. Pert (1999), once a chief of brain chemistry at the NIH,
relates in The Molecules of Emotion:
I've
come to believe that virtually all illness, if not psychosomatic in foundation,
has a definite psychosomatic component.
Recent technological innovations have allowed us to examine the
molecular basis of the emotions, and to begin to understand how the molecules
of our emotions share intimate connections with, and are indeed inseparable
from, our physiology. It is the
emotions, I have come to see, that link mind and body. This more holistic approach complements the
reductionist view, expanding rather than replacing it, and offers a new way to
think about health and disease - not just for us scientists, but for the lay
person also.
Network
Spinal Analysis also shares some similar concepts with medical Chi Kung
Therapy. They both recognize the
existence of centers of energy from which energy can be drawn and
integrated. In Chi Kung they are called gates or doors; in Network Spinal Analysis they are called Spinal Gateways. In Chi Kung, one is encouraged to relax and
align one’s breath with visualization of energy flow. One of the most fundamental energy circuits
is the Microcosmic Orbit that runs from the perineum, up the back to the crown
of the head, and down the front of the body back to the perineum. Correspondingly:
During
Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) care two "healing waves" develop which
are unique to Network. One is a breathing wave that releases tension throughout
the spine and body and relaxes a person. The other is called a somatopsychic
(or body-mind) wave, which is associated with a dolphin type undulation or
movement of the spine. These waves are related to a significant increase in
wellness and quality of life (Innate Intelligence, Inc.).
Another
correspondence lies in the practice developing awareness of stored energy in
the body and releasing or integrating it:
The
purpose of treatment with Qigong is to release and purge strong toxic-energy
flows that are literally trapped in the body's tissues. When we hold back
our feelings we block our natural Qi flow, which creates stagnant pools of
toxic energy within our body. For the
healing process to work there can be no separation between body, mind, emotion
and spirit… Specific concentration is
focused on breathing, hearing, visualization, concentration, muscle relaxation,
light massage, and movement to develop and control the body's intrinsic energy
(International Institute of Medical Qigong,
Correspondingly:
When an
event occurs that our brain determines is not safe for us to fully experience,
the energy and information of the event is translated into vibration and
tension, which is then stored in the body… Until it is safe to experience that
energy again, and our bodies develop the strategy to do this, and digest the
information from the trauma, we cannot really feel whole or well (Innate
Intelligence, Inc.).
Network
Spinal Analysis evolved from the Epstein Model of Vertebral Subluxation to the
Epstein Model of Spinal and Neural Integrity.
This harks back to the theme of focusing on the healthy model instead of
the disease state, as I discussed earlier.
The objectives of Network Spinal Analysis include enhanced
self-awareness of one’s soma, spine, and respiration, adaptive self-regulation
of adverse spinal cord tension patterns, enhancement of spinal and neural
integrity, and the development of specific emerging properties of the spine and
nervous system related to improved wellness and quality of life (Innate
Intelligence, Inc.). Having a fascination
for complex / non-linear systems theory, communication, and neuroscience, the
Epstein Model of Spinal and Neural Integrity deeply captured my interest.
The
concept of wellness plays a central role in Network Spinal Analysis. Donald Epstein, D.C., the founder of Network
Spinal Analysis, is working to separate the field from the auspices of
chiropractic and branch it out into its own area of study and practice. To this end, he is developing a Master's Degree in Wellness, Quality of Life
Outcomes and Healthy Life Styles Assessment.
Going
one step beyond prevention of illness, the concept of wellness is seeing
widespread growth into a movement of awareness.
Instead of giving away all their power to the medical hegemony, the
public is starting to take their health and well-being into their own hands and
communities.
Wellness
is a state of optimum health and well-being achieved through the active pursuit
of good health and the removal of barriers, both personal and societal, to
healthy living. It is the ability of people and communities to reach their
fullest potential in the broadest sense (The California Wellness Foundation,
2002).
This
effectively positions wellness as an active process that can take place between
a therapist and a patient, within a community of people, or independently with
each person. What results is the
possibility of a balanced approach to professional, communal, and individual
health practices. Just as it is
important to gain independence from the medical hegemony, it is also important
to reach out to the community to share support, resources, and experiences.
Don
Davidson, one of my drumming teachers, gave a toast recently in the presence of
intimate friends and fellow drummers. He
mentioned that we have societal drive to become independent, which can make it
easy to become isolated. It can be a
challenge to find avenues to bring people together out of their isolation and
into a common thread with a deep, meaningful bond. The unspoken message was that drumming, and
music in general, was such an avenue.
Community health and education opportunities are another.
When I first began Network Care with Dr. John Amaral, he mentioned that he was collaborating with friends and family to create a community-based wellness center: The Well-Being Center. Eager to participate, I arranged to get involved and have an in-depth interview. I had my interview with Dr. Amaral immediately after receiving a healing session from him. I was in a state of trance; my body was relaxed and my mind was at ease. He was done with his workday, so he was able to give me his full, undivided attention. We had limited time, however, so there was a drive to be focused and effective in our discussion.
Dr. Amaral’s purpose
was poetic and ambitious: to help people
access and express their innate potential.
While this is very broad, the
I then asked Dr.
Amaral for specific goals, the elements that would give form to his
purpose. He said he sought to provide an
integration of services and practices.
We discussed the nature of preventative medicine, placing the focus on
the healthy model of a fulfilled person instead of obsessing over the
pathology. This approach blurs the lines
between healing and education.
Activities like yoga and qigong classes or nutrition analysis enrich a
person’s knowledge while providing their body with vibrant health.
It was important
to Dr. Amaral that these services and practices be integrated in a cohesive
way. He mentioned that unleashing a
dormant aspect of a person (as in with network chiropractic, by providing part
of their body with energy that was previously unavailable) opened them up to
explore other aspects of themselves, such as movement.
I mentioned to Dr. Amaral that it was valuable
to visualize a process or flow that different people could experience: from one type of care to another, from one
type of healing to some class, etc. By
mapping out different possibilities of a person’s flow through the various
services and practices, we could design and deliver cohesive, integrated solutions. I then discussed how, once these threads of
flow are established, the flow of information can be defined. This would help design an information
infrastructure for contact databases, patient records, appointment scheduling,
and events calendars, among other things.
Another point that was discussed regarding the integration of services was the possibility of partnering with other providers and educators throughout the county and beyond. We talked about the value of networking people and resources. Dr. Amaral mentioned that, while the newly-expanded center would accommodate a lot of growth, it might one day be too small to meet its growing demand. One opportunity for expansion I presented was having several nodes on a network of locations. Although the different sites would not be in the same physical space, there could still be an integration of services through referrals and the sharing of information and resources.
Another goal Dr.
Amaral mentioned was increasing access to health and education services. I zeroed in on the key word: access.
One sense of this was the geographic location of the
I related my feelings of the importance of the word “access” to Dr. Amaral. We discussed that people could have increased access to certain services or practices by being exposed to them in an integrated setting, whereas they might not have sought them out on their own. I also mentioned that, while there was a lot of value in presenting educational multimedia materials online, we should also provide hard-copy, CD, or videotaped materials to increase the access to that information for people who do not use the Internet.
Several weeks
later, the
It is with
grass-roots integrative health movements such as the
The groundwork is
already set in place with the
NCCAM is the Federal
Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and
alternative medicine. NCCAM's mission is to explore complementary and
alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, to train
NCCAM has four
primary areas of focus: research,
research training and career development, outreach, and integration. Its research priorities for 2003 are: arthritis,
asthma/allergy, cardiovascular
diseases, climacteric, digestive
diseases, immunology, infectious
diseases, manual therapies, mental
health, mind-body medicine,
neurological diseases, pain, and probiotics.
From its humble beginnings as the Office of Alternative Medicine in 1992 with an annual funding of $2.0 million, NCCAM now receives funding from 21 other NIH institutes / centers, and is projected to be funded at a level of $113.2 million in 2003.
With support for
research at this level, integrative medicine is sure to be more widely
adopted. Open-minded health
practitioners will continue to forge the path for the opening of the
In the end, or to begin with, the theme is the same for the thriving of the global medical arena, the thriving of The Well-Being Center, and the thriving of the human being: awareness and harmonious communication between systems.
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