Alternative Medicine

In 1982, the Prince of Wales addressed the British Medical Association (BMA) with these priceless words. “Today’s unorthodox is most probably tomorrow’s convention.”

The medical profession has always viewed alternative medicine with outright skepticism and scorn.

In recent times, there has been a growing belief among common folks to seek alternative medicine as a time-tested holistic healing therapy for their ailments. The good news is that the medical fraternity has an ear on this.

The factors for this switch could likely be:

Practitioners of alternative medicine can afford more time.

Patients feel that the therapist is honestly concerned. He is not addressing a singular problem, but the whole body.

Touch is an instinct that fosters a bond. Patients view this as an effective means of communication. Alternative medicine frequently uses massage, subtle pressure on certain areas, acupuncture, and so on. Orthodox medical practices alienate the patient from the doctor, as this personal touch is missing.

Normal medical practice and advice are familiar. Do this, do that, blah, blah. Patients are consoled with unheard terms and unfamiliar practices that impart a powerful healing force.

This brings us to the next hurdle. Which kind of alternative medicine is suitable? To make it simple, dear reader, they are best broken into four categories.

A Complete Healing System

These are highly developed. Incorporated are the causes of the illness, diagnostic methods, and treatment. This approach is more in line with conventional medical practices. But practices date back millennia.

The gamut of best-known systems includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, osteopathy, homeopathy, naturopathy, and chiropractic. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional healing system in India, is becoming increasingly popular.

Diagnostic Techniques

These techniques involve kinesiology, a study to determine muscle strength for detecting allergies, iridology to examine the eyes for hidden disorders, and hair analysis which seeks nutritional deficiencies

The most unconventional is the ‘aura diagnosis’ which orthodox investigators find hard to accept.

Comlementary Therepies

These include fringe treatments such as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, hydrotherapy, and spiritual cleansing. These do not address core issues. Orthodox practitioners are supportive of this. These methods are meant to complement rather than replace orthodox forms of treatment.

Self-help Measures

Self-help is a great way to go about it. This offers ways where people can ease their symptoms, improve their health and simply stay well. On the menu are breathing, relaxation exercises, meditation, yoga, and a balanced diet.

So What Is Alternative Medicine Exactly

The goal of every living being is to live long and healthy throughout. Alternative medicine does not promise miracles. The beauty of alternative medicine is how you perceive it. Music therapy, quitting smoking, de-stressing, and what have you. In fact, cases have been reported where cancers have disappeared purely through meditation alone.

Let us focus on Naturopathy, one of the most common and widely used techniques of Alternative Medicine.

Naturopathy- Helping Your Body To Heal Itself

The first man who immersed his sprained ankle in a cool stream was practicing Naturopathy. So it was with the first woman who fasted to settle an upset stomach. The first person who decided to sit tight and sweat out a fever was also no different.

The Natural Birth of Naturopathy

The origins of naturopathy date back to more than 2000 years and are the brainchild of the Greek physician Hippocrates who is called the Father of Medicine.

His principle was “first not harm”- this implies that cures should work with the body and be as natural as possible, maintaining that good health is an outcome of eating and exercising in moderation.

Naturopathy was pioneered in Germany in the early 19th century by therapists such as Vincent Preissnitz (1799-1851), who believed in the miraculous healing power of water and founded hydrotherapy as is now known.

Towards the end of the century, a Bavarian monk, Father Sebastian Kneipp, successfully treated an ailing American named Benedict Lust. After studying with Kneipp at his clinic, Lust, upon returning to America, founded his particular form of therapy- naturopathy.

Lust believed that as far as health is concerned, man is his own worst enemy- narrow thinking, criminal eating, foolish drinking, sagging posture, and congested sitting are contributory factors.

Kneipp’s water cure is for people of all ages who suffer from muscular pains and aches. Hoses, water sprinkling, and walking barefoot in wet grass were all part of the therapy.

What Is Naturopathy?

Since its inception, when it was called “nature cure,” naturopathy has concentrated on the body’s capacity to heal itself. The aim to accomplish this is by various therapies, including chiropractic, Dieting and diet, Exercise, Massage, Hydrotherapy, Osteopathy, Breathing and Relaxation, and Yoga.

Naturopathy encourages people to think positively about good health rather than pain and illness and live naturally. Give the pressures of our modern, everyday world a skip, and you get a step closer to more excellent immunity.

Whenever for whatever reason, our health is compromised, naturopathy intervenes to identify the underlying cause of the illness. The approach does not suppress or merely alleviate the symptoms but the treatment.

Naturopathy believes that the primary cause of any illness is the breakdown of the body’s average balance.

The particular type of illness may result from various bacteria, viruses, allergies, and other external factors.

Naturopaths treat each case as unique, and each person is an individual case—each person’s entire physical, emotional, biochemical, and social circumstances. Naturopathy seeks to complement and support conventional medicine- providing comfort and help when severe illness calls for surgery or drastic orthodox treatment.

Who Can Benefit From Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a holistic approach to illness and can benefit people with disorders. Age does not pose a problem, and it is effective with both infants and the elderly.

It is a strong belief that naturopathy is especially effective against degenerative diseases such as arthritis and emphysema (damaged, inefficient lungs). Naturopathy is also very beneficial in treating ulcers and other inflammatory conditions. It also speeds up recovery from colds, influenza, diarrhea, and rashes.

In cases where a precise medical diagnosis cannot be made, such as anxiety and fatigue, naturopathy is an indispensable tool.

Naturopaths concentrate on the individual rather than the disease; it is a clear achievement that success is dependent on a patient’s ability to heal themselves. The amount of physical damage is a factor.

For example, a young person should respond well to an ailment such as bronchitis. But, on the other hand, a frail, older adult with the same complaint may take a longer time to get better, and it may not be so complete.

All the same, naturopaths think that even elderly persons can cope effectively with illness without resorting to drugs.

Consulting the Therapist

Since naturopathy deals with you and your physical condition, your naturopath will start with a recount of your personal case history. He needs to know how you and your symptoms are affected by climatic changes, different times of the day, where you work, where you live, eating habits, sleep patterns, menstrual cycles, and bowel activity.

A routine medical examination will follow- pulse, heart, blood pressure, etc. This could be followed by assessing your spinal joints and musculoskeletal system that they are functioning freely.

Naturopathic diagnosis is concerned with establishing why your health is poor rather than putting a name on it. Therefore some naturopaths will go the extra mile to dwell deeper, more profound as iridology to examine the irises of your eyes and air diagnosis. In addition, your and blood samples may be taken for precise laboratory analysis.

In tandem with your naturopath, these findings reveal, along with your case history, that can enable him to arrive at a fruitful conclusion.

Many people fear illness because they feel they have no control over it. The responsible naturopath dispels this fear by explaining that the body is explaining why it is unwell. Sudden or severe symptoms indicate that the body is battling a particular illness, and therefore the symptoms contradict suppression- unless the patient’s life is at risk.

A patient can incur minor afflictions such as phlegm or irritation for a few days during the treatment. The good news is that this is viewed as the ‘healing crisis, and essentially is a good sign.

Measures to remedy may involve changes in diet and herbal treatment.

The overall plan is to ensure that the symptoms do not overcome the patient’s reserve of energy or hinder a satisfactory recovery.

Therapists encourage spiritual and emotional counseling in cases that prove difficult to resolve.

The Last Word

Many of the treatments offered by naturopaths are the basis of good health care- both preventive and curative.

Several of these measures are now included in health education programs.

The key is to tie up orthodox approaches and naturopathy in treating complex medical problems.

Conclusion

Alternative medicine has a growing following. For it to yield tangible results, your participation is vital. Your mind needs to sync with this belief. And it works, Believe me. I am an ex-alcoholic now and free from substance misuse.

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