Southern Folk Medicine

by Phyllis D. Light

  The following tenets were developed from various sources, including: oral teachings I learned; my own personal experience in clinical practice; observations of indigenous practices; and principles of folk medicine published by McGill Molson Medical Informatics in 2000; and from Research Council on Complementary Medicine in Great Britain.

  The tenets of folk medicine are so important that each one deserves its own book. I sincerely encourage you to further investigate any that speak to you or pique your interest. Books, articles, and research methods can be found regarding each one.

  1. Health is a positive state, the right of each individual, and a continually evolving process. We all have a basic right to pursue good health. It goes along with the pursuit of happiness. Good health should not be dependent upon health insurance companies, Congressional approval, or the result of a political agenda. It should be an inalienable right with equal access by everyone and the primary focus of spiritual, political, educational, and economic organizations and institutions.

  Healthy people make wise choices. Healthy people take an active role in their families, communities, and country. Healthy brains work better, think better, create better. And healthy people raise healthy children. Healthy people are less likely to make decisions based on fear. Healthy people are more likely to make healthy lifestyle choices that maintain their health.

  “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything.” How many times have you heard that saying? The trouble is, folks often don’t value their health until a crisis strikes. And then it could be too late. Mickey Mantle best summed it up: “If I’d known I was gonna live this long, I’d have taken a lot better care of myself.”

  Self-care leads to good physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s a habit that must be cultivated until it becomes part of your family culture. If you rush around, never feed your children a home-cooked meal, and never take the time for relaxing activities for yourself or your children, then that’s what you are teaching them—the habit of a rushed life and take-out food. Not a scenario that encourages good health habits. The key to changing this view of health is education, education, education.

  2. We have a duty to pursue good health. The mind, body, emotions, and spirit are not separate, but integrated to complete who we are. In order to be the very best we can be, in order to achieve our highest potential, we must be healthy in all levels of our existence. The body is the temple, the physical housing of spirit on Earth, and what we do to the body, we do to the temple and ultimately to the soul. This sacrament between God and humans is well-known but not well-followed. This sacrament must also extend to the very Earth on which we depend for life. If the body is the temple of the soul, then the Earth is the temple of the body.

  We also have a duty to our children, our grandchildren, and the future generations. We are their seed, their progenitors. Their health depends upon our health. If we live lives of stress, trauma, and poor nutrition, then that’s the seed we are casting forth.

  3. The body has inherent self-regulatory mechanisms that can be supported by traditional therapies. Health is a continually evolving process; it is never finished. “Constance of the internal environment is the condition for free and independent life,” said Claude Bernard (1813–1878), a French physiologist and contemporary of Pasteur whose works in experimental medicine are best associated with the concept of homeostasis. Bernard taught that the body maintains a constant internal environment by many continual and compensatory reactions which restore a state of equilibrium in response to any outside changes. In this way, the human body maintains independence from the external environment.

  In 1926, Walter Bradford Cannon first coined the term homeostasis to mean the stability of the inner world of the human body. He believed that the brain coordinates the body systems to maintain a set of points considered healthiest. Either internal or external disturbances can threaten homeostasis, and sometimes those threats are large enough to create deviations from the set points. When threats do occur, the nervous and hormonal systems induce emotional and action states that result in observable changes in behavior. These changes, which are crucial for the body to self-regulate, help trigger a return to homeostasis. If homeostasis is poorly regulated, disease or damage to the body may result.

  Ultimately, it’s all about homeostasis, how our body maintains a stable internal environment. Our body works hard to maintain homeostasis or our good health—really hard. As the body struggles with chronic illness, its definition of homeostasis slowly changes. At each point of physical degradation, our body learns a new level of set points. This is one reason why a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer can be so surprising. As one client put it, “I’d been feeling just fine until last week when I got sick and my wife made me go to the doctor.” After a series of tests, this client was diagnosed with cancer in every major organ system and only lived a few weeks. His body worked really hard at maintaining homeostasis up until the very end.

  Traditional therapies shine at helping the body return to homeostasis or helping maintain homeostasis. Healthy foods, exercise, herbs, movement, massage, and other natural health techniques have stood the test of time in supporting good health.

  4. The body is never static, even in health, which results in a homeodynamic organism continually adapting to new states of being. The human body is continually adapting, building, and rebuilding, always in a constant state of activity even when we are asleep. We are constantly creating new cells and disposing of old ones, repairing damaged tissues, cleansing toxins, releasing hormones, digesting food, thinking, blinking, and dreaming. Fluids constantly circulate around the body, neurons fire unceasingly, and our senses are always on alert. Heart and breath never stop. We are an energy system in perpetual motion.

  Our bodies are continually monitoring and coordinating these responses in an effort to maintain homeostasis, to minimize any disturbance in the body. The human body works hard at ensuring that when changes do occur, they are small and stay within narrow limits. In this way, homeostasis actively responds to subtle ebbs and flows of fluids, electrolytes, gases, and sugars at a working temperature of about 98.6°ree;F, which is considered optimal for enzyme functioning.

  In 1988, Sterling and Eyer proposed the theory of allostasis, a concept of homeostasis not concerned with subtle ebbs and flows, but rather one that responds to a challenge instead. Allostasis is an adaptive response that factors in the roles of the endocrine system, the autonomic nervous system and various hormones such as adrenalin, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, and various neurotransmitters. This is our reaction to acute stress.

  In the long term, however, continual allostatic overload can lead to nervous exhaustion, chronic disease, chronic fatigue, endocrine disorders, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Chronic stress, regardless of the cause, places us in survival mode where our problems or life situations become the supreme focus of our daily existence and the instrument which decreases vital energy levels. As long as we are in survival mode, living in fear and apprehension, we cannot heal rapidly or fully; both health and happiness are elusive. As long as we are in survival mode, we don’t make wise decisions, but instead react without thinking. Our duty is to move out of survival mode, toward health and into higher functioning.

  5. Good digestion is the basis of good health. Since the time of Hippocrates, a strong digestive capacity has been seen as vital to good health. The ability to assimilate life-giving nutrients is the foundation of our well-being. “All diseases begin in the gut,” was one of the first axioms I learned in my training. At first glance, this statement may sound foolish. But upon deeper investigation, its truth emerges.

  About 60 percent to 70 percent of the immune system resides in the gut, and about 80 percent of antibody-secreting cells reside in the gut mucosa. Just think about this for a moment. Each time we eat, our immune system must cope with foreign invaders such as phytochemicals, bacteria, food additives, dyes, and unhealthy oils. Food itself, though nourishing, is also con
sidered a foreign invader by our immune systems. In light of this, you can see how our immune systems can become hijacked by digestive issues.

  Eating is a life-giving process that should be nourishing for the mind, body, and spirit. Nowadays, folks take eating for granted, cramming meals into busy schedules without taking the time to enjoy the meal or to rest and digest after it. People eat too fast, eat while driving, and eat on the go. It’s a reason so many Americans suffer from some type of digestive difficulty such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain or inflammation, or even irritable bowel syndrome. Eating poor-quality food is another.

  Digestion is individual. Some people have iron digestive systems that seem to be able to handle any type of food, while others lack the ability to digest even the gentlest of foods.

  For its own health, the digestive tract relies upon probiotics, the good bacteria that live in the digestive tract, along with digestive enzymes and a strong mucosa lining as crucial lines of defense against illness. If the digestive system is overwhelmed by bacteria-laden food, poor-quality food, stress, or food sensitivities, the immune system itself becomes damaged. This not only leads to a myriad of bowel disorders, but also to the highjacking of the immune system and, ultimately, the nutritional failure of the system. If the immune system in our gut is constantly busy with digestive problems, then its attention isn’t focused on fighting off infection, killing invaders, or eating cancer cells.

  6. In many instances, the body can heal itself if given the right tools. Rest and relaxation, nutritious food, healing herbs, gentle movement, sweating, sunlight, clean air and water, laughter, meditation or prayer, being with family and friends, and stress-relief techniques are just a few of the tools for good living and repairing our health. They really don’t require extraordinary measures to achieve, but commitment and dedication in their pursuit.

  Fortunately, natural medicine offers many modalities upon which to draw for good health. Herbalism, aromatherapy, massage, Tai Chi, yoga, nutritional supplements, guided imagery, acupressure, acupuncture, special foods and diets, juicing, energy work such a Reiki or therapeutic touch, homeopathy, various exercise modalities, deep breathing, music, art, and dance therapy, psychological counseling, biofeedback, deep breathing techniques, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Technique, light therapy, and many more modalities. The majority of these do not have scientific studies to validate their use; all you can do is try and see if it helps.

  But healing is never certain—can never be guaranteed. There are no promises of good health, not by traditional medicine and not by conventional medicine. We just do the best we can. I’ve seen people who have never smoked but have lung cancer; those that have never drank alcohol, but have cirrhosis of the liver; and those that eat healthy and well but have colon cancer. We can only plod along and do our best, and that includes giving our bodies the proper tools to do its job.

  7. Building a healthy internal terrain should be the primary goal or focus of food and herbal therapies. Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) believed that microbes bore unique responsibility for disease and fermentation, while his counterpart Claude Bernard held that the disturbed functioning of an organism creates an environment in which microbes cause illness. During his lifetime, Pasteur argued that dealing with illness requires attacking with chemical medicines from outside the body, as well as vaccinations. Bernard, on the other hand, maintained that a healthy organism was the best defense against sickness. There is something to be said for both viewpoints.

  A healthy, internal terrain also includes positive thoughts, feelings, and emotions. If our emotions are unbalanced, our thoughts negative, and our relationships stressful, then how can we be healthy? Resentment, fear, worry, and jealousy affect our internal terrain and impair our health as much as any physical invader. Conflict and strife within our families, our places of work, and our communities create stress, which sabotages good health. Maintaining good relationships with self, family, and community is a vital aspect of Southern and Appalachian Folk Medicine and these relationships are considered preventive measures for avoiding illness.

  8. A vital or life force permeates all living cells. Whether it is referred to as the innate intelligence of the cell, as Vital Energy, ch’i, or heavenly power, it is the force which is present during life and missing in death. The concept of the vital force has its roots in the teachings of Hippocrates (400 BCE) and of Galen (190 BCE), who defined it as innate to the human constitution. Paracelsus (1493–1541) viewed it as an active, directing intelligence which maintained and repaired the organism in a dynamic fashion. George Stahl (1660–1734), a German physicist and chemist, believed that matter was spirit in motion and was divided into two categories: organic and inorganic. He further believed that all parts of the body were passive and could only be activated or moved by the release of energy from the soul. The soul uses the chemical processes of the body for this release. Death, he reasoned, is the departure of the vital force or the exiting of the soul (Life Itself: Exploring the Realm of the Living Cell, Rensberger, B., p. 6, 1998).

  Regardless of whether it is called the Vital Force, ch’i, prana, or ki, almost every culture in the world defines and describes this concept.

  The source of our energy is, of course, mitochondria. Those little powerhouses create ATP, a form of chemical energy that every cell can use. Mitochondria has its own DNA separate from our forty-six chromosomes. We inherit our mitochondria DNA from our mothers. And while mitochondria can, by no means, be defined as our soul, the description of their activities certainly parallels ancient writings.

  9. Symptoms are viewed as the body’s messengers and should not be suppressed unnecessarily. Vital energy is a complex mechanism that functions both as a defense system and an internal intelligence which protects the body from invasion, supervises the actions of the internal organs, and monitors the reactions of the mind. Within this purview, vital energy becomes a complex interaction between mind and emotions, nervous system, immune system, and mitochondria. Symptoms are a response of the body’s defense mechanism. Stahl, for instance, viewed fevers, hemorrhages, and palpitations as natural reactions by an intelligent and harmonious body confronting some stress. One must therefore respect these symptoms: They are the self-healing efforts of the body.

  This doesn’t mean that folks who are ill shouldn’t be as comfortable as possible. No one wants to be in pain. It’s hard to think and function when in pain, and it drains our energy, causing fatigue. Pain itself can raise blood pressure. Pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory remedies can help keep a person functional, going to work and taking care of business. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that life-saving drugs shouldn’t be administered when necessary. Of course they should: If you need insulin, then take insulin.

  But it does mean that suppressing symptoms does not necessarily provide any healing benefit. A person can faithfully take their diabetes medication and their blood sugar may appear to be under control, but damage can still be happening. Blood pressure can still rise and kidney damage can still occur. However, if that same person took their prescription, noninsulin diabetes medication, followed a healthy diet plan, exercised regularly, reduced stress, and slept well, the potential for reducing or alleviating any damage would be tremendous.

  Even scarier, you only have to watch the latest prescription drug commercials on television to realize the potential of damage from medications. The side effects for some drugs are often more debilitating than the disease itself. Natural approaches, such as using herbs and foods, have fewer side effects, and the ones present are generally mild.

  10. The body is viewed and treated as whole: mind, body, and spirit. One part of the body cannot be affected without impacting the whole organism. Any treatment that alters a part changes the whole. From this point of view, true reductionism is only useful if viewed within the whole; otherwise it can lead to incomplete explanations.

  Can the true nature of the forest be understood by studying only one tree? In the same vein, how much can yo
u tell about the health of the body by just studying one organ system? We are the sum of our parts. We must view the body with an awareness of all parts and the intricate dance that happens between these parts. Just to be fair, from a practical point of view, it is extremely difficult to take into account every possible influence upon a person’s health. We can only do our best.

  Even thinking of the human body as a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual being is a bit reductionist. The concept of holism reunites the various planes of our existence into an integrated whole.

  11. Traditional therapies emphasize prevention. It is easier to forestall an illness than to treat it. Preventive health aims at reducing risk factors for chronic illness through lifestyle alterations and changes. For example, by emphasizing good nutrition with attention to eating foods high in antioxidants and other phytochemicals, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate rest and exercise, and reducing the impact of stress, traditional approaches to health can head off illness before it strikes, or can reduce its impact or shorten its length if it does strike.

  These same preventive health approaches can help shorten the time in old age when a person declines, helping that person to live an active, full life into old age rather than spending their last years immobile or in a nursing home. Consequently, we have to view preventive health as more than just medical screenings and examinations; it is the support and nurturing of the self.

  Our current Western conventional medicine places no emphasis on preventive medicine. The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but is very ineffective at keeping people well. It’s true that the United States doesn’t have price control on drugs, and the high cost of drugs certainly increases healthcare costs. But that’s not the only reason. Other reasons for the high cost of healthcare in the U.S. are the use of expensive diagnostic technology, the high cost of administration, and the inability of the government to be able to buy drugs in bulk quantity.