Why do we get sick? One explanation is associated with the notion of ‘toxicity,’ the build-up of chemicals in the body. Synthetic chemicals in the environment and food are major risk factors in various degenerative diseases, including cancer and premature aging. Degeneration of normal bodily functions is more likely when we take in (or are exposed to) chemical products that are not recognizable by our cell’s physiology. Since they are not naturally occurring substances, the body often cannot break down these toxins to prepare for elimination. As the liver is responsible for the catabolism (the ‘breaking down’ aspect of metabolism), the liver suffers greatly in this modern age, when chemicals are rampant in our environment. The liver often needs general stimulation and support to address a multitude of health complaints.
Acute illness (sudden and severe illness) is, in some cases, a sign of vitality. If the body is vital enough to eliminate, then the drainage of the toxicity will appear as symptoms or an acute illness. A chronic illness, likewise, indicates an ongoing overload of toxicity and a poor capacity to get that toxicity out of the body.
Biotherapeutic Drainage is a philosophy in modern natural medicine that encourages the proper detoxification of the body on a regular basis (as opposed to periods of fasting or cleansing to ‘detox’) by supporting the natural eliminatory mechanisms. Homeopathy is one of the best ways to support the liver in elimination because it not only stimulates the function of the liver, but also re-instills the capacity to catabolise, which the liver often loses with toxic overloading. In order to understand this, it may be helpful to consider how the body’s waste is removed.
Toxins also exit the body via the emunctories, or routes of elimination. These main routes include:
- Intestines
- Urinary Tract
- Skin
- Mucous membranes of lungs
If the emunctories are overloaded due to an excessive intake, or internal production, of toxicity, the elimination becomes pathological or more brutal in order to protect the individual. In this case we see various symptoms or conditions appear, depending on which route is overloaded. Some symptomatic examples of overloaded emunctories would be:
INTESTINES
Diarrhea/colic, Colitis
URINARY TRACT
Cystitis, Pyelonephritis
SKIN
Eczema, Hives
MUCOUS MEMBRANES OF LUNGS
Bronchitis, Pneumonia
Often when those primary emunctories are overloaded, or not functioning properly, we see the secondary routes of elimination producing symptoms as well:
CUTANEOUS SYSTEM
Acne
GENITAL SYSTEM
Vaginosis, yeast infections
JOINTS
Arthritis