Opinion

Reducing the need for drugs and surgery

People who regularly read my column will know that I often talk about the side effects of different treatments. I also spend a lot of time talking about prevention and lifestyle as a way of avoiding medical care.

Many people infer from this that I am against all forms of modern medicine and so when I took last week off to go under a general anaesthetic and have my wisdom teeth out I got a few strange looks from my regular clients.

I am not against medical care; I am against unnecessary medical care. In our modern society, much of the care people are receiving is either for entirely preventable diseases or is merely masking a much bigger problem.

I like to refer to our current medical model as a crisis care model, because drugs and surgery can be of amazing benefit when you get to the crisis stage. If you have let your lifestyle go to the point that you now have a life-threatening disease, or perhaps you have had a one-off traumatic event that is no fault of your own, then doctors can do amazing things.

If I was ever to be having a heart attack I know where I would head (and it wouldn’t be to my local chiropractor). So when my teeth had gotten to the point that they were causing issues and one had even cracked, I knew it was time to get something done.

Having said that, I still felt it was my responsibility to minimise the effects of the medications on my body as much as possible. In hospital I let the doctors do their work and took what they requested I take (they assured me it wasn’t possible without drugs). I was then given some painkillers and instructions on when to take them, and headed off home.

I decided to minimise my medications as much as possible (the drugs I was given in hospital were, in fact, the first medications I had taken in more than 12 years). I knew they were serving no purpose other than pain control, so I knew it was perfectly safe to not follow orders in this case. Instead of popping the first pill before the general wore off, as requested, I decided to wait and see how bad it was, to see whether I really needed that drug (and its side-effects).

What I found, to my surprise, was that the pain wasn’t that bad and that with some rest and a little ice to reduce the swelling, it was more than manageable. I also ensured I drunk as much water as possible, tried to eat as healthily as I could (though there are limited options when you can’t chew and can barely swallow!), got plenty of rest and returned to exercise as soon as I could.

All of these things helped ensure that my body would process the toxins I had been given as quickly as possible.

So there are times when drugs and surgery can be very useful. But always remember that wellness is an active, lifelong process. By eating, thinking and moving in a healthy way, you can greatly reduce the need for drugs and surgery in your life.

And even when you do go down that path, it is still your responsibility to minimise the traumatic effects as much as you possibly can (consulting with your doctor, of course).

So look after your body – it is the only one you have – and do everything you can to reduce the need for drugs and surgery.