by Adrian von Ferneczy //
Dr. Norbert Kriegisch has been running a successful general practice in the heart of Munich-Schwabing for over 40 years. In an interview with the editor of CdkW, Markus Langemann, the practising doctor courageously and openly criticizes the state of the modern healthcare system and the training of the next generation of doctors. His critical, comprehensive view of people and his concern to promote sustainable health by researching causes rather than treating symptoms make him a remarkable voice in the medical discourse.
The crisis of symptom medicine
Kriegisch believes that medical training and practice is increasingly limited to technical procedures that often disregard people as individuals. Examinations that stubbornly query blood values and other diagnostic procedures according to standard values are increasingly symptom-oriented without looking for the underlying cause of the complaints. "Doctors actually only treat the symptoms with so-called antimicrobials: Antirheumatics, antidepressants, antihypertensives," says Dr. Kriegisch, describing his experience. "It's not about healing, but about immobilizing the body and hoping that it will help itself."
His skepticism towards this "Scheme F medicine" is growing in view of the increasing number of patients who continue to feel ill after intensive examinations but have no explainable diagnosis. His book "I feel sick, why can't anyone find anything?" describes cases from his practice in which patients with long-standing complaints such as stomach pain or back pain found no relief after extensive technical examinations and medication.
Holistic view of the human being: Body, mind and soul
For Dr. Kriegisch, it is crucial not just to focus on individual organs, but to look at the whole person, as many physical complaints originate at different levels. "The body is more than the sum of its parts," he explains. "If someone has stomach pain, the cause may lie on a structural, regulatory, psycho-emotional or spiritual level." In his experience, back pain, for example, can be related to emotional stress or unresolved issues, while headaches are often triggered by dental and jaw areas.
Dr. Kriegisch describes his medical approach as integrative medicine, in which conventional and alternative procedures go hand in hand. He uses naturopathic medicine, orthomolecular medicine and energy medicine, including the involvement of dentists and other specialists when necessary. This holistic approach requires in-depth root cause analysis and careful observation. "Every patient who comes to me for the first time spends an hour and a half with me. It all starts with an extensive questionnaire, which encourages the patient to reflect better on themselves," explains Dr. Kriegisch.
Medical system and economic constraints
Today's medicine is driven by financial and economic interests, which prevents doctors from taking the time and care that would be necessary. A doctor only receives around 70 euros per quarter for statutory health insurance patients - regardless of how often the patient comes in. "The system is inane and demotivating," says Dr. Kriegisch.
A critical attitude towards the pharmaceutical industry
Another aspect that Dr. Kriegisch criticizes is the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on research and medical practices. Third-party funding that flows to universities comes almost exclusively from pharmaceutical companies, which strongly influences the direction of medical research.
This conviction is also reflected in his rejection of prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs to children from the age of five, as has recently been proposed. Dr. Kriegisch appeals for a differentiated understanding of cholesterol and its role in the body. "Cholesterol is an antioxidant and a component of sex hormones. Instead of prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs, we can try to increase the proportion of good HDL cholesterol through diet."
Believing in healing through root cause analysis
Dr. Kriegisch's method is to look for the key to healing in the individual approach to the patient. "I don't claim that I can cure everyone, but I am convinced that far more is possible through root cause research and experience than most people believe." He also shares this conviction with his family: his daughter works in his practice as a specialist in general medicine and his son is a specialist in neurology and psychiatry. By working together across generations, he tries to pass on his integrative and critical approach to the next generation.
The interview with Dr. Norbert Kriegisch is a wake-up call for all those who long for a medicine that perceives and questions people in their entirety. To gain even deeper insights into Dr. Kriegisch's approach and his critical views on the healthcare system, I recommend listening to the entire interview in the Club der klaren Worte media library. This conversation provides plenty of food for thought and shows the importance of holistic and patient-oriented medicine that focuses on true healing. - Yours, Markus Langemann
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6 Responses
The development towards standardized, symptom-oriented medicine is being accelerated so that medical tasks can be largely taken over by AI in the future. This bold thesis is supported by the ludicrous shortage of places to study medicine. The shortage of doctors is not just happening, it is deliberate - and has been for decades. With the shift towards automated and dehumanized medical simulation, rationing and other bad things are easier to implement. A certain Harari once spoke of people who are no longer needed. Now that frail people in their mid-teens with suspected strokes are being kept in the waiting area of the emergency department for five hours, anyone who drives a third of hospitals into insolvency does not have health on their agenda, I suspect. I have been following my colleague Kriegisch's treatment approach in a similar way in dentistry for 40 years. In today's medical world, patients and doctors have to be able to afford this type of treatment; it is not an easy path,
When I signal to doctors as a patient that I would like to work with them, a suitable partner is often found... only very rarely does a know-it-all reject the offer. This has already resulted in the most amazing therapies developed together - with the lowest possible dosages and side effects and the fastest possible healing.
In the case of an acute, severe illness, I am grateful for quick and highly effective remedies* so that I have time afterwards to think about the causes and take appropriate countermeasures. - Changes in lifestyle, diet, exercise, restriction of intolerances, reduction of stress also deliver success in the long term, but it can take a few years for this to really take effect. Patience, serenity and trust in your own body are required - *this is all the better if these highly effective remedies are available for emergencies.
For me, weighing up the measures and the targeted short-term use of medication is important; as a chronic patient, I can manage for decades almost without medication.
Dr. Kriegisch is right.
The only problem is that the healthcare system, as it is structured, has only one purpose: to keep us sick for life without us dying - because if the patient is healthy, the doctor and all the downstream profiteers earn nothing.
It starts with the fact that iodine (cheap and not patentable) is no longer seen as a disinfectant and people prefer to use antibiotic ointments and sprays (expensive and patentable) which almost cost me my foot.My family doctor told me that if he doesn't prescribe pills or anything else, the patients won't come back because the life concept of many is "live like a wild sow, we'll do the rest with pills and injections".
So the health lobbyists must be chased out of the parliaments, everyone who can prove that they are living at full capacity has to pay higher health insurance contributions. Deprivatization of clinics. And if the pharmaceutical industry doesn't want to, then the state must produce medicines itself.
What is going on today, that our Oberhallodri Klabauterbach can be "blackmailed" through artificial drug shortages, must not be allowed to happen, especially not that prices for drugs are a secret matter - this is corruption at the highest level, but our dementia chancellor has experience in this, so-called Cum EX experience, which has a very good effect on the careers of politicians.
Abolition of flat rates per case because only what is in the catalog and is highly paid is done.
More general practitioners because it can't be that an orthopaedist says he doesn't see an orthopaedic problem with my swollen feet. Better distribution of doctors in the country - it can't be that there are 6 dermatologists in one place and 5 of them only treat private patients - these gentlemen have studied at OUR expense.
State pharmaceutical research and production without industry involvement, because what the pharmaceutical criminals cost us, we can easily manage ourselves.
Recognition of naturopathic treatments and coverage by health insurance companies, because that will be much cheaper than making the pharmaceutical shareholders fat.
It is unacceptable that reserve antibiotics are prescribed for colds despite several red hand letters. Either these doctors are crazy, ignorant or bribed by the pharmaceutical industry. If you want to test it, you can try the online medical exam, you can get to 30% without studying, just with your mind and knowledge.
I would like to take this 'on line doctor exam' to see how I score as a non-doctor. Can you please tell me the website? I have searched but have only come up with sites that offer preparation material for doctors exams.
Thank you very much!
Thank you for asking. Unfortunately, I haven't bookmarked the page and can't find it now.
If I succeed, I will get back to you.
Good doctor! Of which there are fewer and fewer. The young doctors are pure prescribers of medication. After analyzing the values, they prescribe medication for the deviations. That's what doctors are trained to do today. It's as simple as baking bread rolls. In principle, AI can do that too. Real health advice would be time-consuming. It's rare for someone to say: change your lifestyle and you'll be fine again. They are, of course, the mirror image of modern patients who don't want it any other way. And they are in the grip of the pharmaceutical industry, which promotes this. Who has the discipline to change their lifestyle these days? Less stress (stomach), less alcohol (stomach/intestines), less sweets, etc. Instead, rest and a healthy diet. What's more, people used to become doctors by vocation. Today, it's because you have an A-level and can earn good money. If you want to stay healthy, you have to look after yourself. Modern doctors are of little help. Finally, my favorite joke, which surgeons in particular like to tell: What is the difference between an internist, a general practitioner and a surgeon? Internists know everything and can do nothing, general practitioners know nothing and can do nothing. And surgeons know nothing and can do everything! That's how I experienced it.