
Cells make tissue, tissue make organs, organs make organ systems, and organ systems create and control all of the body’s function. Health is only possible when all the cells of the body are functioning optimally. A loss of health can therefore only take place as a result as a loss of function.
If the stomach is not functioning properly, one can develop symptoms: bloating, indigestion, ulcers, or even cancer. If the intestines are functioning optimally, one can develop the symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, and numerous other ailments or diseases. One can see from the above examples that without optimal function one loses health. Once optimal function is restored, we can truly say someone has completely regained his or her health.
It is important to understand the fact that when function is partially lost, symptoms may not develop for days, weeks, months, or years after the loss of function. If the heart lost 25% of its ability to function, it may not be years before the first chest pain or signs of high blood pressure occur. If the heart gradually lost its function over time, the first symptom could actually be a fatal heart attack.
Illnesses, a loss of function, fall into 1 of 3 categories: Traumatic, Infection, Functional.
Trauma can be caused by physical, chemical, or environmental factors. Physical trauma results in breaks, cuts, hemorrhaging, and results in a loss of function. Chemical trauma, will occur when your body comes in contact by ingesting, breathing, or touching a substance that can alter normal function. This includes cosmetics, and hygiene products. Environmental trauma can be a depletion of nutrients due to lifestyle, stress levels, lack of movement, or where one lives, such as close to powerlines. One will experience all of these in a lifetime.
Infections occur if the body is receptive, and in certain cases due to lifestyle choices. The body is exposed to infectious agents constantly, and is constantly removing them from the body. In most cases, one will only get sick if he or she’s resistance is down. One loses his or her resistance and loses the body’s function to fight off or remove infectious agents, leading to colds, flus, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. By having a properly functioning body, we prevent infections. Restoring optimal function is a major factor in getting rid of infections and disease.
Functional illness is the most prevalent category. It is the direct loss of function to an organ or a tissue, resulting not from infection, but rather simply functional loss. Functional loss is usually caused by lifestyle, diet, and lack of proper breathing. A partial list of functional ailments include: diabetes, arthritis, sleep disorders, colitis, anxiety disorders, etc. These conditions are considered incurable by some physicians and, but many have respond favorably to treatment designed to restore optimal function.
Acupuncture is highly effective at restoring optimal function.