The Path to Reversing Chronic Disease

6 days ago
6 min read

Horizontal promotional image showing a distressed woman sitting at a table covered with prescription pill bottles and scattered medications while holding a prescription bottle in her hand. Large bold text reads “Escaping the Treatment and Pill Mentality.” Dark, dramatic lighting conveys frustration, exhaustion, and dependence on medications.

Picture of Dr. Paul Goldberg at the Goldberg Tener Clinic

Paul A. Goldberg MPH, DC, DACBN, DCBCN

Founder and Consultant to The Goldberg Tener Clinic

We are commonly asked what treatments are utilized at the Goldberg Tener Clinic for our patients. Surprisingly, to many people, we answer that we don’t use "treatments". Unlike Medical and so called Functional Medical Practitioners, we have for fifty years focused on addressing the etiological (causal) factors involved in our patient's chronic health issues and Re-Creating our patients’ bodies. This is not simply a matter of verbiage for us. I was trained in Epidemiology / Chronic Disease Control at the University of Texas Medical Center where identifying the etiological (causal) factors behind disease issues is basic to the study of Public Health. This was further realized after my graduation in 1979 and my employment in Pubic Health when I opened my first clinic bearing the motto: “Causes identified...Causes Addressed...Health Restored".

Recently, it has been in vogue, as a marketing tool, for practitioners, particularly those calling themselves "functional" medical doctors, to use the phrase “root causes." This is an advertising tactic. Medical practices remain focused on the application of pharmaceuticals and for those calling themselves Functional Medicine Doctors on the additional employment of "supplements" which are key to their practice. Laboratory tests utilized in these offices are frequently employed to provide a basis on which to sell supplements to patients. See article "The Facade of Functional and Alternative Medicine".

Vertical infographic listing common alternative and functional medicine treatments including ozone therapy, chelation therapy, herbs, supplements, bio-identical hormones, enzyme therapy, glandulars, IV vitamin therapy, colonics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ionic foot baths, boxed cleanses, and homeopathic remedies. Large headline states these treatments fail to address causal factors and restore health. Bottom section emphasizes that these treatments may provide temporary relief but do not address root causes. Footer includes Goldberg Tener Clinic branding and the phrase “Dedicated to Reversing Chronic Disease.”

Treatments, whether with pharmaceuticals and/or supplements, remains focused on symptoms. Walking out of your doctor’s office with drug prescriptions and/or “supplements” for chronic disease issues indicates you’re not addressing causal factors.

The term "root cause” in Functional Medicine lingo is linked to trendy diagnostic categories e.g. "Adrenal Fatigue”, Yeast Overgrowth, Intestinal Dysbiosis, Leaky Gut, Small intestinal Bowel Overgrowth and other labels that are frequently employed according to what disease is currently in vogue. These labels are descriptions of symptoms of the end products of disturbances in body chemistry, microbial imbalances and general resistance... they do not explain causes nor do their treatments address the causal factors behind the "diagnoses". Focusing on inflammation is another common "root cause" focus, but inflammation is the body's natural response to adverse situations. Inflammation is a symptom not a cause. It is not inflammation that is to be treated...it is the cause(s) of the inflammation that needs to be addressed and removed... that is where our attention should be focused.. See article "Inflammation is NOT the Enemy".

Confession: I was a consultant for two major functional medicine laboratories and a Senior Director of Physician Education for a large supplement company... I know their business models well. I also taught laboratory evaluation and clinical nutrition at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels for forty years.

The "Functional Medicine Practitioner” takes the same basic course of action as the standard medical practitioner...pills ad librium, only in addition to pharmaceutical pills the patient is also presented with an array of "supplement" pills to take. Shown below is a video interview with a patient from our clinic who, prior to seeing us, received both conventional and alternative / functional medical treatments with equally disappointing results. Regaining her health required her to escape the treatment mentality and address the causes of her health problems directly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XlSTt5PzZw

It is an easy sell for the Functional Medicine Practitioner. Patients are accustomed to taking pills and these are touted as being "natural". Purchase the bottles, swallow them and go on your merry way to health. It is an easy path for the doctor and patient to follow but in essence little different from and equally futile in most cases as the chronically ill patient taking prescription drugs.

YOUR WORST ENEMY OR BEST FRIEND IS YOU!

Square infographic with large text stating"what if instead of treating your disease you re-created your body? Footer includes Goldberg Tener Clinic branding and the phrase “Dedicated to Reversing Chronic Disease.”

Understanding Symptoms: Recovering from a chronic disease requires addressing the factors involved with creating the disease...not the symptoms the patient is experiencing. Symptoms are not the cause of themselves. The causes must first be removed. Rather than "treating" symptoms, our process is to develop for each patient an individual protocol with the focus on regenerating the body. This involves establishing the right conditions that give the body the optimal opportunity to replace diseased or inferior tissues with healthier ones. We refer to this process as “Re-Creation”. See examples of "Re-Creation" below.

Reversing Chronic Disease by building health as opposed to "treating" chronic disease is a diametrically different approach from that of the standard or "functional" medical practitioner.

In chronic disease, the body is stuck in disease mode. It has failed in its recovery attempts. An individual, comprehensive approach must be designed and employed to set the re-creation process in motion. Time, effort and patience are important elements of the Re-Creation Process. The patient must be fully involved. It commonly takes years to degenerate into chronic disease and likewise it takes time to reverse the downward spiral and get on a steady pathway to health, but usually much less time than it took to get ill.

The Will To Get Well

vertical infographic stating that we do not treat disease. We build health. The body heals itself under the right conditions. Goldberg Tener Clinic website URL included at the bottom along with Dedicated to Chronic Disease Reversal

Reversing most Chronic Diseases is possible as we have repeatedly demonstrated over the past five decades with our patients. The body can heal itself…but only under the right conditions, implementing the appropriate long-term behaviors needed to Re-create our cells and tissues to bring them to a renewed, healthier state.

In conducting an extensive interview with each patient, we identify the chain of events that brought the patient to this juncture. We then initiate the steps required to address the downward cascade of chronic disease. This requires the cooperation of the patient who must exert discipline and willpower regarding the changes needing to be made. The patient’s interview, history, examination and laboratory results when properly understood in a comprehensive fashion tell us what the patient needs to do to reverse his or her decline into poor physical condition and gradually evolve into good health.

The patient cannot be passive as in standard and functional medical practices. To reverse “incurable” problems the patient must engage in sustained, constructive behaviors. Destructive habits must go by the wayside. Cooperation in the healing adventure is required.

Many try to reverse a chronic disease simply by trying different diets seen on the internet, by taking a myriad of supplements or other quick fixes. Inevitably they end up disappointed, frustrated and scared as their health issues mushroom. See article "Diet Mania: Are You Confused?".

Utilizing our experience and training in clinical epidemiology to uncover causal factors is where we begin, followed by instructing the patient on a correct course of right actions to reverse their declining health and promote regenerative processes. The patient then works through the ups and downs experienced as their body becomes more capable of removing the yoke of chronic disease.

A patient’s adherence to instructions cannot be halfhearted. Negative habits must be discarded. The patient wishing to leave behind the misery of chronic disease has challenging but productive work ahead.

If we take the right actions, Nature works with us but if compromises are made and rules bent Nature is unforgiving and the discomforts the patient has will amplify themselves with each passing year. Nature does not make bargains, and we don’t have the power to negotiate with her.

There is frequently the need to initially detoxify from exposures to drugs and environmental toxins, emotional crises, dietary indiscretions, accumulated metabolic wastes from overeating and other insults to the body. These causes of disease cannot be banished by taking pills of any type. Extended rest and sleep are often a priority. The years of insults the body has suffered through need to be replaced with correct behaviors and under careful, experienced guidance.

The question often arises as to how many of our bad habits we need to give up to reverse chronic disease? If we are to regain the momentum to go from chronic disease to good health…all of them. Later, if we return to injurious habits after recovering, nature will again extract a similar or worse penalty. Getting healthy from chronic disease is not about treatments. It is about taking the right steps to create health. To create new healthier tissues. To undergo a re-creative process that drugs and supplements cannot achieve.

Recovery from chronic disease is on the horizon for those willing to identify and address causal factors. To get off the pill mentality of depending on drugs and supplements, to alter behaviors, and to roll up their sleeves and engage in the work of re-creating their bodies. We are here to help identify etiological factors/ causes and lay out a specific road map to address them... but only the patient can do the work required to emerge triumphant.

📞 Contact the Goldberg Tener Clinic:

If you are struggling with chronic health issues, contact our clinic to schedule a complimentary phone consultation with Dr. Tener to learn how we can help guide you through the recovery process. Click here to learn more about becoming a new patient at the Goldberg Tener Clinic.