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Dr. Jeffrey McCombs

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The 1% Solution: A Story of Modern Medicine

Posted: 10/21/08 06:25 PM ET


As someone who spends a great deal of time researching and reading up on the latest discoveries that science has to offer, combined with 25 years of clinical experience, I estimate that we know about 1% of what goes on in the human body. That's correct, "1%." That may be a startling revelation, but I believe that it's a generous number and a good starting point.



The concept of "practicing" medicine is humorous and the source of many jokes. We "practice" based on what is unknown and "doctor" people based on what is known. In the TV series House, MD, a doctor and his team of physicians continually end up misdiagnosing and mistreating with the wrong drugs, which lead to further complications, until they finally end up with the correct diagnosis and treatment right before the patient would otherwise die. A happy ending! In the United States alone, however, these mistreatments and adverse effects from drugs lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people every year. The number of unnecessary surgeries is in the millions. These numbers exclude clinics, nursing homes, extended care, and assisted care facilities which could easily double or triple those statistics.

This is not a put down on the medical profession, as anyone who "practices" as a doctor knows that what they are being asked to do on a daily basis is somewhat of a miraculous task. You can also ask anyone who has spent time in hospitals with loved ones or friends, that the example as illustrated by House, MD, is a very accurate portrayal.

Is there an answer then when we know so little about what we are dealing with? If we wait until we have a problem, then there isn't a good answer other than what we've seen already and know from the information presented above. The only answer that I know of is to be on the proactive end and take personal responsibility for our own health. The answer lies with us.

We must take care of our bodies through whole foods, clean air and water, exercise, detoxification, uplifting thoughts, positive emotions, meditation and prayer, service to others, and continually taking steps to improve our health in each and every moment. Our homes should be a refuge and a place for our bodies to heal and renew. I believe that we need to start with ourselves, before we can effectively deal with the larger issues of how to bring change to the world. Only then will we have the reference point for what health truly is.



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