In a “league of its own,” however, there is chronic pain and illness. This seems to baffle science. Both western and alternative medicine struggle to provide healing for these diagnoses.

Over time, both modalities have put together a menu of symptoms and tests and tagged the results with a label. Sometimes, the medicine and supplements can help, but too often, you’re given your label and sent home to try to manage it yourself with little direction.

We all have an idea of what we believe aging “should” look like.

For instance, many people believe their experience will be the carbon copy of their parents or other family members.

They may even go so far as to take inventory of the ailments in their family and believe that those things are their destiny, too. Or they become so preoccupied with the possibility of illness that they place themselves on the strictest of health regimens.