By Deborah E. Bier
Ben thinks that what he had this morning was a hangover: nausea, vomiting, headache, and a feeling
of disorientation which all passes by dinnertime. He felt fine yesterday, both before and after
his acupuncture treatment. "How could I have had a hangover? I only had one beer last night."
During her second appointment with a new chiropractor, Ellen received a cervical adjustment and
immediately experiences a reoccurrence of an old whiplash injury. The pain and stiffness pass by
the next day, leaving her feeling much better than before the treatment. Nonetheless, she is angry.
"I'm lucky I was able to recover so quickly from what that quack did to me."
In order to address a number of physical complaints, under the guidance of his doctor Robert makes
drastic changes in his diet. By the end of the first week, he is uncharacteristically angry,
depressed, and argumentative, readily picking fights with his wife. "It's deadline pressure on
that project at work that has me in a bad mood."
What is a Healing Crisis?
On first examination, the symptoms these three people are experiencing may seem to have varied
origins. But, despite appearances, all three may in fact be experiencing the same phenomenon:
a healing crisis. A healing crisis is any of a wide range of acute symptoms which may occur
during the course of healing. Though on first inspection it might seem that treatment is not
working or is making the patient's condition worse, these symptoms actually signal that the
healing process is taking place. Symptoms can include any from previously experienced illnesses
or traumas, cold- or flu-type symptoms, or emotional upset. It is characteristic that when the
symptoms have passed, the patient feels better than before the crisis. Some practitioners also
refer to healing crises as "retracing" or "aggravation."
If a healing crisis is indeed underway, then all three of the above people are misinterpreting the
cause and meaning of their symptoms, attributing them either to bad health care or to events
external to treatment they are receiving. But none of them had been adequately educated about
the healing process, so they were unprepared to understand what they experienced.
The people in these examples are not alone: many who participate in holistic health care experience
healing crises without even understanding what they are going through. Some practitioners may take
it for granted that their patients understand the concepts which underlie the treatment. Others
believe it could be negatively suggested to tell a patient he or she may feel ill before feeling
health. Many patients do not report their symptoms, so professional interpretation is not made
available. In many cases, it is simply difficult for patients used to having symptoms eradicated
through medications to understand a process that addresses underlying causes, and that may make
them feel worse in the process.
Why Aren't We Prepared for a Healing Crisis?
Most patients' experiences with conventional medicine do not prepare them to understand healing
crises. The focus of conventional medicine first and foremost is to cure the disease and to
relieve discomfort. Worthy goals, and yet, in the effort to relieve symptoms, deep roots of
the patient's problem may be overlooked. A healing crisis sends the patient into greater health
by way of the experience of a set of symptoms, and therefore by definition opposes the conventional
medical context. Indeed, as a phenomenon, the healing crisis is not a topic included in standard
medical texts or elsewhere in the education of most doctors. Physicians who operate with an
understanding and knowledge of healing crises in their practice do so as a result of their education
in other realms, such as herbal and Chinese medicine.
In order to understand what healing crises are and why they occur, it is important to have some
understanding of the process of disease from the holistic point of view. "If there is one word
that can be used to describe the disease process, it is that it is gradual," says Vivian Varese,
M.D., a general practitioner focusing on preventative care in Cambridge and Acton, Massachusetts.
"You don't simply wake up one morning with cancer, for example, it is a process occurring over
time, with states of progressively ill health preceding."
The Law of Cure
Many acupuncturists, chiropractors, homeopaths, and other holistic health practitioners believe
that diseases emerge as a result of imbalance or trauma. The direction a disease follows occurs
from the outside in; from the bottom to the top of the individual - a phenomenon often referred
to as "The Law of Cure." In this model, the mental and emotional planes of being are respectively
deeper than the physical plane. Disease progresses though each plane in degrees, moving from less
serious physical complaints to more serious ones, and then inward to deeper levels.
For example, a disease may first manifest as a skin problem which eventually seems to clear up over
time. Later, the disease may progress inward to become asthma. Perhaps the asthma retreats, but
depression may develop later on, growing more severe over time. The skin aliment may have begun
low on the body - on the legs, for instance - then have moved upward to the trunk. This movement,
too, describes the out-to-inward motion in that the limbs are more peripheral than the trunk of the
body.
How Are Minor Ailments Driven Deeper into the Body?
Many holistic practitioners maintain that minor ailments are often driven deeper into the individual
through the use of drug therapy, which acts to suppress symptoms and weaken the body's defense
mechanisms. So, for instance, the cortisone ointment used for a skin problem may clear up the
symptoms, but later a deeper problem may occur, such as asthma, In turn, bronchodilators may
control the asthma but set the stage for depression.
The aching body, headaches, nausea, irritability, fatigue, and other flu-type symptoms often
reported during the healing crisis are primarily effects of detoxification. "The human body has a
great capacity to store away toxins," observes Varese. "The healing process takes these substances
out of storage and into circulation with elimination as its end goal." It is on their way to being
eliminated that these toxins cause the dramatic symptoms so often seen.
Acton, Massachusetts, acupuncturist Agatha Nagy, A.C., draws the following comparison: "If you
want to dredge a lake to make it clear and deep, you have to remove layers of sediment. During
this procedure, the bottom of the lake is stirred up, and the water inevitably becomes cloudier
than when you began."
Retracing ~ Healing From Top to Bottom and Inside, Out
Increasing an individual's health reverses the disease process: healing occurs from top to bottom;
from the inside, out. This is why many patients experience recurrence of old ailments, some of
which may not have been evident since childhood. In explaining this, Varese likens the course of a
disease to a filmed recording of an individual's health. When healing occurs, the film is reversed,
and like viewing the movie backwards, the patient moves through previous states of health. It is
during this process that old symptoms crop up, occurring in the reverse order of their original
appearance.
For example, on the road to better health the patient with the skin problem may experience some
depression, followed later by astmatic episodes. Further into the treatment, the skin problem may
reoccur, further describing the top-to-bottom, inside-out motion in its pattern of appearance.
This type of "retracing" can occur on all levels of being. For example, an emotional distress that
is being worked out might express itself on the physical level. Nagy often sees this happening in a
metaphoric way. "A person may have a history of being very rigid in their way of thinking: a kind
of 'mental constipation.' During the course of treatment, they may experience a period of intestinal
constipation as the disease moves from the inside (the psyche) to the outside (the body)."
Though there are variations, the onset of symptoms during a healing crisis is typically rapid. The
worst of the symptoms last as little as a few hours or as long as three to four days, though longer
crises have been known to occur. A common pattern, which can be observed during long-term
treatment, is for the patient to reach a plateau, followed by a healing crisis, again building
to a plateau, and so on.
It takes experience to be able to tell the difference between a healing crisis and a new disease
making its first appearance. Kress Williams, D.C., a chiropractor practicing in eastern
Massachusetts, looks to see if a patient has made any recent positive lifestyle changes. If, for
example, the patient has made an improvement in diet, started a fast, begun a new health treatment
or meditation regime, or stopped smoking, drinking, or taking drugs, Williams begins to suspect that
a healing crisis may be producing symptoms.
Williams says that it is important for the patient to check in with the practitioner and let him or
her know what symptoms have appeared. "Discuss the problem," he says. "It's often very difficult
for individuals to see what's going on with their own health with any kind of clear perspective -
particularly when they are feeling ill. It often takes another person - an outside observer - to
help put events into focus." Most practitioners recommend a visit or a phone call.
Matilde Flores, an acupuncturist and homeopath practicing at Williams' clinic, finds that keeping
open lines of communication is vital in determining the course of treatment. "If a given treatment
did not address the problems the patient is having, or new symptoms arise without a positive
indication in the whole picture, it would be important to reassess the case. If herbs are being
given, I consider the possibility of an allergic reaction. I might also reduce the dosages of
prescribed herbs." If a case is treated with a homeopathic remedy, she would take into account the
potency and frequency and might reduce one or both. "Most of the time it is actually an aggravation
and should be taken as a positive sign that the treatment is working. But, as a practitioner, I am
concerned with reducing a patient's suffering and have no wish to make a patient experience more
distress than is tolerable. Future treatment decisions would be made with an eye to keeping the
aggravation symptoms to a minimum." The patient's history - past and present - would have to be
examined and put into perspective with regard to the current symptoms.
Even patients familiar with healing crises often find it difficult to comprehend the meaning of
their symptoms. "It isn't usually until after I'm though the crisis that I realize what's going
on," says one patient. "When I feel sick, it's hard to look beyond to see that I'm actually
improving. It isn't until afterwards when I feel better that everything falls into place." Most
such patients find benefit in the perspective of an observing party - be it a practitioner or
someone with whom they're close.
What Can You Do to Help Yourself Through a Healing Crisis?
If you are experiencing a healing crisis, there are a number of things your can do for yourself.
The goal is to help the body undergo the crisis without an increase in suffering, but also without
interfering with the healing that is taking place. Medication which suppresses symptoms can
compromise the healing process and is therefore discouraged. However, in cases of severe suffering,
such as during cancer treatment, some types of drugs may be necessary.
Varese feels that to invoke a healing crisis is beneficial, but to continue to administer that
treatment may not be wise. Other practitioners agree with her, and recommend treatment after the
crisis that is not intended to intensify the symptoms. Some prescribe herbs to support the process
and reduce the symptoms, helping to put the patient into a more restful state. Sometimes additional
treatment may be needed to help the crisis pass as quickly as possible. At a later time, treatment
may again be indicated to move toward deeper healing, and perhaps further crises.
Diet and Rest
Holistic practitioners note that the body is under much stress during a healing crisis, and
sufficient rest is vital. By the same token, the diet should not add additional pressures to an
already beleaguered body. Foods heavy in protein or fat put high demands on the body for their
digestion and adsorption and should therefore be avoided. Meals should be kept simple, light,
easily digestible, and nutrition. Plenty of pure water, whole grains, and fresh fruit and
vegetables are recommended. Avoid foods containing preservatives, dyes, caffeine and sugar. Make
sure that meals are taken quietly, in a relaxed state.
Exercise, Skin Treatments, Baths
Many patients and practitioners experience exercise as helpful, and Williams especially recommends
exercise if the crisis is occurring on an emotional level. He finds that the physical stress of
exercise can help move the crisis from the emotional to the physical plane, thereby advancing the
level of healing.
The skin is an important organ of elimination, and many toxins can leave the body more readily if
the skin is in proper condition. To clear the way during a healing crisis, Nagy recommends lightly
brushing the entire surface of the skin with a natural-bristle brush. Stroke from the ends of the
limbs inward toward the abdomen, repeating daily until the crisis passes. This procedure can help
stimulate lymph and blood flow. To further aid elimination though the skin, other practitioners
suggest soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salt.
Mobilizing to Make Positive Changes
Reducing environmental stresses can also help a healing crisis pass more quickly. For some people,
this may call for a good look at their daily stress level. A healing crisis can act like a
catalyst, mobilizing patients to make positive changes in their lives," says Williams.
"
Self-awareness
increases. They see how their
diet,
smoking habits, and other lifestyle elements have contributed to their health other the years,
and they're ready to make changes."
In fact, attitude may be one of the most important deciding factors in the way in which an
individual weathers a healing crisis. "A healing crisis can be seen as a very positive event,"
says Nagy. "It means that the treatment plan is on target and that the patient has started on the
road to better health. But it can be discouraging for the patient - they feel they'll never get
better. It's a part of human nature that, when life is good, people are often braced for the good
times to come to an end. But when things are bad, it always seems that the pain will go on
forever. This is never more true that when someone feels ill."
Symptoms Signal Change for the Better is Coming
For a homeopath like Matilde Florese, "Aggravation is an expected part of treatment. With
homeopathy, the aggravation can be longer than with other types of treatment. But despite symptoms,
if the remedy is correct, there should be more areas of improvement than of worsening. When a
patient reports an aggravation, it is part of my work to help them shift the focus from how bad
they feel to how much they have improved in other areas."
"I spend a lot of time talking to my patients about the healing process," says Varese. Since the
healing crisis phenomenon is not a regular part of the perspective or goals or conventional
medicine, this is a place where she parts with many of her colleagues. "Medicine usually equates
increased health with reduced symptoms. Many patients visiting an M.D. expect that the goal of any
successful treatment will be to immediately eliminate all symptoms. They need to be educated that
this will not necessarily be their experience - that certain symptoms mean that a change for the
better is on the way."
Understanding the Continuum of Interconnected Events
Perhaps the greatest challenge of the healing crisis is not to become discouraged, but to learn what
the experience has to teach. A truly successful treatment plan should help the patient understand
the crisis in the context of his or her history. A supportive practitioner will encourage patients
to view their symptoms as a continuum of interconnected events. With this perspective, they can
learn how their health and well-being has evolved over the course of their lifetime.
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You can help raise awareness of healing crises by forwarding this article to others.
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About the Author
Deborah Bier, M.Ed is a holistic healthcare practitioner, vibrational essence maker, educator and
writer based in Concord, Mass. She is the publisher and co-editor of Vibration Magazine
www.essences.com/vibration,
a free quarterly ezine about vibrational and flower essences. Her email address is
deb@essences.com.
Copyright © 2002 Deborah Bier. All rights reserved. This article was seen
on
www.selfhealingexpressions.com.
