Patients with chronic illnesses often present with numerous symptoms that are characteristic of their disease state. A clear mental-emotional etiology should be sought as the basis for choosing a remedy rather than concentrating solely on the specific defiicits experienced by the patient. The intent of this presentation is to explore what is to be cured in diseases using an example of what is commonly refered to as a degenerative disease to explore the possibilities for cure using homeopathic and naturopathic methods.