Don’t Shoot the Messenger

The old adage “don’t shoot the messenger” has its roots in ancient times when messengers were literally people traveling to deliver news that may or may not be taken well by the receiving party. It was understood that to ensure these messages made it through, the messenger must be guaranteed safe passage and not be laid to blame for the delivery of upsetting information. In medicine, the concerning symptoms that arise in our bodies can also be viewed as messengers or warnings that something deeper is out of balance and needs attention. Often, these symptomatic messengers are pointing to areas of our physiology, our minds, or our environment that are unwell. In the age of modern pharmacy and medical intervention, there are always ways to “shoot the messenger” in hopes of relief, but to resolve symptoms for the long term and support fuller healing, addressing all the underlying causes is necessary.

One of Naturopathic medicine’s guiding principles is to thoroughly identify and treat underlying causes (Tolle Causum) to any illness or set of symptoms, versus a more reactionary response of eliminating symptoms one by one. Addressing underlying causes can be explored just in terms of physiology and biochemistry, but can also be expanded out to investigate what aspects of our minds and emotions, our physical environment as well as our relationships may be imbalanced and contributing to symptoms as well. All of these realms of who we are can contribute to symptoms and illness arising in our bodies.

All too often, due to the complexity of our bodies, we compartmentalize our suffering into one area or body system — endocrine, neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, etc. — when the reality is that these systems are inseparable and function together every second of the day. We are an orchestra of systems and physiology, along with thoughts and feelings and an intricate relationship with our environments and the people in our lives. All of these are connected to our journey between health, symptoms and illness. Ignoring these factors when treating by only suppressing symptoms, might mean only short term relief, or a worsening of the unidentified underlying causes.

Holistic investigation of symptoms will often help weave together the tapestry that connects all these aspects of who we are. With this approach it might be discovered that supporting, for example, the digestive system to absorb nutrients optimally and get rid of waste efficiently, will set the stage for less inflammation and greater vitality in every other body system. There is a two-way street involving mental health as well, as taking care of oneself metabolically will lend to a smoother ride of our thoughts and emotions, and conversely the body’s nervous, immune and digestive systems always function better when mental health is balanced.

Migraines are one of many examples of an unpleasant set of symptoms that can have their roots in mutiple body systems. Migraine’s symptoms of headache, pain, nausea, visual disturbance can be addressed head-on with medications or herbs, but famously there are roots that go deeper. In some cases gut inflammation from a food sensitivity or other digestive issue contributes. Hormonal fluctuations of the endocrine system can also be part of the story. Underlying chronic infections or inflammatory environmental exposures may be part of the puzzle as well. Mental emotional strife or structural imbalances of the musculoskeletal system should also be looked at if the underlying causes haven’t been identified. Finding and addressing all of these potential contributors usually yields more meaningful results than chasing after the end result or downstream symptoms.

The analogy of a stream works well here. The symptoms that arise in our bodies, or the illness or disease states that develop could be considered the most downstream — and right in our faces. Upstream we can look toward aspects of our environment, our diet, our self-care, sources of stress or emotional strife that have been part of journey to this moment. By addressing all of these upstream factors, we give our bodies a much greater chance of a deeper and more permanent resolution of health concerns. In this way we can embrace “the messenger” even with it’s uncomfortable news, so that we begin a more full and conscientious healing journey.

Joshua Phillips, ND is a naturopathic physician and the director at Hawthorn Healing Arts Center in Bend, Oregon. He can be reached at docnaturecure@gmail.com with questions or comment.

This article appears in the Source June 18, 2026.