Complexity is the Problem:
Syndromes and Spectrums
The new chronic illnesses are more complex than our thinking.
In the term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, syndrome signifies the multiple and varying symptoms involved.
A useful robust definition is “fatigue that interferes with normal daily life that is not relieved with bed rest and lasts 6 months or more.” There are always more symptoms but not all people who fit this definition have all the other symptoms on the CDC list like tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Autism Spectrum Disorder also defines a range of symptoms that vary for each child.
Persons with 20-30 observable symptoms are common, and the underlying physiology may be even more complex with more out of normal range chemistry than we have lab tests to measure.
The question becomes how to tame the complexity or what to focus on. Thus there is a tension between seeing the big picture and knowing what to focus on as a starting point because you cannot do everything all at once. One aspect of solutions is to simplify without oversimplification, to tame the whole mess, not reductionism. One essential focus is on root causes. The relatively few root causes can give one leverage over the many symptoms and whole system.
Simplification One: Root Cause Focus
Preventive medicine and health requires addressing root causes. Treatment of advanced chronic health conditions requires addressing root causes just as much. Astonishingly a definition of root causes of health and disease are not found anywhere; No definition of the criteria for identifying a root cause versus a symptom.
I essentially used the 5 Whys tool from total quality to do this. I asked why chronic fatigue occurs until the causation came from outside the body. There was one exception.
The 3. criteria are:
1. Something Invading from the outside:
Toxicity, infection, emotional trauma, structural injury,
2. Something Missing: nutrients, developmental processes emotionally or physically like breast feeding that shapes the teeth, cranium, spine and all of health.
3. The Brain and Mind’s Responses to Stress
This is the one exception to the principles that causes originate from outside the body. This is why we have will and choice.
The brain refers to the well known autonomic nervous system, ANS, dysregulation that makes people stressed rather than rest well to heal.
As for mind, we make choices about health, which is what this article is all about: shifting from the medical model based on fragmented science, to practical science through systems thinking to understand health as a holistic lifestyle and environment model.
6 Root Causes
NOT Root Causes:
Body Parts like “adrenal fatigue,” thyroid and other hormones. This is where symptoms show up. Organs do not cause their own problems.
Symptoms Patterns: Inflammation is an outcome to measure progress not a root cause. Inflammation causes pain, but what causes inflammation is the question. A symptoms focus leads to matching supplements with symptoms "Take this for that." Matching is often based on the idea that the cause and treatment are the same for everyone and each symptom
Genetics: Usually genetics is the explanation given when causes are not understood. Inherited diseases can be considered as a cause, but these can still be treated or managed more that the fatalistic understanding of genetics would suggest. Epigenetics means genetics is shaped by environment and behavior.
These root causes can be remembered or standardized on the tool known as the Fishbone Diagram that has branches like fish ribs for each kind of cause. For each case you fill in particulars on paper, like for toxicity you can fill in mercury or glyphosate if those are identified.
Although Root Cause focus was introduced as a way to simplify, that fact that there are 6 possible root causes and always more than one for each individual means that complexity is introduced for individuals who are focused on one root cause.
One common form of monocausal reductionism is from the infectious disease model: Epstein Bar Virus was the first explanation of chronic fatigue. Another explanation of chronic fatigue is lyme bacteria.
Other explanations blame organs like adrenals and thyroid glands for not producing enough hormones.
To given an example of the focus on root causes versus symptoms, a protein deficient client needed amino acids, not just any but a very special brand with no substitutes. This improved his sleep right away. I had no idea it would improve that symptom and I never heard that it would. If I were to focus on treating sleep symptoms we may never have succeeded for this individual. Root causes automatically affect symptoms and do it better instead of “taking this for that.” It is hard for people to make this “leap of faith” unless they really understand the theory of root causes of a system. Most people simply do not understand and maintain a worried fixation on their symptoms.
Simplification Two: Priority of Implementation
In alternative health it is common to speak of a priority of healing that organizes the sequence of implementation with one thing being a prerequisite of another.
A most common order for addressing root causes is the following, which addresses 3 thing simultaneously as a critical mass of things to make a difference:, Stage 1 of healing should include:
1. Addressing all nutritional deficiencies in order of important, excesses and intolerances.
Nutrition is a key starting point because it can begin to address other root causes like toxicity, infection, and emotional health. This due to the idea that the body heals itself when it has everything it needs and it can even help heal the emotions and mind.
2. Reducing toxic exposures, especially to EMF and light at night.
3. Balancing the brain or deep stress.
For people stuck in difficult chronic issues you may have to do all of these to start to feel better. Then you can get stronger for some of what can be more difficult work in stage 2:
1. Killing infections.
2. More aggressive detoxification.
Individual needs vary.
Now that a map of systems is provided that is specific to health improvement, the general principles and processes of total quality and six sigma can be presented.
In the term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, syndrome signifies the multiple and varying symptoms involved.
A useful robust definition is “fatigue that interferes with normal daily life that is not relieved with bed rest and lasts 6 months or more.” There are always more symptoms but not all people who fit this definition have all the other symptoms on the CDC list like tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Autism Spectrum Disorder also defines a range of symptoms that vary for each child.
Persons with 20-30 observable symptoms are common, and the underlying physiology may be even more complex with more out of normal range chemistry than we have lab tests to measure.
The question becomes how to tame the complexity or what to focus on. Thus there is a tension between seeing the big picture and knowing what to focus on as a starting point because you cannot do everything all at once. One aspect of solutions is to simplify without oversimplification, to tame the whole mess, not reductionism. One essential focus is on root causes. The relatively few root causes can give one leverage over the many symptoms and whole system.
Simplification One: Root Cause Focus
Preventive medicine and health requires addressing root causes. Treatment of advanced chronic health conditions requires addressing root causes just as much. Astonishingly a definition of root causes of health and disease are not found anywhere; No definition of the criteria for identifying a root cause versus a symptom.
I essentially used the 5 Whys tool from total quality to do this. I asked why chronic fatigue occurs until the causation came from outside the body. There was one exception.
The 3. criteria are:
1. Something Invading from the outside:
Toxicity, infection, emotional trauma, structural injury,
2. Something Missing: nutrients, developmental processes emotionally or physically like breast feeding that shapes the teeth, cranium, spine and all of health.
3. The Brain and Mind’s Responses to Stress
This is the one exception to the principles that causes originate from outside the body. This is why we have will and choice.
The brain refers to the well known autonomic nervous system, ANS, dysregulation that makes people stressed rather than rest well to heal.
As for mind, we make choices about health, which is what this article is all about: shifting from the medical model based on fragmented science, to practical science through systems thinking to understand health as a holistic lifestyle and environment model.
6 Root Causes
- Nutrition (chemistry and physics of sunlight, etc.)
- Toxicity
- Infection
- Emotions
- Physical misalignment of teeth, bones, muscle
- Stress Responses: brain and mind.
NOT Root Causes:
Body Parts like “adrenal fatigue,” thyroid and other hormones. This is where symptoms show up. Organs do not cause their own problems.
Symptoms Patterns: Inflammation is an outcome to measure progress not a root cause. Inflammation causes pain, but what causes inflammation is the question. A symptoms focus leads to matching supplements with symptoms "Take this for that." Matching is often based on the idea that the cause and treatment are the same for everyone and each symptom
Genetics: Usually genetics is the explanation given when causes are not understood. Inherited diseases can be considered as a cause, but these can still be treated or managed more that the fatalistic understanding of genetics would suggest. Epigenetics means genetics is shaped by environment and behavior.
These root causes can be remembered or standardized on the tool known as the Fishbone Diagram that has branches like fish ribs for each kind of cause. For each case you fill in particulars on paper, like for toxicity you can fill in mercury or glyphosate if those are identified.
Although Root Cause focus was introduced as a way to simplify, that fact that there are 6 possible root causes and always more than one for each individual means that complexity is introduced for individuals who are focused on one root cause.
One common form of monocausal reductionism is from the infectious disease model: Epstein Bar Virus was the first explanation of chronic fatigue. Another explanation of chronic fatigue is lyme bacteria.
Other explanations blame organs like adrenals and thyroid glands for not producing enough hormones.
To given an example of the focus on root causes versus symptoms, a protein deficient client needed amino acids, not just any but a very special brand with no substitutes. This improved his sleep right away. I had no idea it would improve that symptom and I never heard that it would. If I were to focus on treating sleep symptoms we may never have succeeded for this individual. Root causes automatically affect symptoms and do it better instead of “taking this for that.” It is hard for people to make this “leap of faith” unless they really understand the theory of root causes of a system. Most people simply do not understand and maintain a worried fixation on their symptoms.
Simplification Two: Priority of Implementation
In alternative health it is common to speak of a priority of healing that organizes the sequence of implementation with one thing being a prerequisite of another.
A most common order for addressing root causes is the following, which addresses 3 thing simultaneously as a critical mass of things to make a difference:, Stage 1 of healing should include:
1. Addressing all nutritional deficiencies in order of important, excesses and intolerances.
Nutrition is a key starting point because it can begin to address other root causes like toxicity, infection, and emotional health. This due to the idea that the body heals itself when it has everything it needs and it can even help heal the emotions and mind.
2. Reducing toxic exposures, especially to EMF and light at night.
3. Balancing the brain or deep stress.
For people stuck in difficult chronic issues you may have to do all of these to start to feel better. Then you can get stronger for some of what can be more difficult work in stage 2:
1. Killing infections.
2. More aggressive detoxification.
Individual needs vary.
Now that a map of systems is provided that is specific to health improvement, the general principles and processes of total quality and six sigma can be presented.
