By Melanie Genssler
Chronic illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are experiencing a rapid, world-wide spread. The World Health Organization has reported that, in 2001, chronic illnesses represented approximately 46% of the global burden of disease, and 60% of the 56.5 million total reported deaths. The burden is expected to rise to 57% in 2020. Furthermore, conventional medicine and conventional doctors are running out of ways to treat these conditions, and continuously find their patients returning with the same signs or symptoms, or worsening conditions. Practitioners within the conventional medicine field are tired, frustrated and simply do not have the time to provide more education to those who are continuously sick, and getting worse. From the patients’ point of view, they do not feel heard, and are frustrated and startled when all they get from the practitioners are pamphlets explaining their chronic illness and what possible treatment protocols are available to them. Lastly, financial concerns are rising, as the doctor visits and treatments become more costly. So where can these doctors – and more importantly patients – find further support to get to the root cause of their illnesses? What is the root cause of chronic illnesses? And can we, the patients, find alternative ways to take responsibility for healing ourselves?
