The Healing Pendulum: Losing and Regaining Our Health
Human health has never progressed along a straight line, it has always resembled a bell curve, rising and falling as societies swing between the natural and the man-made, the spiritual and the scientific, the intuitive and the technological. The story of medicine is, in many ways, the story of how humans have tried to understand their bodies, their ailments, and the world around them.
For most of human history, healthcare wasn’t a profession, it was a priestly duty. In many ancient cultures, physical illness was tied to spiritual imbalance. The healers were spiritual authorities – priests, shamans, holy men and women – who interpreted symbols and dreams, and utilized prayers, rituals, and intuition rather than lab results or diagnostic imaging. Treatments were concocted from what the earth provided: roots, leaves, berries, herbs, poultices, teas, and tonics. Much of early medical knowledge came from generations of careful observation—what soothed, what poisoned, what healed, and what harmed.
I’ve often wondered, where did the process of taking a plant, isolating its most potent components, stripping away its natural cofactors, and forming these extracts into drugs originate? I imagine the fallen angels had a hand in it… but you know me. Perhaps a more important (and less nerdy) question is, how do we know when our modern idea of healthcare has reached its peak, and we should turn back to the ancient?
These days, some people dismiss ancient and natural healing practices as quackery. You hear things like, “They’re not real doctors if they don’t have an M.D. after their name.” Or “We don’t need more prayer; we need more [insert political talking point].” But do we really know better than those who came before us? And honestly—does the general health of the average American inspire confidence?
As civilizations grew more complex—at least in their own minds—natural remedies met early chemistry. Potions and mixtures gradually became the predecessors of modern pharmaceuticals. The idea of the “physician” slowly emerged: someone who studied anatomy, blended compounds, and sought to understand illness through a more systematic lens.
Inflection points followed:
the scientific revolution
sanitation and germ theory
vaccines and antibiotics
modern surgery and medical imaging
Medicine became less mystical and more mechanical. Hospitals shifted from places of last resort to birthing centers and insurance controlled “health systems.” Pills replaced potions. Procedures replaced prayers.
But the Pendulum Swings
Most advancements in healthcare brought extraordinary benefits, but also an unintended consequence: people began outsourcing their health to the medical system. For decades, the cultural message remained simple: “If I get sick, the doctor will fix it.”
The pandemic disrupted that idea. COVID-19 didn’t just shift public health, it shook public perception. More people began recognizing something essential: If you want to be healthy, you cannot wait until you’re sick. A doctor can treat disease, but only you can build health. This wasn’t a rejection of medicine, it was a reminder of human responsibility.
Modern medicine is extraordinary at what it’s designed for:
emergencies
infections
trauma
organ failure
severe disease
But medicine is a repair system, not a maintenance plan. Health isn’t something given to you; it’s something you cultivate. And that understanding is pulling the pendulum back again.
People are returning to foundational health practices—some ancient, some modern, all centered on supporting the body rather than waiting to fix it. Increasingly, individuals are exploring systems designed not just to treat illness but to maintain balance:
chiropractic care to support structure and nervous system function
functional medicine to investigate root causes rather than only symptoms
nutrition-focused approaches that use food as a foundation for energy and repair
herbal and botanical support rooted in both tradition and expanding research
mind-body practices such as meditation, prayer, breathwork, and stress management
movement therapies that keep the body adaptable and resilient
These are not replacements for medical care but preventive pillars. Practices that keep the body strong, adaptable, and less likely to require intervention in the first place.
Health is a daily choice, not a yearly check-up. Just as you brush your teeth, drink water, nourish yourself, exercise, and manage your stress, you can choose supportive therapies that help your system operate at its best––and prevent being held hostage by the sick-care industry.
The goal is not to choose nature over medicine, or medicine over nature. The goal is to understand what each is for. Medicine treats disease. You build health. And the more we understand that partnership, the healthier our future becomes.
