Palliation is taking something for a symptom to stop the symptom. The person feels better, but the reason why they got the symptom in the first place and remains unaddressed. The symptom is merely the body’s way of sending a signal that there is a problem, but the symptom is not the problem. For example, if a person is fatigued and the lab test shows they have hypothyroid (low thyroid hormones), and they are given thyroid hormones as a treatment. The person will have increased energy and feel better, but the reason why the thyroid was not producing enough hormones remains unaddressed. This is palliation. Natural therapies and treatments can be just as palliative as prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
It is essential to distinguish between palliative treatments verses curative treatments because continual palliation leads to suppression. With suppression the problem is driven deeper in the body. The body will eventually send a more alarming signal (symptom) to try to bring attention to the initial problem. The fatigue/hypothyroid symptom is replaced by such examples as ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, or some other severe symptom.
There is nothing wrong with palliation, as long as the cause of the problem is pursued while palliating.
Identifying and resolving the cause may take years as it often occurred during childhood and has progressed during the person’s life. A true cure occurs only when this ultimate source is identified and addressed. After this, no therapies are required and the conditions do not worsen.
To determine if the patient is cured, there needs to be markers other than just the person’s symptoms. The overall health of the person needs to be evaluated. To do so health needs to be defined in universal terms. A healthy person has a sense of balance, purpose, creativity, connection, freedom, strength, and energy in life. The healthy person is transformed into who they were meant to be, not just symptom free. The goal of any practitioner and patient should be to work towards cure of the problem and not merely palliate and suppress symptoms.