Traditional Western Medicine, or allopathic medicine, comes from the idea of treating a symptom with its opposite. For example, treating constipation with a laxative.
Conventional medicine is geared toward treating the symptoms of a disease or illness. By and large, it focuses on drugs and surgery. There have been tremendous advances using Western, evidence-based medicine, and the world has increasingly gotten healthier. Traditional medicine has shifted somewhat in recent years to focus more on prevention and wellness, as opposed to just treating the sick and ailing.
In your search for health, many of you have also explored other forms and schools of medicine.
Homoeopathy
Homoeopathy is considered to be the opposite of allopathic medicine. The origin of the word means cures like.
Key concepts in homoeopathy are that diseases are treated with substances that cause similar symptoms in healthy people. Another key concept of this school of medicine is the law of the minimum dose. A lower dose of medication is considered to have a greater effect than a higher one.
Homeopathic practitioners are usually not licensed doctors. Homoeopathic remedies have been in use for generations, but they are not as widely supported by rigorous, evidence-based studies. More work is being done in this area to validate results.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a school of medicine based on traditional philosophies and principles. The origin of the word means natural disease. As interpreted by modern practitioners, it means treating disease with natural remedies.
Naturopathic treatments emphasise disease prevention through natural, therapeutic methods. It is based on the thinking that the body has an intrinsic ability to heal itself.
Naturopathy places a great deal of emphasis on prevention and restoring the body’s ability to heal itself.
Naturopaths can be found all over Australia. You can schedule a telephone appointment with a Central Coast naturopath from anywhere in the country.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
There are many other schools of alternative medicine including:
- Chiropractic & Osteopathy
- Acupuncture
- Ayurvedic Medicine
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
All of these have their followers and practitioners.
As you go forward on your journey to health, you are going to realize that not every medical or health approach is suitable for every situation.
These schools and ideas of medicine should be used together in a collaborative approach to not only treat your symptoms but restore you to full health.
Using natural approaches and making life choices to prevent serious degenerative disease is a sound strategy.
