Conventional medicine has left behind the wisdom from ancient cultures, disregarding the teachings of indigenous cultures, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and European traditions. For years science in medicine has been taking a reductive approach, breaking apart larger things to isolate smaller components. The underlying principle has been that by understanding the parts, we can understand the whole, treating the body more like a machine to be examined part by part. While this mindset has led to amazing technological advances in medicine, especially in the acute care arena, it has also led to a fragmented landscape in both healthcare practice and research. Distinct specialties like cardiology and neurology seem to exist in isolated silos, limiting collaboration and communication between the disciplines. Since there is a concerning rise in the number of people unable to heal from chronic conditions, what are we missing?
General systems theory offers a different perspective. Instead, it asks how the parts combine and assemble themselves to make a whole, reversing the top-down approach. Systems theory is now used to understand structures from the small subatomic parts to large galaxies, and somewhere in between, the intricate human body/mind/soul system. By incorporating new scientific developments from multiple disciplines, a Functional Medicine or systems-based approach can be a bridge to span the gaps we see in conventional medicine.
To spark your curiosity, here are just a few of the new science focus areas exploding with research that are spanning these gaps:
Now this is going to be a mouthful but here goes. The Fascia System is a 3D fluid based tensional network that supports all nerves, blood vessels, organs and cells, providing whole body stability and connectability. It is the interstitial fluids that provide all levels of stability; structural, emotional, psychological, chemical, neurological, hormonal, and cellular. It’s such an important system to understand since it affects all the systems of the body, AND it is not fully defined yet.
The Human Microbiome is the community of microorganisms that resides within human tissues and fluids and on the skin. These microbes, which include viruses, bacteria, and fungi, are tied to our immune system and embedded in our fascial network and our nervous system. Broadly, the human microbiome:
Helps our digestive system to digest, absorb, and assimilate our food
Helps to detoxify the junk that enters our body
Helps balance our hormones
Helps build our neurotransmitters
Helps regulate our immune system
Helps regulate our brain and our behavior
Psychoneuroimmunology is the science of well-being through the lens of the mind, brain, and body relationship and is helpful in understanding mood and well-being. These relationships are also connected with the fascia system and the microbiome.
Quantum Biology is the study of quantum phenomenon (better known in the field of quantum physics) taking place in a living system like the human body. It looks at how the different quanta of light, sound, or vibrational frequencies, such as the oscillation of a nano-size protein or enzyme, impacts our biology. This emerging science does not disregard the biology taught in biology class or medical school, but adds a deeper level of understanding to it. PLUS, this is all happening in what we are defining now as the fascia system!
I know that is a lot to throw out at you, but hopefully you have a better sense on how
Everything is Connected!
(It seems like that I am always landing on this concept.)
Although the evolution of conventional medicine may have left us with gaps in our healthcare system, we are now beginning to connect some dots with the sharing of understanding and research across disciplines. With these new discoveries, we are also coming full circle by scientifically proving some of what ancient wisdom has known all along.