The medical system in the United States and Canada is undergoing a major crisis. Our medical system has failed to prevent and manage several types of chronic illnesses and diseases that many patients in our hospitals and physicians' offices experience. Treatment of chronic diseases currently accounts for almost 85 percent of the national health care bill in the United States. We have learned to accept such levels of chronic disease as normal.

In his 1988 Report on Nutrition and Health, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop cited that dietary imbalances are the leading preventable contributors to premature death in the U.S. He recommends that people, including health care professionals, become more educated in how we can change our diet and lifestyle to improve our health. Research has shown that heart disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis are all preventable through a change in our lifestyle. If doctors continue to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause, these health problems will continue to exist at high levels.

Many people, including children, suffer from allergies, headaches, lack of energy, chronic fatigue, digestive and respiratory disorders, mild depression, mood swings and anxiety. According to Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., of Gig Harbor, Washington, these people are suffering from a state of "vertical ill health." They are not sick enough to lie down but, ironically, they think they are healthy because they know so many people who experience the same symptoms. They seek relief through prescribed medications such as sedatives, antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately, these drugs have side effects which only make matters worse.

Physicians are becoming more aware that something is wrong with their patients' immune system since their patients continue to experience illnesses which normal immune functioning should be able to handle. However, contemporary medical treatments are often unable to restore the functioning of the immune system. As a result, patients depend on their physicians to constantly monitor and adjust their medications because their doctors do not educate them on how to live a healthier lifestyle. Some over-the-counter and prescribed medications only mask the symptoms; others control health problems by changing the way organs or systems such as the circulatory system work.

Alternative medicine is a return to the principles of health and disease that existed for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician who became the father of Western medicine, believed that optimum health depended on hygiene, a calm, balanced mental state, proper diet, a peaceful work and home environment, and physical conditioning. According to him, health depended upon a balance of these forces.

The mid-nineteenth century witnessed a departure from this philosophy of health. Various medical developments such as vaccines, and x-ray, followed by the discovery of bacterial cultures and antibacterial drugs, such as penicillin and sulfa drugs, gave birth to contemporary medicine as we know it today. While these discoveries were enlightening, they diminished the importance of the individual's role in his or her health.

Twentieth century medicine can be described as a war against disease. The disease is considered as an enemy; and medical treatment, in the form of drugs and vaccines, are used as "magic bullets" to conquer the enemy. Today, we are witnessing many examples of lost wars. Our losing battle on cancer has led to the development of cell killing radiation and chemotherapy treatments which do more harm to the body as they try to restore normal health. These types of therapies fail to repair the imbalances that cause the illness to occur in the first place.

Since the emphasis of conventional medicine is war and not restoration, it has led to the development of medical schools with specialized departments such as cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, etc. Therefore, medical students focus their study on only one organ system at a time. Diseases are named according to the organ it affects, for example tonsillitis, appendicitis, heart or gallbladder disease. Thus, the inter-relationship of all the organs of the body and the complex dynamics of their functioning are ignored. This is why some "modern doctors" have little understanding of the holistic approach to health that focuses on the overall functioning of the body. Alternative medicine approaches health care from a holistic point of view. It accounts not only for the body, but also for the psychological and emotional makeup of the individual, environmental factors, lifestyle, diet and medical history.

A diet free of pesticides, chemical additives, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones is essential to our health. Our diet should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts, and organically raised, free range poultry, and certain types of fish. This diet is rare today because our foods are filled with preservatives, high levels of fat and chemical additives. Our meats and dairy products are loaded with antibiotics and hormones because of the way our livestock is raised. Therefore, our diet can cause many of the health problems that people are facing today.

There is a direct relationship to the level of stress and the body's ability to resist illness. Research has shown that bottled up thoughts and feelings cause the body to secrete neurochemicals. These chemicals activate the nervous system and cause the body to react in the same manner as it would if it was under physical stress. Unhealthy emotions such as chronic fear, anger, or grief can keep the nervous system in a constant state of arousal. This allows stress to build up in the body, thus eventually attacking the body's organs and resulting in depressed immune functioning. All of this can lead to various illnesses or diseases.

Pollutants in the air, water, soil and the foods we eat are known to have contributed to illness such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Pollution can also take its toll on the immune system as well as trigger allergies and other illnesses.

An increasing number of experts in the medical field are beginning to recognize the relationship between common dental silver amalgam fillings and chronic illness. Dental fillings are composed of 50% mercury, a metal that is toxic to the body. Over time, the mercury can seep into the body tissues and cause damage to the nervous system which can lead to symptoms resembling multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue and senility. Gum infection can also suppress immune functioning and increase the chances of disease.

Alternative medicine recognizes that to regain health we must reverse those processes that have a negative impact on our health. This includes eliminating habits that are harmful to our health such as smoking, drinking excessive alcohol or using drugs. We should also eat more sensibly, reduce our stress, and get more sleep and exercise. Hygiene is also important to health. Measures such as detoxification and cleansing our bodies can remove toxins that have accumulated in the body.

One advantage of alternative medicine is that it offers many methods to restore health. Some methods such as chiropractic can address structural or mechanical imbalances while others such as herbal medicine can address hormonal and biochemical imbalances. Other methods such as meditation and biofeedback training restore mental and emotional balances; and methods such as acupuncture and homeopathy can restore normal energy levels in the body.

Most importantly, alternative medicine treats the individual rather than their symptoms. For example, the nutritional requirements vary from person to person. It depends on their age, and any emotional, biochemical or physical stresses which they may have to cope with. It is with this in mind that alternative physicians diagnose and treat the illnesses of their patients. They focus on meeting the specific needs of each patient rather than relying on a uniform treatment or prescription to treat their illness.

Some patients may have asthma due to allergies, others due to environmental factors. The alternative practitioner seeks to discover the root cause of their asthma and treats each patient differently. This difference of approaches is the foundation of alternative medicine. For this reason, alternative medicine is now poised to become the solution to the medical crisis that we are facing today.