Blending modern medicine with traditional natural approaches

Are you aware that there are several types of practicing doctors out there? The most conventional is the doctor who practices allopathic medicine.

Allopathic medicine primarily focuses on the treatment of disease rather then the promotion of heath.

Doctors of Osteopathy are dedicated to treating and healing the patient as a whole rather than focusing on one system or body part.

An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (also called OMT or manipulation) a hands-on approach to make sure that the body is moving freely.

This free motion ensures that all of your body’s natural healing systems are able to work unhindered.

What makes osteopathic doctors different from those who practice allopathic medicine is that they receive an additional 300 to 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body’s musculoskeletal system.

Another type of practice is Naturopathic medicine. It is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability.

Naturopathic doctors (ND’s) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease.

ND’s view the patient as a complex, interrelated system (a whole person), not as a clogged artery or a tumor.

Naturopathic physicians craft comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health.

I would like to discuss seven of the principals of Naturopathic Medicine that I have been reading about.

1. The Healing Power of Nature – the belief is that the body has considerable power to heal itself.

The role of the physician is to facilitate and enhance this process with the aid of natural and non-toxic therapies.

2. Identify and Treat the Cause – a ND is trained to seek the underlying causes of a disease rather than simply suppress the symptoms.

3. First Do No Harm – like all medical professionals, ND’s seek to do no harm with medical treatment by employing safe and effective natural therapies.

4. Treat the Whole Person – individuals should be seen as a whole. A person is composed of complex interaction between physical, mental-emotional, spiritual social and other factors.

5. The Physician as Teacher – ND’s (not to mention MD’s an OD’s) should not only be a practitioner but also a teacher. Patients should be empowered, educated and motivated to assume more personal responsibility for their health and well-being by adopting a healthy attitude, lifestyle and diet.

6. Prevention is the Best Cure – prevention of disease is accomplished through education and life habits which support health and prevent disease.

7. Establishing Health and Wellness – basically this is the premise of the ND. Health is defined as the state of optimal physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Wellness is defined as a state of health, characterized by a positive emotional state.

The goal of the ND is to increase the level of wellness regardless of the disease or level of health. The theory is that no matter how severe the disease is a high level of wellness can often be achieved.

On a personal level, I can attest to this. When my late husband was at the end-stage of his battle with cancer, he still had a really good attitude.

He felt every day spent with us was a gift and cherished every second he was able to spend with our boys.

This may sound too new-agey to some of you, but I think there is so much out there that we can learn from.

For example, my orthopedic doctor basically told me to suck it up as far as my “tennis elbow” is concerned. (Yeah, like I’ve ever played tennis a day in my life!)

I have done some research and am considering acupuncture to help with the discomfort. I do believe that attitude and outlook on life can make a difference in our physical health.

Look around you. Isn’t it true that there is always someone worse off than you?

Think about the simple things in life. Smile. Don’t you feel better already?