It is very common for a new patient to be sitting in my office, hunched over, wincing in pain, explaining to me in disbelief what happened, and using the words “all I did was…” And what follows could be bending down to pick up a coin, leaning over to put on their socks, reaching out to grab a cup of coffee, or simply sneezing. They can’t believe that they could be suffering with such massive pain due to such a simple action or event.
When very bad outcomes get attributed to simple, seemingly impossible events, it is almost ALWAYS just that… impossible. People do not herniate spinal discs by bending over to put their socks on. Spouses do not walk out because of one bad fight. People do not become overweight and out of shape by eating one bad meal or missing one workout. Bankruptcy does not usually occur because of one bad financial move. And… people do not die just because of a virus (I’ll elaborate on this one later).
The human brain tries to simplify, justify, and rationalize. In an effort to make sense of our surrounding world and what happens in it, we see events and outcomes and try to deduce how things work and how things come to be the way they are. We use the information that we have to come to a conclusion.
In an effort to be quick and efficient, we use the most recent and most obvious data. This quick deductive reasoning helped us survive for so long as a species. It helped us make quick, life-saving decisions when needed most.
In life-threatening, urgent situations, we need to use whatever information we have right then. But, if possible, we need to utilize as much information as possible. Events that occur, tragedy that strikes, and problems that arise, are NEVER the result of a single cause.
While someone could be perfectly healthy and be instantly killed if struck by a car, most deaths today are caused by chronic illness. Chronic illness can’t be attributed to a single cause. It is the result of living in an environment and having lifestyle choices that are incongruent with what is needed for optimal human health, function, and performance. It’s the food we eat, the amount we move, the quality of air and water we take in, the amount of stress we are exposed to, the quality of sleep we get, and a host of other factors.
This is particularly important to realize right now as bacteria and viruses appear to be getting stronger. These viruses and bacteria are unable to kill a perfectly healthy human being. That does not happen. If someone dies from infection from simple bacteria or viruses, there absolutely, positively has to be underlying conditions. Even if the person appears to be healthy, or doctors are unable to determine any underlying contributing factor, there HAS TO BE one (or several) present.
If viruses and bacteria strains are the same, then they should affect everyone the same. But they don’t! So, what is the variable? The host. It is the person that is exposed to the virus or bacteria that determines the effect those pathogens will have.
Think of it like a seed and soil. The virus or bacteria are the seed. Humans are the soil. The healthier a person is, the less likely the seed can thrive. The seed (the virus or bacteria) thrives better in sick people. The lower the level of health, the greater chance for complications from these pathogens.
We are a sick society. We are overweight, eat terribly, move way too little, are overstressed, are exposed to too many toxins, and live incongruently with what our genes are designed for. This sets us up for the vulnerability that we are seeing with these viruses and bacteria. The viruses and bacteria are not the biggest issue… it is merely the straw that has broken the camel’s back in a society of not-well people.
