Is the healthcare industry a scam just like organized religion?

June 24, 7:57 AMLA Religion & Spirituality ExaminerKevin Masterson

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With all the debate about healthcare reform going on right now, not much is being said about what is essential to reform.  1. A focus on wellness and prevention by the healthcare provider.  2. Personal responsibility and empowerment of the patient.  Without those two elements, it will just be more of the same.

Recently I had a go round with Western medicine, which happens about every 10 years and I am always amazed at how little it has advanced. However, since the focus is on sickness rather than wellness, what else can be expected?  I sought treatment for back pain as a result of a car accident. Before going to this MD, I had been receiving treatments from a chiropractor, an acupuncturist and doing yoga to heal my back. The doctor suggested “trigger point” injections. The first injection gave me some discomfort, then the pain eventually went away, so I thought “maybe this isn’t so bad.” The second injection inflamed the injury so much he prescribed muscle relaxants and pain killers to overcome the pain from his treatment! I have returned to my chiropractor who is treating the cause (injury) rather than the effect (pain) and will soon return to yoga.  Little by little the pain is subsiding and I am mobile again.

What is disturbing is the way we are taught to think about our own health in this country. The doctor is responsible for our health, just like the priest or minister is responsible for our spiritual salvation. Do what they say and everything will be okay. Therefore we don’t have to take care of ourselves or look at our actions, as they will “handle it.”  I have a lot of personal experience in both areas. My father was a doctor and I was raised in a very devout Catholic family. 

Fortunately for me, my Dad was more progressive in that he didn’t use a lot of drugs or invasive treatment. He realized the roles diet and exercises played in a person’s health and shared this information with his patients. He also didn’t blindly follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and taught me to think for myself. 

I recently watched Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko” and was struck by the power that people give their doctors.  Granted, there are some very good doctors and some people are genuinely sick and need treatment. However, how they became sick is usually not addressed.  Is it diet?  Environment? “Sicko” should be shown to everyone as a double feature alongside “Super Size Me.” It saddens me when I see loved ones getting older and relying more on their doctor’s guidance for their health. They take so many pills and then take more to counteract the effects of the first ones.  My mother was a nurse. She doesn’t take medication, has always watched her diet and been very active. 

The problem (what problem do you want to say – These days or something before?) is there is little profit to be made in wellness in the healthcare system in this country. Just as churches keep their followers coming back because they are “sinners”, doctors keep their patients coming back because they are sick. It is the same with the failing auto industry… cars keep breaking down so they have to be repaired.  They are bigger than necessary and consume too much fuel, just like a lot of people in this country. 

This is not meant as a criticism of people who have health issues. It is the system that needs to be reformed so that people become more aware of their options. When catsup is classified as a vegetable in the school system you know we are in trouble.  The problem is a lack of education as well as a resistance to change. Healthcare and often teach us to ignore our instincts and to trust someone who “knows more.”  I remember when I first started reading books on diet, holistic health, yoga, meditation, self help, etc., some people considered me either crazy or evil. 

My father’s illness and death was an early wake up call for me. He was sick for many, many years.  He was on so much medication at the end of his life became so weak that he lost his will to live, slipped into a coma and died.  It was a horrible experience that can be prevented for many if they just become more aware of their choices.

The doctor can’t make us healthy, just like the priest or minister can’t give us spiritual salvation. Those answers are inside of each of us and the choices we make each day.