We are used to the following scenario: a patient has a headache, calls the doctor, who tells her to take two aspirins and the headache goes away.

Another patient has a headache- calls the doctor, who tells him to take two aspirins and the headache goes away.

We view this as success in both situations. The symptoms seem to disappear in both instances. However, the root cause or the reason for the problem was never addressed. In the first scenario, the patient had too much toxicity in the liver, which resulted in the headache. Her proper treatment would be to cleanse and balance the liver-definitely not keep injuring the liver with more chemicals to accomplish a temporary quick fix of the headache.

In the second scenario, the man was going through a divorce and was stressed. His proper treatment would be to figure out ways to relax and handle his situation.

We need to understand and treat the root of the problem not just band-aid the symptom. This is the focus of Chinese medicine. As a society, we have become complacent and satisfied with taking chemicals, which will subdue our physical symptoms. There is another way. Chinese Medicine specializes in uncovering the root cause of the symptom and treating it.

With the knowledge that cells are constantly replacing themselves, if the root problem is corrected, then the new cells can become healthy once again without ever having to experience the problem.