Many diseases have their "illness course," which refers to the specific development, progression, and duration of the disease. This is observed and statistically derived from many individuals suffering from the same disease. In particular, certain diseases have a fixed course of illness that is not easily altered or only minimally affected by medical interventions, leading to many misunderstandings. Below are two examples.
Patient X contracted the flu, experiencing headaches, body aches, chills, high fever, and fatigue. He urgently sought treatment from Doctor A. After taking medication for three days, his fever subsided, and his body aches lessened, but his runny nose, sore throat, and cough worsened. Believing that Doctor A's treatment was ineffective, he switched to Doctor B. After another three days of medication, his runny nose, sore throat, and cough slightly improved, but he felt even more exhausted and physically weaker. Thinking that Doctor B's treatment was also ineffective, he switched to Doctor C. After five more days of medication, all his symptoms subsided, and he praised Doctor C for curing his flu.
The natural course of the flu is as follows: at the onset, symptoms such as chills, high fever, headache, fatigue, and body aches appear. These symptoms generally begin to ease after 2-3 days, followed by more prominent upper respiratory symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, and dry cough. The illness typically resolves on its own within 1-2 weeks, though the patient may still feel weak and fatigued. In this case, Patient X's symptoms aligned perfectly with the natural course of the flu. However, because he lacked this understanding, he mistakenly believed that Doctor C's treatment was the most effective. In reality, as long as Patient X's constitution was normal, he would have experienced the flu's natural course and recovered without treatment.
If the flu can resolve on its own, why are doctors necessary? The role of doctors is as follows:- First, to educate patients about the natural course of the flu, explaining what symptoms to expect and reassuring them not to panic. Patients should rest and conserve energy to allow their immune system to fight the disease.
- Second, to reduce the patient's discomfort using non-toxic or minimally toxic natural remedies or physical therapies, without causing further harm. This approach supports the body's natural healing process and may even shorten the course of the illness.
- Third, and most importantly, to identify patients with weaker constitutions and provide treatments to strengthen their constitution. These patients have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to severe complications such as viral pneumonia, secondary bacterial pneumonia, or liver and nervous system complications. Only Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can effectively address this aspect.
Another example. Patient Y, due to untreated wind-cold, suddenly developed facial nerve paralysis (commonly known as deviation of the mouth). The left side of his face became expressionless, and when speaking or drinking soup, air and liquids leaked from the affected side. He urgently sought treatment from Doctor A. After a week, there seemed to be no significant improvement, so he switched to Doctor B. Another week passed with no noticeable improvement, and he switched to Doctor C. Eventually, Patient Y's deviation of the mouth gradually improved and fully recovered after a month. He praised Doctor C for curing his condition.
The natural course of deviation of the mouth is as follows: recovery begins within 1-2 weeks, and complete recovery occurs within 1-2 months. A small number of cases recover more slowly, and very few may not fully recover. In this case, Patient Y's symptoms aligned perfectly with the natural course of deviation of the mouth. However, because he lacked this understanding, he mistakenly believed that Doctor C's treatment was the most effective. In reality, as long as Patient Y's constitution was normal, he would have experienced the natural course of deviation of the mouth and recovered without seeing a doctor.Similarly, the existence of physicians:
- First, it is necessary to educate patients about this concept (the natural course of deviation of mouth), to avoid further exposure to wind-cold, to rest more, maintain physical strength, and allow the body's self-healing ability to repair the damaged facial nerves.
- Second, under the premise of not causing further harm (toxicity) to the patient, use non-toxic or minimally toxic natural medicines or physical therapies to assist in the repair of facial nerves as much as possible, thereby shortening the course of the disease.
- Third, and most importantly, is to filter out patients with a weaker constitution and provide treatments to strengthen their constitution. This is because such patients have weaker self-repair capabilities, and if the injury to the facial nerves is not promptly repaired, it could potentially develop into a semi-permanent or even permanent damage. Only TCM can achieve this part.