UNDERSTANDING THE COURSE OF HEALING
The
phenomenon of the "healing crisis" is not discussed much in
health circles these days. However, the concept is as
relevant today as it was 100 years ago when it first began
to appear in Western literature. An understanding of healing
crises could, in fact, be beneficial to many who are now
embarking on the path of healing. There
is a belief among homeopaths and chiropractors that an
individual in the process of getting well will undergo some
sort of healing reaction.
This reaction can be strong or mild, but it must and will
manifest. Knowing that a healing crisis is inevitable, and
having some idea of the ways in which it might manifest,
will, at the very least, prepare a patient for its arrival
and may also offer some comfort through the duration of the
"crisis." Generally,
a healing crisis initiates when a person who is undergoing
some form of natural therapy (assuming that it is the
correct approach) experiences some
improvement.
The patient feels better and stronger, both physically and
mentally. Then, without warning, the old illness or even
symptoms of by-gone illnesses reappear. When this happens,
most patients become confused and discouraged, believing
that all the progress they had made is now lost and that
they must start over or give up. However, that is far from
what is really occurring. Anyone who
has ever experienced any form of chronic or stubborn illness
or condition, whether internal, such as an ulcer, or
structural, such as a long-term back disability, can attest
to the fact that there is a loss of energy associated with
the illness. Lack
of vitality always accompanies chronic health conditions,
and this energy loss limits or even prevents healing.
The
body is stuck in a rut, so to speak; it is unable to garner
its forces sufficiently to restore well-being. When
improvement occurs, vitality is restored to the body, and
its self-healing mechanisms are awakened.
As
healing begins, symptoms reappear as part of the body's
process of eliminating diseased cells and toxins from its
tissues. Hence
the assessment that the healing "crisis" is actually good
news because it is a sign and signal of deep healing and
restoration. It should be added that, not surprisingly, the
patient always feels better after the healing crisis has run
its course. The healing
crisis is recognized today by many natural health
practitioners. Homeopaths call these incidents
"aggravations" and chiropracters refer to the phenomenon as
"retracing." What
is important for us to understand is that a healing crisis,
or any healing that will sustain us over the long haul, must
occur at some point in the therapeutic program.
It can help
to know what, in general, to anticipate. In
addition to the reactivation of old symptoms, a patient
might also feel unexpectedly exhausted, experience flu-like
symptoms, or feel achiness all over the
body.
These symptoms usually pass in 24 to 48 hours and the
patient will feel stronger in some way after the
event. Homeopaths
and chiropractors have also noted that the body has a
definite priority and pattern of using its own healing
energy to get well. A famous American homeopath, Constantine
Herring, MD., formulated a theory (known as the Herring Law
of Cure) which says that the healing energy awakens first at
the deepest level, then moves to the surface where it begins
healing the body from head to toe. In a similar priority,
the body's healing mechanism will attend to the most current
illness first and move through to the oldest (historically)
last. In other words (as stated in the Law of Cure), disease
is healed "from the inside out, from the head down, and in
the reverse order that it appeared." Daniel David Palmer,
DC., founder of chiropractic, often quoted this theory which
he described as the "ADIOS Principle" in health restoration,
"adios" being an acronym for "above, down, inside, out."
It
should also be mentioned that old mental or emotional
symptoms may re-activate during a healing
crisis.
Dr. R.H. Van Wyck, Director of the Vancouver Institute for
Applied Psychology has stated, "Each physical state is
accompanied by a psychological counterpart and strictly
psychotrauma or heavy emotional material is also
re-experienced during the reversal and healing
process." Healing
crises are very welcome signs when we experience
them.
Unfortunately, in today's world, these "aggravations" or
"retracings" do not occur as frequently as they did in the
past. The intense social and economic stresses facing most
people today, as well as the toxic load in the environment,
often stand in the body's way and prevent a restoration of
vitality needed to initiate a healing crisis. Many years
ago, renowned chiropractor and nutritionist, Dr. Bernard
Jensen, said to this author: "I do not believe anyone in Los
Angeles can develop a healing crisis." He was speaking of
the pollution in that city which has now spread
world-wide. The
obstacles are many, but the potential is still there for a
healing crisis. Understanding
that these "aggravations" or "retracings" are part of the
recovery process de-mystifies natural health.
When
such an event appears, we can then welcome it rather than
suppress it. ©
Copyright 1999 The Friedman Chiropractic Center, Inc.. All
Rights Reserved.
Albert
Schweitzer, M.D.
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