Are you experiencing a healing crisis?
By Dr. David Jockers
(Natural News) It is not uncommon for individuals to suffer from detoxification reactions when they being a program of natural healing. This is classically referred to as a healing crisis and occurs when the body is expelling toxins into the different systems of the body. The healing crisis is a normal process that toxic individuals will often encounter on their path to getting well.
The medical term for healing crisis is the “Herxheimer Reaction.” This occurs when the cells release toxins into circulation but the elimination organs (skin, lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder & GI tract) are not able to eliminate them quickly enough. The toxins remain in circulation and can affect the brain stem region leading to nausea, poor coordination, headaches, fatigue, malaise, fever, etc.
Another common cause of the healing crisis has to do with the dying off of certain pathogenic organisms in the body. These organisms can be Candida yeast infections, viruses and bacteria. Any sort of natural health program can cause a massive die-off of these organisms. This die-off releases stored endotoxins (within the microbes themselves) that circulate and again interfere with normalized function. The more pathogens in the body, the more endotoxins that will be released into the bloodstream.
The healing crisis is natural and healthy
The healing crisis is very natural and unique for each individual. The vast majority experience very mild symptoms while others experience sever issues. The individual should understand that these symptoms are temporary and will subside as the body gets healthier and able to eliminate toxins more effectively. Symptoms usually reduce or are eliminated within two to three days but on rare occasions can last a few weeks.
Most people base their health on how they are feeling and think that the natural health program is hurting them when they go through a healing crisis. This could not be further from the truth. The longer toxins or pathogenic organisms remain in the body, the worse their health will be and the faster they will develop disease.
People who are already suffering from major illnesses or are quickly building disease processes may suffer from more extreme reactions. This may explain why someone would have a brief flare-up in their condition. On occasion, the crisis will come after the individual feels at their very best.
The most common symptoms associated with a healing crisis include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, night sweats, hot/cold flashes, increased blood pressure, headaches, joint pain, and fatigue.
Fasting is a common strategy used to cleanse the body and often is associated with many of these detox symptoms. Fasting removes energy from the digestive tract where it can now be utilized for healing and detoxification. This is an important strategy for everyone to use periodically to improve and maintain cellular purity. Many choose to do three to ten-day liquid cleanses every quarter while others choose to do a weekly, 24-hour fasting cleanse.
To minimize healing crisis symptoms during a fast it is best to incorporate fermented drinks that are rich in electrolytes and enzymes to facilitate cleansing. Some of the best functional beverages to include in a fasting cleanse include fermented whey, coconut water defer, apple cider vinegar, and kombucha.
Healing crisis will also occur when individuals begin to incorporate naturally fermented foods into their diet. These foods destroy pathogenic organisms and create die-off effects. Healing crisis are also very common in individuals with major blood sugar signaling problems. When they remove sugar and anything that turns into sugar, they often have symptoms. Until there body gets comfortable using fat as a preferred fuel, they will often run on metabolic acidosis and experience healing crisis symptoms.
